Black Goo bombing - Engineers last words and hidden defensive mechanisms?!

I think we have to wait for the director's cut to see the whole picture.

I expect there extended Engineer scenes and actually how the Juggernaut crashed,flashback scene how David experimented on the local fauna & Shaw.

Thx for the replies so far.

Is there maybe a xeno-linguist around which could try to decipher what the last words may have been?!

Of all the parts of AC, this one troubles me the most. I know producers and directors do things for the sake of getting through a movie (sometimes too quickly), but is anyone else disturbed that (besides the needless point of wiping out the Engineers) that David was able to do so so easily.

I guess we humans like to put all our failings and shortcomings on our species as well. I just seems that an Ancient Alien civilization along the lines of the Engineers that had reached their level of sophistication and technology would have redundant safeguards against such a thing  as one of their ships being commandeered and returning home to deliver a nice gooey surprise. This seemed silly to me.

It would go without saying that if we can use biometrics to ensure our aircraft and military weaponry are not used by a rogue power, why wouldn't a superior race like the Engineers be able to as well...?

lol!

So...Everyone in this thread runs when they see a aircraft in the sky? They assume ALL aircraft are going to bomb them? I imagine you start shooting when you see a military aircraft...lol. crazy

So the Engineers should have just started shooting? Like many in this thread do dailey when a aircraft passes overhead? maybe jump in a ditch?!!? Never know when yur gonna get bombed better shoot every flying saucer down.

@MonsterZero. I don't think people are saying that...

No running or shooting...But an advanced civilization with thousands or more years of headstart on us technologically wise, would have safeguards. If we really want to go deep, David shouldn't have been able to pilot the ship at all...Especially, since this race was deep into genetic manipulation. They would have bio-coded their ships to them and only them.

Once again, if we can use bio-metrics to ensure our aircraft and military weaponry are used by our pilots and not used by a rogue power, why wouldn't a superior race like the Engineers be able to as well...?

Please dont derail the thread too much. It was about possible defensive techniques or what they may have said in the last moments.

Please keep the joke responses at a minimum. If you have the urge to spew it anyways look for another thread or make yourself a new one. Thanks.

I am still not convinced that these were Engineers. Yes, I know for the purposes of the film we should simply assume that they are... but they are so different.

This is probably just do to design/script changes in the film making process, but compared to the Engineers in the first film they are obviously at a different stage culture/technology, or perhaps of a different caste from the soldiers/scientists of Prometheus.

But what really struck me was the architecture: this seemed very much like a stone and concrete city that had been build around a much more highly advanced ship (I believe they refer to it as the "Mother Jugger," the one David docks with). This reminded me of the Monolith from 2001. Could this be a related/rival species that developed on Paradise, perhaps after the Engineers Proper left, and they worshiped this floating remnant? After the LV-223 had the Engineers sworn off technology and they no longer understood what this machine was?

There is just such a stark difference between the city and that floating docking hub, and of course the Juggernaut. And their first reaction is almost one of joy, like they are witnessing the return of their own Gods... until they see David.

At that point I'm pretty sure they were all saying "That doesn't look right... maybe we should start running."

I never thought about it being any type of shield, just the way the virus disperses itself as a cloud before raining down, but I guess there's nothing to say there isn't a shield.

To be honest all of this is my second biggest problem with Covenant: Prometheus, for all it's faults, was wide open to tell any story it wanted and take any path it wanted. Covenant seems to have taken the path of, literally, wiping out Prometheus in one flashback moment and painting itself right back into another formulaic Alien film where I doubt will get any answers about Engineers or if they will even appear again.

So much wasted opportunity.

@Acheron Hunter

Indeed. Much wasted potential in a short flashback scene.

The giant floating scorpion probably recorded what happened there and transmitted it to the nearest functional colony.

@Gralen - Sukkal was able to decipher what the Engineer said to David, but I am not sure where Sukkal is these days?

I hope that this Paradise planet is where the last LV-223 Engineer came from, but not all of them?  The LV-223 Engineers looked to have been 'improved' Engineer versions with pressure suits & marble-like skin?  Still more to be told, here! 

@Cerulean Blue

Nice to hear. Maybe Sukkal can translete some of the word fragments from the black goo bombin scene as well when he is around here again.

I'm especially interested what they said in image 2 of my animated gif-image. Image 4 is more obvious but would olso be interesting to know.

Im back after a hibernation phase;)

New theories are welcome 0/

Seems i never commented non this Topic... so here we go...

The Bombardment is Interesting as on ONE hand it does appear the Cargo is released and reaches a certain altitude before they Explode and so we can ASSUME there was some kind of Protective Shield.  There are  a few problems with this.

*The Shield Obviously did not work... was it a ancient device that had simply failed? was it a device not intended to Protect against the Juggernauts kind of Weapon Delivery System?

*What device Projected this Shield?  It appeared to be a Dome like Invisible Barrier but then it could just be like a Flat Round Protective Barrier as the Black Goo appeared to spread as if it had hit a Circle Flat piece of Glass rather than a Dome.   What we do see is the Black Goo Forms a Cloud that moves outwards from the Center where the Urns Exploded, so it looked like a Small Hurricane with the Eye of the Storm being the area the Cargo Exploded and the Goo was Spread Outwards in a Spiral Pattern.

Maybe the Cargo has a Set Time when the Explode from Deployment and as part of the Explosion the Black Goo is expelled outwards from the Center of the Explosion where it gathers as a Swirling Cloud of Death and after a small period of time when it reacts with the Air the Black Goo then begins to Rain down to the Ground?

So the WHOLE Barrier/Shield Debate is still OPEN

What i was more DRAWN to was the City Itself, the Plaza, the Statues and the way these Engineers appeared compared to those in Prometheus.

Such a Advanced Race, with seemingly little Protection from invading Forces, and no real Protection against their own Bio-Weapon Cargo Ships.  With only ONE Central Hanger that opens to allow the Juggernauts to Return and ONE Docking Ship which Wayne Haagg had said was like some kind of Border Control ship.

The Engineers appeared to be all gathering in GREAT numbers to the area surrounding the HANGER they also seemed to be WELCOMING the Juggernaught and Cheering, we even HEAR a Trumpet like Instrument to Signal the Arrival.

So THIS event was seen as something very IMPORTANT to the Engineers, were they welcoming HOME one of their Returning Military Ships?  But this place did not have the look of a MILITARY Docking Installation.   If this was a Military Welcoming Party then do those Engineers really know what the Cargo is?  Are they aware of the Black Goo?  And LV-223?

If so then we have to ask why they are so CALM like they was never expecting the Ship to ATTACK if the Engineers are aware of the Ships Purpose and that is a Bio-Weapon Bomber and they are aware of what LV-223 was.

Then the Next Question is are these Engineers aware of the purpose for LV-223?   Are they aware of the Intended Destruction of Earth and maybe other Worlds via the Black Goo?

If so then we have to ASK why do they not have more adequate Border Control and Protective Measures and WHY are those Engineers Calm?  Are they so Naive that they feel there is NO-WAY any other species can Obtain and Use their Weapons of War?   Are they NOT concerned with the potential for INNER CONFLICT and so are all of their Species all at Peace with Each Other? 

So that.....

*There is NO way any other Species could use or obtain their Warships?

*There would NEVER be any reason for their Species to EVER attack their own kind?

Naive and what a Hubris....

Indeed IF the Juggernauts are WARSHIPS...

Following on from the Last Post..... i have another theory...

WHAT IF..... the Juggernauts are NOT Military War Ships?

We have to look at the Back Ground to the Engineers, we see that LV-223 had been there for at least 35'000 years, we see ONLY 2000 years ago they attempted to Destroy Mankind, and so they came and Nurtured us and Taught us for over 33'000 years.

The Back Ground for the Engineers are Gardner's of Space and RS has associated them more with this task, than a Race who are Hell Bent on Creating EVIL Weapons to Destroy Worlds they had invested a Lot of Time and Effort with.

Cast your Eyes back to the Sacrificial Scene... a SCENE of Great Importance to the Engineers, where ONE Sacrifice is Chosen to Seed his DNA across a World.  Dropping a Engineer off to Consume the Sacrificial Substance and allow the broken down Engineer DNA combined with this Substance to Fly into the Wind and Fall into the Water...  Is this really the IDEAL way to Seed a World?

Cast your Eyes to the Bombardment Scene in Alien Covenant and look at the Plaza both during this scene and the scenes after...

The Plaza is HUGE surrounding it on Pedestals are Statues of Engineers.  So these have a Importance but WHY surround the Great Plaza?

The Center of the Plaza we have a Juggernaught Hanger that is opening up to Welcome the Juggernaught home,  BUT surrounding the HANGER are FOUR STATUES and these are similar to the Buddha Offering Statues.

WHAT IF.......

The Juggernauts are just a MORE Advanced and Improved Seeding Ship?   Because as a WARSHIP they had no kind of Weaponry other than to Drop the Cargo of Urns.

If these Ships or some Place connected to the HANGER the Engineers SELECT a Sacrifice or Sacrifices and these Engineers are given the Sacrificial Substance while they are standing in some Container/Vat or other method where their Broken Down DNA can be Collected and Stored within the Urns or the Ampoule Part of the Urns..... instead of just allowing a Engineer to Sacrifice their DNA to go into the Wind/Waters...

Having Collected Engineer DNA and Stored into Urns would NOT dropping these Urns to unload the Engineer DNA be a  more EFFICIENT way than the Sacrificial Scene?

Maybe by having the DNA of Many Sacrifices would give them more Bio-Diversity?

IF this theory is CORRECT then it fits with the whole Engineers as Genetic Gardeners of Space, it would explain WHY!

*The Juggernauts have no other Weapon Systems.

*The Engineers were Welcoming the Juggernaught as if this Signals a EVENT of Great Importance.

*They HAD no FEAR for the Returning Ship.

*Why there are the various Statues around the Plaza and Hanger.

So we have Engineers whom to be selected as a CHOSEN Sacrifice is a Great Honor as it signals they are considered among the Purest/Perfect Specimens of their Species.

These CHOSEN are Sacrificed to make the Seeding Material in the Urns, they will LIVE on Immortalized in their DNA providing LIFE and CHANGE to Worlds they Seed... where all LIFE can trace its DNA back to the CHOSEN Sacrifice.

And they are Immortalized in Remembrance by having a Statue in the Plaza Erecting in their IMAGE and HONOR

This is the THEORY i have to Explain it all, i am not sure IF this is what they was thinking as far as the Purpose for this place and the Engineers, but it fits with the History/Back Ground in Prometheus.

Thanks for the reply.

I think i already mentioned it last year in another thread but i still think this is NOT their homeworld but a sacral / recreation colony where they live in harmony with the nature.

Planet 4 would be the perfect location to grow the purest of their kind for eventual sacrifices.

In this regard i agreee with you and i think the local specimen expected to get picked up by the Juggernaut for a sacrifie on a distant world so they would get immortal, in a spiritualic sense.

In retroperspective:

David destroyed the engineers seeding planet, with all promising Engineers which lived there and will be really pissed as they can NO longer be the space-gardeners anymore.

I think we need to wonder and ask what is the WHOLE Purpose for it all, and this is a Question that we dont have any real definite answers for.  The KEY thing that RS mentions over and over are they are Space Gardeners but this could mean they are Genetic Gardeners where they Seed/Grow/Evolve Various forms of Species/Organisms or it could be read into the Purpose for this is to Harvest them... so its ambiguous.

If we look back to Alien:Engineers which kick started the whole Back Ground to the Engineers then their Ancient Species had Evolved themselves past needing to Procreate (they lost this ability due to Evolution, a Evolution Engineered by themselves) So it was hinted that the Sacrificial Scene was a attempt to Spread their DNA for the Greater Good/Future of their Species.

IF you was on of those in Charge of this Agenda.. then indeed having a Place to TAKE/KEEP your Perfected Results to use them as a Basis to Reseed on other Worlds makes Perfect Sense.

My theory for the Engineers Sacrifice was to Eventually regain Female Humanoids they could Procreate with in order to Populate their Genepool which i made a Topic on prior to the Release of Alien Covenant and when i see those Planet 4 Engineers they appeared to be like Human/Engineer Hybrids to me.

But Ridley Scott referred to those Engineers as Originals and so our LV-223/Prometheus Engineers must be Genetically Engineered beings like Replicants are in Blade Runner.

They say: It is not fair! I did not finish lunch!

"what do you think they have said in their last moments"

I think it touched on this here, but i have more so HERE

I assume they are welcoming a Seeding Ship, where some of these Engineers would be Chosen to be Sacrificed to allow for their DNA to Seed Worlds.

So i think they was excited at the returning ship... until the Bombardment Happened...

Then they said THIS!

'come to planet4 she says,itl be a relaxing break she says.second day here,weathers shit and now this.pffft'