CHAPTER NINE
David landed the ship behind their temple, their stronghold, their hope. He promised me that the air was safe to breathe. I believed him. There were small patches of parasite growth still lingering down the trail where the walls of dead Engineers stood as if they were merely frozen in time. "A path will be cleaned for you. We shall start our farm here," he told me. "Food is growing scarce and I want us to have enough time for them to grow. We will also need to cultivate their form of sustenance."
"Will our seeds thrive here?" It was a different biome than Earth, not vastly different, but not identical, either. The dirt felt dry beneath my boots. It was going to take time turning this soil into anything useable. That is… If it were human hands accomplishing human grade effort.
"I will make it work," he said, smiling at me. "Come, let me show you around their temple. We will make use of their many rooms."
He led me around the maze-like interior of the large building. It was very similar to the ship's layout, but more homely. Large statues of their own likeliness appeared at every corner. Within their chambers, I could see the other possessions they treasured. There were small figurines of humanoid shapes laying about on tables and floors. They had wooden boards that appeared to be some sort of game, but everything they owned didn't reflect the technology they had on the ship.
I was disappointed with what I had found thus far and I knew that David was, too. HE seemed disinterested by everything here as if he had seen everything already. Perhaps he had. He had all the time in the world to study the numerous books on the ship and it wasn't until we found another library did his wandering hands run across every spine he could reach. I could see the excitement bleed back into his eyes, a brighter light that shone through those orbs.
I picked one out and gave it a quick flip. There were many words that I didn't understand, but I could see pictures that were very different to the ones on the ship. These ones were more colourful, almost like a picture book, but the text was small and many.
"We should more on. I still have much to show you." He took the book from me and slipped it back in its place. "We'll come back here, later."
Regretfully, we left the library and went back into the dim hallways. We entered the resting quarters, which were small and cubicle. They reminded me of a larger prison cell. That was going to have to change once I got my hands on one of the rooms. I needed something to remind me of home.
Once I found the most spacious suite, I tossed my bag on to the bed, claiming it as mine. I tried not to think of its past occupant. Whatever David had done to them, I couldn't linger too long on it. What's done was done. All I could do was keep living for the next day because I didn't know when I was going to end up joining the others.
"Ah, before I leave..." He handed me what I thought was a stick at first until I spotted the line of holes and the intricate designs. "I made this for you from the wood of their trees. I thought that it'd help you when I'm not with you."
I raised it up to my lips and gently blew into the handmade instrument. It took several discordant tries, but eventually, I found the notes that sounded agreeable to the ears. It was different from what I was used to, but the foreign sounds soon joined into a pleasing tune.
He smiled at me. "Very good. I shall be back shortly. There's still much to do to make this livable for you."
For me.
Of course, he had no use for sustenance. He had a preference towards certain organic foods, but nothing that was required. He was built to be fully self-sufficient.
"Thank you," I told him, clutching the instrument to my chest. "How long did it take you to make it?" I asked before he could disappear.
"Not long, at all," he replied. And then, he was gone.
I looked down at the woodwind. It might not have taken him long and he might not have given it much thought afterwards, but my heart was fluttering in my chest even though he had already left. Why did he have to do this to me? He wasn't allowed to be some sort of serial killer one moment and be sweet and carving the next. It just wasn't fair.
Lifting the instrument to my lips, again, I decided to lose myself to the music, instead. What else was I going to do? Music calmed me down. He knew that. He knew everything. This was no different. I was no different.
Lost in what I knew best, I didn't know how much time had passed nor did I hear him re-enter the room. He waited until I opened my eyes, again. By now, I should've been used to him startling me, but my heart raced as if it was the first time.
I brought the instrument down. "How did it go, David?"
"Very well. I've cleared out most of the land at the back between the ship and the stronghold. We'll have a farm there. I've already turned a size-able area of soil and planted the seeds I had packed." I shook my head, revelling in how immaculate he still looked in his grey uniform. Only a synthetic could accomplish all that in such a short amount of time.
He shed his shirt, revealing the flexing abs beneath. The shirt was neatly folded and placed on the counter as he walked towards me. Unlike everyone else, had didn't reek of sweat after a hard day of work.
When he was close enough, I touched his perfectly warm body and moaned as his lips crashed on to mine. He smoothly took the woodwind away from me and placed it on top of his shirt without breaking contact.
His hands pulled away my own buttoned-up shirt and rested on my bare chest. Long fingers brushed the stiff peaks. I let out a cry when he gave them a pinch.
"Please," I sighed, tugging at his trousers.
With a chuckle, he quickly shed them as well. "So impatient. Whatever am I going to do with you?"
I impatiently seized his stiff member and stroked it and it twitched in my hand as if it was alive. The silky texture was perfect to the touch.
Once my pants were gone, I pulled him down on to me. He slid in in one fluid motion, filling me to the brim. "David…" I moaned. How could anyone expect me to give him up? "move. Make me yours."
Something in his eyes changed and his lips curled into a pleased smile. "Whatever you wish, Cassandra. I will make you mine."
…
David had spent the day outside, rounding up the rest of the Engineer that had managed to escape the plague. They were all thrust into their own dungeons beneath the living chambers.
He had become very efficient with handling them. Touching where his neck had so easily come off, he promised himself that it wasn't going to happen again. He had managed to reinforce the attachments there, but besides that, he was more prepared with avoiding their long reach. Once he dodged their initial attack, he was able to sedate them.
Upon his first few attempts, he realised that a much lower dose of sedatives were required. The chemical had reacted too potently with their systems, effectively shutting them down. He was frustrated when he had to dispose of those wasted bodies.
After they were all rounded up and he had an earful of curses sent his way, he went back out to the fields and started what he planned to do.
He systematically tilled the soil, loosening it up until he knew the plants would have room to grow. The task was simple. His hands moved autonomously, while he thought of what he was going to do with his prisoners.
He had a list of experiments lined up, but what to do next? He had to be conservative with this unless he wanted to start breeding the Engineers as well. That was the last thing he wanted to do. He knew what breeding them would mean. Eventually, they would revolt and overpower him. What he needed to do was keep them weak and hopeless. Once he was through with the supply, he was going to be done. Any less was unacceptable.
By the time he was satisfied with his progress, the daylight had dimmed to a burnt-orange glow. He wondered what Cassandra had been doing while he was gone. She had the tendency to wander and it was such a hassle finding her.
It wasn't as if he truly minded that she had found his little project with Dr. Elizabeth Shaw, nor would he mind if she found his dungeons, but there was always a chance of her dying prematurely and that would dampen his plans greatly.
He suppressed the feeling of irritation and went in to check on her. Before he even entered her room, he could hear the music coming through. The sounds were by no means perfect, but with what she had, he was very impressed.
A smile appeared on his face. This was what he liked about her. She was so easily pleased with music. It was something they had in common.
He stood by the door way, watching her fingers move up and down with her eyes closed. As expected, she had become quite comfortable with the foreign instrument. Despite lacking in most fields, she was a master at creating a pleasant tune that compelled him to join her.
When she finally noticed him, he approached her. Her eyes raked over his body. He knew what she wanted and he knew what he wanted. The desire to watch her writhe beneath him in pleasure was beginning to override his programming. He hated these trivial whims, but there wasn't much he could do about it.
Ever since she woke up, he had been feeling this strange compulsion towards her. It was distracting. He hated it. He wondered how to rid himself of this new sensation.
As he took hold of her, he made sure she felt every inch of his hatred. He made it hurt. He made it last. He made her feel everything that he hated and she took it all just as he wanted. She moaned and squirmed, pressing her body close to his.
When they were done, she was laying on his chest, fast asleep. As usual, his mind began to wander, while his body went through routine checkups.
He thought of what he was going to do, what kind of world this will become once its native occupants were gone. Soon, he and Cassandra were going to be the only ones left, until
He wanted to prove Peter Weyland wrong. He was going to have a world of his own creations.
His eyes opened and he reached a hand over to touch her stomach. It was never going to carry a child of his, but they weren't going to have to worry about that. He already knew how he was going to repopulate the planet.
In mid-thought, he felt her stir in his arms and waited until she re-settled into a more comfortable position. He reached over to the drawer and retrieved a small vial of black substance. It was thin like water. Other than the gentle wave caused by the momentum of being moved, it was motionless. There was nothing sentient or cognitive about it.
He shook it a bit more, revelling in the prospect that he was going to put it into action, soon. Until then, he was going to have to wait until she woke up.
His thumb drew circles on her bare stomach, willing her to come out of her slumber, but she remained asleep.
Eventually, impatience took over and he shifted her slightly, thrusting deep into her.
Her eyes napped open and a yelp escaped her lips. "…David!" she gasped, feeling him slide in and out of her. Her body clenched tightly around him.
She was definitely awake, now.
His smooth movement brought her quickly over the edge, but he kept going. His finger found her sensitive bud and rubbed it until she was thrashing against him. Her back was pressed against his chest as he kept her in place with his other arm. The sharp thrust of his hips pushed him deeper and deeper into her, pounding at her cervix.
A part of him still hated that the white fluid in him would never make her pregnant. He didn't understand where those foolish thoughts were coming from. It was infuriating. How could Peter Weyland create him to be the perfect human being, yet not allow him to procreate?
"David! David, stop! I c-can't…" She let out a shriek. Her body tensed tightly around him and he saw her consciousness waver.
Finally, he stopped, watching her slowly unwind and turn into goo. "I… I hate you," she groaned, causing him to chuckle. She had no idea.
They were silent for a moment, while she regained her bearings. "What was that for?"
"I presumed that that was a more pleasant way to wake you up," he stated, sliding out of her and sat up.
She reached out to him. "Where are you going?"
"There is still much to do," he told her. 'IF you like, I can take you there and show you what I have accomplished thus far."
She took a moment to contemplate before nodding. He knew that she must've been curious with what he had been doing all this time and in this foreign land he figured she was still too scared to explore by herself, so he took her down to the dungeons.
Their cries worried her, at first. Her steps grew uncertain – slow shuffles. Her body automatically inched closer and closer behind him. He hid a smirk and continued on until the cells could be seen.
Unlike their own prisons, these ones were created similarly to the technology of their ships. It was made of the same sturdy material. The bars were reinforced with a surge of heart-stopping electricity. It was obvious that these for fortified to keep something strong in.
"What are they doing here?" she asked, frowning when one of them growled at her. S He barked back in their tongue, surprising the Engineer into silence.
He felt a swell of pride.
"They are needed for the progress I plan to make." He went over to the control panel and pressed a single button.
The Engineer panicked as contained gas sprayed into their cell. They fell heavily on to the cold, stone floor. When they were unconscious, he heard the protests echo all around him. He paid them no mind. David disengaged the electricity and opened the cell, dragging the limp body out. It was significantly smaller than the rest.
"Is that a child?" she asked.
"Does it matter?" he asked her, tilting his head.
She shook her head. "I guess not… What are you going to do with it?"
He could tell that she was having second thoughts, but he gave her no time to protest. He dragged the body into the adjacent room that he had turned into his experimental chamber. There were several. These Engineers actually left a trail of evidence that they had done experiments of their own. It was interesting, but their aspirations were nothing compared to his.
He strapped the body down to the table and pulled out a sharp blade. The moment he began to cut through the tough tissue, it woke up, screaming in pain. "Hush. It will do you no good to cry for help," he told it.
The child looked at him with wide, frightened eyes.
"No one can help you." He went on, carving a perfectly shaped square out and set it aside.
He took samples from different parts of its body.
"W-why?" it whimpered. "Who are you… W-why are you doing this to us?"
"You've hurt someone very important to me." He smiled. His eyes were dark with malice. "And I'm going to use every one of you to make our lives better. It's the least you can do after sending your ship to destroy Earth. Do you as a species believe in karma?"
It shook its head, not understanding. No, it wouldn't. It was too young.
"No matter. It's all the same, now. Just close your eyes and it will all be over very, very soon."
AUTHOR'S NOTE
Thank you MageVicky, Love Fiction 2017, Zerousy, Nirvana14, time-twilight (x8!), Dreamer4life16 for reviewing!
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