“Jochen, why is the steering wheel and all your gauges on the right-hand side of your truck?”

“Before I answer you, would you mind if I give you a name?” Jochen figures it would be easier to talk with her.

“I don’t mind, Jochen.” The girl watches Jochen as he examines her.

“How about I call you, Sidney?”

“Sidney?” The girl thinks about it for a few minutes.

Jochen switches over to autopilot and turns his seat around to look at the girl. He wonders if she minds being called Sidney.

“I think Sidney will work, Jochen.” She looks at Jochen as he sat in front of her.

“Well, Sidney. The reason my steering wheel and gauges are on the right-hand side of my truck is Matilda was built in Australia. I was driving her over in Australia when I was offered a job over here in the states. Instead of driving a truck built here in the United States, I wanted to drive Matilda.”

“But doesn’t that make things a little difficult for you?” Sidney wanted to understand Jochen and the truck she was in.

“Nope, I have been driving in the outback since I was nineteen years old. Here in America, it's easy and most of the truckers here, wouldn’t last long in the outback. You have to deal with flooding, kangaroos, camels, rock slides, mud, bush fires, and other natural things that can cause you to lose your truck and your life.” Jochen counts himself lucky on some of the serious incidents he has been involved with.

“Oh! So, have you always driven Matilda?”

“The original Matilda was driven by my grandfather. Then, when he retired, my father started driving Matilda. This version of Matilda is the sixth truck to carry the name.”

“Are all trucks capable of doing what Matilda can do?”

“Nope, Matilda is one of a kind. She is the brainchild of me and a chief mechanic named Gears. You’ll meet him when we arrive at the
research facilities.” Jochen knows, Sidney will be tested down in medical, while they are there.

“Will you be with me?” Sidney was feeling nervous.

A smile appears on Jochen’s face “of course, I’ll be with you. I promise to stay by your side, the whole time we are there.”

“Thank you.” Sidney felt better knowing Jochen would be with her.

“Sidney, I do have one question for you. Why do you clinch that black bag so hard?” Jochen points towards the bag still in Sidney’s hand.

Sidney looks at the bag in her right hand. She knows it was special, but she didn’t know why it was special.

“I don’t know. I know it is special to me, but I can’t recall why it is special.” Sidney hated the fact she couldn’t remember anything.

“Well, if you don’t mind my helping you. I can put the bag somewhere safe until we figure out what happened to you.” Jochen figures he could lock it up in the small safe inside Matilda.

“Alright, I trust you.” Sidney hands the small bag to Jochen.

Jochen accepts the bag and kneels on the floor near her feet. He presses a panel and a lockbox slides out. He taps in some numbers to open the safe. Once it opens, he drops the bag inside and locks it again.

“There, it will be safe, until you need it.” Jochen sits back in the driver's seat.

“Thank you.” Sidney covers up a yawn.

“Why don’t you lay back down and get some sleep. We still have another five hours before we arrive at the research facilities.”

“Okay.” Sidney lays down on the cot and wraps the blanket around her body.

Jochen turns back around in his seat and disengages the autopilot. He loved all the bells and whistles Matilda had built into her. He never has to stop, unless it was to refuel. The self-driving system Matilda was built with, could drive them to any destinations.

After about an hour, Jochen comes upon a convoy. He blows his horns “this here is the Kola Bear, do you guys mind if I join your convoy?”

“Highway Man to Kola Bear, you’re more than welcome to join our convoy. Come in and drop inline.” As space opens up for Jochen.

Jochen pulls right into space and travel with them. He travels with them, up to a certain point, before having to leave them. He looks at the navigation display and notices she was only thirty minutes away.

He transmits his clearance code on a coded channel as he continues on the route. After thirty minutes, he comes to a checkpoint. He comes to a complete stop and rolls down his window.

A guard dressed in black body armor comes up to his door “who else is riding with you Kola Bear?”

Jochen recognizes the voice coming from the helmet. He has played poker with the guy.

“A young teenage girl that has no idea who she is or how she ended up on the highway, totally nude.” Jochen watches the guard.

“Alright, go to level twelve and drop your load off and head back up to level seven for your inspection. Dr. Yung will meet you on level seven.”

“Alright.” Jochen heads towards the old converted silo and pulls into a building.

Once Jochen was properly secured. He and his rig are lowered down to level twelve. The trailer is detached from the cab. Once that is done,
Jochen and Matilda are raised back up to level seven.

Once the lift stops moving, he notices Dr. Yung standing and waiting for him. Standing next to her, was Gears.

“It’s about time you brought Matilda in for her check-up.” Gears look at Matilda as Jochen climbs out of her.

“Yeah, yeah. She’s all yours, but first, let me get my passenger out of her.”

Dr. Yung looks at Jochen “how old would you say she is?”

“She looks to be at least fifteen years old or so.”

“And you found her walking down the highway?”

“Yes ma’am.”

Dr. Yung makes a few notes on her clipboard. She looks back towards Jochen “alright, let's see her.”