The world faded to black, and for a moment, Kris drifted in the weightless haze of semi-consciousness. It didn't last long. A blink later, his vision returned, and he found himself staring at the open hatch of a cryo-sleep chamber.
Sitting up, he scanned his surroundings. Twenty-seven identical chambers lined up neatly in two rows, their occupants stirring. The sterile hum of the spaceship filled the air, underscoring the wake-up routine.
To his right, Master Biscuit stretched and cracked her neck, shaking off the stiffness like the other marines. Around them, the crew of the *USS Sulaco* came into view. Team China and seven newcomers were also present, all dressed in standard military green undergarments—plain shirts and boxers. Their weapons and armor were gone, replaced by personal accessories like rings, necklaces, and watches.
"Alright, sweethearts, what are you waiting for? Breakfast in bed?" a gruff voice rang out across the room.
The gruff voice immediately began his monologue, setting the tone for the morning.
"Another glorious day in the Corps," the gruff voice echoed, drawing Kris's attention.
"A day in the Marine Corps is like a day on the farm! Every meal's a banquet, every paycheck a fortune, every formation a parade!"
"Man, I love the Corps!"
Kris recognized the lines immediately. *The movie's already started,* he realized. There would be no time for a proper briefing for the newcomers. *This is not going to be easy.*
Climbing out of his cryo-bed, Kris offered Biscuit a hand, helping her to her feet. Together, they joined the other marines, blending into the casual post-cryo chatter. Kris noticed a few veterans wearing dog tags identical to the ones the *Aliens* cast wore in the movie.
Suddenly, Sergeant Apone's booming voice broke through the room. "We've got company on this trip! Let me introduce you to J Squad. Corporal Wu here and his squad are reinforcements sent from above."
"Corporal Wu, raise your hand so the others can identify you."
Kris raised his hand, earning a muttered comment from Private Hudson. "Man, does he need to raise his hand? We'd recognize him from a mile away. How does such an average-looking guy pack that much muscle?"
"Didn't your mama ever tell you size isn't everything?" Vasquez shot back, smirking.
Before Kris could respond, a sharp scream erupted from the far end of the chamber. One of the female newcomers panicked, her eyes darting around the unfamiliar environment. Lan reacted quickly, her calm voice cutting through the tension as she explained the situation to the newcomer.
Kris used the moment to lighten the mood. "First time in cryo-sleep? Freaks people out; happens all the time."
Hudson turned toward Kris. "Hey, Wu—what the heck did your parents feed you to get *that* build?"
Kris grinned. "Cornbread. You should try it sometime; it's good for you."
The banter drew laughter from the group, easing the tension as the marines fell into their usual rhythm.
"Alright, enough chit-chat!" Apone barked. "Be in the mess hall in 15 minutes!"
The group moved toward their lockers, Kris and Biscuit finding theirs side by side. Opening his locker, Kris sighed in relief. His gear was safely stowed, along with the standard Marine uniform from the movie. He suited up, keeping an eye on the others.
Nearby, Ripley opened her locker, catching Vasquez's attention. "Hey, Ferro, what's up with Snow White?" Vasquez asked, nodding toward Ripley.
"She's supposed to be some kind of consultant," Ferro replied, slipping into her uniform. "Apparently, she saw an alien once."
Kris approached Ripley, extending a hand. "Corporal Wu. Nice to meet you."
"Ripley," she replied, shaking his hand cautiously.
"That's Corporal Krueger," Kris said, nodding toward Biscuit. "She's one of our best."
Ripley offered a polite wave, which Biscuit returned before turning back to her gear. With everyone dressed and ready, the group filed out toward the mess hall.
When Kris and Biscuit entered, Lieutenant Gorman and Carter Burke were already seated at a table. Kris leaned in to Biscuit and muttered, "Master, just follow my lead and pretend you belong."
Biscuit gave him a nod.
Grabbing a tray of food, they joined the marines. Kris sat beside Private Hudson, with Biscuit across from him near Crowe.
"Sarge what's the Op.?" Hudson asked Sergeant Apone between bites.
"You'll love it," Apone said with a grin.
"Rescue op. Some lovely colonials out there need their knights in shining armor."
The table erupted into laughter, and Spunkmayer jabbed at a yellow block on his tray. "Man, what is this supposed to be?"
"Cornbread," Frost replied with a grin. "Haven't you heard? It's good for you—just look at Wu."
More laughter followed, but it quickly quieted when Bishop walked over to their table. Hudson's eyes lit up with mischief.
"Hey, Bishop! Do the knife trick for the new guy!" Hudson grinned, already nudging Kris.
"Let's make it interesting," Drake added, grabbing Hudson's hand and slamming it on the table.
Hudson's bravado faltered. "Wait, wait—quit messing around man—"
Bishop didn't wait. He calmly placed his hand over Hudson's and began the trick, the knife stabbing between their fingers with increasing speed.
Hudson's nervous laughter turned into full-blown panic as the knife blurred. "Bishop! Bishooop! Ahhhhhhh!—ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"
When Bishop finally stopped, Hudson yanked his hand back, inspecting his fingers. "Not cool man, not cool"
The table erupted into laughter again, everyone jeering at Hudson's expense.
Across the room, Zheng and the others entered, looking slightly disoriented. Biscuit waved them over to the adjacent table.
"What took you so long?" Higgs called out with a grin. "You didn't need to dress for the prom!"
Zheng ignored the jibe. "The civilians needed time to adjust," he said quietly
As the group settled, Bishop moved to sit near Ripley, offering his tray to everyone at the table. Burke takes a few and thanks him.
After Bishop's knife trick demonstration, Bishop accidentally nicked his thumb, and synthetic blood—milky white fluid—dripped from his hand as he observed the small injury.
Ripley recoils. "You didn't tell me there was a synthetic on board! Why?"
"Well, wow! It must have... it never occurred to me. It's been standard to have a synthetic on board," Burke replied, clearly taken aback.
Bishop then asked what the problem was, and Burke explained. "On Ripley's last mission, the android went homicidal and killed one of the crew. It even tried to kill her with a rolled-up magazine."
Bishop calmly explained, "That's impossible now. That model was decommissioned. I'm from a newer model, with behavioral inhibitors."
He then offered Ripley some cornbread, but she slapped the tray out of his hand and told him to stay away from her. The mess hall went silent as everyone watched their tense exchange.
Ripley quickly stood up and left after that.
To break the silence, Frost said, "Guess she didn't like cornbread either."
The table burst into laughter again, the tension dissipating as quickly as it had formed.