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[Xantalos]

Huh.

[Loud Whispers]

Yep. Although everything possible about this debate has already been discussed in the link. Ergo, exoskeleton argument blah.
THINGIENS
COMING TO ATTACK HUMANITY

Yeah but the link doesn't really cover anything. They just accept that the all devouring sci fi monster from outer space instantly wins against xenomorphs. They don't even do devil's advocate. Xenomorphs have a surprisingly good resume.

• The exoskeleton argument is a valid one. This thing has highly acidic blood; it wouldn't be unreasonable to assume it has the capacity to have a completely dead outer layer much like lignin in plants - that would you know, seal its innards away from the vacuum of spehss. Couple this with the fact that the older plants we know of like redwood trees and their sort can't die from any pathogenic or parasitic infections at all, because there is simply too much tree to kill, the case is looking good for Xenomorphs.
  Considering how the Xenomorphs don't operate on Terran biology either, it is entirely possible they could not even be assimilated by the thing. A lot of their biology stops them from contracting potentially pandemic viruses from humans and other prey; acidic blood/spittle and so on.
  Indeed, we never see a Xenomorph contract a common cold, nor do we ever see them pass down diseases to humans, nor are they incapable of functioning in extreme environments - something "the thing" is not capable of doing.
  
• Acid blood capable of melting through ships. Not good for the thing. Not good at all.
• There is nothing stopping the Xenomorphs from devouring the thing's biomass sources (humans) and leaving it alone - letting it die a slow death of hibernation.
• If the thing does assimilate a Xenomorph (probably by consuming a human infected with one - when the exoskeleton hasn't fully developed yet (see I told you they didn't discuss everything!), can it defeat the hive mind, or would it simply become another with the hive, except more adaptable?
• The whole killing the Xenomorphs with cold or fire in that thread completely overlooked the fact that in Aliens 3 a Xenomorph survives and then tries killing everyone after being pressed into a mold filled with molten metal.
  And they easily function in space. Freezing cold, no air.
  They ARE more adaptable than the thing. They take longer though to adapt.
  
• Capable of using/destroying technology.
• Their queen. Their strength and their weakness. They can adapt like crazy (Godzilla queen or naked queen much?) yet if they fall the hive falls.
• Xenomorphs, depending on what you take as canon, could have been made to be living weapons, and wiped out one of the most technologically advanced species out there. They are serious business, and don't follow the same rules mother nature gave the rest of her creatures - including the thing.

The thing:

• Is capable of mimicking assimilated prey until the time is right to strike.
• VERY effective at assimilating carbon based life forms.
• Unless they have flamethrowers and very paranoid.
• Hyper-evolution that puts it on a level with a star God.
• Capable of going into hibernation, living inside chunks of ice for several decades.
• Weakness to fire.
• Autonomy and instinct, appears to operate on the existing nervous systems of assimilated entities - separated body mass can flee to assimilate another day without any commands given.
• Capable of communicating with prey (?).
• Very undefined. Seems pretty much defined only by what it eats.
• The thing takes place in the Arctic. If this had taken place in the tropics - Madagascar for example; all those trees... All those trees...
  It could have been a different story entirely.
  
  
  Verdict:
  
• The two would kill each other out of competition for biomass. Who wins would be decided by who is bigger.

Both have no seeming limits as to how big they can get.

• There is nothing stopping the thing using Xenomorphs to find new biomass (clinging onto the surface of their exoskeletons for example to infect humans) unless the Xenomorphs take a magma bath.
• The thing may simply seek alkaline substances to combat the Xenomorphs.
• Acidophiles exist - the thing may become one of these.
• The Xenomorphs may simply change to combat the thing.
• Evolutionary war ensues, resulting in either the synergy of their species or one of the two species emerging looking like nothing it was before.
• Human-alien-thing hybrid. Fml.

[Xantalos]

All my yep.
Although the result would still technically be the Thing, as it 'becomes' it's prey, so a fusion would be in the Thing's favor.
Also, we don't know if the Thing can or can't absorb other forms of life, ie silicon based, though I consider it likely.
The Thing was in hibernation for 100,000+ years, not decades. Just semantics here.
Not sure about the hive-mind thing, but if it assimilated an Alien, it could concievably build it's own hivemind. Admittedly it would be small at first, but it's intelligence and ability to build a spaceship out of spare snowcat parts - also, there's no way that could be airtight, suggesting that the Thing can also deal itself from space - would enable it to spread faster.
Actually, the Thing with Xenomorph capabilities would be fucking terrifying, as it would gain immunity to fire. That plus other things means it could attack directly rather than be sneaky.
In conclusion, Xenomorph + The Thing = Something maybe capable of taking on Cthulhu.

[Hanslanda]

The Thing was in hibernation for 100,000+ years, not decades. Just semantics here.

I think such a timeline would put the Thing hibernating in ice in a place at a time where there would be no ice. Haven't the poles shifted in the last 100,000 years? Or am I wrong on this one.

[MetalSlimeHunt]

The Thing is a cellular-sapient homogenizing pathogen, Xenomorphs aren't. The Thing wins, end of line.

The Thing was in hibernation for 100,000+ years, not decades. Just semantics here.

I think such a timeline would put the Thing hibernating in ice in a place at a time where there would be no ice. Haven't the poles shifted in the last 100,000 years? Or am I wrong on this one.

You are wrong on this one. Continental shift happens over hundreds of millions of years, not hundreds of thousands.

[Loud Whispers]

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

All my yep.
Although the result would still technically be the Thing, as it 'becomes' it's prey, so a fusion would be in the Thing's favor.

Unless it got dominated by the hive mind. A human-xenomorph hybrid is still a xenomorph. There is still the possibility such a hybrid would be independent from both species and kill both.

Also, we don't know if the Thing can or can't absorb other forms of life, ie silicon based, though I consider it likely.

Silicon's pretty common so that's quite likely.

Not sure about the hive-mind thing, but if it assimilated an Alien, it could concievably build it's own hivemind. Admittedly it would be small at first, but it's intelligence and ability to build a spaceship out of spare snowcat parts

If it could build its own hive mind it would already do so, unless it finds it disadvantageous (possible). I like to think the thing we saw - was a fragment that rebelled against a larger hive mind biomass, hence why it is ALWAYS autonomous, even where highly disadvantageous (blood tests much?).

- also, there's no way that could be airtight

Why not? It'd just be like a massive deadly oyster with more teeth and acidity.

Actually, the Thing with Xenomorph capabilities would be fucking terrifying, as it would gain immunity to fire.

Xenomorphs CAN adapt to extremes. Not all of them do

That plus other things means it could attack directly rather than be sneaky.

Xenomorphs are smart. They'd stay the fuck away from anything that even reminded them of the thing - and with the hive mind, they would know if it was trying to imitate a Xenomorph.

In conclusion, Xenomorph + The Thing = Something maybe capable of taking on Cthulhu.

Ftfy.


In any case I thought up a rather entertaining concept.
You know how the thing came from a space ship? What if that wasn't its spaceship? It just took it over?
And also consider the timelines everything is set in.
What if the thing evolved into the Xenomorphs? Developed a hive mind, a structure and became a better extremophile that wasn't so evolutionary unstable yet still adaptable?
Even if they are semi-organic creatures... Xenomorphs are capable of eating carbon based life forms.

The thing became Xenomorphs.

[dei]

I have no idea what is going on. All I know is that this conversation reminds me of rule34 on Predator, which is quite horrifying. I have nothing else to contribute to this conversation so I'm going to shut up and eat some macaroni and cheese while that pitcher of tea brews.

[Hanslanda]

And suddenly we're having the same discussion they were. o.O

[Loud Whispers]

I have no idea what is going on. All I know is that this conversation reminds me of rule34 on Predator, which is quite horrifying. I have nothing else to contribute to this conversation so I'm going to shut up and eat some macaroni and cheese while that pitcher of tea brews.

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The Thing is a cellular-sapient homogenizing pathogen, Xenomorphs aren't. The Thing wins, end of line.

They just accept that the all devouring sci fi monster from outer space instantly wins against xenomorphs. They don't even do devil's advocate. Xenomorphs have a surprisingly good resume.

People jumping to conclusions makes me 'Katana all over the sky. Sorry about that.

[Frumple]

I have no idea what is going on. All I know is that this conversation reminds me of rule34 on Predator, which is quite horrifying. I have nothing else to contribute to this conversation so I'm going to shut up and eat some macaroni and cheese while that pitcher of tea brews.

A pox on ye, for now all I can ponder is a ThingxXenomorph shipfic.

I don't even know what the Thing is. Ever time I hear it being used I think Swamp Thing, which is, like, different. So. Now I'm guessing Swamp Thing got hit with that critter from Prototype or whatever and then shacked up with the Xenomorph queen, followed by the pair promptly doing a coordinated backflip and turning into the Tyranids, devouring all life in the milky way galaxy, and then slowly 'nidding their way off to WH40k verse. Continuities solved!

[Hanslanda]

It all makes perfect sense.

[Xantalos]

Maybe...maybe.
I meant the spaceship when I said not airtight.
I would like to know about the hivemind, because I know basically nothing about it.
Although I'm unsure as whether the hivemind would detect it in the first place - say an alien ate a Thing corpse or something. I probably shouldn't be using Peter Watts' story as canon, but would it be concievable that the Thing might take an organism over without it knowing it?
In fact, the nature of the Thing suggests it might be at least sort of psychic, otherwise it couldn't shapeshift when imitating something due to perfectly imitating the cells - the process must be nonmaterial.
The thing about the Thing being a rebel may just be that it has no telepathy among itself apart from the transformation thing, thus not being able to coordinate on the spot.
How fast do Xenomorphs evolve? I guess it's a moot question, the real one being how fast it's hosts evolve because the aliums get characteristics from the host.
The Thing's vulnerability to fire might be explai Ed by the fact that it didn't have time or something to develop fireproof traits. After all, if it's been in the cosmos with other aliens for any significant length of time it will have probably met fireproof aliens of some sort.
In conclusion, both are awesome, and it's too bad that there hasn't been more Thing material. And more Xenomorph material too.

Frumple: It is basically every organism ever, at least potentially. It would be the form a monotheistic diety would take if it ever manifested.
That kinda explains the wierd angels in the Bible.

[Loud Whispers]

I meant the spaceship when I said not airtight.

Oh all right. Well the spaceship crashed and the thing froze itself. Not a good example of how it worked out

The thing's lucky humans are a curious bunch.

I would like to know about the hivemind, because I know basically nothing about it.

The Queen controls and directs the Xenomorphs. Simple as that. When the Queen dies, the Xenomorphs are incapacitated for a while, some or all might die, and amongst the survivors the toughest and biggest bad boy becomes the new Queen, who then becomes BIGGER. Or not. Depends on which Queen.

Although I'm unsure as whether the hivemind would detect it in the first place - say an alien ate a Thing corpse or something. I probably shouldn't be using Peter Watts' story as canon, but would it be concievable that the Thing might take an organism over without it knowing it?

The whole strength of the thing is that it's so unstable and fluid, you can't say it will or won't happen. But we have no reason to assume it would be able to dope the hive mind without taking over the Queen (ha), much like you wouldn't suddenly not realize your legs aren't working anymore.

In fact, the nature of the Thing suggests it might be at least sort of psychic, otherwise it couldn't shapeshift when imitating something due to perfectly imitating the cells - the process must be nonmaterial.

Or it's purely biological and it's just unstable as fuck. There is also the possibility that the thing only really needs the skin and pre-emptively shapes the body beneath until it is discovered.

The thing about the Thing

....
Can we call the Thing Jeffrey? Jeffrey is a good name for the thing.

How fast do Xenomorphs evolve?

One generation. It's scary stuff.

The Thing's vulnerability to fire might be explai Ed by the fact that it didn't have time or something to develop fireproof traits. After all, if it's been in the cosmos with other aliens for any significant length of time it will have probably met fireproof aliens of some sort.

...Unless it spent all its time trapped in an iceblock on Earth and the rest of it was destroyed/separated/confined to some planet somewhere. Any other sentient aliens out there wouldn't take kindly to being exterminated.

In conclusion, both are awesome

And Xenomorphs totally evolved from Jeffrey.

Frumple: It is basically every organism ever, at least potentially. It would be the form a monotheistic diety would take if it ever manifested.
That kinda explains the wierd angels in the Bible.

I'm not sure if the thing could be classified as a species... As it never holds any one characteristic.

It doesn't go in the animal kingdom, IT IS THE ANIMAL KINGDOM

[Frumple]

It doesn't go in the animal kingdom, IT IS THE ANIMAL KINGDOM

And then the Thing was a shoggoth. That goes on to breed with Xenomorphs, resulting in all sorts of fun things.

[Xantalos]

It doesn't go in the animal kingdom, IT IS ALL THE KINGDOM

Imagine what would happen if Jeffrey got hold of a mosquito.