XenotaphJune 12, 2012I guess it depends on how it ultimately is written.
I thought it was interesting that the way the Engineer confrontation scene flows, it doesn't have the Engineer attacking anyone until after Shaw is hit by one of Weyland's security goons, hit hard when she is clearly injured. A pretty clear example of human brutality and avarice (on the part of Weyland who orders the beating).
In the context of the "Jesus Hypothesis", if you wanted to eradicate a species because you determined that they were too violent and unwilling to grow and become enlightened (say they killed one of your messengers). And were then faced with, upon being awakened from your hypersleep, the brutal fact that they haven't changed much for the better in millennia. That they are for the most part still greedy, self focused, and brutal. Well, I'd assume it would only strengthen your conviction to improve the universe by removing such a blight from the universe as [i]Homo sapiens[/i]
Perhaps waking up to find, what you perceive, to be the greatest potential threat to harmony in the universe has advanced sufficiently enough to gain access to your military facilities, on a distant backwater world, might make you go a bit crazy too, or more likely act with swiftness and great efficiency.
The xenomorph species, while dangerous are not driven by the complexities of human culture and history. The entire xeno life cycle is predictable, and controllable, to some extent. They really aren't that intelligent, and are no more horrific than any other plague. A creature who's "structural perfection is matched only by it's hostility." is dangerous, but isn't seeking to become a god.
Humans, on the other hand, have all the potential of the Engineers, in fact they share a genome, but instead of being driven by a greater sense of purpose, they seem ruled by greed, petty grievances, the quest for power, and often driven by cruelty and avarice. The Engineer's reaction in that context is understandable. He is not cruel in his dispatching of the humans, he swiftly kills them all, with the efficiency of a animal breeder culling a herd, or eliminating unhealthy stock.
After seeing how the human weapons had no effect on him, it was clear he didn't not attack so swiftly out of fear. There is probably little to fear from humans in their present state of development, but their potential, and their refusal to grow and learn, make them truly dangerous in the grander vision.
God is dead, or at least will be if the humans have anything to say about it. I don't think it's merely coincidence that Weyland quotes from Nietchze, the rise of the Übermensch will be the inevitable downfall of the old gods. Something the Engineers simply could not permit.
If they use the Jesus thing as a device to explore the ideas and consequences of humanity moving beyond old religious and moral constructs, moving beyond the concepts of good and evil, seeking to establish for themselves a purpose, that may not be the purpose of their old gods. Then I think I'd be okay with watching that.
In the end the Titans, were overthrown by their children, their offspring, members of their own [i]divine[/i] genome.
Just my $0.02
X
