Aliens: Phaethon project
TS-729 is a barren volcanic planet discovered 167 years ago by one of Wayland-Yutani's scout ships. It's lack of valuable minerals, a revolution around it's sun that takes 1.208 days by earth standards. And the planet's own rotation of 34 days by earth standards, all made them classify it as unsuitable for terraforming, even though it had the required size and basic carbon requirements.
3 years ago, that changed, as Wayland-Yutani suddenly decided to set up a highly sophisticated and advanced research lab upon the planet, along with the terraforming generators that would create a habitable atmosphere upon the planet. This briefly drew a great deal of attention, there were rumors that the company was experimenting with a new type of nuclear reactor and they wanted a planet far away from any other system, where nobody would come and snoop around. And which nobody would miss if something went wrong. These rumors were fueled by the fact that reports showed the company had ordered a nuclear reactor 3 times more powerful than anything such a relatively small facility should need. But after about a month, the public lost interest. Who cared in the end, if the company wanted to blow up it's own planet by meddling with new fusion reactors.
The truth, is far more sinister. For years the company has been searching for any remnants of the xenomorph species. Planets were scoured, entire sectors searched. But no sign was found. The last of the creatures seemed to have died with Ellen Ripley, when she sacrificed herself on the prison colony of Fiorina 161. But after 39 years of searching, they found an invaluable treasure. A ship, similar in design to the one found by the Nostromo on the moon of LV-426.
The ship was found drifting between the stars, derelict for thousands of years. The ship was considerably smaller than the one reported to have been found by the crew of the Nostromo. But in it's hold, were 7 xenomorph eggs. Treated like priceless treasures these eggs were kept in stasis and with tremendous effort and cost, the Phaethon facility was build upon TS-729. Though officially a research facility it has a a strong marine presence. For the Xenomorph has always been considered a weapon.
The facility consists of 11 buildings of varying sizes and functions and a single nuclear power plant. Which provides power not only to the buildings surrounding it, but to the defense grid that keeps the facility safe. 41 electron guidance towers have been placed around the facility, and these towers generate an electrical grid around the facility that will destroy any living being that passes through it, even a Xenomorph. The towers themselves are coated in a special plastic newly developed, resistant to the acidic blood of the xenomorphs. These towers were so expensive they nearly bankrupted the company by themselves. Yet they are needed. For only a mile from the facility itself, hidden within a great mountain. Is the hive itself.
The hive now consists of 103 Xenomorphs, and a single queen. By utilizing micro drones, the military is studying the xenomorphs and their behavioral patterns. Though occasionally drones are lost, the creatures seem content to leave them alone for the most part, perhaps considering them little more than insects. The hive is kept fed by a steady supply of animals which are delivered to the planet every 3 months by a large cargo ship, as the military studies how the xenomorphs hunt, how they behave., and eventually, how to control them.
One of the first things learned is that the xenomorphs seem to take on characteristics of whatever host is used by the parasite known as a 'facehugger'. A xenomorph born from a cow is more likely to use all fours legs, while a xenomorph born from a kangaroo is more likely to stand on both legs and make fantastic jumps. Though nobody seems willing to answer the question where the 7 original Xenomorphs came from, which includes the hive's queen, each of which seems to be gifted with unusual intelligence, and a far more cunning mind than any of the others spawned on the planet, as well more capable digits.
But this is not the only research being done upon the planet. While the military tries to study and control the Xenomorphs, doctor Murphy, bound to a wheelchair her entire life, has started a project far more terrible yet. For the xenomorphs suffer from neither disease nor infirmity. She dreams of a human species, genetically perfected with Xenomorph genes. A world where no human would need to suffer as she has suffered all her life, where no one needs to grow old and die simply because they have lived too long. Yet every attempt proved a failure. Most of her children died long before they were capable of taking their first breaths, and those that lived long enough to breathe were nothing more than monstrosities. Time again and again she made nothing but living horrors that haunt her dreams and give nightmares to all those scientists who worked with her.
But after 15 months of fruitless, monstrous experiments. She succeeded, and even the company, which has never been accused of being bound by morals or ethics, found itself wavering. Her experiments were shut down, her team reduced to a mere 20 scientists. And whatever it is that she created, is kept within a single facility, never shown to those who live near it, hidden in a veil of secrecy. And Doctor Murphy's spends all her time studying that which she has created.
But things are bound to change, fear has gripped the inhabitants of the Phaethon facility. It's only 2 days to another 17 day night. Something that never concerned them before. But only a day before, three men were killed, when a Xenomorph tried was found sneaking into the vehicle facility. Yet no one has been able to explain how it got there. How it managed to circumvent the facility's defenses, which are considerable and have never failed. Inspections have gone out to inspect the towers and found them fully functioning. And as night grows closer and rumors spread, the fear grows..
