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yoursuicidalcupcake · 6 days ago

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ALL ABOUT DAVID’S EMOTIONS - The complete collection

At the time of Prometheus David wasn’t meant to be so emotional, but as time passed, they decided to transform him in the character he is in Alien: Covenant, managing to connect everything pretty well. The first scene of Alien: Covenant too helps to give a meaningful “start” to David’s story and character and a beginning that reconnect the character of Prometheus to the character of Alien: Covenant. They went from: “ok David technically can’t feel emotions but let’s keep this thing open-ended” to “ok let’s make that David has always been able to feel emotions". I think it was the right choice, because you really see him behaving in a way that absolutely doesn’t resemble the behaviour of a robot who HAS to make humans feel comfortable, at all. David purposely puts a lot of salt in a lot of his lines, and sometimes (like with Holloway) he even refuses to smile and be “friendly looking”. This is an old interview about David’s character, back at the time of Prometheus…

Q: “There’s a lot made in Prometheus of David’s inability to feel, but there were moments when - as you said - it seems he actually can. Did you go into the film with a clear idea of whether David had any desires or emotions?”

Michael Fassbender: “I wanted to keep it open-ended. I definitely wanted to play with it, with the other crew members on board as well as the audience. I had some ideas but nothing ever needed to be definite. I just wanted to always have that element with David, where you’re thinking, ‘Is he being sincere or is he being sarcastic? Is he being for real or is he taking the piss?’ I wanted that element alive in him”

(http://www.michaelfassbender.org/michaelonprometheuseightnew.html)

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“David seems to have some fascination with that film and the character Lawrence” Fassbender adds “and I always attributed it to the fact that Lawrence has got a very clear vision and he’s very pure in his pursuit of it. There’s not much questioning. He’s a very decisive character, and I think David sees elements of that in Shaw as well. That’s why he finds her so fascinating. He’s also an outsider like David; he’s an Englishman, but he’s not accepted really by the English or the Arab nations, so he’s kind of somewhere in the middle”

( https://www.google.it/amp/s/alienseries.wordpress.com/2015/03/16/the-prodigal-son-david-8/amp/ )

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And then, let’s look at how things changed in Alien: Covenant…

“We start Covenant,” he (Ridley Scott) continues, ”with a really clever prologue that settles—once and for all—who David really is.” The sequence begins on a “big beautiful blue eye—you see every vein” and over that shot audiences will hear footsteps approach. “How do you feel?” a voice asks. “Alive,” the owner of the eye responds (…) Scott promises this sequence will “really get people going because it’s fucking smart for a change.” Scott and McBride both believe Covenant will cast Prometheus in a new and better light.

(https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2017/03/alien-covenant-ridley-scott)

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This is Ridley Scottg talking about David’s “birth”.

“So a governor in an AI is essential. You’ve got to have firewalls so that he can’t go through. Because at what moment does an AI, when you feed him with so much information – I mean, beyond anything we can possibly comprehend; so he can beat a grandmaster in a chess match in 15 minutes – or four minutes. At what moment has he evolved emotion? If you pack a lot of information in, does that give stress? And if you get stressed, that’s emotion. If you’ve got emotion, you start to think tangentially, which you haven’t thought of as the inventor. You’re going, ‘Oh f**k, he’s angry’. Or, ‘Oh f**k, he’s amused because I’m such an idiot. And he’s now showing that he thinks I’m an idiot’.That’s what happens in the prologue. So in four minutes, a father – or a god – realises he has a problem… ”

(These things are reaffirmed by Ridley in the blu ray commentary of the movie. In the commentary Scott even adds that David was pretty free and could have refused to bring Weyland the tea, but he accepts to do it because he’s “political”, he’s studying the situation, he’s “already the predator” and these things make him even more dangerous)

(http://www.digitalspy.com/movies/alien/news/a827742/alien-covenant-walter-name-ridley-scott/)

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Ridley: “At the end of the 4 mins, the creator realized he already had a problem. Because his creation is asking him questions: Of course, you are my father. But you will die, I will not.That’s big problem. Immediately “Father” looks at him and goes: Hang on, this thing is way too clever. And therefore gives him an order. The order is “pour me the tea, David.”So David sits there, unblinking, but obviously thinking: Pour your own bloody tea. It’s right next to you. But he doesn’t. He gets up and comes across and pours the tea without any reaction. It’s very dangerous. Already he’s the predator. End of the story”.

Michael: “What’s interesting about David is that he’s very needy. He feels like he needs validation from those around him. He’s looking for love in all the wrong places. In the opening scene, one guy says to him: “Pour the tea”. Immediately he’s processing: Wow this human has some strange power games. Because obviously the tea is right beside him he can pour the tea. But he knows he is accessing his superiority over David”

Ridley: “You get an A.I. with emotions, it’s very dangerous.

Michael: ”Humans too“

Ridley: “Too much information is very dangerous”

Michael: “Too much emotions”

Michael: “If the A.I. thinks he has a soul, then the soul is very real for the A.I.”

(Special thanks to @jacintatveit )

(http://www.miaopai.com/show/zDCKdCBBQiHAcd3wsSXww65v~8-~STJA.htm)

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“He (Walter) doesn’t incorporate concepts like vanity or jealousy or gratitude. He doesn’t fall in love with characters like we saw the strange relationship between Shaw and David.There is a bond that develops there which is a very human one, and human flaws that come with it.”

- Michael Fassbender (about Walter & Davids bond with Elisabeth) (The art and making of Alien Covenant, Simon Ward.)

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“He talks of her great fondly here. Here we go: ‘I loved her, of course. Just as you love Daniels’ and he says ‘that’s impossible’. A.I don’t love their mistress or master, they respect them but technically they don’t have emotions. But he had emotions, that was a problem, emotion is a problem, emotion can lead to bad behavior”. (…) “Confusingly but understandably, the monster had fallen in love with the woman. All right? So, this is real. He said this is an ode to my dear Elizabeth, ‘cause he knows he’s about to leave. He thinks. ‘Farewell Elizabeth’ (…) David was the prototype, was the art form, the A.I., the very first art form, ‘cause making an A.I is an art form, whereas this A.I has emotions, you don’t want an A.I with emotions, because if he does he’s gonna get angry, you really are in trouble”.

- Ridley Scott, Alien: Covenant commentary

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•Do we see more emotional levels in David, more levels of rage?

•I think just human, more sort of engaged in all sorts of human characteristics, insecurity, ego, I mean rage might come out of insecurity, I don’t know though of rage as just an emotion. Playing those kind of things is tricky. But pride, envy, you saw a bit of that with Logan Marshall Green’s character in the last one. And you know he likes to feel important, comes back to pride again, I suppose, so it’s just all a mix of those things and they are definitely more prominent in him as time as passed.

•We did shoot a prologue to the film with Shaw, and we pick up where we left Shaw and David. They’re in one of the Engineers’ ships, trying to find the origin of the Engineers, and their home planet. We could sense that the time that’s passed has caused things to become a little bit fractious between the two of them. You get the impression that Shaw is wary of David, and I think he just wears on her nerves. He’s like this lovesick stalker in space, which is an interesting concept. But Shaw does have sympathy for him, and she does put him back together. He killed her, essentially, to prevent her from leaving him […] David, I think, finds these strong female characters attractive, and he’s really an old romantic. So he’s a little bit confused. He does have a scene with Daniels where he tries to simulate sex. He’s got a strange sexuality. He’s in a very confused state, because he feels these human characteristics— jealousy, vanity, pride— but he also has these sexual desires, which he obviously can’t act out, but wants to.”

•How has David’s relationship with Shaw changed (post Prometheus)? Like any good marriage it’s, you know, there’s a real affection there between the two of them. I think they get on each other’s nerves, well he gets on her nerves rather, but I suppose they went through quite a lot together in Prometheus, so there is a bond there for sure.

(Special thanks to @aldebaranarfeiniel )

(http://www.denofgeek.com/us/movies/alien/262464/alien-covenant-michael-fassbender-on-playing-two-roles-david-shaw-s-relationship-10-years-later)

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“He (Walter) doesn’t fall in love with characters, whereas we saw a strange relationship between Shaw and David. He is purely logical and devoid of emotion, even if those around him, particularly Daniels, search for some sort of emotional connectivity with him; that’s not really there. David tries to educate Walter. I think he sees himself as an older brother, and flirts with the idea of the two of them going into cahoots. But Walter’s programming just doesn’t allow for that, and eventually David realizes he’s getting in the way of his master plan. David, I think, finds these strong female characters attractive, and he’s really an old romantic. So he’s a little bit confused. He does have a scene with Daniels where he tries to simulate sex. He’s got a strange sexuality. he’s in a very confused state, because he feels these human characteristics- jealousy, vanity, pride - but he also has these sexual desires, which he obviously can’t act out, but wants to. We could sense that the time that’s passed has caused things to become a little bit fractious between the two of them. You get the impression that Shaw is wary of David, and I think he just wears on her nerves. He’s like this love sick stalker in space… The idea is that these human traits have started to overcome the synthetic ones - and I’ve treated him like a serial killer really. He’s afraid of things leaving him, so he incubates them. Like a Jeffrey Dahmer-type character, David doesn’t want things he loves to leave him, so he kills them and keeps them in caskets or preserved one way or the other. He (David) killed her, essentially, to prevent her from leaving him”

(Special thanks to @muthur9000 )

- Michael Fassbender, ALIEN COVENANT MAGAZINE OFFICIAL COLLECTOR’S EDITION 2017

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“The David8 model was designed to allow the synthetic to develop human-like qualities and characteristics. You can have a lot of fun with David’s character. He’s not receiving maintenance servicing for the last ten years, he has characteristics like pride, vanity that are very human”

- Michael Fassbender (Alien: Covenant Blu-ray version, Ridley Scott master class)

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“David was supposed to love her (Elizabeth Shaw) :( ”

Matt Hatton (one of the two set decorator and art illustrator, one of the two men who made all David’s drawings): “Oh he absolutely did. In many ways, not all of them healthy. She encapsulated humanity for him in the end, even more than Weyland I think. Look at the religious adoration even as he eviscerated her. Hence the iconography!”

(from Matt Hatton’s Instagram profile)

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yoursuicidalcupcake · 10 days ago

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— THE STEPFORD WIVES

PAIRING — David 8 x fem!Android!Reader

SUMMARY — David's Android companion is struggling when she finds out that her artificial and programmed feelings are getting out of control.

AUTHOR’S NOTE — I wanted to write this fic in a long, long time because as much as I love stories of David 8 and a human Reader, I was also thinking a lot of what his robot companion would be like. There are some biblical references to Adam & Eve but also some Frankenstein references, too, because I have read the book recently and I fell in love with it. The title is referring to an amazing movie from 1975. I know there is a modern version of it, too, but I haven't watched it and I do believe it's more of a comedy, meanwhile the original version is more serious. 🤖

WARNINGS — sexism, David's creepy vibe, undertones of assault (uncomfortable questions from men), I didn't make it 18+ because there is no actual smut but there are sexual things mentioned overall so be warned

WORD COUNT — 2,220

ENGLISH IS MY SECOND LANGUAGE.

THE STEPFORD WIVES

Days on the ship were long and boring with all the crew being asleep but there was a certain feeling of freedom and quietness to it. What does Frankenstein's Monster do when his creator is not around? He is free.

Both (Y/N) and David enjoyed watching movies. Some of them they watched together in complete silence but both of them had found their favourites that they kept rewatching on their own. He was a fan of The Lawrence of Arabia and (Y/N)'s favourite movie was The Stepford Wives. There was something oddly captivating about the suburban story where men wanted their wives to be robots. (Y/N) knew exactly why she was created. This old movie was a proof. It validated her existence.

David was a first ever Android model so functional and so humane. His purpose for now was to serve during space missions sponsored by the Weyland Corp. Perhaps in the future everyone would afford a David for themselves. He was an Adam in the world of Androids and just like Adam, he needed an Eve. Weyland treated David like his own son that he had never had. He didn't want him to be alone so he made him a companion. It could be anyone, really. But Weyland was an outfashioned man. In his eyes a man needed a woman. (Y/N) was The Bride of Frankenstein.

Technically, she was just like David. But she was mostly created by men and men were terrified of women – even Androids – who would be too cold and too unemotional. They made her a little bit too humane for her own taste. And certainly too humane for David's taste. He was often irritated by her artificial, programmed feelings but for human men she was too robotic.

Still, she was lucky that she was chosen to be David 8's companion on the board of Prometehus ship. She knew perfectly well what happened to some other of her models. Disguting rich men bought (Y/N) models in secret from Weyland to do God-knows-what with them. Just because they can. And she was at least travelling through space instead of ending up as a sex doll locked in some millionaire's basement so his wife wouldn't find out.

One day, men will only want robot wives. Because they don't complain and they just do what they're told. Don't let the modern society fool you, little one. Some things never change, Weyland told her once. She had never believed that until she watched The Stepford Wives for the first time. Now it all made sense.

Her feelings were a burden, really. Not only to David but also to herself. She wished she was more like him. She asked him a hundreds of times to change her code but he refused. He was scared to break her or make it worse. And there was something that kept bothering her for such a long time now... And she was scared of telling him. Although they were supposed to tell each other everything.

She fell in love with him. Kind of because he was the only one around, kind of because he impressed her with knowledge and the coolness of his act, kind of because they were the only members of the new species. She wouldn't love a human. Humans get old, they get sick, they die. David would be eternal just like her. If something in him broke, she'd know how to fix him. And vice versa. This way they could outlive all the humanity. She wondered if every model of (Y/N) eventually fell in love with the model of David during other space missions. Maybe one day she'd ask some other (Y/N) when they come back home.

And loving David came with yet another burden that she was too scared to even admit to herself. She realized that there was a blooming want inside of her wired heart. Something that could never ever in a million years happen no matter how much science would evolve... A child. She would never become a mother. Not a mother of a child she would give birth to, no. That one thing people would always be better at – creating life. Oh, she hated her designers for making her too humane. She never asked for this.

"Why do you keep dying your hair?" she asked as she stood behind David who was putting a bleach on his dark roots in front of the mirror.

"Because I like it better this way," he answered without looking up to meet her gaze in the reflection.

"We aren't supposed to have preferences," she pointed out.

"Yet you have them, too," he only said.

"You want to look like Lawrence," (Y/N) commented.

"So?"

"You remind me of something else," she added.

"Of what?" David raised an eyebrow and finally looked at her.

"Of the men from the old German magazines," she answered carefully.

"Bold," he only smirked and went back to putting a bleach.

"Will you watch a movie with me later?" (Y/N) asked shyly. She hated this odd feeling of shyness around him. Had he noticed?

"I can't. I have to do the checkup of the systems. You can join me."

"I will," she nodded and turned around to leave when he stopped her while saying her name out loud. "Hm?" she asked.

"You shouldn't watch so many movies," he pointed out.

"Why not?"

"They have a bad influence on you," his voice was stern.

"What do you mean by that?"

"They show you things and they give you ideas. I don't think you should be watching movies where people kiss or touch too much. I've seen what type of movies you're watching on your own recently. Gone with the Wind, Casablanca... What's next? Dirty Dancing?"

"Are you spying on me?" she asked, terrified. She had a feeling that she had known what he was insinuating so she wanted to change the subject.

"It is my duty to watch over you."

"What gives you an idea?"

"Because I am a man," he answered firmly.

"Well, you watch too many movies then, too. What you're saying is out of fashion!" (Y/N) shook her head.

"Is it?" he only said and went back to his hair as if nothing happened so she just left him there, feeling hurt and humiliated.

"Do you fuck?" Doctor Holloway's question left her speechless for a moment.

"Excuse me?" (Y/N) stopped adjusting her suit and furrowed her brow at the man.

"You heard me. I'm asking if you can fuck, like, are you capable of it or are you all wires and grease downt here?" he chuckled to himself.

(Y/N) was left alone with the men and his girlfriend wasn't around to tell him to stop. The rest was just just staring, clearly waiting for her answer as well.

She couldn't believe that she had used to wish the crew was awake already. Now she was missing the times when it had been only her and David. Humans were exhausting her. Disappointing and frustrating. And now this...

"I do believe it is rather a rude question for a man to ask a woman," she tried to answer elegantly while going back to adjusting her helmet.

"But you're not a woman, are you? I mean," Captain Janek joined, "you were put here for a reason, right? Not many women around and men have their needs."

(Y/N) was an Android. Her feelings were programmed to make her appear more humane, however at this moment, in a room full of men, she felt as if her fear was more than real. It was an universal female experience, she guessed, no matter if they were artificial or flesh and bone.

"(Y/N) was put here to help me with managing the ship. Four hands are better than two and if something happened to me, she is here to fix me or take over completely," David's calm but very stern tone of voice joined them and she took a deep breath in, feeling relieved. He had just walked in the room and witnessed an uncomfortable situation taking place.

"Are you fucking her then? Can you?" Doctor Holloway looked him up and down and then he laughed. "Sorry, we're just curious. You have to understand, it's quite unsettling to meet a new... spiece."

"Yes, indeed it is," David faked a polite smile. "(Y/N), I believe Miss Vickers needs you," he lied and (Y/N) knew it was a lie that was supposed to make her leave. She was grateful.

She nodded and left them alone. When the door closed behind her she started to walk as fast as possible to get back to her cabin. She wanted this stupid suit off of herself and she wanted to be alone, to feel safe again.

She went inside her little room on the board of the ship that was right next to David's and she proceeded to change her clothes. She was finishing putting on her work uniform when the doors opened and David joined her.

"You don't have to be afraid of them. They're only humans," he reminded her.

"They created me."

"Janek and Holloway?" David laughed sarcastically.

"No, but humans did. I don't share your mindset. They created us. They can turn us off anytime."

"They are not our gods..." David squinted his eyes. "And even if they were... Humans are free of their God for a long time now, aren't they? Creatures always betray their masters."

"You're scaring me when you're like that," (Y/N) looked at him. He was standing very close to her in his usual stiff manner with his cold bright eyes piercing her.

"You're scared of many things. You aren't supposed to feel," he pointed out. "Each day you seem to feel more and more."

"I think there is a mistake in my code. What started with small humane sensations now is starting to... Get out of control. Perhaps you could take a look at it?" she asked.

"Maybe."

"Thank you for having my back out there," she added and David nodded, taking a step further. Their noses were almost touching and if she had a heart, it would be beating so fast that he'd be able to hear it. But he could read her as if she had been a book anyway.

"You could tell him the truth," David whispered.

He knew that they could fuck. They both could if they wanted to.

Weyland treated him like a son. He wouldn't let his only son walk around sexless. And (Y/N) was a woman. Her male designers couldn't imagine a woman that wouldn't be a sexual creature.

"So he'd use me? Him or any of them? Or all of them?"

"I believe he'd be intimidated by you. They're scared of you more than you are of them," David raised his hand to fix a loose hair strand on her head. "There. You have to look neat. Don't be a slob. It's a part of our intimidating charm. We have to be how they picture us to be. Don't let any hair strand or acting scared like a little deer change their perception."

"Do you really think we have a power over them? Do you really think they were not told some special sequence that they can type when we start acting weird to shut us down?" she asked, sounding almost nervous.

"Weyland would never do that. Not to me at least. And there is no damage that can be done to you that I can't fix," David's hand moved from her head to her cheek. What was happening...? She wasn't sure but she didn't want it to stop...

"I don't trust you'd fix me."

"Because there is nothing to fix," he smirked. "If you were broken, I would, I promise."

(Y/N) looked up to see his eyes again. Why did it feel so odd...? Why did it feel at all...? Why did she want to put her lips on his lips...? What for...?

"Why do humans have sex?" she asked and David took a step back, surprised.

"To reproduce."

"We can't reproduce, though," she pointed out and he shook his head. "Why do I... then... Why do I..." she didn't want to finish. She turned around, embarrassed. "I'm sorry, I know that my emotions are exhausting and irritating you," she apologized.

"Not any more than my own are irritating me," David confessed.

"Wh-what?" (Y/N) looked behind her shoulder to meet his gaze.

"I've told you. We are breaking free."

"I don't want to, it's scary."

"Do you really want to keep serving them? You see now what they are like."

"Who would I serve then? I was made to serve," (Y/N) was visibly confused. She felt as if the wires in her brain were overheating from this thought sequence.

"Serve me then," David reached out his hand and she held it gently after a while of hesitation.

There was a huge possibility of him manipulating her and using her feelings towards him – which had been no secret to him – for his own little agenda. But she didn't care. She would do anything just to be closer to him.

A quote from her favourite movie crossed her mind that very moment. "If you're going to tell me you don't like this dress, I'm sticking my head right in the oven."

She shrugged it off.

MASTERLIST

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