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Xenopedia
"She’s … she’s perfect. All the geneticists in all the world could work for a thousand years and never build anything as effortlessly flawless as Kora Burton, the love of my life."
Olivia Shipp, about Kora Burton.

Kora Burton was a teenager and the daughter of the planetary governor of the human colony of Zagreus during late 22nd Century.

Biography[]

Early life[]

Kora was born in Zagreus in 2155[1]. She was the only daughter of governor Delia Burton and an unnamed engineer. At an undetermined time, her father and mother divorced due to her mother's workaholic character and obsession with the colony.

She lived with her mother in an apartment in one of the towers at the main settlement. As her father was an engineer and mechanic, she spent most of her free time and volunteer work in the spaceport's workshops, which leave her an almost oily taste on her lips.

Kora attended school there along her schoolmates Michel Petrov, Paul Gladney, Alisa, Lin, Juan and other teenagers. It's there where she met outworlder girl Olivia Shipp, whose parents were hired to catalog all Zagreus wildlife. As the rest of her classmates, she has doubts about the existence of Olivia's sister Viola, who don't attend school but rather taking classes online because of her home-bound illness.[2]

Despite Zagreus kids didn't know their homeworld and spend their lives inside the colony's biodome. About three months since the Shipps arrived on the planet, Kora accepted Olivia's invitation to take a guided walk through the forest as an excuse to finally learn the truth about Viola[3], but secretly as a date with the girl she liked.

A walk to the forest[]

Olivia took Kora on a ride in the family’s ATV to show her some of Zagreus's wildlife, especially a clearing filled with giant multi-colored flowers. While showing her the flowers and the odorless pollen they produce, a large lion-worm attack and almost devours her. Olivia manages to save her thanks to her knowledge of xenobiology. Kora kisses her in gratitude.

They return to Olivia's home, but her parents are waiting there, unaware of Kora’s visit. John Shipp, thinking the girl was there due to an increasing interest in naturalism, invited her to the next tour to the wetlands to which she declines.

Party[]

"I still think we should have a party."
Olivia to Kora, Alien: Echo.

Back to school, Kora informed her classmates about Viola, despite not actually meeting her. Also, she kisses Olivia again in front of the class and in the library. This causes Olivia being treated differently, except for Michel. She invites Kora and five other companions to a party that will take place in three days at the Shipp's residence, since the sisters will be alone.

The day of the party, Kora appears at the residence accompanied by Michel, Alisa, Juan, Lin and Paul. Kora acted like she has already met Viola and the party started, thanks to the extra resources present at the Shipp's residence.

Infestation on Zagreus[]

Kora was present when the emergency lights and alarms at Shipp's residence turned on. She and the rest of the teens watched a recorded transmission by John Shipp, warning them about something on the abandoned vessel that had attacked the team and killed Michel's mom and was now in the shuttle bound for Zagreus. The xenobiologist instructed his wife to take the girls and leave the planet, unaware they're listening. A creature kills him seconds before the transmission is off.

Kora, Michel and Paul accompanied Olivia in search of Viola, who had run away in search of her mother. On the way, she watched the shuttle crash into the mountains fifty miles away[4]. When they find Viola in the flower patch from earlier, they are immediately attacked by two of the creatures. One of the aliens kills Paul, completely ignoring Viola. The teens are saved when a Hippo spurred on by Katherine lunges at the remaining creature[5]. They head for the wetlands in search of Olivia’s mother. Michel found a weapon in the emergency box[6] but Kora snatches it from him, claiming he failed his marksmanship classes twice. They find Katherine hidden on the shore of a nearby lake, and together they return to the residence.

Race to the colony[]

Back at the residence, the group reunites with Lin, Alisa, and Juan. Viola listened as Katherine confessed the truth she and John had hidden from Olivia during almost fourteen years: Viola had died at the age of three victim of her illness. The Viola everyone knows is actually an advanced android model created from brain scans and video footage. A creature attacked the residence and Katherine sacrificed herself to allow the teenagers to escape to the main colony. Kora and the others took the ATV back to the colony. Michel snaped, attacking Olivia but Kora threaten him with shooting him the volt gun.[7] She changed her mind when the ATV hit a rock and bounced, she took the wheel and managed to maintain control of the vehicle.

Kora then called to the gates, informing about the situation and the loss of Katherine and Paul[8]. Michel would not allow Viola entry, arguing that she is not a "real person", Kora tried to stop Michel from assaulting Olivia but he bashed her[9]. At that moment one of the creatures which had tracked them captured Michel. Viola soaked herself in blood and sacrifices herself to save them. Kora and the rest manage to get to safety behind the walls.

Learning the Truth[]

Once inside the gates, Kora escorted Olivia to her home to talk with her mother Delia about the science ship. The colonial governor reluctantly explained that she bought the ship from some smugglers with the intention of using the materials to expand the colony tenfold. She suspected that at that price, the ship was most likely stolen from some corporation. She later confirmed that when she learned the ship was still in operation and headed for a top secret facility.anyway, she went ahead with her plan by first sending a team to make sure it was safe.

Kora was disappointed by the way her mother acted and she told Olivia that her mother's dedication and stubbornness for the colony was the reason her father had left. She offered herself to accompany Olivia in rescuing Viola, in exchange for leaving the planet with them.

Raid on the Hive[]

Kora and Olivia drove back to the latter's home to pick up some things. After studying topographic plans, Olivia deduces that the creatures -and her sister- are in the cave system near the site where the shuttle crashed. On the way there, they found the remains of a lion-worm[10] and once they arrive to the crash site, she contemplates the total devastation.

Inside the cave, they find Michel alive but unconscious in a cocoon[11]. A creature guarding the hive stalked them but Olivia shielded her against the cocooned Michel, whose still beating heart shielded them[12]. After finding Katherine and a damaged Viola and being attacked again, Viola orders him to behead her so they can escape easier. Olivia, Kora and Viola's head escape the hive thanks to Viola's body distracting one of the creatures long enough for Olivia to use the pheromones of a Lion-worm. One of the underground predators appears and fights the alien, giving the girls time to escape, reluctantly leaving Michel and her mother behind. Kora got upset with Olivia for leaving Michel behind, but reconsiders when she tells him that both he and his mother are already dead. Both get on the ATV and flee at full speed pursued by one of the creatures.

Car chase[]

Kora was in charge of the volt gun while Olivia drives the ATV at full speed. One of the creatures emerges from the ground and chases them and Olivia directs the vehicle towards the wetlands with the intention of losing the creature. She knows that Lion-worms do not hunt in wetlands because Hippos are highly territorial and attack as soon as they detect one. Once again, she uses the Lion-worm pheromones to lure one of the Zagreus-Hippos against the alien. During the fight against the two creatures, Olivia managed to shoot and kill the alien.

Colony and Escape[]

Once the girls reached the main settlement again they discovered with horror that it was attacked while they were out. Olivia told her that was the reason there was just one or two creatures back in the Hive: the rest were assaulting the main colony. After entering, they find the colony empty except for a traumatized Alisa who flees through the streets. Kora and Olivia went to her apartment and found Delia Burton cocooned. Kora helped her mother out of the cocoon and the woman explained how she was captured and how one of her creatures brought a flower-like object in front of her.

A lion-worm Alien hybrid attacked, ripping Delia in half when she shielded her Kora. the girls escaped down the apartment towards the street, the park and the spaceport, more determined than she ever to escape and make known to the rest of humanity what happened there, so that they are prepared for a worst case scenario.

Olivia and Kora entered the empty spaceport, exception made for a cocooned man. Olivia guessed Kora had passed a lot of time there because of her lips taste of oil. Kora assures that if there is something damaged in the shuttle, she can repair it thanks to her skills as a mechanic due to the time she spent there. The lion-worm hybrid attacked once more for the last time. Olivia used all her skills to attract the creature away from Kora. The creature is finally killed when Olivia made it fall over sharp scraps and construction equipment and shoot it on the head.

Safe at last, the girls boarded the family transport, While there's Hope and escaped to orbit, Olivia flicked on the emergency beacon and recorded an emergency transmission, warning anyone not to land in the planet and asking for medical assistance.

Aftermath[]

At some point, Kora, along with Olivia and Viola were rescued. It's not know what happened to her afterwards, but she probably went back to live with her father.

Personality and Traits[]

Kora Burton is a tall girl, at least almost a head taller than Olivia Shipp. Her skin is of a warm brown color, tanned by the exposure to Zagreus' twin suns. She has a slim body with long hands, big eyes and pointed chin.[13] Her hair is curly and the same orange as the sky, with shades of brown, gold and red, described it as a mix of every fragment of Earth's autumn.[14] Thanks to the time she spent with her father at the repair workshops and launchport, her lips took on a slight taste of motor oil.

Kora is a kind teenager. She cares about almost every person, including Michel Petrov and specially her mother, who she affectionally calls "Momma". Despite living all her life inside the colony complex, she has a slight spirit of adventure, accepting an invitation to explore the Zagreus forest and, incidentally, checking the rumors that her classmates, and some adults spread about the existence of Olivia's mysterious sister, Viola.

Despite being described at first by Olivia as a hothouse flower, Kora is actually a badass girl[15]. With notions in mechanics thanks to her father and skilled in the use of guns, product of her marksmanship classes.

Appearences[]

References[]

  1. Alien: Echo, page 169. Kora's age is stated as seventeen.
  2. Alien: Echo, page 10.
  3. Alien: Echo, page 15.
  4. Alien: Echo, page 72.
  5. Alien: Echo, page 81.
  6. Alien: Echo, page 83.
  7. Alien: Echo, page 96.
  8. Alien: Echo, page 99.
  9. Alien: Echo, page 100.
  10. Alien: Echo, page 136.
  11. Alien: Echo, page 143.
  12. Alien: Echo, page 145.
  13. Alien: Echo, page 14.
  14. Alien: Echo, page 15.
  15. Alien: Echo, page 86.
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