# Prometheus Question: The Engineer Attacking **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 20, 2016, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prometheus-question-the-engineer-attacking/757909 "2016-06-20T19:39:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 2\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![oft\_wears\_hats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7993a0/32.png) [@oft\_wears\_hats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/oft_wears_hats)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2016, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prometheus-question-the-engineer-attacking/757909/61 "2016-07-01T17:18:04Z")
> [@Hail\_Ants](#): > > Yeah, Hicks (Michael Biehn) was most definitely alive at the end. There wasn’t even any mention of his life signs being low, I think you’re confusing this with the earlier scene inside the APC after the first alien battle where Hudson says this about the sarge (he was grabbed but not killed). But Hicks is pretty much absent for the last third of the film. His last line is when they land the second drop ship inside the atmosphere processor and Ripley is getting ready to leave to rescue Newt. Bishop is warning her how little time they have and Ripley says, “Hicks, don’t let him leave” to which Hicks replies, “We ain’t goin’ anywhere”. The director’s cut adds a short little bit after this where Ripley and Hicks tell each other their first names (Ellen and Duane respectively). > > The next time we see him is when they’re back inside the Sulaco but still inside the drop-ship. He’s unconscious and Ripley goes to try and move him and Bishop stops her and says, “We need a stretcher to move him to medical”. Then there’s the queen battle etc. He’s still unconscious (but very much alive) when Ripley seals him (and half of Bishop) into the cryotubes. The film’s last shot is of Ripley and Newt in cryosleep (as opposed to the last shot in _Alien_ of Ripley and the cat in cryosleep). > > I’ve seen that movie a few times… From what I know about **Bryan Ekers** , I suspect that he remembered those details, but chose to use the earlier quote from Hudson as a humorous way of indicating that Hicks was alive by the end of the movie. That’s how I took it, anyway. Still a nice summary, though. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2016, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prometheus-question-the-engineer-attacking/757909/62 "2016-07-01T20:34:50Z")
> [@oft\_wears\_hats](#): > > From what I know about **Bryan Ekers** , I suspect that he remembered those details, but chose to use the earlier quote from Hudson as a humorous way of indicating that Hicks was alive by the end of the movie. That’s how I took it, anyway. > > Still a nice summary, though. Well, the line was indeed repurposed from Hicks’ earlier “Dietrich and the Sarge ain’t dead. Their life signs are real low, but they ain’t dead.” Dietrich, as one may recall, was the squad’s third female member (after Ferro the pilot and fan-favourite Vasquez) and apparently also its medic since she gave Newt a brief checkup (“borderline malnutrition”). Dietrich was the first member of the squad attacked, just after she’d speculated “Maybe they don’t show up on infrared at all.” As she was grabbed, Dietrich panicked and triggered her flamethrower, which immolated Frost, whose burning body fell down a stairwell. Frost was carrying the ammo, as ordered by Apone (who would be soon be grabbed also) after Gorman told the squad to disarm, and when the flames got to it, the explosion killed Crowe. “I’ve seen that movie a few times…” 😛 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prometheus-question-the-engineer-attacking/757909.md?page=3)