1953…

The school holidays had arrived, for everyone.

At the beginning and end of each school term, there would be some difference between the holiday commencement dates of the various schools, but there was always a large portion of the holidays which was common to every school. In the first week of this common vacation period, the schoolgirls at Freedom Fields were enjoying a game of softball on the oval. Ann thought of the bush beyond the oval. That forest of pines and other trees had always fascinated Ann, both before and after her discovery of Wildstar and Butler One. There was the natural beauty of the trees, the thrill of navigating a definite pathway through to various places, and the mystique of not being able to see thorough to the other sides, but yet knowing that something was there.

"Maybe that forest has more surprises," thought Ann, "I only found Wildstar by accident while searching for anything to do with Freedom Fields, or St Abel's. Who knows what else is in there? I feel like a daytime exploration of that bush."

Ann stood up and spoke to the other girls on her team, who were waiting for their turn to bat.

"I think I might drop out of the game and go for a walk in the forest," she said, mentally reassuring herself: "It's not slack. They've got plenty of players, and I really don't want to be stuck here playing softball today."

She also thought that it would give her more time to talk privately with her tiny friend Wendell from earth-T.

"Can I go with you?" asked Arella.

Arella Kayne was twelve years old, in year seven at school. She had blond hair, with some rich round waves, which ended in a pair of concave upwards curls, which rested on her shoulders. Her hair was parted in the center of her head, which made her face perfectly symmetrical. Today she was wearing a bright pink pullover and a matching pair of tracksuit pants, with white sox and sandshoes.

Ann was wearing a red skivvy and a dark green skirt, with stockings underneath. Everything seemed so peaceful that morning, and Ann decided to enjoy a day without even contemplating the notion of wearing a long trousers outfit with her special costume underneath it. Arella sounded exceptionally keen to join the walk. Ann agreed. Arella could walk in the forest in the company of a teenager. Ann would be the one to take responsibility for Arella's safety.

"Are we going to lose two of you then?" asked the team's captain.

"Don't worry," said Ann, "Just borrow somebody from their side, or two of you can bat twice."

Ann and Arella wandered away into the bushes.

"I had the craziest dream about you, the other night," said Arella.

"Sounds breezy. Tell me about it," said Ann.

"It isn't really possible for any of this to happen, but in the dream, I knew that you had snuck out of the building one night and-"

"Snuck out of Freedom Fields?"

"That's right, and get this! You found a tiny boy, and then you both walked into the forest, just like we are now, and found a spaceship in the dark. Then you got your own computer robot built and found countless gadgets and devices as well."