#nostomo

[bjasamuel-blog]

Alien and Cosmic Fear

Alien – (1979) - Dir Ridley Scott

“…children will always be afraid of the dark, and men with minds sensitive to hereditary impulse will always tremble at the thought of the hidden and fathomless worlds of strange life which may pulsate in the gulfs beyond the stars…”  H.P Lovecraft

Alien (1979) is an effective horror film.  Despite its age the film still sends a shiver of fear down the spine of anyone with “a mind sensitive enough to the hereditary fear” at its core. Written by Dan O’Bannon (a self confessed Lovecraft fan) the film communicates a deep-seated fear rarely expressed in film, ‘cosmic fear’.  Lovecraft’s stock in trade was the fear of the enormous scope and breadth of the cosmos and mankind’s insignificance within it. He coined the phrase ‘Cosmicism’ to describe his fiction.  Alien is one of the few films to exploit and successfully express this fear.  

Until Dark Star (1974) and then Alien (1979), Science Fiction protagonists were usually scientists or the ‘brightest and best’, special individuals with the mental strength, agility and training to face the particular stresses of space exploration.  Apollo 11 was only 10 years previous to the release of Alien.  It also makes sense that if we are to explore the vast realms of space that we will require men and women of strength and ability to push the boundaries of human endeavor, to pit their ingenuity and skill against the frontiers of human experience.  

Smartly dressed in colourful uniforms the crew are ready for the challenges of space travel. 

Films such as The Forbidden Planet (1956) and television shows like Star Trek (first broadcast in 1966) express a humanist philosophy where humankind has transcended Earths confines using the power of technology and now explores the cosmos.  Humans travel through space in wondrous ships that move at great speeds, foreshortening the vast spaces that lie between planets.  These men and women overcome any obstacles they face using their rigorous training and by applying scientific method to these obsticles.  This view of space exploration ignores the scale of what faces us in the infinity of space and the precarious nature of our existence in a universe entirely indifferent to our existence.  The fiction of Star Trek does not imagine a real universe of which we are an infinitesimal part, but instead it shows us an extension of the Earth.  Alien races are stand-ins for different races and cultures found on Earth, metaphors for weird cultures and races, intrinsically human despite their outward appearance and moreover they envision a future where humanity is one coherent entity.  This implies that all cultures will move in one direction, towards homogeny, cohered by common goals.  Alien presents a universe very different to that, one in which we remain essentially human despite technological advances.

The crew of The Nostromo shocked and frightened wearing dishevelled clothing.

The Enterprise, large in the frame orbiting a planet.

The Nostromo orbiting the unknown planet. Very small in the frame against the planets.

In Alien, blue-collar workers maintain a haulage ship through the vast depths of space. These people are not the ‘brightest and best’, their ship is dirty, lumbering, industrial and liable to breakdown, two of the crew are mechanics.  They sleep in pods as the ship slowly hauls its payload through the expanse. They are awakened from their sleep believing that they have returned to Earth and to a payday.  They work for a corporate entity simply called ‘The Company’.  

Everything in the film from the production design to the music, to the performances expresses the fear and fragility of their position.  The Nostromo is essentially an industrial factory, dripping with oil and throbbing like a steel foundry (Ridley Scott grew up in Sheffield, a major industrial town).  The scale of the ship dwarfs the crew.  The crew is tasked with travelling to an unknown planet to locate and decipher the meaning of a distress signal that their computer has picked up.  The landing sequence expresses the difficulty and danger involved in landing the ship.  The ship is laborious rather than slick and agile.  Though the ship dwarfs the crew, the planet they must land on dwarfs the ship.  The crew are not trained or equipped to face the challenges ahead, they are frightened and inexperienced and they bicker with one another.  Captain ‘Dallas’ is not up to the task.  This is cosmic fear.  This is man dwarfed by the infinity of space, his technology faulty and inadequate and his relations with others fraught and fissiparous.  

The production design by ‘H R Giger’ is truly bizarre and unfathomable, the planet howls with wind and the surface is littered with strange rock formations releasing gases, everything surrounding the crew is ‘alien’, form and content in perfect alignment.  When the crew stumbles through the alien vista of the planet they bicker and gripe.  Eventually they find the ship where the signal is emanating from.  The derelict spacecraft is a marvel of production design.  The crew explores the craft for an opening.  We see the scale of the derelict ship against the crew.  We have been shown the crew as small against the Nostromo, then the Nostromo as tiny against the alien planet.  We have been given a true sense of scale and now as we enter the ship we are shown the bizarre and unsettling set design and props, dimly lit and almost organic looking.  

As the terrified crew explore the ship they discover what has become known as ‘The Space Jockey’.  The set design is simply stunning, totally alien and utterly baffling.  The ambiguity (later undermined in prequel films) is the films greatest strength.  

We have been given a sense of the scale of space, now ‘the space jockey’ gives us a sense of the scale of time.  ‘The Space Jockey’ has been fossilized in its moment of death.  It’s death occurred so long ago that it perhaps predates human existence.  This element is a truly Lovecraftian idea.  The space jockey was killed by an unknown entity long before the crew of the Nostromo even existed. Much has occurred in the universe without our knowledge or understanding, our characters have no idea what they are looking at and the fear is ratcheted up yet another notch. Cosmic fear.  The moment of ‘The Space Jockey’s’ discovery is the peak moment in the films expression of cosmic fear the ambiguity of its origin and meaning compounds the sense of isolation and insignificance and sets the stage for the horrors of the Alien’s reproductive cycle to be unleashed.  The strange sexual and body horror elements of the next two acts expands on the cosmic fear, expressing the fear internally as well as externally.  Something truly Alien has taken over not only the characters surroundings but also their bodies, taking what it needs and leaving the carcass behind.  Alien explores these concepts through its editing, production design and direction.  Form and content together, eliciting the fear of an infinite and incomprehensible universe.  

The film is the antithesis of the humanist philosophy of Star Trek and the notion that man can transcend the confines of the Earth and transcend himself. Alien shows a universe where man has entered the void but essentially remains human. Alien expresses the profound fear of a universe, indifferent to man’s existence a vast abyss of nothing bridged by hostile planets and life forms more ancient than man and more hostile than our worst fears can imagine.  The film expresses this hostility more profoundly than almost any other film. The only exception might be  2001 : A Space Odyssey.

40 years on audiences still “tremble at the thought of the hidden and fathomless worlds of strange life which may pulsate in the gulfs beyond the stars…”  

[lostcryptids]

I guess I could make a nostomo hat for fairly cheap, all you need to do is get a vintage cap and then get the patches 

[cutemarines]

After some months of travel through space, the Sulaco came back to the same station that had found Ripley years after the incident of the Nostomo. Despite the relief they had felt that they were safe and sound and together, the last survivors of Hadley’s hope are still haunted by what they have lived.

Soooo, here's a short comic I would like to share! I like to imagine that Ripley, Hicks, Newt and Bishop came back on earth together and safe and sound after "Aliens" because Alien 3 broke my heart :’)  So I imagined a scene that would happen after the movie. 

[atamascolily]

Finished Network Effect, the new Murderbot Diaries novel by Martha Wells, and my first thought was, “Wow, that was great, and now I want Murderbot  to hang out with Breq from the Imperial Radch novels so they can be grumpy AIs together”... and A03 did not disappoint.

Unfortunately, I don’t think anyone has written the crossover where the Perihelion’s crew picks up a distress call from the Nostomo and Murderbot fights a Xenomorph while Ripley has to deal with her android-related trauma. And then they all team up to take down the Weyland-Yutani Corporation together, like you do. 

*sigh* *adds it to the list of stuff I’m probably going to have to write myself*

Anyway, Murderbot continues to be  #relatable, because really all it wants to do is hang out with the Asshole Research Transport (ART) and watch holodramas and instead it has to deal with human beings doing stupid shit and having emotions. I thought Network Effect was going to be about Murderbot and Amena’s relationship, but then we pivoted to a very different plot, and one I liked much better. (Don’t get me wrong, the scientists from Preservation are fine, but the Perihelion’s relationship with its crew really grabbed me, and I’m excited by the prospect of seeing more of them in the future.)

Also, I kinda worry about Mensah without Murderbot around, but maybe Three will take over? I love Three. It’s not spelled out at the end of the book, but I kinda just assumed Mensah makes a contract with Three for a bit, just because Mensah seems to be the type to run a home for wayward AIs like that.

[misswarmnights]

The Tickle Aliens

In space, no one can hear you scream...with laughter.

Deep space. Seven crew members. One cat.

At some point during the mission, Mother the computer picked up a distress signal from a unknown source, but something humanoid. The crew jumped into action. There were no moons, planets, or planetoids nearby. So, they switched on all the viewing monitors to see if they could spot anything.

On a monitor, Ellen Ripley watched the goingson outside and soon she saw it on the screen...a crudely-build little shuttle spinning out-of-control through the expanding darkness.

"Captain, I see it."

"There's a spaceman in there," Brett remarked. "And he's in trouble."

Dallas nodded, calling out to Mother. "We need to rescue it and bring the astronaut to safety."

Mother released a net-shaped force-field from a special section of the ship and caught the runaway shuttle inside. This held the vessel safely in place.

"Bring him aboard, Mother."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Ripley asked, always a cautious one.

The male officers ignored her and went about their business. The doors opened and the visitor was brought inside.

Lambert joined the rest on the deck, and tried to get a glimpse of the rescued spaceman. But her male colleagues crowded around him and blocked her view.

"Who is he? What is he?" Lambert asked.

"It's a little green man," Parker told her.

"Don't give us that crap," Ripley retorted.

"No, really. I'm serious, we got a little green guy here." Parker stepped aside so the two women could see the tiny visitor.

The person stood just barely four feet tall, with skinny limbs and very long fingers. His spacesuit glistened with silver and his oversized helmet seemed to weigh down his slight body, a green face visible through the dark glass.

"I can't believe it...," Lambert breathed.

"We just saved an alien life form, you can believe it," Ash said, folding his arms.

"And what a cute little fellow," Kane quipped.

"Right," Brett mumbled.

"Who the heck are you?" Parker asked, bending lower to see the creature's face better.

The small humanoid stood motionless for a second, probably still reeling from his wild ride on the shuttle. The little guy needed a moment to get used to his new surroundings, not to mention those seven curious strangers looming over him.

Dallas got down on his knees to be at eye level with the alien, to help him feel more relaxed. "You're aboard the Nostomo. Nobody is going to hurt you. Can you speak? Have you got a name?"

The little alien reached up to unfasten his bulky helmet. Then, the helmet slid off and revealed his narrow, shiny, green head. The creature's facial features were very human-like. A yellow tongue strayed from his mouth and licked his dry, cracked lips.

"I apologize, my friends, for I must have misplaced my manners," said the green alien. "I thank you exceptionally well for rescuing me from such peril. I am unsure what went wrong, but I lost control of my vessel. I cannot imagine where I would be now if you kind souls had not saved me. My name is Garg A. Lesis. My home is Erutrot-Elkcit; that is a planet somewhat far from here. I am pleased and charmed to be your guest in this delightful Nostomo."

The crew couldn't believe their eyes and ears.

The alien spoke perfect English. He had a quirky voice and a friendly little smile.

"I must find a way to repay you lovely persons for rescuing me. We can start with breakfast. I will treat you to these doughnuts."

With that, the alien slid his boney hand into a pocket and, somehow, produced a white rectangular box.

"These doughnuts are from my very own private stock and there is none better in the galaxy. I realize this is not nearly enough to repay your great kindness but it is the very least I can do. Once you have finished breakfast, I will have found more ways to repay you. If there is one thing I pride myself on, that is showing the utmost gratitude."

Kane smirked in amusement. "Talkative little sucker, isn't he?"

Ripley wasn't buying any of this. She marched over to the alien and kicked the box out of his hands as if it were a rifle. The doughnuts scattered on the floor.

"I hate doughnuts! And if you think we're eating anything from you, then you're out of your puny green skull," Ripley said, after disarming the little man of his doughnuts.

The alien picked up all the pastries off the floor and refilled the box. "Madam, I wish you no harm. All I wish is to show my gratitude."

"Let's give him a chance, Ripley," Dallas said. "He seems harmless enough."

"What did you say your name was?" Lambert asked, timidly.

"I am Garg A. Lesis from Erutrot-Elkcit, a distance green and pink planet. It's such a lovely place to live, you should all visit there. That would be most charming. My species is known as Erutrotians. My friends call me...Spin."

"Why do they call you that?"

"Because I cannot fly a shuttle without whirling and twirling and spinning," answered the alien, merrily.

When all the doughnuts had been collected from the floor, Kane took the box and thanked him properly.

"Well, Spin...We accept your gracious offer of these delightful, slightly dirty doughnuts and we hope you will join us so we can enjoy your charming presence at our table," he said, mocking the alien's style of talking.

Spin was apparently blind to this joking around, and so he just smiled and accepted the invitation. "Why, it would be my pleasure to grace you with my charming presence while you enjoy breakfast!"

Everyone found this humorous, except for Ellen Ripley.

"Dallas, I have a bad feeling about this," she warned him, when the alien was out of ear-shot.

The bearded man assured her everything would be fine. "I wouldn't let him remain on Nostomo if I thought he posed a threat. The safety of my crew means everything to me, Ripley. You know that."

Ripley sighed. "I just...have a bad feeling about this guy, ya know?"

"He'll join us for breakfast, we'll eat his doughnuts, then we'll find a way to send him home. Okay?"

Ripley still wasn't thrilled with the whole idea, but she nodded in consent.

Soon everyone gathered around the table for breakfast. They munched on the doughnuts and drank hot coffee. Ripley, however, slipped away while the others were eating so she could do some research. She did a search for 'Erutrotians' on her computer.

A hazy picture of a planet showed up on the monitor, along with a picture of their suspicious guest. There was a list of facts and information available.

Ripley read quietly to herself:

"Erutrotians are a civilized race of alien from the planet Erutrot-Elkcit; they are fluent in over fifty languages and exhibit human-like characteristics. Erutrotians are religiously well-mannered and tend to be overly grateful when someone does them a favor. This race is mostly harmless and peaceful, if treated respectfully. While he may seem eccentric, the Erutrotian has been known to befriend other species, including humans. If you are visited by a Erutrotian and wish him to leave, he will do so. However, there is something you must be cautious of when dealing with a Erutrotian. They love to tickle, and they are devious, relentless ticklers. If you happen to be ticklish, then you must be very careful not to let the Erutrotian discover this. Or else, he will stay for weeks and months and perhaps even longer. Do not let him find out about your ticklishness for your own safety."        

When Ripley finished reading, she breathed a sigh of relief. That's the worst he can do? Tickle? she thought, amused. She wasn't worried because she wasn't ticklish at all.

Meanwhile at the breakfast table, the crew continued eating the doughnuts. Even though there was only one box, the supply seemed endless. The doughnuts were baked perfectly, soft and moist on the inside, coated with sweet glaze. Each pastry oozed with a different kind of fruit jelly or cream.

"How did you make these out here in space?" Lambert asked, losing count of how many she had eaten.

Spin smiled. "All of the ingredients are from my home planet, Ms. Lambert."

Ripley entered the room, looking in disgust at her companions as they made pigs of themselves.

"Hello there, Ripley. Have a seat," Kane said.

"You can sit next to Spin there," Parker said, pointing to the empty place beside the alien.

"I don't wanna sit next to Spin," Ripley mumbled, but then remembered she had to be polite. "Oh. Oh, yes...I would love to sit next to Mr. Spin."

"Would you like a doughnut, Ripley?" Dallas asked. "There's plenty left."

"I told you guys, I don't like doughnuts. They're too sweet."

Then, Ripley remembered again to be as polite as possible. "Oh, alright...maybe just one."

With that, she picked up a doughnut and took a small bite. She winced as the sweet blackberry jelly gushed into her mouth.

"I am immensely pleased that you gracious people are enjoying the doughnuts I have prepared with my own little hands," Spin quipped.

"You're a pretty damn good cook," Brett commented.

"I never knew aliens cooked," Lambert said.

"You would be surprised at all the marvelous things we can do," Spin explained. "You refer to me as an alien, but keep in mind, aliens are people too."

"The little green guy has a point," Parker said.

"Right, he does," Brett added.

Ripley set down the remainder of her doughnut and drank some bitter coffee to wash away the sugary sweetness from her mouth.

"What's it like on Erutrot...Elkcit?" Lambert asked slowly to pronounce the name correctly.

"Oh, it is the most delightful planet to live on. No crimes, no cruelty, only delightful people like myself so there is no need for weapons or cages. Of course, being such a peaceful world there is always time for play."

"Do you have a hobby?" Ripley asked quietly, not wanting to seem rude by avoiding the conversation.

"Oh, yes indeed," Spin replied cheekily. "I have many hobbies: meditation, dancing, singing, baking, whistling, drawing, embroidery, star-gazing, wrestling, reading, hiking, calligraphy, tickling...to name just a few."

"Did you say 'tickling'?" Lambert asked, confused. "That's not a hobby."

Spin chuckled a bit. "My people very much enjoy tickling. Unfortunately, many of the humans we have encountered were not sensitive to the tickle sensation. Our attempts to tickle these people were unsuccessful. Quite odd, don't you think?"

"It would have worked on me," Kane said, with a sheepish smile.

Spin looked at him. "What do you mean, Mr. Kane?"

"I'm very ticklish on my feet," Kane admitted.

"Really? Me too!" Dallas said, grinning.

Ripley's eyes filled with terror. "You guys...shut up."

Spin gazed at the human crew with an odd little smile on his face. He casually picked up a cup of coffee and took a very long sip. Ripley glared at her colleagues and shook her head as a way to warn them but the guys didn't get it.

"Such a splendid breakfast," Spin sighed happily, patting his small mouth with a napkin. He then slid down from his chair and yawned, stretching his boney arms high over his head. "Good Heavens, I suddenly feel so tired..."

"Must have been that rough tumble you took out there, little guy," Dallas told him, "You should get some sleep. Ripley, you show him where he can rest."

Ripley rolled her eyes, pushing herself off the chair and taking hold of the green alien's little hand. "Come with me," she mumbled, yanking on the alien as she walked briskly down the corridors. She led him into a closet several yards away from the chamber where she and the crew slept. "You can stay in here, where you'll hopefully be far enough away from my crew…so you won't be disturbed if anyone snores." She added that last part to avoid sounding rude.

"I thank you for your generous hospitality, Ms. Ripley. May I also have a pillow and blanket?"

"Yes." Ripley went and brought him everything he needed and then watched as Spin prepared a little bed for himself inside the closet. He made himself very comfortable. Surprisingly, the closet space was just big enough for a cozy bedroom for the four-foot-tall humanoid. So Ripley left him there, leaving the door open.

Nobody heard anything from Spin the rest of the day. The green man just slept and slept until finally, it was bedtime for the crew as well.

Everybody ate dinner, brushed their teeth, and went about their usual nighty-time routine. They removed their uniforms, leaving themselves in nothing but white underclothes and bare feet. Ripley was very concerned about dozing off with a strange alien on their ship…especially since she knew exactly what Spin's intentions were. Since Kane and Dallas had foolishly admitted their little weaknesses…she knew something was going to happen. So, she told everyone exactly what she had learned and what Spin intended to do with them.

"Ripley, are you positive about this?" Dallas asked.

"I know it sounds bizarre but you heard Spin say it himself…he loves to tickle people."

"This is a very serious thing, Ripley," Lambert scolded.

"Why didn't you tell us sooner?" Parker inquired.

"Because I didn't know any of you morons were going to blurt out that you're ticklish! That's why!" Ripley barked, glaring at Kane who looked down at the floor in shame.

"Well, what do you think we should do now?" Ash asked, calmly pushing a stick of chewing gum into his mouth.

"There are seven of us and only one of him," Dallas spoke, pacing nervously in front of his crew but trying to sound confident. "Plus he's a small guy…no way he could overpower any of us."

"Right," Brett responded.

"Got a good point there, Captain," Ash complimented him. "Now I say we all just forget about our jolly green midget and get some shut-eye."

Thump!

Everybody froze.

Thump thump!

"What was that?" Ripley asked, wide-eyed.

Thump thump thump!

Lambert gasped, throwing a hand against her mouth. "What the hell is that?!" she shouted in fear.

Whoosh! The door slid wide open and Spin poked his head into the room, smiling. The crew stared at him. "We have company," said the alien, "Some dear friends of mine decided to stop by for a visit."

"Um…what?" Parker said in shock.

Suddenly, another little green head popped into the room. Then came a third one…and then a fourth. Lots of green people who resembled Spin marched into the room single file, until the room was flooded with about thirty of the diminutive humanoids.

"I hope you don't mind, I invited them over to meet the heroes who rescued me from that perilous situation," Spin explained to the baffled crew.

"No, no parties…not on my ship," Dallas was having none of it. "Spin, this has gone far enough. I want you…all of you...to leave before things get out of hand."

"No thank you, Captain Dallas," Spin replied, as if being ordered to leave was merely a friendly offer. "My people have journeyed here to enjoy the spoils of human vulnerabilities." An eerie smile crossed Spin's face at that point.

"W-what do you mean?" Lambert asked in a frightened tone.

All of the Erutrotians started smiling like mad. They could tell these people knew…

"It is time for a joyous and marvelous time, my dear people!" Spin announced with glee.

And so it began.

"Get the captain first."

Spin's people attacked Dallas and went for his exposed feet.

"No, don't," Lambert protested, shielding her eyes in horror.

Dallas howled with laughter when his bare feet got tickled. He doubled over and fell to the floor, at which point five aliens jumped on top of him. They pinned his legs to the floor so he wouldn't kick and so they could tickle him easier. Spin scratched all over the soles of his feet and was overjoyed by the man's beautiful reaction!

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! STOP! PLEASE STOP!" Dallas laughed, writhing around and trying in vain to get away.

Spin laughed merrily. "My, what is so funny, Captain Dallas? Do tell me what amuses you so!"

"IT TICKLES! TIHIHICKLES!" Dallas screamed, tears forming in the corner of his eyes. Spin laughed happily and continued tickling both his feet, never giving the poor captain a break.

"No, no, no! Not the feet!" Kane pleaded as they surrounded him also, about to give him the same treatment. One of the green people tripped him over backwards, causing Kane to fall right on his butt. Three aliens rushed over and began tickling his exposed soles. Kane exploded with laughter and threw his head back.

Lambert covered her ears. Everyone else watched the scene in shock.

"OH SHIT! Don't tickle me…NO! STOP! HEEHEHEHEHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Kane shrieked, his face already turning red from laughter.

Spin wanted a crack at Kane too, so he lifted Kane's undershirt and poked his index finger right into Kane's bellybutton. As if having his feet tickled by three other aliens wasn't bad enough, now Spin's long-nailed finger was tickling in his bellybutton! This drove the man even wilder than before. His stomach quivered and tears started glistening his eyes. His arms would have lashed out to push away the ticklers had they not been restraining him so well. The Erutrotians worked very well as a team.

"Good Heavens!" Spin exclaimed with a huge grin. "Two human males who are both very, very ticklish! This is our lucky day, my people."

Ash leaned against the wall, calmly chewing his gum as he witnessed the chaos. Lambert sank to her knees in a corner, shielding her eyes from it all.

Kane and Dallas squealed like a couple of little girls when the aliens tickled between all their toes. The two men arched their backs and laughed so hard that they started to convulse. Tears of mirth streamed down their red faces. They writhed around, their legs and ankles reddening as they struggled to pull their feet away from the horrible tickling. Spin's team was too powerful however…there would be no escaping and no relief for their poor bare feet.

"Hey, stop it! That's enough!" Parker said, taking pity on his friends. He stormed over to confront the aliens.

The green people ignored him. Parker whirled around when he heard a scream of terror from Lambert – she was being chased around by a single alien, grabbing and poking at her sides. Parker abandoned the other two men and rushed to Lambert's aid.

"Hey, quit it! Stay away from her!" he yelled, but an alien tripped him before he could reach her. Parker screamed out as he flipped through the air and landed on his head…ending up sprawled out on the floor, unconscious.

"NO!" Lambert shouted.

Spin placed a pillow under Parker's head. "He will be perfectly fine, do not worry…but he will wake up with a bump on his head."

"This CAN'T be happening!" Lambert cried.

"Don't give up," Ripley told her, "We'll find a way to stop this."

Brett gasped when he noticed what had happened to his buddy Parker. He ran over and knelt beside the unconscious man. "What the shit happened to him?"

"It is nothing to be concerned about, Mr. Brett," Spin said, in his usual polite tone. "He simply tripped and fell down, but it was not our fault and I can assure you, I did not intend for him to get hurt."

"He'll sleep it off," Ash added, in his icy cool demeanor.

The little green boss stayed right next to Brett. The engineering technician didn't move away or say anything. He just took a drag of his cigarette while staring down at the alien with his dark brown eyes. Spin continued to gaze at him and started doing his odd little smile again.

"You don't scare me," Brett scoffed. "I'm not ticklish."

Spin's smile faded. "Aww, I am truly sorry to hear that, Mr. Brett."

Another Erutrotian crept up behind Brett and jumped onto his back. The alien attempted to straddle him, tickling his stomach in the process. Brett yelped, nearly jumping out of his skin! The cigarette flew from his mouth as he erupted in a fit of giggles.

Spin laughed. "Well, my word! It seems we have a tickly tummy, don't we, Mr. Brett?" With that, Spin started tickling his stomach as well.

Brett sank down to his knees, hugging himself in defense as they continued tickling. He tried to control himself but he couldn't stop giggling. "Okay! Ohohohakay! I lied! Heyehehehehehe! I admit it! I'm ticklish!"

Four more green people rushed over to help. They straddled Brett and forced him down flat on his stomach. His arms were pulled forcibly behind his back so he couldn't defend himself while all those long green fingers attacked his torso from all angles. They yanked his shirt all the way up and ruthlessly dug their fingers into his sides, stomach, and armpits.

"Aaaahahahahaha! Hehehehey! CUT IT OUT! Parker…PARKER! Help meeee!" Brett called out for Parker to save him, somehow forgetting that Parker had recently been knocked out cold.

Those alien hands moved to his ribcage, scratching and digging gently between each of his ribs. Spin tickled Brett's neck with both hands.

Brett let out a shrill girlish scream as he burst into louder, more hysterical laughter.

"GYAHAHAHAHAHA! DAMN YOU! HEEHEHEHEHEHEE! STOP TICKLING ME!" Brett screeched, his face pressed against the cold floor as he laughed. With his hands pinned behind his back, he could not protect himself or get up. His legs were free so he could kick but that didn't help him.

Spin's people were experts on finding the most ticklish spot on a person's body. Then they focused mainly on that particular spot. Kane and Dallas were most ticklish on the soles of their feet. For Brett, it was his ribs and neck.

"HOHOHOHOHOO! AAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I CAN'T STAND IT!" Kane shrieked, tears of laughter pouring down his face. His usually pale white skin had turned the most beet-like shade of red.

"S-SOMEBODY HELP US! HAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! PLEEEEASE!" Dallas screamed, tears and sweat soaking his entire face and beard.

Ripley knew she HAD to do something. She had to find a way to end this mess and get rid of those little bastards. Ripley then fled the room, sealing the door shut behind her to keep the Erutrotians contained in one place. It's not like any of her friends were going to be escaping anyway…

Lambert stood frozen in the corner. Her huge blue eyes rimmed red with tears as she fearfully awaited her turn.

Ash had disappeared from the room.

Ripley sprinted through the corridors, black hair bouncing as she ran. The screaming laughter and pleas for mercy from the male crew echoed throughout the ship, following her like a curse as she continued running.

Suddenly, Ripley heard feminine laughter. The aliens had started their tickling assault on Lambert. She was crying out things like 'STOP IT' and 'NOT THERE'. Wherever they were tickling her, it was obviously a pretty bad spot.

As Ripley turned a corner, she slammed right into Ash. "Oh!" she gasped, stumbling over backwards and falling on her butt.

"Ash!"

"Where are you going?" he inquired.

"What do you mean 'where am I going'?" Ripley said, standing up and staring at him in shock. "I'm going to find a way to get those green-assed bitches off the Nostromo. By the way, how did you escape from them?"

"There is no possible way for a ticklish person to escape the Erutrotians, but if you aren't ticklish then they won't bother keeping you around."

"So how did you manage to get away?" she asked.

Ash shrugged. "Not ticklish."

Ripley inwardly kicked herself for asking a stupid question. "Okay, but how are we going to save the others?" she asked hopefully, assuming Ash would have some valuable ideas or even a plan.

"Ripley, I honestly don't get what the big deal is," he complained.

"What?" Ripley said in surprise. "Ash, don't you realize what's going on back there?" She pointed her thumb at the direction she came from.

"They're only being tickled," Ash said, folding his arms. "What's the worst that could happen? They'll piss themselves."

"It's more than that!" Ripley shouted in fury. "I researched these guys and they can stay around for months or longer. Ash, for God's sake…we can't let these things live here as long as they want and tickle everyone to death. It will screw up everything we're working towards on this mission."

Ash stared at her coldly with his arms still firmly folded. "So…what do you suggest?"

Ripley bit her lower lip as she looked back at him, unsettled by how calm and uncaring he seemed about the whole thing. "I…I guess find more information about the Erutrotians…find out what their weaknesses are. We'll use weapons if we need to!"

"Don't make them angry, Ripley," Ash sighed, waving her off as he turned to walk away.

Just as Ripley was about to yell something insulting at him, Ash looked over his shoulder to tell her one last thing…

"Just be glad these alien life forms are enjoying themselves. Imagine the damage they might cause if they weren't having fun." He smirked just slightly.

Ripley soon found herself alone – with only her thoughts and the endless wails of ticklish agony pouring through the walls. There had to be a way to get rid of Spin and his tribe. She racked her brains, mind racing back to the facts on Erutrotians she had read earlier.

Then a thought occurred to her.

"Of course," Ripley said, aloud. "That's it…

Ripley went straight to the tiny kitchen where she had thrown away her partially eaten doughnut into the wastebasket, when Spin was not looking. She picked up the doughnut with repulsion, holding it away from her as if it were a dirty diaper. The bitten pastry dripped dark blackberry goop as Ripley carried it away.

She walked right back towards the room where the Erutrotians were tickle torturing her friends. She had an idea.

Meow.    

Ripley heard a faint mewing. She stopped dead in her tracks, distracted by the sight of a little cat's face peeping out from behind a crate.

"Hey, Jonesy," Ripley said, smiling as she spoke to the cat. "Hey, kitty kitty…what are you doing over here, huh? You trying to get away from all that noise?" She was referring to the laughter and shrieks of her crew.

"Meow," Jonesy replied.

Ripley scooped up Jonesy and snuggled him for a moment. The cat stared at the jelly doughnut in Ripley's hand, but she held it away from his stretching paw.

"Nah, you don't want this slop," Ripley said, resting her cheek against Jonesy's soft head. "Be a good cat, okay? I have to do something."

And with that, Ripley released Jonesy onto the floor and resumed her mission to defeat the aliens.

By the time Ripley returned to the alien room, the laughter had died down and then stopped completely. She entered the room with caution and observed the scene.

The victims had all fainted from the horrible tickling they had suffered. Dallas, Kane, Brett, and Lambert had all passed out. They were scattered around the floor, flushed and soaked with sweat. Tear-stained faces and puffy red eyes on everyone. An unpleasant odor in the air proved that they had all wet their pants.

The Erutrotians were sitting by their victims, making pleasant conversation with each other as they waited patiently for the crew to wake up. Ripley wanted so badly to beat them all up with her bare hands.

Then Parker, who had suffered nothing more than a blow to the head, started groaning and moving around. He sat upright, rubbing his forehead and squinting until he could see clearly. That's when he figured out what had happened.

"HEY!"

"Parker, shut it," Ripley snapped. "Let me handle this."

Ripley raised the doughnut to her mouth and chomped into the sugary sweetness. She did her best not to shudder.

"Mmmmm...Yum...best thing I ever tasted...this tasty doughnut...baked by our good friend Spin!" Ripley yelled out, pretending to enjoy the gooey treat that she actually loathed. She took huge bites and let the blackberry jelly roll down her chin.

"Why, Miss Ripley, I did not realize you were so fond of my lovely doughnuts," Spin said cheerily, completely buying her act.

"I sure wish I could bake this good," Ripley sighed wistfully.

"Did you say 'baking'?" they asked.

This topic greatly piqued their interest...exactly what Ripley was hoping for.

Baking.

That was one of Spin's other "hobbies" that Ripley recalled from earlier when he rattled off his list. If she could get Spin's tribe interested in something other than tickling, then she could save the ship.

"Baking, yes!" Ripley exclaimed, "Did I mention how much I love baking? I would love to bake some more of these scrumptious doughnuts! Who wants to help me?"

"It would be a privilege to assist you, Miss Ripley," Spin said cheerily.

His people were equally as enthusiastic...

"What an absolute joy that would be!"

"We will have a simply marvelous time in the kitchen with you, Madam!"

"Baked goods are our specialty!"

"And most certainly one of our favorite activities!"

Now it was Ripley's turn to give an eerie little smile as the Erutrotians followed her to the kitchen like rats for the Pied Piper.

For the next hour, dozens of the green baking-experts took turns in the small kitchen area. They produced hundreds of perfect doughnuts from minimal ingredients, and with startling ease.

Ripley's scheme was to use baking as a distraction from the tickling. Since tickling was the one thing that made them go wild, what they needed was to get interested in a different activity. Ripley figured if they returned to their pish posh politeness, she could get them off Nostromo.

The aliens baked doughnuts to their green heart's content. They even shared their secret recipe with Ripley and taught her how to prepare a proper pastry. Ripley went along with everything in the most cheerful and positive attitude she could muster.

"Thanks for everything, Mr. Spin," she said, when the kitchen fun came to a close. "My crew and I are really glad you could visit our humble Nostromo, but it's getting late. So...would you mind leaving now?" If you are visited by a Erutrotian and wish him to leave, he will do so, Ripley remembered that sentence.

"It has been an endless joy this time spent with you, my splendid rescuers. I was just tickled to be here," Spin told Ripley, wrapping his small hands briefly around her hand. "My people and I will leave now, as you wish. We bid you farewell and a safe journey home."

"Thanks, you too."

Spin smiled at his tribe and beckoned for them to come. "We must be leaving now…our home Erutrot-Elkcit is waiting for us."

Then the green-skinned humanoids known as Erutrotians took off through the blackness of outer space in their sleek golden ships. The shiny vessels glided away in streaks of silver glow until they finally disappeared in the distance.

Ripley raced back to check on her crew mates. They would be fine, just exhausted and maybe a little embarrassed…but they would live. A slight smile of satisfaction came to her face. She actually outsmarted the aliens and saved the day. No more aliens aboard the Nostromo now and that's just how she liked it. Their troubles were over.

Or so she hoped.

The End

[nervespike]

“Aboard the Nostomo” by Deimos-Remus

[sithfire30]

Ash - figure variant - sculpt in progress. Alien 79 - 1:18 scale. #alien #ash #robot #milk #nostomo

[eyebolt-proxy]

Because the alien entity adopts some of the characteristics of its birth-host, no one has ever encountered the alien in its true form. And I fucking love that. 

[artandcetera]

Nostomo by *eatfun

[sithfire30]

Image from last year I believe - #tbt with me posing behind the early build of the Nostromo bridge diorama. Some progress has been made since then. Some of you have never seen me before so I hope I haven't frightened you 😅#nostomo #scratchbuilding

[sithfire30]

Getting there - a little more to go and I can begin adding tighter details to these panel walls for the Nostromo - ALIEN 79 - 1:18 scale. Sculpting the tubing with Aves FIXIT sculpt and tracing the pattern- a little rough looking at the moment but that will be fixed once it's all in place. Slow moving but worth the effort. #alien #nostomo #corridor #diorama #setbuilding #avesfixitsculpt