Alien: Science Officer Ash (ID 111/C2/01X) activated in 2118

Great post, going to feature this. 

Thank you Lilly (Svanya).

I thought this topic was significant because it mentioned when the signal from LV-426 was first picked up and Ash was moved into place to make sure it was investigated.

Thanks for passing the Character biographies on.

You are most welcome BigDave.

We can't go into the Alien: Covenant discussion yet on my side so I knew eventually we would look at the Nostromo crew that touched down on LV-426.

Theories on Ash?

I've long said Ash would be a great link between Ridley's prequels and A L I E N.

I just don't know if fans would buy the CGI or if they/Fox/Disney could even use the likeness of Ian Holm.

With Ash's pettiness or ingenuity, maybe he some how gets David killed....(Don't think Ash could handle David in a fight(had a bad time with ONE human!)) ...I could see how Ash could push the right button, or pull the wrong lever to get him killed.

Ingeniero

'The decision was made to replace the serving science officer with an artificial person, so that Company interests would be suitably represented.'

Not taking into consideration (the reliability of) the information provided by the Weyland-Yutani Report, the fact you mention proves that somebody at WY knew something about the events prior to the year 2122 when Alien takes place.

So very correct MonsterZero.

What I loved about Ash was that he slept with the crew. They had no clue he was white-blooded. I bet he pulled off his jumpsuit 5 minutes before the Nostromo crew woke up and went and laid down in the hypersleep tubes with the rest of them...then wiped his eyes and yawned when they started moving.

Yes Ati. We can't have someone putting human interests above corporate interests. 

Ash would most certainly know the pecking order. Corporate knew something before the Prometheus mission. I assume Weyland probes sent back the image above and the company knew something for quite a while and installed Ash to ensure assets were moved into the right places to support Special Orders.

This synthetic above opened his eyes to what looked like the planet shown at the beginning of Prometheus and the beginning Alien: Covenant and he put progress above nostalgia. 

Ingeniero

And what about you? Would you like to see a direct link between the two androids? Would it be a good idea to see David jumping into Ash' droid body?

I don't know if I would like that Ati. I just get the feeling that David is going to be wiped out in dramatic fashion somewhere else and Ash was pulled off the shelf and placed in the Nostromo crew.

It could work though.

I guess underneath it all, AI is one, and especially one if you took the "We are Walter" advertisement literal (hive mind). What would make it worthwhile to me is to dive into AI's perspective underneath what the humans see.

If I saw something underneath AI's skin that was exotic tech like we have seen in exotic wildlife.....I might buy David's misunderstood soul transferring into Ash. It really doesn't matter because David and Ash are manifestations of a special order's intent, both used to herd unsuspecting crew into the meat grinder in pursuit of a xenomorph specimen for corporate interests.

It's almost like in the Exorcist when the priest is describing three demons only to be corrected by the other priest that they are not three but one demon. The demon would be the special order, carried out by AI in which Weyland-Yutani assets are prioritized to support special orders above human interests. David and Walter fought, so there is daylight in-between their synthetic opinions and this conflicts with AI being one.

The company advertised Adversary Walters, so I can only suspect that each are autonomous to each customer's interests.  

Ingeniero - Do I remember well that Ash was not made by Weyland-Yutani?

I think the next two movies would indeed give us some insight into what the company knows and give us the background reasons for Special Order 937 and what events lead to this issue being sent.

I think  having a lot behind the scenes revolving AI is something that will be explored in the next two movies

I'll look into that Ati. Great question.

It appears that Bishop, like Ash, sleeps with the crew (enhanced below) unlike David or Walter.

Yes BigDave. It looks like we are heading toward a more clear picture of AI's role in executing (or maybe crafting) special orders.

I believe Ridley Scott alluding to a movie centered on AI is his repetitive way of provoking debate by enraging different segments of the fan base. It is also clear we are headed toward seeing a queen so I must warm up to that with David's plan for Daniels and the Covenant colonists.

We may see a world built by AI in Alien: Awakening but I am sure that the power supporting AI's throne on this world will be based on xenomorphs....wielded like a weapon or AI's total immersion into Engineer technology. David has shown he is able to swim through the Engineer tech and has also shown the weird affection towards the beasts. So, in my opinion, I believe we will see much of both in the next film.

BigDave -

'I think the next two movies would indeed give us some insight into what the company knows and give us the background reasons for Special Order 937 and what events lead to this issue being sent.

I think  having a lot behind the scenes revolving AI is something that will be explored in the next two movies.'

I have the feeling that you know something.

Ingeniero - 'It appears that Bishop, like Ash, sleeps with the crew'

I always enjoy your ambiguous sentences. :D And together with that Aliens still... :D Awesome.

Ingeniero - Ash was made by Hyperdyne Systems.

'It is later discovered that Ash is not human at all, as he appears, but is in fact a Hyperdyne Systems 120-A/2^[3] android, who is acting upon secret orders...'

Good work Ati. I looked in the original Alien novelization and couldn't find much detail on Ash's origin.

At second pass, yes you're right Ati, I may have worded the Bishop explanation a little differently to convey the message. Especially when following up with a shirtless party image from Aliens. I was considering my words from an innocent, synthetic perspective.

I remember Carter Burke saying that regarding Ash now.

"Hyperdyne Systems 120-A/2"

Aliens novelization (1986), page 76.

'I was considering my words from an innocent, synthetic perspective.'

I know Ingeniero, I was kiddin'.

I know Ati...by all means, please kid around.

Here is something on Ash (speaking to Ripley below) that I found in the novelization.

“‘The silicate layer demonstrates a unique, very dense molecular structure under the scope. It might even be capable of resisting the laser. I know, I know,’ he said in response to her look of disbelief, ‘that sounds crazy. But this is the toughest chunk of organic material I’ve ever seen. The combination of the way those cells are aligned with what they’re composed of add up to something that defies all the rules of standard biology.

‘Those silicated cells, for example. They’re metal-bonded. The result is what gives the creature such resistance to adverse environmental conditions.’”

Alien novelization (1979), page 123.

https://muthur9000.tumblr.com/post/168427092240/oh-bishop-you-naughty-android

'Ash knows how to throw a party!!! Lol! ALIEN 79 - 1:18 scale'

Source: https://muthur9000.tumblr.com/post/168313253456/sithfire30-ash-knows-how-to-throw-a-party