Did the Derelict Ship survive the blast?

[Corporal Hicks]

The Derelict was not a viable source of eggs following the destruction of the AP.

But CMTM.

Doesn't mean the Derelict wasn't destroyed. Didn't AvP99 mention something about sterilized eggs or was that done on purpose and not related to the AP blast?

We don't know, it just says they're sterilized.

Also the CMTM outright says the Derelict wasn't destroyed.

I mean saying the Derelict isn't a viable source doesn't mean that the Derelict was destroyed. Leaves wiggle room for radiation killing the eggs or some such.

[Xenomrph]

The Derelict was not a viable source of eggs following the destruction of the AP.

But CMTM.

Doesn't mean the Derelict wasn't destroyed. Didn't AvP99 mention something about sterilized eggs or was that done on purpose and not related to the AP blast?

We don't know, it just says they're sterilized.

Also the CMTM outright says the Derelict wasn't destroyed.

I mean saying the Derelict isn't a viable source doesn't mean that the Derelict wasn't destroyed. Leaves wiggle room for radiation killing the eggs or some such.

In that case, don't you mean the Derelict not being a viable source doesn't mean the Derelict WAS destroyed?
Also I edited my earlier post to elaborate on the AvP99 thing, I think my edit went up after your latest post.

[SiL]

The difference being their destruction served the plot of the movie they're in,

The derelict being destroyed served Ripley's journey of going back out there to wipe them all out.

[Corporal Hicks]

In that case, don't you mean the Derelict not being a viable source doesn't mean the Derelict WAS destroyed?

I do. Edited my own post.

[x-M-x]

Was it ever talked about or confirmed the *Distance* from the Colony base to the ship? and how powerful the blast would be?

Because we did see newts family drive there and it seemed WAYYY OUT.

[Local Trouble]

The difference being their destruction served the plot of the movie they're in,

The derelict being destroyed served Ripley's journey of going back out there to wipe them all out.

Wouldn't leaving the derelict intact have been a failure of Ripley's most basic reason for going back?

[SM]

Yes.

[Local Trouble]

That's it?  You don't want to mull it over some more before coming to a final conclusion?

[SM]

It's been mulled for a good decade or two.

[Local Trouble]

You're not concerned that SM-of-the-future might look back on this thread and think that SM-of-the-present is being rash and impulsive?

[Vermillion]

Bishop with the bait and switch. 

[Xenomrph]

The difference being their destruction served the plot of the movie they're in,

The derelict being destroyed served Ripley's journey of going back out there to wipe them all out.

Probably might have been worth it to show that, or even acknowledge it in dialogue in some capacity. I mean the Special Edition outright shows us the Derelict, so it's not like the movie forgot it existed.
But the Special Edition also tells us the Derelict is nowhere near the colony, and behind a mountain range.

The difference being their destruction served the plot of the movie they're in,

The derelict being destroyed served Ripley's journey of going back out there to wipe them all out.

Wouldn't leaving the derelict intact have been a failure of Ripley's most basic reason for going back?

She may have had other things on her mind, or (erroneously) thought the blast would take it out. I mean when she gets to the planet, she makes no mention of the Derelict, doesn't ask where it is in relation to the colony, doesn't urge Gorman to use the Marines' arsenal to bomb the shit out of it, nothing.

I imagine it got mentioned in her briefing that none of the Marines read, and it was likely on the itinerary of things to check out after they secured the colony (which was priority #1), but Ripley's planned itinerary went right out the window the moment the Marines got ambushed and they lost the APC and the Dropship. I imagine "escape alive" was outweighing her desire to check everything off her Alien-killing bucket-list at that point.

And then she got back to the Sulaco, and either forgot about it (as she'd done for the entirety of the movie - like I said, she never brings the Derelict up again) or mistakenly thought the AP explosion took it out.

And then put herself and her friends into cryosleep without checking the ship for Alien eggs.

[SiL]

Probably might have been worth it to show that, or even acknowledge it in dialogue in some capacity.

Why show it in detail? They don't even show the colony being destroyed. They're flying away from a giant mushroom cloud. Big explosion, everyone happy, the end.

But the Special Edition also tells us the Derelict is nowhere near the colony, and behind a mountain range.

If you want to be really anal -- and I know you do -- they just say "Illium range". A range can refer to a mountain range, but also a dozen other things.

[Xenomrph]

Why show it in detail? They don't even show the colony being destroyed. They're flying away from a giant mushroom cloud. Big explosion, everyone happy, the end.

Even a throwaway line of dialogue where Ripley confirms it's destroyed would have worked. Literally anything

If you want to be really anal -- and I know you do -- they just say "Illium range". A range can refer to a mountain range, but also a dozen other things.

The actual dialogue is "out past the Ilium range". Context clues are very helpful.

As an aside, the script literally says the Jordens are exploring in "the middle of nowhere", if that helps gauge how far from the colony they are. My copy of the novelization is currently packed while I'm moving so I can't really check it to see if it offers any insight.

This whole discussion strikes me as just a little bit post-hoc, which is the other really bizarre thing about it. Like, I'm not entirely sure you (or SM) would be arguing in favor of the Derelict's destruction if we were having this discussion, say, in 1996, prior to Resurrection seemingly forcing your hand.

I guess the bottom line is, for those who want to believe the Derelict was destroyed (for some reason), the movies don't contradict that conclusion, but for those who want to believe it survived, the movies don't contradict that conclusion, either. And if we venture into the EU, the CMTM confirms it survived, and the author of the WYR says she was instructed to not contradict that (be the eggs viable or otherwise).

[SM]

You're not concerned that SM-of-the-future might look back on this thread and think that SM-of-the-present is being rash and impulsive?

No.

And "past" the Ilium Range doesn't automatically equate to "behind".