Humans cannot survive here. The land is floating ice covered with snow, and food is scarce. No country can claim this territory, even though the compass always points here. Each day lasts about half a year, and the nights are just as long. This is my place of solitude and contemplation.
Strangely, there is another being in the vicinity today. The creature is not visible yet, but I can smell the presence of an unclean male, along with decaying flesh.
I approach him with stealth, and keep my rifle ready in case he is dangerous. He wails loudly and incoherently.
I see him now. He must be seven and a half to 8 feet tall. His yellow skin stretches to cover his muscle. What horrible eyes! They are cloudy as if belonging to a corpse.
He is dismantling an ice raft, which is likely his only means of transportation. Maybe the cold numbs his mind.
Now he is setting the wood on fire while talking to himself. He speaks of committing suicide by burning himself alive. I must do something.
"Hi. My name is Mary. "
The man quickly turns to face me and opens his eyes wide.
"I was unaware of your presence. Your unmatchable beauty uplifts my spirits and saves me from the doom of loneliness"
"What is your name?"
"I am a miserable wretch with no friends, and I never had a parent to name me. I was created in a lab, and then abandoned. Tell me are you like me? You do not wear extra clothing to shield yourself from the cold?"
"I am like you. Friend, you deserve a name. What would you prefer to be called?"
"Adam."
"Adam, you need a bath. Maybe that is why you do not have friends. Follow me, and I will lead you to a place with a washbasin and soap. When you are done, I will tell you more about myself."