Hadley's Hope

"It's what we call a 'shake and bake' colony."

―Van Leuwen to Ripley regarding Hadley's Hope (from Aliens)

Hadley's Hope
General information
Classification	Terraforming and research colony
Location	Acheron (LV-426)
Chronological information
First appearance	Aliens
Last appearance	Aliens: Colonial Marines

Hadley's Hope was a human terraforming and research colony that was established by Weyland-Yutani sometime in the twenty-second century on LV-426, and which by 2179 maintained a constant population of 158 colonists. It was subject to a major Xenomorph infestation that ultimately all but destroyed the complex.

Overview

Hadley's hope was largely assembled from pre-manufactured modular structures subsequently installed on LV-426's surface, for ease and speed of construction. At least part of the settlement's living areas were assembled from materials recycled from the first starships that brought the colonists to the moon.

As a terraforming colony, the settlement's main function was ensuring the continued operation and maintenance of the nearby Atmosphere Processor. Named after its founder, Curtis Hadley, the colony itself was fairly small, home to some 158 workers and their families and overseen by administrator Al Simpson. Despite the now breathable atmosphere created by the Atmosphere Processor, the planet's surface was still an unpleasant place to be, racked by savage winds and electrical storms, and as a result most of the colonists tended to remain indoors.

The colony complex itself was centred around the operations centre, and also featured a small medical facility in the main building and a bar for recreation in one of the outlying structures. There were also garage facilities for maintaining the colony's fleet of Daihotai Tractors and other vehicles. To offer some protection from the ferocious winds that raged on the moon's surface, a large storm wall was built to shield the colony — however, as the winds only ever blew from the same direction, the wall was only built along one side of the complex. The colony was linked directly to the Atmosphere Processor by means of an underground tunnel that allowed travel between the two locations without having to venture into the often severe storms outside.

Areas

Main Complex

• Level 2
  • Operations
  • Med-Lab
  • Morgue
• Maintenance (located somewhere below Operations)
• Level 1 (ground floor)
  • Door to LV-426 surface
  • Elevator door
• Level SB/B
  • Elevator door

Name

The Name "Hadley's Hope" comes from Hadley, one of the original settlers of the colony

History

Infestation

Following the rescue from deep space of Ellen Ripley, Weyland-Yutani representative Carter Burke contacted Hadley's Hope administrator Al Simpson with orders to investigate the co-ordinates Ripley had provided for the location of the derelict Engineer spacecraft, although he withheld the nature of what the colonists were likely to discover. Simpson subsequently dispatched prospectors Russ and Anne Jorden to investigate the ship, wherein they discovered thousands of Xenomorph Eggs. Russ was immediately impregnated by a Facehugger.

Russ was returned to the colony's med lab, while a second team dispatched to investigate the derelict was also subdued and impregnated. Some 24 hours after he was first attacked, the Chestburster inside Russ hatched. The creature, along with the Xenomorphs born from the second team sent into the derelict, soon began abducting more colonists, moving them to the colony's Atmosphere Processor where they had begun to construct their Hive. An armed team sent in to find and rescue the missing colonists was quickly overwhelmed and used as yet more hosts. With the situation quickly escalating out of control, many survivors holed up in various parts of the colony, constructing barricades from scrap metal and sealing doors in an attempt to keep the Xenomorphs at bay. However, the entire colony was soon overrun and virtually all of its inhabitants either killed or used as hosts for more Aliens, save for one young girl, known as "Newt", who had managed to evade capture. Evidence was later found that even as events unfolded, active research into the Xenomorphs was being carried out at the colony, at least during the early stages of the outbreak.

Investigation

With all contact with Hadley's Hope lost, the United States Colonial Marine Corps dispatched a ship, the USS Sulaco, to investigate. Upon arrival the Marines found the colony damaged and deserted, and soon discovered Newt hiding within the extensive ventilation system of the operations building. After tracking the other colonists to the Atmosphere Processor, the Marines moved in to investigate, but were quickly overwhelmed and most of them killed. With their dropship destroyed and no way to evacuate the planet, the survivors took up refuge in the operations centre, setting up sentry guns to help defend the area.

Destruction and second infestation

The ruined Hadley's Hope after the destruction of its Atmosphere Processor.

While the survivors of the incident — now reduced to three and a badly damaged synthetic — were ultimately able to escape, the colony's Atmosphere Processor was badly damaged and eventually went into meltdown, exploding with the force of a thermonuclear weapon. While some of its structures remained standing, the colony was essentially destroyed, and the Hive inside the Atmosphere Processor was obliterated with the loss of many of the Xenomorphs there. However, several survived and before long a second Queen emerged and established a new Hive in the sewers beneath Hadley's Hope itself.

A second detachment of Colonial Marines, aboard the USS Sephora, was subsequently dispatched to LV-426 to investigate the loss of the Marines from the Sulaco. When the Sephora was destroyed in orbit they too were forced to seek refuge within the increasingly ruined Hadley's Hope, now being battered further by the Sephora debris raining down on it. In a repetition of earlier events, the Marines were all but overrun as they attempted to make their escape, and only a few survived the ordeal to successfully evacuate the planet.

Known Inhabitants

• Al Simpson — Administrator
• Bill Andrews
• Anne Jorden
• Rebecca Jorden
• Russ Jorden
• Timmy Jorden
• Chester O. Ling
• Lydecker
• John J. Marachek
• Mary

Behind the Scenes

Concept

Named "Hadley's Hope" after one of its orignial settlers, the colony was desinged by Ron Cobb from preliminary skectches by James Cameron. Cobb conceived that the colony would be broken into three districts: a main complex, the "frontier town," and the atmosphere processing station, all surrounded by a storm wall. Full-size, 1/6, and 1/50 scale sets were built for various shots. Ron Cobb designed most of the Colony with modules that could be added and rearrange as the population grew.

1/6 Miniature

The 1/6 scale miniature of Hadley's Hope was constructed over an entire soundstage at Pinewood Studios.

Appearances

• Aliens/novel (First Appearance)
• Aliens versus Predator (1999 video game)
• Aliens: Colonial Marines (video game)

Gallery

Pre-production

Pre-production model of Hadley's Hope.