⌠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?

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.

[andblockbuster]

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

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—

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.

[proves]

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

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.

[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.

[andblockbuster]

So am I. [Which says all that needs to be said about Topher. He furrows his brow right back and basically proves what he just said about himself when he blurts out:] What... Happened to the rest?

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.

[proves]

[ The question immediately has her squirming for movement. Settling her fingers on something off-screen before clasping both hands together, flickering back at Topher. ]

Dead. [ As steadily as she can say. ] The beings we found proved to be more aggressive than we ever imagined.

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; 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

[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]

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;

[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

[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.

video

[proves]

It wouldn't be fair of me to be impolite. [ Another dodge. He isn't a person, he's a robot, miss. One that might have helped along terrible things. Full of emotion, but not understanding the few things that make a human. Things that seem irrelevant to him, but they mean so much more to her.

If she's sure of anything, it's that he's free.

But so personal, so quickly? ] So, you met David?

video

[amethysts]

Yeah. After the Jump.

[It would be crazy to be this protective of a human after such a short acquaintance. But David isn't human--he's like her. Made, never born. He's her people, and Libby is protective of what's hers. David, not knowing, is her people.]

I--if you fuck with him, I will break you. Got it?

video

[proves]

I'm sorry? [ Why? What has he managed these last few hours? Does she even know? Warts and boils? This isn't going to be a contest for Elizabeth to play, remaining as she has before. But the furrow of her brows is her trying to understand. Make sense that it's possible he has made a friend. ]

He and I haven't known each other too long, but I wouldn't ever harm him. [ Do you hear that, David? ] We've been through a lot.

You don't have to worry.

video

[amethysts]

[Libby calms again. She doesn't believe this women at all--human, who could believe a human about anything made, knowing what they are--but she does believes the message has gotten through.]

I'll worry, but it's good you're on board.

[They aren't friends. But he's like her, and Libby has--obligations. To things like her. She is so used to being the only one who isn't mentally handicapped that it's hard to break. That, and as it stands she's still smarter than although everyone. Not David, but she doesn't know that, and even when she does her protectiveness will remain because he is like her and she has been alone--she has been alone a long time.]

'M Libby. Genetically modified companion animal. Computer programmer. Genius. What do you do? What are you?

[If she's another android Libby will feel like such a jerk.]

video

[proves]

[ She's startled.

Not human. Companion animal, she said? What sort of technology is that? And so young. But very human, in her way. Willingly defending David and expressing herself at an alarming rate, that's something she can't quite touch with certainty.

After all, she wouldn't want to offend her, since that seems possible. ]

It's nice meeting you, Libby. And I'm an archeologist. I specialize also in paleontology, archaeology, human mythology and memetics, but they don't have very much use to me as I am.

video

[amethysts]

Smart, huh?

[Her opinion is raised. Libby respects intelligence, intelligence makes communicating with people less of a trial or a joke. If Dr. Shaw is intelligent, Libby will feel more comfortable with David (he's in her alliance, whether or not he likes it) being around her.]

You didn't clarify species. Must be human. Only you forget things like that. [Her distaste is nearly palpable.] So. How do you know David?