Hadley's Hope

Lore & Background

The colony's history began when Weyland-Yutani established the site on LV-426, utilizing fusion-powered atmosphere processing stations to manage the environment. The turning point occurred after contact was lost with this terraforming colony. Investigations revealed that Carter Burke, a company representative, had ordered colonists to investigate a derelict spaceship containing alien eggs. This decision was driven by Burke's intent to profit by recovering the specimens for biological weapon research. When the team descended into corridors covered in alien secretions at the station's center, they found the aftermath of this breach: opened eggs and dead facehuggers. The colony's fate was sealed when adult aliens ambushed the responding marines, killing or capturing many. The facility ultimately met its end not by evacuation, but by destruction; a stowaway alien killed the dropship pilots, causing a crash that damaged the power plant's cooling system. With the station destined to overheat and explode, Ripley, Newt, Hicks, and Bishop escaped moments before the nuclear blast consumed the colony.

In Their Own Story

After finding the two live facehuggers in containment tanks, the team located the colonists' signals beneath the fusion-powered atmosphere processing station. As they descended into corridors covered in alien secretions, they discovered opened eggs, dead facehuggers, and cocooned colonists serving as incubators. A newborn alien burst through a colonist's chest, rousing several adult aliens who immediately ambushed the marines. When the inexperienced Lieutenant Gorman panicked, Ripley assumed command and rammed their armored personnel carrier into the nest to rescue Corporal Dwayne Hicks and Privates Hudson and Vasquez. Although Hicks ordered the dropship to recover survivors, a stowaway alien killed the pilots, causing the vehicle to crash into the station. Low on ammunition, the survivors barricaded themselves inside the facility. Later, Ripley discovered Burke had released two facehuggers in an attempt to implant her and Newt with embryos to smuggle them through Earth's quarantine. The power was cut as aliens attacked through the ceiling; Hudson was subdued, Hicks injured, and Gorman and Vasquez sacrificed themselves to avoid capture. After rescuing Newt from the hive and burning the queen's eggs, the group escaped in a dropship just as the station exploded.

Reader's Guide

Visitors or investigators of LV-426 must first locate the terraforming colony site where communications were lost. The primary entry point is the fusion-powered atmosphere processing station, which houses the critical signals from the missing colonists. Inside, one will find corridors covered in alien secretions leading to the station's center. This area contains opened eggs and cocooned colonists serving as incubators. Be aware that the dropship crash damaged the power plant's cooling system, meaning the facility is destined to overheat and explode. The colony also holds evidence of corporate malfeasance: Carter Burke ordered the initial investigation into the derelict ship containing alien eggs for profit. Key survivors include a traumatized girl named Newt and Corporal Hicks. The site remains dangerous due to active facehuggers in containment tanks and the potential presence of adult aliens ambushing anyone entering the nest.

Did You Know?

• The colony was found battle-ravaged with only one survivor, a young girl nicknamed Newt.
• Carter Burke ordered the colonists to investigate the derelict spaceship containing alien eggs to profit from biological weapon research.
• The colony's destruction was caused by an overheating power plant after a dropship crash damaged its cooling system.
• Corporal Hicks, Private Hudson, and Private Vasquez were rescued when Ripley rammed their armored personnel carrier into the alien nest.
• Ripley discovered Burke had released facehuggers to implant her and Newt with alien embryos.