[_____V_____]

MEANWHILE...


Despare's body was wheeled quickly into the lab where it was swiftly shifted to the covered op table in the center. The frame was then closed with Despare's body inside it.

"How long do we have?" Surgeon #1 asked, his voice tense and a bit nervous.

"Any moment now," Surgeon #3 replied from behind. "The cycle is almost complete. Here, have a look."

Surgeon #3 indicated towards a monitor which was processing sonographic images.

"My God! We dont have a moment to lose! Get me the container unit," Surgeon #2 barked the orders after taking a long peek into the monitor.

All three surgeons waited around the closed glassy frame looking at Despare's body intently.

"When was he impregnated?" Surgeon #1 was curious.

"After the last Hunt. The mighty IT had a hunch he wont be surviving this challenge, and so the deed was done when he was asleep," Surgeon #3 said matter-of-factly.

"How come he didnt feel anything? The after-effects such as knocking on the chest, even the pain spasms? And when he was getting whacked by machetes?"

"He has a very strong body. He has been withstanding a lot of attacks since Battle Royale II started and surviving every outing in the Zone. I would say his body was very special for a human," Surgeon #3 had a faint tinge of admiration in his voice.

"Shhh...here it comes!" Surgeon #2 announced in a hushed voice.

The machete wound in the center of Despare's chest opened a little, then opened wider with a burst of blood, and a small head popped out of it first. It uttered a long, throaty growling hiss.



"Magnificent specimen," Surgeon #3 remarked.

Surgeon #2 brought the titanium clamps together and held the head gently, but firmly. He then nodded to #1, who donned the special gloves and grabbed a small scalpel. Making an incision on the top of the head, #1 dropped a small piece of metal (possibly a neuro-connecting transmitter) into it. #1 then nodded to #3, who quickly brought the large camera-magnifier around and peeked into it.

"Perfectly placed. This will only take a minute."

The head kept hissing and growling, trying to shake off the clamps and get out of Despare's chest. The clamps held it firmly though; he wasnt able to move even an inch.

#3 had a laser needle-like thing out and was doing something rapidly inside the head's incision. Exactly a minute later, he leant back.

"Its done."

#1 sealed off the incision with a small laser-pointer.

"Test it first, as soon as I let go of the clamps. If it doesnt work, we have to kill it."

#3 moved to a computer near the monitor and typed out some commands on it.

Almost instantly, the head of the creature became rigid and it stopped moving. The clamps were slowly parted, and the small creature stepped out of Despare's chest rigidly, as if hypnotised.

"It is responding perfectly," #1 said.

#3 punched some more commands into the computer, and the creature stopped near the opening of the glass frame which enclosed Despare's body.

#2 opened the way to the container unit, and #3 punched some more into the computer. The creature slowly ambled into the container, and the lid was shut off.

"Tell mighty IT that Operation Recovery is a complete success. Operation Xenomorph will commence at his bidding," #1 announced proudly.

#3 nodded and moved out of the chamber.