Hours pass, enough pass that my waist and arms are freed from the ice. I knock chip after chip of ice off what surrounds me. My knees gave out into the pond and my hands land on the dirt. If people think they can have me trapped in here then they are wrong. Thinking me as one who can stand still is terribly wrong. Everything they believe about me is terribly wrong.

Enough going on about how wrong they are.

I slid out of my previous skin in a way molting. I use the barrier as my mirror to see the 'E' is still carved into the right shoulder clear as day while making itself home. Something fell down the hall creating a startling echo. I feel along the rigid surface to the 'E' then take my hand off. I walk on the ground approaching the barrier. I stretch my claws out only to feel a stinging pain. I hiss stepping back shaking my burning hand. I saw Harry's figure come down the hallway just then I remember the bullet in my shoulder.

I dug out a bullet from my shoulder and drop the bullet.

"Hello?" Harry's voice echoes down the hall.

I saw Harry holding a broom—in PJ's and not at all covered in filth, remarkably—in defense.

Harry came by lowering the broom.

"Did you see someone move down the hallway?" Harry asks.

"No," I hiss.

Harry blinks.

"Did you just speak?" Harry asks, surprised.

"Yes," I hiss.

"I thought Xenomorphs could not speak," Harry said, lightly laughing putting down the broom's end on the ground.

"Yes," I hiss. "I can."

Harry comes forward.

"How long have you been asleep?" Harry asks.

"I woke up yesterday," I hiss.

How did the fella know I had been asleep?

"Makes sense," Harry said. "You know who I am," He came closer to the field gently putting his fingers on the barrier. "And I know who you are."

I had a itching feeling Harry could be someone else I know.

I somehow am able to put my claw on the barrier without burning myself.

"Who are you?" I hiss.

"Doesn't matter right now," Harry said. "What matters is you being safe."

"Who being safe?" Earl asks.

I take my hand off the barrier backing off.

"No one," Harry said.

"Who are you?" Earl asks.

"The guy fixing the flight generators," Harry said. "Otherwise Harry Da Vinci at your service. I heard something make a sound down the hall."

"Great," Earl said, with a groan. "Just what we need. Another furry arctic rascal sneaking in."

"I am not familiar to what you're talking about," Harry said.

"Furry rabbits," Earl said.

"Those are rapid producing animals," Harry said.

"Yes," Earl said, as I climb one of the tree's to the ceiling.

"So what about them?" Harry asks.

"Because of what happened to this planet; the rabbits can eat metal," Earl said. I nudge the ceiling tiles upwards using my forehead. "Gamma radiation or something changed their DNA to withstand metal; it is not their main diet but just an irritating nonsense from them." Earl points down towards his furry boots. Harry looks down towards the boots. "Made from the fur of a large metal eating rabbit."

"The rabbit must have been fat," Harry notes.

"It was," Earl said, proudly nodding. "And I hunted that sucker down."

"Sounds eventful," Harry said.

"It took me a whole week to get that sucker," Earl brags.

I bend forwards a tree branch with lots of leaves covering up titled upwards ceiling tile. Long as Harry distracted Earl no one would be aware there is an exit plan set up in case anyone decides to blow up the whole place. I am referring to the story Loki told me about the Queen Xenomorph from Bouvet Island getting out of the tunnel to the freshly snow packed ground.

"This Xenomorph has a name," Harry said.

"E?" Earl said. "Because that is what her shoulder says."

I land on the stone neighboring across the two men.

"No," Harry said, shaking his hand. "Her name is not 'E'; it is probably Elizabeth or Emily."

"Harry," Earl said. "Go get some shut eye. It's still late out," Earl takes out a shot gun. "I have hunting to do."

Harry looks over towards me, cautiously, then back towards Earl.

"Are you really going after a metal eating rabbit?" Harry said.

"Yeah," Earl said. "Unless someone wants to see rabbit guts be spilled or the entire place being eaten up by rabbits."

"Fine, I will go," Harry said, taking the broom with him.

Earl went down the hallway with the gun over his shoulder whistling.