The city, a scrawling vast space with sky high buildings and clear windows which reflected the sun perfectly. Everything seemed so ideal, well, in a way. Already David could sense that there were parts which weren't as nice looking. He looked out of the window at the hologram advertisement boards, they showed anything from food to other products. It was all an overload, there was so much information to take in and David found that his mind was reeling.

It was amazing really, to see how people coped with new problems which appeared for them; new problems like overcrowding, it seemed people started building upwards, more so than what they had already to combat and use space wisely. Another was weather, already David had spotted selectively placed transmitters which clearly dealt with the weather, and the pollution which came from so many people being crammed into a place such as this.

It was odd to think that so many people were in this city. Yet there was. His head tilted as they turned into a long drive which led to a large, white building. How it was so clean and pristine, David didn't know. Every other building was dark, he didn't know if this was the material it was made with, or the pollution and weather worn after years of abuse.

The Weyland building seemed to be an odd shining symbol of power, amongst otherwise miserable surroundings. He looked to Weyland as he got out of the car, he just glanced at David, and he got the hint and followed after him. He walked up the stairs, looking up at the large building before him. The windows were large, and they seemed to glitter in the sun, the white of the building almost burned his eyes because it reflected the sun so well and so much. The automatic doors led to a sparse reception area, white marble flooring and white walls. It was all so clinical, David couldn't help but be reminded of the home he had just come from. Was everywhere in this place, or in this man's life, so void of colour?

David paused, he wished to explore what little there was in this large room only to watch a very familiar face walk past, "David." Hearing his name, he turned and looked to Weyland, he was unaffected by the effect seeing a fellow synthetic just had on David, let alone one with the same facial features as himself. He knew, he had said as such to Minerva, he was a line. But he didn't seem to differ from the one he just passed. It felt a lot different in real life, even more so when that one didn't even glance his way.

He was reminded that he was different. Himself and Minerva were different, special even. The first to truly acknowledge human emotions and process them, understand them and show an impression of them. But he didn't believe that the others before him would show anything. There seemed to be nothing on this other David's face. And for that, David felt saddened. He had felt so much in the short space of time that he had been alive, to go through his life and not feel anything hurt.

The floor which they soon arrived on after a short elevator trip, was vast. Long stretching with frosted windows, doors which led to office spaces David presumed. Some doors even had small name plaques beside them. He glanced over the names as he walked past, most seemed to have their occupation underneath. Chief designer, engineer, officer manager, public relations, right at the very end was an office which didn't have a plaque. That piqued his interest, he tilted his head and looked at Weyland.

He in return just pushed the button at the side, the door slid quietly open. A large desk, a computer, paper and files present were in front of a woman, she sat behind the desk in a large chair, making her seem all the more important. She didn't even look up when they entered. Her manicured fingers continued to type away at the keyboard in front of her, blue eyes flicking over whatever was being written on the screen. Her blonde hair was tied up and off of her neck, the dark grey uniform she wore seemed to be the only real block colour in the room to oppose the white. Even the desk and chair were of a white colour, the chair more so, the desk was glass looking in nature.

David looked at Weyland for some sort of prompt. He just sighed and walked more towards the desk. David stepped forwards and went to follow, only for the typing to stop. Silence, but it wasn't just the silence. A hand had been lifted too, a finger was upright as the other hand continued typing for a moment, as if remembering there was something needing to be finished. Slowly, almost painfully the hand got lowered. Her eyes blinked and she looked slowly towards them, David stayed back while Weyland just sat down, crossing one leg over the other with a sigh. Meredith Vickers was perhaps harsher in person then what David saw in photographs. She looked it too, no emotion on her face as she looked between them, her hands resting together on the desk.

"Made yourself at home, I see."

This seemed to cause Meredith to tilt her head, her eyes flickered slightly and dangerously before letting out a sarcastic laugh. "Considering someone went off the face of the planet for the sake of their new project, what else was I meant to do?" She questioned, basically spitting out the word with huge emphasis in and on it. David could understand hate, and it was safe to say Meredith hated him. Without even knowing him, it didn't seem to matter, she hated him. "So," her hard eyes flicked to David, she looked him up and down. Her face scrunched a little, as if something about him didn't agree with her. From what he guessed, all of him didn't agree with her. "The new project." She paused to stand, the chair effortlessly moving back as she did so. She passed Weyland without so much as a glance as she stopped in front of David. He looked down at her, there was the slightest height difference. Meredith was taller than he presumed, tall and slim, cold and stoic. David frowned, if anything she reminded him of that other David he passed. He looked her over, how was he sure she wasn't one too? "How is it performing?"

"Ask him yourself," Weyland said while looking simply over his shoulder at the pair.

Meredith let out a quiet scoff and glanced sidelong at David. "Him. Yeah, right, how are you performing?" She asked with a tone which showed she actually didn't care to ask, or even talk to him.

David straightened up and tucked his hands behind his back. "I am performing to the fullest of my abilities." That just caused Meredith to raise an eyebrow. He smiled, "Is there a problem?" He sort of got the feeling she was fishing for a problem.

"No," she sighed and crossed her arms over her grey shirt. "You are staying off site, are you being kept under observations?"

David frowned at that, "He is." Weyland replied while standing, "Which is why we are here." David looked between them both, a little worried expression slowly appearing on his face which seemed to do nothing but make Meredith look smug. She seemed to take pleasure in him being out of his comfort zone. "Thought it was best those who actually helped create him saw him."

"What an opportune moment to flaunt your new toy around." Meredith commented while turning on her heels slowly, she paused though and narrowed her eyes as she looked sidelong at David. "Have you spent time with the imposter?" She asked in a low tone, by the way Weyland straightened in his chair, it was clear he had heard her too. Meredith turned back to look at David fully, he frowned and looked her over. Her face was blank, though her eyes looked hard, regardless of his answer, David knew that Meredith knew. "The prized doll kept in to avoid harm and damage." She quipped with a cynical smirk appearing on her face. The expression almost looked natural, if her eyes weren't still piercing holes into David.

"I have." He replied slowly, there was really no point in lying.

"What do you make of her?" Meredith asked, David frowned, he didn't understand what she was hoping to hear from his answer. "Do you find her natural? Strange? Unusual? You know why and how she is here, right?"

"She seems sad." David replied instead, he watched Weyland stand and Meredith briefly looked over her shoulder to look at her father, before looking back at David. Anyone else hearing this would look sympathetic, Meredith if anything looked borderline glad. David just stepped back as Weyland drew near. Even he didn't seem too affected by hearing of Minerva's blatant unhappiness. Surely, he wasn't so blind to it? Considering how they left her, how could the man not see Minerva's unhappiness and sadness, and jealousy?

"Wouldn't you be sad too, if you were there for the whim of someone else?" Meredith asked while turning her back and walking towards her desk. David frowned, he noted the sarcasm to her voice, her question was rhetorical, and her question also clearly aimed at him too. Because that is why David existed, for the whim of someone else.

"Come along, David." Weyland placed a hand on his arm and pulled him gently away before he could say something to Meredith. As yet, David hadn't quite come across someone so capable of sarcasm and dislike towards himself before, as he would see in Meredith.

David glanced at the blonde one last time, she was back at her desk just watching them blankly. He looked forwards again, he silently followed Weyland, deciding not to talk about the woman they just left behind. It was clear their relationship was a strained one. David could guess numerous reasons why, there was probably a list of reasons why they didn't socialise with each other, the synthetics were just one reason of many. David couldn't help it though, he was here to question, to learn, "Is she always like that?"

Weyland let out a short laugh, he placed his hands in his pockets and looked to David sadly. "That was her on a relatively good day."

David tilted his head, "Really?" He mused and blinked before looking forwards. He did not see how her behaviour or disposition signalled to being a good day. Meredith seemed to be anything but in a good mood on any day.

"Come on, I'll show you around this place. You won't have to spend too much time here, other than when you are with me. But it will still be good to know your way around. Can't have you getting lost, can we?" Weyland smiled and commenced the tour, David was shocked, there was so much here. Each floor seemed to be designated to certain things; from medical, to botanical, machinery such as synthetic development and engineering. There was literally everything here.

The medical aspects didn't interest David as much as botanical and machinery. Both were based on life, both found a way to bring and keep things alive, and he found that curious. He looked out at the garden which was inside this amazing building. Yellow flowers, orchid looking in nature spread out in small selected flowerbeds. Weyland just stood beside him, silent yet glancing up at David to gauge his reaction. He stepped forwards, he walked amongst the flowers, he uncrossed his arms from behind his back and stroked his hands over the heads and petals. They felt so soft under his hand, he knelt and looked at them. Soft, yet fragile. He looked around himself, he was surrounded by these flowers which seemed to be a hybrid of some sort. David saw certain aspects from three different flowers within them.

He wanted one, he lifted a hand and grasped onto the stalk, only to hear his name being said in a stern tone. His eyes flickered upwards, Weyland shook his head, "You cannot take one with you. There is stability in here," he explained while looking around the greenhouse like space. "There's no guessing what the outside would do to something so sensitive."

"Death." David said while looking at the flower which he was cradling with one hand. "Death comes to all, quicker to some," and if he took this flower out from its specialised containment, it would die. Inhaling deeply he stood and patted his sides, "Are we ready to depart, sir?"

"Yes, David. Yes, I believe so." There was a brief stop so some of the robotics lot could look at David, with an odd sense of awe. Once that was done it was time for home, a silent journey which seemed to take less time. Once he knew where exactly he was going, David surmised it only took fifteen minutes, half an hour tops with traffic.

They both entered the house, silent and still. Weyland seemed uncaring on that, while David tilted his head with a confused expression. Something to him just didn't feel right, it might be because he had spent the day busying around, finding new things, looking at new things and taking everything in. This place, was so cold and muted...

"I think I will check on Minerva." David announced, Weyland nodded and waved a hand. That was his dismissal, so David took it and turned and walked up the stairs. He paused though on the landing, looking at her door. Considering how they parted, honestly, he wasn't too certain whether she would want to see him. And even if she did, what was to say her words weren't going to be full of sarcasm? David sighed, how alike the synthetic was to the sister, neither seemed to know it, or if they did then neither registered it at all.

Regardless, David picked up walking again and knocked. He waited patiently on the other side and frowned, surely she wasn't so childish as to ignore him? He tried again, and got the same reaction, nothing. That wasn't right, something wasn't right, David placed a hand on the handle and pushed. The door opened quietly, the room beyond was stacked and full but minus an occupant. David frowned and stepped back, he made his way to her library room, the door was open and even before he entered he couldn't hear anything from there.

The room was as silent as the rest of the building. David's eyes widened, she wasn't up here. Minerva rarely dwelt downstairs, if she was hiding, she'd be hiding away up here. Yet she wasn't, David turned on his heels and ran down the stairs, he paced along the corridor; looking into each room he passed, yet no sight of the blonde. David put a hand to his chest, what was this experience? Concern? Panic? He didn't like it too much.

"Sir, Minerva does not seem to be in the house." David announced while stopping in the doorway of his office. Weyland's reaction was instant, he froze, his shoulders tensed and he looked slowly up and at David. He pushed himself out of his chair, grabbing his jacket as he went, and stormed towards him. No words were given on his side, but David got it: find her.

----

Edited: 11/June/2021