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The Cabin car of the Express was the most luxurious thing Clara had ever seen in her short life thus far.
Satin covered plush cushioned seats, leather couches, smooth wooden tables with stained finish, warm overhead lights that didn't flicker. Green plants! Just like she saw in her movies!
And the floor!
Clara's little feet had never felt such a lush soft carpet before. The only place in the whole Underground she could remember even HAVING a floor covering was in the nice old lady's 'hotel' room, which really only had a rug to cover the splintery floorboards. And in Mr. Svarog’s base she supposed, which also just had a small thin, ragged rug in the room she slept in.
The next thing she noticed was the large...picture? She didn't really have a better word for the great glowing thing that floated up by the ceiling of the car. It looked like a model of something, likely organic judging by the smooth lines. Robots and buildings were usually much more angular than whatever this was.
The great bay windows drew her attention at last, looking out into the vastness of space, glittering and twinkling like a fresh snowfall the first time she went to the Overworld and saw the sun with her own eyes.
There were so many new things in front of her to process, and so many new feelings in her heart that she couldn't do much more than just stand in the doorway, mouth agape and hands clenched tight against her chest, making herself small under the assault of so much sensory overload.
Beside her, Svarog's attention was only on that of his charge, and seeing her reaction, or lack of, he could tell she was overwhelmed. She was, however, taking it very well compared to the first few times something had overwhelmed her after they had first met. She would run and hide alone to avoid the situation or begin to cry quietly as she felt so many strong emotions at once that she was unable to process them, having not had anyone to help her deal with emotions in a healthy manner.
Svarog knelt down on one knee and placed a large hand gently on Clara's back to help ground the small child to something, to let her know he was there if she needed comfort. He did not say anything, allowing Clara to make the decision herself about what course of action she would take next.
This was a test, and depending on how she handled it, it would turn into a lesson, or a new unforgettable experience for her.
Clara leaned into Svarog's hand and turned her head to looking to his camera, hand fitfully playing with the red tassel of her coat’s hood, "Oh Mr. Svarog! It's so bright! And colourful! I want..." she looked down, a bit uncertain if it was alright with others around and in a new place to try and be bold, but she looked back at him determinedly, "Would you like to go explore with me?"
Svarog was capturing every moment to record and store in his memory bank: Clara's expression, her words, her actions. "If that is what you wish." Everything was her choice right now. There were no threats here to protect her from, the Outworlders had proven that they lacked any ill intent towards Belobog and its people, and there was a 0.001 percent chance that they would engage in any violent actions towards Clara.
Svarog stood back up and waited for Clara to start down the stairs of the landing carefully, then followed her onto the main floor of the cabin car.
Her head was on a swivel turning this way and that, hair flying in little white wisps as she tried to decide what to look at first. She settled on padding over to the plant by the corner table and gently reached out a hand to feel the waxy leaves, rubbing it between her thumb and finger.
"Wow, a real plant, just like in Miss Natasha's clinic! I wonder what it's called? Oh!" She darted over to the seats and ran a finger over the soft surface, pressing down to test the give of the cushion. "Look Mr. Svarog! It looks like the chair in one of the movies we watched! I forget the name of it though."
Svarog walked over and looked at the cushion as well, "Yes Clara, the movie was 'Journey of the Heart'."
"That's the one! Thank you." Clara wandered slowly over to the viewing area beside the circle of couches and looked up at the open space behind the glass in wonder, eyes shining with the reflected light of the stars.
"Wow...." She was speechless, all her shyness forgotten as she stared in amazement at the shape of Jarilo-VI hovering in the expanse before them, slowly turning on its axis, the white surface bearing the scars of wars past held and the current unending winter upon its surface.
Svarog came up to the window with Clara, lens focusing on the image before them. "I am unable to access the database records from here, but this is your home, Clara. The planet is called Jarilo-VI and matches images in my memory bank of the time before the collapse of the Overworld, when the Architects had, unsuccessfully, turned their efforts to space exploration."
Clara looked up at her large companion next to her and held her arms to her chest, as though that would contain the unnameable feeling that was trying to burst from her, "Could you please lift me up? I can't see that great from here..."
Svarog knelt down so that she could sit upon his arm, "Of course Clara." He stood back up slowly once she had a firm grip on his shoulder, and as soon as Clara had settled herself better, they together watched as their home continued to turn, distant storms swirling and great ice fields glistening in the light of the star.
Eventually Svarog’s aural sensors alerted him to the sound of footsteps behind them, and he turned his head to see the Trailblazer approaching, with several of the other Outworlders making their way down the stairs after them.
The silver haired youth stopped a short distance from the two, "What do you think Clara? We wanted to give you some space to explore on your own and take everything in. It's pretty amazing right?" The other members of the crew were keeping a respectable distance back which, Svarog calculated, was intended to not make Clara feel nervous and crowded in with so many strangers.
They were acceptable.
Clara shifted on his arm to turn and look at the others, Svarog turning as well to better accommodate her, "This is amazing! It's like a dream. I've never seen the real stars before, it's just like in pictures and movies that Mr. Svarog has shown me. I really like it here, thank you for letting us come with you for an adventure."
She looked down for a moment before continuing, "At first I was a little worried about the Robots in the Settlement. What would they do if something happened and I wasn't there to fix them...." she looked up again with a smile on her face, "But Miss Serval said she promised that she would visit every day to see if anyone needed any repairs while I was gone! It was nice of her to offer, and she's very smart, so I know they'll be safe with her around!"
The Trailblazer broke out in a huge grin and tilted their head to the side seemingly in joy as well, "Isn't she great! She's very thoughtful and smart, she’ll take great care of your friends."
The Trailblazer turned their head to watch as the others spread out into the cabin to supposedly take their usual spots, each one busying themselves with their own doings and not paying either of them any mind.
Clara was grateful that everyone wasn't staring at her, it always made her nervous to have so many eyes watching her every move...she WAS getting better at being around others though!
"Mr. Svarog?"
They both turned their heads to look at each other.
"Yes Clara?"
"Can we.... go meet the others? I want to thank them for everything they did for us and our home. If not for them I'm afraid to think of what would have happened in the future." She looked determined to conquer her uncertainty.
Svarog made sure the record of this event was double encrypted and backed up again in the most secure folders in his memory bank. "Of course, Clara."