I'm running an Aliens pen-and-paper RPG in my area, so I've been doing a lot of thought about the various things we see in the movies that still haven't been fully explained. One of those things is the mysterious Pilot race.
First, after carefully examining the movie, stills from the movie, and concept art, I'm still rather at a loss trying to determine exactly what they look like. I've seen the designs from the comics and read the descriptions in the novels, and the bipedal elephant man just doesn't do it for me. From what I can tell, the one in the movie doesn't seem to have legs at all, just some kind of exhaust pipe which is probably just part of the chair.
I suppose it could be specifically engineered to be a pilot and only sit in that chair, like Pilot from Farscape, and therefore it wouldn't need legs, just that weird, fatty back pillow it's laying on, but that's hardly interesting.
My other idea is that they have no legs, or that they're so technologically advanced they evolved to the point where they shriveled up and fell off. That resultant image is kinda similar to Mojo and his ilk from the X-Men comics. Big fat dictators who completely rely on technology to do everything for them. Could be a nice thematic element at least.
I'm trying to keep things spooky, too, though, and keep that Gigerishness firmly in mind, maybe with a hint of something dark and Lovecraftian.
Anyway, any thoughts?
-Pax