The Girl and Her Machine

Chapter 1 Request Part 1

 Dawn broke in the slats of the window, crawling light spilled onto the bed. Blankets and covers were matted together underneath the feet of a young girl who was propped up against the bed board. The mattress that was made for the use of sleep was instead her workshop table. Golden lensed goggles with bronze trim covered her eyes, with prongs on each side of the trims that could be used to magnify whatever the user was looking at. A little bit of genius that she and her older brother had created. Her slender hands moved quickly over a small silver body of a mechanical being. 

  An owl, no larger than the size of a kitten rested in her lap. Her fingers pressed over the metal grooves of feathers etched into its body. His beak curled and closed as were the lenses that the metal creature used for eyes. The casing of the front of the chest was open as the inner wires and gears spilled into her lap and hands. This was what she was working on throughout most of the night. Bags held underneath the young lass's eyes behind the goggles, deep chestnut brown hair knotted from a sleepless night pulled into a bun at the top of her head. She fixed wire to wire, and gear to cog, until the jumbled mess that rested on her was completely resolved. Lovingly, she put it in order once more inside of the small mechanical creature and sealed the final wires together.

Gently, her fingers searched for the familiar feeling of the switch that resided within him. Within seconds she found it and pressed it on. She yawned, stretching her arms into the air in a satisfying way, spine popping along the back as she did. Five hours, and she was done. Record time for an update. She was proud of herself, and couldn't wait to share it with her brother Jack. The little robot owl opened its eyes clicking with a coo. A soft male voice came from it as well, the lenses turning, blinking then fully opened wide in a warm yellow glow.

" Thank you, Miss Danielle, updates are complete. May I ask what time it is?" The little robot asked.

" Charlie, you can drop the formalities, no one is here. It is Tuesday, May fifteenth, 2205." The young girl smiled, she ran her fingers across his feathers cleaning off the dust that came with day-to-day life. She turned her wrist exposing it, her watch that was latched with the analog face on the inside. " and about 7 in the morning..." she hummed.

" Alright Dani, thank you. I see it is the anniversary of your parent's disappearance." Charlie answered, his tone saddened by what happened. " I miss your parents dearly, as I am sure you do too."

Dani nodded, she didn't say much. Charlie was right. She missed them a lot. It was normal for them to go, they would leave notes when they did. Both of her parents are in the military fighting in far-off lands and battles trying to protect the rest of the world from the assimilation of the Tower and other sects. She knew...in her heart, they weren't...gone...gone... but she wondered for the last year now where they went and why. They hadn't left a letter this time. Both she and Jack had expected for them to be home months ago.

Charlie, with clicks whirling inside of him, hovered. " Sorry to bring up a sore subject. I am sure they are doing well and will return home soon." She nodded and smiled. " Thanks, Charlie. Your words are as comforting as they are kind." With a restorative sigh, she swung out of the bed and went to change out of her nightgown into day clothes. Cool wooden floors creaked underneath her as she stepped to her wardrobe.

A gentle knock rapped at the door, " Who is it?" Dani called to the intruder.

" It's me Raelle, can I come in?" Dani crossed the room quickly, the nightgown still billowing around her as she moved. She swung the door open and wrapped her arms tight around her friend. " It's good to see you," Dani grinned squeezing her close. Raelle yelped with a laugh, " Yeah it is! You have been elusive for a while now. I expected you to be a ghost, Dani." Raelle sighed lightly as she followed her friend into the room. Raelle closed the door behind her and rested her back against it. Her dress puffed up as she did, the skirt hoop pushing forward with ruffles under the hemline. It was a pretty blue, one that she wore often. It complimented her features nicely, her sunny blonde hair braided into a crown with more freckles on her face than Dani had on her body.

Unlike Raelle, Dani dressed in expedition wear. Trousers, button-ups and suspenders, boots, and the likes of such. Raelle wrinkled her nose at Dani's choice of clothing,

" Dani, wouldn't you wear a dress for one day? It would suit you well. You look lovely in the nightgown!"

Dani strapped in suspenders and a cloth belt around the waist tying it quickly, the belt itself increasing the number of pockets.

" No thank you. Your hoop skirts are by far the least comfortable things I have ever sat in and I would prefer my underdrawers unexposed when I decide to rest my feet. What I wear-," Raelle rolled her eyes and cracked a grin, " What I wear is functional and manageable while remaining in comfort. It is the perfect mix."

Dani winked, " You got it, Sis. And after even knowing that you still choose to wear what you do, it is your loss." Raelle in fact knew she wasn't her sister but best friends that have grown up together even in the same household. Their house being burnt down by fire from an attack by the Tower guards as a threat to them and to others about having a spoken and very open alliance to the militia of their homeland Rhea. However, since that attack, her parents left on a mission at the same time as Dani's and Jack's. Also with no letter. No trace was left behind. 

Jack and Dani had insisted after they heard the news of the loss of their homes and no guidance from their parents that they were more than welcome to stay with them in their manor. They had more than enough rooms, and with servants that were well paid, they were also well taken care of. It was upon this first gathering of families that Jack and Dani had agreed to help those in need however they could. Most of the people that came to them were children, and others were teenagers. Adults were helped by being hired, sent to another industry or company, or promptly or sent away without work depending on how trustworthy they were. The Leathersby's are a wealthy family from heritage but also by innovation. Creating the perfect rifle, and handgun series that had not been beaten in the last century. Their work and their goods were prevalent among their side of the war, and a huge aid. Although their hearts are good, the two Leathersby children cannot afford the loss of the company, their only means of survival at this point.

Raelle focused her eyes on Dani as if remembering something other than the comfort of her friend. " Ah yes, Jack wanted to see you Dani! It seemed rather important to talk about. He wanted me to fetch you quickly." With a perplexed look, Dani shook her head thinking about the current state of affairs. She hadn't seen her brother in two weeks. He had been managing the company and often did rounds of work at the assembly shop. He was given the industry as young as seventeen. He had wished for it to thrive, and it had over the last four years. Dani sighed gathering up her own bag of drawings for rifle ideas and accessories. " Maybe he wants to talk to me about my designs. I told him that I would have plans ready by the time I fixed up Charlie." Dani started through the large pair of arched doors and quickly strode in that direction her heavy boots making comfortable thunking sounds as Raelle clicked behind her in her short heels.