Dennis Parker was the Chief Engineer aboard the USCSS Nostromo, overseeing ship maintenance and technical systems. Known for his outspoken advocacy for fair compensation regarding the bonus situation aboard the ship, Parker and his assistant, Samuel Brett repaired the ship after its redirected landing on a planetoid orbiting Zeta II Reticuli. He later participated in the crew's attempts to track and kill the alien lifeform after its emergence aboard the vessel. While gathering coolant with Navigator Joan Lambert, Parker was killed attempting to defend her from the creature.
History[]
Early Service[]
Dennis Parker was born in San Diego, California in the United Americas on 4 February, 2080. At the age of twenty, he joined the Speedy Maxx high-speed terrafoil racing team as a pit mechanic. Parker travelled the DAC racing circuit before quitting the pit crew over a salary dispute in 2104.[1]
In 2105, Parker was recruited into the United Americas Outer Rim Defense Fleet. Holding the rank of Private, he was stationed at Skyfire Down serving as a mechanic responsible for maintenance of heavy land transports and officer shuttles. After two years of service, Parker was promoted to Corporal and promoted to the chief mechanic at Skyfire Down. In 2107, during the Torin Prime Civil War, Parker was captured by the J'har Rebels. Imprisoned at Concentration Camp GR-161, he soon established an underground black market for his fellow prisoners.[1]
During the Liberation of Torin Prime in 2108, Parker escaped from the prison camp by constructing his own emergency escape vehicle from scrap. Several months later, he was honourably discharged from the United Americas Outer Rim Defense Fleet and returned to Earth. In 2109, Parker attended the San Diego School of Astro-Engineering. He left in 2113 with his studies incomplete and no degree was awarded.[1]
For several months in 2113, Parker freelanced for Mexcorp as a mechanic and engineer. He served on several unauthorised operations delivering medicinal cargo. In 2114 Parker began working at the United Americas Accelerator Threshold on Neptune as Assistant Engineer. The following year, Parker signed on to the Weyland-Yutani Corporation commercial cargo vehicle USCSS Otago. He served as the ship's Assistant Engineer under Captain Mortensen.[1]
After two years on the Otago, Parker transferred to the commercial vessel USCSS Nonnabo. The vessel was commanded by Captain Keeney, and Parker was the ship's engineer. During his three-year tour on the vessel, he met and befriended fellow engineer Samuel Brett. In 2120, Parker and Brett left the Nonnabo and transferred to the USCSS Nostromo under Captain Arthur Dallas.[1]
USCSS Nostromo[]
The USCSS Nostromo departed Weyland-Yutani Drydock Bravo at Thedus on 12 June, 2121, clearing the flight plan with Antarctica Traffic Control.[1] In 2122, the Nostromo was returning to Earth from Thedus. The ship's computer, Mother, awoke the crew from stasis early after picking up a signal of unknown origin near Zeta II Reticuli. During breakfast after waking up, Parker wanted to broach the "bonus situation" with Captain Dallas, feeling that he and Brett were being short-changed in relation to the other crew members. Dallas promised that they could get what they were contracted for.[3]
Dallas informed the crew that the Nostromo was only halfway to Earth, and they were required by the company to investigate the signal that Mother had picked up. Parker insisted that since they were not a rescue ship, that kind of work was not in his contract but if they were going to pay him more money, then he would do it. Science Officer Ash pointed out that the company's directives meant they had to check it out or they forfeited all shares for the job. Facing the loss of all the money for the job, Parker relented.[3]
The Nostromo detached from the refinery it was towing and landed on a planetoid where the signal was emanating from. During planetfall, the hostile environmental conditions clogged the Nostromo's engine intakes causing one of the ship's engines to overheat. Parker and Brett set to work on repairs, estimating twenty-five hours to fix everything but some damage would require drydock work.[3]
While Parker and Brett conducted repairs aboard the Nostromo, Captain Dallas, Executive Officer Gilbert Kane, and Navigator Joan Lambert went to investigate the source of the signal. Kane was returned to the ship with an alien organism attached to his face. Ash breached quarantine procedures to bring Kane onto the ship, and during an attempt to remove it, the creature bled acid that ate through decks on the ship. Parker remarked that it was a wonderful defense mechanism.[3]
The creature seemed to detach itself and die, and Kane appeared fine. At a dinner before the crew planned to re-enter stasis, an alien burst from Kane's chest, killing him. Parker attempted to kill the newly born alien, but Ash warned him off and the alien escaped, fleeing into the ship. Dallas organised the crew into two teams to hunt the creature, capture it and throw it out of the airlock. Parker, Brett, and Warrant Officer Ellen Ripley were one team, and using a tracking device, they believed they had found the creature. However, it turned out to be the ship's cat, Jonesy. Parker told Brett that they needed to capture the cat so it did not trigger false readings. While Brett was off trying to find the cat, he was killed and taken by the alien. Parker saw the alien, now grown to seven feet tall, take Brett's body into the ventilation system.[3]
Dallas intended to flush the alien out of the ventilation ducts and into the airlock. He ordered Parker to rig up some incinerator units, then went into the air shafts. Dallas was captured by the alien trying to flush it out. Following Dallas' death, Ripley took command of the Nostromo. After Ripley accessed Mother, Parker and Lambert found Ash trying to kill Ripley. They attempted to stop Ash, but he was stronger than they expected. Parker hit Ash repeatedly in the head, knocking it off and revealing that Ash was a synthetic. The group interrogated Ash and learned that he was under company orders to return the alien to Earth and the rest of the crew was expendable. Parker incinerated Ash's robotic remains.[3]
Ripley decided the best course of action was to destroy the Nostromo and take their chances in the shuttle. While Ripley prepped the shuttle for launch, Parker and Lambert went to get coolant for the shuttle's coolant system. As they checked the tanks, the alien approached Lambert from behind. Parker attempted to get Lambert to move out of the way so he could use his incinerator on it, but she was frozen in place. Parker attempted to attack the alien but was swatted away by its tail then killed by spearing him with its secondary jaw.[3]
Chronology[]
- 2080
- 4 February:' Born in San Diego, California, United Americas.
- 2100
- 14 September: Begins working for Speedy Maxx high-speed terrafoil racing team.
- 2104
- 6 October: Quits Speedy Maxx over salary dispute.
- 2105
- 9 January: Recruited into the United Americas Outer Rim Defense Fleet as Private, stationed at Skyfire Down.
- 2107
- 14 June: Promoted to Corporal.
- 1 August: Captured by J'har Rebels during Torin Prime Civil War and imprisoned at Concentration Camp GR-161.
- 2108
- 21 February: Escapes from Concentration Camp GR-161 during the Liberation of Torin Prime.
- 20 October: Receives honourable discharge from United Americas Outer Rim Defense Fleet.
- 19 December: Returns to Earth.
- 2109
- 5 September: Enrols in San Diego School of Astro-Engineering.
- 2113
- 29 March: Leaves San Diego School of Astro-Engineering. Studies incomplete and no degree awarded.
- 2 October: Freelances for Mexcorp.
- 13 December: Finishes working for Mexcorp.
- 2114
- 7 January: Begins working at United Americas Accelerator Threshold on Neptune.
- 2115
- 29 April: Finishes working at United Americas Accelerator Threshold.
- 5 May: Begins serving on USCSS Otago.
- 2117
- 19 October: Ends service on USCSS Otago.
- 27 October: Begins serving on USCSS Nonnabo (Flight Status C).
- 2120
- 1 September: Ends service on USCSS Nonnabo.
- 10 September: Begins serving on USCSS Nostromo.
Appearances[]
- Alien (First appearance)