When it actually came to finalising plans, it seemed the only two people who were near on impossible to pin down were the two people who really were the soul reason this was really happening; Elizabeth Shaw and Charlie Holloway were missing in action. It seemed actually that the pair of scientists were off out in the field trying to get more research, more information before everyone finally left Earth. The part which wasn't disclosed to anyone, was that they weren't even remotely close; no, they were however enjoying the windy, cold and wet weather of Scotland.

So, of course, with them nowhere near, the meeting which was currently happening fell a little flat. It was customary to have a pre-flight meeting, finalising plans, what was to happen, what is likely to be encountered, emergency plans; etcetera. It just meant, when it came to it, the two missing scientists would have be filled in another time.

"Isn't this a bit much?" Sean Fifield asked, the rather angry redhead sat basically seething in a chair around the table. "We're going to another planet, we may or may not find answers, research and recon then return. Ain't exactly a hard plan to remember, is it?" He was leaned back in his chair, muddy boots stretched out across the chair beside his. He had subsequently stopped anyone else sitting near him thanks to this, everyone sort of got the hint: not exactly a people person. Didn't stop Rafe Millburn from sitting in the seat next to the one where Fifield's feet had come to situate.

"That's all so very trite, honestly." Meredith had started to say, watching as the geologist's eyes flicked quickly over to where she sat at the head of the table. She had made a point of sitting right at the top of the large, long thick oak table. Nearly every other office room had in it a table capable of projecting a holoscreen, this was about one of the only ones which still had a solid table, no tricks. Also, she had wished to quickly point out that she was 'Mission Director'. It was something which had caused David to frown and look questionably at Minerva. She for one had definitely had more to do with this whole thing than Meredith. But regardless, neither said anything. Perhaps by giving her such an important title it would shut her up? To be honest, David didn't know the reason behind making Meredith the director of this, but he already foresaw it would be a total waste of time; much like Fifield, not a people person.

"Trite?" Fifield had scoffed.

"Yes, trite, it means-"

"I know what it bloody means." Fifield said with a frown. He wasn't an idiot. "How is anything I said trite? Enlighten us, please." He sounded rather sarcastic throughout everything he said there.

Meredith rolled her eyes, looking rather bored by the prospect of clearly trying to explain something which to her was obvious. "Okay," she started with a sigh. Placing her hands palms down on the table, she pushed her chair back. The wheels made minimal sound as she moved. Standing, she crossed her arms behind her back and walked around to stand near him. She placed her foot against the chair, and pushed it, Fifield's feet collided with the floor with a heavy thud. "Say, perchance we ran into trouble, while there. Or while getting there, if some of us were in danger, or the ship was damaged; how exactly do you think you'd cope, or what would you do? Keeping in mind, this is apparently just a research, recon and return mission, apparently." Meredith leaned her hand against the table and had very little trouble looking down her nose at the redhead. "The whole point of this meeting is to finalise plans, to avoid these situations. Do you understand? Good." Meredith said while watching Fifield nod. She turned and walked back to her seat, she sat down silently, in the otherwise silent room and looked around. "Any questions?"

"Surely we'd be in contact with the nearest space station?" Janek asked, arms still crossed over his hooded jumper as one of his legs was crossed over the other.

"We would lose contact with the station within seventy-four hours of leaving orbit, and proximity with Earth." David explained, Meredith had looked bluntly at him to answer this question. He knew the basic schedule of this mission, he was probably the best person to answer this question. Considering he was leaning against the wall behind Minerva, who had found herself near Chance, all Janek had to do was turn his chair and look up at the blonde synthetic. "We're going to deep space, Captain. No one will be able to get in contact with us, or rather; they would, perhaps, even our messages may get through, but it would take years."

"That's...reassuring, thanks," Janek mumbled, not feeling at all reassured by what David had said. Regardless, he smiled and looked forwards again, keeping his hands by his sides as the rest of the meeting continued on. "So, failsafes are needed incase of a problem arising. I get it. And the failsafes are what, exactly?" Janek asked, "We're not exactly a small crew." He hated to state it, but there was quite a number of them. To get them all to safety would take something...a real big something...

Meredith raised an eyebrow as she stared at him. "The ships programming." Was her answer, nothing else was added. Everyone looked a little confused by this. As if the ship was going to rescue and solve their problems, whatever problems they would encounter.

"Right..." Janek trailed off, "So, what's the next issue?" He asked looking around at everyone, most seemed to look awkward, shrug and look away, or just seem to pretend to think of a query to bring up.

Minerva stuck her hand up hesitantly, Janek leaned against the table and looked at her. He nodded, encouraging her onwards. "Because we fly out soon, everyone was asked to bring their luggage already." Minerva twiddled her fingers under the table. "It wasn't just so that they can be placed in the ship in preparation...it was also because...you're, me included, are going into quarantine..." That caused a bit of a commotion, Minerva winced and resisted the urge to put her hands over her ears. The cacophony of voices eventually died down, the main thing which seemed to be shot her way was why it was kept secret. "I know you all agreed to come on this mission, but the word 'quarantine', doesn't always sit well with people. And if you all knew that you were being kept shut away for the next week or so, we didn't know how some would act. We all presumed you knew this time would come...I do understand that you would've liked to have been told..." Minerva trailed off awkwardly, looking rather apologetically around the room. "I am sorry." There was a short sigh from the head of the table, Meredith just looked at her like she was stupid for apologising for something she had no real control in, or over. "You will be escorted down to the living quarters." Minerva continued on, most at that point seemed to glance at David, "Not by him." She decided to say firmly, though yes, he'd be the onboard synthetic, he wasn't the one to guide them to their temporary homes until the flight.

"Well, then if that's all." Meredith pushed herself out of her seat again. She went to the door and opened it. She wasn't all too surprised to see another David, he lowered his hand seems he was about to knock on the door. Meredith just moved past, "Your escort is here." Meredith sent over her shoulder as she moved down the corridor away from the emptying room.

"You did well," David rested a hand against Minerva's shoulder as he leaned down. She was soon the only person sitting in this room, her head was still bowed. She decided not to look up at everyone as they left. She knew there were inwardly, and outwardly annoyed. Of course they were, they had left plans for the sake of coming to this meeting, only to then be told they weren't allowed to leave. Who wouldn't be annoyed at that? Minerva didn't appreciate being the one that had to break this to them. But, also, wherever they were working, or whatever they were doing if it involved higher up employees, they had been contacted and were alerted to what was going on.

"They hate me, David." Minerva turned in her seat, David moved and knelt in front of her. He shook his head, he found that impossible. Who could possibly hate her? Other than maybe her own sister...David shook his head again, more dissuasively this time. "Can we go see him?"

"You know there is a possibility he cannot hear you?" David asked, Minerva looked sadly down at the ground. Peter Weyland had subsequently been placed within an induced coma, having got worse over the last few months, he had taken a huge step back. Seeing as how he was coming aboard, already being in a coma and then transferred to hypersleep wouldn't be much different.

Minerva nodded sadly, perhaps in a way of cheering herself up, that wasn't the way. "I think I know somewhere..." She trailed off, David looked curious. Minerva flicked her eyes to the door, "Follow me, David." She leaped from her chair and darted off quickly. David walked easily after her, his pace wasn't particularly fast, but her rapid footsteps made up two paces of his.

"Is it the garden?" David asked, she seemed to have an affinity with growing things, things which were alive.

"No," Minerva pushed a button once in the elevator and leaned against the wall. The elevator slowly descended and David looked out at the corridor beyond. Minerva shuffled out, David looked uncertain yet moved after her. He hadn't been here before. He didn't even know where this was in context of the rest of the building. There was only one door, and Minerva reached out and pushed the door open. David stood in the doorway, his eyes widened at the sight of the large room. He imagined this was what the recreational room looked like for the crew, a few floors up.

For all purposes, it did just look like a lounge. There were sofas, chairs, bookcases, a set to watch shows on. Only, the people pottering around, were not people. David, for the first time, was in a room full of models like himself. They looked up at the sound of the door opening with a confused look, all of them, the same face with the same confused expression. Minerva just continued to walk in, David shut the door slowly and walked after her. He didn't understand why they were here. His eyes flicked upwards, this room was monitored. He guessed with Weyland out of the picture, Minerva sort of had free rein to go wherever without being called out on possible motives.

"Hello," David turned his head, the David beside him smiled simply, hands in his pockets. The fact that they were like him made David a little uneasy. Socialising with people he could handle, always curiously surprising him even at the moment. But other 8 models? They shared a network, a mind, a hive mind working on the same wavelength. The blue eyes on the David which had addressed him widened a little, not saying it could be a mind reader, but being on the same network certainly wasn't helping. "You're a sceptical one."

"David and David, want to watch television?" Minerva asked simply, David looked to where she sat on the floor, the remote in her hands as she seemed to David to be creepily surrounded by himself, the clones looked up curiously.

"Why are we here?" He had to ask.

"She isn't leaving you here," the one next to him said while walking past and sitting on the sofa.

Minerva looked at him sadly, "I wouldn't leave you, David." She said sadly, how could he even think she'd do that to him? "I...I used to work with newly awoken androids and synthetics, that was my job; I monitored them, checked their progress, even helped sell them to the world. When I have not been doing whatever tasks my father gave me, or with you, I've been here...with these lot." She explained and smiled at the small gathering around her. "They know they're for promotional shows, and meetings. But they still need looking after, even if that is cruelly their fate at the moment. They will, however, eventually go into work places...and you know, others will be made..." Minerva smiled sadly and looked at the screen, she passed the remote to the David to her right, "There you go, choose whatever you want."

"Thank you," he smiled and commenced turning the set on to skim the channels.

David edged closer, Minerva looked up, feeling him brush a hand over her hair. "Do they know?"

The program which was put on was ignored as they turned, all in unison and looked at David. "She's a synthetic, we all know."

Minerva smiled sadly, "David, one of you were with me when I died. You, don't have that memory, do you?" He sat down slowly and stared into the distance, he slowly shook his head with a frown. He looked accusingly at those around him though, they remembered such a thing but he didn't? Obviously, it wouldn't have been an 8 model which was with her as she finally went. But so far, that David had discovered, he had quite the ability of getting into networks. "I didn't think you did, would you like it?"

"Why would I want it?" He frowned and looked at her annoyed. "Why would I want the memory, the ability to recall watching a woman I never met die? What would surely be the point? That means nothing to me, because that isn't you. And you aren't going to die."

Minerva sighed, "David, I also sort of bought you down here for your benefit too. Not just for me."

"Why?"

"Because isn't it actually quite nice to be with people who understand you?" Minerva smiled, "No need to pretend, or act, or whatever...for once, you are surrounded by the only people who'll ever truly understand you. So stop looking so grumpy, we have popcorn here if you want some?"

"I can make some," a David which shared the sofa piped up and waved a hand.

"Can you? Thank you, David!" Minerva smiled and looked happily around, the other David's seemed as up for popcorn as she did.

David however looked around feeling weirdly out of place still. Yes, technically, these were his people. But, and this was a massive one; David had already had so many more life experiences than these lot put together, he was still not on the same level as them. Yet, oddly enough being with them seemed to bring Minerva joy. Not that he was jealous at a collective she looked happy like this, but he'd made her happy enough on his own.

"How long are you visiting for this time?" The David beside Minerva asked.

"Just a little while, we fly out soon. The crew is in quarantine, but you know, us two don't need that...so I thought I'd come down to see you all one last time, and let David meet you all." Minerva said with a smile, she shrugged sadly and crossed her arms as she looked at the David coming over with a bowl of popcorn in his hands. She smiled, honestly, she didn't mind this being one of the last decent things she did while on Earth. She leaned back, her back hitting against David's legs, it would've been quite easy to muddle him up with the others sitting beside him. Apart from he looked at her completely different in comparison to his brothers. He reached down and took to absentmindedly twirling her hair around his fingers. Much like her, and the others around the room, David just watched the screen simply.

——

(Edited: 14/June/2021)