The Mutagenic Pathogen and the Parasites Bursting from the Dying Engineers
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Ati
MemberPraetorianAugust 25, 2017'The black goo is an extremely potent and virulent mutagenic pathogen, composed of millions of small micro-organisms…’
Possibilities:
Pathogen ---> Host ---> Death
Pathogen ---> Host ---> Mutation
Pathogen ---> Host ---> Hybridized creatures are produced (trilobites, insect-like motes, parasites) ---> Host again ---> Xenomorph-like hybridized creatures are produced (deacon, neomorph)
As for the creatures:
‘According to David, who spent a decade extensively studying the pathogen and its effects, the virus is designed to infect non-botanical organic life. As demonstrated on Planet 4, the virus is also capable of killing outright instead of merely infecting. When the pathogen infects a viable host it gestates a hybridized parasitic life form which may kill the host upon emergence.
These hybridized creatures — examples including the Trilobite on LV-223 (from Holloway, which passed to Shaw), the insect-like motes on Planet 4 from the mutated fungus, and the parasites which burst from the dying Engineers on Planet 4 after David released the virus.
These parasites then seek out another host to attack or infect if possible. Once infected, the host will gestate and birth some form of hybridized creature bearing Xenomorph-like qualities. The appearance of these hybridized creatures depends on the host organism due to a DNA Reflex process, though they possess common traits such as elongated eyeless heads and a tendency for acidic blood. Examples include The Deacon on LV-223 and the Neomorphs on Planet 4.
In the absence of viable hosts, the virus and the creatures spawned from it can enter an indefinite period of dormancy, becoming undetectable until awakened by a suitable host. David utilized the black goo (Chemical A0-3959X.91 – 15) as part of his experiments to create the Xenomorphs seen on Planet 4.’
As for the mutation:
‘Once exposed to another organism, the virus begins mutating its host by rewriting their DNA. The host becomes exceedingly aggressive and seemingly mindless as it attacks any living thing in sight.’
‘The pathogen also mutated several worms found in the Engineer temple, turning them into the aggressive Hammerpedes.’
‘The speed and intensity of the mutation process depends on the amount of virus taken on by the host and the manner in which it is exposed i.e ingestation or skin absorption. Charlie Holloway's mutation happened at a slower rate than Sean Fifield's, which was more instantly obvious and horrific. Holloway had only a tiny drop of the black liquid in his drink, but Fifield took a full dose of the liquid in his face when he fell down in the temple.
At very high doses, the mutation happens so fast that the body breaks down and it kills the victim quickly eg. the Sacrifice Engineer, who drank a full cup of liquid though it is uncertain if this is indeed the same type of liquid as the rest.’
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Parasites bursting from the dying Engineers (Alien Covenant):
@Ati - "His script was rewritten, it is pointless to investigate every idea emerging before the creation of the final product since you'll find thousands of different and contradictory elements."
You were the one who brought up the Holloway chest burster concept art from the original script :)
I would not call it pointless. It is actually very useful in determining the intent is many cases, and in others not. In the case of the trilobite, it is very clear the intent was that Shaw was impregnated by Holloway, in the traditional sense. Here is another quote explicitly stating that from Lindeloff.
"I think this scene is going to be even more upsetting and disturbing if it plays into the fertility and sexual aspects of the "Alien" universe. So things were rejiggered so that Holloway eventually impregnates Shaw, who is infertile, with his now enhanced or corrupted, depending on which way you look at it — I won't confirm either here — DNA, so this is literally a fetus. It's a child. The fact that she is pregnant was what I brought to it, and that was my story contribution to that sequence." - Damon Lindelof
Here is a quote from Neil Scanlan, basically saying the same thing. He and his team designed the trilobite.
"Holloway is infected. He then impregnates Shaw. From that, Shaw then gives birth - in a sense - to what we called the medpod creature, which was extracted through from her stomach. That then grows into the trilobite."
This image show the three stages of Hollway's infection. Stage 1 was not used, I think, because the mirror scene effectively showed us a worm parasite already.
I think the worm parasites are simply a DNA mutation, or a mutation of one of the hundreds of micro organism that live in or on the human body already. There are several species of eye worm parasite. There is also a very common worm that lives in eye lids and on eye lashes called a Demodex folliculitis. The rest of Holloway's symptoms were from the pathogen altering his DNA and breaking down his cells, or the process of transmuting him into something else, which is what happened to his sperm.
Anyway, that is my take on it, based on the available info.
