The young alien girl with the pink mohawk beams with excitement.

“Dr. Goodman, right? From the Marshal Center? I’m so excited to meet you!”

She shakes his hand eagerly.

“We’ve been reading your research papers in our experimental environments classes. Your filtration system revolutionized the whole way people breathe on the colonies!”

Puck gives a faint smile.

“I remember. It was pretty cool.”

The parent shifts the baby in their arms, murmuring.

“Maybe I can tell her a story.”

The girl continues breathlessly.

“When Doctor James asked if I wanted to meet your flight, I just about hit the ceiling!”

Puck raises an eyebrow.

“It wouldn’t have been such a bad walk.”

“No way were we gonna let you walk,” she insists. “You know what the colonies are like!”

She laughs, brushing her hair back.

“I mean, of course someone was gonna meet you. It’s almost impossible to find a ground car this time of day.”

They move through a lush green space, trees rising on either side to obscure the walls.

“I can’t say I’ve ever seen plants like this on any of the other colonies,” Puck admits. “They must be expensive to upkeep.”

He pauses, gazing up at the canopy.

“…Worth it, though. I don’t think I’ve seen this much green in one spot outside of Earth.”

The girl shrugs, voice dropping a little.

“Yeah…kind of seems like a waste, really. They just keep them to hide the locals.”