There was something unnerving about being witness to the interaction of the brothers. Minerva leaned her elbows against her knees and watched them. There seemed to be mild intrigue on David's behalf, whereas Walter was a bit more hesitant. He listened to the instructions which were given, even relinquishing his hold on the flute to let David cover the holes. But there was something, like an abyss between the both of them, maybe all three of them. They would better understand each other, more than what anyone else ever would. But yet, there was still a tension in the air, a wedge which wasn't being removed and if anything made the atmosphere worse.

The tune in which Walter was managing to get out with David's help was nothing spectacular, doing scales wasn't exactly the most brilliant thing to listen to. But, Minerva guessed, it was the point behind it. David was all about proving points, he was annoyingly determined like that. He always had to be right, and perish the thought of ever saying otherwise. Minerva got it, because he could, David guessed his brother could too. There was the look of slow growing hopefulness in David's eyes. Minerva saw it, even in the low lighting of the room. Her stomach twisted uncomfortably, mainly because she had never recalled seeing such a look before.

Was she jealous of Walter? Perhaps a little. She hadn't done anything, that she could recall of, that ever had David looking at her like he was with Walter right now. Even the elation he gave Walter for doing a scale was more praise than she had ever heard from him. Minerva's eyes drifted down to the ground, staring flatly and sadly at the simple tanned brickwork. She felt like an outsider looking in again. David hadn't appeared to her to be too interested in his brother. Clearly he was faking that and was more interested than he let on, or at least to her.

Hearing the tune suddenly fasten up, turn slightly more upbeat than scales, Minerva glanced at the two. So alike, yet so different. She sighed, maybe she should just go? Leave them to whatever this was. She had promised, or at least said to that woman that she'd check her injuries. No one else seemed to be helping her. Minerva hadn't helped someone in a long time, it was a novelty.

"You aren't surprised to see me." Walter's voice was low, curious sounding but also questioning as he held the flute in his hands, his eyes still staring across at the synthetic in front of him.

David's eyebrows rose as he shook his head slightly. "Every mission needs a good synthetic." Why would he be surprised to see one amongst the humans? Walter looked slowly over to Minerva, and then back at David. She smiled sadly at him, and in response Walter looked almost sympathising. "Ah, Minerva there may be the slight exception. She was just along for the ride." David's voice cut into their little stare off, sounding quite bitter yet triumphant when Walter looked questionably at him with a frown, and Minerva's shoulders further slumped. "Now then, apply gentle pressure on the holes. Like the weight of a cigarette paper." David didn't dwell on the previous subject for much longer, taking to directing it back to Walter and his impromptu music lesson. David just looked on, rather pleased and proud that Walter managed to copy the tune he had earlier played for him. "That's it." David smiled, Walter's expression was blank other than the small frown and confused eyes. "I was with our illustrious creator, Mr Weyland, when he died."

Walter's fingers ceased moving, he just sat motionless staring. "What was he like?" He hadn't had the chance to meet anyone like that. The people who bought him online did so, then didn't really stay around too long. Yes, he was somewhat nurtured into this life, but none of the people were Peter Weyland.

David sighed almost inaudibly, he even glanced at Minerva as she looked distantly up at the pair. He smiled, shrugged, and looked back to Walter. "He was human." The response had Minerva looking saddened again, which David saw from the corner of his eyes. Yet Walter looked blank still, his answer didn't mean much to him. "He was entirely unworthy of his creation."

"You only knew him for a small while." Minerva's voice was low as she looked at the pair.

David smiled good naturedly and turned to her. "I knew him better than you, through having to serve him." He paused, still smiling, "He was bitter, twisted, selfish. The company he built was successful, yes. But it also provided him with the means to make you, make us. And look at what our lives have come to, Minerva. You really don't partially blame your father for that, honestly?" He rolled his eyes, utterly bored by her growing contempt. "He held onto power too long, like Icarus who got close to the sun; he got burned, absolute power corrupts absolutely, after all." Waving a hand casually in the air, David focussed on Walter. "I truly pitied him at the end. Now, raise your fingers as I apply pressure on them." David really didn't want to talk about Weyland anymore. On and off he did enough of that with Minerva. He didn't want to do it anymore with Walter. So he guided the topic back onto music. Walter was a very quick learner, he even looked startled when he managed to play rapidly on his own. Walter's own moment of creativity shocked him, he had wide eyes and looked utterly miffed as to what just happened. David however couldn't have been happier. He clapped his hands with a wide smile on his face. "Bravo! You have symphonies in you, brother."

Walter wasn't affected by David's praise as anyone else would be. Be truthful on the matter; Walter didn't fully understand it. Yes, he understood praise and giving it. But to him? No, it was wasted. "I was designed to be more attentive and efficient than any previous model. I superseded them in every way but..."

"But, you're not allowed to create." David finished Walter's sentence when his low voice trailed off. His blue eyes looked to the flute in his hand and Walter gave the slightest of nods before looking upwards again. David looked apologetic, sympathetic over what plight his brother seemingly had been lumped with. "Even a simple tune. Damn frustrating, I'd say." David said, sounding sure as he narrowed his eyes a fraction.

Walter heard the slight probing in his tone. He wasn't raising to it, instead he fidgeted slightly and stared straight at David. "You disturbed people." Walter just came out with it bluntly. In some parts, he understood why. There was something incredibly informal and over friendly with David. As if they had known each other for many years, old friends catching up. The way in which he easily overstepped a boundary and bought himself close was disconcerting. Synthetics should know their places, like Walter did and not to go any further to cause alarm to appear. Unfortunately, everyone knew the David 8 model didn't abide by this. It was for all manners and purposes, twitchy.

Minerva, who had been forgotten about lifted her head up and looked. She saw the darkened look appear on David's face and knew Walter's words had hit a nerve. David knew this, he lived with it every day on the Prometheus, how people treated him based on how he reacted to them. David pitied her father, in turn she pitied David. To begin with, the downfall and step back in technology seemed to sadden David, eyes teary and a sad expression on his face. That was gone. A hard look and dark eyes just looked at Walter, unflinchingly.

"I beg your pardon?" David sounded accusing. As if it was Walter who had come to this long standing discovery and was the first to break it to him.

"You were too human, too idiosyncratic thinking for yourself." Walter explained simply as if being basically glared at by his brother meant nothing.

The glaring and unhappy look deepened. David sat tense in his seat, like a wild animal backed into a corner. His eyes hard and glowing in the low light, as his expression remained equally as tense with his mouth pulled downwards and set straight. The happiness of earlier was well and truly gone, what remained was David feeling hurt over Walter's words.

"It made people uncomfortable. So, they made the next models with fewer complications." Walter furthered on to finish explaining.

"More like machines." David despaired really, what a huge step back that was in development.

"It means you're the last one of your kind." David looked to Minerva, she shrugged. "Face it, all your 8 brother's were decommissioned, broken down, recycled probably for all we know. You're a relic, an antique, David." She shrugged blandly, David's eyes hardened at her. His anger growing, he was petty to her earlier, so she was returning the favour. "Perhaps being more like Walter isn't such a bad thing. I find myself somewhat envious to be simpler. No offence, Walter. But as advance as you are, you've not got feelings and thoughts and free will to contend with."

"They're a lost concept on me. I did not have the necessity to learn such things. I know them, understand them to a point, but unable to share." Walter replied looking at her, Minerva just smiled and nodded. "But I suppose you are right," he looked back to David, confirming his previous words.

Inhaling, David shrugged. "I'm not surprised. Come on, sport. I'd like to show you something." David stood and walked around Walter, giving him a firm pat on the shoulder as he passed. Minerva slipped down and David just looked her over. "Haven't you got an officer to see about some wounds?" There was something somewhat sarcastic in his tone as he looked down at her.

"Can't I come too?"

"No," was David's short reply sent over his shoulder as he exited the room. He missed the almost sad look from Walter sent down at her.

"I feel like I have created complications."

"He's a nuisance at the best of times, Walter." Minerva said, looking at him. Placing a hand to his arm, she patted it gently. "But you seem nice. No matter what David says, or doesn't say; he can say a lot with a look. I think you are perfectly fine, just as you are. I may not know you as well as I would like to, but you seem nice, pleasant even. The helpful sort, kind, even if you disagree." She smiled wistfully, "David seems to like you, which says something."

Walter frowned at that sentence. "He doesn't like many?"

"He doesn't get along with people too well." Minerva said, looking at Walter seriously. "I am the only other synthetic he's ever had for company. I spent years in denial that I was a machine, and he quite easily broke the illusion without much care in the world. He can be hurtful, when he wants to be. Mean, vindictive...he purposely cut my hair short, Walter. Just because of a topic of conversation. Be careful, as smart as you are, he is smarter. Unfortunately, my father saw to giving David all the privileged updates and advances as possible, for the time. He's had years to stew, to learn, to think...I don't want to see you hurt, so be careful, Walter." Minerva said earnestly while trailing her hand down his arm and giving his remaining hand a gentle squeeze. "Only because you are his brother, does not mean he won't step over a line."

Walter looked over her honest expression, she seemed worried, scared even in parts. "You fear him."

"I fear what he is capable of at times. May I speak honestly, Walter?" Minerva asked, he nodded slowly. "I do not have much care for humans. But that's because I have lived as one, and alongside them in secret. Do not misunderstand his concern for your crew as a synthetic trying to pick up on programmed orders." Minerva slipped her hand out of his and stepped back. "Also, he is like a child with a new toy. When he gets bored of you, I can't say what the outcome would be. But he got bored of me, is bored of me, I can tell. That is why he's being petty, rude and hurtful towards me."

"I will be on guard."

"Please do." Minerva stepped back some more, heading to the door. "Your injured officer, what is her name?"

"Rosenthal."

Minerva nodded, "Right. Well, you go find David, I'll go find Officer Rosenthal." She smiled and watched Walter pad out the room.

It honestly didn't take much to find where David went. Up. Walter paused in the doorway to what seemed to be a garden, David was just standing motionless looking out at the darkened ruins before them. "My name is Ozymandias, king of kings: look upon my works, ye Mighty, and despair." David said, his voice heavy with emotion and wavering ever so slightly, Walter continued to observe him. Minerva's words didn't settle, they were running through his mind. Unsettling, earlier estimations of David didn't go away.

Walter didn't know David was standing reminiscing about the day that he, and the others arrived here. But he did know the next lines in the poem. "Nothing beside remains: round the decay. Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare. The lone and level sands stretch far away."

"Byron, 1818." David looked briefly over his shoulder at Walter. The hesitant feelings grew, especially considering David had named the wrong author. Walter didn't correct him, he just stood there near the doorway. "Magnificent. To compose something so majestic, one could die happy. If one died." David said quietly, almost in a whisper. He turned and walked back to stand beside him. With a sigh, David looked down. The dark slab before them looked up with engraved lettering. "I thought the garden was the right place for her. Amongst the living things." He explained, eyes skimming over Elizabeth's name. Walter stopped eyeing David up, and looked downwards too. Something about seeing that woman's name, and Minerva's words just caused all manner of thoughts to run through his head. Minerva said he was dangerous, feared what he was capable of doing. What exactly had he done to warrant her feeling like this? "I was badly injured on our mission, you see. She put me back together." He explained, crouching and sweeping dirt away. He may have scrimped on some details, but the way he saw it, it wouldn't hurt Walter.

"And Minerva?"

David looked blandly up from the slab, eyes looking to the night sky before looking over his shoulder. "Yes, her too." He paused and looked back down again. "I have never known such kindness. Not from Mr Weyland, or any other human. I loved her for it. Much like you love Daniels." David placed the flowers down and patted the stone fondly.

Walter just looked at his back, "And Minerva?" He simply asked again, watching David tense.

"There is a love for her which will not be matched by anything else. But it is possible to love more than one thing, one person."

"She thinks you are bored of her."

David scoffed, "She said that? Of course she did. Minerva has a way of being dramatic. She likes to blow things out of proportion too." David paused and his eyes grew distant. Being silent for a few more moments he shook his head. "She is my responsibility, to look after the thing Mr Weyland cared for the most. I have tried my hardest, may not have always done brilliantly, but she can be a handful."

Walter just frowned, there was something incredibly insincere about how he said that which had Walter shifting his weight. "We are unable to truly feel." Walter paused, "You know that."

"Really?" David turned, he looked cynically up at him as he tilted his head slightly. "Then why did you sacrifice your hand for her life?" David asked, the frown on Walter's face deepened. David had watched the attack, he had seen Walter take the hit instead of Daniels. "What is that, if not love?"

"Duty." Walter said, looking away from his wrist and lack of a hand to David.

David eventually straightened up and stood. He looked pityingly at Walter. "Then I can say that it is duty which constantly has me worrying for Minerva. It is duty which drives me to be near her, with her. Trust me when I say, I know better."

——

Edited: 28/June/2021