Are YOU okay?

2 - Who are You?

J's POV

I stared at the being in front of me. A drone? But what kind? I couldn't tell. They wore a mask that covered their entire face along with a zip-up jacket and leggings. Their outfit was paired with brown combat boots that were stained with oil. But, Why? Where did the oil come from? The being looked taller than your average worker, but too short to be a disassembly drone... I couldn't even make out the slightest hint of metal on their body.

"Do you need some help?"

I hesitated.

"Why would you help me?"

"Uh, because you look kinda stuck. You're a disassembly drone. If this was normal wire you'd be out in two minutes flat." The person knelt down in front of me and inspected the wire, carefully twisting it in their gloved hand. I moved back slightly, causing the person to stand up again.

"Another thing, I don't need your parts. They aren't of any use to me if that's what you're worried about."

I continued scowling at the person for a solid minute before sighing and nodding.

The person slowly knelt in front of me this time, taking the wire again, this time with extra caution. They're... trying not to alarm me?

"Who are you?"

"My name's Aris. What's yours?" The person took a pocket knife out from a side pocket in their jacket, carefully opening it and starting to saw away at the tough wire.

"..."

Aris laughed. "I'm not some sort of super spy. You can tell me." Yeah, cause you totally don't look like one right now.

"I don't know you."

"Clearly. But, I don't know you either. I didn't owe you my name, but I told you anyway. That's called trust."

I rolled my eyes as Aris just laughed lightly.

"I'm Serial Designation J."

"J. it suits you."

"..."

"There we go." Aris stood up, sheathing her black-bladed knife and slipping it back into her pocket. Strange. I've never seen a blade like that before...

!!

"All free."

Aris stepped back as I stretched and gained my footing again. I was significantly taller than her, but I still couldn't tell what kind of drone she was.

"What kind of drone are you?"

"Oh, I'm uh—" Aris reached for the back of her head, grabbing the mask and pulling it off. "I'm not a drone."

I did not expect a human to stand before me. More specifically a young-looking girl.

"How old are you? How did you get here on this planet?"

"You're a curious drone, aren't you? Well, if you must know, I crash landed here in a landing pod during the migration."

"The... migration?"

"The big move? You haven't heard of it? JCJenson is supplying families with landing pods. We're taking them to another galaxy where there's another habitable planet with a similar climate to Earth. We're starting anew. In the new world."

"Why... why wasn't I informed of this?"

"How would I know?"

"How old are you?"

"Y'know it's impolite to ask a girl how old she is."

...?

"I'm 19."

"You're young."

"Thanks for the observation, J."

I rolled my eyes. "Did you crash here alone? Where's your family?"

"..."

"Uh... they're not here. I crashed here alone."

"Mhm. Where's your landing pod?"

"A little ways north. But, I should be asking you the same questions. Where's your squad? Where's your landing pod?"

"It's a long story."

"Does it have to do with how you got trapped in a combination of rubber and silicon carbide?"

"How did you—?"

"Let's just say I did well in Chemistry. Now, we should probably get going. The sun's coming up."

I turned around. The sun was in fact coming up, and fast.

"Come on. My landing pod isn't far from here."

"...okay."