5.1
Physical Attributes
>> Click on any image in the following essay to open supplemental material. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... Physical Attributes The I. raptus Queen is approximately four and one half meters tall, possesses an extremely powerful tail that is equal in length to the Alien's height, a cranial crown that is flattened (in comparison to the adult Alien) and extends approximately two meters beyond the back of the head, and possesses a set of secondary arms (giving the Alien a total of six limbs) that are approximately one third the length of the primary arms. When situated as part of a functioning hive the Queen is suspended from the hive ceiling via heavy resinous supports. Aside from the unusual structure of the cranial crown the most notable physical attribute is the large, translucent ovipositor that extends nearly 8 meters from the Queen's body. The ovipositor, like the Queen herself, is also suspended via resinous webbing. >> End of entry ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... The Head
There is a certain degree of audible communication that has been recorded as occurring among members of an I. raptus hive; however, it is thought that the vast majority of communication occurs via ultrasonic and bioelectric reception and emission, with a smaller portion occurring via biochemical means. The large flat surface of the Queen's crown would make an excellent emitter/receptor. As with the rest of the brood it is believed that the Queen's crown is covered with pore-like receptors and emitters designed for a wide array of sensory input as well as communication. As is discussed in the Sensory Abilities essay - thermal and olfactory reception are somewhat limited by prevailing environmental conditions and proximately - making these a secondary form of detection. The surface of the crown affords the Queen an optimal means of receiving a greater degree of auditory and bioelectric input by increasing the amount of sensory pores that can be applied to a given form of detection. This, theoretically, increases the Alien's sensitivity to such stimuli, by allowing more input to be acquired. By the same token an inverse approach can be take to communicative abilities: the larger surface area of the crown enables more outward stimuli to be emitted for a broader range of detection among the brood. However, there appears to be a an extremely limited peripheral range of reception: The Queen's crown only curves very slightly when compared to the adult members of the hive, this would seem to indicate that the Queen's sensory reception is limited to the primary receptive range: approximately 100° radiating 50° laterally to either side from the vertical center line of the crown, and a peripheral reception area of an additional 10° on either side beyond that. This would also seem to indicate that the Queen might have a rather large blind area that represents the vast majority of the space directly behind the crown and body, but given the general state of immobility that the Queen sustains during her life this is not surprising, or unexpected. The brood, which is responsible for foraging and nest construction, would logically need a much broader range of reception - hence the apparent 360° range of detection for the adult nest mates. The Queen, for the most part, remains static and therefore takes a more passive role within the hive. It is not believed that the Queen often engages in hive defense, meaning that the incident on LV-426 between Lieutenant Ripley and the Queen was a rare example of the Alien's abilities. The apparent lack of peripheral detection would also indicate a lack of peripheral emission as well, but this is not seen to be as significant given the nature of the hive structure - especially in regard to ultrasonic communication. The fluid, organic, and ribbed-like construction of the hive walls would aid in the redirection and carrying of sound throughout the hive as the Queen emits. This would make the hive structure similar to a resonating chamber, allowing easy communication through out the nest. The hive structure may also play a part in the emission of bioelectric impulses as well: because the hive is apparently made of excreted silicon resin, and because silicon is a semi-conductive element, it is conceivable that bioelectric emissions could be carried out of the egg chamber into the surrounding areas of the hive. Presumably, in order for this idea to work the emitting Alien would need to be in direct contact with the resin, and given that the Queen is (under normal conditions) bound to the hive via solid resin tethers any impulse made by the Queen would be conducted outward into the hive. (this is examined in further detail in the Communication essay) Biochemical emission, though considered to be a redundant form of communication, is presumably still employed by the Queen to incite response and activity among the brood. As discussed in the Communication essay - the maximum dispersion range of I. raptus pheromones is nearly 3 times the distance expected for a creature the size of an adult Alien. Beyond the maximum range of dispersion the pheromone becomes increasingly more diffused as it mixes with the surrounding atmosphere, thus loosing its strength and effectiveness. It is believed that the size and shape of the Queen's crown is designed so that even beyond the maximum dispersion rate she is able to collect molecules of a given pheromone as they spread and mix with the surrounding air. This offers the Queen the enhanced ability to get an understanding of what is going on elsewhere in the nest - even at great distances. The same principles can be applied to the excretion of pheromones by the Queen as well. The large surface area of the crown allows a greater amount of pheromone release, which ensures a larger dispersion area. Movement of the head can be used to aid in this behavior by forcing air to move over the secretions resulting in increased evaporative rate, and a larger spread of saturation in the surrounding air. Aside from the aforementioned sensory reception it is very likely that the crown is designed to detect additional stimuli as well - such as thermal. However, the large size of the crown may not mean a better ability to detect this radiation. Unlike pheromones (for example), which have a specific molecular ratio of chemical to air per square meter, thermal signatures - like sound - are based on wavelength, which degrade as they travel away from their source. Thermal detection is limited to proximity, the size of the radiating source, and the possibility that there is enough of a distinction between the target source and the surrounding environment. As a result thermal reception is only accurate at close range - Long-range thermal detection generally relies on the presence of a secondary receptor for accurate tracking. Therefore it is unlikely that the Queen relies on thermal reception as a primary means of sensory input. Another interesting feature of the crown is that it includes a hood into which the anterior portion of the Alien's head can be retracted in to. The reason for this hood is unclear, but the most probable reason for the hood is to aid in camouflage. Once the Queen is producing eggs she is relatively vulnerable since she is suspended from the ceiling of the hive and not readily mobile. If a Queen is born first, and responsible for the initial stages of hive construction she will be without the aid of a brood for protection from intruders. Once suspended and inactive the Queen pulls its limbs in close to its body and positions its head in such a way that it is difficult to assess where the resin of the hive ends and where the Queen begins. This form of camouflage could be very effective against various intruders. With the head pulled inside of the crown it is no longer visible, as well as being well protected. >> End of entry ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... The Secondary Jaws The secondary jaws in the Queen are not at all unlike those seen in the adult. The only true difference is their size: they are proportionately larger than those of the standard adult with a strike length of approximately 91 centimeters (see Secondary Jaws in the Stage 3 essay). >> End of entry ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... The Secondary Arms
A second theory saw these arms as a variant of pedepalps and used in the stimulation of a drone during mating in a manner not unlike that employed by various arachnids. In such a scenario the secondary arms would be used as a means of stimulation - even perhaps while the Queen is holding the drone in place - by either tapping or stroking the drone in such a manner so as to incite release of the necessary spore to complete fertilization. However, given current theories on reproduction it isn't likely that these arms are used for mating. Two recent theories have come to the forefront of this topic and are currently being considered as viable directions. The first is a re-examination of the arms being used for feeding while combining the stimulation concepts originally associated with theories on mating. The secondary arms may be used for holding an adult member of the brood for the purpose of trophallaxis. In this theory the Queen would hold an adult Alien in its primary arms and incite the regurgitation of food through tapping a stroking as applied by the secondary arms. Through this process the Queen would be able to ingest the required proteins and minerals needed to sustain her while suspended above the hive floor, and otherwise immobile. It's thought that this tactile stimulation from Queen to offspring is a rhythmic action combining taps and strokes over the captive Alien's torso and head. The second theory is seen as an added use of the secondary arms in relation the above-mentioned incitement of trophallaxis. These smaller arms may be used for grooming as well - specifically the cleaning of the depositing end of the ovipositor. It's felt that periodically during sessions of grooming several of the resinous bindings holding the posterior end of the ovipositor are broken and the depositing end is grasped by the primary arms while the secondary arms work to clean out the orifice removing debris and coagulated fluids. Once grooming is complete the resin supports are repaired - or rebuilt - and the ovipositor is once again fully suspended. >> End of entry ...
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The Ovipositor, Ovaries, and Fertilization
It is uncertain how many ovaries a mature Queen possesses. It is agreed that there area a minimum of two, but it is unclear if there are more. Theoretically, the inclusion of ovaries beyond two would not have any additional benefit on the Queen's reproductive abilities. The speed at which she lays eggs and the duration of her reproductive life would most likely be unaffected. It is also believed that due to the remarkable life span the Alien appears to have (it is believed that an Alien Queen has the ability to exist for centuries if unchallenged) that a single Queen can produce an estimated 365,000 eggs during the course of a 100-year span. (This figure is extrapolated from information acquired from the LV-426 infestation: given the fact that there were 157 colonists (of which it is estimated that about 125 of which were used as host material); the 3 weeks travel time from Gateway Station to LV-426; and the number of unused eggs that were still present in the hive at the time of its destruction (+/- 80) it would appear that the Queen has the capacity to lay approximately 7 to 10 eggs in a 24 hour period.) Based on records transmitted from the Auriga we know that a Queen will not begin egg production until she has reached a specific stage of maturity. Unfortunately this timeframe is highly debated due to the aberrant nature of the Queen aboard the Auriga as opposed to the Queen encountered on LV-426. It is generally felt that a Queen will not start egg production until she is 36 to 48 hours old. There are some groups of scientific study, however, that indicate that a Queen may wait as long as 72 hours - this is based on inherent biological differences between the Queen and the rest of her adult brood. Regardless of this, however, it is agreed that the first egg will be laid within 24 hours of this final stage of the maturation process. It is believed that the Queen is in an otherwise unfertilized state once egg production begins, and will remain in this state throughout much of her reproductive life. As in many social insect societies the lack of fertilization controls the type of offspring the Queen produces (this is examined further below). Once in the ovipositor the eggs will slowly travel through a thick amniotic fluid, which is released and replenished by the Queen's reproductive system. As this fluid is used it is absorbed through the walls of the ovipositor, broken down, some is re-used, and the rest is discarded as waste. However, it appears that very little of it is ever actually regarded as waste - the majority of the fluid seems to be recycled through the Queen's reproductive system and re-released into the ovipositor fresh and new. This is not an unheard of concept, especially when we compare it to the functionality of mammalian reproductive systems - in which the amniotic fluid is in a constant state of replenishment, self-purification, and waste filtration. The walls of the ovipositor are striated with vertical muscle fibers that gently push the young eggs through the amniotic fluid. This serves two purposes: 1.) the movement keeps the eggs from stagnating, 2.) the movement also forces necessary nutrients, hormones, amino acids, and enzymes into and through the egg. Once an egg reaches the muscular orifice at the anterior end of the ovipositor the depositing tip gently contracts to catch the egg, descends, and relaxes to allow the egg to slide through to the floor of the egg chamber. However before an egg can be laid the egg must be turned in the correct position. Because each egg has a defined top and defined bottom the egg must be turned before being laid. This is done by a series of muscles just prior to the depositing tip. >> End of entry ...
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The Creation of a Queen Since the observation of a Queen embryo it is obvious that the creation of a Queen begins before the Alien is born. Initial theories pointed towards the Facehugger as the means of creating a Queen via a modification in the pre-embryo genetic material prior to the completion of implantation. However, theories began to arise that included acts initiated by the Queen, and even her brood, that would ensure that a given Facehugger within an egg would be Queen-bearing. Early theories flirted with notions of members within the adult brood "feeding" the eggs a form of Royal Jelly, to gender-based caste systems that responded to mating rituals, to more extreme ideas such as Adult Aliens spontaneously metamorphosing into a Queen. The currently accepted theory does not rely on the hindrances and inconveniences of many of the previous gender-based notions, but rather looks in to the efficient nature of the Alien itself. It isn't clear as to when a Queen would begin producing Queen-bearing eggs, or if this change is controlled or reflexive. The commonly accepted hypothesis is that the Queen begins Queen production just prior to the end of her life - which would link this biological shift to age, thus making it a reflexive behavior. Initial theories regarding this matter often revolved around one of the investigating colonists being infected with a Queen embryo. However, if there were Queen-bearing eggs in the cargo hold of the Derelict Ship the likelihood of a colonist stumbling blindly onto one of these eggs is extremely slim given the vast number of Alien eggs that were reported to be present. >> End of entry ...
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Genetic Relatedness
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The Incubation
The Queen aboard the Auriga appeared to have a limited reproductive cycle - a cycle that is alarmingly short given the creature's projected life span. Once this cycle was complete she was removed from her suspended position and cocooned to the hive floor by her attending brood. It has been suggested that the incubation began when the release of eggs from the ovaries stopped. Once all eggs were laid the ovipositor became necrotic and fell from the Queen's abdomen. Due to the accelerated growth rate of these particular Aliens it has been presented that the necrosis that set in may have only taken 4 to 5 hours to run its course. It is believed that the reason for the cocooning of the Queen was the same as cocooning host material: to keep movement to a minimum (so as not to damage the developing young), and to ensure that the Queen does not potentially leave the hive. It is not clear what role the incubation was to play in the maintenance or furthering of the hive. No recorded hive-based species undergoes such a transition in its hive hierarchy. It is as if the incubation was a form of "torch passing" but it isn't understood just how this would have played a part in the hive's existence. >> End of entry ...
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