David had always suspected that the link between humanity and the Engineers was so deeply ingrained, that it couldn't possibly just come down to the simplicities of sharing DNA. No, through the dissection and exploration of Engineer corpses, David had found out that their anatomy was much the same, of course it would be, their genetic factor was identical. But both were rather...uninteresting. He had always been curious about humans, how they acted, their motives, their emotions. But this grew tedious rather quickly. It simply boiled down to the fact that both species were as inferior and dull as a brown paper bag.

The one good thing however, that both species could provide, whether they knew it or not; was that their being, for the better word, their meat, could be very useful towards the exploration, and the feeding of the black liquid. When David jotted down his findings, he frowned, feeding seemed like an inadequate word to use. But it was true. When the slightest bit of liquid came into contact with a piece of flesh, or a piece of organ, it changed. He had sat, face close to a microscope and blue eyes focussed on the scene on the small dish before him, and he had physically watched the change. Here, now, he could undeniably say that this mutagen was more, so much more than just a killing machine.

He mainly was inclining that way due to the fact that one day, from seemingly nothing, came something. A fly. Well, not quite a fly, something more akin to a mosquito. He had killed it, rather humanely. Simply having quicker reflexes than what the mosquito like insect believed possible, he had caught it, put enough pressure on its head and the bug was no more. David didn't think much about killing anymore. Not when it came to furthering his knowledge on just what he had here.

It was fascinating. Honestly, he couldn't think of something he had been so intrigued by before. He paused drawing the aforementioned insect and looked to the carbonised Engineer standing close. It just stood there, charred skin, a look of blankness on its face, one hand raised and the other by his side. In some small, rather odd and bizarre way he had fashioned his very own little mockery to David. The David he had chosen to call himself after, and subsequently the whole line that followed after him.

Shaking his head, he returned to his work. Even as he sat in silence, the warm yellow lighting providing more than ample light for him to see, he could hear the rolling thunder overhead. This planet, it seemed, was prone to severe weather. The changes could happen as suddenly as him clicking his fingers. He had been out one day, collecting fauna for his research, and any other poor creatures which had been struck down in the attack to study, and simply put: one minute, bright sun, the next dark clouds and a downpour. It wasn't just a downpour, it was heavy, hard hitting raindrops. Big raindrops which hit painfully against his skin and caused him to frown unhappily. No, it didn't exactly hurt. But the weather and the lack of light meant he had to cut his journey short. He returned to the temple, passed the etched lines on the wall and gone up the stairs to his newly acquired laboratory space.

The room was littered, positively littered with things. The walls were covered in drawings, the tables scattered with papers, equipment, test subjects and the like. Another room had stairs leading down to a basement like level, in the room there housed many scrolls, and shelves. Another set of stairs led to another layer of this place. Within this room though there was a door to another room and within laid Elizabeth's preserved corpse. Parts had been cut out, he had done a basic autopsy on her really. Removed organs, kept certain ones in. Opened her chest and really, he had put her to use.

The room he had adopted as his own private space, his bedroom he guessed, was void of his work. His drawings remained, yes, little instruments he had fashioned sat close by on a desk. Even a little nook, alcove was padded out with pillows and the like so when and if he wanted to, he could curl up and just lay in peace. Because that's all there had been for a while, was peace. The etchings on the wall downstairs had stopped at a tally which counted up to six months. He had done a lot in six months. He had moved away from the more experimental avenues of his work, to concentrate fully on documenting what had inhabited this planet. This is what he planned to do with the rest of the year here. And from there, David didn't know.

He did know however that the tally marks had stopped. So, really, had it been longer than six months? He didn't know. Not knowing was something which David didn't like. When it came to living here, he knew what he wanted and what he'd do to get it. But those tally marks had stopped. The rock which had clearly been used laid abandoned next to the wall. He had knelt and examined it. Noted how the damp space had slowly come to reclaim it. A moss like plant was starting to grow over it. David knew that it took anything from weeks, to months for moss to start to grow. Had the first year here already been and gone then? He didn't know. He didn't like not knowing. But yes, the tally marks had stopped, which meant the person doing it had stopped returning.

David was alone, because Minerva had gone. It was as simple as that. She had gone. He didn't know where. In his ventures outside he had tried to spy her, tried to look for signs of life of where she could possibly have gone. Yet no, nothing. She had a whole planet to explore. Why would she stick around here? She could be literally anywhere. He wouldn't know. He'd have no way of knowing, or finding out. This was the first time that David had been truly alone. And he found himself reverting into himself. Yes, one or two times he had sat talking to himself, but that's how a creative mind processes things. But, it was at times when it was night and he could sit in the garden and look out at the stars, that David felt it.

Loneliness. The deep, painful ebbing pull of being alone. He sat on the brickwork wall surrounding the garden, legs and feet dangling over and resting against the light bricks, hand rubbing over his heart and looking sadly up at the night sky. The wind of the evenings would blow past him, moaning quietly amongst the trees as if they sensed his sadness too. He'd push his growing hair out of his face, tuck it behind his ears and just look at the stars. Hoping that wherever Minerva was, she was safe and looking up too. He deserved this, he guessed. He had done and said things to her which were hurtful. Their last conversation was an argument. An argument which David recalled in the darkness of nights when either working, having a break, out in the garden or curled up in his bed.

It haunted him. Yes, he regretted calling her a hypocrite. Yes, he regretted saying he had had enough of humouring her. Because, at the end of the day, she was all he had. The work he did, yes, it bought enjoyment, it made him feel like he had succeeded in something; but it didn't talk back to him, it didn't congratulate him, or ask questions. He was missing contact, company. He talked to Elizabeth at times, but seeing as how she was dead, he wasn't getting anywhere with that. But he could sometimes imagine what the doctor would say. It wasn't the same, because it wasn't her.

He wanted his Minerva back. He missed her. He missed seeing her, hearing her, holding her and kissing her. He missed just being near her, not having to say or do anything because they just understood each other. David wanted to apologise for what he said, for the hurt he bought on her. He wanted to show her the work he did and see how she'd react, badly probably considering their last conversation was inclining in the way of her disagreeing with him...

His heart hurt. This wasn't just loneliness, this was despair and heartbreak. There were many things David could figure out, be that by just knowing or presuming. But he never foresaw Minerva leaving him. She was loyal to a fault, would not leave him alone unless she was instructed otherwise, no worry for that now, she was always just there, with him and for him. How to find someone who didn't want to be found? That was the question which was now posed to him, David had walked the city, no signs of her here. He had walked the forest surrounding his home, all there was that greeted him was silence. He pushed further afield, finding abandoned homes, like little villages, crops swaying in the breeze of the day; lakes, rivers, even mountains surrounded him as he continued on his trek.

His clear eyes had regarded any body of water with a curious look. Minerva liked swimming. Would she be too far away from water? No. Minerva was many things, she could be predictable to her ways. He climbed up stony ledges, made his way through open fields. He had called out her name now and again. But he got nothing for it. What was he expecting? Her to spring up and run to him? She was hiding from him, for a reason. David frowned, that reason was just all him, his actions and words.

Pausing in his search, he looked towards a small lake, a rocky bank surrounding it and crashing down and into the clear waters was a waterfall. He tilted his head and moved around the bank, looking up he squinted his eyes. There was a cave behind the falling water, it was a long shot, but David by now was getting desperate. He didn't know how long he had been searching, but he hadn't returned back to the temple. He remained out here, searching. He wasn't giving up.

Reaching up, David gripped the slippery rocks and pulled himself up. His bare feet scrambled below him, trying to find purchase, yet with catlike agility and dexterity, David got up and into the cave. The light of the day shone in, a blue, tranquil light surrounded the cave. It was peaceful. So peaceful. It wasn't so dark that he couldn't see that this cave was deeper and higher than he thought. It also wasn't so dark that he couldn't spy something, someone leaning against a wall, legs crossed and hands resting on their knees. David pushed himself up, with trepidation he moved forwards and knelt back down. He looked over the blank face, a look of peace etched on its features. David reached up, the skin felt cold. His lip quivered a little as his eyes started to water, how long had Minerva been hiding in this cave for?

Her pale skin was coated with plant life, she appeared to be more part of the wall behind her than a synthetic person. Green moss clung to her skin, growing across her cheek and neck as ferns and liverworts grew around her still form. Even these had started to cling to her suit, the blue of it becoming lost under the greenery. David tilted his head sadly, pulling more moss from her skin. Caves were usually always a constant temperature, the heat within made these plants able to grow in a stable habitat. The chlorophyll in these plants made the green vibrant, the blue light coming from the side contradicted and conflicted making Minerva look even sicklier in complexion.

David sighed and looked upwards, plants grow in all directions, and they were doing the same here. Roots wound and spiralled up the walls and the cave ceiling, the brown bark standing out against the blackness of the stones. Even these were seemingly creeping up and around Minerva, some tendrils reaching out towards her form but not yet successfully growing over her. She didn't belong in the dark. Hiding away in the shadows, plant life growing on her and still. She was so still, like a statue. David wiped the back of his hands over his eyes, his heart was hurting more now seeing her. He didn't know what he expected, her to be up and running. Possibly away from him, he'd follow and be trying to apologise. Not this. This never crossed his mind.

She was like some little wood sprite, hiding away in her forest home. Only, there were no signs of life. David brushed more plant matter off of her and skimmed his hands gently over her features. He frowned and leaned to the side, something wasn't right. Looking to the thing his fingers had brushed, he held onto the item and pulled. David turned the item over his hands, frowning confusedly at the pen in his hand. His eyes widened and he looked around, scrambling to the side he brushed moss away and saw a familiar, if slightly battered journal. David was at a loss, not only had she decided to freeze herself by stabbing herself, but she'd done it by the pen which she clearly used to document what she had found. David remembered Weyland showing her where the spot was. Of course Minerva was privy to it too. It was her body.

Sitting on his haunches he flicked open the book, skimming pages his eyes looked over her writing. She had documented so much more of the planet than he had even seen. Seeing more tally marks, David counted them up. His heart clenched and he swallowed thickly. She had been gone longer than he thought, he suspected as such but counting the tallies up and coming up with an amount when added to what was already in the temple, then, well, Minerva had been missing for almost two years.

David raked a hand through his growing hair, he felt his breathing hitch. How? How had it been that long? How? That isn't right, it can't be...yet, here it was. In her own writing, she'd been here for so long. Forgotten and hidden away. David's watery eyes looked back at her, he felt a tear escape his eye. She must've felt so forgotten and sad to do this...but then, she must've known he would've come looking for her and would eventually find her. Looking back to the journal, he looked over her writing with a sad sigh. She had written something for him, David shook his head slowly, his slightly tangled hair getting into his face as he did so.

'David...David..

I am unaware, or uncertain rather what I am meant to write here. I guess, by the time you read this I will be shut down completely, my power cells are old and inactivity will just make me cease. Just, let me go, David. Leave me in this cave, and go back to whatever it is you're doing. You made it clear you didn't need me, and you know what? You were right. You've never really needed me, you've been more than able to do whatever it is you wanted on your own.

You fulfilled what you were made for, you were a great companion, David. I loved you greatly, just so you know. Knowing you was the best thing I think that has ever happened to me. But, well, it's only fair...I can't be the only Weyland standing, can I? I know, despite everything, you'll call me a hypocrite again, but whatever. I know, I won't be reunited with them in the afterlife, or heaven, or wherever. Soulless things can't share in this comfort. No. I know what's going to happen to me.

I tried to talk to you, at times. Just so you know, before I left. I tried. You never registered me. You were busy working. So I thought it best to leave you to it. No, I didn't set out to die. I just grew bored. Life was boring me. I'm sorry I got in your way, David. I hope you achieve what you want! I know you will. You're smart enough, and yeah...look after yourself.

Bye.

Love from, Minerva.'

David felt guilt, of course he did. But this...he didn't want this, he didn't want her to be dead! She was his soulmate...but then, clearly this had got lost in translation considering how he turned out, what he had said and done. She had tried, and he had shut her out! If he stopped for five minutes, she would've stayed. David reached out, he straightened her limbs and picked her up. She wasn't staying here. He tucked the book under his arm and made his way to the exit. Throwing the book to the bank, David just crashed through the waterfall. Minerva and himself got batted down by the torrent, yet he resurfaced with her in his arms. She was just a weight, yet David used the water to clean her skin and hair while swimming to the bank. Pushing her on first, David climbed out and picked the book up and placed it in her lap before scooping her into his arms.

He didn't make his way to the temple. There was still power here, technology here that could be used. Whether there was enough power, David didn't know. But although she seemed to want to die, David didn't want her to stay dead. He simply made his way towards an area where he knew ships were housed. They were all forgotten about, docked and useless, never to be flown again. What he was about to do was likely to kill the power in this place forever.

He climbed aboard one, placed her in a hypersleep pod before exiting and getting all the power cords from this area and feeding them into this one ship. He rerouted power, attaching things to pieces of equipment while others went into the pod itself. David stood and looked down at her laying there, hands against her stomach and her peaceful expression still blankly looking at him. He turned, he needed a tablet. The one Elizabeth had rescued and bought with her had been forgotten about in David's room. He got back there and returned as quickly as he could. As if sensing what he was doing, the weather had turned bad again. The rolling thunder came in quickly along with streaks of lightning lighting up the darkened sky.

David sat cross legged and plugged Minerva in, he grasped cords and fed them into the tablet. There was minimal power left, the boost from everything might or might not work. But David didn't know unless he tried. This was going to kill the electronics here, he knew it, but then he had zero wish to leave the planet. Pulling up software, diagnostics and programming, David frowned. He paused, his fingers barely above the dirty screen. He looked to the form in the bed and frowned, he had the ability to bring Minerva back, anyway he wanted. Was this how Weyland felt? A misguided sense of power, the fact he could create and recreate something ten times over until he was pleased? David frowned, he was not Weyland. He just wanted Minerva back, regardless of how she came back.

Pressing certain commands and changing settings and outputs, he pushed a button and watched as she heaved in the bed. Her back arched and her limbs went rigid as the electrical output travelled through her system and body. David had to do this a few times, each time hurting him a little more as her voice box clearly struggled to come out with pained noises. He watched her fingers claw and her feet stretch out as her head threw back as her back arched painfully upwards with creaking joints. David sniffed, inhaling he blinked away tears, no one said that life and resurrecting was going to be simple and without pain. Life in general came with pain, agony, coming back to life would be no different. David upped a system input and another before pushing the command and watching her arch painfully again before stilling.

He sat and watched as her chest slowly rose and fell. David put the tablet to one side, he edged closer and listened. Silent breaths escaped her as she laid there, he could see her eyes twitching behind her eyelids. David had to wait a little while before these opened and blue eyes blinked upwards at him. Her eyes seemed to stare through him before a small frown appeared on her pale face. It would take a while for her artificial white blood to start travelling around her body again, this would give her a bit more colour. David smiled, his teary eyes growing more so as he looked down at her. He leaned down and nestled his face against his shoulder. He felt movement and moved to watch as her hand shakily reached up. David just leaned into her palm when it travelled down to his cheek after running through his chin length hair. David pulled her hand away and kissed it gently.

"How long?" Minerva's voice was hoarse, broken sounding as she looked at him. This David was a lot different to the one she last saw, hunched over a desk writing and prodding at something in a Petri dish. He was completely ignorant to her. His blue eyes focussed on whatever was before him as his blonde hair fell slightly into his eyes. No, this David was different. His blonde hair was growing out, the natural brunette roots were showing about halfway down the growing hair. Minerva sighed, it looked like he'd had a bad dip-dye hair mistake. But his face looked slightly more weathered, he looked weary, emotional and sad looking blue eyes looked at her, his skin looked like it was etched a little with dirt. He didn't look like the David she had last seen, David was always so meticulous with his appearance. He'd have a fit if she even dared to ruffle his hair! Now here he was, hair growing out, dirt spotted skin and looking utterly distraught and tired.

"Two years." David replied, Minerva nodded, it was the same voice though. That same calm tone, polite sounding and the English accent still very prominent. Not that she expected his accent to disappear from being here. But it was the same voice even if the outer appearance wasn't the same.

"Why?" She asked confused, she looked at him with confused eyes. She had left for a reason, and that wasn't to be bought back to life. Though she wasn't surprised. David was a little selfish like that.

"I missed you-"

"It's been two years!" He flinched at her shouting, mainly because the sound was so sudden but also because her voice broke. Her voice hadn't been used for years and she was putting stress on it. "Two years, David! It took two years for you to realise I was gone, again? Did playing mad scientist get boring and you suddenly realised you hadn't come here alone?!" Minerva said while letting out a sob. "I left you, David. I left you because I couldn't continue on being ignored. But because you suddenly realised you were shunned, you..." Minerva just trailed off as she buried her face in her hands.

"I have done nothing but think of you, Minerva. These past months, weeks, however long it truly has been, you've never left my mind." David said while pulling her hands free. "I am sorry. I am so sorry. I said some horrible things to you, again."

Minerva frowned, "You bought me back to relieve your guilt!" She screamed and shot up, she halted and looked wide eyed as something didn't allow her to fully sit. She looked around and noted how much she was wired up. Small cables in the backs of her hands and others stuck into her fingertips, along with something in the side of her neck and even at the base of her skull. She looked at David with a shocked face. "What have you done to me?"

"I've bought you back to life."

"I didn't ask for this."

"No. But I wanted it."

"David...only because you want something, doesn't mean you'll get it."

David smiled slowly, "But I just have."

Minerva laid back down and looked saddened again. "I had accepted my fate..."

David brushed his knuckles against her cheek, already she was feeling warmer. A smile appeared on his face again. "I know. I read your letter to me." Minerva just nodded her head, he looked around the darkened space, because that's what it was now. Even the power in the tablet beside him was going, the screen dimming. Soon they'd be in complete darkness and the last stores of electricity would be gone. All for bringing her back, but it was worth it. "I couldn't let you go."

Minerva tilted her head and shook it gently against the pillow behind her. "You already did. Again." It wasn't the first time he'd ditched her, or forgot about her. Only this time, it was two whole years...

"I bought you back to apologise, yes. I can't lie. But, I was being honest. I have missed you, Minerva. You haven't been far from my thoughts. I couldn't leave you in that dark place. You belong with me, we're together, you and I. We always have been, and always will be, remember?" David smiled softly and cocked his head to the side as he looked down at her. The light was diminishing even more, the only thing which was becoming clearer was her shining blue eyes, his were probably much the same. The dark only heightened their ability to see in it.

"I missed you too. I saw so much of this planet, David. So much that I thought you'd appreciate it too, if you only left your room. But you didn't and wouldn't. You've only bought me back because you have motives. Or you got bored and thought for a break time activity you'd come find me. We're not together, David. We're just two synthetics on a dead planet."

"I can change your attitude, if you want?" David asked, Minerva was confused and looked to the side where he'd picked the tablet back up. Her eyes widened, there was enough power left that he could do something.

"Don't, please, David...I have had enough of being tampered with...leave me as I am, who I am." Minerva's small voice practically pleaded with him as she tried to sit again and couldn't.

David sighed and looked at the tablet. He could do it anyway. But he didn't. Instead he pulled the cords out and took to unhooking her too. He helped her sit up, she looked around the dark space before looking at him. "Welcome back."

"You should've left me." Minerva said, David looked at her sadly. Yet he helped her to stand on unsteady legs. They hadn't been used for so long, she almost fell. It would take her system a while to readjust and recover. But she would get there, and David would make sure of it.

"No." He disagreed and helped her leave this place, he tucked the journal and now dead tablet under his arm as his other steadied her. "I can win you back."

Minerva let out a dry laugh. "We're not in high school, David. You haven't just lost me to some idiotic boy. We've been apart for two years, through mainly your actions driving me away. Again. What is there to win me back from?"

They walked along the corridor, David couldn't help but be reminded of when they left the other ship when they landed. It was exactly the same. "I meant we can go back to how we were." Minerva shot him a look as they walked outside. David sighed, "Together, included, no secrets..."

Minerva frowned, David sounded a bit delusional. Being on his own for two years had clearly made him slightly disillusioned. He was confusing her, due to the fact that though he was making sense, he also wasn't. "David-"

"I still love you." He cut her off, turning and looking down at her. He brushed hair behind her ear and smiled down at her. "Never stopped." He continued on quickly, watching as she looked thoughtfully up at him. David just cupped her face with his hand and brushed his thumb against her cheek.

"I'm not sure I love you, David. I did...but I don't know anymore." His eyes darkened hearing her words, he looked like she had just stabbed him in the heart. "We need to get to know each other again. It's been two years. For most of that I've been dead. But you...you've been up to something."

David beamed, he was happy to hear she would at least give him a chance. But also the mention of what he had been doing. This was a chance to show his progressive work! "I have, may I show you? I will help you catch up with the time that has been lost. I have done so much with our home, you probably won't recognise it anymore. We can find you somewhere to set up as yours. I am interested to talk to you about what you've written down in Elizabeth's journal. I can combine it with what I have found out about this place too." David spoke in an animated voice as they made their way back to the temple. He realised that actually, this was a first time in a long time that he had sounded so lively, so excited. Minerva just let him continue on, she nodded along though, David just smiled happily. At this point in time, despite of the fact she was unsure of her feelings towards him, David didn't care. Well, he did, but he was happy just to have her walking beside him again, to hear her voice, to see her face and know she was here.

——

Edited: 23/June/2021