Is SHAW the EGG??

Could be. The black goo is somewhat a mystery, but what we know is that it has some functions:

It alters the DNA of the host. It makes for aggression and survival. 

Its almost as an alphasubstans. Wherever you make use of it, it will find a way to create a way to create a lifecycle. The MUSHROOMS on this planet is one way. Its the best and simplest way for the black goo to create a lifecycle. 

For SHAW, yes, maybe it alters the DNA and the black goo has found a way to make use of a human DNA to create the eggs. It perfectly match the way humans breed. 

Instead of DROPPING eggs on a planet as a weapon, they drop the BLACK GOO. And THAT is what creates the needed xeno in that environment using whats available in the process. 

The eggs are there because Engineers have used Xenos as weapons for a LONG time.  The eggs got to places they weren't supposed to be because of whatever catastrophe wiped out the engineers on that planet.

On another note. I just rewatched Prometheus.  David's creepy robot crush on Shaw is undeniably strong.  I can't get behind him experimenting on her except to save her life and preserve her mind, and xeno Queens already exist. The mural in prometheus showed that. The head plates are obvious. In fact, the mural depicts the entire xeno life cycle when you see all of it.  

The Xenos are creatures that the engineers are intimately, almost religiously familiar with and have been for some time.

2. Ridley chooses to capitalize on a juicy theme that is very ripe for harvest. Simply, what happens when an emancipated AI ponders the reality that there is an intelligence higher than that of it's creators?

Great post QES :)  re. the quote above - it could be said that the Engineers created David in a roundabout way; in that they created us and we in turn created David.  

I'm being a pedant I know but this could be something that affects David's view of his creator and subsequent behaviour . . . 

Unless you refer to a higher power/intelligence than the engineers?

Another possibility: It could be the ampules become eggs.

Remember, when they first encounter the ampules, they start leaking. Is this because of an atmosphere change, or because they smell humans?

David observes this and says 'Organic'. Is he talking about the liquid, the container, or both? 

David also observes the top of one Ampule liquefying and moving. 

It's possible that the ampules are a mechanized, stable form of egg.

@ aorta. Thats a good idea! Not dumb at all. 

Is there someone here that have a high res photo of the alien in the ural in Prometheus. The thing on the wall / ceiling?

@ Aorta. I have had thoughts on a similar line myself. One of the consistent features of Alien and Aliens, was the clear jelly like stuff that would be found were a Xeno had been. When David opens one of the urns there appears to be the same stuff inside, which makes me wonder if there is a connection.

@Aorta - I think that on the Weyland viral site it talks about the ampules being made up of, essentially, sand stone and that they need to be just less than a metre apart to keep the goo active for long periods.  Apparently the markings on the outside are specific instructions to this effect . . .

There's also a mention of this on the MUTHER site that was mentioned on here but I can't remember what I typed to get the info.?

Ampule or Vases perhaps?  Black Goo gave an interesting response also

Myrddin365,
I think what you say is possible though I'll note a few things.

Whether the film will present the xenos as something new or something engineers have dealt with for a "LONG" time is something I find debatable. You are correct that the mural DOES appear to show a morph with something of a crown very similar to what we know of the Queens head gear. I also see the facehuggers on humanoids and something I could imagine being a representation of an egg.

That being said, the mural does not have to be a historic record of something that has existed. It could be a blueprint or a depiction of engineer prophesy (something they hope to one day achieve)

The only other indication we have that live xenos predate this is the AVP movies (which I believe Ridley doesn't acknowledge) and the statement from Ridley himself about the Derelict being thousands of years old (a statement which he is free to abandon in favor of more creative freedom)

I would personally love to see the events in Prometheus end up being the kickoff to the genesis of xenos though I can see your view being equally likely. It really depends on what significance Scott wishes to assign to the mural and the eggs on the derelict (unless I've missed something aside from this???)

Furthermore, first Queen or 10 millionth, it still seems plausible something along these lines could end up being Shaw's fate.  I don't believe Scott chose for her to bear a facehugger without a reason.

Whether Shaw continued to generate eggs/facehuggers in human form or David offered the trans-formative powers of the black goo (perhaps to save her from starvation), I couldn't see any reason why she isn't still alive either as some type of mutant/queen-hybrid/pseudo-queen or as an egg factory (as Deep Space suggested above).

EDIT: I should note here that if you are correct, I see it being possible that Shaw and David reached the planet with the eggs already present and Shaw got facehugged, then later died via chestburster. This is the most predictable scenario and also the most boring. But quite likely assuming you are correct about the long history of xenos and engineers

MU/TH/UR says the last stage of the alien life cycle is the Queen. I doubt we will see egg morphing.

We can't rule out egg morphing, but there are more than one egg in Covenant. Whether or not that was how Shaw ended up, we don't know.

However, looking at the leaked set photos it almost looks like some eggs are larger than others, as if they have grown and are continuing to develop.

I'm not a huge fan of the Queen Alien scenario but we can't ignore it. Perhaps the egg featured in Covenant is a Praetorian egg? Watch the homepage for a little insight to this possibility soon.

Perhaps Shaw became an Engineer? ;)

The size of the eggs is something I find intriguing. When the crew of the Covenant arrives at this planet, we are told they are met by one survivor, that being David. This does not automatically mean that when David arrived there were no others around, such as Engineers. One of my suspicions is that the size of the eggs represents the possible size of the host, if indeed egg morphing has occurred. I know this is only a wild speculation, but maybe a larger host such as an Engineer would yield a larger egg.

...but then you have to ask, is it reasonable to believe David is capable of subduing the beings that tore his head off with ease and left him incapable of any kind of mobility?

Deep Space,

Just noticed your comment on the idea that David is now following the example of "higher intelligence".

To answer your questions, yes I am talking about the engineers and, good point on his true creators. Technically it would be the engineers wouldn't it?

I imagine him now almost resenting humans for the feebleness of their designs compared to that of his true parents.

Batchpool,

Are they different sizes? Or is the difference in their appearance a matter of depth perception?

Chris
I think the egg morphing would be a huge stretch and could really damage the credibility of the film unless it was well explained in a very crafty manner.

That being said, the idea Shaw becomes an egg is incredibly disturbing and I would be officially creeped out for decades.

If they can pull it off, I'm on board.

I have to say I am still very worried we're going to get the most boring scenario which is that Shaw was facehugged when her and David happened upon the eggs and was killed by a chest burster.

I am probably out of the loop here, but can anyone tell me if we have confirmed for certain that David will have been doing experiments with the black goo? Also when Ridley commented that Shaw technically doesn't die, was this recent or before the final revisions were committed to the screenplay?

@QueenElizabethShaw I saw one poster speculate that her hypersleep pod has been damaged so that it functions, but won't open. Maybe David didn't have a chance to wake her before the Engineers crashed their ship and unleashed the goo, and now her pod won't open and David has spent the time since the Engineers died out to try to find a way to free her. I like this theory. A more tragic/sinister possibility is that she woke up, found out the engineers are dicks before she gets a facehugger and after she does, David puts her back in hypersleep and asks the covenant to take her. 

When they wake her up something new bursts out of her chest because of her black goo exposure AND facehugger innoculation. And now it's on the covenant with the crudup's proto xeno offspring... Just spitballing

Myrddin365,

Would the Engineers have been the ones to crash it? Or did the Deacon show up? In the recent interview with Fassbender, he went out of his way to say "as far as we know" when commenting on Shaw and David being the only ones on the engineer ship voyaging to "Paradise".

So the final scene where the Deacon bursts from the engineer...could this have actually occurred before Shaw and David's departure? Did it stow away when we weren't looking?

@ QueenElizabethShaw- "In Prometheus, Shaw bears a neo-facehugger which when removed from her was contained in a liquid filled sack."

When the sack burst it squirted fluid onto and into the surgical site prior to being stapled. Maybe that caused her to mutate somehow but I highly doubt the movie will address that. Just saying.

Given how the film was shot, the most likely stow away would be another engineer in cryosleep elsewhere in the ship. That would cause quite a wrinkle. I firmly believe there are engineers in Paradise when Shaw and David arrive, but not the covenant. Not many agree with me on that, but it's all that works in my twisted mind.

@Shasta cyclone

The Star Maps... who knows... its been debated a few times so i wont try go into detail...

They was showing where Outpost was... and seems not as a invitation..

Here are some possible explanations.

*The Maps are misread... the location is Paradise, which is near by LV-223... Map is same system... just the Prometheus arrives at the wrong location.... David could have something to do with this...  LV-426 is thus Paradise.. (i dont buy) or Paradise is within that Solar System.

*The maps may have been a invitation by the other Race/Group of beings... but the LV-223 Engineers have since taken over and they did not invite us.. 

*They are a Warning by a other Faction to not go to that place.

*The Place is where we are created and experimented on... these are Genetic Gardeners... Earth is the Garden or one of many and that LV-223 is just there Greenhouse/Nursery where they experiment and evolved life and when pleased wit the results they seed them back to the Garden.

This is why its Terra-formed... this theory is my personnel preferred one..

The Engineers are showing us were WE come from....

The Engineers like to showcase and show off their achievements and the Star Maps were never intended to be a invitation... because Mankinds was never intended to ever Evolve to the Level to ever be able to get to the Location..

Again thats the 2nd part of the explanation as i see it.

"Does it then stop emulating it's creators and begin emulating the higher intelligence?"

Possible to a degree yes.

"If Holloway's black sperm overhauled her reproductive system, is she now making facehuggers like a Queen? Popping one out every few days?"

The Trilobite was a Hybrid Face Huger, part Xeno/Human... the sack and umbilical cord is just to show its not all Xeno DNA its Mammal too.

This is a very very interesting comment QueenElizabethShaw

Shaws Pregnancy had occurred IMO by one of two ways.

1) Holloways Sperm is infected and its now a Hybrid Sperm Cell that carries Xeno DNA that infects and fertilizers her Egg.

2) Holloway is just a vessel to transfer tiny nano-worm Organisms that are the Parasitic Origin of Xeno DNA or connected... these Worms travel to Shaw via Lovemaking and one of them infects her Egg and Fertilizes it.

In either point you made a valid question... so..

Why does she not Pop More Babies? 

She is a Mammal and Human and normally once a Egg is Fertilized her other Eggs cant be... basically why a Pregnant Woman cant get Pregnant again until the Baby is Born... (yes Twins can happen or more, but this is a rare genetic splitting of the Egg).

What is the Life Expectancy of Mutated Sperm or Xeno-Worm?

Who knows.... maybe the infected Sperm have a short Life.. like Normal Sperm and by the time the Hybrid Child is born.. the Hybrid Sperm are dead...?  Who knows.. If not then see the same as next...

If they are Xeno-worms... (i think they are) maybe they dont die?  In theory then YES if Shaw has some inside her, then once she had the C-Section....  then there is the chance that they could infect another Egg.

If she is in Cryo-Sleep this could Halt/Delay the Process... Which is the reason the Engineers maybe went into Cryo-sleep... seems to be the case in Spaights Draft.

So yes Potentially Shaw could become Pregnant again.

If the TOP SECTION of the Ampoule contains these Nano-Worms i would like to point out... Sperm is like a Goo, but is just a collection of micro cells ...... then Holloway was a means they traveled through him to Shaw...

Then yes David just needs to insert those Worms into Shaw, and his Finger would do (oh dear here we go) and yes if the Worms and not Holloways Sperm caused Shaw to have the Trilobite... then David could carry out the same experiment.