David stared up at the dark ceiling above him. He didn't know what the time was, or what the day was, how long they had been shut away for. Minerva had long since given up trying to get out, and he had accepted the fact that he wasn't going to get reattached to his body, let alone out of the cell room. Minerva laid beside him, still and silent. David managed to turn his face slightly, he still had enough of a neck remaining to do this. He blinked awkwardly, his vision was becoming blurry. He could be mistaken, but he was very sure that everything was a lot dimmer and darker than what it was when they were first in here.

Minerva's eyes opened, she looked up at him. Reaching up, she placed her hand against his cheek and stroked the skin gently. David blinked again, he opened his mouth only to shut it when Minerva sent a look his way. It was the resignation look, he didn't need to say anything, it seemed Minerva had accepted the fact she too was never going to be remade, and they were stuck here. "We're going to die." Minerva said, her voice sounding broken and scared. David couldn't help but frown lightly, she had already done that once. He couldn't imagine she was wanting it a second time. After all, her father built her to avoid death.

"I am dying, Minerva. Not you." David sighed, his voice coming out wavering, voice receptors were broken and frayed. It was a wonder he could still talk at all really. But, much like a synthesiser, his voice was coming out sounding just a little bit strange.

"No!" She sat up and looked down at him with scared eyes. "Don't say that, David! You're not going to die, you can't die! I can't lose you..." She trailed off, wiping under her eyes with her arm as she sniffled quietly.

David smiled kindly at her, "Minerva," he said calmly, she sniffled a little bit more before looking at him with that same scared expression. "My eyesight is failing, I can barely see out of my left eye. I am dying. Listen to me, my voice is failing too. You can't hide away, or ignore what is happening, Minerva. You just can't." David said sternly, but not stern enough to make her cry some more. He wanted her to realise what was happening. He didn't like it, he didn't want to die. He didn't want to leave her in this world of the unknown.

"But I'll be alone..."

David smiled, "Without me, Elizabeth might come for you. You've not wronged her."

"But...nor have you...really..."

David frowned lightly, "I killed her boyfriend. I have wronged her."

"She doesn't know that," Minerva pouted, casual as anything, she didn't like Charlie so there was still no reaction there.

David sighed, she wasn't getting it. "Elizabeth doesn't see you as a threat." Minerva hung her head, that was true really. "She'll need someone."

"...But I can't lose you, David." Minerva said, regardless of what he was saying, it still didn't solve the fact that she wasn't ready to be properly alone. "You're my oldest friend, companion, we may not have always got along, but life without you will be bleak, I know it will be." Minerva said while leaning back down and nestling close to what remained to his neck. David managed to rest against her head, he shut his eyes, he didn't need his heart right now to feel heartbroken.

"Do you remember what it was like before me?" David asked, shutting his eyes, he could feel them glassing over with tears.

"Y-yes..."

"It'll be just like then."

"Bleak."

"But you'll survive. You survived it before. You can do it again."

"I'm not ready to say goodbye, David." Minerva curled up in a small ball, her hand threading up and into his hair as she nestled close.

"No one ever is." He fell silent for a bit, Minerva just shook beside him, trying to cry quietly and failing really because he could still hear the odd sob come from her now and again. "You said I was with you when you died. I didn't want to know what it was like, because that wasn't really me. But can I know what happened? I think I would like to know now. It seems ironic, and apt to go full circle."

Minerva nodded and coughed quietly, composing herself she looked up at him, David's eyes flicked to the side. "The hospital room, well, my bedroom, was kitted out with all equipment possible. They were keeping me alive, I had got an infection, and I wasn't getting any better. The doctors that my father had employed knew I hadn't got long. But he was not here, there I mean...but you were, not you-you, but a David. He was my assistant to begin with, but despite of his rudimentary ways, he was capable of being my friend." Minerva paused to sit up, she scooped David up too and leaned against the nearest wall.

"You loved him." David looked her over as she bent her legs and rested him back against her legs. The remainder of his spine coiled to the side and against the floor.

Minerva brushed his hair out his face. "I came to love him, because he was all I had. He was my friend, when I didn't even know I needed one. He came to doctor appointments, he looked after me as I threw up from treatments, and he stayed watching over me as I slept. It creeped me out, but he reassured me did it to make sure I was all right."

"So, it made sense he was there at the end." David said, not feeling envious, for once over another male giving Minerva attention. No, it wasn't because it was another David. It was because this David was there, in her moment of need when all her family was elsewhere.

Minerva smiled and nodded. "I was scared. So scared, David. Father was at some presentation, Meredith was...I don't know, and I never will. David and those doctors, those strangers, were all I had at the end." Minerva bit her lip and looked upwards, David didn't want to see her cry, but it was inevitable considering what she was retelling. "He sat on the bed with me, he held my hand, so tight...my nerves were shot, and he wanted me to know he was there. I knew he was, but it didn't stop him holding my hand tightly like he did. He leaned against my pillows, brushed hair out my face, and told me that I shouldn't be afraid. Ridiculous in a way, how could a synthetic have a concept of that? But that's when I realised, in that moment, there was so much more to this David than I ever thought. I looked at him, and I saw pain, agony, fear. Everything that I felt, he was as scared as me. But he smiled, he held my hand, and said that it was okay to let go. Staying here was causing me so much pain, and I didn't need to hurt anymore."

David listened to her, it sounded like in equal parts, this David loved her too. "He was with you until the end."

Minerva nodded, she looked at him with a fractured smile. "When I woke, as this...I was alone, confused and scared. As you know, I had my father, and I had people he'd allow me to interact with...but that was to learn to be human again, not because they wanted to be my friend. They died, I remained, my father would lie, not knowing how I'd deal with death, and would replace them...and then you came through my door." She smiled fondly at the memory, even David smiled a bit. "You looked confused, lost even. You were so tall, strong looking, I liked your hair better then," she admitted with a quiet laugh. David just let out a sigh, yet he didn't comment. "I will be here for you, David...when the end comes." She would be with him, regardless of them being shut in.

"Do you miss those days? Us, just at home, doing nothing in particular." He said when Minerva looked a bit confused.

"Me reading to you, and you using my lap as a pillow. Watching things with more popcorn than we need. Walking in the garden, free of overbearing people and being allowed to enjoy each other's company. Of course I miss it."

David looked her over, "I miss it too." He blinked and looked back up at her. "Did you have any regrets?"

Minerva shrugged, "I regretted a few things. Not finding happiness with someone, I guess. Doing the normal human things which seem to matter so much, but naturally don't now."

"I think I'll regret not telling you how I felt before we got into this mess."

Minerva's expression softened, "You never had to say anything, David. We're linked, you and I. Same networking really, remember?"

"Two bodies, one heart."

"What's that Aristotle quote?"

"Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies." David recited with a small smile.

"I forgot, we're not meant to have souls, are we?"

David rolled his eyes, "Anything that's alive, must have some form of a soul."

"Who are they to say we don't? Because we're machines? Are we not sentient?"

David nodded, "We can believe we are like them, if you wish. But let's be honest, we're better than they'll ever be."

Minerva frowned, she nodded slowly though, agreeing with him. "We are." Her eyes flicked upwards, she heard sounds from outside. She stood, David in her arm as she walked over and looked downward at him.

"Doctor Shaw?" David called out, his voice crackling still as his voice box was failing ever more. The shuffling sounds seemed to cease, David glanced awkwardly up at Minerva, she just pressed her lips into a thin line. "It's fine, we're still very much in here."

"I'm not here to talk to you, David. I don't really want to anymore." Came the muffled response from the other side of the door.

What she was doing out there, neither knew. But both were inclined to say she was lying and loneliness was kicking in. "I understand. I just wanted to say goodbye." Might as well try for the sympathy vote. "I don't have much time. Without my power systems connected, my consciousness will soon fail." He felt Minerva's hand tighten around him, she shifted her weight and even bought him up to nestle against his hair. He wished he could hold her back and reassure her. He sighed and shut his eyes, Elizabeth hadn't answered. "I understand why you feared me, we always fear things that are different from us...but I would never have hurt you, Doctor Shaw." David squinted, only to blink awkwardly, one of his eyes just went dark. He didn't wish to bring this up to Minerva. He was dying. "There is nothing for me to do in here, other than think alongside Minerva, you see. I wonder if I've not gone a bit mad...but...I understand something new today: perhaps we are all not so different."

"We are nothing like each other." Came the reply, after so much silence.

"We're frightened too." David said, speaking for Minerva, he knew her fears mainly dwelt around him and him passing, but she was still scared to be in here alone, a life without him. "We don't want to die alone, either."

Little to either of their knowledge, Elizabeth leaned against the wall near the door which kept them shut in. She looked upwards at the ceiling, her eyes stinging a little from that confession. It was so honestly spoken, so truthful that it hit her. They were all going to die, that was the realisation. Why die separately? Her isolation away from other beings was clearly getting to her as she wiped at her eyes.

"Can you talk to us? For a little while please. About anything that pleases you really. We just want to hear a voice, especially me as I die. I mean no offence to Minerva, I find the sound of her voice pleasing, but her energy is running low too. Can you...perhaps, just for now, pretend to be kind to us, to me?" David questioned, his question hanging heavily in the air as silence was greeting them again.

The pair of them squinted their eyes when the light suddenly streamed in from the open door. Both looked towards Elizabeth as she looked in at them. She sidestepped and looked down the corridor before looking back at them. Minerva uncertainly stepped forwards before she was out the room, David in tow. They both looked around confused before looking at Elizabeth. "I am sorry," she apologised, her voice breaking a little as she looked at the pair. They did look bedraggled and sorry for themselves. "I'm going to fix you, both of you."

"Really?" Minerva asked disbelievingly.

Elizabeth nodded, "Yes. Yes, really." She gestured a hand, "I promise, both of you, I'll fix you." She led the way, Minerva shuffled after her as she followed her into a room which had filtered white lighting on. On the table was David's body, and on a table to the side was Minerva's arm. She let out a breathless noise, she didn't believe Elizabeth. Not after last time, but this...this was clearly a sign that she meant what she said.

"Here you go," David was gently laid down on the table, he blinked his one working eye and smiled at Minerva.

"Thank you," he flicked his eyes to Elizabeth as she pulled up a bag of tools. "You will need help. I will instruct you how to fix me, and then I in turn will fix Minerva."

"Okay," Elizabeth nodded, she watched as Minerva moved around the room to jump and sit on the table next to her arm. She picked it up, examined it and placed it down again. "Sorry," Elizabeth said, picking up a knife and holding it to the collar of his suit. The pair were still wearing the suits from the Prometheus.

"It's okay," David just smiled. The sooner that suit was gone the better, they didn't need them anymore. Not that either synthetic needed them anyway. But they weren't crew members of that ship anymore.

"I have replacement clothing for the both of you." Elizabeth said while glancing up at Minerva. She looked back down and managed to find a tear in the suit and cut further downwards. She ripped the material apart and managed to get David's arms free before laying his body back down. The gaping hole which was left in his body could easily be seen and accessed to now.

"All you'll need to do is connect wires, the technology will do the rest." David explained, looking upwards at Elizabeth as she pushed her hair out of her face.

"What does that mean?" She didn't understand.

"Living technology. Even if a part has been detached, it'll register it being reconnected and will reestablish a connection, you won't need to literally get in and connect every wire to its buddy." Minerva explained while she sighed quietly and smiled lightly. "It shouldn't be too hard!" She shrugged limply.

"Says you, you clearly know what you're talking about. Care to help?" Elizabeth asked, glancing at her.

"I've got one good working hand, so I might as well." Minerva slipped from the table and walked over. Pulling the faux skin further down, Elizabeth seemed to wince at the force in which Minerva yanked. "Sorry, David."

"Honestly, it's quite alright." He smiled, he just laid there as Minerva seemed to stick her hand into his body and fish out the wires they needed to reattach his head to his body. Elizabeth looked at her with a bit of an appalled expression, she got stuck right in. "Try the green to green, red to red..." David trailed off as he was pulled closer to his body as Elizabeth leaned over him doing just that. He frowned, "It's meant to be simple-"

"Be quiet, I am trying here." Elizabeth cut him off picking up soldering equipment and tweezers to untangle wires without getting her hands in there and possibly doing further damage.

"Here," Minerva waved a wire her way, Elizabeth took it, shocked at the casual behaviour. She didn't seem wholly concerned that further damage could be done to David. Yet, both stood there and watched as the wires found their counterparts and instantly reconnected.

Elizabeth hadn't ever seen something like it. It was literally like the wires were alive as they writhed and wriggled about, finding where they belonged and snapping into place. Literally, living technology, David's head was reattaching itself to his body, and it was truly a weird sight to see. Laying for a moment, David felt his senses coming back online, sensations like touch and hearing and most importantly: sight, were fulling kicking in as he felt the cold of the table beneath him, and saw more details of the room than he did before.

Slowly he pushed himself up, tilting his head and looking either side, he double took. "Is your hair new?"

Elizabeth looked confused as she tugged at the ends of her hair. "What? No."

"Yes it is. I like it like that." David smiled and watched as Elizabeth leaned forwards and pinched the skin together to solder it back together. It was the best she could do, he couldn't heal the teared skin it seemed.

"It's just longer," Elizabeth rolled her eyes and moved around him, bit by bit, the wires and machinery were hidden by her fixing the tear up.

"You have cut it." Minerva said, now taking to leaning against the table near David's feet. She watched him being fixed with a small smile, she was happy.

David's eyes flicked to the side as he saw Elizabeth appear at his opposite side. "It looks very chic."

The terminology made Elizabeth let out a quiet laugh. "Thank you." She stepped back and placed the tool in her hand down, "You're done."

David lifted his arms and looked over his hands before slowly bending his legs, in a shaky motion he swung his legs over the table. He slid down, he was a bit wobbly yet he managed to take a few shaky steps forwards before smiling contently. "That's more like it. Almost like my old self, whoever he was...you're very kind at heart, you know." He said, looking down at Elizabeth with the smile still on his face.

Behind him, Minerva scrambled up onto the table and sat cross legged. She could see the uncertain look on Elizabeth's face, even more so as David reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Are you going to kill me now?"

David tilted his head, "Why would I do that, Elizabeth?" He smiled again before turning and looking at Minerva, "Now, shall we sort you out?"

"Please!" She exclaimed and fidgeted on the table.

Regardless of his suit being in tatters around his waist, David reached up and with help from Minerva, they managed to do the same to her. The vest underneath her suit seemed intact, if a little stained with her blood. David sighed, "Now this is going to be tricky."

"Why?" Elizabeth asked, leaning her hands against the table, looking confusedly between the two.

David looked at the tied off cables and wires coming out of Minerva's shoulder, before getting her arm and looking it over too. "Because she isn't like me." David's eyes flicked to Elizabeth. "Minerva is older. She can't reattach wires on a whim. This will need to be done by hand."

"I'm awkward, aren't I?"

David smiled at her, "Would we have you any other way?" He questioned, earning another smile from her. "Right," he looked at Elizabeth, she looked back at him. "We do this together, and with any luck, we'll all be as right as rain in a bit."

——

Edited: 18/June/2021