Quote from: Corporal Hicks on May 17, 2017, 08:04:24 AM
So are we. 
I don't think that's an Alien in the mural but something Alien-like. It does also seems to indicate that the Engineers knew of or revered an Alien-like creature. We see the Deacon at the end of Prometheus so there's some connection to a pre-existing Alien-like creature.
However, according to Alien: Covenant Spoiler
the mutations caused by the black goo are a by-product, not intended and something rare. The Neomorphs, an Alien-like creature, seem to have spawned from mutations caused by the black goo.
The Alien, as it stands, is a result of the refinement David made to the black goo and genetic experimentation, etc.
One recent interview has Scott flat out saying that Spoiler
David made the Alien.
The Engineers on LV223 had a LOT of black goo. I believe the original Juggernaut that crashed was full of it. The Ship Shaw and David left in was full of it, and David told Shaw that there were many ships. It makes sense to me that it probably wasn't uncommon for them to use it on planetary scales. That being the case, the Engineers would certainly have know about it's "rare" side effects.
My original thought was that the Engineers could use the goo with surgical like precision, but now it appears that it's more like a blunt instrument or rolling the dice. Maybe they are trying to recreate an accident and that is what Earth was all about. Seed life with a specific genetic profile (themselves), and then drop goo at a certain point in development in hopes that you get lucky on the result.
Hell, perhaps the Engineers were the accidental mutation created by the original makers of the black goo. I still don't think the Engineers are the it's original creators.
As far as the Derelict on LV426. It's going to be portrayed as a recent event. IMO three scenarios can account for it.
1) Walter leads Engineers to David.
2) There is an Engineer presence wherever the Covenant is headed.
3) There is an abandoned Jugger wherever the Covenant is headed.
I suppose it's also possible that David takes the Covenant back to LV-223 instead of where they were going. In any case, he needs access to an Engineer ship.
