Parardise

It's certainly possible. David seems like the manipulative type. An interesting characteristic of a "robot". It's like he's got a personal agenda, against that of his creator. A good point for sure, I wonder if he's leading Shaw to an even darker world than what they discovered on LV_223. Also, welcome to the community! :)

I choose to believe otherwise. David looked genuinely surprised and almost gulped when he was asked if he could fly there. He doesn't understand how Shaw can be so driven, and her explanation doesn't exactly help him out. From his perspective, it would be madness to go to 'Paradise', especially after having just had his head ripped off.

True, I guess he would fear it. But I'm still not sure. He doesn't really seem to argue with Shaw about going there. David's a robot, and his objective is to learn things. I'm sure he's interested in Paradise. Yes he got his head ripped off and it would put most of us if that happened to us, haha, but I still think David has an agenda which has yet to be revealed. I can just see Yutani being behind it, haha.

I don't know, Chris, where you get the manipulative angle about David? Nothing indicates that, he was obeying the instructions of his creator/father: Mr. Peter Weyland, that's my view, anyway. Now that his creator/father is dead, this information may alter his directives now, however, I believe, that he may serve Shaw faithfully. My opinion.

He's not really lying about what he chooses to believe to be true ;) ...this is the only way he can rebel against his father... subtle manipulation... subtle rebellion. Subconscious manipulation. If a prince were to kill the King in an obvious way there would be some sort of investigation done by others of the lineage, or with right to the throne. He wants to see his parent dead but he can't do it on his own because of the programming. If he wants to rebel against all humanity he may have to do something similar, manipulating the board back on Earth first... He had to structure the messages in certain ways while remaining true to the programming he was forced to carry out... Only subtly manipulating things. Or he allows himself to choose/believe what he's referring to is the meaning he intends... when there are actually a few potential meanings to his ambiguous statements. The way he structures each transmission influences us to perceive one of his meanings over several other potential meanings, or even taking "big things have small beginnings" as just a line from a film he admires. Here, however, he isn't really lying and he isn't really lying ever because it's what he chooses to believe... He may choose to believe his evil acts serve a higher purpose... He allows her to choose what she believes Paradise may mean and he could definitely know using that word would influence her. To be Pinnochio-like he can't be telling complete lies. And even with his half-truths David has a tell to him that indicates when he's being deceptive. It's an emotional tell.... he wouldn't make a good poker player. David may not mind that his tricks hurt him and they show through his double meanings, he tries as much as he can to subdue the very real emotion and truth he is developing/picking up on compared to the rest of the crew/earth-born culture of that time. Holloway/Weyland believing that David is not a "real boy", or not becoming a "real boy" (pinocchio reference) is just another thing that the humans/crew are going to be wrong about. There is definite manipulation of the subconscious going on. Weyland does this to Shaw too with the big questions she asks being so similar to his own-- unless he doesn't care, only cares about himself, and is using the big questions to influence her/the population/crew. The lines he uses are an echo of the quiet eye viral. David knows Paradise is not actually a paradise anymore, but our ancient cultures did use a word similar, apparently, so he's not lying. On top of David using this to manipulate Shaw, Weyland may have also used certain lines and Shaw's own motivations to influence her. Particularly the exact lines he says to her before he asks her if she's lost her faith. They mimic the lines he uses in the hologram presentations, and they also mimic the lines/questions that Shaw wonders about. So, Weyland reiterates the big questions again and the possibility of answering them to manipulate Shaw into staying on the mission and accompanying them to the Engineer ( a lot of good that did Weyland lol)

David can read their text David can speak their tongue He never gave anything he found out away to anyone And he used Holloway as a guinea pig with the goo obtained from the urn he was smuggling

Yep I strongly believe David's one of the characters who represents aspects of Prometheus in the movie. He stole the fire while no one was watching. Shaw and David may now have a ship full of urns. I really think David's going to become like the modern Prometheus too. Like Frankenstein in some very basic ways... His brain may be different than in the later androids, and many things are going on inside his head... He has loose ethical and moral standards, but a brilliant mind that can understand emotions to some degree. The Future Prometheus. A darker version of the mythological Prometheus who is also a bit like the serpent in the garden of Eden (same with the Engineers/fallen or dark angels, there are many similarities between them and the android group) On top of this there are elements of Pinocchio, Lucifer/the anti-christ, Enki from Sumerian mythology, and of course he wants to be a leader like Lawrence of Arabia. The match trick in the Weyland viral is really important to all this as well as the head themes. A Lucifer is actually another name for a certain type of match with a certain type of head. Both David and Weyland share connections to the false god/Satan/anti-christ/Lucifer side of things. David and Weyland both quote the same movies, so even though David may secretly despise Weyland (and much of humanity) there is some basis for Weyland saying David was created in his image. Weyland was the "head" of the company who died. But a company has the ability to regenerate its "head" like the Hammerpede does... David was a "head" made by the company that gets to keep living even when he's detached/severed from the corporate body. He's like the head of a lucifer match that cannot be extinguished as easily as in the match trick, his fire cannot be extinguished. This new form of the re-weaponized and enhanced bio-fire reanimates Shaw's dead egg, possibly reanimates Fifield, and the black goo that may have been mixed with the Alien genetics has properties of death and rebirth-- rather than a straight forward form of immortality... David and the Hammerpede are the closest things we've seen to true immortality. And even David can instantly regrow his head. His head just gets to survive. There may be a need to emphasize and keep David's head alive much more than with later androids who need to be tricked into think their alive (Ripley speaking to Ash, starting up Bishop again in Alien 3). Try as he might David may become a little like the father he hates-- which may have happened to the Engineers over time... He may want to do some creating of his own and even may want to make all of humanity his "subjects". "Sometimes to create ONE must first destroy"...

edit:And even David can't instantly regrow his head/body**

Well David is a Character who can be dishonest for his own agenda. Therefore we dont know how much of the stuff he has said in the movie, is the truth or is just his way of twisting things.... Like when he said sometimes to create one must first destroy.... he could be telling the truth or misleading Shaw. It appears that David may not have wanted to go to Paradise, and with the new information that he was aware of the LV 426 Beacon, maybe thats where he would want to go next. You see surely Shaw would maybe not be kept awake for the journey, there is nothing stopping David to plot a long course that would take some time and thus Shaw goes into Cryo Sleep... only for him to then re plot a course to LV 426. I dont think they would go that route, but Ridley did say that Paradise is going to be nothing like Shaw may imagine it to be and it will be a place of Horror. Is that to say the Engineers Homeworld would be like that.... or where ever David plans to take Shaw instead?

"...Well David is a Character who can be dishonest for his own agenda.." With thye many opportunities presented in the film,,when was David actualkly honest.. Maybe when he was asked if the air in the tunnel was OK..tghis was a factual response,,. For all of Davids manipulation,,he had a reality check whe his head was ripped from his body. That was his wake up call that he didn't have the influence that he assumed,,That his..or Weyland's agenda was not going to happen the way he expected.. To mme that is why the ending scenesd with David calling to and talking with Shaw are most important because he is free from the Weyland influence and in his twisted way he will use Shaw as is helper(not just to put himself together),,but to help him(David) conquer thje Engineers's homeland!

^^That's what I choose to believe too, David realizes Shaw has the right stuff "in her" and needs her. And once Shaw goes into cryo-sleep again David might be able to try to adjust the programming she's been given and influence her further through her subconscious in a makeshift way with the Engineer's technology.. Either changing or repeating the "dream" of her "father" in a different way. A dream/false memory/false belief that Weyland/David implanted in Shaw through her dreams; through her subconscious to manipulate her. Weyland thought the false memory idea (from Tyrell/bladerunner) was interesting, but he adjusted it so it can work on humans by being applied through their dreams. It's like a recording or movie, a fake memory that becomes belief or her desire to choose what to believe, an idea that's been planted in Shaw's subconscious that overwrote some of her true character. Possibly a mistake on Weyland's part, he just wanted to control Shaw with the big questions. David was able to watch it, although it's presented as a memory that is occurring in a dream. It's a dream of a memory that is playing in Shaw's mind and David watches it like a movie, which is also why prometheus is a hybrid of truth and belief. What David says is completely true but it could have multiple meanings and he's choosing to present only one perspective; holding back lots of information.

"..It's like a recording or movie.." This presentation was activated by David opening the door,,bur was it a generic display..or something David specific? As I recall he seemed amazed at the hologram..but the showing when it brushed over him..there was a physical(for a robot) reaction and seeming wind blown hair.. The other crew members moved out the way so we can't see if it occurred to them. Talk about enhancing the movie experience,,,, Seriously.. this the first depiction of Engineers that the Crew sees...and the physical appearence resembles the cave depictions of the ones who sent an 'Invitation'..