O'Neal and the other Marines from the Sephora discovered Weyland-Yutani were undertaking extensive research of the Xenomorph species on LV-426, and became the targets of private military contractors hired by Weyland-Yutani to protect that research. The USS Sephora was ultimately destroyed in orbit and O'Neal and the other survivors were forced to take refuge inside the ruins of the Hadley's Hope colony on LV-426.