After killing the Neomorph and confronting David at gunpoint, Captain Oram made a remark
that raised a few questions about the character: "I Met the devil when I was a child, and I
have never forgotten him."
So what exactly did he mean by saying this, and what happened in his childhood to bring
this encounter into significance when speaking to David?
While this may be interpreted in different ways, a possible clue behind the gravity of
this remark may begin with Elizabeth Shaw's transmission intercepted by the crew of the
Covenant, and Oram's own interpretation of the chilling message.
While in the film version of Alien Covenant, the discovery of song lyrics, "Take Me Home
Country Road" by John Denver, sung by Shaw, was acknowledged quite quickly, though in
the novelization, there is a little bit more effort and extra steps taken to decipher the
transmission.
When originally heard by the crew, the transmission was just about close to complete gibberish
at first thought, almost sounding human, almost sounding like English, but with nothing in
the audio or hologram making any coherent sense.
They debated amongst themselves, suggesting the possibilities: maybe it was only a partial
transmission, maybe there was too much of an echo on the recording, causing distortion,
or perhaps even the flare that damaged the vessel may have affected the audio and caused
it to scramble.
No one was quite sure.
That is, until Captain Oram recalled experiences from his youth that provoked an answer to
the mystery of the rogue transmission.
The novel depicts the following: "
There was an undertone of remembrance in Oram's response.
"It's like.." he murmured "I remember."
Aware that everyone was staring at him, he explained in a more normal voice.
"I was raised pentecostal."
"Religious denomination.
Real old-time fire and brimstone.
"He indicated the hologram.
"During meetings you'd hear stuff like that.
It's called 'speaking in tongues.'
Words sounds sound familiar, but they're just off enough so that they don't quite make sense.
Not to outsiders, anyway.
If you were in the congregation it all sounded just fine.
So I'm thinking one possibility.
It might not do a thing, but..."
He raised his voice slightly.
"Mother.
Slow the signal.
Search for descrete word patterns within the transmission.
Discard anything that doesn't fit.
Excerpt and compile.
And reverse it."
"Working" the ship responded "please stand by"
"God's language inverted."
Oram was speaking as much to himself as to anyone on the bridge.
"The language of lies.
The Devil's Tongue"
While it's a widely held belief that speaking in tongues is considered a divine gift, and
a phenomenon by God, speaking through his followers, it remains controversial, and others
believe speaking in tongues can also be the work of Satan, which is what seems to be suggested
by Oram's mention of "The Language of Lies" and "The Devil's Tongue."
This could suggest that, when Orams says he "met the devil," it was't necessarily a one-time,
literal encounter, but rather an occurance to which he repeatedly would bear witness.
This character background is further supported by comments made by Billy Crudup, when asked
about the meaning of the line.
He acknowledges the Pentecostal upbringing as referenced in the novel, and expands on
the character's life growing up within the denomination.
He explains, "If you didn't behave properly, you were physically assaulted, and you were
taught in a very strict way what the rules were- what was right and wrong.
And he suspected, too, that the people who taught him weren't as morally strong as they
put out, and they just beat the hell out of him.
[...]I think that, to him, was an expression of the devil."
With that in mind, it's likely that David, in his "perfect composure," and persuasive
matter of speaking, with his own insidious motives, and his own lies, reminded Oram of
that chapter in his life.
Oram, understandably still shaken from the events that had just unfolded, spoke in a
way, that as described earlier when overviewing the transmission, was speaking as much to
himself, as he was to David.
Regardless of the wording, his intention was to let David know he could see through his
lies, and demanded the truth.
With the limited background we have on Oram and his upbringing from the novel and the
actor's own words, do you think this is the most appropriate explanation for this remark?
Can we define Oram's "meeting the devil" as religious hypocrisy and physical abuse?
Or is do you think there is some other explanation, something deeper and darker that may be revealed?
Comment below and let me know your thoughts.
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