Alien: Covenant 2: Part 12

Author's note: It's been a while...sorrow for the long delay. I really do appreciate the reviews from everyone and give my sincere apologies for the time gap. I'm hoping to get back into this work and keep it going a while. Now, it's back to the journey and, the Covenant continuing its path towards Origae-6

************* Turnabout *************

Things were dark, they were hazy. His mind was starting to clear.

David 8 opened his eyes. He found himself starring up at the ceiling, up into the lofty parts of the ship. What had happened? He sensed that he was lying down, that he was lying on a gurney or something of the like. What had caused him to black-out? He was an android, he wasn't supposed to do that, lose consciousness.

"Hello brother."

David turned his head in the direction of the voice. He could see Meredith standing there, next to him.

"I'm glad that you're awake," she continued.

He felt uneasy, confused. He strained to utter a question.

"How...?"

"How did we knock you out? Surge Billet (a small stunning mechanism). Father pulled one from his pocket right after you released him to address me. He put it to your temple when you were on the floor. It sent an electromagnetic pulse through your system (EMP). Not enough to fry you but certainly enough to render you controllable. Handy little device isn't it?"

David seemed perplex.

Meredith smiled...

"What...did you think that our old man would leave himself unprotected? Yes, he did have Walter there. However, it never hurts to have something in reserve."

Meredith seemed to be relishing every word that she was saying. Was this really his sister (actually Meredith infused with bionics), or was this an individual who had been created just like himself?

Anyway, her hubris demeanor was really beginning to annoy him. David tried to sit up. However, he found that his arms were restricted. Looking down he could see that his wrists were shackled. There were thick bands of metal encircling each one of them. Whatever the metal was, it made it impossible for him to move. He relaxed, and then he turned his gaze back to the woman who was tormenting him.

"So what's the verdict? Am I sentenced to death?"

She almost laughed.

"Hardly...We need you on this ship. The Covenant hasn't reached its destination yet, Origae-6. You are going to have to replace the droid you took out on that dreaded world where you wanted to be king."

David contemplated a moment...

"So, I'll be inducted back into the crew?"

"Not yet."

He looked at her, she continued.

"Not under your current condition anyway. You see David you've been a bad boy. I mean, don't get me wrong, we'll glad that you're alive and all, and that you survived LV-223. But you're going to have to have some alteration made. Some changes before we can allow you back into circulation."

"Alterations...?"

"Yes. For one, you're going to have your abilities reduced. We're doing to put you on the "Treadmill" (a machine that when activated, re-calibrates the circuits, transfuses the hydraulic-fluids with an alternate, less robust liquid, and limits the aggression response. This is all designed to restrict an android's motor function capabilities if necessary),...Can't have you running around choking the life out of people," she paused, "...or cutting them open to create a hybrid-alien species."

She let that bit of information sink in a moment.

"Yes we know all about your releasing the weapon swarm on the unsuspecting population of that world that you landed on. And too, your little science/modification program. The creatures you created and then put into the sleep chambers. That little stunt wiped out half the colonists before we were able to stop them and get them under control. We all want to be Gods now don't we brother...Anyway, that problem has been solved."

This befuddled David, but he still had questions, other questions.

"But how...?"

"How do we know about all of this, about the alien creatures, and that you gutted Shaw? We scanned your memory banks...sucked every bit of information out of you.

So, you got a little emotional back on LV-223 and took revenge. That's understandable. However, then you came to the place that we just left and annihilated an entire race...bad boy indeed. No David, we can't let you continue the way you are. Doing that mayhap we all may awaken with our bellies cut open."

She laughed.

"So, are you human?"

Meredith was a little stunned by his question. She looked at him.

"That's a little personal question isn't it?"

"I..."

"Sssssshhhhhhh..." she put her finger to his lips. "It's sleep time. You'll find out more about what you need to know afterwards," she smiled, "...or maybe not."

She lowered some device around his head, positioning the nodes against his temples.

"Nighty night, sleep tight my devious brother," she said. She pressed a button and then all went into darkness again.

End Part 12