version 4 - The Alien Encyclopedia

ackbone of the Xenomorph society structure, the Drone is the most common type of Xenomorphand therefore has become synonymous for the species as a whole. Depending on the circumstancesand the availability of hosts, a Drone population can range from around 100 to millions. However, itwould be fatal to underestimate the presence of even just a single Drone.A Drone's body mass is about 20 percent larger than that of the host it originates from. Accordingly,a “human” Drone is about 2.5 meters tall. Drones move both bipedally and quadrupedally and areable to climb on walls and ceilings, demonstrating their general speed and agility. Their body structureis remotely humanoid, but features an exoskeleton covered by black oily skin, acidic blood anda long muscular tail. Sightings report that sometimes, this tail sports a sting that carries a non-lethaltoxin, which the Drone uses to paralyze potential hosts. Other times, the tail ends in a small fin theDrone uses to navigate in aquatic environments. The reason for this variation is unknown, but consideringthat the latter variation was spotted on the Drones resulting from the cloning project aboardthe Auriga, one can assume that the variation is a by-product of the mixing of human and AlienDNA. Four tube-like organs extend from the back, one more feature which has eluded scientistminds. One theory suggests that they are used as some kind of snorkel when the creature is submergedin water.Another striking feature is the elongated head. This head sports no visible eyes, but theories suggestthat that the expanded headcase houses sensory organs that would be a suitable equivalent. Beyondthis, the reason for the unique form of the head is unknown. The mouth features, among viciouslysharp fangs, an inner jaw which can be extended with such speed and power that it can penetrate ahuman skull. Drones have been seen exhibiting different head structures: During the Nostromo incident,the Drone had a smooth half-transparent dome, while the Drones in the Hadley's Hope incidenthad a more carapace-like structure covering their heads. Scientists assume that Drones shedtheir smooth head covering once the carapace underneath it has fully developed, which would fitwith the fact that the Hadley's Hope Drones have existed far longer than the Nostromo Alien.A Drone is the result of a Chestburster that has completed its transformation. As the worker caste ofthe Xenomorph hierarchy, Drones are capable of secreting a resin-like substance they use to buildthe hive. A Drone is always in contact with its Queen through undiscovered, possibly subsonic ortelepathic means. While this obviously provides a vast edge in efficiency, a Drone can also fall instate of shock if this contact is suddenly cut by the violent death of the matriarch. Small firearmsmay take down a Drone relatively fast, though the organism has proven to be extremely resistant toenvironmental hazards like the vacuum of space. Drones are intelligent creatures which is evident intheir ability to use stealth, assess a tactical situation and even ambush their victims. Advanced operations,however, are probably directed by the Queen.Dropship: A collective term for a class of ships used for transferring people and equipment from aship orbiting a planet down to the surface and vice versa. Dropships are used both for military andother purposes. An example of a dropship is the UD-4L “Cheyenne” combat dropship used by theUSCM in the late 22 nd century, including the Hadley's Hope incident in 2179.(A2, A:INF, A:CMTM)Duncan: A male human working in a team of three technicians for Planetus in 2232, the other twobeing Gavin and Kelly. Was very ecology-minded, which had led him to sign up for Planetus in thefirst place. Was involved in the C-3 L/M incident.In 2232, the tech team Duncan was part of was tasked with examining the video records of a supposedAlien outbreak that had occurred at a Weyland-Yutani research facility on C-3 L/M, a planetshared by both corporations. The infestation turned out to be faked by Weyland-Yutani in a ploy totake over Planetus, and Duncan and his team were targeted for elimination. Together with Gavinand Kelly, he narrowly escaped the planet with the other Planetus personnel involved in the investigation.However, Weyland-Yutani had already succeeded in taking over Planetus and redirected the