Alien 3 - Pilot Light???

[stephen]

So,

I got to thinking and I guess it doesn't make much sense to me why Fury was made into a prision.

It used to be a mine which makes sense because there's a lot of money in that but when the mine ran drown WY leased it to the Government as a prison.

Problem is they only had 22 prisoners and 2 staff.  That's barely anything.  Considering the cost of 6 monthly shipments etc it doesn't make any sense to "keep the pilot light" lit.

It seems awfully expensive.

[SiL]

It was always a prison. A few people wanted to stay after it was formally shut down and were allowed to. They still manufacture lead lining at the plant. As for the supply drops, they don't seem to be much -- probably just food and the bare essentials. They barely had working batteries.

[stephen]

But the mold hadn't been fired up in years?  How are they still manufacturing anything? What exactly are they manufacturing?

And you're right that it was always a prison - but a working prison with a much larger population.

With only 22 prisoners seems like an awful lot of expense to keep them in the middle of nowhere.

[SM]

What's the expense?  Processed food for 25 people every six months doesn't sound terribly expensive and it's probably dropped of by a ship heading somewhere else.  They have fresh meat in the abbatoir and scavenge most of their other stuff.

[SiL]

I forgot that the plant hadn't been fired up -- but as SM says, they're not really paying anything to keep it going. The place is clearly falling to pieces, so presumably the Company is happy just letting them rot.

[SM]

Keeps all the religious nuts in one spot and stops them disrupting a larger, more well maintained facility.  Five thousand convicts would leave a lot of stuff behind that could be used for years.

Helps keep a Company presence in that area of space at little expense.

That said, the chuckle in Clemens voice when he explains it to Ripley would suggest this sort of arrangement isn't the norm.

[stephen]

There's a supply ship that comes every 6 months isn't there?  Even if it is on it's way to somewhere else there's still expense to go out of it's way to Fury.

85 says "I got a wife I got a kid I go home on the next rotation" so there is some administration that goes along with the whole setup.  Plus wages etc to two staff and I'm assuming some sort of remote allowances.  Granted that's probably not a lot in the scheme of things.

To me it just seems a big waste of time to be honest.

It's no biggie really but was just thinking about it and seems a bit over the top for 22 prisoners.

Helps keep a Company presence in that area of space at little expense.

This makes a little sense.  There's a lot of reasons why they might want to keep that presence.  I can probably buy that.

That said, the chuckle in Clemens voice when he explains it to Ripley would suggest this sort of arrangement isn't the norm.

Yeah I wouldn't think it would be normal.

[SM]

I think it ties more into isolating religious fanatics and their charismatic leader - much the same way Ward's monks were outcasts.

[Biomechanoid]

The best response you answered yourself with "It's no biggie really," but nothing wrong with entertaining what ifs and I would imagine the staff were working. They had to be doing something besides lounging around the cafeteria 24/7. They likely had jobs to do which implies production. Product that didn't require the mold to be activated. What product? Who knows? Does it really matter? Point is, product that made it worthwhile to invest minimal recurring shipments.

[SM]

They didn't appear to be producing anything.

They were simply kept busy scraping the muck out of airshafts and foraging for smokes.  When not working in the kitchen or abbatoir.

[Biomechanoid]

They didn't appear to be producing anything.

They were simply kept busy scraping the muck out of airshafts and foraging for smokes.  When not working in the kitchen or abbatoir.

Understood, nothing was shown that they were producing. I just figured the OP's pondering was based on what ifs / off screen / speculation. I only suggest they have jobs because it strikes me odd they would have nothing to do on that planet. And if they have jobs, that might imply production.

Maybe. Or maybe not.

[SM]

I really just think it's to keep them busy, so they're not sitting around being bored.

[Biomechanoid]

So they do housekeeping only? Works for me.

But I suppose I like my speculation better based on the fact that Clemens explains to Ripley, "Blocked furnace, natural methane. The inmates forge lead sheets for toxic waste containers."

Sounds like a job / production to me that the corporation would invest in via recurring shipments, but who knows.

[SM]

They do indeed manufacture the lead sheets - but as Stephen indicated above, Dillon tells Ripley they last fired it up "five, six years ago".

[Biomechanoid]

They do indeed manufacture the lead sheets - but as Stephen indicated above, Dillon tells Ripley they last fired it up "five, six years ago".

Isn't he referring to the molds that's been deactivated for six years? It's my understanding they are producing the toxic waste container lead sheets without the need for the molds as implied in dialogue when Ripley asks Clemens why is the "Pilot light" kept lit.

Clemens: It's been reduced to a staff of 25.
Ripley: Why?
Clemens: To keep the pilot light on.
Ripley: The pilot light for what?
Clemens: We have a foundry. The inmates forge lead sheets for toxic waste containers.

Not only he explains why the pilot light is kept lit, it endorses the inmates have regular jobs and are manufacturing a product. I doubt they are manufacturing lead sheets just to make a huge never-ending pile, seems logical someone is collecting them. Most likely the corporation or government, etc. are picking up the lead sheets and dropping off supplies every few months.