Hello everyone EAP404 here with the old reliable, post story author update. In this update I'm going to be talking about not only Alien: Not Alone, but also answer some Q&A, and talk about future stories.

Firstly, I want to give a HUGE thank you to AlphaLima1980 and DarthTenebrus, for not only being two of my biggest supporters, but also for beta/gamma reading the fic. They made the story not only more fine tuned, but also more fun to read, by adding their own little touches here and there. I must admit I was nervous having two readers, but it worked out for the best, as I feel Alien: Not Alone, came out looking crisp, and well defined. Please! Go over to their pages and take a look at their fics! They are two incredibly talented writers, and need to be given equal credit for this fic's success.

Secondly, I wanna say thank you to everyone who has taken time out of their day, and given the story a view, favorite or review. It means to me that all of you have supported my stories.

Now onto some Q&A I've gotten, I'll try to be brief this time around.

Why is this one shorter than the other two?

There were several reasons why this fic was a little shorter than the other two. Firstly, with both Aliens and Alien: Isolation I expanded the universe a little bit, adding additional scenes, and prologues. With Alien Isolation in particular, I was watching 8-10 hour walkthroughs, which naturally produce more content than a two hour movie. I added what I could with Alien, but felt that the confines of the fic should be within the events of the movie, although I compromised adding some additional content via Alien Isolation's Crew Expendable DLC.

Why'd you pick Sam Elliott to play Andrew Mils?

Alright, there were several reasons I wanted Sam Elliott to play Andrew Mils. The primary reason was that I felt he could play a more laid back character, one that he had played before and since. Two, it would be when Elliott was still a rising star, so I felt Alien would have been like a big break for him. Now onto what he'd look like, this would be a still young Sam Elliott (35 in 1979), so his hair would be brown still and he'd have mustache. Also, his voice wouldn't be as gravelly as it is now, also if people must know, he'd have a slight country accent, which probably would make him fit into the Nostromo crew perfectly. If you want a more detailed look at what he would like in Alien, watch the horror movie Frogs, it stars him as the protagonist.

Why was the character, Helwig created? Since he doesn't stick around for the long run?

If you recall ASH was the latest addition to the Nostromo according to Dallas, so I thought to add some additional information to that, and I think it was added in by one of my two readers that Ripley thought that maybe Helwig was replaced, because he wouldn't go through with Protocol 937. That's the primary reason he was created, plus he may play a more extended role in future fics.

Why was Mils spared by the Alien?

So for those who have played Alien Isolation, there is a DLC called Crew Expendable, it takes place during Alien, specifically when the crew plan to trap the creature in the airlock. Well the ending (if you survive) is that the airlock fails to close, and then the alien charges through you and knocks you out, that's where Ash will eventually wake you up, and your character will pass out. So if Mils was sent down first, and the whole experience is mirroring the DLC, than to me it made sense for Mils to be spared as the alien was more focused on getting out of dodge, than grabbing him.

Why was the romance heavier in this story than the previous two?

Two reasons, one I wanted the romance to be a little more heavy, because I felt that proxemics (the study of space) playing a big factor in two people liking each other, I felt that it was more likely that they would have feelings for each other especially since they would have been working with each other for a few years by the time the "DISTRESS SIGNAL" is received by MUTHUR. Two, I felt that if it just made sense, since they would be surviving in the end, that they develop some sort of relationship.

What's next for the franchise, since you've brought things full circle with Alien?

Now on to the big question in the room, what is next? Okay, so outside of the fanfic, a lot has been going on. I don't know exactly how it is in other countries, but for us here in the United States it is a little crazy still, a lot of states including mine are still under a stay-at-home order, which means different things for me, as my job has been deemed an essential one, so I've been working a lot and until this whole COVID 19 thing goes away, I'll probably continue to work a lot. Secondly, as I have mentioned before I'm literally days away from graduating, although it's not so much a ceremony as a PDF of a diploma…..anyway, I probably won't be starting a new fic for awhile, but when I do, expect a teaser or two to pop up on this fic's page.

Anyway for now, this is see ya later, and once again thank you for all of your support.

Stay safe, stay healthy, and stay strong, we'll get through this together

Lots of love EAP404