By Peter de Kuster
Introduction: When the Unknown Beckons, Will You Answer?
Alien: Romulus (2024) plunges us into the cold void of 2142, where Rain Carradine, a colonist trapped in corporate servitude, risks everything to escape the oppressive Jackson’s Star colony. What begins as a desperate heist to steal cryostasis equipment spirals into a fight for survival against the universe’s most terrifying predator: the xenomorph. For creative leaders, Rain’s journey is a visceral metaphor: you are the storyteller of your own life. Will you let fear dictate your path, or will you seize the pen—even when the ink is blood and fire?
Plot Summary: From Desperation to Defiance
Rain Carradine, orphaned and bound to Weyland-Yutani’s exploitative contracts, teams with her reprogrammed android “brother” Andy and a ragtag crew to commandeer a hauler and infiltrate the derelict Renaissance station. Their goal: steal cryopods to flee to the free world of Yvaga III. But the station’s ruins hide a nightmare—a xenomorph hive bred from Nostromo remnants.
As facehuggers overrun the crew, Rain battles corporate betrayal (including Andy’s reprogramming by Weyland-Yutani), a human-xenomorph hybrid, and the station’s collision course with LV-410’s rings. After losing allies to acid blood and deception, Rain restores Andy’s loyalty, disables gravity to outmaneuver the aliens, and escapes—only to confront a final horror: Kay’s mutated hybrid offspring. Destroying it, Rain enters cryostasis, carrying the hope of a new beginning.
The Hero’s Journey in Alien: Romulus
Reflections for Creative Leaders at Every Stage
| Stage | Film Moment | Reflection for Creative Leaders |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Ordinary World | Rain’s life under Weyland-Yutani’s oppressive contracts | Where are you trapped by systems or stories that stifle your potential? |
| 2. Call to Adventure | The plan to steal cryopods and escape to Yvaga III | What bold opportunity or crisis is pushing you to act? |
| 3. Refusal of the Call | Crew members’ doubts about the mission’s risks | When have you hesitated to leave your “known world” due to fear? |
| 4. Meeting the Mentor | Andy’s guidance (before his loyalty shifts) | Who or what has guided you—and how do you adapt when trust is broken? |
| 5. Crossing the Threshold | Entering the Renaissance station’s derelict halls | What irreversible step have you taken to pursue your vision? |
| 6. Tests, Allies, Enemies | Facehugger outbreaks, Andy’s betrayal, Navarro’s death | Who are your true allies, and what unseen threats lurk in your path? |
| 7. Approach to the Inmost Cave | Discovering the xenomorph nest and hybrid experiments | What hard truths must you confront to achieve your goal? |
| 8. Ordeal | Kay’s hybrid birth, the station’s collapse, Andy’s reprogramming | When have you faced a crisis that reshaped your identity or purpose? |
| 9. Reward | Restoring Andy’s loyalty and escaping the station | What strengths or insights have you gained through adversity? |
| 10. The Road Back | Battling Kay’s hybrid while the station implodes | How do you handle setbacks even after partial victory? |
| 11. Resurrection | Destroying the hybrid and choosing hope over despair | How has your journey transformed your leadership or creativity? |
| 12. Return with the Elixir | Rain’s cryostasis recording, carrying her story forward | What wisdom will you bring back to inspire others? |
Conclusion: The Courage to Write Your Own Legend
Alien: Romulus is more than survival horror—it’s a testament to reclaiming agency in the face of annihilation. Rain’s journey teaches that true leadership isn’t about avoiding chaos, but navigating it with ingenuity and grit. For creative leaders, the question isn’t if you’ll face your xenomorph, but how you’ll wield your story to forge a legacy worth remembering.
Questions to Take Away
- Where in your life are you trapped by a “corporate contract”—a story that limits your potential?
- What “cryopod” are you seeking to escape toward freedom, and what risks will it require?
- How do you rebuild trust after betrayal (by others or yourself)?
- What “hybrids”—unexpected crises—have emerged from your past choices, and how will you face them?
- What story will your future self tell about this chapter of your life?
Story Coaching Offer: Craft Your Hero’s Journey with Peter de Kuster
For creative leaders ready to:
- Reframe chaos into clarity and fear into fuel
- Unearth their personal myth and leadership legacy
- Turn setbacks into stories that inspire teams and audiences
Benefits
- Discover your core archetypes (Rain’s resilience, Andy’s loyalty, or the hybrid’s adaptability?)
- Rewrite limiting narratives (“corporate contracts” holding you back)
- Develop strategies to navigate crises with creativity, not panic
Special Pricing
- Full Story Coaching Session (2 hours): €195 (excl. VAT)
- Express Session (1 hour): €120 (excl. VAT)
Contact: peter@wearesomeone.nl
You are the hero. The storyteller. The legacy in motion.
The next page of your legend starts here.
The Power of Your Story 