Chapter Text
Under the sedation, only the most subtle rise and fall of the alien’s chest was visible. Apart from that and the steady beeping and hissing of tubes, computers and instruments hooked, strung and glued to its naked body, it looked very much like a corpse in a morgue, splayed out on its broad back on a steel table.
Except that nobody would tie down a corpse with restraints strong enough to render an elephant immobile.
None of the alien’s captors knew that it wouldn’t be enough.
The alien – or Predator, as it had been colloquially dubbed – was swarmed by a hastily assembled team of scientists, investors and security personnel who all hovered around this recently captured asset, taking notes, checking monitors, discussing possible profits in quiet corners of the lab.
A small group of scientists bent over the creature’s body, examining its inhuman features, the tusked mandibles framing its mouth, the fleshy hair-like protrusions on its bony crown.
“It sure is one ugly motherfucker, isn’t it?” one of the men commented smirking.
Nobody noticed the disapproving glare one of the scientists sent the man’s way.
Said scientist, a tense-looking, tall, young woman in an ill-fitting coat – part of the newly acquired staff, they had to stock up the team so quickly after the unexpected capture of a living Predator, finally another chance to make up for the disaster following the last time this happened, they all barely knew each other’s names – moved around the steel table, speaking anatomical notes into a recorder.
Nobody paid attention to what she said, all busy with their own work.
“Distance of proximal phalanges and metacarpals seems to be about ten percent larger than in the average human…” she mumbled into the device, gently touching the alien’s large, clawed hand.
Nobody heard her when she bent closer to the creature’s face and whispered, seemingly to the recorder:
“Halkrath, it’s me, Solan. Sorry it took me so long. If you can hear me, move your hand.”
Nobody noticed the alien’s fingers twitching in that exact moment.
“I’ll get you out of here, but I need you to hold on a bit longer until I managed to reduce the sedative. Can you do that?”
Again, the alien’s claws twitched against the woman’s smaller palm.
“Okay. Good. Just a bit more. Wait for my sign,” she said. As she continued her recordings, the Predator’s eyelids flickered just once, met the woman’s eyes for a split second, then shut again.
Nobody noticed, and it was their downfall.