NOTE: For the terms of reference for this piece, please read the intro to Part 1Contact #4-1
Ripley #8 – 8th Clone of Ellen L. Ripley; Gediman, Doctor Jonathan – United System Military; Wren, Doctor Mason – United Systems Military; Sprague, Doctor Daniel – United Systems Military; Williamson, Doctor Carlyn – United Systems Military; Watanabe, Doctor Yoshi – United Systems Military; Fontaine, Patricia – Medical Graduate Student, United Systems Military **
Location: Operating Theatre, Medlab, USM Auriga – Pluto orbit
Date: January 15 2381
Contact with: Queen chestburster
To call this a Queen chestburster is probably a bit incorrect, as it hasn’t actually burst through any chests. It is in fact the first Alien to our knowledge that has been surgically removed, thus keeping the host alive. In comparison to the Queen we saw on Fiorina, this one is very different. For a start, it is much smaller and covered in a skin-like sheath Fig 4-1, possibly the same sort of membrane material sloughed off the burster that came from Spike (#3-3).
The sheath retracts slightly and the Queen’s mouth becomes more visible. It is decidedly wider than the one previously seen on Fiorina, and the Queen itself appears to lack the arms and crest of it’s former self. The tail too, seems markedly shorter. All this points to this incarnation of the Queen being significantly underdeveloped. Whether this is part of the cloning process, or just that it’s being taken from the host prematurely is not known. If the latter, then it’s AT LEAST 2-3 hours away from normal full-term birth, probably much longer. The Queen embryo on Ripley’s neuroscan had arms and the beginnings of a ‘crown’, which had developed further by the time the Queen was born some 2-3 hours later.
However, it’s vocal chords are well and truly in full voice, as it screams quite loudly shortly after being extracted from Ripley 8’s chest cavity.
NOTE: Due to the genetic crossing, which becomes quickly apparent, some contacts will be between some people and Ripley 8 herself. These will be restricted to scenes where Ripley 8 displays distinct Alien behaviour or abilities. Also Ripley 8 will hereafter be referred to as simply ‘Ripley’.
Contact #4-2
Gediman, J.; Wren, M.; Calabrese, Private – United Systems Military; Unnamed Soldier – United Systems Military
Location: Observation lab, Medlab, USM Auriga – Pluto orbit
Date: January 18 2381
Contact with: Ripley #8
Before this scene we see Ripley in a holding cell, emerging from a body bag made of the thin translucent material. As this is our first really good look at her, it worth noting a few things.
Her hair has grown back to a longer look than the shorter more practical styles during her time on the Nostromo or later at Hadley’s Hope, or the near bald style on Fiorina. She is bald when we first see her in the cloning tank, but this hair has grown by the time the Queen embryo is removed. It also has a more oily look to it. We could presume that it’s merely wet, but from the operating theatre to the cell to the observation lab, it would’ve dried – but hasn’t. This greasiness could have something to do with Ripley’s DNA being crossed with that of the Alien Queen during the cloning process. Aliens, as we have seen previously, produce enormous amounts of slime which can vary from a thick variety to a more watery substance. Some times the Aliens seem to be drooling it, at others they seem to be coated in it. If Alien in fact have pores or sweat glands, then this could have been passed on to Ripley, albeit to a much smaller degree.
On the other hand, it’s unlikely that the Auriga science staff would deal with such niceties as attending to Ripley’s hygiene, and when hair isn’t washed in a while it can get greasy. Not everything has to be directly related to the Alien, after all.
Speaking of niceties, the Auriga crew aren’t likely to have painted Ripley’s fingernails black, so there’s a better than average chance she DID in fact inherit these from the Queen.
During a physical examination, Ripley seems to be fairly cognizant of her surroundings and watches her examiners closely. Though she never actually says anything, one can assume that she is listening and very probably understanding.
Gediman tells Wren that Ripley’s progress following the cloning and embryo removal is “off the projected charts”, but the only real detail we get is that her chest scar has healed significantly in the three days since the operation. Which all but seals the theory that all Aliens (not just facehuggers) can heal quickly, a trait that has been passed onto Ripley.
Like her strength. Seated on an examination table, she wraps her legs around Wren, breaks a wire attached to her hand-cuffs and proceeds to strangle him. However she doesn’t seem to be trying to cut off his air supply, but more applying pressure to a point on his throat, maybe to block an artery and cut the blood supply instead. Between the start of the attack and Calabrese rushing in and shooting her in the head with an electrical shockrifle, the look on her face goes from a questioning concern to smiling enjoyment just before the private fires. We’ve never really had any proof that Alien gains any enjoyment from killing, so perhaps this is Ripley’s human side coming to the fore. Fig 4-2
The electric shock is enough to send Ripley crashing to the deck, letting go of Wren, but she remains conscious and aware and displays no actual damage from the shot.
Contact #4-3
Williamson, C; Distephano, Private Vincent – United Systems Military; Gediman, J; Wren, M; Perez, General Martin Carlos Allahandro – United Systems Military
Location: Ripley #8’s holding cell and Medlab, USM Auriga – Pluto orbit
Date: January 18 2381
Contact with: Ripley #8
After her attack on Wren, Ripley is trussed up in some sort of straightjacket. Williamson holds up flash cards to Ripley trying to illicit correct responses to the pictures. This is the first time we hear the Ripley clone speak, and her responses while incorrect are not far off. She responds with “hand” to a picture of a glove; “fruit” to a picture of a some cherries.
Watching her on a monitor is a very excited Gediman and Wren, and a not so excited General Perez. Gediman and Wren explain that Ripley is suffering a type of emotional autism (possibly explaining Ripley’s swinging from side to side in her chair).
We learn at this point that Ripley has retained some memories of her former self. Current science says it is impossible to clone memories and thoughts. The science of the late 24th century also seems to dictate this also. Perez asks why “it has memories”. Wren speculates that the memories are passed down generationally like “it’s strength” (note the consistent use of “it” when Wren and Perez refer to Ripley; Gediman on the other hand, has taken something of a shine to the clone and refers to her in the gender specific – “she” and “her”). ‘Genetic memories’ opens up a whole new can of worms. This particular incarnation of the creatures goes all the way back to the Derelict and before, and if Ripley has retained some of her memories (“There are gaps”, Wren reports), then surely she has gained Alien memories. Whether she is able to actually decipher these memories is anyone’s guess.
Perez is not at all happy with Ripley regaining some of her memories. He says, “Ellen Ripley died trying to wipe this species out. For all intents and purposes, she succeeded. I’m not anxious to see her taking up her old hobbies.” From this we can infer that no contact has been had with the Aliens since the events on Fiorina some 202 years earlier. What of the Derelict? Was it destroyed when the AP Station exploded at Hadley’s Hope? Bishop estimates a blast radius of about 30 kilometres when the station goes up. He later says to Ripley that the place was going to be “a cloud of vapour the size of Nebraska”. This would put the blast radius at around 250 km (the area of devastation would be nearly 200000 sq km). Even if we split the difference it’s still one hell of an explosion.
In Aliens, Simpson and Lydecker talk about how the Jorden’s were sent “last week” to check out the grid reference of the Derelict. “Last week” could equate to 3 or 4 days right up to 11 or 12 days. Once Russ was attacked by the hugger, he had about 24 hours before the embryo hatched (based on best guess evidence from Kane). Unless it was a Queen, in which case it would’ve taken around 3 days to hatch. In order for the colony to become infected, based on available data, they would have to have been within 3 days travel of the colony. Unfortunately as there are no roads on LV-426, it may take 3 days just to travel 30 kilometres. There seem to be too many variables to accurately determine the distance between the colony and the Derelict.
Some quarters have pointed to Lydecker’s comment that the Jordens had been sent out past the “Ilium range”. Making the perfectly reasonable assumption the “Ilium range” is a mountain range, would it not have sheltered the Derelict from the explosion? Possibly – if it were big enough. Acheron, while being volcanic at times and no doubt throwing up new mountain ranges every now and then, has incredibly high and constant winds, which would weather away mountains. This is evident in the film – there are no high mountain ranges. Certainly not anything big enough to block a 40 megaton blast.
Since there was no mention of the Derelict in Alien3, and no mention so far in Resurrection, and taking Perez’ comments into account, it’s more than likely the Derelict is not a viable source of eggs – and hasn’t been for over 200 years.
Perez threatens to terminate Ripley if she steps out of line for the slightest thing, despite the Doctor’s protestations. They say they won’t tell her about Ripley’s past exploits, but Perez still isn’t convinced.
Contact #4-4
Perez, M.C.A.; Wren, G.; Gediman, J.
Location: Alien Observation Laboratory, Medlab, Level 15, USM Auriga - Pluto orbit
Date: January 18 2381
Contact with: Alien Queen
The three enter the Alien observation lab, and Perez makes a reference to “her majesty”. Soon after we see the Queen behind a pane of glass, staring straight back at Gediman, Perez and Wren. It seems to be fully grown, so if we assume that Ripley’s attack on Wren was earlier on this day the Queen is full size within 3 days of birth Fig 4-4a. A normal birth Queen (remember this one seemed premature) may take even less time.
It growls a couple of times, and has a deeper more guttural tone then the higher pitched screaming of the Acheron Queen. There are hissing tones and higher pitched screeching in the Queen’s voice, but it’s predominantly what could only be called a ‘growl’.
Wren tells Perez that the Queen will begin producing in “days, maybe less”. This would seem to indicate that the Queen is born fertile and doesn’t need to mate with another Alien in order to start laying eggs – thereby making the species that much more efficient. Also it would indicate that Wren it just guessing as to the Queen incubation period.
Contact #4-5
Gediman, J.; Wren, M.
Location: Mess Hall, USM Auriga – Pluto orbit
Date: January 18 2381
Contact with: Ripley #8
During conversations with Gediman, Ripley discovers that she was cloned from “blood samples from Fiori 16 on ice”. These samples could have come from any number of places. From samples Clemens may have taken when she first arrived. Maybe there was blood in the shower block from when she shaved her body of hair. Even the needle that Clemens quickly withdrew from Ripley seconds before his death.
Which brings up an interesting and oft asked question, was Ripley pregnant following her sexual encounter with Clemens? And is this incarnation of Ripley pregnant also? There are a great many variables that need to be considered – Was Ripley on contraceptives? Was Clemens fertile (Morse mentions there’s no rubbers, so that’s out)? Does hypersleep screw up a woman’s menstrual cycle? Does coming out of hypersleep the wrong way screw up a woman’s menstrual cycle? Does carrying an Alien embryo screw up a woman’s menstrual cycle? Was Ripley ovulating?
The minimum period between intercourse and conception is around 4-6 hours. There’s a 14 hour gap between Ripley and Clemens having sex and Clemens giving Ripley his final needle, so there is a possibility, but when we take all the above variables into account that the fact it’s never mentioned by the Doctors on the Auriga (and if anyone knew, they would), the chances of Ripley being pregnant are incredibly small.
Ripley asks if “it” grows, to which Gediman responds, “Yes. Very rapidly.” But we’re already aware of this. Ripley then surprises Gediman by telling him it’s a Queen. Whether Ripley’s genetic Alien additions have allowed her to sense the Queen’s presence on the Auriga, or whether the memory of the Queen on Fiorina has returned to her is not clear. Ripley’s mispronunciation of “fork” as “fuck” may also be some evidence of her memories of Fiorina, where that particular four letter word was used rather frequently. On the other hand it maybe just Ripley slowly regaining her English skills. She is very soft spoken throughout this scene, and her voice rarely betrays very much emotion.
Speaking of mispronunciations, Gediman refers to Fiorina ‘Fury’ 161 as “Fiori 16”. As Gediman is a scientist and not a navigator it’s perfectly plausible he simply got the name of the planet wrong. From what we can tell nothing much happened there before Ripley arrived, and the prison was sealed after her death. Two hundred years down the track, actual names get confused with nicknames and numeric designations are forgotten.
We also learn in this scene that Weyland-Yutani no longer exists. It’s never explicitly said, but Gediman has never heard of the huge company, and Wren says things have changed since Ripley’s time. Ripley says she doubts that – hinting that she has in fact remembered more than she’s willing to let on, despite Wren and Gediman keeping certain events from her. Wren also tells Ripley the Alien is “Nothing like… we've ever seen on any world before”, further supporting Perez’ comments hinting there’s been no contact with the Aliens since Fiorina.
Wren then tells us what the intent for the Alien is – urban pacification, new alloys and vaccines. He goes on to say the creature itself is wondrous, and has immense potential – once it’s been tamed. It seems Ripley is correct to say nothing has changed. Wren merely echoes Ash, Carter Burke, and Michael Bishop. She tells Wren they can’t teach the Alien tricks, to which Wren counters with “Why not? We’re teaching you.”
Contact #4-6
Purvis, Larry – Xarem Corporation Employee; Seven Unnamed Xarem Corporation Employees;
Wren, M.; Gediman, J.; Williamson, C.
Location: Alien Observation Lab, Medlab, Level 15, USM Auriga – Pluto orbit
Date: January 19 2381
Contact with: Facehuggers
Wren, Gediman and Williamson look on at eight hostages, strapped into gurneys placed over Alien eggs, waiting for the eggs to hatch. The eggs look similar to the ones seen in the previous films. The openings seems to have thicker ‘petals’ – much like the egg in the first film Fig 4-6a, where the eggs in the second film seemed to have thinner ‘petals’. Also, rather than opening in one movement, the ‘petals’ seem a bit reluctant to open – if that’s possible. There’s a bit of individual movement from each ‘petal’, rather than them opening as one. And speaking of movement – these eggs also seem to move. Whether it’s actually the egg moving, or just the movement of the hugger inside causing to egg to bulge here and there, isn’t clear. The hugger that attacked Kane was seen moving around through the egg’s translucent skin before it attacked, though the egg itself was still.
The inside of the egg is similar to that of Kane’s, although the colouring is different. The egg on the Derelict had a fleshy coloured membrane, while the egg here has a more sickly clear/whitish material protecting the hugger. In this instance the white material is sucked into the egg shortly before the huggers emerge Fig 4-6b. We don’t see them actually emerge, but are very close to it, judging from the reaction of one of the Xarem hostages, who begins to wake up from cryosleep just after the egg opens.
Now, how did these eggs actually get there? It seems implausible that humans moved them, as huggers inside would have attacked. Did they use synthetics? No mention has been made of androids being on board the Auriga, despite it being mandatory some 200 years earlier. And we still don’t know if Aliens regard synthetics as viable hosts. There’s too many variables in play to make an accurate judgement – what is the internal layout of an artificial person? Do they have a similar body temperature to sustain an embryo? Does body temperature matter? Is it possible for whatever sustains an android to nurture an embryo? We’ve seen that Aliens can take on aspects of their host in the Fiorina example – but is this mandatory? As far as we know androids don’t have DNA, so there would be none for the embryo to access and use. Or do embryos take whatever is useful and leave the rest – and if nothing is useful, use nothing?
Another more plausible way for the eggs to end up in the positions we see them in is simply using a robotic arm or crane. From what we’ve seen of the Queen on LV-426, she’s not really in any position to stop eggs being taken. And what’s more would she even care? As long as her seed is spread it may not matter exactly how it is spread.
Contact #4-7
Johner – Crew Member Unregistered Freighter Betty; Christie - Crew Member Unregistered Freighter Betty; Hillard, Sabra – Pilot/ Navigator Unregistered Freighter Betty; Call, Annalee – Mechanic Unregistered Freighter Betty; Vriess, John - Unregistered Freighter Betty; Wren, M.; Gediman, J.; Two Unnamed Soldiers – United Systems Military
Location: Mess Hall, USM Auriga – Pluto orbit
Date: January 19 2381
Contact with: Ripley #8
By this point, Ripley is no longer deemed to be the threat we saw earlier when she attacked Wren, and is on her own in the Mess Hall (which also doubles as a gymnasium) playing basketball. The crew of the Betty enter (minus Captain Frank Elgyn) and Johner first approaches Ripley in a brutish attempt to ‘pick her up’. Ripley toys with him a while showing off her dexterity with the basketball. Eventually she tires of this and when Johner is standing behind her, sniffing her hair she bounces the ball through her legs, hitting Johner fully in the crotch. As he doubles over in pain, Ripley backhands him, sending him over 10 feet through the air into a sprawling heap.
Despite their laughing at Johner’s attempts to get it on with Ripley, both Hillard and Christie now go into action. Hillard throws the discarded basketball at Ripley with full force. Ripley nonchalantly catches it in one hand – her fingers barely spread at all to grip it. We’ve seen Aliens on Acheron and Fiorina climbing around on walls and ceilings. If this due to some sticky secretions on their extremities, has Ripley also inherited this? Or is her hand simply big enough to grip the ball?
Ripley doesn’t retaliate against Hillard, instead turning to Christie who has picked up a set of barbells. He jabs them in Ripley’s face. Her head snaps back, then forward again. No bones visibly broken, just a trickle of blood from her right nostril (thus keeping the tradition of Ripley getting a bloody nose in every film). Her face remains expressionless. Christie jabs again, and this time she dodges. She ducks the big swing of the weights from Christie then smashes him across the face with a two hands and a basketball. This flattens Christie. Ripley turns back to playing basketball when Wren interrupts telling her she’s had enough fun. She casually wipes some blood away from her nose and flings it on the floor. As she walks towards the exit, Johner asks Ripley what the hell she is. In response Ripley flings the ball over her shoulder and scores a three pointer. Hillard, Johner and Christie look at each other in disbelief, while Ripley’s blood starts sizzling into the deck unnoticed Fig 4-7.
Ripley’s blood doesn’t seem to have as low a pH as normal Alien blood. A similar amount of blood from the facehugger on the Nostromo had already eaten through one deck in the time it took for Ripleys blood to barely leave a mark. But leave a mark it did, further displaying the genetic crossing. It’s interesting to note Ripley’s blood had no effect on the surgical instruments used to extract the Queen embryo. It’s possible the science team had taken samples of Ripley’s blood prior to the embryo removal and were somehow able to use a material that was highly resistant to corrosion, or managed to coat them in a base solution that was sufficient enough to counter the effects of the blood.
Contact #4-8
Gediman, J.
Location: Alien Observation Laboratory, Medlab, Level 15, USM Auriga - Pluto orbit
Date: January 20 2381
Contact with: Adult Aliens
Gediman observes the captive Aliens via a huge rotating lab. The lab can rotate to observe any of the chambers where the Aliens are isolated. There seem to be at least fifteen of these chambers. As the lab tracks past some of the chambers we can see Aliens inside. There only seems to be one per cage, however the cage Gediman chooses to view in fact has three Aliens inside.
The inside of the cage reveals two Aliens that appear to be resting; one crouched, the other lying on it’s side. Another Alien lurches into view right up against the pane separating creature and scientist. The two watch each other and the Alien opens it’s mouth and bares it’s inner jaw. For the first time we see an Alien respiring. It’s not known if this due to the temperature in the cage or something the Alien has inherited from Ripley. We’ve seen Aliens in hot environments (AP Station), temperate environments (Hadley’s Hope, Nostromo) and cold environments (Fiorina), and seen no vapour or breathe mist in any instance. Yet here we do. The candles going out on Fiorina may be seen as evidence that Aliens can in fact exhale. It’s possible the temperature is vastly hotter or colder than any environment we yet seen making the normally invisible mist now visible. It also could be a gas by-product of the Alien’s acid blood Fig 4-8a.
The Alien seems to be drooling a bit more than usual in this scene, but this could quite easily be put down to the fact that it’s probably the longest we’ve scene an Alien up close. Aliens have drooled a lot in all the films, but most of the time close ups of their head is restricted to a few seconds. Also we see here that the inner jaw doesn’t just go in and out, but can also move from side to side – much like the tongues of terrestrial species. It makes a gutteral noise, mixed in with a hissing noise similar to that it’s Queen made earlier.
The Alien then whacks the pane with it’s head, but does no damage, as if testing the barrier. Gediman looks around to make sure no one is watching, then goes very close to the pane, and bares his own teeth. He moves his head around and the Alien mirrors his movements. Gediman eventually presses his lips onto the pane, and the Alien seems to regard him strangely. He then pulls back and the Alien bares both sets of jaws. Gediman mimics the Alien, until it’s inner jaw shoots out about a foot and hits the pane. Gediman jumps back in shock. Unlike the incident where the Alien’s inner jaw skewered David’s head, and smashed the window behind it, this window seems to be made of much sterner stuff.
Gediman is not happy with the Alien’s attack and hits a button that activates a blast of a white gas. Now the Alien is not happy. It flails around and screams – in pain or rage, though when the gas clears there’s no visible damage to the creature. Nor to the other resting Aliens. It starts forward as if to attack Gediman, and he sticks his arm out over the button. The Alien stops dead in it’s tracks, looks at the button, then back to Gediman.
Gediman comments that it’s a fast learner.
Contact #4-9
Call, A.
Location: Ripley #8’s Holding Cell, USM Auriga - Pluto orbit
Date: January 21 2381
Contact with: Ripley #8
Call manages to sneak her way to Ripley’s cell during the middle of the ship’s night, and gets in by using small aerosol sprays to mimic General Perez’ breath on the door sensor.
As she approaches the slumbering Ripley she removes a dagger from her boot (obviously the security checks the Betty crew went through when boarding the Auriga weren’t especially thorough) and goes to stab the clone in her sleep, when she notices the scar on Ripley’s chest. She instantly makes the connection that they’ve already taken the embryo out of Ripley. At this point Ripley wakes up – if she was ever really sleeping at all.
Ripley asks Call if she’s going to kill her. Call tells Ripley there’s no point. She asks Ripley if it’s still on the ship to which Ripley responds “You mean my ‘baby’?”
Call offers to put Ripley out of her misery. Ripley asks Call before pushing the palm of her hand down on Call’s dagger, “What makes you think I’d let you do that?”. The knife pierces and protrudes some 6 inches out of the back of Ripley’s hand; the acid blood causing the knife to smoke.
Now the two exchange some information. Ripley tells Call who she is. “Ripley, Ellen. Lieuntenant First Class. Number 36706.” Which brings up an interesting point about ranks and serial numbers. In Alien Ripley is the Nostromo’s third officer, behind Dallas and Kane. No serial number is given, nor is an official rank. However at the inquest in Aliens her rank is given as Warrant Officer and serial number NOC-14672. Since Ripley wouldn’t have had either of these changed in the preceding 57 years, we can assume they were current in 2122. In Alien3 the report on the EEV crash from Fiorina lists her serial number as B5156170 and her rank is referred to as Lieutenant several times throughout the film. This is probably due to her being reinstated as a flight officer by Weyland Yutani for agreeing to go to LV-426. Though it is in fact a commercial rank, and not military as Corporal Hicks was ranking officer on LV-426 when Gorman was incapacitated. Her serial number has now changed again, and her rank is Lieutenant First Class. The rank doesn’t necessarily have to have changed between films. People are going to address a Lieutenant as simply “Lieutenant” rather than “Lieutenant First Class” and it’s likely she was reinstated as Lieutenant First Class by Burke. The number though is odd. One could explain the difference between the NOC-14672 and B5156170 as a change in personnel ID numbering in the previous 57 years. Where the 36706 came from is not known, but Wren’s comments earlier about “There are gaps” in reference to Ripley’s memories may explain it. She simply got it wrong; much like Gediman’s mispronunciation of Fiorina 161.
Be that as it may Call disputes this, saying Ellen Ripley died 200 years ago and that this clone is not her. Ripley removes her hand from the dagger blade and Call laments that she was too late to kill the embryo – they’ve already brought it out of Ripley. Ripley counters with “Not all the way out.” This is an obvious reference to Ripley’s inherited traits from the Alien. Increased strength; acid blood. However she also says she can feel “it” behind her eyes. And she can hear it moving. It’s unclear if she’s talking literally or metaphorically. Can she aurally hear the Queen and other Aliens on the ship? Or is there some extra sensory perception at work?
Call asks for Ripley’s help to stop the Aliens. Unlike her former incarnation who fought against the creatures, this Ripley explains the futility of trying. Both kneeling on the floor of the cell, Ripley straightens up to loom over the other woman, and tells Call she’s not going to get away alive. Call tells her she doesn’t care. Ripley then swiftly grabs Call by the throat, turning the tables to tell the other “I can make it stop.” Two people with seemingly not a great deal to live for. Ripley presses her own cheek close to Call’s, before letting her go and telling her to leave. “They’re looking for you.”
Is this further evidence of heightened hearing? Wren and some guards are indeed waiting for Call outside the cell. Did Ripley hear them coming? Or did she sense their approach in some other way? We know Aliens respond to sound, but we have no solid proof they are extra sensory, so Ripley aurally hearing the Auriga crew is more likely at this point.
Contact #4-10
Gediman, J.; Williamson, C.
Location: Alien Observation Laboratory, Medlab, Level 15, USM Auriga - Pluto orbit
Date: January 21 2381
Contact with: Adult Aliens
Gediman and Williamson watch bizarre events transpiring in the Mess Hall over a closed circuit monitor. The Betty crew have just killed 5 of the Auriga’s soldiers and taken Wren and Private Vincent Distephano hostage.
Two of the Aliens in the cage observe the humans distraction and note the button responsible for the nitrogen is currently locked shut. They turn on the third Alien. It’s almost as if an argument ensues between them. They hiss and screech at each other, before the two attack the third with their inner jaws. The third makes no attempt to defend itself, keeping it arms behind it’s back at all times Fig 4-10b. The two Aliens’ inner jaws punch multiple holes in the other’s upper and lower chest Fig 4-10Fig 4-10a, and it falls – it’s tail twitching momentarily in death. A large pile of internal organs, slick with acid, begin to burn through the floor Fig 4-10c.
During the attack on the other Alien, Ripley in her cell, pricks up her ears. Is she feeling the pain of the Alien being slaughtered (if it is indeed feeling pain), or can her heightened senses hear it screaming? Once again we don’t know.
An Alien tail whacks against the pane separating the Aliens and the scientists and now, Gediman and Williamson take notice. But it’s too late. A hole, nearly a metre in diameter breaches the cell and just as Gediman struggles to activate the nitrogen, the Aliens disappear down it.
It might be interesting to note the lack of smoke from the acid. On the Nostromo, there were only whisps of smoke from the Alien acid when it corroded through the deck. There was more smoke and haze from the acid at Hadley’s Hope. This could be very well due to the volume of acid that would have been spilled in the level 2 corridors where the sentry guns were firing. When Ripley looks at the monitors just after the Aliens retreat, some of the corridor is obscured by smoke. When Hicks is sprayed in the lift, by the time it arrives at level 1, the lift is FULL of vapour. This is a small enclosed space though, possibly with poor ventilation. Ventilation may have dispersed the vapour on the Nostromo and level 2 in the colony, and again on the Sulaco’s hangar deck.
On the Sulaco there’s very little smoke from the acid in the cryogenic compartment, but more from the fire it starts. Perhaps fire was also the cause of the smoke in the lift. When Murphy is spat on by the Alien, there’s no smoke in evidence.
There’s whisps of smoke from Ripley’s blood, and not much more in the way of vapour when the huge amount of acid is spilled in the cell. Another possibility for the difference in amounts of vapour could also be due to the material the acid is reacting with. One would imagine the makeup of deck plating would differ slightly from personal armour.
Gediman enters the cell and approaches the dead Alien and the acid hole it left behind. Whisps of smoke rise from the edge of the hole, and the metal floor plates are obviously still a little active as Gediman gets a bit too close to the edge and whips his hand away, as if burned.
He peers into the hole and we see the floor plates seem about 6 inches thick, and the acid has corroded through the floor of the larger chamber seen earlier and another 3 decks beyond. There’s no sign of the two Aliens – until one reaches up with massive hand, grabs Gediman by the head and drags him face-first down the hole, to eat or use as a host is not immediately clear. Williamson screams futilely after Gediman, and then, presumably (ie. off screen), goes to raise the alarm.
Contact #4-11
Unnamed soldier – United Systems Military
Location: Alien Observation Laboratory, Medlab, Level 15, USM Auriga - Pluto orbit
Date: January 21 2381
Contact with: Adult Alien
The Auriga’s computer – Father - starts klaxons and broadcasts warnings about security breaches in the Medlab. However this doesn’t happen as soon as the cell is breached, but takes about 60 seconds.
A lone soldier enters the cell with a small hand gun. He kicks the dead Alien’s head, and it appears to be rubbery in consistency. He rounds the hole in the floor, the gun aimed at it. There’s no sign of other Aliens or Gediman – except in the observation lab. Alien drool dribbles over the red button for the nitrogen before the creature lashes out with it’s inner jaw and activates the gas. The guard in the cell is flash frozen.
The Alien roars - a victory cry? Ripley hears it and smiles.
It would appear that now the Aliens can go pretty much wherever they want in the ship.
Contact #4-12
Vriess, J.
Location: Unnamed corridor, USM Auriga – Pluto orbit
Date: January 21 2381
Contact with Adult Alien
Vriess was pilfering spare parts in one of the Auriga’s maintenance storage areas when the Aliens escaped and now finds himself alone on a seemingly deserted ship. Father informs anyone who cares to listen that cages 3, 5, 7, 8 and 10 have been opened without authority, and Vriess spots something moving through the grill between the corridor and the ceiling crawlspace.
Vriess starts to pull parts of his chair apart and form them into a type of double barrelled shotgun. Father reports non-human presences on level 14, 21, 23, 27, 38 and 39. Presumably the Aliens are spreading out to kill or collect victims. Shortly before this scene, Elgyn hears gunshots and screaming in the vicinity of the Mess Hall, though we don’t actually see any of the crew engaging the Aliens.
Meanwhile, the Alien in the crawlspace hisses and Vriess lets it have it with both barrels (one slightly delayed behind the other). The Alien scurries over Vriess’ head and a couple of small drops of acid start to burn against the ceiling grill.
One drop lands on his leg, but being confined to a wheelchair, Vriess has no feeling in his legs and doesn’t notice until he see the whisps of smoke. He pats it with his hand, and NOW he feels it. As he does another lands behind his ear. Enraged he pivots around to bear on the Alien and let’s fly with nearly 20 rapid shots.
Just how effective these shots are is unclear, especially since he’s firing through a metal grill.
To digress back to the unauthorised cage openings for a moment, cages 3, 5, 7, 8 and 10 are opened. If we had eight hosts, and at least three cages in row were occupied, it follows that the cage that was breached was 6. Then the remaining 5 Aliens were in cages 3, 5, 7, 8 and 10. As we saw earlier the Queen was also caged – presumably in the same area – so there could have been two Aliens in one of the cages.
Contact #4-13
Ripley #8
Location: Ripley #8’s Holding Cell, USM Auriga, Pluto orbit
Date: January 21 2381
Contact with: Adult Aliens
While Vriess has his problems so does Ripley. An Alien (or Aliens) slowly bash the door to her cell in Fig 4-13. Ripley doesn’t immediately show any fear at this, as if the Alien part of her being is working out exactly what’s going on. Eventually though, her human survival instinct kicks in and she rushes to a panel in the wall, bashes the metal a few times eventually smashing a hole in it. She runs the palm of her hand along a jagged piece of the hole and rubs the resulting blood on a cable in the wall cavity. The acid burns it and shorts out the power, which automatically opens a secondary door in the rear of her cell.
Ripley is obviously well aware of her physiology and abilities.
She escapes through the door before the Alien(s) break through.
We see hear the Alien(s) repeatedly bashing at a door to get through. The same as when they were chasing the marines from Operations at Hadley’s Hope. Based on the dent left by the creature in Kevin’s door on Fiorina, and the amount of maneuvering space available, it’s more than likely just one Alien bashing on the door to Ripley’s cell. They eventually got through the door from Operations, and nearly seemed through the door on the Auriga. Much like the situation with the level 2 sentry guns on LV-426, the Aliens seem to work on a single course of action until the situation is deemed hopeless. Had the doors not given way, they would’ve no doubt looked for another way to gain access, as per the Alien getting to David through the duct, or the Aliens getting into the ceiling crawlspace on Acheron.
Contact #4-14
Olsen – USM Technician; Unknown number of unnamed crew/ soldiers – USM Auriga
Location: Lifeboat, Lifeboat launch bay, USM Auriga, Pluto orbit
Date: January 21 2381
Contact with: Adult Alien
Father tells the crew that the final lifeboat is ready for launch. This seems a bit confusing as many of the ships complement are still unaccounted for. If Father is able to detect non-human presences then he can detect human presences, which means he could detect Wren, Distephano, along with Perez and his subordinate both present in the lifeboat launch bay, not to mention the civilian crew of the Betty, or any hosts the Aliens may have captured. Perez and his aide could be explained away by saying that they were staying on board to work out a way to recapture the Aliens. As for Wren, Distephano and the others, maybe Father just made a mistake, or had insufficient data when he made the broadcasts.
It appears Williamson got out in an earlier lifeboat and we don’t know how many others escaped Fig 4-14a.
An Alien observes the last boat being loaded, and subsequently boards itself. And SLAUGHTERS the occupants. It doesn’t seem to have any desire to gather hosts in this instance and we see blood and gore being violently sprayed across the boat’s view port. Could this be the first instance of an Alien actually using it’s claws to kill? Using them along with the tail and inner jaw would certainly expedite faster slaying. However as we don’t see the carnage, we’ll never know for sure.
When Olsen boards and locks his harness into place, the man next to him is shaking his head in pain or fear. Did he narrowly escape an Alien attack? Or see one of his mates killed? Or is he just a sook?
Seeing Technician Olsen trying to escape, only to be dragged back into the boat, Perez primes a grenade and deftly rolls it into the lifeboats upper hatch. The boat launches and he detonates it when it’s a safe distance from the Auriga. As it explodes we can hear the sound of a high pitched Alien scream Fig 4-14b. Also note at this point that the Auriga’s engines seem to be lit, even though the ship is still the vicinity of Pluto/ Charon, and is not moving. The engines were lit earlier when the Betty docked though they weren’t as bright.
Contact #4-15
Perez, M.C.A.; Unnamed soldier/ General’s aide – United Systems Military
Location: Lifeboat launch bay access corridor, USM Auriga, Pluto orbit
Date: January 21 2381
Contact with: Adult Alien
Perez salutes his fallen troops with his usual military pomp – and fails to notice the Alien looming large behind him. His aide backs away in terror, and hearing the hissing and growling of the Alien, Perez twigs, though before he can do anything the Alien’s inner jaw shoots out and punctures the back of Perez’ head. He fumbles around at the wound, extracts a small piece of bloody brain matter, his face contorting and spasming Fig 4-15.
The fate of the aide is left unknown, but chances are it’s not pretty.
Contact #4-16
Elgyn, Frank – Captain, Unregistered Freighter Betty
Location: Area H corridor, USM Auriga – transit Pluto – Earth
Date: January 21 2381
Contact with: Adult Alien
Father has revised his earlier “Complete evacuation now” announcements, and broadcasts that he’s detected civilians still on the ship despite warnings that the main vessel has become uninhabitable.
Bringing up the rear of the group, Elgyn notices a light down a side corridor. The light is attached to one of the USM soldiers rifles. It seems to be just lying there, as if discarded by a fleeing soldier. Or captured soldier. Elgyn warily approaches the weapon and picks it up. There’s no blood around the gun, but this doesn’t really tell us anything concrete.
Just as Elgyn turns to catch up with the others, the light from the rifle falls on another smaller hand gun further down the corridor, and about a foot away from this gun is a ragged hole in the deck that appears similar to the acid hole from the Alien cage. Elgyn approaches this one gun too, but as he picks it up he sees there’s a stringy slime between it and the deck grill plate. He puts the other three guns down and starts to clean the smaller gun, when he turns towards a sound back the way he came from – enough distraction for an Alien to stick it’s fingers though the deck grill at Elgyn’s feet and RIP a hole in it which Elgyn unexpectedly falls into Fig 4-16.
In the sub-flooring the Alien grabs Elgyn by the sides of his torso and fires it’s inner jaw through his back, impaling him. The jaw protrudes from his chest, and a small piece of flesh/ organ falls from the snapping teeth.
Elgyn very quickly expires and slowly slumps into the hole the Alien made, just as his comrades arrive.
This is the first time we’ve really seen the Aliens show the sort of intelligence to set a trap. They’ve shown hints of basic problem solving abilities (looking for alternative routes into Operations at Hadley’s Hope, cutting the power – potentially – to Ops and Medical at Hadley’s Hope, getting around David’s door on Fiorina). They can also understand the concept of cause and effect (the Queen calling the Aliens off Ripley in the Acheron AP Station, the Alien understanding misbehaviour = nitrogen blast earlier). But now they’ve shown they KNOW what weapons are and how valuable weapons are to humans (inherited memories from the events on LV-426?) and use them accordingly to lure them into a trap.
It could be argued that the Queen, which we might assume got some of Ripley’s DNA during the cloning (Gediman makes reference to “genetic crossing” implying it was a two way street), now has a higher level of intelligence. Though there are a few questions. Was this intelligence passed down to the normal adults? Is there in fact a telepathic link between Queen and Alien? Was the Queen and/ or the adults actually that smart to begin with, but never needed to use such tactics before?
Contact #4-17
Hillard, S.; Christie; Johner; Call, A.; Distephano, V.; Wren, M.; Ripley #8
Location: Area H corridor, USM Auriga – transit Pluto – Earth
Date: January 21 2381
Contact with: Adult Alien
Hillard is the first to reach Elgyn’s body and with the help of Johner and Christie she hauls him out of the hole. All are shocked at the gaping wound in Elgyn’s chest, but before anyone has a chance to think an Alien is behind them in the corridor. The one that got Elgyn more than likely.
Christie, Hillard and Johner all aim their guns at it, but Distephano warns them not to shoot because it’s in front of the hull. This seems a bit strange. Elgyn came from a four way junction, and passed a double door on his left as he approached the abandoned guns, meaning there’s more rooms and corridors behind the Alien – surely enough walls to contain a wayward bullet.
One possible explanation is the Alien WASN’T in front of the hull, but Distephano was towing the USM party line and didn’t want Wren’s ‘work’ compromised. He was sucking up to the boss in essence. Alternatively following on from Perez’ comments earlier about the danger of putting a bullet through the hull, and the fact that we only see the soldiers use electrical charges in their weapons, maybe Distephano had to drilled into him so hard that firing bullets on a ship is such a big no-no, that he blurted it out without thinking. Mind you, we don’t know how powerful Johner’s gun is. Hillard appears to be carrying the electrical charge gun (shockrifle), and it’s not known if this gun can fire anything but electrical charges at this point. Christie’s guns can punch holes in military helmets but ricocheted off the ceiling in the Mess Hall. Johner’s rifle on the other hand may be extremely powerful and able to punch holes through walls and the hull.
Either way, Johner grabs the dumbstruck Call and the whole group retreats around a bend in the corridor – only to find a locked door. Wren and Distephano are either unwilling or unable to open the door. Distephano’s complaints would seem to indicate the latter. The Alien stalks after them, when it notices Elgyn’s body twitch. It turns and crouches down near the body, warily investigating it, when the muzzle of a rifle sticks through the hole in Elgyn’s chest and fires into the creature’s mouth Fig 4-17a. The back of it’s head explodes, and the Alien collapses – dead Fig 4-17b. This would confirm that the same tactic used by Hicks in the Acheron AP Station was just as effective.
Just before Ripley shoots we see the same breathe mist from the Alien that we saw in the lab cage. However now we are viewing it in a normal temperature environment (low 20’s Celsius at a guess). So any theories about extremes in temperature being responsible for the vapour are now negated. The Auriga vents lots of gases in it’s corridors, all of which as harmless to the crew. One would think that in order for Aliens to capture prey, the gas from their mouths is similarly harmless. Fumes from acid – especially one so viscious as the Alien’s - are generally toxic to humans to some degree, which would also throw doubt on any theories about the vapour being a by-product of the acid blood.
Elgyn’s body is heaved aside and Ripley climbs out of the hole, throwing the gun before her. This is the same model rifle that Hillard was using, telling us they can also fire bullets and not just electricity. Where Ripley got it from is anyone’s guess, though it could have been one of Elgyn’s which may have been knocked down the acid hole into the sub flooring earlier.
After a brief pause, the Betty crew realise Ripley isn’t a threat and set about planning their escape. When Call makes the fairly accurate assumption that there’s no one else on the ship but them, Johner is all for killing Wren, but Distephano steps in as does Christie. Christie asks Wren how many more Aliens there are. Wren replies that there are twelve more.
Where this number comes from is not known. There were eight hostages brought onto the Auriga from the Betty plus the Queen giving us nine Aliens in total. Wren had no idea about the Alien being slaughtered so the others could escape, nor was he aware about the one destroyed with the lifeboat. As far as we know only six remain, taking into account the one Ripley just shot. Possibly just five if Vriess succesfully killed the one he was shooting at. As far as Wren knows there’s just eight Aliens, so where did the ‘twelve’ come from?
One, he’s lying. He’s feeding the Betty crew misinformation in some effort to gain the upper hand against them and get back in control of the situation and his work. Or two, he’s telling the truth and they actually had more hosts that we didn’t see. Maybe USM soldiers who had been on charges locked in the brig? Maybe some enemies of the United Systems? Lab animals? Multiple impregnations and births from single hosts?? Who knows?
If Ripley knows how many more Aliens there are, she’s not letting on. She simply says matter-of-factly, that there’ll be more. Call says they shouldn’t take Ripley with them, because she’s not human, and could turn on them. Christie takes charge and overrules Call, electing they stick together and therefore Ripley comes. Christie also makes a rather controversial decision by arming Distephano – straight after telling Call he doesn’t trust anyone. A decision Johner seems less than happy with.
Hillard crosses Elgyn’s hands over his chest, and as the group departs, Ripley reaches into the dead Alien’s mouth and yanks out it’s inner jaw. She offers it to Call as a souvenir Fig 4-17c. Call drops it in disgust. Something new here though. Every time we’ve seen the inner jaw up to this point whether it’s being used in an attack or simply extended for ‘show’ (for lack of a better word), it has been rigid. Yet now the creature is dead, it is soft and rubbery. The most obvious assumption from this is that it’s like a penis. When it’s being used it’s erect; otherwise it’s flaccid. Much like a penis, blood may be pumped into it, making it hard just before it’s extended from the mouth, but whilst inside the mouth it goes back to it’s normal soft state.
Bishop’s talk of acid blood oxidisation and neutralisation after the Alien’s death may also be responsible. The inner jaw may in fact be ‘erect’ all the time while the creature is alive, but goes soft upon death. And speaking of acid blood, there seems to be a marked lack of it in the corridor after Ripley shoots the Alien. Possibly, there isn’t a great deal of blood in the creatures head in comparison to other parts of it’s body. The Aliens in the cage aimed at their brethrens chest when trying to escape and there certainly didn’t seem enough to be eating holes in the deck. There was smoke in the corridor (before and after the Alien being shot) and already two holes in the floor, plus a dead Alien and a dead Elgyn, so any more damage to the corridor walls or floor would be difficult to spot.
Call later says to Ripley that she can’t believe Ripley killed the Alien – it’s like she was killing her own kind. Ripley simply states it was in her way, leaving us with the distinct impression she’d shoot any of her new companions should they do what the Alien did.
Contact #4-18
Hillard, S.; Christie; Johner; Call, A.; Distephano, V.; Wren, M; Vriess, J.
Location: Unnamed corridor, USM Auriga – transit Pluto – Earth
Date: January 21 2381
Contact with: Ripley #8
This scene is mentioned only because we’re given a little more insight into the the Aliens and Ripley’s abilities.
An elevator behind the group pings and the group aim their weapons at the door. Vriess emerges to everyone’s relief. Johner wonders what’s going to happen if the Aliens are all over the Betty when they reach it. Wren replies that all the activity has been in the aft sector by the barracks and says there’s no reason they’d move. Ripley agrees, but with little foreboding says if they leave the barracks it’ll be to hunt their group. “Where the meat is” she says, taunting Call.
How Wren knows about the Aliens movements, is again a bit of an unknown. There may have been further announcements from Father during the evacuation that we didn’t hear (like when we were witnessing the scenes in the lifeboat launch bay). Or Wren accessed a computer terminal at some point that we also didn’t see.
Christie asks Distephano the quickest way to the docks. Distephano says that there’s a freight elevator aft of the cooling tower that runs from the top of the ship to Engineering level 1 deck, which should take them straight to the docks and the Betty.
Ripley then surprises everyone by saying the ship’s moving. Wren retorts that there’s no way she could know due to the ship’s stealth runs. Call concurs with Ripley. How Call would know is not made clear. However she is a mechanic, so she may know what to listen for? It transpires that the ship has been travelling on autopilot (as per standard emergency procedure) since the attack and will arrive at Earth in just under three hours.
Both Call and Johner are horrified by this, though for very different reasons. Call seems more concerned about the Aliens getting loose on Earth, while Johner says Earth is a “shithole” and would (jokingly) prefer to stay on the Auriga with the “things”. Call says they have to blow the ship, though Christie intervenes and says she can do what she please – once they’re OFF the ship.
They continue on their way and reach another junction. Ripley stops, and raises her head back as if listening - for sounds of the Aliens; or perhaps for some extra sensory trace of the Aliens’ presence? She says the corridor is clear and the group continues. Johner asks Ripley something about her past, and Ripley says that yes, she’s run into the Aliens before. Johner asks what she did, to which Ripley simply replies with a trace of dark humour, that she died.
Contact #4-19
Ripley #8; Call, A.
Location: Clone lab, USM Auriga – transit Pluto – Earth
Date: January 21 2381
Contact with: Ripley #1 - #6 (all deceased), Ripley #7
As the group makes it’s way down another corridor, Ripley stops. She gradually turns towards a door marked ‘1-7’. Why she stopped we’re not sure. Again was it something heard aurally or psychically? Or did she just notice the number but took a moment to the make the connection – to the number ‘8’ tattooed on her forearm.
She opens the door and inside are stasis tubes with the first six failed attempts at cloning Ripley. They range in size from infant to adult and all are grotesque amalgams of human and Alien physiology. Some have tails, skeletal ribs protruding through skin, teeth from an inner jaw sticking out through a cheek. All are dead – except number 7.
Ripley hears sobbing and turns towards the noise. She ignores the nine smaller jars on the wall (possible earlier tries at cloning?) Fig 4-19a and focuses on the thing strapped to the table in front of her. A creature with Ripley’s face. Number 7 has an Alien right arm – albeit severely deformed, and Alien textures on her legs, which don’t appear to end in feet, but more tentacles or flippers Fig 4-19b. She has a human chest and breasts. There is a scar apparent on her chest, indicating that this clone was operated on in much the same way Ripley #8 was operated on to remove the Queen embryo. Was there a Queen present? What form did it take? Did it survive? If so what happened to it? This scar has not healed in the same way number 8’s did. Perhaps it has been operated on only in the last few hours? Or it doesn’t possess the healing abilities of number 8.
Number 7 also possesses the power of speech and appears to be relatively sentient. Sentient enough at least to prefer death to being strapped to a table with a number of tubes sticking into her abdomen.
She manages to form the words “Kill me”, though with some impediment. Maybe she inherited the Alien’s inner jaw for her tongue? We see it only fleetingly so it’s difficult to tell. Ripley, in tears steps back from the table and Call hands her a flamethrower. Number 7 nods and Ripley torches her. Following this she torches the rest of the lab, destroying the other 6 clones.
Contact #4-20
Call, A.; Vriess, J.; Christie; Johner; Hillard, S.; Wren, M.; Distephano, V.; Purvis, L.
Location: Alien Observation Lab, Medlab, Level 15, USM Auriga – transit Pluto - Earth
Date: January 21 2381
Contact with: Ripley #8
Distephano leads the group into the observation lab, and they come across a number of dead chestbursted bodies. Two are still strapped into the same gurneys they were facehugged in Fig 4-20a, one is lying dead on the floor, another lies slumped against some containers Fig 4-20b, while two more are lying dead in their open cryotubes Fig 4-20cFig 4-20d.
The Betty crew identify the cryotubes they brought on board, while Ripley sense something away from the rest of the group and checks it out. It is Purvis, one of the hostages, and he appears to be in one piece. Ripley rubs some condensation off his glasses, and he springs up screaming, holding a metal pipe. Vriess jabs the lights on and everyone aims their guns at the panicking Purvis. They calm him down enough to tell him they’re getting off the ship, but Ripley tells them to leave him. She leans in close to Purvis, as if smelling him. She tells the other she can ‘smell’ the embryo inside of him. The way she ‘smells’ Purvis is very similar to the way the Alien on Fiorina smelled the embryo in Ripley, though Ripley doesn’t open her mouth. Perhaps Aliens inner jaws act as an olfactory organ as well as a weapon?
While they argue about what to do with Purvis he continues to ask them “What’s inside of me?” We know that embryo implantation causes a type of amnesia, leaving the host with no recollection of the facehuggers attack, however Purvis said he saw “terrible things”. No doubt the births of the other Aliens. There’s no sign of the facehuggers in the room, so it’s assumed they were removed before the hosts regained consciousness. So he had no memory of impregnation, but he should have made the connection when Ripley said he had one inside of him, that she was talking about what the other hosts had inside them. Perhaps he was in denial, who knows?
This scene throws up some other interesting questions. The position of the dead hosts. Why were some strapped to the wall, while others were in cryotubes or seemingly free to walk about? The science staff viewing the effect on the embryo with both captive or (relatively) free hosts? And what’s more, why has Purvis’ embryo not hatched by now? The only real guide on how long embryo implantation and maturation takes is Kane and that’s estimated at around 12-16 hours (give or take). Was it longer or shorter on LV-426? There seems to be a similar length of time involved with Spike’s impregnation on Fiorina.
We’ve seen at least five Aliens so far that are full size, so why is Purvis still carrying? A much longer period is required for a Queen to be born, so is Purvis carrying a Queen? Or is the embryo waiting for Purvis to move to another location – off the Auriga for instance - so the species can be further spread? Or is it, in fact, a combination of the two?
And this also throws out our earlier argument about the occupants of the cages. There now would be just one Alien per cage, with the Queen in one and the three we saw in the other. It doesn’t go anyway to explaining Wren’s number of “12” Aliens though.
As the argument ensues with Johner, Vriess for leaving Purvis, Call against leaving him, hoping the embryo can be taken out, and Christie opting for the more practical method of putting Purvis out of his misery by shooting him in the back of the head. Ripley eventually explains what’s happened to Purvis and what will happen to him in a few hours. Purvis asks who Ripley is. Ripley replies with her dark humour again “I’m the monster’s mother.”
The decision is made that Purvis comes, he’ll be put into cryosleep on the Betty, then Wren will take the embryo out later.
To Contact #4-21
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