The Peter Weyland Files

"@S.M. Is Alien: Isolation considered canon? Because i read somewhere the WY-Files refer to it. Hard to keep track sometimes."

Yep.  Marlow turned the distress signal off in A:I.  Originally, as Myrddin said, Dallas turned it off in the script and novelisation.  After that scene wasn't in the film, it was assumed the damage sustained by the Derelict from volcanic activity between 2122 and 2179 had shut it off.

If we assume David has heard the signal - then he knows as much as the Company knew when the Nostromo got diverted. ie. Someone sent a signal warning others about something dangerous.

Well yes and no, possibly:  As David has been on LV223 and has seen what happened there, not to mention what he uncovered about the whole installation (which is implied, but specifics unknown to us at this time), his grasp of language and insights into culture (broad strokes at the least) and manipulation of their technology ...

I'd tend to go down the route that David knew a lot more than we see - it's whether that info. got back to WY which really tells us how much knowledge WY had of the LV426 beacon.

It could be lots or it could be a little, either way, David, you would assume, would know or be able to infer quite a bit, especially after visiting LV223.

Simple answer is that the Company - as a whole - didn't know anything about the Alien.  One person or a small group arranged to get the Nostromo diverted and arranged to buy Sevastopol 15 years later.  Much the same as how Burke was operating alone so he could obtain exclusive rights.

That's what it looks like to me.  What is intriguing is who is in that group, where do they rank in company terms and how much exactly do they know.  

Haven't played the games but I know about Sevastapol - I have to really just go off the films though

@ Deep Space: I agree.

One thing puzzles me, though.

In Alien, MOTHERS answer to Ripleys inquiry bout Order 937 was, among other things:

- "Investigate life form. Gather specimen."

- "Insure return of organism"

How do they know that there's a life form and not just a crashed probe, satellite or whatever?

Something must've happened between Prometheus (maybe even A:C) and Alien. 

The decryption of the warning from LV-426 has implied that a brief description of the creature was included. 

@Myrddin: Yeah, i just read the answer here "maybe a silly question but....." after i posted here. Dang it. XD Are the W/PW-Files online somewhere? In a summarized form or something.

Haven't been able find them.

I dont think to my knowledge that we have the Full Low down on what the Signal was about...  we know it was a Warning to the other Space Jockeys...  that the Cargo is Compromised and to not attempt to recover or go down...

We dont know to my knowledge Word for Word what the SOS was... much like we dont know yet Word for Word what the Engineer said to David...

As far as David goes it depends what we take as Canon.. If we throw out the Weyland Files about David has knowledge and its implied he is put on the ship to keep a eye on LV-426.....

Then if the Space Jockey SOS is in anyway a language or set pattern similar to the Engineers then maybe David could at least know the broad strokes.

its just oversight they made again with the Movie... a Plot Hole some may say....  but even if David was not aware... i am sure by the time he gets to LV-223 he would have some knowledge.... how much though?

That depends as if he has any idea... then he would know maybe the potential risks that LV-223 holds...

I guess we can only assume, even if David makes some connections..... he has seen enough on LV-223 to know what may have happened... but for him.... he feels as Shaw also does.. that Paradise is key to getting more answers..

I am sure David sees this too.... 

Maybe he could leave some message to the company about LV-223 who knows... i think they would logically keep a Black Box or even Send some Data...

its a case of has Yutani encrypted it so nothing gets to the company.. only Yutani and this gives them a barging chip.

Based on the film we know the signal looks like a warning.

In the novelisation, Ash is a bit contradictory in regards to the content of the transmission saying it was 'frightening specific', while at the same time talking about something that was 'almost certainly hostile'.  Which is slightly less than specific.

WYR says the transmission contains the repeated phrase 'DO NOT'.

Guys don't forget that this film will NOT lead directly into Alien. We still have two more sequels to look forward to 

i believe ridley has put these files in for plot reasons that couldn't be afforded in the movie. they IMO r canon so this tells us the derelict is not the juggernaut shaw and david leave lv223 in. the info we have on the signal is vague tho, its logical to assume it is the same warning as in alien but this might not be the case but would make sense if it was the SJ who sent it to warn other engineers from landing there, would also give a possible answer as to why no one has attempted to recover the ship, its cargo or mount a rescue for the pilot

I don't see David as a villian as most do, remember he only did what ordered to do. Also, his last conversation with Shaw before leaving LV-223 was quite friendly in nature and for the most part Shaw and David were quite friendly.

I think david has some form of respect for shaw and maybe his intentions toward her r good. I don't see him as a villain until after weyland dies. I think he becomes free to think and act for himself and as stated, the crew of the covenant set down on the planet due to a signal. I believe the signal is sent by david for sinister reasons either for more people to experiment on (he may have knowledge of the covenant and its crew) or to leave to explore his experiments on another planet. I believe he will try to redeem himself later, possibly in the next movie but for now he is def the villain. doesn't mean walter might not be a villain aswell operating under the companies agenda