Thanks to all the reviewers!
I appreciate the feedback from the guests as well, even though I can't respond to them in a message. I really like the orientation of the centered text, it's easier to read, I think that may be an adjustment on the computer view settings. [to the guest that couldn't read it.]
I'm surprised that so many people are interested in the Engineer x Shaw ship, and it makes me excited to write more.
I love the feedback!
Enjoy!
-[2]-
"All right. I'm very sorry Shaw…"
The words were bitter in his mouth as he cut the transmission. The pilots on either side of him were dead silent, staring hard at their controls. A lean blond woman stood behind Janek's control chair, her tone was not nearly as caring,
"You heard her Captain. Go, before we lose any more crew members."
Meredith said nothing else, her coldness making the cabin quiet. The captain sat back in his chair, staring at the controls as the woman left the main control deck. Of course the young Weyland woman wouldn't stick around for any emotional turmoil, emotions weren't something she enjoyed sharing with the others.
Ravel and Chance then cautiously looked back at their captain, he looked as though he was struggling with his thoughts, but only for a moment. Janek then spoke, making the two pilots perk up,
"Prep for departure, there's nothing else we can do here."
Nothing for her, he meant.
Ravel instantly did what he was told turned back to his control panel and began preparing the engines for take off. The other pilot wasn't so eager, he stared at Janek for a few moments, his expression one of remorse. Chance shifted his weight to turn a little more towards the captain, he knew this was wrong. He couldn't bear the thought of leaving someone alive on LV-223 while they all were able to return home. This wasn't something he could so easily come to terms with. He spoke up reluctantly, as if trying not to offend anyone,
"We're... really gonna' leave her here?"
The captain looked up, a stern expression on his face as he responded to the question,
"You heard Shaw, there's nothing we can do. I don't wanna risk taking any of that shit home with us. Do you-"
A shrill scream echoed through the Prometheus, making the flight crew jump and look behind them. It was definitely Meredith. Janek hopped up off of his chair and immediately ran toward the main doorway, but a female body came sprinting around the corner and almost ran into him. Her blue eyes were wild in a panic, she was breathing in quick gasps,
"Eject my personal capsule! One of them is on board! Eject it! Eject it now!"
The captain had no time to form any sensible response and she pushed at him, screaming for him to eject the life support pod. Again, Ravel was the first to jump into action, immediately beginning the deployment of the pod. Meredith knocked passed the captain and ran up to the pilot deploying it, pushing his shoulder with her hand,
"Hurry up!"
The sound of heavy metal sliding made the blond woman turn and look back towards the doorway. The captain stood awkwardly in the doorway, as if his presence there wouldn't allow anything to come through. With a sound almost like a cannon firing, the life support pod fell away from the main ship. Meredith darted passed the pilots to the large set of windows on the front of the ship, hands immediately on the class. She watched as the silvery capsule landed on the rocky surface of the planet. The prometheus proceeded slowly upwards, away from the surface of the planet.
Chance and Ravel then continued preparing the ship for its long voyage, not paying any real attention to the frightened woman that took steps back behind them. The dark skinned man startled her by grabbing her arm and turning her around,
"Vickers, are you all right? Did it touch you?"
An offended scowl from her gave him his answer as she yanked her arm back away from him, she hissed at the captain,
"No. It didn't."
…
[a/n: This is now 12 and a half hours passed, after Ellie was passed out, to avoid any confusion.]
An echoing boom made her cringe and step back, her lower back hitting the side of the steel platform as she tried to get away from the door. The Engineer was now standing in front of the door, staring at it with a terror in his eyes that was all too human. Something seemed to click inside the alien's head, and he turned and darted over to the frightened woman. A large hand reached out and pushed her, as if telling her to move. The pushing from the alien was so strong, she nearly fell over. She stumbled for a few moments, but it didn't take long to realize what he wanted.
The two of them ran around the side of the platform towards another large pair of steel doors she hadn't really taken notice of. She almost couldn't keep up with his huge stride, she was still a couple steps behind him. As she ran, to her right, she realized David was still there. Her heart skipped a beat, instantly knowing she had to bring him. She would have no way of communicating with the Engineer if David wasn't there, the android would be beneficial to them to keep around. He also was a familiar face, making her feel comfortable somehow in this foreign world.
The Engineer didn't notice her stop following, and he rushed up to the large door and typed frantically on a panel beside the ribbed doorway. The huge steel doors creaked open, revealing a long, and very dark, corridor. A loud boom, followed by a cracking noise made him whirl around, looking in the direction of the noise. The huge door was coming apart, the bone like material was splintering almost like wood. Within a couple seconds he looked back to the platform to see the human carrying the head of the synthetic, and attempting to drag his body.
Ellie yanked on David's body, barely dragging it along the floor. Another creaking slam made pieces of the other door break apart, and fall to the floor. The red head woman briefly glanced back at the confused Engineer, he looked in disbelief at her. The expression was so human, so natural. She continued yanking and looked back as David's body, the android spoke in that usual kind way,
"Doctor, as much as I appreciate this, it isn't necessary. Your offspring is almost in the room now, you should run."
The way he said that word twisted in her mind like a poison, how dare he say something like that. Her bitter thoughts flew out the door as she felt herself slip on some of the white hydraulic fluid leaking from David's body. The same feeling befell her as when she had fallen in front of the Engineer when she first arrived here and tried to flee.
She didn't see that, behind her, the Engineer turned to run down the hall without them, but hesitated. Something changed his mind. The pale being turned back, and sprinted as fast as his large body would let him to the woman struggling to pull along the android. The splitting sound of the bone like doorway echoed throughout he main section, a large beige colored tentacle erupted from the doorway. It immediately stretched around and began feeling the ground and the control chair. Just as Ellie shouted in frustration and fear, trying to get to her feet and pull David, the muscular alien appeared for her aid.
Huge arms easily scooped up David's body and placed it in his left arm like a football. The confused woman trotted along as the Engineer grabbed her arm and yanked her roughly after him down the newly opened corridor. It was all happening so fast. As they ran, the hand of the Engineer released her arm as he opened more doors of the hall and closed them immediately after they ran through.
She couldn't look back. Couldn't look to see if the alien was coming after them, if it was moving at all. The cold air stung her lips and throat as she ran a few steps behind the large pale figure. She didn't count how many doors they ran through, there were so many. There were also bodies strewn out on the floor occasionally on the floor in some halls. She followed as he cut a sharp right and entered a room, just off the hall. Once they entered another large room the Engineer stopped running and leaned against the door after it closed, dropping David's body to the ground like a pile of garbage on his left. The android's head was set down a little more delicate on a counter-top looking surface beside the body.
Ellie then doubled over, hands on her knees, heaving for air. How had something so big gotten here? How had they missed it? Then what David had said earlier popped back into her mind.
Her offspring.
"Oh God…"
She breathed, the thought of that tentacle thing coming out of her body making her feel ill. Janek and the crew must have found it in the med pod and ejected it out of the prometheus. An artificially kind voice made her look up at the blond man's head,
"I appreciate you salvaging my body, are you all right?"
The Engineer shot a glare at David, his voice seeming to somehow irk the alien. The red head noticed the alien's quirk about not liking David. It must be that David was not real, not a true human being. Simply, a creation, of their creation. He must have considered the android to be lesser somehow, since he was simply a tool made by his people's creation. Her response was hushed, she didn't want to upset the Engineer since he had just saved them a second time,
"Yes I'm all right. Where are we?"
As she finished her statement, the alien had stopped panting and stood upright. He didn't make a sound as he walked between them, walking into the main area of the large room. Ellie turned and observed the new segment of the ship, she hadn't been in this room yet. The infection of Charlie and the deaths of Fifield and Millburn had put a hold on their exploration of the pyramid and ship. There were many places they hadn't yet explored. Lord knows what else could be inside this pyramid. David chimed in response,
"I believe this is a main section of living quarters."
With those words, the doctor noticed there were smaller individual doors around the right side of the oval shaped room. The countertop to her left seemed to stretch around to the first door ahead of her, and here was a lower section in the middle of the room. A single step down, and two curved couch looking structures surrounded a large circular platform. Lots of controls decorated the sides of the circular platform, perhaps it was a computer.
She watched as the Engineer sat himself down on the left couch-like structure. He leaned down, fidgeting with a few buttons on the side of the platform. A hologram similar to the one in the control room appeared, flickering a few times as it came up completely. David spoke to her once more, interrupting her fascination with the technology,
"It appears to be akin to a personal computer."
Ellie almost whispered her response, realizing what he was going to do now. She approached the busy alien slowly, looking like she was in a trance.
"He's trying to call for help…"
The Engineer made her heart flutter as he suddenly spoke, his words deep and guttural. She listened intently as she made her way to his side, observing him and the way he spoke. She still couldn't understand why he had saved her. Was he afraid of being alone? Was it really that he saw her as distressed with the others? Or was he simply preventing her and David from becoming vessels for that creature to use to create more of itself? None of these questions had solid answers. His answer earlier hadn't satisfied her curiosity. She cautiously sat down beside him, making him glance at her briefly. His large eyes gave her chills.
He blinked once at her and then returned to the computer, not saying a word. She could hear the sound of the computer replaying what he had just said, his large eyes locked on the dancing constellations of the hologram. They had no option, they had to play the waiting game now, she knew it. He was calling for a rescue. How he would be able to contact them after two thousand years she wasn't sure. She had already come to terms with the thought of being stranded here when she told Janek to leave with the remains of the crew. She wanted her answers, even if it meant she would die here on the planet with what she thought was the last Engineer.
It wasn't as bitter of a pill as she thought it would be. Dying here. She didn't plan on getting pulled apart, or being impregnated by the tentacle offspring of hers, but dying here naturally wasn't hard to accept as long as she found her answers. This Engineer was the key to what she had been searching for her whole life. Dying here seemed like a small price to pay if she could find out what the reason was for the human's creation, and then planned destruction.
"David, I need you to translate for me."
The android pleasantly smiled, that same damn programmed smile, at the thought of being needed by a human. Her head turned to face him, a glint of excitement in her eyes.
"Of course Doctor. What would you like me to ask him?"
The Engineer's focus remained on the computer as the two of them spoke to each other. He had no clue what they were saying, but there was no point trying to figure out such a primitive tongue in his mind. That broken android was the only means of communication between he and the female he had saved, this was the only reason he even bothered helping her rescue the synthetic human. Ellie shifted so she could face the muscular alien fully, so she could read his expressions as she asked him these questions. Hopefully he wouldn't be offended or get angry. There was no way to know how he would react. She asked David to translate anyway, deciding this may be one of her only opportunities to sit down and speak with him, before that creature got a hold of them anyway.
"Ask him why his people created us."
"That's a fairly broad and forward question doctor."
He would always question what she said, it was programmed into him.
"Please just ask him."
The synthetic somehow formed sentences with what only sounded like noises from his throat, immediately getting the attention of the preoccupied alien. The Engineer shifted so he could look back at David, his dark eyes looking at him with an unreadable expression. His eyes then moved back to Ellie, realizing that the artificial person was simply translating for her. She could see the gears were turning inside the alien's mind, a light anxiety made her feel jittery. After a few silent moments and an awkwardly extended eye contact, the Engineer spoke up. He must have decided how to articulate his response, so not to be condescending or rude. The answer was long, and made him look away, seeming to be in thought of how to explain such an old event.
David instantly began deciphering his words for the doctor,
"Your creation was not by him, or his people as a whole, but by a group of scientists. It was so many thousands of years ago, and were are many different ideas and theories about why your kind was created. These scientists were focused on creation as a key to immortality, and a way for them to pass on their genes to organisms on other planets. With many planets being inhabited by humanoids like themselves, they could be certain that their likelihood would live on, and evolve further-"
She instantly interrupted him, the response seeming too vague to satisfy her thirst for a true answer.
"Why do we look different then? Why not send out groups of his own kind to colonize such planets?"
After a translation of the question, the Engineer responded once more, and the android began speaking again.
"Humans were designed with the same DNA, but had to be created to survive on Earth. The atmosphere was very different, and therefore humans had to be designed slightly different. After the creation of Humans, the Engineers returned to give a little 'boost' to these slow progressing ancient civilizations."
Ellie looked over at David, her eyebrows pressed together curiously,
"A boost?"
The synthetic continued,
"Your technological advancements in that time were moving at a painfully slow rate, and his people decided to step in and help these developing civilizations in order to ensure the survival of the humans as a whole. But once they did such a thing, and observed the development of your kind, they realized they had created a monster. War ravaged between countries, the technology was used against your own people, you destroyed the other species inhabiting the Earth, and the planet was going to crumble beneath you. A debate among his own people broke out about whether or not the Humans should be destroyed before they ruined the blue planet, and the superiors voted to eradicate humans in order to salvage the life supporting planet of Earth. Few planets can support such complex life forms, and Humans were just abusing the planet they were given. This bio weapon was designed to infect your water systems, and wipe the slate clean on Earth, so the Engineers could perhaps start over. "
Black eyes rested on Ellie's teared up brown ones. The answer made her feel ill with guilt and disgust for her own race. Everything the Engineer had said was true. Humans fought amongst each other over religion, territory, and resources, it was so imbalanced. Her hands clenched tight on the fabric covering her lap. She fought the tears as she spoke to David, her eyes not leaving the Engineer's,
"We… We can change. Humans can change, they just need… need your help now, more than ever…You must teach us."
Her words were hushed, and her throat was hard with a knot from her fighting the urge to cry. This wasn't the answer she had expected, but she wasn't really sure what she had expected. There weren't many reasons that his people could have had to create them, but it was the hardest thing in the world to hear him tell her like it was so easy for him. Like it was just a historical event and nothing more. Creation was trivial, and easy, according to the way she heard it.
David then translated her quiet words for the Engineer, he didn't look surprised and responded to David. The android translated cooly,
"It wasn't his decision to make, there were many on his home planet that would agree with you, Doctor. He was just an assistant military officer sent to help supervise and protect the scientists. The plan to eradicate the humans was actually abandoned when the bio weapon was accidentally unleashed on his own people while preparing the ship. His home colony must have abandoned LV-223 completely so not to risk infection of the main population. The devastating loss caused his people to completely abandon this terrible weapon. But he has no idea where his people are now, if they even are on the same home planet anymore, not that anyone he was related to was left alive after such a long time."
"If they're even still alive."
Her head slowly dropped down and stared at her lap. She felt happy to have her answer, but somewhat crushed to know the reason behind the plan to destroy the race. The Engineer kept looking down at her, the creaking sound of the ship the only sound between them. The wind hitting the side of the pyramid made a low howling sound, another storm was blowing in. David broke the silence between them,
"Another storm is coming in it seems."
Ellie felt a small smile creep up on her face, he was trying to ease the tension between them, how he was programmed to. At least she had some of her answers, content filled her heart. She knew now. She understood, but had mixed feelings. She wasn't sure how to react now, knowing her creators wanted to destroy them for abusing the planet they were given. She hadn't planned anything out after she got her answers. A thousand questions flooded her mind, but she still wasn't certain what else she really wanted to know. Maybe it was best to let this sink in first, before she asked more emotionally overwhelming questions.
A sudden noise from the computer made the Engineer and Ellie jump, both of them immediately looking at the computer. The doctor couldn't believe she could hear the distant sound of voices, the alien beside her seemed to light up, talking quickly in response to the voice.
He had actually made contact.
There was no way. The confused woman shook her head, looking at the Engineer's face for answers. David made a small huff sound as he commented on what was happening,
"He did made contact, I'm surprised. After so many hours, the signal actually hit a beacon on a nearby ship. Sounds like an ore supply vessel from what I understand."
She perked up, unsure of how to respond. She blinked a few times, taking in what this meant. Were they going to be rescued by his people? Would the rescue include her and David as well? The Engineer almost appeared to be smiling, relieved to even hear one of his kind. After a couple minutes of talking, the Engineer seemed to relax, content with whatever the response was. The right arm of the Engineer reached up and put a hand on her shoulder, scaring her and making her lean away slightly. The Engineer locked eyes with her and nodded reassuringly, as if it was possible they were going to make it off this hellish rock, alive. This was something she hadn't considered until now, she was going to potentially make it off this planet?
His hand was huge and somewhat comforting, giving her shoulder a small squeeze as he nodded to her. She didn't know how to react to his gesture, and simply froze. It was an unexpected direct contact between the two of them. The Engineer seemed to realize that it made her uncomfortable and he immediately removed his hand, only looking at her for a few seconds more before returning to the computer.
Ellie decided to disregard the gesture and then turned around to face David's remains,
"What's happening now?"
The Engineer proceeded to speak to the computer, having a conversation with what she assumed was another Engineer.
"I believe he is asking them for a rescue, they are not too far from LV-223. But it would at least take sixteen hours."
Her eyes were wide, wider than David had ever remembered. She simply couldn't believe this all was happening. It happened so fast, the slaughter of the crew, the attempted take off, and her deadly offspring returning to find someone to prey on. She remembered she had been asleep for almost half the day, and that would make sense, but to her, it all happened too quickly.
This was really happening. A hesitant smile appeared on her face as she looked at David's severed head. The android pushed his eyebrows together,
"What's the matter Doctor Shaw? I thought this is what you wanted? To meet your creators."
Her thoughts were far away from this room, wondering a multitude of things. What were the women Engineers like? Did the entire species still look the same after two thousand years? What would happen to her and David if they were brought along? What was their home planet like? What was their government like? Their families? Their animals?
This sliver of hope. This tiny idea that she may survive and learn everything she can about this culture she had always dreamed of, slid through her mind like a virus. These thoughts infected every cell in her body, she wanted more answers. She was going to the the first human being to document this momentous discovery, and her message had to get back. Her eyes rested on David, and then it clicked.
If she could bring David, he could literally record every second of the experience by just being there. The pounding in her chest made her body warm with excitement, nearly forgetting all the death and betrayal that had just occurred. Everything in her life seemed so insignificant compared to this moment. Her head slowly turned and she looked at the Engineer, this was her opportunity, not anyone else could make this discovery. How can one stand in the light of discovery, and not act?
Another response on the computer made her fall quiet, and just watch for a few minutes as the Engineer's conversation seemed to come to an end. The huge alien then leaned back and rested his head against the back of the couch. She couldn't help but eye him as he did this, she hadn't had much time to take a close look at him and all the similarities they had shared.
His face was perfectly chiseled, like he was a Grecian God. His skin was pale and nearly completely white like a marble, his eyes were now closed as he took a few slow breaths of relief. He seemed so much more human to her now, she felt she could really understand his body language now. There was some type of connection.
"Something pique your interest Dr. Shaw?"
David almost startled her, breaking the silence like that. She shrugged, keeping her eyes on the relaxing Engineer.
"I was admiring how human he is."
The sound of howling wind lowly echoed in the halls again, it made her flinch at the sound. She then remembered the creature they had been running from, and she whipped her head back towards the door. Her heartbeat picked up a little as she stared at the large doorway,
"I wouldn't worry too much Dr. Shaw. I don't believe that creature can move too quickly, nor can it open or break through every door it encounters. We should be safe until it figures a new way in."
That wasn't comforting at all. A new way in? Ellie shook her head and took a deep breath, leaning back against the couch like the Engineer. Although she had passed out for over twelve hours, she still felt exhausted. She had spent so much energy running and stressing out that it drained her. Her head lazily turned to the left, eyeing the Engineer once more. His eyes were closed, his arms were now stretched out on either side of him, resting on the back of the couch. His right hand was incredibly close to her face, so close she could probably reach out and touch it with her nose if she scooted forward a bit.
His large muscular chest rose and fell slowly, he must be exhausted too, waking up and then running about the ship…and killing the crew. Her curiosity was constantly overwhelming her, she forced herself to sit up. Her eyes moving from his face to his hand, trying to make sure she didn't wake him. She had always been like this, wondering about everything, her father always told her it was an endearing quality. Charlie never seemed to think that.
It sort of bothered Charlie that she constantly questioned things that, to him, didn't' need to be asked about. They both wondered about the human race and their creation, but she asked about everything. As much as her boyfriend loved her, it still sometimes caused tension between them when she asked about everything he was doing all the time. It was hard for her to stop, being so naturally curious. Almost nosy.
Cautious fingers hovered around the Engineer's large hand as she leaned close to it. The blueish-purple veins under his almost translucent skin made her want to keep studying him, it was something so different and new. Ever so gently, she touched the top of his hand with her index and middle finger tips on her right hand. Her eyes flickered from his face to where she was touching, still trying not to wake him. She had to poke, probe, and question everything, it was engrained in her nature. A true scientist's mind never sleeps.
David sat quiet, observing her actions. This was part of the human nature he did not question, he had also wondered about things he had never experienced or explored. Looking at Ellie's dreams was also something he couldn't explain. He just wanted to know, it was an insufferable thirst for knowledge. A small smile appeared on his face, the dried white fluid cracking on his cheek. He admired her, and her starving curiosity. It was a rare quality they shared.
A twitch of his hand made her nearly gasp in surprise, she froze for a few seconds to make sure he was still sleeping.
Eyes are closed. Continue.
Her fingertips explored the smooth surface of his skin, it was unbelievably soft, and completely hairless. A smile appeared on her lips as she leaned in close to look at the blood vessels on his fingers. His hand was huge compared to hers, she felt rather tiny and fragile sitting next to him. Her eyes shifted to his huge chest rising and falling in a perfect rhythm. Long slow breaths filled his muscular body as she checked out his uniform. The same ribbed features of the ship were evident on his uniform, it was a dark silvery grey color. With a small shift of her weight, she was able to lean down and take a closer look. The bony exterior ribs were rough, and jagged, she wasn't sure if it was supposed to be this way. Perhaps it was from battle? Aging?
A very distant metal clang made her flinch and duck her head. It could be the wind from the storm, or that creature making it's way through the ship. They were trapped like rats in this room, until the supposed 'rescue' happened. As she regained her composure and sat up, she realized the Engineer was now staring at her. She squeaked instead of forming actual words, her spine immediately straightened up. Looking at him, her cheeks blushed a slight pink. She just got caught huddling over him and poking around on his suit. The Engineer then made a rather amused expression, like he expected such a thing from her.
"S-Sorry!"
She stated hurriedly, smiling sheepishly up at him. The Engineer seemed to just brush off what had just happened and sit up, rubbing his face. She then scooted back away a couple inches, realizing she was awkwardly close to the alien. The pale being turned and looked her up and down once, then stood up. She glanced up at him with a questioning look, he made a motion to his own body and looked at her as if she understood what he meant. With no clue as to what he meant, the Engineer then walked passed her and over to the door of the large room. She stood up and stared as he peered out of the small window near the top of the door. The burly space jockey reached over to the control panel, and opened the door.
Her stomach dropped and she took a reluctant step forward, as if she'd beg him not to go. If he left the safety of this room would he come back? Why leave the room? What could he possibly need? The Engineer looked back at her emotionlessly, and gave her that same tiny nod.
"N-No! Wait a minute!"
She sputtered as she took another step towards the alien, putting her hand up towards him pleadingly. The Engineer looked at her for just a moment stoically, then turned away from her and exited the room, closing the large door behind him. The doctor then rushed over and jumped up on her toes, trying to look out of the door,
"W-Where are you going?!"
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