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In-universe Story Combines Acting, Sound Design, and Original Music to Tell the Story of Two Colonists Trapped in Hadley's Hope Shortly Before the Events of Aliens
Los Angeles, CA: Perfect Organism, the leading Alien saga-dedicated podcast on the internet, is celebrating the culmination of nearly a year of work with the release of an original audio drama written and directed by the show's founder, JM Prater. Titled Proximity: Last Stand at Hadley's Hope, the nearly hour-long piece is an immersive jump into what it might have felt like to be inside the Hadley's Hope colony on Acheron as everything fell apart and the xenomorphs overtook the colony. Focusing on two characters—the brother-and-sister team of Aaron and Anne Andrews—the story focuses on something integral to the Alien universe: isolation.
"I am continually interested in how humans deal when in extraordinary circumstances," Prater reflected. "Isolation is something I experienced as a child, while growing up in one of America’s last hippie communes. It’s an experience I continue to process as an adult." He also drew inspiration from historical events. "I’ve always been fascinated with the story of the Donner Party, that group of pioneers who disappeared in the mountains on their way to California while facing some of the darkest decisions mankind will ever face," Prater said. "I see the colonists of Hadley’s Hope similarly."
Patrick Greene, who plays Aaron Andrews, noted that this focus on character is what gives the drama its narrative thrust. "Ultimately, it's about people," Greene said. "It's about two people at the ass-end of the universe running from a cascading series of nightmares. But the fact that we stay with these two people from the beginning of the story to the end means that we start to see through their eyes. We experience these extraordinary events like they're happening to us. By the end of the piece, our pulse is racing because it feels like we're the ones being pursued."
In addition to performing as Aaron, Greene composed the orchestral score and collaborated with Prater on the sound design. "Our priority from the very beginning was immersion," Greene said. "We structured the soundscape very deliberately from the start. It had to feel real. We wanted the listener to close her eyes and feel like she could almost smell the condensation on the tunnel walls."
Both Prater and Greene are lifelong Alien universe obsessives, and that passion shines through the piece. "What I think is important is retaining the mystery of the disappearance of the colonists, while telling a possible story of a few people in the colony during the alien infestation," Prater said. "Proximity: Last Stand At Hadley’s Hope is that story."
About Perfect Organism: Since its inception in 2015, Perfect Organism has been the premiere Alien saga podcast on the internet. Cohosts JM Prater, Ryan Zeid, Patrick Greene, Dave Gogel, and Mykal McCulloch dive deeply into all aspects of the venerable franchise: the lore, the history, the cinematographic and technical achievements, the soundtracks, the characters, and much more. In 2017, Perfect Organism branched out into Blade Runner fandom with a sister show: Shoulder of Orion: The Blade Runner Podcast. More information about all aspects of the Perfect Organism universe can be found at www.perfectorganism.com.
