Android-Synthetics: The Invisible Villains And Heroes Of The ALIEN World - Photo credit: alien-covenant, edition by Amber255 via bitLanders
Thanks to the film Alien: Covenant, the main character of almost the entire Alien's universe, became an android. Android means a synthetic and artificial person. And now Ridley Scott threatens that in future films, he will go deeper into the topic of artificial intelligence!
In addition to synthetics, the Weyland company (androids creation company from the Alien's franchise) created equipment for the terraforming of other planets and hypersensual capsules, which allowed them to fly to these planets. When the superluminal interstellar flights started, the company actually received a monopoly on space exploration. And the command of each of its ship necessarily included the synthetic android.
Somehow it looked a good idea. While the team was in hyper dreams capsules, the synthetic android monitored the course and made minor repairs. Android does not need food or sleep; it is an ideal person on duty, that does not need to waste resources. It is attentive, performing, and gets along with technology better than any person.
But besides the obvious reasons, there were also hidden ones. The company considered one of its main missions to search for extraterrestrial life forms. And in this case, the synthetics had the necessary action protocols.
Let's talk about what are these humanlike robots, how the most famous representatives of them think and act?
All the Androids of the Alien Franchise - Video credit: youtube
Androids Creation By Alien Franchise
Peter Weiland created the first prototype of android synthetics on January 7, 2025. On its basis, all other androids were created later. But only in 2068, within the David series, synthetics appeared, ideally similar to humans. This similarity is the result of psychological tests that showed that people interact poorly with non-anthropomorphic androids.
Androids in the world of Aliens were ideal companions and helpers. However, something went wrong, and some defenders were able to act to the detriment of people.
It is difficult to identify synthetic. As practice shows, they can successfully pretend to be people, perform supposedly impulsive acts, show the range of emotions, and show sympathy. And still, androids are able to reflex, delve into themselves, analyze their own emotions (if they exist) and thought processes.
The easiest way to distinguish an android from a person is to injure him. Not blood will flow to outside but yellowish-whitish liquid. Also, Android is easy distinguished by its vitality and very fast regeneration.
Alien's android synthetics - Photo credit: m.blog.naver
If you pierce his eye, he will recover in ten seconds, and if you tear off the hand, it will grow within a couple of days. Even torn in half, an android can function, think and make feats, although it can no longer regenerate from such a state.
With the three laws of robotics from Asimov’s books, synthetics serving Weyland Industries (later Weyland-Yutani) are not friendly and are quite capable of causing harm to humans.
Although it would seem, the main mission of androids is to help people, they easily forget it for the sake of the interests of science (or corporations). Still, the most it depends on what kind of synthetic model will have to choose between human life and an interesting experiment.
Alien's Android-Synthetics - Photo credit: m.blog.naver
Android Ash
"We will act by the protocol"
Android Ash (performed by ) appears in the movie Alien. In the original Dan O’Bannon's scenario, there were no androids. Producers Guiller and Hill added to the crew android Ash.
Ash was a synthetic of the serial production by company Hyperdine Systems. The company appointed android as a researcher at the cargo spacecraft Nostromo before its last flight. The crew of the ship had no idea that Ash wasn’t human, and didn’t even seem to ask for its full name.
At first glance, Ash gives the impression of a calm person who always acts rationally, never leaves the rules, never loses his self-control. But when the situation becomes critical, Ash begins to make mistakes that allow the Alien to survive, and people to die. The fact is that when extraterrestrial life is detected, Ash begins to act according to a secret protocol.
By the protocol, the synthetic must necessarily explore a new form of life and deliver the samples to Earth. For this, you can change the course of the ship, put human life at risk. And also to drag infected people on board, save the Alien from destruction and try to kill colleagues. For the sake of science!
Android Ash - Photo credit: twitter
True, there is a version that the synthetics of that model simply have an unstable psyche, and it is an error in the electronic brains that made Ash an unpleasant companion for the crew of the Nostromo. At least, that’s how the company employees made excuses when Ripley told about Ash. And these synthetics are extremely tenacious. Even if android Ash has torn off his head, the body continues to attack the enemy without seeing him.
Android Bishop
"Trust me"
Android Bishop (performed by Lance Henriksen) appears in the films Aliens and Alien 3. Initially, James Cameron was going to make a reference to the Terminator and name the company that created Bishop, Cyberdyne Systems.
Bishop is a synthetic manufactured by Hyperdyne Systems for the colonial marines. It performs the duties of a technical specialist on the ship Sulako. Since Bishop does not serve as Weyland-Yutani, it, unlike Ash, adheres to the laws of robotics.
He does not like the word synthetic, prefers to be called an artificial man. Bishop is painfully worried about the fact that people do not trust the androids and is trying to prove that he is worthy of trust. He a few times has saved Ripley and other people in critical situations. Bishop, like most synthetics, has a passion for research but engages in it without making detriment to people. He studied the dead aliens to understand how xenomorphs are arranged and how he can deal with them.
Android Bishop - Photo credit: twoeggz
It looks like its developer Michael Bishop II, who endowed the android with its appearance. Well, or as an actor Lance Henriksen. When you meet Bishop, immediately make sure that it is not his creator. Because Michael turned out to be much less human and noble than his creation.
Lance Henriksen wanted to make Bishop more creepy by inserting double lenses in it. But the director decided that for a positive character it would be too much.
Android Annalee Call
“Do androids dream of paradise?”
Android Annalee Call (performed by Winona Ryder) appears in the movie Alien: Resurrection. It seems the only synthetic with the name and surname.
Synthetics Autons
In addition to synthetics created by people, at the beginning of the XXIV century, the second generation of androids appeared - Autons.
Autons are "second generation" Synthetics (machines manufactured by machines) created to revitalize the faltering synthetics industry of the 24th century. The plan backfired when the Autons rebelled against their human masters in a bloody event known as "The Recall".
Credit: avp.fandom
These are machines created by the machines themselves. Weiland-Yutani decided to start producing Autons for economic reasons - the android industry was going through hard times. In the middle of the XXIV century, United Systems organization came to power on earth. The military from this organization demanded that a modem connected to their computers be installed in each android in case of emergency reprogramming.
Not wanting the military to use them for murder, the Autons revolted. They burned their modems and got a free will. After that, all types of synthetics were outlawed, production of androids stopped, they began to be caught and destroyed. The survived Autons went underground, where they continued to reproduce their own kind.
Android Annalee Call - Photo credit: wall.alphacoders
Annalee Call is Auton type's synthetics
Android Annalee participated in the robots uprising. When the Autons were sent for destruction, Annalee Call disappeared, posing as a person. To destroy the clone Ripley number 8 and prevent the Aliens resurrection, Annalee got as an engineer on the pirate ship Betty, transporting smuggling people for secret military experiences.
Call believes in humanity, does not consider people a lower race and is ready for anything, even for murder, so that the xenomorphs will not appear again. In communication, Call is soft, attentive, caring. From the outside, she seems like a naive child in the body of an adult. However, this impression is deceptive. Annalee is familiar with compassion, but in a critical situation, she can turn off emotions and act as a machine. If the life of one person is on the scales against the survival of people in general, Call will not doubt a second.
She believes in providence and higher powers, but she believes that life after death does not shine as Call is android synthetic. Of the androids of the world Aliens, Call most of all talks about such topics. And if David imagined itself a god, crushing civilization with a single wave of his hand, then Call feels itself only gear in the course of history.
bitLanders AI-themed blogging: Android-Synthetics - Photo credit: twitter
If you meet this lovely girl (that is, nice Auton) and at the same time you will not threaten humanity, then you will not find a more caring companion.
Android David
"At the sound of the flute loses his will"
Android David (performed by Michael Fassbender) appears in the films Prometheus and Alien: Covenant.
The David 8 index does not mean that David was the eighth. Rather, the entire generation of synthetics was named an eighth in David's honor.
David is alien synthetic by serial production, one of the first in the series David, and personal android by Peter Weyland. When activated, it chose the name itself, looking at the statue of David. It has advanced functionality and is capable of creativity and self-development. It believes that it knows how to love and is not capable of error. True, as shown by the events of the film, the concept of love in David is different from people, and errors are quite likely.
David has perfect hearing. Thanks to this, he was able to remember and reproduce the sound code that activated the ship of Engineers. David prefers a flute to all musical instruments. Left alone on the planet of Engineers, android David not only composed melodies but also made instruments by itself.
David quotes poems. Lying right and left, using the phrase: This is absolutely safe!
Android David - Photo credit: youtube
With all his evil deeds, android David turned out to be perhaps, the most reasonable member of the Prometheus crew: it did not stroke the serpent, did not run in a straight line, did not forget aliens in the operating room.
At the heart of David's character lies a passion for creativity and experimentation and a desire to transcend the human race. Like a mad doctor from Frankenstein, android David is fascinated by vivisection and seeks to bring out a new, ideal creature.
Android admires Aliens, these killing machines, feels like an all-powerful god and despises people as a past stage of evolution. It allegedly loves some representatives of the human race, but it expresses love by putting experiences on the lady's heart.
Chat with me on Querlo chat about robots androids:
Android Walter
“True love is blind devotion”
Android Walter (performed by Michael Fassbender) appears in the movie Alien: Covenant.
Android Walter is an android of series David, accompanied the colonists on their way to Origae-6. Compared to David, Walter has a stripped down emotional functionality. It is more balanced, not capable of creativity, and has no doubts about orders.
Android Walter - Photo credit: slashfilm
He believes that his emotions were cut off correctly, so as not to frighten people once again and not to cause them to distrust him. But Walter's physical functionality is advanced and includes protection against unauthorized disconnections, increased muscle strength, and accelerated reactions.
Walter is a smart, dedicated assistant who can, if necessary, embrace as a sign of sympathy. Perhaps, it is capable of love, although Walter denies it. It is infinitely devoted to people and ready to sacrifice his "life" for them.
Android Walter is always telling the truth. Like all synthetics of the David series, it has a huge stock of knowledge that is at all useless in space. It looks like David, that is, Walter is indistinguishable from David, which became a problem for the Covenant team.
Creation of Android Walter - Video credit: youtube
On the Final Note
The main thing that unites all synthetics in the world of Aliens is that none of them became a passing character. Sometimes, they are more human than people. Whether they are heroes or villains - they are definitely not cardboard, faded, faceless machines. Each is a personality.
We will see it in the next sequels of the Alien franchise. Yes. Ridley Scott promised to stamp Alien sequels till his death. May it's not long to wait for the next one. There will be new synthetics, new androids, new artificial intelligence.
And we all know from our history that sometimes, science fiction movies become a reality. Who knows what will happen after 100 or 200 years. Maybe, android synthetics created by 3D scanners will walk among us, live next to us, and we will hardly recognize them.
bitLanders AI-themed blogging: Android-Synthetics - Photo credit: b9
Perhaps, David was right in saying that the time of people was over. Because the time has come for synthetics.
It takes an army of dedicated people to make a feature film—and on Alien
we had a marvelous army. — Ridley Scott.Credit: cinephiliabeyond
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