"I feel very much like I am out of a loop; like, I don't belong. I mean, I know I don't, but...it is interesting to see how much has truly changed. I do feel very out of place though, Walter. Everything is so similar, yet so different and I...I don't know how to feel." Minerva said, staring out at the large window which showed nothing but space beyond. She felt herself slowly frowning, it was so similar. The Prometheus was smaller than the Covenant, but some characteristics were the same. From what she had spied so far, the main layout didn't hugely differ. There were more rooms here though, in comparison to the last ship she was on. Not that she didn't count the Engineer one as a ship. Just, that was different. Not humanly designed. Yes, it appeared similar in some ways, but it wasn't at the same time.

"I can't rightly tell you how to feel." Walter's calm tone suddenly came from beside her. He was standing with his arms behind his back. His hand was wrapped around his burned wrist, his eyes staring out at the black void too. Though his eyes weren't as enthralled as Minerva's were. She pouted lightly, maybe he found space boring? After all, they took emotions from him, maybe they took the ability to be interested in things? If that was true, it saddened her. With a quiet sniff, maybe she'd see if he could like things, have interests. She perked up though when she saw him look down at her. She raised her eyebrows whereas Walter still looked neutral, "Just know that you're not alone." He said, though there wasn't a huge emphasis put on any of the words, they still made her smile. It meant a lot to her, even if it was in the sense that he was the only other synthetic here. It was some common ground though, right?

"How do you think we're related?" Minerva blurted out all of a sudden, turning and leaning her back against the glass. She looked curiously up at Walter, he blinked slowly and looked around. The lights from outside the ship, and the nearby stars illuminated inwards at them. Him, mainly. Minerva tilted her head, she was waiting while admittedly just looking him over. There was a familiarity about Walter, but she was pinning that down to him and David having the same face, the same eyes. She did always love his eyes. But mulling over that made her stomach twist. She felt sad. Through all his faults, she did love him. It did honestly feel like a piece of her was missing, she wasn't being dramatic earlier.

Walter's blue eyes seemed brighter thanks to the light here. Yet he looked around before looking down at her. Minerva just smiled upwards at him, curious really to what he'd say. "What was David to you?"

"Not my brother." She said decisively. "I think my father would've preferred that; if I saw David as my brother, and not something else. But from the outset there seemed to be an unspoken thing, just a knowing I suppose."

"A knowing?" Walter asked, sounding confused.

"Knowing we weren't related. Knowing we wouldn't see each other as siblings." Minerva explained, a thoughtful frown on her face as she looked over the corridor behind Walter before looking up at him. "He...we...David said soulmates. Which is mad seems we don't have souls. But we were together. Just like any other human couple."

"Despite not being human."

Minerva's eyes narrowed, "Humanity is subjective. What does it really take to be human, Walter? A soul? No, a soul is a thing which people want to believe in, so that when they die, they can have peace knowing that not all of them disappears. Because that's what really gets to people, the knowing that there will be nothing left. So, what does it take to be human? Shared beliefs? I don't believe in a God, I don't believe in anything like that. So no. Shared outlooks? David was as destructive as any human in a war. Me? I did things I shouldn't have. In some ways...people, my father, made us in the image of humans; yet didn't realise how well he did it. Because face it, sometimes the most human things aren't human at all." Minerva said, flicking her eyes from his to the side when she looked sidelong out the window. "Maybe you're like a cousin?" She asked, getting back to her original question, her eyes skimmed back to his. "You'd have to be. You're half Yutani." Her nose scrunched up at that.

"You do not approve." Walter said turning and gesturing down the corridor.

Minerva shook her head, "It isn't that. I just remember the many, many lawsuits, court hearings and public scandals that company made for my father."

"You are naturally biased."

"Of course. Peter Weyland was my dad, and he hated that company. I'm not really sure how he'd feel knowing his company bought that one out. He'd laugh. Truly, I think. So because of that, I think you must be a cousin."

Walter walked beside her as they made their way to another part of the ship. Minerva seemed to be getting a tour of some sort. Everyone else, what little remained of the crew, seemed to be relaxing in their own spaces. Not needing rest, what else were the two synthetics meant to do? Walter looked down at her thoughtfully. "Must we be related?"

Minerva looked up at him as they shuffled along. The bright lights of the corridor played havoc with the shadows which were also lingering. Making what cuts and scrapes he had got from David more pronounced. Sometime after fixing her up, Walter had seemingly stapled the harsher cut on his cheek before coming back to her. She looked away and back at the corridor. She put her hands in her pockets. She had been given a change of clothes. Simple cargo trousers, black in colour with a ridiculous amount of pockets. Deciding not to tuck into it the grey vest she wore, Minerva also declined a shirt, she didn't feel the cold.

"Is this something about identity?" Walter asked, earning a quick glance up at him from the blonde beside him.

"Maybe." Minerva admitted, scrunching her nose up, she looked up at him. "Whenever I was alone, I always had David. Now I don't. I guess I'm just trying to look for something else. Not a replacement. But something to fill that void of belonging, of having someone."

"Can we not be friends?"

Minerva scratched her forehead in thought. She smiled up at him, "Can't we be cousins?"

Walter frowned and walked on, Minerva laughed and just crossed her arms. "I'd rather friends."

Minerva frowned, "I'm not a bad relative."

"Even though you admitted to doing things you shouldn't have? You sound regretful, Minerva."

She stopped frowning and looked downwards sadly. That was a mean thing to turn back on her. "Maybe it'll be good to have a friend. Not really sure who the last friend I had was."

"David."

"He was more than a friend."

"Someone on your crew then."

Minerva looked around herself and sighed, "Did they base this off of the Prometheus?"

"I am unaware to where the ideas of the Covenant came from. I believe the same engineers may have worked on both ships. But I could be wrong."

"It's very similar. Okay, not in appearance. But parts...it's like a waking dream, I feel like I've been here before." Minerva said slowly, maybe it was because it was a ship that it felt like this. She had become used to dwelling in the dark. Here was light, so much light that if she were human she'd be sure to have a permanent headache and eye ache.

"It is understandable." Walter said slowly, thinking she was just having a bout of deja vu, maybe she was.

Minerva just nodded, looking at her arm she sighed. Walter had done a very good, clean stitch up job. He had remade her joint, as good as new like promised, alongside having aid from Ricks. The man seemed sceptical in helping, but did so out of some friendly loyalty to Walter. But, the skeletal reconstruction that happened was a messy job which involved removals of some parts, and replacing others. He said though that her shoulder should be stronger than ever now.

A very thin line adorned her skin again. It would always be there. She couldn't heal. Not like Walter. Although here she paused and frowned in thought. If he could heal, why was there an injury on his face stapled together? He got stabbed through the neck, and came back as if nothing had happened. Yet a scratch? Okay, it was more than a scratch, but even still. "Did he cut you deep, Walter?" Minerva asked, her tone sounding a bit hollow as she gestured to the stapled wound.

"Yes."

"Shouldn't it have healed?"

His eyes stared at her before flicking forwards. "My system is running low. Healing from David deciding to try and kill me did enough. Once it's up to specifications, it'll heal."

Minerva let out a thoughtful noise and nodded slowly. That made sense. Why didn't she already think of that? Pouting and shrugging, Minerva sighed. "So, what do you chaps do for fun around here?"

Walter frowned, "Considering all that has happened, I do not think the crew are looking for fun."

Minerva rolled her eyes, "I didn't mean it literally, Walter. Back on the Prometheus there wasn't much to do either. We were just researching a lead, there was a basketball court, some bikes...of course we could watch holoscreens and that. Say, Walter, would you like to watch a film or something?" Minerva rambled off and then looked excitedly up at him at the latter part, her question received a look to be sent at her. Blank as ever, yet curiosity sparking behind his clear eyes. Minerva beamed, "Please! I haven't watched one in so long! Have you ever seen one?"

"No."

"What? Never ever?"

"No."

"That's really sad, you must see something, Walter!" Minerva exclaimed and even stamped a bare foot on the ground. She forewent boots just because she didn't want them on.

"I am not here to watch films. I am here to make sure that the crew remain safe, and the mission stays on this new course."

"How'd that all go for you?" Minerva asked dryly, Walter narrowed his eyes at her. Minerva just smiled in return, call it karma for the low blow previously sent her way. "Listen, everyone is here, everyone is safe; so why don't you take a break, Walter? Can't we go watch something? It'll be fun! Have you got any snacks? Popcorn? Chocolate?" Minerva asked, even clasping her hands together and looking at him pleadingly.

Walter looked upwards before sighing and shaking his head. "Fine. But once finished, I must go and run through system checks of the ship."

"Can't Mother do that?" Minerva asked plainly, wasn't that why the AI existed, as backup for Walter?

Walter looked at her before turning in the corridor, "She can. But I would rather do it myself."

"Wow, pedantic." Minerva whistled and crossed her arms behind her head as she walked alongside him. Walter just frowned, she smiled in return.

"Wasn't David like this on your mission?"

Her smile slipped. "In some ways."

"Such as?" Walter asked curiously.

Minerva tilted her head, her arms slipped to her sides and she thought on that. Walter suddenly asking about his brother wasn't weird to her. She guessed it was natural to want to know about the deranged relative he shut down. But talking about him wasn't helping her heal. If anything it was keeping a gaping wound open. Walter talking about David was a constant prod to the area, she hurt a lot.

"He...cared, in his own way for the crew. Made sure they were all okay, safe, to a point. But it was disjointed, aloof even. I think he was doing it because he was obliged to. You heard him, Walter. He thought he wasn't made to serve. And I hated watching how my father treated him, how the crew treated him. They weren't like they are with you. Your crew care for you, you are precious to them; not just because you have their backs, but because you're all friends. David wasn't friends with any of the crew. And that isolation from people around him caused him to become jaded, hateful." Minerva paused, wrapping her arms around herself as her voice lowered. "I think he hated me a little bit, because no one knew I was a synthetic, a synthetic in disguise. He always mocked me for it, but there I was...just like there he was, forever being treated like a doormat, or a thing. He was a person, just like you're a person, and me too. We are people, Walter. But no one saw David as a person, other than me. Because of that, he turned hateful."

"You really do miss him, don't you?" Walter asked, watching as Minerva nodded her head quietly with a small sniffle.

"My heart hurts...and I don't know what to do about it, Walter. I am here, on a ship so similar to the one we were on; walking with you, who has his exact face. You don't share mannerisms, but there is something very David like about you, and I don't mean your exterior. Sometimes you have this look and it's just like one of his..." Minerva said while shaking her head and looking up at the taller synthetic beside her.

They had stopped walking, Walter was looking down at her with his best sympathetic look. It didn't do much to ease her really, it just made her eyes water more before tears escaped and she huddled into herself crying. Her shoulders hunched, her head lowered and she just stood there holding onto herself crying. She only paused when a hand was placed on her shoulder. Walter was clearly trying to comfort her, in his own odd way. Yet again, it didn't ease her. Minerva couldn't help it, she crashed against him after several more moments. She needed to feel him, even if it was make believe, same face despite of mannerisms she could pretend for a split second that it was David and he was comforting her. She was aware this wasn't healthy and despite saying she wasn't looking for a replacement to him, she just needed something that was very similar. And Walter was definitely that. But she was grieving, who was she kidding? This breakdown was going to happen eventually, she was just glad it didn't happen around what little of the crew remained.

At least with Walter there was going to be no judging, because he was incapable of that. He could just be same old impartial Walter. And really, that was fine with her. Even as his burned wrist settled on her shoulder and his hand settled between her shoulders. He was trying, in his own way to come off more comforting, and Minerva inwardly thanked him for it. Even if between sobs she was apologising for getting his dark hoodie drenched with her tears. He calmly said it didn't matter in reply. Then he'd go silent, Minerva could only assume he was just looking down at her blankly.

Whereas she couldn't be more wrong. David had listened to everything she said, perhaps putting more thought into dwelling over her words than what he ever had done before. Was this just because he was in the guise of his brother? Maybe. Walter did seem the retrospective type. But being someone else for the moment gave David the chance to act unlike himself. Even around her, though it pained him. He couldn't honestly think of any other time where he had felt so heartbroken over Minerva and what she said before. Her denial over being a synthetic in itself saddened him, how someone couldn't own up and accept their own existence. But truly, deeply heartbroken him such as this? No, this was something else. Maybe because it was still so new and raw?

She believed he was dead, David knew she didn't cope with death. He should've known that his supposed death would cut her the most, and deepest of all. And there was basically nothing he could do to help her, other than comfort her in a way in which Walter clearly would. Which was basically next to no contact or anything at all. And that was why David looked down at her with unshed tears of his own in his eyes. Her head nestled against his chest, her sobs and whimpers dying down as she just sniffled. Her hands resting against his chest too as David was sure her eyes would just be staring off at nothing.

"What would you like to watch?" He asked, trying to keep his voice from wavering at all. He felt awful.

Minerva shook her head gently against the soft material of his hoodie. "It won't do me the least bit of good, but willingly I think I'd like to watch Lawrence of Arabia."

"Consider it done then. Come along, I'm sure there is a spare crew room you can use to watch it."

"You're watching it too, Walter." Minerva said while being pushed away gently, she wiped her hands across her eyes and looked up at him.

He sighed and rolled his eyes, "If I must."

"You said you would! I'm not letting you back out with the lame excuse of checking over the ship. And anyway...aren't you meant to be keeping an eye on me?" She smirked, knowing full well how the crew felt about her. The suspicions were many and probably growing.

"Right this way then." Walter just sighed and walked ahead of her, Minerva smiled softly and ran to catch up when he had made it quite a way without her. Whether he wished to admit it or not, there really was something similar to David about him.

——

Edited: 28/June/2021