[Archive] ISC Podcast, Ep. 30: AUDIO LOG - Clinical Examination Of Specimen XX-121, AKA ‘Xenomorph’(Part 2).
Note:
This was originally posted on our prior, now-dead-as-of-NYE-due-to-unforeseen-circumstances website (RIP 31.12.24).
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Content warning - graphic imagery/description, body-horror!
Now.
If you've stumbled upon this piece prior to Part 1, I highly recommend having a read of that article first in order to gain context for what's about to follow here. See here for the link.
If you also CBF, that's fine. You may be a little confused as to why I'm kicking off with the proto-xenomorph entities in this episode, is all.
The previous article concluded with an analysis of Chemical Agent AO 3959x.91-15 as, without the Black Goo, we can't begin to understand the unfathomable horror of The Perfect Organism.
P.S: The previous article also outlines a few disclaimers around lore and canon which are important, so no getting your knickers in a twist in the comments if you haven't at least had a breeze through the previous article.
mmmmmm-kay?
podcast link (spotify)
I'll waste no further time; I'm on Weyland-Yutani payroll as a contractor, and neither they nor their military-industrial counterparts wish to see my billable hours wasted on needless blathering.
3. ORIGIN OF A SPECIES, CONTINUED.
All right, all right. Simmer down now.
In seriousness folks. I know we're all over-familiar with just about every bloody jingle on The Network purely via many hours we've logged cramped in crew's quarters and orbital stations.
I'm being quite serious that this next presentation may well induce cravings for a cigarette, if not elicit... stronger emotional reactions than Part 1. We'll get to housekeeping on employee wellbeing later in the piece, where relevant.
'Let's get back to brass-tacks’, as the Major-General would oft be warranted to state.
He's nodding, so let's load it up.
APOLLO? Initiate display and utilise cognitive parameters/neural schema interface for slide progression.
[APOLLO] 'Confirmed, Dr. Strengztchek. Activation of Prefector Subroutines 1-27 now.'
'Thanks, APOLLO.'
[APOLLO:] 'You are most welcome, Professor. Initiating display and perceptual sensory protocols. You may proceed with the presentation now.'
Boy, huh? You're really an improvement on that archaic model many of our forebears had to use when analysing the initial data reports regarding Specimen XX-121. Don't get too big a head now. Even if you're far more compact in design.
In fact - yeah, let's.
APOLLO, please project a brief image display of your clunkier ....grandparent.
I congratulate the corporate representatives of both Weyland-Yutani and LaSelle Bionational for their recent shared acquisition of the old patents. Our assistant today is estimated to have a 427% average up-tick in processing speed versus the eyesore behind me on Sevastopol.
This will allow us to pool data from a more comprehensive range of affiliate sources whilst also bypassing the normal security checks.
Thanks, APOLLO.
Please display Diagram 1.21 whilst I gather myself here for a minute. Thanks.
[APOLLO:] 'Certainly, Doctor. In order to assist your cognitive processing. Shall I introduce the first slide containing the image of the Deacon?
That would be fantastic, APOLLO.
Forgive me, ladies and gentlemen.
I'm just having a little trouble with some cryptographic data. Looks like accessing the original logs from the Prometheus have tripped an auto fail-safe on United States Military clearance protocols.
Proceed APOLLO, whilst I chat with one of the Intelligence technicians on the side.
Can I get a com-link direct to Boston HQ, please? Thanks.
[APOLLO:] 'Gladly.'
via The Colonial Marines Operations Manual.
[APOLLO] 'Esteemed guests and representatives of the United Systems Military, Weyland-Yutani and LaSelle Bionational, and their subsidiaries, affiliates and various public-private partners.
Your presence, expertise and attentiveness today are most appreciated. It is my understanding that an estimated 84% of you have viewed the above image. However, a discrepancy exists whereby only 62% completed the recommended pre-reading.
Data from pre-workshop surveys indicates some level of confusion as to why the Deacon specimen, or indeed a brief primer on the Engineer species, is warranted for our lecture. Particularly, when future presentations of this consortium aim to elucidate Engineer lore in more detail.'
[Author's Note: This is my RP way of saying, as per the last episode, that I'll explore both the Alien setting and Engineers in even greater detail in future episodes. See here for source of the above diagram, which is courtesy of a great discussion in AVP Central showcasing a whole range of cool unused Prometheus concept art. Enjoy.]
[APOLLO:] 'Furthermore. I understand prior mention of Chemical Agent AO 3959X.91 - 15 and the precursor species at the lectures' conclusion instigated quite a lively discussion on the break. Fear not; this is specific feedback provided verbally to by the presenter and not indicative of any surveillance technologies, which per request of the stakeholders has been disabled.'
'Another statistically-significant theme extracted from pre-presentation data indicates some confusion regarding our return to pre-incident timelines. Particularly, queries note derivation to this theme versus the reports mentioned in your pre-briefing session.
That is, Incidents regarding the Nostromo, Sulaco and Hadley's Hope, as well as the more recent Auriga [Reg# USMRV118] Incident of 2369.'
[APOLLO:] As noted in our previous lecture component, the intention of the current presenter, is to provide contextual backing of Specimen XX-121 without overshadowing future xenoarchaeologists and other consultants/experts and their data.'
'However, it is of critical importance to outline the hypothesis regarding this Specimen's origins as an artificially-created organic bioweapon, not to mention the significance of it's progenitors. As tomorrow's lecture will further detail, significant meta-analytic data exists to support the theory that the Engineer race may, in fact, have been involved in genetic engineering of Homo Sapiens.'
'Finally, I am programmed to remind audience members that the above theory is of equal if not greater Security Clearance to past and present abstracts.
Any unauthorised public dissemination or otherwise redistribution of the research may be met with significant imprisonment or capital punishment. Pending your State jurisdiction and company procedure, of course.'
Wonderful. APOLLO. You may just yet be able to apply for a comfortable post-doc position at Oxford after this.
As my esteemed assistant has noted - it is unfortunate that tragedy precedes insight in order to facilitate empiricism and truth.
My sincerest thanks and condolences once more to the staff at Weyland-Yutani, particularly.
Mr. Weyland and crew's contributions were certainly not in vain. In fact, as I'll detail below, their encounter with the Aberrations discussed prior was pivotal for understanding how XX-121 came to be. Additionally, we must investigate the origin if we are to to effectively employ its' application for our respective purposes.
Safely, I might add.
Now, full xenobiological data regarding the specimen known as 'Deacon' is available within both your liner notes and data attachments.
For today, we must take quite a gargantuan leap back in time. Pre-dating our extrasolar colonial efforts, the Space Age, even the Stone Age.
For it is within these ancient epochs that we can begin to understand our likely progenitors. A precursor race whom may indeed have genetically engineered both human beings and XX-121, alike.
However, as our case study on Last Temple Engineer and The Trilobite will soon demonstrate - even the most technologically and intellectually advanced organisms of our universe are prone to overstepping the bounds of scientific curiosity into very, very hazardous territory.
It's akin to the ancient film Jurassic Park, as an analogue. A species so invested in divine intervention via the scientific method they they unwittingly unleashed hell on themselves... and the galaxy.
3a. The Engineers.
The Engineer specimens who sought safety and self-preservation by way of advanced hypersleep chambers inside the Derelict on LV-233 were some formidable specimens.
With extremely human-like facial features, expression and physical characteristics, as per the sidewise comparison before, we observe a significantly developed height and musculature.
Standing at an average of 3.14m tall, requiring oxygen intake via similar cardiovascular/respiratory systems, we note the larger specimens berthed aboard the Derelict ship did not require oxygenation via breathing suits.
Given the concentration of carbon monoxide on LV-223 is significantly higher than Earth (a total of 3.7%, versus our original planets' 0.04%) we hypothesize either natural evolutionary adaptation, or bio-engineered traits.
Likewise, we see evidence of remarkable physiological strength.
For your perusal, I have included helmet-cam audio-visual data taken from when David arose one such individual from slumber. I'd like to ask Weyland-Yutani employees to pay particular caution, as this scene includes demonstration of both destruction to Company property and injury to Weyland himself.
Several points from this recording are pertinent in demonstrating superior, well-developed strength:
The capacity to sever the head of David with the amount of force and motion implied would, in a human equivalent altercation, require force roughly to that of a power-loader or similar industrial machinery in terms of pure Newtons/PSi of raw kinetic force. Such strength is yet to have been experimentally replicated in any human trials, even with the benefit of additive pharmacology and genetic modification.
The organic/metallurgical combination likely comprising the specimen's suit appears to absorb repeated small-arms fire with minimal damage, and no evidence of either pain response or instability to gait, mobility etc. An equivalent response from a human perspective would involve, bare minimum, use of a W-Y All Purpose Environmental Suit, or 'APE-Suit' and extreme physical/psychological conditioning beyond our current means.
We note the A.P.E.-suit was, ironically, designed for defence against the physical strength, defensive features and acidic blood of Specimen XX-121.
So without getting too preoccupied with Engineer culture or physiology, this much is clear - a humanoid race capable of incomprehensibly complex biomedical, mechanical and structural engineering. All of which is currently under rigorous study, but as experimentally replicable as returning back from the event horizon of a black hole.
Histographic studies support the notion of the Engineers as a race whom developed and flourished significantly earlier and more rapidly than theories such as the Fermi Paradox would suggest.
A best-estimate timeline of the Engineer species' development, as well as our relevant contacts, is as follows:
Histographic studies support the notion of the Engineers as a race whom developed and flourished significantly earlier and more rapidly than theories such as the Fermi Paradox would suggest.
A best-estimate timeline of the Engineer species' development, as well as our relevant contacts, is as follows:
~4 billion (yes, billion) - 2 Million BC: An estimated first contact with Earth. We believe in this instance, there was a ritualistic consumption of the Agent by a singular individual. This Engineer essentially sacrificed themselves, it is believed, to 'seed' Earth with the pathogen as a means of creating and diversifying life as it appeared in its' various primordial forms.
35,000 BC: As noted by Dr. Elizabeth Shaw and Dr. Charlie Holloway - the first evidence of contact with Engineers and primitive human civilisation in modern-day Scotland.
3590 BC (Sumerian), 2470 BC (Egyptian) and 1540 BC (Babylonian): Additional evidence of contacts with these ancient civilisations and visiting Engineers. Of note - in a later lecture, our experts will discover first traces of Engineer analogues in mythology, such as the visitation of a Titan by the god Prometheus.
620 BC: Evidence of Mayan visitation by Engineers.
100 AD: The estimated date from when the Engineer race set out aboard the craft found on LV-223 for Earth with bioweapons. Further discussion on their intent will be later this week. For now, the assumption is that the Engineers were slated to return to humankind and eradicate their creation.
2080 - 2090 AD: The period within which research was compiled for development of the star-maps later used to navigate to planetoid LV-223, Zeta Reticuli system.
2089 AD: The discovery by Dr. Shaw of the specific constellation noted in prehistoric cave drawings on the Isle of Sky, Scotland.
2091 - 2094 AD: Completion of research vessel USS Prometheus, transit to LV-223. Subsequent discovery of the bioweapons engineering site, the spacecraft intended for extinguishing our species which was instead diverted to 'Planet 4' by David and Shaw.
2094: Arrival date of the Engineer craft to Planet 4, and the subsequent population-wide extinction of civilian Engineer population by way of David's epidemiological.... experiment. Additional comprehensive attempts by David to replicate more refined versions of the Trilobite and Deacon organisms - that is, the direct experimental precursors to the Xenomorph.
Which leads us to a fascinating analysis of the androids' experiments over a ten-year period, the outcome of which culminated in the first documented encounter with Specimen XX-121.
Behind me, is a rather gruesome but also artistic portrayal of numerous failed experimental attempts by David to create a more refined version of the Deacon.
via Alien-Covenant.com. Nasty.
3b) Case Study - The Temple Engineers' Medical Prognostics, Post-Insemination.
Slides, please. And could we also bring up three-dimensional fields for the specimens? Thank you.
[Author's Note: Image is part of additional material on the Prometheus official Blu-Ray, data for which is freely available online for non-commercial uses.]
Digitised rendering of Dr. Shaw's encounter in the emergency shuttle with both the Engineer and Trilobite specimens.
As we can see in the holographic display surrounding me, ladies and gentlemen, it was truly a mark of luck and agility on Ms. Shaw's behalf of escaping the proto-morph stage of the Deacon specimen. Particularly in respect to the fact Shaw had narrowly avoided further aggression by the nascent specimen via removal in the Pauling MedPod, only hours prior.
Allow me to relay some audio-visual data of this extraction.
Folks, whilst you're well-versed on the intrusive nature of these specimens, I will warn ahead of time that is quite a visceral depiction, clinical intent as it may be.
APOLLO, if you may? Thank you.
And please, a reminder to remove psychological filters for content-safety. For those wishing to access support post-debriefing, please refer to your relevant Employment Access Provider representative. Whilst psychiatric care is not within my academic purview, there is a statistically-significant correlation between exposure to Xenomorph-related material over time and risk of developing post-traumatic stress symptomology.
Feel free to use our advanced Pauling MedPods should any of the materials today require further psychiatric examination, assessment and debriefing. Be sure however, to log the incident in-person with your relevant supervisor as part of ongoing employee management and review.
From the recorded extraction of this creature, we can extrapolate a similar method of insemination and development as the 'Facehugger' larval stage, to be documented later.
Interestingly, the experimental procedure initiated by artificial intelligence unit David is of equal import to briefly discuss the clinical ethics of his experimental procedure.
Whilst I'm mindful that the cadavers and subjects you've obtained and stowed in Hypersleep Pods 1-24 for live demonstration later this week are well within legal recourse of security clearance, it bears a reminder of the image behind me. That is, we need to consider in our experiments and live displays next week exactly how our new test subjects differ to those of, say, the Nostromo.
a-ii) Addendum Notes Regarding Thursday's Live Demonstration of XX-121 Incubation:
A particular thesis of my own interest will be the statistical deviation, if indeed any, between those stowed in the more archaic cryo-pods and our current vessels. We note that these archaic technologies from multiple dozens of decades of prior were not clinically harmful even with extended use.
Nevertheless - I am confident we will be able to extract interesting data from the subjects stowed in Cargo Hold Bay 1-Z4. I personally took it upon myself to review a rigorous physical examination and rehabilitation procedure to ensure we have optimal data across the lifespan.
Regrettably, we lacked available infantile subjects, however as the afternoon lecture will demonstrate, we have evidence of interesting morphology via the process of foetal infection.
APOLLO - if you kindly would to project audio-visual data from the USCSS Sulaco incident and the relatively unhealthier presentation of those subjects, mmm? Ah. Thank you.
You're possibly curious why I raise this subject now, given the title of our second briefing pertains to the proto-xenomorphs as encountered in the documented incidents?
Well. It bears repeating that the stock we have available have been diligently selected and curated via medical observation and, if needed, intervention, during their interment in the newest-model pods.
My rationale for doing so is as follows - I self-selected the most optimum human specimens available in the Inner Systems, to match more closely the physically-superior nature of the Last Engineer.
One cannot examine the origins of this creature, or even postulate a fair comparison between our species and that of our likely forebears, by extrapolating best-practice data from space-truckers, waylaid employees and civilians.
With that out of the way, shall we now proceed to the experimental procedures of rogue agent David, and how his unsolicited works opportunistically present closure on the topic of Specimen XX-121's origins?
Yes?
Delightful.
3c) Case Study - The Temple Engineers' Medical Prognostic, Post-Insemination (Continued).
Seeming to transcend the programming and our now-ancient Laws of Robotics and W-Y developers alike, the increased decisional capacity of David-8 (mirrored prior by neural-network changes seen in the Bishop unit) deduced that Mr. Holloway as worth recipient of Chemical AO. It is likely from the data received, that his intent was to infect Dr. Shaw by proxy.
Per my prior slides, it is apparent that ingestion of the substance in a glass of demineralised water precipitated a very rapid rate of acceleration. Dr. Holloway was not informed of the experiment, perhaps something that may not fly with more traditional ethics boards closer to home.
Whilst not explicitly retained in the data transmitted via The Network and thus lost to the androids' internal storage drive, we posit to the audience that David intended to utilise Holloway as a subject:
To study the temporal differences between the rate and speed of infectious course via ingestion of a perhaps more concentrated sample of the virus from within these 'urns', and
With the foreknowledge obtained from social-psychological inference that intercourse or some other form of intimate contact precipitating cross-transfer to Shaw, David thereby had both male and female subjects with which to study the reproductive process of any developed organism.
And what a success it was.
Following the intimate exchange and subsequent.... transfer, of bodily fluids between hosts.... we are able to clearly see a bifurcation of reproductive mechanisms and developmental changes, within the adult male and female test subjects.
Previously, we noted an aggressively accelerated progression through Stages I-III for Mr. Holloway. It appears chance exposure to viral load as a male subject redirected the Agent's chemical properties and indeed priorities towards rapid advancement of a more primitive, aggressive and aberrant form of Shaw's progeny.
Likewise, I'll display another visual depiction derived from security footage to represent a likely caricature of Holloway, should the specimen have been given opportunity to progress to Stage IV per Fifield and Millburn:
Curiously, Shaw's exposure to the Agent followed a more traditional incubation process seen moreso in ourselves and mammalian counterparts. This reinforces observations of the pathogen readily subsuming existing characteristics of the host individual.
As we will discuss later, this is to instigate a specific purpose, namely adaptation of the embryo to the relevant environmental in which the Trilobite was to develop.
To quote written data contained in the text file relayed back by David at a later date:
[Author's Note: Quote obtained via AVP Central's Fandom site - check hyperlinked text]:
"When Shaw regained consciousness, crew members were preparing to put her in cryosleep. She pretended to be asleep before knocking them out and escaping, feeling severe pain from the movement of the embryo. She attempted to use Vickers' unique MedPod 720i to perform a cesarean, but found the pod was calibrated for male patients only and thus could not perform the procedure. Shaw was forced to improvise and managed to instruct the MedPod to remove the embryo by using a setting for foreign biomasses.
As she began the procedure, the embryo began to move more violently. The MedPod managed to cut it out of her successfully. When the embryo emerged, it was a squid-like alien that was immediately violent and flailed around, attempting to attack Shaw, but was restrained by a mechanical arm. Shaw quickly had the MedPod close up her abdomen with medical staples and attempted to kill the embryo by activating the MedPod's decontamination procedure."
Much like the Xenomorph XX-121, we note a fascinating acceleration of organism growth within an extremely rapid period. Notably, like the specimen of today's review, the 'Trilobite' appeared to require nil biomass to expand to extraordinary size.
Unlike our creature of study, the Trilobite appeared to not require ingestion of available atmospheric gases, available planetary and man-made metals etc with which to fuel this aggressive growth.
Also unlike the specimen XX-121, we note the soft and pallid flesh, transparent placental sac and limited chitinous carapace of armour as seen later on. This furthers our theory of the Chemical Agent in having a seemingly randomised and chaotic methodology for which attributes are developed.
Following my liaison with both leading obstetrician-gynecologists and our resident xenobiological experts, causality remains unseen. We simply have no clear medical data from a reproduction perspective as to why gender differences between Shaw and Holloway exist.
Speculation infers that is either the initial host, Holloway, or the genetic transfer to latter subject Shaw, that resulted in some form of unique morphology due to the process of human reproduction.
This data also remains contained within David's memory banks. An android whom we note from our expedition to his titular 'Paradise' on LV-223, may have developed unique psychological attachments to subject Shaw. Indeed, psychographic and software analysis indicates a consistent fixation of iterating upon Shaw herself as the means of reproducing the most optimal and efficient specimen possible.
Nevertheless, we find it an interesting contrast and the subject of ongoing experimentation in developing what effectively amounted to a 'Chestburster' parasitoid adolescent which had characteristics of the 'Facehugger' stage post exit from the egg, or 'Ovomorph'.
APOLLO, please relay visual data from photographic images captured by sensors aboard Meredith Vickers'/Ms. Weylands' FTL lifeboat. Thank you.
Now this is exciting data.
For whichever reason posed just prior, the Trilobite extends in both size, additional physical characteristics and pure strength comparative to Specimen XX-121.
Whilst lacking the polysaccharide mesoskeleton formed by later specimens and relying more on a mammalain endoskeletal/dermal structure, we note the above recording as salient in terms of gross strength. The 'Engineer' specimen in this example, able to overpower both multiple armed individuals and indeed behead a late-model synthetic, stood at six foot tall with significant estimated output in terms of strength prowess, covered with advanced perceptual psychology beyond our own. Accompanying this is likely advanced bio-engineered technology mimicking the carapace of later specimens itself; that is, highly advanced armour made of both advanced metallurgical and organic compounds.
Nevertheless, the combination of multiple larger limb-like tentacles for initial subduement, as well as six concentric mouth-like inner tentacles to brace the creature ready for oesophagal insertion, culminated in forced insertion via a much larger, extended proboscis which implanted the 'Deacon' embryo.
Like the 'Facehugger' larval stage and, having completed its' sole evolutionary task, the Trilobite passed away shortly after. We posit the collapse of the creature unto the Engineer was similar to the face-wrapping behaviour by the 'face hugger'.
Note in the below recording, the Trilobite can clearly be seen exerting a final burst of physical energy to ensure insertion of the embryo, then collapsing atop the Engineer. Without medical data we cannot be sure, however our two hypotheses are an immediate death, or extreme metabolic slowdown not recorded by the damaged sensors of Vicker's emergency craft.
Ergo, we note the Trilobite larvae likely used a combination of physical shielding and redistribution of physiological processes to ensure a conducive internal environment from within which the embryo may thrive.
More on this discussion later as to how this pertains to Specimen XX-121 and human hosts, specifically.
Which brings us to the pinnacle of this discussion, prior to our move onwards to Specimen XX-121.
APOLLO - if you were to be so kind, please access the infographic data sent by the Major-General and reviewed by Dr. Yutani, if one would be so kind? Thank you.
Now. We've all seen visual data of this iconic creature. Indeed, as you saw earlier this week, the Engineers themselves appeared to perform a form of worship/cultural significance towards the next stage. Hence the utility of the present term, Deacon.
I'll admit that, whilst focussed on the biological context within which my expertise resides, I have spent much time informally marvelling at the closeness of the Deacon's Lithograph within the Temple-Craft, as the creature birthed effectively by Shaw, Holloway and the Last Engineer.
Unsurprising, given the 100% overlap in genomic sequencing between this progenitor-species and our own.
Nevertheless, I'd like you to muse both from a scientific and philosophical perspective the following image, as well as our comparison diagram of Deacon and XX-121.
via Alien Covenant Forum.
Indeed, of interest is the curved and biomechanical aesthetic of the ships' interior, with the appearance of both proto-xenormorphic organisms and the current XX-121 specimen.
via AVP Central.
It goes without saying there are multiple shared physical characteristics shared between the Engineer and Human Deacons.
Similarly, the primal and unrelenting aggressive behavioural profile appears intact between both specimens. This further our hypothesis of its' intended use as an efficient and unhesitating bioweapon. After all, fear may have some survival qualities in other organisms, but we've all experienced the hesitance, withdrawal and avoidance associated with our own stress-response before, yes?
Contrasting both images side-by-side, it is abundantly clear that Specimen XX-121 is iterative upon the more serpentine features of its' forebear. In particular, please note:
The lack of a bladed tail mechanism, as opposed to the spear-tipped tail of Specimen XX-121 as we'll see later;
A smoother, thinner and less chitinous mesoskeleton than that of the modern Xeno.
An extruding set of jaws, which appear capable of detaching from a resting place inside the mouth. Equally as gruesome as the toothed 'tongue' of XX-121, as we will see later on.
Reliance on the larger Trilobite organism for payload delivery, whereas Specimen XX-121 adapted to it's own protective egg-laying stage in the Ovomorph. Note the Facehugger is a magnitude of times smaller than the Trilobite as well. We hypothesise this allows for more frequent rate and success in reproduction, unhindered by the death of a single host specimen.
Most disturbingly, as per the image you now see behind me - note the additional set of very humanoid teeth on the upper and lower jaw. The gums, meanwhile, lack the polysaccharide coating of XX-121, as well as the additional tensile strength of the metallic teeth we see later.
Note the reliance on cartelidge-like protrusion, as opposed to the organically-armoured anatomy of XX-121's dental interior.
Addendum b): Incident Reports - Initial Exposure To The Adult Deacon.
Formal reports (such as those documented in the destruction of USCSS Prometheus in 2093, and intercepted transmissions from Union of Progressive Peoples' incident reports re: xenobiological experiments/incidents) affirm the formidable nature of the beast known as 'Deacon'.
The affable religious allegory in more informal denominations of Xenomorphs and their progenitors, in my opinion, is slightly on-the-nose. That's a discussion I'll leave to the sociologists and xenoarchaeologists involved in Thursday's lecture series.
It stands to reason, however, we would employ such archaic and ephemeral terms for such exotic and powerful creatures.
Concluding today's lecture, I shall read from the more recent report of what USM ' top brass' have referred to colloquially as The Erebos Incident.
You'll note that this is some of your only restricted source material. That is because the Keilland Mining Corporation and USM officials have deemed it appropriate to withhold some of the non-educational data. There is a great risk of industrial sabotage and/or patent fraud with some of the advanced technologies utilised by this Station. The advanced engineering and research/development which went into this former Station is still under both heavy copyright and government-sanctioned exclusion from dissemination to even staff as most of ourselves.
I would like to remind employees and military personnel present of the heavy penalties applied to any detected or actual hacking, redistribution or destruction of the data folders marked as restricted. Thank you.
Now.
Erebos was established within the trinary 26-Draconis system, in 211. It's intended purpose was a means of utilising recently-developed plasma-trawling technology, to harvest materials excreted in the process of stellar bodies being engulfed from the nearby black hole.
A black hole, I might add, we believe was created by the implosion of the previous red dwarf star following an incident aboard the Cheiron whereby unknown Engineer tech was accidentally activated.
I'll leave questions regarding the manufacture, design and implementation to those Engineering experts present, with the caveat expressed around restrictions on source material. Truly, an advanced development for civilised space.
Plasma, as we are all well aware, is highly expensive material to obtain, refine and produce. Useful for all manner of craft, such as the WY-37B Cargo Lifter Sled to escape atmospheric forces on the planet dubbed 'Paradise' on which David resided.
The ramifications of plasma technology have greatly assisted our public-private attempts to counter the ongoing threat of UPP arms-race developments over the past hundred years. Indeed, the superior lift and kinetic potential of this substance has aided numerous interstellar and planetary engagements alike.
From the expired specimens found amongst the deceased crewmembers and Fulfremmen aboard the Station, we infer the Deacon made a secondary appearance in known space due to the impact of ' Proto-Hives' developed by Fulfremmen - a mysterious, threatening humanoid variant of the Xenomorph.
See behind me, a holographic display rendered using transmitted camera images and further refined by the APOLLO AI:
Credit: ArthurDallas, via DeviantArt. (Similar Credit to below pic):
Note the structural similarity here; similarities are seen both in the Engineer Temple and the interior of the craft crashed on LV-226.
It is our belief that a confluence of the physical forces exerted by the Ablassen Black Hole, mutations in the Draconis 26 strain of Chemical Agent AO, as well as stellar material from the accretion disk had all converged to create a 'perfect storm'.
This 'storm', whilst unfortunate for the human inhabitants and later investigators (most of whom succumbed to injuries inflicted by the aggressive Deacons inhabiting the Proto-Hive), allowed proliferation of numerous Deacon specimens and their subsequent destruction of all crew members and personnel involved in the later investigation.
From data derived from the fatal injuries sustained by various personnel, we can infer that the Deacon was somewhat resistant to small-arms fire, possessed enough tensile strength to puncture anti-personnel armour and A.P.E. suits alike, and were formidable in close combat.
Data retrieved from the remains of the Rorqual M-Class commercial freighter USCSS Cetorhina, of which nil members survived, implies a gruesome fate indeed.
Pathophysiological analysis indicates a rather violent and aggressive method of self-defence by these creatures. We note that victims were for the most part dismembered, decapitated, demonstrated partial or complete disembowelment, and almost all with excessive fractures across the musculoskeletal frame of those aboard.
In the next lecture, I'll detail the almost cat-like and at times timid nature of the Xenomorph XX-121 Specimen.
Comparatively, the creature in question aboard the Erebos Station showed almost no restraint.
Therefore, to conclude todays' lecture, we provide the following recommendations for any Weyland-Yutani and/or military personnel involved in future capture of such specimens:
Engagement Protocol Recommendations:
Avoid use of ballistic arms-fire of smaller calibre/stopping-power.
All crew and security personnel should, by our recommendations, be armed with Assault Rifles, Pulse Rifles, Heavy Rifles and the like. For example, we believe the AK4707 Assault Pulse-Rifle, the Armat M41AE2 Heavy Pulse Rifle, the Type-88 Assault Rifle or more lethal sidearms such as the Norcomm QSZ-203 Semi-Automatic Pistol be used.
We lack sufficient data as to whether individual Deacon specimens include the complex-chained acidic blood across individuals. Containment protocol should, therefore, account for this aboard spacecraft environments to account for hull breaches and hazardous materials.
We discourage hand-to-hand combat, however if unavoidable consider utilising higher-voltage stun batons, or electrified equipment modified to extend far beyond the ranges recommended to terminate human targets. These creatures may well indeed possess resistance to electric currents, thus use of alternatives such as the Watatsumi Bolt Gun or the M240 Incinerator Unit can be considered. Knives and other short-hand combat melee weapons should be modified to highest-tensile strength metal components possible, as we believe our existing deployment may lack the capacity to pierce or injure.
Any attempted captures should consider the use of 'baiting' deployments and be planned far in advance. Our rationale for this is that we do not believe the Deacon to be a creatur to 'back down', as it were. Suffice to say - if you're in close quarters with one of these specimens, you'd best hope for a well-trained infantryman at the ready.
We not believe these creatures have capacity to back down or withdraw from a fight until their intended target is destroyed, and the Erebos incident demonstrates an even further reduced inhibition for violent confrontation.
Ladies and gentlemen of the audience, this brings us to our lunch break before we get to 'the meat' of our analysis.
When we return from the catering event at 1430 sharp, please have your pads and transponders ready.
I promise that the payoff in waiting several hours for my next lecture will be quite worth it, indeed.
(Up next, we will finally be delving into the Specimen XX-121, our beloved Xenomorph of Alien fame!)
Concept Art: Marek Okon.