A Brush With The Shape

You both stand there for a long time staring at each other, this was what you heard out deep in the jungle, this was what brought you here in the first place, you have too many questions, thousands but for now you start with the big one.

“What do you want from us…?” You ask followed by a long pause, a deafening silence that is accompanied by the harsh rain outside.

Suddenly you hear a crackle, the scrambling of words and tones, before it again mimics one of your companions with scary accuracy.

“I think this is supposed to be some kind of game…” spoken in a perfect facsimile of the cop.

It’s toying with you it’s got you cornered like an animal, if it’s gonna kill you, there’s pretty much jack shit you can do about it, you doubt your gun will put this thing down in time to save your skin.

With this in mind your fear turns to rage, if it’s gonna kill you it damn well better get on with it!

“If you’re expecting me to beg for my life, you’re going to walk away disappointed, I’m not giving you the satisfaction, you sick fuck!” You take a defiant step forwards your fear completely driven from you in the wake of righteous anger.

The shape doesn’t respond for a long time, you fear there might have been a miscommunication between you before finally the shape shifts slightly as its cloak moves to match its subtle motions.

Suddenly a parcel appears, seemingly having been pulled from a cloaked compartment before it’s tossed at your feet.

The figure marches off though you doubt it’s truly gone as you slowly kneel down to inspect the parcel.

It seems to be wrapped in some kind of animal skin but you don’t know enough about animals or hunting to know what it truly is, unfolding it you find what appears to be rations, several days worth of dried meat, though you grow concerned when you consider what meat it’s made from.

Once more your left with your own thoughts as you look back out to the tree line, it was one thing to not harm you but now it’s quite literally gone out of its way to aid you.

You are pulled from your thoughts by the sound of motion nearby, turning your head you see the scientist slowly sitting up blinking her eyes as she surveils her surroundings.

“What… where am I…?” Her voice was distinct with a notable Irish accent as she looks at you with a mix of confusion and something you can’t place.

You start to explain your situation to her, her eyes widening as she hangs on your every word.

“My god… I’ve always known they were real but… but to be chosen I… I don’t understand… the Yautja follow a strict code of honor, for all prey to be female… that could only mean…”

“Our hunter is female too”

There’s a short pause, to be honest you don’t really get the significance of this notion, what’s it matter if the alien hunting you has a cock or not?

“You don’t understand…! Such a thing has NEVER been documented before..! This is has ramifications beyond our understanding..!” She climbs to her feet, propping an arm up against the wall of the cave as she rises.

“Historically the Yautja had been known to hunt humans that pose a potential threat, but from what I’ve heard most of the members of this hunt are noncombatants, meaning there must be some other purpose to all this…!” She rambles on and on, eventually you figure to just tune her out as you watch the tree line, no doubt being watched in return.

Eventually the rain goes from a torrential downpour to a drizzle, you figure that this is going to be the best you’re going to get and prepare to move out.

The scientist for her part, kept her musings to a murmur as you start to trudge through the woods, now freed up from your dead weight.

You backtrack to where the chef abandoned you and head in the direction she had taken off to, you have to imagine she had been in a sprint towards this ‘Derelict’ before she had been caught.

It’s not long before you smell the distinct scent of copper and it’s not long after that, that you find the chefs remains.

“Fascinating… she didn’t take a trophy…” says the scientist as she pours over the remains, strung up in a tree.

You feel the need to vomit as you look at her, knowing that meat swinging from the trees was a person is too much for you.

With great effort you push your feelings to the back of your mind and pull the scientist away, to continue your trek.

You follow the trajectory she had taken, assuming she was going for a straight shot to the derelict and by the will of the gods you’re right.

You break through the tree line finding the wreckage of what could only be described as some kind of space ship the hull in pieces and engine parts that you can’t possibly name lay scattered along the area.

Seeking a reprieve from the elements you push your way inside, finding a large gap in the shattered hull to make your way inside.

This is certainly not of human design, you can say that for certain as you work your way through, the scientist stopping every several seconds to carefully examine the structure.

You spend what feels like hours walking along broken up corridors and bypassing wreckage by moving through the various rooms before finally you reach a large central chamber, strange runes are carved into the metal, in the center you see what you imagine could have been some kind of alter with a single metal slab upon which rests a skeleton, laid out in ceremonial armor that looks ancient Egyptian in design.

Stranger still is that the skeleton is that of a human, a female one at that, bones laid bare and greyed by the years of laying here.

“This one of those trophies they like to take…?” You ask not bothering to glance back at the scientist who is no doubt drawn to this as much as you are.

“I… doubt it… they tend to take skulls and spines as trophies.. not… whole bodies… my guess..? This was someone of interest to whoever owned this ship…”

“What, like… an exhibit..?”

“Maybe… or a memorial..”

Why would a monster like that mourn the life of a human..? As a fellow warrior..? As a pet..? And how does this relate to your current situation..? Or more importantly, how have the authorities not found this yet…?

You’re thrown from your thoughts by a repetitive thudding sound, the sound of footsteps on echoing metal, you whirl around and take aim at the door you had just come through as the noise rapidly approaches.