ALIEN: The Weyland-Yutani Report (S.D. Perry, 160 pages)

[Local Trouble]

Granted, but the company's interest indicates that whatever minerals it contains are potentially valuable enough to warrant their investment.

As I suggested before: maybe the anomalous gravity was enough to get their attention and they simply took a minor gamble by co-financing the colony.

[SM]

Possibly.  But they're investing in colonies all over the place, and maybe the anomalous gravity isn't really that anomalous.

[Valaquen]

Maybe Hadley isn't a terribly big investment in the grand scheme of things.

I agree. It being described as a "shake n' bake" implies that it's easily manufactured, probably cheap and easy to replicate.

[windebieste]

Maybe Hadley isn't a terribly big investment in the grand scheme of things.

There's ample evidence to support this. After operating for 20 years, the population of the Hadley's Hope colony should be in the 1000's.  If it only takes 17 days to get there, then ship after ship of colonists should be arriving to make the world a habitable place if Weyland Yutani were committed to it as a major concern. 

One settlement is all that's there, supporting less than 200 people during a 2 decade time span.  So, no.  WY's investment in the colony is minimal at best.

-Windebieste.

[SM]

It's a little more than 17 days travel, but not much more.  And there's around 75 stars closer to Sol than Z2R, any number of which could have more lucrative opportunities.

[Local Trouble]

Possibly.  But they're investing in colonies all over the place, and maybe the anomalous gravity isn't really that anomalous.

The other colonies don't need to have anomalous gravity in order to have profit potential.  LV-426 just happens to be one that does.

[windebieste]

I'm guessing WY sets up these small colonies with minimal investment on the premise that if the colony is capable of self sustaining, they'll invest further into the Project.  HH was a borderline case.  Up until the time of 'ALIENS' it was a largely self sustaining entity but other than that had delivered nothing substantial in return - it waws neither a faillure nor a rewarding venture.  The world itself was being successfully terraformed but had so far not yielded any resources of any financial merit.  WY were unaware of the derelict and its cargo until Ripley's arrival at Gateway.  The colony certainly hadn't been set up to 'rediscover' it. 

So WY kept the minimal amount of investment in the colony ticking over in the hope that one day, the fully transformed world would one day deliver a justification for further investment.  It had been kept ticking over with minimal interest on the company's part in its slow development until it proved to be financially viable to invest further - or not. 

Get the world ready for mass colonisation first, it was probably at least another decade away from being a meteorological stable enough environment to support a larger population.

Maybe the resource WY were pouring into it was time - not money.

-Windebieste.

[Local Trouble]

Maybe the resource WY were pouring into it was time - not money.

You're overcomplicating it.  The film told us that the company invested money in the colony in the form of at least one expensive atmosphere processor.

[SM]

It's a long term investment. When it's been successfully terraformed - you effectively own a planet(oid).

[windebieste]

Maybe the resource WY were pouring into it was time - not money.

You're overcomplicating it.  The film told us that the company invested money in the colony in the form of at least one expensive atmosphere processor.

You're oversimplifying it.  There's nothing uncomplicated about making another planet fit for human habitation.  Money isn't the only resource needed, either.    

Van Leuwen commented that it takes decades to set up.  The terraforming was only partially complete when the marines arrive and Acheron is still dependent upon the AP.  Wait a few more decades until the planet possesses a self sustaining atmosphere - you need an ocean and plants for that.  There's no sign of such at present, apart from a lot of rain.  These are all essential and need to be part of the next stage of planetary transformation.

An atmosphere processor just isn't enough to make a planet habitable.  Sure, it's essential to kickstart the process, but it's only the start of a very complicated process.  It doesn't even take into account how viable the soil is for growing plants and self sustaining agriculture.  That will have to be addressed, too.  A giant fancy hi tech tower won't fix that.   Go watch 'The Martian' and see what it takes to make soil.  Now apply that principal to a planetary scale. 

Like I said, there's nothing simple about terraforming.   It's a massive engineering task beyond anything we are capable of today.  I think it's demonstrated well in 'AlIENS' with the partially altered world that is LV-426. 

It's a long term investment. When it's been successfully terraformed - you effectively own a planet(oid).

The shareholders will be pleased!

-Windebieste.

[Local Trouble]

It's a long term investment. When it's been successfully terraformed - you effectively own a planet(oid).

But why would they want to own that planetoid?  You've said yourself countless times that the company co-financed it against mineral rights.  Okay, so what minerals would make it worth their investment?

And since when does the company own it?  I always figured it was US territory and governed by the ECA.

You're oversimplifying it.  There's nothing uncomplicated about making another planet fit for human habitation.  Money isn't the only resource needed, either.    

From what I understand, the ECA gets the colony and the company gets the mineral rights.  I never said that terraforming was simple so I don't understand why you're going on and on about that.

[SM]

'Effectively'.

There has to be something there worth mining, otherwise they wouldn't bother.

[Local Trouble]

I think that's as close to an agreement as we're going to get.

On a related note, was it ever established what kind of mineral ore the Nostromo was hauling all the way from Thedus?

[HuDaFuK]

But why would they want to own that planetoid?

Maybe it's on or near a major trade route and will make a lucrative pit-stop once it's up and running.

[Corporal Hicks]

With Sevastapol failing, there could be an opening or it might be a foolish venture considering that Sevestapol wasn't doing well.

I think River of Pain puts across that W-Y's interest in the colony comes from their knowledge of the Derelict's signal.