[PS] Park

[Android-18]

She ignored the faces and the figures. Her head bowed and her eyes roaming from left to right. The mutter and chatter of voices was all around her, but not a word could be recognized. Her mind was hardly trying to decipher their conversations. She ducked around one corner and then headed straight through a crowd of men and women alike. Her quick nimble feet carried her further from the arrival spot and hopefully to somewhere peaceful. She had seen a map that had labeled all the areas that could be visited. Anywhere there was food, she dare not visit. She knew familiar faces would arrive, and she felt no rush in meeting them.

Leaves drifted softly to the ground. They were like feathers from a dying angle, they simply wept away. The grass could be artificial, but it smelt as fresh as if rain had caressed it recently. The android strolled into the in-doors park with her head slightly lifted, no longer staring toward the sterile floor. Now her crystalline eyes took in the blossoms and leaves, the towering trees and flourishing bushes. There was much life here, but of course, it was not as real as the natural Earth she knew. These things were man made; they were created through the gentle care of the bipedal beings that roamed this station. She could not help but reach out and lightly touch a blooming flower. The pink petal was almost translucent, and it was soft between the tips of her fingers. She stared at the beautiful creation, man made, something she could?connect with.

A shout broke her concentration. Her keen eyes could easily make out a glorious field beyond the shade of the trees. People played there, but she had no desire to join them. She went the opposite way and ventured further into the park. It was in her hopes that this beautiful area would have a place to simply rest in its peace for a time. No games and no open areas; a secluded haven just for her. She did find a suitable place, it was simply more brushes but with a tree that bore white blossoms. She crawled along the stiff grass. It tickled her ankles and arms. She slid against the tree and got into a comfortable sitting position. Her head leaned back and she closed her eyes. With knees drawn she held them close. It was much like her ship. It was quite, calm, and the solitude was as welcome as could be.