I know what you mean about consistency. I'm more likely to enjoy something if the writers/producers lay down the ground rules and then stick to them. I like James P. Hogan's books for that reason - quite fictional, but also quite believable with that "discovery is just around the corner" feel due to strong internal consistency and well constructed plot.
I'd not seen the map of The Verse before. Thanks for that. It is indeed a really, really small universe!
In thinking more about Prometheus, and after having read some more online material, perhaps some of the perceived problems in the film arise from the grandiose nature of the story being packed into a 2-hour format and "sexed-up" with action and horror to draw in audiences? Would an alternative version with the tone of
2001: A Space Odyssey have made any money at the box office? I don't know... it's just a thought.