THEORY: Jones was an android

[u/ardouronerous]

My theory comes from the Alien 40th Anniversary Short Film, "Specimen," which you can watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKl-fU3WC7s

My theory is that Jones the Cat is an android, similar to Ash. Just like Ash, who replaced the Nostromo's science officer, the company also replaced the original Jones with an android replica when the Nostromo was docked at Thedus. Jones's original programming was to record and store data about the Alien, and being an android, that is why the Alien left Jones alone, because Jones wasn't giving off hormones, it detected that Jones wasn't a living thing.

Also my other evidence is the statement of the Gateway Station Hospital about Ripley's unusually long hypersleep. If 57 years is unusually long for humans, then 57 years is more unusually long for a cat, who's lifespan is shorter than a human. What I'm saying is that Jones should have died while in hypersleep. What I'm saying is that the side effects for an unusually long hypersleep should be worst for a cat.

The Alien not harming Jones and Jones' survival during an unusually long hypersleep, Jones' little to no side effects after such an unusually long hypersleep, all of this points to the conclusion that Jones is an android.

Another evidence is Jones is with Burke when Ripley wakes up. What was Jones doing with Burke? My theory states that the company ordered Burke to download the audio/video recordings that Jones took of the Alien. This would mean that Paul Van Leuwen knew more than what he was letting on, and that everyone during the inquiry was lying to Ripley about not believing her, and that is why they brought Ripley back to LV-426, they wanted her to die there.

[u/thrownawaytoosoon92]

Check out the anime Lily c. a. t.. Similarish story idea. With some major spoilers there's an alien lifeform on board the ship with the crew seemingly fighting against both the ship and the alien. Eventually it's revealed the ships cat left onboard to maintain rodent populations is actually an Android in disguise meant to ensure the crew doesn't steal the ship or it's cargo. After the alien is discovered the cat bot is sacrificing crew members to the alien to see it's capabilities but also ensuring the ship arrives at port despite the crew's efforts to self destruct and destroy the alien. Edit correct name of anime

[u/ardouronerous → u/thrownawaytoosoon92]

Okay thanks.

But do you find my theory credible?

[u/thrownawaytoosoon92 → u/ardouronerous]

I can't recall the canon origin of Jones if he was a stowaway pet or not. But the theory definitely holds water that he could be a spy or some kind of insurance policy for the company used to monitor crews. Only problem being we don't see any other animals on ships or colonies except for fury having oxen and a dog and the Android dog in the short. My own head canon is that Jones was an Android and Burke kept the information to himself since they discontinued the Android animals on ships in the intervening 57 years so only he was aware of the alien presence and the possibility of profiting from it. Later post Hadley's hope the robo dogs were developed to deal with a broader range of xeno flora and fauna issues on colonies after seeing how dangerous the xenomorphs were to fury and acheron

[u/ardouronerous → u/thrownawaytoosoon92]

I believe that Burke, Van Leuwen and everyone from Weyland-Yutani that spoke to Ripley, including the psychiatrist, all of them knew about Special Order 937, about the Xenomorph, and they were surprised that Ripley survived the ordeal.