Is Black Goo more alien than the Alien itself?

[Immortan Jonesy]

It probably doesn't have much to do with the main theme of the thread (although it is the source of inspiration), but the other day I was reading this Wikipedia article on "Change blindness":

Change blindness is a perceptual phenomenon that occurs when a change in a visual stimulus is introduced and the observer does not notice it.

Then, while I was thinking about the portrait of extraterrestrial life in science fiction (and even in speculative science), I asked myself...

What if we aren't able to recognize aliens even if we could have them in front of our eyes?

Ok, maybe there are theories about life forms that are not carbon-based (such as silicon-based life), but that seems to be the kind of alien life that most scientists are looking for in the universe because it is what we know here on Earth. Now think of intelligent civilizations, and the most serious initiative in that search is the SETI. But:

What if the intelligent aliens aren't communicating through radio signals?

Perhaps there is a confirmation bias in the search for extraterrestrial life, even when such research comes from the scientists themselves.

Then I started thinking about my favorite fictional extraterrestrial creature: The Alien.

Undoubtedly, this humanoid with a sexual organ like a head looks surreal. But all these shapes are familiar, and many of its stunning qualities (with the exception of acid instead of blood) can be found on Earth:

Even so, it's still the best alien monster of all. But now that we know its origins, it feels a little less alien. Even more so if you take into account that the Space Jockeys themselves are not so alien, either. But the Black Goo, on the other hand, it seems very enigmatic and unpredictable; almost like something magical. And we know absolutely nothing of its origins.

So I raise the following question: Is Black Goo more alien than the Alien itself?

[Huggs]

I always just saw the goo as a substance with properties that caused rapid genetic decomposition, restoration, and manipulation. I've often wondered though whether the goo was actually not a weapon, but some kind of medical breakthrough or generally positive creation that went south and resulted in the death of those on LV-223.

Perhaps there were more than just military engineers on lv-223. Maybe it was also a scientific installation. Where they were hoping to come up with a cure for some genetic illness or evolutionary defect that would eventually doom their species. Thus, their absence became interpreted religiously by the paradise engineers after being gone so long. The return of the Gods, come to save us from death.

[Immortan Jonesy]

I always just saw the goo as a substance with properties that caused rapid genetic decomposition, restoration, and manipulation. I've often wondered though whether the goo was actually not a weapon, but some kind of medical breakthrough or generally positive creation that went south and resulted in the death of those on LV-223.

Perhaps there were more than just military engineers on lv-223. Maybe it was also a scientific installation. Where they were hoping to come up with a cure for some genetic illness or evolutionary defect that would eventually doom their species. Thus, their absence became interpreted religiously by the paradise engineers after being gone so long. The return of the Gods, come to save us from death.

Maybe they were looking for biological immortality like Weyland. Besides, I used to think that Engineers were unable to reproduce themselves through sex. And the creation of life on planets was like their reproductive cycle. But Covenant put to rest that idea.

[Baron Von Marlon]

I think it's some natural element, that can be modified to serve a certain purpose.

In Prometheus:
There's the sacrificial type at the start of the movie.
There's the pathogen that mutated Fifield.. Maybe it acted different from Covenant because it was expired, mixed with water and dirt from the floor, because of the small worms also in the liquid,... I don't know.

In Covenant:
The pathogen kills them outright or use them as incubators to spawn a hybrid form.

In the Prometheus 2 concept art from Khang Lee we see an Engineer drinking from a cup and turning into what looks like a xenomorph.

[Doctor Ash]

Would be interresting if the black goo is a lifeform on its own instead of just a liquid with strange properties.

[Local Trouble]

Kinda like The Blob or The Thing?

[Doctor Ash]

Yes, more like The Thing. An intelligent organism which transforms or eats other life with an agenda of its own.

[The Old One]

I think it's some natural element, that can be modified to serve a certain purpose.

In Prometheus:
...

In Covenant:
The pathogen kills them outright or use them as incubators to spawn a hybrid form.

Basically it seems to be inferred that when it is deployed in the intended fashion the Pathogen functions in only one way, to kill and spawn a hybrid.

When the Prometheus crew was ingesting the Pathogen in liquid form, I would think of it as eating only an ingredient of a recipe rather than the full dish, so it isn't going to necessarily function correctly or as intended;
David himself said it's fiendishly inventive.

[Baron Von Marlon]

Yeah, it'll depend on the dose and environmental factors.

I think it would be interesting if it's a modified natural element. That the pure form would be something biological. With a natural source on some totally messed up planet. With an eco-system that's constantly and drastically changing, resulting in nothing but weird plants and animals.

[The Old One]

Yeah, it'll depend on the dose and environmental factors.

I think it would be interesting if it's a modified natural element. That the pure form would be something biological. With a natural source on some totally messed up planet. With an eco-system that's constantly and drastically changing, resulting in nothing but weird plants and animals.

I would prefer if it was more horror-esque, like an ore you might find out in the edge of space on a lifeless moon that harbours the "natural form" of the Pathogen below it's surface. Think the Engineers, or someone in the future finding it by doing something like this;

[Baron Von Marlon]

I would prefer if it was more horror-esque, like an ore you might find out in the edge of space on a lifeless moon that harbours the "natural form" of the Pathogen below it's surface. Think the Engineers, or someone in the future finding it by doing something like this;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qakzt5YEOxM

I like that but it seems to familiar.
I'd like the same but on a planet with nothing but dangerous lifeforms, making it harder to harvest and thus more rare.
Or you could combine the idea. Someone's digging for ore on some lifeless planet and releases the black goo, which creates the weird eco-system.

[The Old One]

I would prefer if it was more horror-esque, like an ore you might find out in the edge of space on a lifeless moon that harbours the "natural form" of the Pathogen below it's surface. Think the Engineers, or someone in the future finding it by doing something like this;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qakzt5YEOxM

I like that but it seems to familiar.
I'd like the same but on a planet with nothing but dangerous lifeforms, making it harder to harvest and thus more rare.
Or you could combine the idea. Someone's digging for ore on some lifeless planet and releases the black goo, which creates the weird eco-system.

Well, it wouldn't be a problem but there's already too much in the Alien Universe now in terms of samples that can be harvested.

LV-223 has christ-knows how many untouched Urns.

Planet 4 has more eggs that weren't used, and in the workshop there's a few more Ampules.

I just don't like the idea of it creating an eco-system on it's own, perhaps it's even inert and beyond our capabilities to harvest.

[Baron Von Marlon]

Well, it wouldn't be a problem but there's already too much in the Alien Universe now in terms of samples that can be harvested.

LV-223 has christ-knows how many untouched Urns.

Planet 4 has more eggs that weren't used, and in the workshop there's a few more Ampules.

I just don't like the idea of it creating an eco-system on it's own, perhaps it's even inert and beyond our capabilities to harvest.

The chances of them going back to LV-223 or Planet 4 to do some proper exploration seems unlikely to me, as much as I'd love to see that

Doesn't have to create an eco-system. Could be part of one. Could be in a hostile environment so it barely or doesn't interact with local lifeforms, like the worms in Prometheus. Or just a couple of small somewhat primitive creatures that go unaffected, like those crabs that live in deep sea volcanos.
The source could even be similar to a regular volcano. Something that only erupts once in x amount of time. And like lava it could influence life but not directly create it.

[Huggs]

A rescue mission going to Lv-223 and finding a giger-world would be fun. Maybe have it be the deacons work. A totally new spin on the place. Heck, maybe it fed on the black goo. Or maybe it encountered the black goo in the chamber and was changed involuntarily. Either way, seeing lv-223 again, but as a giger-style hellscape with a demon running around would be fun.

[Baron Von Marlon]

A rescue mission going to Lv-223 and finding a giger-world would be fun. Maybe have it be the deacons work. A totally new spin on the place. Heck, maybe it fed on the black goo. Or maybe it encountered the black goo in the chamber and was changed involuntarily. Either way, seeing lv-223 again, but as a giger-style hellscape with a demon running around would be fun.

I'd rather see that on another planet. Leaving LV-223 as it is.
How about instead of the natural source another Engineer installation on another planet suffered an accident. But this time they were producing life goo instead of killer goo. Something like the one in the sacrificial cup at the start of Prometheus, but something went wrong. Because of its a different type of installation, the scale is smaller and the facilities can look different.