I just saw Alien today, for the first time in ages. The scene where they find the alien space jockey reminded me of the scene in Planet of the Vampires, a wonderfully spooky and atmospheric sci-fi/horror film. The scene where Kane enters the egg chamber also had that atmospheric, and yes, scary mood to it. Like in that film, this one has the dead alien captain/pilot leaving behind a warning message, that is also not understood, resulting in the deaths of the crew. Catch Planet of the Vampires if you can find it. Great film!

I wondered what the message could contain, so wrote my own interpretation of it.

I don't own Alien or any of its characters, just having some fun.

The Warning

Captain Dallas and the crew listened to the message they were intercepting. To them, it sounded just like a bunch of noise. But it had come from the derelict ship on the planet's surface. So who or what created the message? If only they'd been able to translate it in time. But fate has a way of intervening at the worst possible times.

**incoming message..............................from vector four two four..........................repeating at 16 megacycles....................................

This is Sr'Vaul, captain of the Dread Heart. If you can hear and decipher this message, stay away. This place brings only death if you remain. My crew and I set down on a planetoid to make repairs to our ship, when we discovered a small cargo vessel of alien origin. This was not a ship, but rather a holder vessel, made to transport materials. What we found inside would prove to be our undoing. Several of the crew brought back what appeared to be eggs. We didn't think them a danger, so Medical locked them away until we returned home. There they could be better studied. How were we to know that we'd brought death aboard our ship.

Three of my medical staff were infected very quickly. The eggs had released many legged creatures that attached themselves to the crews' faces. We thought them dead, but they were not. The alien things kept them alive, and later died themselves. We did not know that within the bodies of our crew-mates, lay beings, evil and deadly. Born to kill from the moment they exist, the children of these creatures burst from the chests of our hapless friends. From that moment on, there was no peace aboard our ship. One by one, my crew was being killed by these shiny black monsters. If we managed to kill one of them, even in death, they destroyed. The acidic blood of one burned through our navigational panel, and we lost control of the Dread Heart. That is how you come to find us here.

I am the last surviving member of my crew. But that is not to be for long, as I too, am infected, and awaiting death. My sense of duty will not allow me to kill myself. So I wait, I wait for the pain that will come, as this horror bursts forth from my body. I can only thank the Gods of K'lirian that no others are left for them to use. Hopefully, they will die and no longer do harm to anyone.

If you are receiving this message, I can only hope that you will be able to translate this warning in time to get away. Take nothing from this ship, as it will mean death to you as well. Do not land at all, if you value your existence. My fellow space travelers, be warned. This is Captain Sr'Vaul, signing off, for the crew of the Dread Heart.

end of message............................repeating at 16 megacycles.....................

Ripley had studied the cryptic message for over an hour when she discovered only one thing. This was no SOS. It was a warning. She wished she could read what exactly was in the warning message, but she couldn't quite decipher the language. MOTHER, oddly, was of no help. Ash would only shrug his shoulders in that way that annoyed Ripley so easily. She called down to the crew. She tried to tell Kane and the others that the message was not an SOS, but a warning. They wouldn't listen. Damn, they just wouldn't listen.

Unknown to Ripley, Dallas or any of the crew of the Nostromo, the message had already been intercepted and translated. Also unknown to them, they were now deemed expendable resources of the Corporation.