Biography for
Ash (Character)
from Alien (1979)

Ash is the Nostromo's Science Officer. He was appointed to the position at short notice, and is therefore a mystery to Captain Dallas. He is disliked by Ripley due to the fact that he undermines her authority. Ash is programmed with one simple desire, the discovery and preservation of an alien life form. His personality is defined by his cold analytical outlook on human existence, and he appears to be unconcerned for the welfare of other crew members. Ash allows them to suffer so he can achieve his ambitions. He is calm, and lacking in empathy for the human species.

When the ship recieved the distress call, Ash monitored the expedition to the derelict spaceship. When the crew returned with an infected Kane, Ripley was reluctant to allow them entry, but Ash allowed them to re-enter and examined the facehugger that had attached itself to Kane. He attempted to cut it off, but the first incision revealed that the facehugger revealed some of it's highly corrosive blood, which burned through several decks of the ship.

After Kane woke, apparently unharmed, Ash examined the facehugger. Shortly after during a meal, Kane began choking, Ash initially watched while the other members of the crew tried to help him, but eventually helped to restrain Kane just before the chestburster emerged.

After Brett and Dallas were killed by the alien, Ripley discovered that the alien was brought aboard intentionally. When she confronted Ash, he tried to kill her, but was stoppped when Parker clubbed him over the neck with a fire extinguisher, decapitating him and revealing him to be an android, who had been programmed to bring back the alien at the expense of the rest of the crew.

the remaining crew members Ripley, Parker, and Lamburt were able to reconnect some of Ash's circuits, allowing them to speak to him. He explained his true intentions, and also expressed his sympathies towards them.