Posted by Commander Janusz Korczak (Counselor) in Start Over From Experience

Posted by Civilian Caitlyn Dillon (Director, The House Sanctuary) in Start Over From Experience
Caitlyn starred unseeing toward the screen. The speaker that was attached directly to the top of the screen, helped her to at least appear to see. “No Ragna, thank you. I… I really think that we should try to do this ourselves. We agreed to come with the rest of the clan because we are ready.” She laughed mirthlessly, “Or we hope we are.” It was a huge undertaking for Caitlyn. Out of all the members of the House that had come to Oed she had been with them the longest. She had arrived broken, damaged, terrified, and totally dependent. She had been terrified of the dark. She still was some days.

Back home, on Earth, she had been very confident, helping to take care of the new people who arrived, the actual house, grounds, children, everyone. She worked on their finances, and helped to arrange services for those who needed it. She’d lost a lot of that confidence when they boarded the ship. Sometimes she woke up and didn’t remember she was on a ship and she’d trip over things because nothing was where it was supposed to be. Marissa always came to help her. It was easier now, at least in their suite of rooms. Navigating the whole ship was difficult and she never went anywhere alone.

After a long pause, she spoke again. “No worries Ragna. If I need help navigating the legalities I’ll contact you or Revna. I think I know who I need to contact and I’m quite capable of writing a letter. I’ll let you know what I find out.” She signed off the comms and had the computer start reading the laws and statutes that Ragna had sent from Oed about the process, allowances, and limitations for starting a new House.

A few days later, Caitlyn had an appointment to speak with someone from the Social Services office on Oed. She dressed in a delicate pant suite in light grey with a soft mauve blouse. Marissa had pinned her hair back so it stayed out of her face but looked professional. Then Caitlyn asked the computer to make the connection to the office on Oed. An elder woman answered and she told her she had a scheduled call with a Janusz Korczak. The woman asked her to wait while she forwarded the call.

Caitlyn

It took a few minutes, but the screen chirped to indicate that someone was on the screen. =/\= Hello. I am Commander Janusz Korczak of Star Fleet. I am working with the Oed V Division of Social Services. How may I be of help to you today, Ms. Dillon? =/\= His voice was soft and sincere, but his accent was wholly unique. As if there were multiple separate accents trying to assert dominance over one another, but simply managing to fight to a stalemate.

Korczak, Social Services (on loan)

There was tension and hesitation in the woman’s posture that reduced significantly when he said he was with Star Fleet. Caitlyn knew from Runa that Oed had a very tentative relationship with Star Fleet, but she had reason to trust them. Especially the counselors. “Yes, Cmdr,” she began. Her accent was clearly from Earth’s north American continent. How to word this? “I am part of a group that is moving to Oed, and we are a special type of family. We all met because we have survived trauma.” Her gaze faced the screen directly, but wasn’t quite focused on his position. “We lived at a special sanctuary that nurtured and and supported us. We would like to continue to help others. I understand though that Oed V is very different from Earth. We would need assistance in establishing such a refuge but also making sure such delicate information is distributed with care.”

Dillon