Posted by Civilian Stellaris (Resident) in PRSIM- Echoes from the Stars

Posted by Civilian Caitlyn Dillon (Director, The House Sanctuary) in PRSIM- Echoes from the Stars

Posted by Civilian Stellaris (Resident) in PRSIM- Echoes from the Stars
Posted by… suppressed (8) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)
There was a knock on the door and cracked slightly. “Stellaris, it’s Ok’jiv. May I come in?” the Klingon midwife asked before opening the door any further.

Ok’jiv, midwife

Privacy was something unfamiliar to Stellaris. With the Echo, they did everything together, and the rare times she was completely alone were when she was in solitary contemplation, or being punished. She turned her head and gave Ok’jiv a small smile. “You can come in.”

Moving back to her bed and mindful of her infusion line, she slipped on up and gazed at the midwife. She had slept hard but mostly out of sheer exhaustion. Sleep was not normally her friend as of late. “Hi,” she said, not sure what else to say.

~Stellaris, Wayward Soul

Ok’jiv came in with all the authority of a woman who knew exactly how to handle business. Any business. “You look some rested. How are you feeling?” She asked as her tricorder came out and she began standard scans to check on her health and that of the baby.

Ok’jiv, midwife

“Better than yesterday,” ‘Sarah’ said. “Less like I’m just going to fall over and sleep, but it’s like I’ve been running on high alert so long that now that I’ve stopped I’m just so tired.” She mused that maybe it wasn’t all just emotional.

The scan showed that her blood sugar was more stable, and because her hydration had improved, so too had her amniotic fluid, which was much closer to what they might expect for the current size of her baby. The nutrient supplement was helping too, though it would take consistent nutrition and supplementation in order to improve her levels to expected healthy prenatal levels for a Human. Other than that, her body was still weak from the decreased muscle mass and fat levels, which could be improved over time but was unlikely to be up to ideal levels before the baby was born.

Speaking of the baby, Stellaris’ daughter was having more normal fetal movements and seemed less sluggish. The heart beat was strong.

~Stellaris, Wayward Soul

Ok’jiv smiled and turned the doppler on so Stellaris could hear the baby’s heartbeat. “Nice and healthy and active this morning. That is good. Your vitals are stronger too. We will have to continue the nutritional suppliments for awhile and more fluids today.”

Stellaris was so fixated on the sound of her daughter’s heartbeat that she took an extra moment to parse Ok’jiv’s words. “I’ve definitely been able to feel her more this morning. I never knew she could move around so much!” Sadness crept in for a moment as she realized that perhaps the conditions she had been living in were the reason. She was 28 weeks and in many ways her pregnancy was speeding along. She felt like she had missed somethings here and there but only knew that once she realized what was normal at this stage on her pregnancy.

“There is someone here to see you. Do you remember Inspector Stone and me telling you that we could help keep you safe? This person is here to help with that. You do not have to see her though. It is your choice.”

Ok’jiv, midwife

Fear tingled down her spine, but she mentally suppressed the reaction. Her heart rate crept higher before it settled again. More people knowing about her was frightening, yes, but she had to trust people here to take care of her. Stellaris nodded. “I’ll see her. Will she know me as Stellaris or Sarah Jones? Either is fine, I just don’t want to be surprised and give something away I’m not supposed to.”

~Stellaris, Wayward Soul

“Neither,” Ok’jiv said. “She was only told there was a young expectant mother that was in need of her particular help. That way if you choose not to see her, she knows nothing else. It is up to you to decide what you want her to know.”

Ok’jiv, midwife

Stellaris tugged her lower lip with her teeth and took another deep breath. She nodded again. “Okay, yes, I’ll speak with her.” How much she would say depended on several things but for the moment the lure of safety was more than appealing.

~Stellaris, Wayward Soul

Ok’jiv smiled. “I’ll go get her.” She gave Stellaris a reassuring pat on the shoulder and left the room.

A minute later the door opened and a human woman with rich brown hair and milky blue eyes entered, holding on to Ok’jiv’s arm. “Just this way,” Ok’jiv said. She led the woman over, “There is chair a foot directly in front of you. The back is just above waist height.” The woman reached out with her hand and felt for the back and then slid her hand along it before letting go of Ok’jiv’s arm and then gracefully sitting down.

Stellaris watched the pair enter and the newcomer sit near her in the chair.

Ok’jiv looked at Stellaris. “Just ring if you need anything. I’ll be right outside.” Then she quietly left the room and closed the door.

“My name is Caitlyn Dillon,” the woman said. Up closer, Stellaris could see long healed scars around her eyes and temple. “I am with an organization called The House. We provide a safe a secure location to people who need protection.” Her gaze wasn’t quite right as if she knew the general direction that Stellaris should be but wasn’t looking directly at her.

Dillon, Director, The House Sanctuary

Stellaris intuited that the woman had vision issues but she couldn’t be sure how much she could or couldn’t see. “Hi,” she said softly. She went to go say something and then all but choked on a laugh that she was trying to keep down. “Safety. Everyone keeps talking about keeping me safe, and I want to believe that more than anything, but the people who are after me aren’t going to just suddenly stop looking for me. I know too much and my baby is important to them.”

~Stellaris, Wayward Soul

Caitlyn nodded, her head turning just slightly toward the sound of her voice. “I understand that. That’s how I felt when I went to The House years ago. No where felt safe and it felt like empty promises. Good intentions, but incapable. It took me a long time to believe it, to trust it, but I’m glad I did. The House has been around for centuries in one form or another. I will not say that the dangers go away or that they won’t still be a threat. But we’ve had lots of practice and we have excellent people helping us.”

“What we do is provide a secure unknown location for you live. You will disappear in broad daylight clean and unfollowed. You will be taken on a very round about way to The House and you will live there for as long as you want. We provide physical and electronic security. We have doctors and therapists on staff. We exist completely off grid. It will be rough living, but that is hard to track. Escorts and security are provided if you have to go out. For court, doctors, police requests, to see family. I make it sound simple, but it isn’t. We are very good though.”

Dillon, Director, The House Sanctuary

“I’m not afraid of it being rough,” Stellaris said. The mention of family and court and doctors settled in her mind and she was trying to figure out how that would all work. “How does it work if ou go out. Obviously I can’t tell anyone where I live, but is there a way for family to get a hold of me, or how do I contact them to arrange to see them?” She just got Jonathan back in her life and though it all seemed fragile, she was determined not to lose him again if she could help it.

~Stellaris, Wayward Soul

“Through intermediaries. Through myself or another staff member. Usually we use paper if they are local. We use highly encrypted data messages and always send them from different locations to make sure they can’t be traced back to The House. Our goal is not to cut you off from support, but to keep you as physically safe as possible. It takes messages longer to get where they are going and to get the reply back to you, but we do our best to make sure you stay connected. It also depends on how much danger you are in. Sometimes it works like witness protection where you get a new name, a new identity and you have to leave everything behind. That is usually determined by the police the courts. Though if that is what you want, we have ways to help you do that as well.”

Dillon, Director, The House Sanctuary

Stellaris clenched her hands together, trying to keep herself from getting emot-… too late. Tears blurred her eyes and she sniffled as she fought the urge to sob. It was stuck in the back of her throat. “I don’t know what I want,” she said, her voice half-choked. “I haven’t been making great decisions since I fled the group, but I know they will kill me. I’m a liability, Ms. Dillon. I’m just trying to keep me baby from harm, but I risk everyone around me. I’ve spent years doing exactly as I was told, and when I didn’t?” Her voice pitched upwards, hinting that layers of despair underneath her words. “I couldn’t go back home, even if I wanted to. And I’ve lost so many years with my brother. I don’t want to lose more. I’d love to see my parents again, but I can’t see how that would be possible. They’re a long ways away from here.”

Yes, Caitlin outlined how it could work, but none of it seemed possible, nothing seemed real. She felt trapped between a life she had to leave for her own safety and the one she desperately wanted but didn’t believe she could have. Hell, she didn’t believe she was worthy of it. Not yet anyway.

~Stellaris, Wayward Soul

The blind woman reached out and gently set her hand on Stellaris’ foot. “I know it seems impossible now. That it is too much, too dangerous, too much hopeful thinking that you don’t think you can afford. I am going to tell you that you are not a liability. And I am telling you that, knowing I once felt like that too. As did everyone that has ever come through The House. It is a long journey to healing and confidence and accepting the present is better. We are here for it all, even after you leave.” She gave Stellaris a moment to breath through her fear and grief. “It won’t be easy or fast, but if you want to go home, we will do our best to help make that happen.”

Dillon, Director, The House Sanctuary

Home. For a long time she had thought that meant The Echo, but that reality had been so thoroughly shattered. “I want to believe that that is possible, and maybe that is enough. At least it feels different.”

Stellaris took a deep breath in. “My brother is coming by today with a lawyer who will help me navigate the legal mess I’m in. And they say I have to stay in the hospital awhile but what you are offering me sounds like not just a good idea, but something that will be good for me too. I… accept? I guess I just need to know what the next step would be.”

~Stellaris, Wayward Soul

Caitlyn reached into her pocket and pulled out a small rectangle of card stock. She reached forward and gently placed it in her hand. “This is my contact information. If you need anything before we can get you moved, just reach out. Myself or someone from the House will come.”

Stellaris folded her fingers over the card. “Thank you. I appreciate everything you’re doing for me.”

“The next thing I will ask, and it is up to you, is to allow our doctor to discuss your medical needs with Ok’jiv. That way we can make sure you have everything you need there to take care of you both. However, it is not necessary. If you choose not to have your medical information shared it will not change that we help you.”

Stellaris nodded. “Yes, that is fine. I trust ok’jiv and if she is okay with your doctor, then I think I will be as well.” Which was, in her own mind, a wild statement for her to make given how uncertain everything was and how hard it was to trust people at all anymore.”

“Last, I will speak to the police. I will let them know you are joining us and make sure that all the legalities with them are covered.”

Dillon, Director, The House Sanctuary

She drew in a long breath. “Okay,” Stellaris said more softly. She still didn’t know how things would go with the lawyer, but everyone had been (mostly) reassuring that her ‘incidents’ on Oed were no longer and issue. It was the larger problem with Starfleet that was at play. She had no problem telling them what she knew, but she still couldn’t trust that they would be able to stop The Echo.

~Stellaris, Wayward Soul

“Now just one more question. Are there any other legal authorities we need to consider?” Caitlyn asked. Police on other planets, Federation Security, Marines, Star Fleet, colonial military or police, legal systems outside of Oed and the Federation could all be worked with, but Caitlyn needed to know about them.

Dillon, Director, The House Sanctuary

They hadn’t gotten into any of the details about why Stellaris needed protection and she wasn’t sure how much Caitlyn knew. A long beat of silence passed before she responded. “Umm, well, the group I escaped from were… they um…” She paused and blew out a breath of frustration. “They are wanted by Starfleet Security in relation to a theft from a Starfleet facility. I was there when it happened, and right now my brother has gotten me a Starfleet lawyer who is going to help me navigate what happens from here, because they’ve been able to match my face to those on some footage from the facility. The Oed police detective who saw me yesterday, he seemed to think that if I helped bring the group to justice for their various crimes, that I would be seen as cooperative. Given I fear they’ll kill me, well,”-she chuckled bitterly-“let’s just say I’m motivated to do whatever I need to if it means my get to keep my newfound freedom and my baby is safe.”

~Stellaris, Wayward Soul

Caitlyn nodded in her direction. “That’s not a problem. We’ll get it worked out with them as well. It will take about a day, maybe two, but I’ll be back to let you know the details. Alright?”

Dillon, Director, The House Sanctuary