The premiere episode of "Alien: Earth" unfolds aboard the USCSS Maginot, a vessel belonging to the prestigious Weyland-Yutani Corporation, in the year 2120. This lengthy mission has already spanned an impressive 65 years, with the research ship diligently gathering a diverse array of specimens—both deceased and very much alive. Currently, the Maginot floats some 805 million miles from Earth, a journey of approximately four months by conventional means.
The crew awakens from their extended cryo-sleep, serving as narrators to illuminate the current geopolitical landscape. Four major corporations dominate, yet Prodigy, the upstart contender, aims to disrupt the established hierarchy. These titans battle for supremacy and control over Earth's future. Meanwhile, Dynamic holds sway over the moon, while Yutani commands Mars and Saturn.
Aboard the Maginot, the cargo includes some particularly malevolent specimens that have become infamous. Facehuggers, alien eggs, and space slugs are among the menacing entities on board. One engineer suggests a swift and decisive solution—eliminating these hazards—but Morrow, a synthetic being, swiftly opposes this notion, emphasizing that these specimens form the very core of their mission.
On Earth, we delve deeper into the operations of Prodigy at their isolated research island, Neverland. Here, Boy Kavalier, a trillionaire tycoon in the business of synthetics and cloning, orchestrates groundbreaking experiments. His latest endeavor involves transferring the brain of a terminally ill girl named Marcy into a synthetic body named Wendy. The procedure proves a remarkable success, giving birth to a new human-synth hybrid.
Marcy navigates the challenges of adjusting to her adult synthetic form, capable of feats like falling from great heights unharmed and sprinting at superhuman speeds. Yet, she is still in the process of accommodating to her new body. The engineers at Neverland strive to simulate adolescence to ease her transition, hoping to avoid a culture shock. However, the harsh reality is that she will never experience genuine emotions and will remain frozen in perpetual youth.
Wendy is not isolated on Neverland; other children are arriving, ready to embark on their own transformations. Prodigy envisions Wendy as a guiding figure, the "big sister" who will mentor these young souls on their journey toward immortality. According to Kavalier, children are the ideal candidates for this journey due to their plastic and ever-growing minds, whereas adult minds are considered rigid and inflexible.
Aboard the Maginot, alarms pierce through the air, their wailing echoes reverberating throughout the vessel. It is evident that the specimens have escaped with shocking abruptness, leaving a trail of slaughtered crew members in their wake. Morrow, one of the synths we had earlier encountered, transmits a harrowing report back to Earth, detailing the breakout. Disaster looms as a collision with Earth becomes imminent, and with a xenomorph loose, the prognosis is grim. Whether Morrow orchestrated this catastrophic escape or if it was a mere accident remains unclear, but one thing is certain: he placates the alien by sacrificing his fellow crew members without hesitation.
Meanwhile, in the bustling metropolis of New Siam, Prodigy City, Wendy finds herself ensnared by an infatuation with a man named Joe. He is an employee of Prodigy, and she tracks his every move through the surveillance monitors. This obsession stems from a deep-seated connection from the past; Joe is, in fact, Marcy’s brother, whom Prodigy had erroneously informed of her demise following the synth process. Wendy, still harboring the emotions of a child within her adult synth form, continues to worship her brother, her idolization shaping her synthetic persona.
However, tranquility shatters when the Maginot careens out of the sky and crashes in the heart of the city. Joe, among the first responders clad in tactical gear and wielding heavy weaponry, rushes to the scene. The group, hearts pounding, makes a beeline for the crash site, their mission to find any survivors amidst the wreckage.
Aboard the ship, bodies litter the deck in every conceivable corner, yet amidst this grim tableau, Morrow stands as a lone survivor. He swiftly communicates with Mother, the onboard AI, to alert Weyland HQ of the unwelcome boarding. With resolve, he makes for the Armory, intending to await reinforcement. However, his path crosses with Hoyt and Anant, a pair of first responders, in the lab. A chilling sight greets them unnoticed by Morrow: a creature slithering into one of the men's suits. Instead, he confronts them at gunpoint, compelling them to surrender their weapons and securing them to a pipe with ropes. Tragically, while they are immobilized, the creature strikes, claiming both their lives.
Elsewhere, Rashidi, Siberian, and Joe, whose moniker of Hermit remains a mystery, discover the cryochamber and evidence of a chest burster. Oblivious to the facehugger lurking in an adjacent chamber, they press on, driven to uncover more.
Meanwhile, Wendy is immersed in a series of tests when she catches sight of footage depicting Joe making his way to the crash site. Her concern spikes, prompting her to seek out Boy Kavalier. Despite the synths still being in their prototype phase and Atom Eins' vehement opposition, Kavalier relents to Wendy's desperation and agrees to her plan. He dispatches her and the Lost Boys to the crash site. Wendy's determination to rescue her brother knows no bounds.
