Core's cowlick was only one of her interesting abnormalities. Her history was intriguing as well, due to her very existence as a Kaiju, of all things.

Rick's home country, Hunkeryork, was the only known civilization on this planet's surface. It had grown from a small group of colonists who landed over 10,000 years ago, and they had no record or knowledge of any neighbors. Yet Core existed and she was far too innocent and well-adjusted to lie about her origins.

But Rick had never been interested in history. It was Core's future that interested him, and his place within it. Rick was a scientist of boundless ambition, and if he could secure Core's allegiance, which looked increasingly likely, he would also secure the most spectacular scientific specimen the universe had ever known.

Their lucrative relationship would have hurdles, countless hurdles, but Rick would overcome them.

...

Core's eyes were still closed, as if she were praying, and on her face were the telltale signs of tears that had just stopped flowing.

Rick smiled as Core's eyes opened, and he kept smiling as he announced the start of their first shared meal.

It was eaten without words. Rick and his men enjoyed their remaining supplies, a lavish feast of prepackaged meals that tasted mostly of salt. As they ate, they shared looks of relief and encouragement, and rather than speaking, they chose to show their affection through forceful fist-bumps and thunderous high-fives.

There was a desire to indulge in more elaborate forms of celebration, but the space inside the KRV was limited and they were out of cigars.

As the meal went on, Core grew increasingly contented. She'd started out eating along with his men, munching handfuls of foodstuffs she retrieved from the pouches along her waist, but her munching soon gave way to smiling, and then finally, the beginnings of sleep.

She had scooted herself over to a great tree and she rested her back against its dark trunk. Her face was partly shaded by the tree's branches, and patches of light danced across her skin as the tree was kissed by a gentle breeze.

A dozing Core was a sight to behold, and Rick almost considered letting her sleep. Almost.

He raised his voice, gently, as if he was stirring a beloved daughter from a well-earned nap.

"Core." He waited. "Core." Her eyes fluttered open and she sighed contentedly, waking herself when an easy-going stretch. "Do you remember what I told you?"

"Mmhmm." she said. "That you would take me to your city. Let's go. I'll pick you up and take you there right now."

"That would would be quite a sight, wouldn't it?"

"Mhhm."

"As much as I would like to show it to you right now, I don't have the power to swing open the gates. Yet. So can you wait?"

"Sure."

"Excellent!" Rick grew silent and gazed up at Core for a long moment. When he spoke again, his voice was filled with affection.

"It's almost time we headed back. How would you feel about being our escort?"

"Can I carry you?"

Rick laughed. "That depends. Is my escort clumsy?"

"Only when I'm thinking. Yeah, maybe we shouldn't do that. Do you really have to head back?"

"The military is insisting on it, I'm afraid. They want to meet with you as soon as I'm delivered into their custody. Honestly, I have no idea what they have planned, but please humor them for my sake."

"Okay."

"Good girl. It's too soon for goodbyes, so let's prepare for my entrance."

...

"Dr. Rick Sanctum has a-arrived, and I, the kaiju known as Core, and his specimen, humbly entrust him to your care." Rick's KRV, which she had placed at her feet, hurried toward The Wavering Confession, which had awakened with the sound of her voice.

It shook off the leaves which covered it with a grotesque lurch, revealing its hull, which looked like a beetle's carapace. Core watched until Rick disappeared somewhere inside it, and coolly judged its appearance.

Its body was long and skinny like a centipede's, and it was colored just as brightly, probably to warn off predators. But that kinda seemed like overkill. It was huge, almost as huge as Core was, and no Kaiju she knew of would mess with a bug that big.

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Suddenly the machinery within the crawler awakened and she could feel a new vibration through the soles of her leather shoes. The metal protrusions which lined its back began undulating rhythmically and Core was caught up in their grotesque dance.

Her trance was broken as she heard a man's voice rising from somewhere within the giant machine.

"My name is Lieutenant Yates." he said, giving time for his words to sink in. "I am Hunkeryork's official liaison and it is my job to test you. We are trying to expand our influence on the surface and to that end, we could use your power. My king is willing to compensate you for your help. Is that understood?"

Core nodded.

"Answer with your voice, please."

"Oh, okay. I understand." The Lieutenant's words had come unexpectedly and she focused hard on absorbing them. It was annoying, but she would act humbly like Rick told her to.

"Should you prove yourself a worthy ally, you will have complete access to Hunkeryork's electronic infrastructure. We may find a way to help you physically as well, but your body poses some unique challenges. My king isn't a charity and while you will have access to our technology, you will have to pay for it yourself like any other citizen. Do you have any questions?" Lieutenant Yates said.

His words sounded rehearsed and though she did have questions, she wanted to get this over with quickly.

"No."

"Before I extend our friendship, I need to clarify a few things. While we are offering some of the freedoms our citizens enjoy, we are not offering you citizenship. In our eyes, you, and any of your surviving countrymen, are your own nation. Essentially, you shall be treated as a diplomat from an ally nation." Yates said. When he spoke again, his voice voice sounded harsher, but that the same time, it felt more human. "That is, if you can prove your value to me. My king has no interest in allying himself with unworthy nations, so he has given me permission to test you."

Yates didn't say anything more, and Core could tell he was waiting for her reply.

"What do I need to do?" she said.

"Follow me, but not too closely."

With a lurch, the Wavering Confession crawled into the forest. Core hesitantly followed behind it. Though it was as big as a log, it was easy to track even though it occasionally disappeared behind thick foliage.

They didn't travel for very long, maybe twenty minutes at most, when Yates called out to Core again.

Their journey had ended in a wide clearing, and as Core stepped into it, she looked at the Wavering Confession apprehensively as it settled across from her. There was a great distance between them, a gulf knew she shouldn't cross.

As she watched it dubiously, she saw a flying vehicle emerge from somewhere within it. Unlike the KRVs, which where smooth and sleek, this machine was bulky and angular. It made no noise as it flew up to her and looked into her eyes. Looking at it was unnerving. It had no eyes or human features to speak of, and yet Core knew it was judging her.

Then, without warning, it backed away and began circling her, like an angry wasp looking for the perfect place to land its stinger. Core stiffened and followed its movements with a wary eye.

"Why should my nation bother itself with a teenage girl?" Yates said, his voice distorted by the frantic movements of the flying machine.

"My body."

Yates said nothing and continued circling. Core wondered if he was ignoring her answer. The tension in her muscles and tendons grew, like a coiled spring, and she felt trapped. But Core also remembered her promise to Rick and steeled herself to continue this test. Reaching to her belt, she slide her bone knife out of its leather sheath and held it up to Yates before she placed it on the ground. Then she removed the leather pouches from around her waist and placed them beside it. Once she finished Yates answered her harshly.

"What are those?" Yates said, not even bothering to examine her offerings. "No, don't answer. You won't impress me by offering gee-gaws. What about your body?"

"Rick said it was awesome."

"Who cares about the opinion of a simple scientist? If it were up to me, we would abandon you."

"Well, you already did that before." Core said, unable to stop herself. "May I have a hint?" She said politely, hoping to cover for her flippancy.

Yates didn't reply and the flying machine became still. Then, it backed away from her. At first, Core thought it was abandoning her, but it stopped its flight only a short distance away; an invitation to act.

"Bow." Yates said.

Yates spoke so suddenly and so quickly that Core couldn't understand what he'd said.

"Sorry, could you repeat that again?"

"Bow."

Core obeyed wordlessly and held her bow as she waited for Yates' next command.

But it never came. Instead, Yates flew closer.

"You call that a bow?" His words were saturated with disappointment and a dismissive boredom.

Core moved to her hands and knees and prostrated herself, leaning her forehead on a cool patch of dirt. Yate's presence was oppressive as he began circling her again, his passes coming ever closer to a collision with her prone form. Core's body grew heavier, and with each pass her body sank deeper into the earth.

If he wanted her to bow, she would bow, and see Rick again.

The feeling of cold grit against her face was suffocating and Core wondered how long she would have to live in the uncomfortable dark. Time marched on, and the light that peaked in from the outside world grew steadily brighter. The morning stretched into afternoon and the forest was silent and still; the only sounds were those of her own body.

Then Core perceived a new sound. It was soft at first, like the mere whisper of a distant stream, but it grew stronger and she felt the cold kiss of a raindrop. It was joined by many more, each birthed by the emergence of a thunderhead high above the forest.

The wandering tower of turbulent clouds pelted the world below it with a torrent of rain, covering Core in a silent blanket of mist. Moisture pooled in her hair and streamed down her face until it mixed with the mud beneath her fingers. Her fingers were like great metal teeth, and they tore trenches in the mud as she fought with herself to stay still.

Then, at last, the storm passed, and Core's gray world was again kissed with yellow sunlight.

"That's enough. You can rise." Yates said. His voice was soft, almost kind, and as she pulled herself up from the ground, she spotted him hovering near The Wavering Confession. "There is a stream to the east. Go and clean yourself."

"I'm fine." Core said matter-of-factly. Yates seemed to accept her answer.

"This clearing marks the end of Hunkeryork's borders. You are forbidden to cross it until you have permission from the King."

"I didn't pass."

"That isn't up to me." Yates said. "I don't think the King will have any problem accepting you. You seem quite tame."

"What does that mean? Should I wait?"

"No. Come back here in two days' time. Be ready to work."

"Okay."

Yates began to head back to the Wavering Confession but Core was overwhelmed with a sudden urge to stop him. "Wait, please!" Yates stopped and listened. "I'm sorry for freezing your ship."

"Don't bring up the past." Yates said and disappeared.