(A/N. Before we start I just wanted to say that I found an app that fixes all my grammar and spelling mistakes for me. Do you think it worked alright? Also do you think I should keep using it? Because honestly it makes my job a hell of a lot easier.)
Things were going well. Honestly, it had taken us a while to get moving, but soon we were up and exploring, weaving our way through relatively orderly streets when compared to the Nexus. We visited every shop and establishment on the way to our destination, and, oh boy, were they selling some incredible stuff.
There were ordinary items like clothes, movies, books, and so on, but that kind of thing was in the minority compared to all the strange crap on offer. I swear to God, I even saw someone selling a nuclear missile by the roadside, and that was tame compared to everything else I witnessed.
That wasn't even the weirdest thing I saw today. There were plenty of items I didn't recognize or understand: a Rubik's Cube–like device that predicted how you were going to die with alarming accuracy; a hat store selling hats that were a mile high and gave all kinds of wacky effects; a cow-alien-slug creature that could literally excrete rare materials from holes along the side of its body. In fact there was even someone selling what looked like a magical wizard's tower of some kind, however I'm pretty sure that it was actually some kind of eldritch mimic that was consuming any unsuspecting visitors that stepped inside.
There was also what looked like an old-fashioned car dealership, the kind you see in classic films, only this one was bloody massive. The people working there weren't selling cars, oh no, they were in fact selling futuristic spaceships; there was even a fucking Super Star Destroyer just sitting in the background.
(You know what…) I thought, my expression flat. (I think this place has finally broken me.)
"Brat, hurry up!" Decker called from a distance.
"Yeah yeah, I'm coming," I replied as I walked over.
(But seriously, who the fuck just sells a Super Star Destroyer of all things?) I thought, shaking my head as I reached the spot where the others were waiting.
"I love this place!" Anna purred, stuffing several items she'd apparently bought into a spatial rift with her paws.
"I have to admit, it's pretty cool," Iris hummed, however a second later the emerald crystals around her body flashed awkwardly. "The only problem is I have no idea what to buy."
"Yeah, I don't know where to start," Lucius chuckled, rubbing the back of his head.
"Honestly… I find it all a bit intimidating…" Sapphire muttered, glancing around nervously.
(At least I'm not the only one feeling overwhelmed.) I thought to myself.
"So, where are we going first?" I asked.
"That's what we're trying to figure out," Yennora said, answering my question.
"Why bother with planning?" Basil grinned, shifting his weight slightly. "We'll never get anything done if all we do is stand around all day."
"For once I agree with this meathead," Decker muttered, and several of us nodded in agreement.
"Brain brain brain, brain brain." (☆ヮ☆)
"All right, I know when I'm outvoted," Yennora shrugged, not all that bothered.
"Let us embark, then," ED72 hummed mechanically, his words echoed somewhat by Anna.
"Onwards!"
Things continued to unfold, and honestly, wandering around with the group turned out to be surprisingly fun all things considered. We spent time checking out all sorts of bizarre items, some of us even ended up turning it into a game of sorts. As for purchases, well, Sapphire had picked up a strange blue neck collar looking thing that, when activated, amplified her voice. Gringus, on the other hand, snagged an antique-looking cane etched with magical runes.
I hadn't bought anything myself yet. It wasn't that I didn't want to, it's just that I wasn't exactly focused on personal indulgence right now. I was keeping an eye out for things that could help me and the sanctuary in the long run. Plus, I was on a tight budget and was currently trying to avoid the kind of impulsive spending I'd fallen into back in the Rampage universe. Sure, a few items had caught my eye, but they were either way out of my price range or not immediately useful.
Eventually, our shopping trip was interrupted by someone shouting in frustration. The voice rang out from a nearby shop, it was loud enough that everyone nearby heard it.
Arguments weren't exactly rare around here, I'd heard plenty since arriving, but something about this one piqued my curiosity. I stepped inside to investigate and was greeted by a sight I hadn't expected: a golden retriever, dressed in a sharply tailored business suit, standing upright on two legs and swearing up a storm.
(The fact that this isn't the strangest thing I've seen today is honestly kind of worrying.) I sighed, stepping fully into the shop.
"Are you alright?" I asked, as Decker and the others followed in behind me.
"Why the hell are you yelling so loud?" My rather grumpy mentor hissed.
"Oh, customers," the dog said, visibly forcing himself to calm down. "Apologies, you had to witness that. I just received a shipment and, well… let's just say it wasn't quite what I was promised."
"What do you mean?" Iris asked from behind me.
"If you must know, I'm referring to these," he said, gesturing toward a row of identical machines lined up behind him.
(Some kind of futuristic vending machine mashed with an old-school phone booth?) That was honestly the best way to describe them.
"What are they?" I asked.
"Simply put, they're cloning machines. The flea bag who sold them to me claimed they could create perfect copies of any biological entity placed inside," he explained. Yennora let out a soft "ah" at that before chiming in.
"And I'm guessing that was a lie."
"Not entirely," he admitted. "They do produce flawless replicas, so long as they're fed an appropriate amount of organic material and provided with the correct DNA sample. But the result is just a shell. No powers, no personality. Just a lifeless copy."
He scowled, clearly frustrated. "Internally, everything works. But they're basically puppets with no strings. They can't even move."
He turned toward one of the machines, preparing to demonstrate. "Watch."
Tapping on the device, he inserted a large amount of flesh and blood, which he got from a portal he opened up, into a compartment on its side before pressing a button. A second later, a perfect clone of himself began to materialize. The machine started by creating the skeleton first, then adding muscle, organs, skin, fur, and everything else. When the glass door at the front finally slid open, the clone immediately fell to the ground, unmoving.
"See?" the shop owner yelled in annoyance.
"Yeah, seems like you got screwed over, mate," Decker muttered bluntly.
The doggo could only sigh and nod in agreement. "I'm sure I can find some weirdo to buy them, but I'll never make back all the fragments I spent on them."
(This could actually be useful for me.) I thought, the closest thing a Xenomorph could get to a smile spreading across my face.
"I'll buy them, depending on the price that is," I mused, only for my companions to look at me oddly.
"What? I'm a biologist. Being able to study the internal workings of creatures without having to kill them is a plus in my books," I said nonchalantly. Most of them bought that answer; however, some knew I wasn't telling the truth.
(Of course that's not the real reason I want them. I am a Xenomorph, after all, and having machines that can print massive numbers of hosts that have no consciousness of their own is something I'd consider very useful.) I shrugged, hoping the guy wouldn't hike up the price if I seemed only mildly interested.
It took a bit, but I ended up buying five of the cloning machines for just over sixty thousand Fragments, better than I was hoping for. The store owner probably would have tried to get more out of me, but thankfully I'm a pretty good haggler. Also, having a giant grumpy bear as my mentor may have helped as well.
"You're a better liar than I thought," Basil laughed as we left the store. Apparently he knew what I wanted the bodies for.
"You were lying?" Sapphire asked, causing me to chuckle awkwardly.
"Well, yes, I am a biologist, and I do intend to use them for that purpose, but there are other reasons I need them as well," I explained.
"Brain?" (?_?)
I didn't need anyone to translate his question for me, after all it was pretty easy to guess what he wanted to know. "Right, some of you don't know about Xenomorphs and how we reproduce, huh..."
(This isn't going to be a pleasant conversation.) I thought as I began to explain.
"Where to start..."