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Films/TV => Alien Prequel Series: Prometheus & Alien Covenant => Topic started by: TomBrad123 on Oct 03, 2021, 01:21:44 PM

Title: Why did the Engineer stay in stasis instead of taking off?
Post by: TomBrad123 on Oct 03, 2021, 01:21:44 PM
In Prometheus the Engineer is in stasis but was going to take off to Earth when the outbreak occurred.   Why did he stay in stasis for 2000 years?  What was he waiting for?

Also why were all the Engineers running in the holographic playback?  From a deacon?  But they all appeared to have exploded from within when piled against the door.  Would Holloway have also exploded?
Title: Re: Why did the Engineer stay in stasis instead of taking off?
Post by: RhubarbLeaves on Oct 03, 2021, 07:13:39 PM
Not sure about the running Engineers but I'm pretty sure the implication was that the Engineer was in stasis too long by accident. There was presumably an issue with the ship and since everyone else was dead nobody fixed it.

I've always thought Prometheus would be a little better if the outbreak was a bigger part of the plot and the characters manage to solve what happened.
Title: Re: Why did the Engineer stay in stasis instead of taking off?
Post by: Kradan on Oct 03, 2021, 07:52:42 PM
Quote from: RhubarbLeaves on Oct 03, 2021, 07:13:39 PM
I've always thought Prometheus would be a little better if the outbreak was a bigger part of the plot and the characters manage to solve what happened.

Spoiler
(https://tr.web.img4.acsta.net/pictures/14/12/10/16/47/273365.jpg)
[close]

"haha, nope"

Title: Re: Why did the Engineer stay in stasis instead of taking off?
Post by: SiL on Oct 03, 2021, 08:11:48 PM
...I mean, it was in stasis. It can't wake up without outside help and everyone else was dead. It didn't really have a choice.
Title: Re: Why did the Engineer stay in stasis instead of taking off?
Post by: [cancerblack] on Oct 03, 2021, 08:21:32 PM
Quote from: SiL on Oct 03, 2021, 08:11:48 PM
...I mean, it was in stasis. It can't wake up without outside help and everyone else was dead. It didn't really have a choice.

That seems like a flawed method of stasis if all four crew were supposed to sleep while in transit. There'd have to be a timer that either wasn't set, failed to activate or was set for longer than 2k years.
Title: Re: Why did the Engineer stay in stasis instead of taking off?
Post by: SiL on Oct 03, 2021, 08:24:17 PM
My guess would be fail to activate, as we see them preparing for hypersleep. Or The engineers who were supposed to set it died before they could - but then why would you go to sleep before that was set?
Title: Re: Why did the Engineer stay in stasis instead of taking off?
Post by: BigDaddyJohn on Oct 04, 2021, 01:44:37 PM
Because it is a poor movie with poor writing  ;D
Title: Re: Why did the Engineer stay in stasis instead of taking off?
Post by: markweatherill on Oct 04, 2021, 02:35:55 PM
My theory is that he was very grumpy, so the others sent him into stasis and told him he'd darn well better be in a happier mood when he woke up.
Title: Re: Why did the Engineer stay in stasis instead of taking off?
Post by: The Necronoir on Oct 04, 2021, 03:57:42 PM
We see three other pods around the dais as well, all with conspicuous holes punched in them around the chest/upper body area. My theory is that all four crew attempted to enter stasis as a means to escape the outbreak, which was already taking place. Three of them must have been infected before going in though, and either "burst" or gave birth to something while in the pods, perhaps years or centuries afterward, due to the slowing down of their metabolisms. Our boy was just lucky enough not to have been infected before he went into stasis.

It would explain why he wasn't woken after a pre-set time as well, either as an automated safety mechanism, or deliberately. You couldn't be sure what you'd wake up to, so safer to remain dormant indefinitely and hope that someone came to investigate and revive you once the outbreak was contained. For whatever reason, it seems nobody came, and even then the prospect of dying unconscious in stasis after thousands of years would have to be preferable to the alternative.

As for what the engineers in the hologram were running from, while it's tempting to believe that it might be a creature or creatures of some sort, I think it's more likely to have just been a cloud of airborne pathogen, like we see in Covenant. It seems that exposure to higher concentrations results in explosive mutations that kill the target within moments (like the decapitated head), while smaller doses result in a more gradual change, even into semi-sustainable organisms (think Fifield and whatever metamorphosis Holloway was undergoing).
Title: Re: Why did the Engineer stay in stasis instead of taking off?
Post by: TomBrad123 on Oct 05, 2021, 07:50:23 PM
Quote from: The Necronoir on Oct 04, 2021, 03:57:42 PM
We see three other pods around the dais as well, all with conspicuous holes punched in them around the chest/upper body area. My theory is that all four crew attempted to enter stasis as a means to escape the outbreak, which was already taking place. Three of them must have been infected before going in though, and either "burst" or gave birth to something while in the pods, perhaps years or centuries afterward, due to the slowing down of their metabolisms. Our boy was just lucky enough not to have been infected before he went into stasis.

It would explain why he wasn't woken after a pre-set time as well, either as an automated safety mechanism, or deliberately. You couldn't be sure what you'd wake up to, so safer to remain dormant indefinitely and hope that someone came to investigate and revive you once the outbreak was contained. For whatever reason, it seems nobody came, and even then the prospect of dying unconscious in stasis after thousands of years would have to be preferable to the alternative.

As for what the engineers in the hologram were running from, while it's tempting to believe that it might be a creature or creatures of some sort, I think it's more likely to have just been a cloud of airborne pathogen, like we see in Covenant. It seems that exposure to higher concentrations results in explosive mutations that kill the target within moments (like the decapitated head), while smaller doses result in a more gradual change, even into semi-sustainable organisms (think Fifield and whatever metamorphosis Holloway was undergoing).

Thanks, that interpretation makes sense.

Another thing, was the Engineer still alive when the Deacon burst out of him?  When I saw the film the first time I thought he was already dead, but on a recent rewatch, I think he might still have been alive (and realising that due to his failure the pathogen was going to be released on his home planet).

I think Prometheus was novelized in Japan.  It would be interesting to see a translation of the book.
Title: Re: Why did the Engineer stay in stasis instead of taking off?
Post by: David_4004 on Oct 07, 2021, 07:36:49 AM
Quote from: SiL on Oct 03, 2021, 08:24:17 PM
My guess would be fail to activate, as we see them preparing for hypersleep. Or The engineers who were supposed to set it died before they could - but then why would you go to sleep before that was set?

I believe the cryostasis engineer had been killed before he set up the cryostasis duration for the other engineers. So, they slept indefinitely.

(https://imgix.bustle.com/2017/5/10/71e32c8d-4c15-4437-9974-efc3ba683198.png?w=1200&h=630&fit=crop&crop=faces&fm=jpg)
Title: Re: Why did the Engineer stay in stasis instead of taking off?
Post by: Stitch on Oct 07, 2021, 06:29:07 PM
Quote from: TomBrad123 on Oct 05, 2021, 07:50:23 PM
I think Prometheus was novelized in Japan.  It would be interesting to see a translation of the book.
Check out studio yutani, they've done a translation.
Title: Re: Why did the Engineer stay in stasis instead of taking off?
Post by: 426Buddy on Oct 07, 2021, 06:42:34 PM
I like the title of the thread, written in the format of a joke lol :laugh:

Why did the engineer cross the road?
Title: Re: Why did the Engineer stay in stasis instead of taking off?
Post by: [cancerblack] on Oct 07, 2021, 07:54:21 PM
Quote from: 426Buddy on Oct 07, 2021, 06:42:34 PM
I like the title of the thread, written in the format of a joke lol :laugh:

Why did the engineer cross the road?

To get decapitated by a door.
Title: Re: Why did the Engineer stay in stasis instead of taking off?
Post by: Wweyland on Oct 09, 2021, 07:03:19 PM
He was very tired. I can relate to this because I often feel like sleeping for 2000 years.
Title: Re: Why did the Engineer stay in stasis instead of taking off?
Post by: Stitch on Oct 10, 2021, 11:47:47 AM
Quote from: [cancerblack] on Oct 07, 2021, 07:54:21 PM
Quote from: 426Buddy on Oct 07, 2021, 06:42:34 PM
I like the title of the thread, written in the format of a joke lol :laugh:

Why did the engineer cross the road?

To get decapitated by a door.
If both chickens and engineers cross roads, do engineers run around when they're headless as well?
Title: Re: Why did the Engineer stay in stasis instead of taking off?
Post by: Kradan on Oct 10, 2021, 11:51:51 AM
Well, since they were able to revive Engineer's had back on Prometheus I can't see why the lower part wouldn't be able to have a little adventure of its own
Title: Re: Why did the Engineer stay in stasis instead of taking off?
Post by: EJA on Jan 11, 2022, 04:41:46 PM
Nothing in these movies makes any kind of sense; they're laughable.
Title: Re: Why did the Engineer stay in stasis instead of taking off?
Post by: oduodu on Jan 11, 2022, 06:35:35 PM
basically a lot of stuff that happened 2000 years prior to the weyland crew visiting lv 223 was written very deliberately to not make sense. lindelof is very good at this while keeping people interested. hence the series lost. i also like to speculate and its a great way to spend your time. but don't be expecting too much to find in the way of things making sense. the alien engineer script (the one before the shooting script) written by jon spaihts is worth a read and makes a lot more sense.

anyways have fun. just my 2 cents

Title: Re: Why did the Engineer stay in stasis instead of taking off?
Post by: City Hunter Yautja on Jan 12, 2022, 02:46:56 AM
It is possible the Engineer was put in stasis as a form of punishment, to neutralize him because he was part of giants wanting to wipe out homosapians. Of course that's with the interpretation that there were two sects of Engineers.
Title: Re: Why did the Engineer stay in stasis instead of taking off?
Post by: [cancerblack] on Jan 12, 2022, 07:19:32 AM
I like the idea of two or more factions within the Engineer species but no, I don't think that's useful in regards to this question.
Title: Re: Why did the Engineer stay in stasis instead of taking off?
Post by: SiL on Jan 12, 2022, 07:24:33 AM
Yeah, the movie made it pretty clear they put themselves to sleep.
Title: Re: Why did the Engineer stay in stasis instead of taking off?
Post by: City Hunter Yautja on Jan 12, 2022, 07:29:41 AM
Probably his stasis was suppose to end when they arrived at earth. I imagine what happened is  the Black Goo infected crew and everything went haywire like we see with one who decapitates himself. Thus the Derelict was unable to take off due to an emergency that we see the holograms and bodies representing.
Title: Re: Why did the Engineer stay in stasis instead of taking off?
Post by: EJA on Jan 12, 2022, 05:35:19 PM
Quote from: oduodu on Jan 11, 2022, 06:35:35 PM
basically a lot of stuff that happened 2000 years prior to the weyland crew visiting lv 223 was written very deliberately to not make sense. lindelof is very good at this while keeping people interested. hence the series lost. i also like to speculate and its a great way to spend your time. but don't be expecting too much to find in the way of things making sense. the alien engineer script (the one before the shooting script) written by jon spaihts is worth a read and makes a lot more sense.

anyways have fun. just my 2 cents

Hang on, he also wrote Lost??
Title: Re: Why did the Engineer stay in stasis instead of taking off?
Post by: Kradan on Jan 12, 2022, 06:05:03 PM
It's a commonly known fact, yes
Title: Re: Why did the Engineer stay in stasis instead of taking off?
Post by: acrediblesource on Jan 15, 2022, 11:52:57 PM
Why do vampires sleep. To stay eternal. Why were the engineers stacked on top of each other. Because they got infected by something. Why do engineers do stuff? 


Why do you  need to ask such existential questions about  things we already know nothing about?
Because: Boredom.
(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/2TCNpTlIVaw/maxresdefault.jpg)
Title: Re: Why did the Engineer stay in stasis instead of taking off?
Post by: Immortan Jonesy on Jan 28, 2022, 07:33:20 PM
Since Ridley told us they grow wheat, imagine the delicious breads they make! 😍

(https://i.ibb.co/chk5smN/Alien-Covenant-Trailer-Breakdown-12.jpg)

(https://s10.gifyu.com/images/giphy-downsized-large659a534936d07ad4.gif)

Let alone the freaking amazing sandwiches 😋

(https://i.ibb.co/ykPS5QF/20220128-162556.png)
Title: Re: Why did the Engineer stay in stasis instead of taking off?
Post by: Kradan on Jan 28, 2022, 08:46:00 PM
After all, Derelict is just a giant croissant
Title: Re: Why did the Engineer stay in stasis instead of taking off?
Post by: BigDaddyJohn on Jan 28, 2022, 10:50:34 PM
This is getting me hungry  :laugh:
Title: Re: Why did the Engineer stay in stasis instead of taking off?
Post by: City Hunter Yautja on Apr 01, 2022, 09:58:18 PM
Most likely the stasis Engineer was a back up, kept asleep in case everything "went to pot."
Another possibility is the Stasis Engineer  pit himself in stasis to avoid the outbreak.
Title: Re: Why did the Engineer stay in stasis instead of taking off?
Post by: OpenMaw on Sep 26, 2022, 11:04:07 AM
This is what happens when you bash and smash scripts and cut out huge swaths of exposition. Basic stuff doesn't make sense.

Originally, all four engineers were "infected." The "Last" Engineer was not too happy to be woken up, as it mean the crew of Prometheus had signed his death warrent.

In the movie as it is, we have no idea why anything is happening.

With the exception of Janek's theory that it was a bio weapons facility far away from home, and... Ya know, really Earth shattering stuff.

Quote from: oduodu on Jan 11, 2022, 06:35:35 PM2000 years prior to the weyland crew visiting lv 223 was written very deliberately to not make sense.

That's not actually true. The script Lindelof wrote actually explains a great great deal of what is supposed to be happening and has a lot of exposionary dialogue that was outright chopped out of the movie. I've started to suspect that the reason isn't because they wanted a lot of mystery, so much as having David go on for paragraphs about the history of the Engineers and what's this, what's that... It was so stilted that it was just cut.

Quote from: oduodu on Jan 11, 2022, 06:35:35 PMlindelof is very good at this while keeping people interested.

He's good at raising questions and not answering them, generally, on Lost... And that started to frustrate the audience of Lost. Which is why I was not happy when I heard he was involved as a writer for Prometheus.



Quote from: City Hunter Yautja on Jan 12, 2022, 02:46:56 AMIt is possible the Engineer was put in stasis as a form of punishment, to neutralize him because he was part of giants wanting to wipe out homosapians. Of course that's with the interpretation that there were two sects of Engineers.

We can only go by intent. In the Lindelof script none of that is there. The Engineers are a dying race, desperately trying to extend their lives. Something that should not have been cut because it so perfectly ties into Weyland's motivation... But what the Hell, who wants consistent themes that pay off?

Bottom line is, their experiments blew up in their faces, and the Engineers tried to put themselves in lockdown to avoid it.. and all but the one we meet failed.

Quote from: City Hunter Yautja on Apr 01, 2022, 09:58:18 PMMost likely the stasis Engineer was a back up, kept asleep in case everything "went to pot."
Another possibility is the Stasis Engineer  pit himself in stasis to avoid the outbreak.

The most likely answer is that the Engineer was simply not infected. He got lucky, and nobody else did.
Title: Re: Why did the Engineer stay in stasis instead of taking off?
Post by: The Cruentus on Nov 06, 2022, 03:33:44 PM
Quote from: TomBrad123 on Oct 03, 2021, 01:21:44 PMIn Prometheus the Engineer is in stasis but was going to take off to Earth when the outbreak occurred.   Why did he stay in stasis for 2000 years?  What was he waiting for?

Also why were all the Engineers running in the holographic playback?  From a deacon?  But they all appeared to have exploded from within when piled against the door.  Would Holloway have also exploded?

I can't recall for sure but in the original script, I think it was because he was infected. He was in stasis to halt the process. I might be wrong though
Title: Re: Why did the Engineer stay in stasis instead of taking off?
Post by: Corporal Hicks on Nov 08, 2022, 08:47:33 AM
That's correct. That's how it was in the pre-Prometheus drafts.
Title: Re: Why did the Engineer stay in stasis instead of taking off?
Post by: Sabres21768 on Jan 30, 2023, 12:56:44 AM
The holographic Engineers were DEFINITELY running from a Deacon.
If you listen closely, you can here what's chasing them scream and it's the exact scream the Deacon makes at the end of the movie.
Title: Re: Why did the Engineer stay in stasis instead of taking off?
Post by: Immortan Jonesy on Jan 30, 2023, 03:01:10 AM
Quote from: Sabres21768 on Jan 30, 2023, 12:56:44 AMThe holographic Engineers were DEFINITELY running from a Deacon.
If you listen closely, you can here what's chasing them scream and it's the exact scream the Deacon makes at the end of the movie.

Yeah, it is not that I want to defend the film with everything and its flaws, but that roar was definitely a 'clue' to what happened. Anyway the Engineers were infected and apparently they were on their way to being Fifield-like abominations.

(https://i.ibb.co/9tCxYjZ/engineer-head.jpg)
(https://i.ibb.co/yX9nX1M/enigineer-suits.jpg)

Even Milburn mentions that their helmets have holes as if something had exploded from the inside.

Now how this hypothetical Deacon was born, given the complicated life cycle that involved the trilobite... is subject of debate.

~ Later in Covenant David said ~

"The pathogen was designed to infect all nonbotanical life forms. All the animals... the meat, if you will. Either k*ll them outright... or use them as incubators to spawn a hybrid form. Highly aggressive."

And while some fans think that the pathogen is nothing but a device of  "whatever the f**k makes the plot run" kind...this seems to suggest that the Engineers were escaping from a Neomorph. The Deacon is a rarity. Nenomorphs are the product of a mutagen called plagiarus linesters. When David resequenced the pathogen, the mutagen became plagiarus praepotens; which is the one that creates the Aliens we all love, including the bug stick...aka David's Praetomorph.

Even so, it is worth wondering what type of mutagenic substance the trilobite injected into the Engineer to create the Deacon...another variant of plagiarus linesters?

(https://i.ibb.co/St2WVQQ/Trilobite1.jpg)


Anyway People who play Free League RPG, Alex White scholars or Aliens: Fireteam Elite gamers may help you to solve the mystery 👉👈

~ Too bad we can't say the same thing about him! >:( ~

Spoiler
(https://i.ibb.co/5GDKDRp/damon-lindelof-lost.jpg)
[close]
Title: Re: Why did the Engineer stay in stasis instead of taking off?
Post by: dnicholson277 on Mar 11, 2023, 08:05:43 PM
It's very weird that the planetoid had atleast two working spaceships just on standby for 2000 years and none of the other engineers thought whatever happened to those guys making the goo?

Terrible story telling masked as mystery.
Title: Re: Why did the Engineer stay in stasis instead of taking off?
Post by: Wweyland on Mar 11, 2023, 08:54:48 PM
The Engineer in stasis was clearly an asshole (Bad Blood Engineer?) and nobody bothered to wake him up.
Title: Re: Why did the Engineer stay in stasis instead of taking off?
Post by: City Hunter Yautja on May 27, 2023, 05:19:45 AM
Quote from: OpenMaw on Sep 26, 2022, 11:04:07 AMThis is what happens when you bash and smash scripts and cut out huge swaths of exposition. Basic stuff doesn't make sense.

Originally, all four engineers were "infected." The "Last" Engineer was not too happy to be woken up, as it mean the crew of Prometheus had signed his death warrent.

In the movie as it is, we have no idea why anything is happening.

With the exception of Janek's theory that it was a bio weapons facility far away from home, and... Ya know, really Earth shattering stuff.

Quote from: oduodu on Jan 11, 2022, 06:35:35 PM2000 years prior to the weyland crew visiting lv 223 was written very deliberately to not make sense.

That's not actually true. The script Lindelof wrote actually explains a great great deal of what is supposed to be happening and has a lot of exposionary dialogue that was outright chopped out of the movie. I've started to suspect that the reason isn't because they wanted a lot of mystery, so much as having David go on for paragraphs about the history of the Engineers and what's this, what's that... It was so stilted that it was just cut.

Quote from: oduodu on Jan 11, 2022, 06:35:35 PMlindelof is very good at this while keeping people interested.

He's good at raising questions and not answering them, generally, on Lost... And that started to frustrate the audience of Lost. Which is why I was not happy when I heard he was involved as a writer for Prometheus.



Quote from: City Hunter Yautja on Jan 12, 2022, 02:46:56 AMIt is possible the Engineer was put in stasis as a form of punishment, to neutralize him because he was part of giants wanting to wipe out homosapians. Of course that's with the interpretation that there were two sects of Engineers.

We can only go by intent. In the Lindelof script none of that is there. The Engineers are a dying race, desperately trying to extend their lives. Something that should not have been cut because it so perfectly ties into Weyland's motivation... But what the Hell, who wants consistent themes that pay off?

Bottom line is, their experiments blew up in their faces, and the Engineers tried to put themselves in lockdown to avoid it.. and all but the one we meet failed.

Quote from: City Hunter Yautja on Apr 01, 2022, 09:58:18 PMMost likely the stasis Engineer was a back up, kept asleep in case everything "went to pot."
Another possibility is the Stasis Engineer  pit himself in stasis to avoid the outbreak.

The most likely answer is that the Engineer was simply not infected. He got lucky, and nobody else did.

Boy did he not get lucky layer with Trilobite.. or well maybe he did.. :p