⌠CREW FILE: 001⌡ VID. Few Hours After Jump.

[proves]

[ There's a woman staring steadily into the screen, hinting the slightest bit of weariness as she fumbles with a strand of hair behind her ear. Perhaps in a hurry to tidy herself and calm her nerves. "It was a very rude awakening on the Tranquility," her expression says. But she will carry on.

She speaks, her voice unwavering and professional. An interview: ]

My name is Dr. Elizabeth Shaw and I woke to find myself on a ship not like my own. [ "It wasn't really my ship, but theirs," she almost corrects. ] I'm not entirely sure how long I've been in stasis, but some time ago I was part of an expedition with the USCSS Prometheus to LV-223. We sought out the answers from who we may believe may have engineered us... mankind. Our creators. But the ship and crew— [ Charlie. ]

If anyone could be of help to my own questions, where I am and if there's a chance if anyone, anyone at all, happened to come across an android by the name of David... please contact me right away. Thank you.

[ She blinks back at the screen, blinking away an afterthought she almost expresses with a gaped mouth, but instead reaches over to end the feed. ]

Comments

VIDEO

[archaeologize]

[ She's here. She's alive. She's safe. And in this instantaneous moment, to Holloway nothing else matters. The Tranquility is cause for small victories, being back with El, being alive and he wants to celebrate. He knows what happened the last time they saw each other and when push comes to shove, he doesn't regret his choice. If he had gone on board the Prometheus, the mission would have been compromised. He feels his heart pounding in his chest. There's no logical explanation for any of this and a part of him wishes he had her faith and will power to believe that all of this played out for a reason. ]

Eli?

VIDEO

[proves]

[ Stillness. Silence.

She hears his voice. She sees his face. Staring back at her. Healthy. Alive. There. That tone when he thinks he might have lost her, maybe buried away in her research, poking at something new. She would grin back at him when the game of hide and seek ended, taking his hands. He would take hold of his re-discovery, kissing her forehead.

The stumble of memories is difficult to hold. Elizabeth can't move forward if her arms are full. Heavy pain she already bears with a scar.

She chooses to avert her gaze. That isn't Charlie. Something is wrong. She leans towards the screen, fumbling with a few keys while clearing her throat. Hurried. Make it go away. Stop. Stop. Stop. ] I'm sorry, I don't quite understand. This... it appears to be glitching. I can't—

[archaeologize]

[ He know he's a glitch. Some weird flaw in the system. He shouldn't be healthy, he shouldn't be alive. But he is. But right now, he wants to believe that none of that matters. That this is a second chance. He's tried rationalizing, extreme regenerative properties in the blue goo (he remembers dying, dying and he remembers the want for peace that comes along with it - he's so sorry baby) - there are too many things that are unexplained and too many variables. Fuck this, he wants to celebrate. ]

Eli, Eli- Baby, no.

[ His voice is clipped. Laced with worry, with concern. ]

I'm here. I'm really here. Where are you?

[proves]

[ Ghosts and tricks, that's what she wants to believe. The weakness scraping against her insides, but not quite making it through to her head. That it could be possible, as a lot of things in their time are. All that repeats is the look he gave her, apologetic and pleading for an end. Screams and terrors. What they thought was right, instead wrong. Tearing away everything she worked for, piece by piece.

She could have helped.

But she finds herself drawn to answer, lost and in a daze. Tugging at her arm, she searches for the digits. Her room. ]

008. 083.

VID.

[nukeit]

[ There's clutter like this all the time, people attempting to orient themselves in an impossible situation. Mostly Ellen listens, moves past, has no reason to engage -- but this one strikes her as something.

Whatever the good Dr. is talking about is secondary to recognizing a name-calling for ships out of Nostromo's era. ]

The USCSS Prometheus? No chance it's affiliated with anything Weyland-Yutani, is it?

[ Right. Manners. ]

Former Warrant Officer of the USCSS Nostromo, Ellen Ripley. Good to meet you, Dr. Shaw.

VID.

[proves]

I don't believe I have heard of that ship. [ Nostromo? This is all too puzzling. Easily stated with the mix in her expression. ] Yes, it's good to meet you.

[ But she's stuck on the mention of Weyland-Yutani. The two, combined? ] And you were correct, Weyland Corporation as directed by Peter Weyland. He funded our way through the expedition.

VID.

[nukeit]

[ Now there's a puase, and a time to date Dr. Shaw to -- at the earliest, close to 90 years in the past. Peter Weyland had retired from the public eye and very well died around then, something she vaguely knew due to half-remembered factoids from school when she'd been attending. All of this largely before she'd been born. ]

I didn't take the stories about Mr. Weyland to mean he was the kind of man to fund an expedition in search of any given creator.

[ Granted, most corporate anybody's seem to be after profits, not answers like the ones she'd mentioned her expedition tried to find. ]

The more you know.

VID.

[proves]

[ A short laugh. ] Neither did I, especially with the few months it took me to receive a hint of attention. My research suddenly had purpose and feet to stand on.

[ And now she clears her throat, smoothing out her expression. ]

But he was a man with an agenda not like my own.

[andblockbuster]

Wait, wait, wait. So...He's your android? [Color Topher shocked.]

[proves]

Topher. [ A smile. ] We were traveling together. Have you seen him?

[andblockbuster]

Yeah, down below deck. Just got here on the jump, same as you. Nice guy. Definitely way obsessed with Peter O'Toole, but who isn't just a little bit? [Awkward chuckling.]

[proves]

[ Furrowing her brow so slightly at that "nice guy" comment, obviously finding some disagreement. He's programmed to serve and respect, but she can hardly remember when he was simply a robot. Faces that seemed almost proud and words that startled the heart. David is free. ]

He's curious. [ She almost adds "helpful and harmless," but she's definitely riding on that line of distrust. ] He and I were the last of the Prometheus.

voice.

[swagneto]

[ Nevermind the portion about David, who Erik will get to in just a moment, as he's still in the process of trying to accept that, but the issue at hand, is quite honestly one particular word she made mention of; creators. ]

You were looking for answers to your existence? Why?

video.

[proves]

Precisely. Haven't you ever been curious, wanting to ask "why?" Why were created in the first place? Left to raise ourselves?

[ A soft sigh before she swallows, adding: ] That's how I felt at the time, at least.

video.

[swagneto]

[ It's a philosophical question Erik should be interested in, but the answer he's accustomed to is the one that Charles had given; evolution. ]

I really doubt you'd find such an answer. No one created us, we evolved. I don't think there's anything more than that.

Unless your opinion changed.

video.

[proves]

You would be surprised with what we found. Large beings, resembling us. DNA and all, but before our own time.

[ A hopeful look that shatters once again. ]

They had a reason to despise us. And want to destroy us. That's the only thing that has changed, my need to find out why. Why they would create us and want us gone.

video; not sent until some time after the original video

[doesntmind]

[David activates his video feed without fanfare. There is little indication on his face that anything is out of the ordinary for him. He's watched Dr. Shaw's recording several times before finally deciding to respond, although he's taken his time. The video is arranged to demonstrate that his head has been newly reattached.]

Dr. Shaw, I'm relieved to see that you survived. I was beginning to anticipate that you hadn't. That's a habit I'll need to break myself of.

It seems as though finding the answers to your questions will need to be postponed. [His lips quirk slightly.] Again.

video;

[proves]

[ There is some relief before it solidifies and crackles in her expression. Just a layer she easily abandons, lips pressing it a thin line, but her eyes remaining bright and hopeful as ever.

Faithful Elizabeth. ] I rather have it postponed than completely dropped. And I see you have your body back. [ "Survived" isn't something he can share. There's the tilt of her head, attempting to squint through the screen. ] Working alright?

video;

[doesntmind]

[Elizabeth is ever focused on what is just beyond her range of sight. Personally, David doesn't mind waiting, but he presumes it must bother her somewhat.

He is sincerely relieved to see her. Or maybe he should simply say he prefers that she be alive. The sentiments may be the same thing for all intents and purposes, but that wouldn't be up to David to define.]

Yes. Whoever took the liberty of repairing me has done an admirable job, although they also installed something in me that is of an unfamiliar make. Regardless, I am functioning at full capacity.

I pray that you are as well? [He chooses the wording for her sake.]

video

[amethysts]

David.

[Libby already sounds and looks deeply unimpressed. So you're the 'owner'. Libby has a debt to repay.]

What, looking for lost property? I don't think the same rules apply here. Try saying you own him. Come on. It'd be fun.

video

[proves]

He isn't my property. We are acquaintances. [ There is nothing funny about her tone. And 'acquaintances', well, you can tell has been scripted. 'Friend' would imply she has complete trust, but she does rely a small part on him.

After all, he was going to lead her to the right place. ]

video

[amethysts]

[Libby very visibly eases herself, mostly for Dr. Shaw's benefit. She isn't claiming David as property, Libby isn't obligated to ruin her. That's good.]

'Kay.

He's rad. David. You better treat him like a person.

[counselling]

Doctor Shaw. [ Deanna gives her a small smile. It's a little nice hearing others with ship-board experience, and a few less confusions - it makes first introductions a little easier ] You're aboard the Tranquility, a ship that we've all been brought to.

[proves]

The Tranquility.

[ 'Is the name so fitting?' she muses. The thought quickly pops, forgotten and away. ]

Brought to? Why is that?

[counselling]

I don't have an answer for that. All that we know is that these jumps [ It's the term everyone's using, and she's not sure how else to really describe it. It's nothing like the space travel she knows there ] are when we arrive, and they occur monthly.