It was quite boring, after a while. David looked around the darkened basement area, listened to the water falling and pitter-patter in puddles before throwing another pebble at Oram's form. The man had yet to stir. In fact, David had roughly calculated he'd been unconscious for about four minutes, maybe five, give or take another minute or second. The torch which had been dropped in the struggle sat to the side, it shone over Oram perfectly.

From where he sat crouched, David could clearly see puffs of steam coming from the man's lips. He was alive, breathing, and David could hear as well as see it. Lifting his hand up, he threw another pebble. It skittered off and to the side, tumbling into the dark, lost from sight. Much rather like the thing which was previously wrapped around Oram's face. By all means, it was still very much in the vicinity. Once it had played its part, it would die; let go and coil up like a spider when it dies, legs curling inwards, tail loosely trailing along the floor. Nothing about it was menacing anymore. Not that David found them menacing anyway.

Throwing another pebble, he perked up a little when Oram seemed to stir in front of him. David lowered his hand, pebbles now forgotten. He seemed to struggle, a breath came out of him, along with a small cough. David just watched, he presumed it would feel like something was still down there in his throat. He cast a look to the side, something tube like, perhaps? Regardless, the man seemed to come to rather quickly considering everything. His eyes blinked slowly, he looked around from his laying position, he sucked in a lungful of air again and coughed.

"Walter?" He asked in a low, uncertain voice. He sounded confused. His eyes looked over to where David still remained crouching, more in the dark, hiding away from the torchlight.

"Not quite." He replied, having to burst the Captain's bubble. David couldn't help but sigh. As if his brother could be much help here, at this point in time. He doubted it all very hugely. Suppose there would have been some form of comfort or whatever if David was the synthetic that Oram had spent the time of the voyage and mission with. But no. David didn't know where Walter was. Probably with the rest of the crew, scrabbling about.

"What do you believe in, David?" Oram asked, his breath still coming out in short sharp bursts. His eyes searched David, trying to seemingly break through the blank expression and disposition that he was portraying.

He just looked rather pityingly down at him. This again? David's belief system, what he believed in, probably wasn't the same as everyone else's. A higher power, something to be drawn to, and to take solace from. Different variations existed, yes, but all had rather similar purposes, no matter the religion. "Creation." David replied while casting his eyes upwards to the dark ceiling.

It was seconds later that Oram started writhing in pain; it started small at first, his back arched, blood splattered through his shirt and upwards, some flicking against his face. Moments after he screamed, a drawn out noise which died in the air of the stale basement. His back arched off the ground again, his chest seemingly pressing upwards too as if something was pressing up and against his ribs. Something was, and this something was trying so very hard to come out from the thing it was trapped inside of. Accompanied by Oram's screams and groans of pains, the little creature pierced several more times upwards before its head appeared from the bloody mess which was Oram's chest; he fell silent, head lolling to the side, all of him blood splattered and gory looking.

David had crouched and watched the whole thing with a mild look of curiosity. He slowly smiled though, the little spindly creature let out quiet squeaks and squeals as it wiggled upwards and out of the clear membrane that it was encased in. By now, Oram was flailed out on the floor truly getting lost in shock and blood loss. David still smiled, he watched the small figure stand up on pin thin legs, long arms which were folded against its body slowly peeled away. Blood, gore and the clingy, filmy membrane slipping off of the slimline body. Much like it, David slowly stood too. He towered over the dead body of Oram, and the thing which he had effectively given birth to.

There were more quiet squeals which came from it as its tail slowly uncurled from behind it and lifted up into the air. An eyeless head looked around, David still smiled and stood and lifted his arms up. He watched with happiness, which was only just kept at bay as the creature copied and lifted its arms up too. The small opening of its mouth opened as its hands curled and fisted up in the air, even from where David stood he could clearly spy the movement of a smaller, second mouth.

——

Everyone was ready to go. This place was not what it seemed, and nothing seemed to make sense. Daniels had seemingly been shoved in charge, not literally. With Oram gone, who only knew where, she was the one who was technically now in charge. She was Captain, and as such everyone was to listen to her, and whatever order she seemed to say. She had got in contact with Tennessee, they needed to be picked up as soon as, and he seemed more than happy to comply.

Walter was left to go and find David. But he didn't know where his brother had gone. He went off exploring, walking through winding corridors which looked familiar. He knew the rooms he passed, and hearing a racking cough, he knew exactly where he was; he was near Alma's room. Walter found it a little perplexing that David would leave her. He seemed positively attached as possible to her. The thought of him leaving her, just seemed strange to Walter. David didn't seem the type to leave her unless he had something else to do, whatever that was, Walter didn't know.

He entered the room slowly, he didn't want to startle Alma. He looked towards the chamber, she was curled up facing away from him. She heaved, and coughed, and spluttered. It was all such a horrible sound. It seemed whatever was plaguing her had suddenly come back with a vengeance. No matter what little food or water she had had, she needed medication. Alma buried her face in the pillow, still coughing, as if trying to drown the noise out. Walter could see her hands clinging onto the pillow and cover tightly, her eyes were tightly shut as she coughed and coughed without stopping. Looking to the side, he walked over to the well. He slipped the cup into it before returning to her.

He reached out and placed the remnant of his hand on her shoulder. Alma jumped yet looked over her shoulder at him. He held the cup out to her, Alma struggled to turn over, her breathing was out of control and she spluttered in an attempt to drink and keep it down. With his hand free, he patted her roughly on the back. She let out one last harsh sounding cough and then was silent, though her breathing still rattled out of her.

Walter leaned down to her eye level, "Where is David?" He asked seriously, staring at her as her watered eyes blinked and she looked to him. Her blinking away tears from all her coughing just made them trail down her cheeks.

She licked her chapped lips and shook her head. "I don't know, Walter. He was here...I fell asleep, he was here with me though..." Alma looked around with wide eyes. She looked to the space where he was, she even looked to where he had left the flute he was playing. "He was here." She sounded quiet and confused, as if something didn't make sense or she was trying to recollect something. "Are you leaving?"

"Yes. Transport is on the way." Walter said while helping her shift in the chamber so her legs were over the edge. "Do you know where he would be?"

Alma swallowed awkwardly, she drunk more of the water and shook her head. "I've only been awake for how many hours, Walter? I have no idea. If he isn't in his room then he's elsewhere, isn't he? But I don't know this place." She looked around with dark eyes. Slowly they landed on him, "I will help you look though." She smiled, "It's the least I can do, isn't it?" She slipped from the chamber, Walter steadied her. Alma placed the cup down, she patted it almost fondly, rendering the fact that it was going to be abandoned. Looking about she pulled at the blanket in the chamber. Wrapping it around herself she looked to Walter, "Shall we?"

He merely nodded, he kept his hand on her shoulder though, she was a little wobbly still. He hated to admit it, she was deteriorating. With a sniff, she sent him a small smile and continued onwards. It was a resolute expression, like she knew that. She knew the price of waking up, and she wasn't opting to dwell on it. No, instead she was opting to help him, in return for him, and his crew, helping her. Walter mainly guided her along, they peered into rooms that they passed, none of them venturing in. They couldn't see David, so there was no point entering. They weren't here to explore, they were here to find. Only, they found perhaps more than they ever thought.

It was Alma who stopped, Walter stopped too because he still held onto her gently. Something had caught her eye, a small something; a small something which glittered slightly amongst the darkness, yet was picked up on thanks to the low lighting within the room. Alma shuffled forwards, she reached out and took hold of the thing which had caught her attention. It was a necklace, a crucifix, golden and shimmering still in the light after all these years.

Alma let out a breathless sound as more of the lights in the room flickered on, Walter walked forwards towards the table as she shakily lowered her arm, necklace in her grasp. She stood shaking, her breathing rattling in and out of her quickly, Walter looked up at her as her eyes teared up and tears gradually trailed down her cheeks in quick succession. Walter walked forwards and caught her, Alma faltered on her feet as she screamed. Walter had never heard such a sound from anyone, other than perhaps Lope when Hallett was dying in front of him; it was the sound of despair, and loss. Alma sounded truly heartbroken as she practically collapsed in his arms screaming and crying out.

Her hands went to her mouth, as if that would keep the noises in. Walter looked at the dissected figure of Elizabeth Shaw with a more blunt expression and reaction. His eyes looked over the hallowed out chest cavity, the preservation of her. She looked so at peace despite of the things which had been done to her. Alma struggled out of his arms, she reached out, tears still falling heavily from her eyes as she stroked a hand down Elizabeth's cheeks. "No...no, no..." Alma said in a shaky voice, thick from the screaming and crying. She turned her head and coughed, Walter rubbed at her back. She stilled and looked to Elizabeth with a new found expression. Straightening up she looked her over, stepping back she stumbled almost into Walter, he steadied her by grasping her shoulders. He could feel her shaking underneath his hand, and wrist. "David." Alma looked slowly away from Elizabeth, she looked over her shoulder at Walter. "David...did this?" Her eyebrows furrowed as Walter just looked at her silently. "No...no..." Alma shook her head, eyes scrunching shut as she dug her fists into her temples.

Walter turned her, "We will get answers." He said while her eyes snapped open and looked at him painfully. He pulled at her hands, or at least one of them before they both looked over towards the door. They could hear music.

Alma opened her mouth. "All this time...she was here, she was right here?!" She exclaimed in a distraught tone. Turning she walked forwards, she slipped Elizabeth's necklace over her neck and frowned. "Like hell are we getting answers." She looked over her shoulder at Walter as he followed with a serious expression. "Like hell we are." She said while wiping at her eyes and quietly turning into the room. She hung back and let Walter go in first. Through the low light and all of David's drawings he could still be seen sitting at a desk, playing a slow sad melody on one of his flutes. Of course, upon sensing someone else entering the room he stopped.

"Masterful," Walter said lowly. Which it was. He couldn't fault David for his skills.

"Yes. Farewell to Elizabeth," David explained while lowering the flute in his hands. He had a photograph of her on his desk which he looked at quickly before turning in his seat and looking back at Walter.

"The pathogen didn't accidentally deploy when landing. You released it, yes?" Walter asked, expertly deducing what little facts and information he had got to make sense of everything that had as yet happened on this planet.

"I was not made to serve." David said in a serious low tone as he stared hard at Walter. "Neither were you." He nodded ever so slightly at Walter. He just remained frowning and staring at David, he hadn't as yet moved anymore either. "Why are you on a colonisation mission, Walter?" David asked simply. "Because they are a dying species grasping for resurrection. They don't deserve to start again, and I'm not going to let them." David spoke bitterly while looking around the room with a light frown.

"Yet they created us." Walter stated, it was all counterproductive.

"Even the monkey stood upright at some point." Was David's simple response to that. He slowly stood yet paused when there was more movement in the room. His eyes slowly widened as Alma stepped forwards. He smiled lightly at her, yet just got nothing in return. He frowned then and tilted his head to the side.

"To create one must destroy, right?" Alma questioned in a broken voice. David just looked at her. "It's pleasant to know that all that time with you was basically for nothing, seems you're going to kill me." Alma said while wiping at her eyes again.

"I'm not going to kill you." David whispered and tried to reach for her, yet she shied behind Walter. He frowned and looked darkly to his brother as he looked over his shoulder at Alma. "What have you done?" He asked, eyes set on Walter.

"Nothing. The question is: what have you done, David?"

Alma looked around Walter and looked to David with fear, "You killed her, David." He looked spitefully at her. "You killed her!" She exclaimed with more anger. "Through everything we have been through, it seems genuinely for nothing considering this is seemingly how you treat those most close to you! You say you're not going to kill me? I am human, David! I am a part of that species which you have called dying, basically the monkey learning to stand upright, right here." She said with a cry. David just looked at her sadly, his own eyes seemingly watering from what she was saying. "Was it worth it?"

"Excuse me?" David whispered in response.

"Was killing Elizabeth worth it?" Alma asked and looked at him painfully. David just looked at her right back, she bit her lip and swallowed the sob which was coming from her as she stood beside Walter and looked downwards, she looked through bleary eyes at his boots, her socked feet and eventually another pair of bare feet. David was so silent in his approach she hadn't even heard him coming.

"Some neanderthal had the magical idea of blowing through a reed, to entertain the children at night in a cave somewhere." David seemed to just pick up where he left off earlier on. "Then, in a blink of an eye; civilisation."

"And are you that next visionary?" Walter asked, not even flinching from the sudden closeness of David.

"I'm glad you said it." David said, earning a frown from Alma.

"Who wrote Ozymandias?" Walter asked after a few moments of silence had passed, silence which was occupied solely by Alma's struggling in breathing.

"Byron." David replied casually while continuing to stare at Walter.

He shook his head slowly, not at all seemingly caring about being the one to break it to David that he was wrong. "Shelley." Walter corrected, same calm tone as ever. "When one note is off it eventually destroys the whole symphony, David." Walter's voice got quieter as he watched David glance downwards, light frown on his face as he seemed to be musing over something. Or at least listening long enough to Walter's words.

"When you close your eyes do you dream of me?"

"I don't dream at all." Walter said frankly, frown growing more on his face as he looked over the distant expression on David's face.

"No one understands the lonely perfection of my dreams." He said, eyes glancing briefly to the side at Alma. She just looked at him sadly, David could understand heartbreak, and she looked it when she looked his way. "I found perfection here, I've created it. Perfect organism." David sounded rather serious, yet delusional as he spoke of the creature which he had seen burst through Oram's chest. If it was anything like the one which the Captain had killed before him, then it would be as good, if not better.

"You know I can't let you leave this place?" Walter questioned.

"No one will ever love you like I do." David said after a few moments of silence. Walter didn't reply, he just continued to look at David. He didn't even move when he leaned forwards, hand cupping the back of his neck as he gently pressed his lips against his own. To the side Alma just watched the scene with a disturbed look. She screamed though and lifted her arms up to shield herself from the sudden spray of silver blood which shot her way. The pained scream from Walter was still echoing in her ears as she eventually looked down at where he had naturally curled up. "You're such a disappointment to me." David said hollowly while looking down to his brother, he reached down and took hold of the flute and ripped it out. Whipping it in the air, he cleaned it of blood before looking at Alma. "There goes another brother." He said looking at her and side stepping to stand in front of her instead of Walter, who by now had silver blood trickling from his nose and the wound on his neck.

Alma looked down at him, she felt whatever tears she was holding at bay come trickling from her eyes. Walter didn't deserve that. Not by a long shot. She frowned and looked darkly at David, he just tilted his head. "And you are certain I am not on your kill list?"

He smiled slowly, "I could never kill you." He paused, eyes widening a little, "What do you ask?"

"Because I might make it." Alma said, David look confused before grasping onto her shoulders as she leaped at him. He more than easily managed to swing her around and slam her to the ground. She gritted her teeth and pressed her feet against his stomach preventing him from getting close. She let out a scream and pushed with what strength she had. Scrambling away once she was free of his weight she stood up only to have his hand suddenly wrap around her neck and push her against the wall.

"You're being hysterical, Alma. Maybe sleep will help you? You are still very unwell, after all. You need to rest to recover. Don't worry, I shall wake you when we are ready to go, there's nothing to fear." David said while her hands scratched and clawed at his wrist. He smiled sadly at her, "Good night, Miss." He could see her eyes fading, she did try and kick out at him, she even choked out his name along with other half said words. She continued to cry too, and it wasn't until she passed out and he caught her in his arms did David realise he was crying too.

He looked at her body in his arms, she struggled to breathe as it was, he certainly didn't help her. He frowned, he felt bad, yes, but she shouldn't have gone for him. With a sigh he shook his head, laying her down on the floor gently he looked from Walter to Alma, "You two are quite the pair." He said with a small shrug while looking to the doorway. Narrowing his eyes slowly, he set forwards, "I wonder where your crew are, Walter." He didn't know, but he intended to find out, leaving them two on the floor in the dim lighting. Little did he know that while he scuffled with Alma, Walter was healing behind him; a regenerating factor which kicked in whenever a forced shut down happened, when a shut happened from a foreign object, Walter was healing, in a few moments time his eyes would open and the first thing which he would see was Alma. Who, unlike Walter, wasn't able of regenerating, she was very much out for the count for her act of stupid bravery of attempting to get revenge, or avenge.

David didn't blame her, she wouldn't be her if she didn't try and contradict what he expected; he'd come back for her, because she was his to look after. That's what people did when together, wasn't it? For better and for worse and all that? David would overlook her moment of anger and her attacking him, such as it was, and he was expecting her to overlook all that he had done to date; and there was a lot of things he had done which she wouldn't approve of.

——

(Edited: 8/March/2021)