Green Trailer

The orange haired girl shivered in the thick snow around her, her breath came out as a white cloud of mist. Her pod lay some ways away, covered in snow. After crashing, she had crawled out of her pod to look around - the only thing she could see was a snow covered landscape, snow and a city. The city looked large and inviting compared to the ice that surrounded her. Above the city was what appeared to be a second city, suspended in the air, simply floating.

Although she was shocked, she didn't dare stop to admire it, she had to keep moving. The air was freezing and she had almost no protection. She set out walking, struggling against the freezing white.

Shivering with cold, her face pale and numb, she finally walked into the city. The air was warmer here, and soon she was no longer shivering as badly. It was still cold and she knew she needed a coat or blanket, but it was at least warm enough to survive.

People surrounded her, none paid her much attention. Her green eyes darted around, anxiety causing her heart to beat faster. She had never seen so many people in one place, even back in space there had been less than fifty scientists, plus her and the other six experiments.

Finally, fear led her to an alleyway, instinctually escaping the crowds. Orange Hair sat, curling her legs against her chest, trying to calm her breathing, trying to get warm. She closed her eyes, exhausted after her crash and walk, falling asleep to the footsteps of the people walking past, the occasional rush of a car, and the hum of the heater beside her.

Weeks passed like this, she stole food when necessary, drank fallen snow, hid in her alley. She was dirty and bruised, and always cold, but she was safe.

After the third week of her new life, she was gnawing a piece of stale bread. Suddenly a hand grabbed her shoulder. Orange Hair span in shock to see a furious face staring down at her, "Got you," the woman said. "You stole from my store and honestly expected to get away with it? I'm taking you in!" Panic shot through Orange Hair's heart and she frantically tried to pull away. But the woman's grip was strong. My powers! The girl thought frantically I can use my powers! Trying her best to focus with her arm being pulled Orange Hair imagined a white robot, like the ones she had seen in the streets, walking towards them. Using all her strength she mentally pushed the image onto the woman. At first her strong, purposeful steps didn't falter, then she paused.

Orange Hair looked at the path in front of them, straining to keep connection. She saw a white robot walking towards them, his body slightly transparent, but that was how Orange Hair always saw her illusions. She envisioned how the robots she had seen walked, how they carried their ever-present guns.

"Officer!" the woman shouted, "I caught this girl stealing from me!" Now's my chance the girl thought. She tightened her hand into a fist, yanked it out of the woman's grasp and stumbled onto the street.

A loud sound filled her ears; a truck was speeding towards her! Orange Hair was frozen with fear, her heart hammering. She couldn't scream or move. She could do nothing as it rushed towards her!

Suddenly a hand grabbed her and yanked her to safety. The girl heard shouting and angry voices, but she was too dazed to see where they were coming from. A heavy hand was on her shoulder. She heard her breath, quick and erratic. Slowly her senses returned to her and she saw the woman who had grabbed her storm away angrily.

"Thank goodness," a voice suddenly said, startling her. "I thought she would never leave. Are you alright?" Orange Hair looked up to see a kind looking, dark skinned man with glasses looking down at her. He was sitting on a large, strange machine. Orange Hair was too stunned to be afraid of it, even though it looked like something her captors from space would have created.

Suddenly the girl began to cry – fear and shock overwhelming her. The robotic arms on the man's machine gently picked her up and soon she sat crying in the man's arms. The energy she had gained from her adrenaline faded away, and she felt the tiredness from the use of her power sink in. The machine began walking. For the first time in weeks, she felt safe. The machine walked on; soon she fell asleep.

Orange Hair opened her eyes and looked around. She was in a large, comfortable bed, a blanket covering her body. She sat up, blinking, the memories from the previous day returning to her. Rolling out of the bed she crept along and peered worriedly out of the open doorway. The sight of a comfortable house greeted her. She could see a large kitchen with a wood table and stone counters. The man who had saved her was muttering to himself and looking at a machine that looked like a large version of a scroll.

At first, Orange Hair felt a spike of fear looking at the strange machine he was sitting in. It's shape was too similar to the ones in the lab. But curiosity overcame her fear and she watched with fascination as the man's machine moved around the kitchen. One of the arms reached up and added something to the pot boiling on the stove.

"No, no," he whispered, "the dimensions are off. It needs to be lighter, but how?"

Orange Hair took a hesitant steep forward, but her foot caught on the doorway and she stumbled forward, knocking a bowl off the counter.

The man turned in surprise, but relaxed when he saw her. "Ah," he said. "You're awake, and just in time for lunch! This is one of my favorite soups!"

Orange Hair watched curiously as he stirred the soup with a large spoon. Seeing her apprehension the man smiled. "I won't bite," he said, "My name is Pietro Polendina. I'm an inventor. Do you have a name?" Blinking, Orange Hair looked down, she knew she had a name, everyone had a name at some point, but she couldn't remember.

Looking up at Pietro, she shook her head. "I don't think so," she said.

Pietro nodded. "There are many children like in Mantel, without a home or name. There's shame in that. But for now may I call you…Nina? I've always loved that name."

Orange Hair paused and thought about it, she whispered it. If felt good in her mouth. She smiled and nodded.

Pietro smiled back and gestured to the table. "Would you like the seat of honor Nina?" he said playfully.

Orange Hair…Nina's smile widened and she sat down in the seat he had pointed to. Pietro handed her a bowl of soup and a spoon.

"Careful," he said, "it's hot."

Nina carefully blew on a spoonful and placed it in her mouth. Her eyes widened in surprise and she looked at Pietro with delight in her eyes. Pietro laughed and she eagerly crammed more into her mouth.

"I told you it was good," he said.

After the meal Nina followed Pietro as he put his dishes in a machine. She stared at his mechanical leg chair. Reaching out she hesitantly touched it, then leaped back, afraid of its reaction.

Noticing this Pietro laughed. "It won't hurt you," he said. "I created this machine to help me walk because my legs are too weak to do so without help, and to make my job easier." The machine held out a foot. Nina laughed and gently shook it.

Pietro smiled. "You have a beautiful laugh Nina." Nina smiled up at him.

"Thank you," she whispered.

An hour later Nina sat on the table, her eyes glued to a small box. It was supposed to work like a lock and open into a flat picture, but she was still trying to figure out how. In the other room Pietro could be heard tinkering on a machine. She could hear him talking to himself…or the machine as he worked.

Gently biting the side of her tongue, Nina stared intently at the box, looking at it from different angles, fitting it together in her mind. With a smile the solution clicked in her head and her hands flew over the box, twisting and fitting it together. With a click it opened in her hands to reveal a picture of sunset, she smiled triumphantly.

Jumping off the table Nina rushed to Pietro, excited to show him her success.

Pietro looked at her in surprise as she walked in.

"Look!" she said, holding up the flat square, "I did it!"

"Already?" Pietro asked. "It took me all day to figure it out." Nina shrugged.

"I just looked at it," she said, "and thought, 'how should it fit together?' Every piece had a part, I just needed to find it."

Pietro looked at her in surprise and smiled.

"and um…" he said, "how would you say this fits?" he leaned down and showed her his large-scroll-thing. Nina looked closely at the blue print, it looked like an airship.

Gently grabbing it from him she stared intently at the picture, sitting cross legged on the floor as she did.

Pietro continued to tinker with the small machine he held as Nina stared at the blue print.

Finally she stood up and triumphantly said, "Pietro I understand!" Running over she pointed to a section of the blueprint.

"It's too fat here. It needs to fit into the wind…like that puzzle. But it's too fat!"

Pietro looked at the blueprint, a smile growing on his face. "To fat…hmm… you might be right Nina! It's too thick!" Laughing slightly he pat his stomach.

"A little like me ha?" Nina laughed.

Pietro smiled and looked closely at the blueprint. "Strange how the mind of a child could find the flaw while I couldn't," he whispered.

Weeks passed - the two of them together, weeks that turned into months. Nina's body became stronger. She still held back the information of her alien DNA, it wasn't that she didn't trust Pietro, rather, she was afraid of his reaction. She help wherever and whenever she could, trying to give Pietro a reason not to toss her back in the streets, or put her in an orphanage. She was happy with him, happier then she had ever been.

Finally, one day Pietro walked into her room. He looked uncomfortable, but resolute.

"Nina," he said. Sitting on her bed, Nina looked at him worriedly.

"Is something wrong?" she asked. Pietro smiled and made a dismissive gesture with his hands.

"No, no everything's fine. But I needed to talk to you." Nina swallowed nervously and nodded.

"When I saved you from that car and brought you home," Pietro began, "I thought I would be giving you to the proper authorities in a short time. It's not because of you, you're a wonderful girl, and I've always wanted a daughter. But, I wouldn't be able to give you the attention you need. And I've been better with machines than people, they simply make more sense to me."

"Your sending me away aren't you?" Nina asked, her hope plummeting, tears brimming on her eyes.

"No," Pietro said quickly, "unless you want to leave. I'm not really meant to raise a child, I just don't know a lot about children. But I think you should choose for yourself."

Nina looked at Pietro with wide eyes.

"Really! You want me to say with you!" Pietro's smile widened.

"Why not?" he asked, "you seem like a nice girl." Nina rushed forward and hugged his legs.

"Yes!" she said, "I would love to stay with you!" Pietro chuckled and patted her head.

"You'll have a far-from-ideal childhood. But I'll do my best. Are you sure you want this?"

Nina pulled away and looked at the machines around her, taking in the smell of oil and metal, the smell of discovery.

"Yes, "she said smiling. "I can't think of a better home."

Pietro looked at her, a smile on his face. His mechanical legs picked her up and he gently put his arm around her. Nina hugged him back, tears falling from her eyes, feeling like she had finally found home.