The interior of the derelict ship is quite different most notably the Pilot is completely absent.When Dallas, Kane and Lambert first see the derelict, Dallas has Ash scan the vessel using the Nostromo's sensors, although Ash claims power readings coming from the vessel block his attempts.The film is more vague on this matter, although the nature of the comments from the crew upon discovering the derelict implies mankind have discovered at least some form of alien life before. The novel makes it clear that humans have encountered spacefaring and therefore presumably intelligent extraterrestrial life before.This is never seen in the film evidence that a fire has occurred in engineering is visible in the background when the bridge crew contact Parker and Brett to enquire about the damage sustained in landing, but the blaze itself is never seen or mentioned. In addition to the chaos on the bridge, a serious fire breaks out in engineering when the Nostromo lands, and Parker and Brett struggle to put it out.Its atmosphere is also described as being orange or blood-red in color as opposed to gray. The surface of the planetoid is described as being almost completely flat (at least in the vicinity of the Nostromo's landing site), in stark contrast to its rocky, irregular appearance in the film.Kane also checks that the ground is stable enough to support the ship's weight, and only then does it come in to land. After entering the atmosphere, the ship enters a holding pattern above the source of the transmission so that Ripley can scan the terrain below to determine a suitable landing site.
The sequence in which the Nostromo sets down on the planetoid is extended.In the book, the Nostromo is hauling a cargo of crude oil and a refinery to process it rather than mineral ore.In the film, Dallas goes alone indeed, the film makes it clear only the current ranking officer has authorization to access the ship's computer interface. Ash accompanies Dallas to talk to Mother about why the crew has been woken from hypersleep early.In the novel, this conversation happens while the crew are still in the hypersleep chamber. In the film, the first dialogue scene between the crew (in which Parker first raises the "bonus situation") happens over breakfast.In the film, he does not find out something is amiss until he talks to the computer after breakfast. Dallas is immediately aware that the crew has been woken in response to some urgent issue as soon as he climbs out of his hypersleep capsule - Mother informs him with a flashing light.The crew is naked during hypersleep, and when in operation the chambers are filled with a viscous liquid that the crew have to wipe off when they wake.However, not all of the changes from the alternate cut of the film are included in the novel - for instance, Lambert does not attack Ripley outside the med bay in retaliation for Ripley refusing to allow them back on board the ship earlier. Many of the additions found in the Director's Cut of Alien are also in the novelization, including the crew listening to the beacon transmission before setting down on the planetoid and the famous Eggmorphing scene. For who could tell what being called to them - or why. By space law, they must descend, explore, and render assistance.īut they would carry weapons.
In their long cold sleep, the seven space travellers had left their own universe behind, and now their monitor told them that on the planet revolving below them, someone was signalling for help. A strange sun lit the sky with orange rays.