Jasinna loved making these voyages in the beginning, the modest cabin she and her mother resided in was right in the middle of the only remaining area of natural forest anywhere near Sanitarium, although it was certainly a significant distance. She was a curious, and investigative person, she loved seeing, hearing, and smelling the wonders that lie outside her home. The forest, albeit quite small really, was full of adventures and wonder for anybody willing to seek them out. Jasinna had always had a fascination with anything new or different and at times, even in her youth, this penchant for investigation had gotten her into quite a few jams, thought nothing too serious.  Jasinna was naïve, and an incurable optimist. This was the one thing that frightened her mother above all, she knew that the world outside was not something Jasinna was ready for and yet she knew she had no choice but to ask this favor of her daughter.

In the very beginning, when Jasinna’s mother had confided in her that she herself could longer make the trip, Jasinna was terrified. She was by no means sheltered or hidden away by any direct intent, but the cabin they called home was so far away from anything that social interaction was next to impossible. Jasinna had no neighbors to play with or school mates, she’d never attended a proper school although her mother instilled a strong sense that education was the key to making it the world. She had been well-taught in matters of academia, but had little life experience or world-knowledge. She was an only child and by all accounts had no family besides her mother. . It was at this time that Jasinna first realized how expansive the world outside the cabin was. She cautiously made her first treck through the woods by following the well-worn grass path that had been made by her mother for years previous. She was met with open arms by a man she did not know but whom her mother told her would help her out.

Jasinna’s mother had stumbled on the cabin, a tired, dirty, malnourished, scared, and alone 16 year old girl. She had been on her own for about a year but for most teenagers life was 1 of 2 things. Represent GeneCo’s youth agenda or, be drug addicts. Jasinna’s mother was neither but she was also just as naïve as Jasinna at this age. She was also, unfortunately for her, an extraordinarily beautiful girl. She was the instant attention of most anybody she came in contact with.

In subsequent trips, Jasinna had grown both confidence and intrigue. She knew there had to be more to this world than the tiny microcosmic view that she had been raised in. Gradually Jasinna’s trips were getting longer, not from necessity but because she was going ever further away from her home and the handful of peddlers her mother had been dealing with for years.

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Her thirst for knowledge driving her, with what seemed an ever-increasing need; today Jasinna had wandered too far. Without knowing it, she had gone all the way to the edge of Sanitarium, a good 15 miles from her mother’s cabin.

She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw the foreboding “GeneCo” sign, the huge display screens. The sights and sounds were putting her senses on overload. Her mind was running circles, trying to take everything in. “Where am I?” “What is this place?” Jasinna’s thoughts were so numerous she may well have forgotten her own name.

She wasn’t in a graveyard but she was very close, she had glimpsed a large figure running behind a tall, partially crumbled and clearly very old statue marking the entrance to one of the graveyards. She of course, didn’t even know what a graveyard was but she was very curious about the statue, so she headed in that direction. She was so absorbed in her thoughts she hadn’t noticed the small form crouched near the mouth of the graveyard and all but fell over her.

Shilo squealed, both from fright and shock as she too was so absorbed in her work that she hadn’t noticed the stranger approaching. The huddled mound of the two girls slowly uprighted themselves and stood staring awkwardly at each other, neither knowing what to say.

Jasinna was entranced by Shilo’s splendor, she had never before met anybody her own age, she never knew so much beauty could exist in one being. She had only ever talked to her mother’s peddler friends and most of them were well into their 50’s or 60’s, they were from before GeneCo.

Shilo stared at the strange girl in front of her, she too was mesmerized but did not know why. She felt a strange sense of familiarity but could not place it. The two remained silent, measuring one another up until they were abruptly startled when the tall figure Jasinna had seen earlier came running to Shilo, wrapping his arm around her petite frame.