Hicks rolls over just in time to blast a diving creature before it takes him down the hole too.

Another appears and he hits it full in the chest with pulse fire. Vasquez grabs Hicks and pushes him into the corridor with the others.

VASQUEZ: Come on, Hicks, go!

INT. CORRIDOR: Hicks seems to materialize out of the smoke and runs toward Ripley and the others at the door.

RIPLEY (indicating door): It's locked!

Hicks unsnaps the torch off his belt and cuts into the lock.

INT. OPERATIONS: Vasquez, standing just outside the entrance to the corridor, is destroying incoming aliens by the dozens. She stops firing and pumps back the grenade launcher, letting one fly. It detonates behind some machinery, blowing up a group of hiding aliens. Another is fired with the same affect of destruction. Vasquez turns and sprints up the corridor.

INT. CORRIDOR / CLOSE-UP ON LOCK: As the flame from the torch melts the metal into white-hot liquid and breaks. Ripley watches nervously down the corridor as Hicks finishes on the lock.

HICKS: Got it! Let's go! Let's go!

GORMAN: Go! Go!

VASQUEZ: Move, Gorman!

The group crowds into the annex and Hicks slides the door shut.

HICKS (to Vasquez): Seal it!

Vasquez pulls out her torch and begins welding it closed. Ripley finds the door to the Med-Lab locked. She bangs on it.

RIPLEY: Burke!

INT. MED-LAB: Burke, hyper-ventilating with terror, backs across the dark chamber. Gasping, almost paralyzed with fear, he crosses to the door leading to the main concourse. He backs into and stumbles over some canisters on the way.

RIPLEY (voice over): Goddamn you! Open this door!

His fingers reach for the control panel. It moves by itself. The door opens slowly.

ON BURKE: His eyes wide, transfixed by his fate.

One of the creatures stands in the doorway, it's slimy jaws opening and extending. Burke screams.

INT. ANNEX: Vasquez is still welding as fast as she can when the door is hit with a clanging impact.

HICKS: Get back!

VASQUEZ: Hurry up!

Another impact and the door begins to dimple inward.

HICKS: Gorman, get out of the way!

NEWT: Ripley! This way!

RIPLEY: What?

Newt grabs Ripley's hand and pulls her over to an air vent set low in the wall and expertly unlatches the grill, dropping it to the floor. Newt starts inside, but Ripley pulls her back.

RIPLEY: Wait! Get behind me.

VASQUEZ (welding): Whatever you’re going to do, do it fast!

Ripley kneels and shines her flashlight down the air duct lit by red emergency lighting. Nothing. The way is clear.

RIPLEY: Hicks!

HICKS: Let’s go!

GORMAN: Come on, let's go! Move!

Ripley enters the air shaft, which is a tight fit. Newt scrambles in behind, followed by Hicks and Gorman.

Vasquez finishes up just in time as the door is hit full force by the alien mob. The dimple grows larger as the impacts on the door increase.

INT. AIR SHAFT: Ripley and Newt come to a 3-way junction. Ripley looks in every direction, but doesn't know which way to go.

RIPLEY: Which way is it to the landing field from here?

NEWT: This way.

Newt points to the right-hand tunnel and they move out.

INT. MED-LAB ANNEX: The increased impacts on the door have now made the dimple reach it's maximum and a gapping crack has formed in it's center. Vasquez fires into it. The high-pitched death screams of several of the creatures can be heard.

INT. AIR SHAFT: Ripley turns into a larger main duct, where there is enough room to crab-walk in a low crouch. She runs, Newt following. The troopers' armor clatters in the confined space. They come to another intersection.

NEWT: Go right.

RIPLEY'S P.O.V.: Her light illuminating the slightly dark tunnel ahead of them as they come to yet another 3-way junction.

NEWT: This way! This way.

The head off to the right, into a long connected duct. Tight on Ripley's face as they run. Her light casting a white glow upon her terrified face.

Vasquez is quickly trying to catch up with the group. She fires behind her as she runs in a crab-walk. Dark shapes move in the tunnel behind her. Ripley and the others are moving at their top speed through the shafts.

RIPLEY: Which way?

NEWT: Straight ahead and left.

HICKS (into headset): Bishop, do you read me?! Come in! Over!

BISHOP (voice over, static): The ship is on it's way...