Requesting Favors, Part 2

Posted on Sun 1st May, 2022 @ 10:11pm by Commander Paul Graves PsyD & Renato Solis

1,675 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: A Good Day to Hunt
Location: Brown Sector Community Center, Deck 2245
Timeline: MD: 8, 2115 hours

(Continued from here.)

Paul watched Renato give the children candy and noticed their parents' reaction. Paul snickered. "You're evil," he accused his friend, vastly amused. "We're talking education space. Want in?"

Renato eyballed Kya for her emotional levels, she was open to it, and seemed encouraging so he took the lead in. Sucking a bit of chocolate residue off his thumb, he replied quickly, "Oh wow, yes that's been a wish list item for a long time. Any open spaces here get taken over with... temporary residences... access to networks is restricted... An education is the exact thing so many of these people need to uplift themselves."

Paul nodded. "I agree, but I didn't realize the difficulties you all were having, getting teachers here in the community certified, much less getting certified by being trained upstation or having already certified teachers come to work down here. I also didn't realize the education gap that exists between what Brown Sector's children are typically taught, versus what the usual Federation child is taught in school."

Paul thought of Experiment Number Six Addams, who he suspected was doing accelerated studies at St. Joan's Academy, as opposed to what Kya's children might be learning. He looked at Kya and the other two women. "I'm embarrassed to say that I really haven't given sufficient thought to how children in Brown Sector and The Zodiac are educated. I did notice there was a disparity, but I thought it could be explained in terms of time allotted for study, rather than the material itself. I thought that being uprooted from one's homeworld was the primary cause of the difference, not what the children were being offered. That, combined with the difficulty you are having in getting your teachers qualified to teach it--I can see why you're frustrated."

Kya hated the sadness that always accompanied discussions of Brown Sector, it was an automatic association to shake your head and lament. She had to take a moment to clarify herself mentally but found the wording, "The Children are here because they are born here or brought here very young. Once they grow up a bit it's harder to get to them, they refuse to accept help."

Renato added, "You don't see how they are looked at when we try to share spaces. Do you realize how much empty space there is all over this station? It's a question of stink, and everyone north of us acts like we got one. If I were to tell you that the officially labeled Brown Sector actually represents a huge collection of station personnel and workers who live in crawlways, nooks, crannies, spare closets, shift workers sharing a bed day and night, wouldn't you want to help by offering space to breathe? But they don't want Brown Sector to expand, so we are kettled, and kept hungry."

"They don't want it to expand because it was never meant to be a place for permanent residence, and it has already been expanded once. It was only ever meant to be a temporary waypoint between homes that had to be abandoned and new, safer homes elsewhere. That's how it functioned before Starfleet relinquished control of the base. I've seen the old records," Paul said. "Now that Brown Sector has become de facto a permanent residence, Starfleet is having to--revise its ideas as to how Brown Sector should be treated in the future. You aren't game pieces for us to move about as we think fit; you're people, with wills and needs of your own. This has caused a conflict of opinions where Starfleet is concerned. On one hand, you have the desire to 'clean it up'--primarily The Zodiac--versus the recognition that such thinking is arrogant and demeaning. We don't want to treat you like that. I've been guilty of thinking that way at times, myself, and the realization doesn't make me happy." Paul let out a breath.

He went on. "At the moment, additional living space is something that I will need to discuss with Commodore Suzuki. If it is allowed, I suspect conditions will be attached to it--such as a gradual and planned return to normal functioning. In the meantime, there is definitely space enough on 109 for a decent school. Whom have you approached to share spaces with?" he asked.

"Lifiaden Zaldek works in the Promenade and has been scouting out spaces for us in the topside schools," Tessa offered. "She is very determined that her children be well educated and is pushing." Tessa gave a wry smile. "Sometimes to an annoying degree." She sighed. "There is no way we can rent space topside; the rent prices we were quoted are impossible for us to afford. How much of that is because of the 'stink' Renato mentioned, I don't know. Besides that, there is still the problem of accreditation."

Renat hated these conversations, it always went the same way. Lofty discussions of what is wrong, leading to no real action. However Paul was a genuine friend so Renato tempered his reply, "Rent, accreditation, original intent, scope of mandate... these are not unfamiliar terms. Whatever the original idea for Brown Sector was, it has evolved into an omnipresent community that is perpetually relegated to the dregs in any capacity. To hold us to our original ideals of a refugee processing center is... outdated."

Kya cleared her throat loudly, Renato could get worked up quickly over these matters, "When the Federation returned we were given promises that real effort would be made to place us in communities willing to receive us. That just hasn't happened, but the promise is holding back any kind of discussion over a permanent solution. We are temporarily here in the eyes of policy makers and administrators, despite having been here longer than any of them. I've made a new life here, but am held back by my status on board as a refugee, like I'm not allowed to live here even if I choose to. Hakksin was born here, so where does he fit in?"

Paul mulled that over. "Those are excellent points," he said. "In that case, perhaps we should discuss the idea of Brown Sector forming a municipality. As a permanent municipality within Starbase 109, you would have more rights--such as the right to hire and fire teachers and to determine curricula and educational standards for yourselves, as the Besm settlement does. You could at least negotiate.

"I'm leery of suggesting that because it mostly ignores the immediate problem that you want solved and throws a bigger issue at your feet--but I think that's the direction your community is moving toward. You want--and need--recognition as a permanent community on this station so you can progress. That being the case, if anyone in Brown Sector still wants to relocate they may, but we should begin considering everyone else to be permanent residents, not refugees. That too I can take up with Commodore Suzuki and arrange a meeting between her and your representatives."

Tessa's dark skin still showed her immediate discomfort with a blushing flinch. She asked Paul, "My homeworld's new government has an active recall for all of its citizens. I'm on the losing side of a civil war and had to get off-world during their eradication campaigns. I only have my family, and if anybody from my world knows I am here I will have to go back. I did things to get off world I can't take back. If there is no way for a refugee here to change their status, or identity, or start anew, then the people who need help the most are still left out."

Kya took the impetus to add, "Thank you Paul, it's too complicated, we don't have the agency to do this on our own, we need the help, but it has to address the needs for all of us."

Renato had a curl to his lip but said nothing, hoping Paul couldn't listen in. Even with Renato's telepathic abilities as formidable in their own right as they were, Paul's were keen and could often listen through the static. Sure enough there was an expectation in his friends eye that compelled him to speak, as he had something to say.

"We've spoken of a constabulary Paul, and now of city hall. There's a clinic down here as well as a bar that serves real liquor. Fresh Food market is getting downright delicious. Perhaps we are just updating the status quo, not changing it?"

"That's what I think," Paul said. "To get real change down here you're going to have to really change. I'm all for you opting to be classed as residents instead of refugees. You've been considered refugees for much too long." He glanced at Tessa. "No government should have the right to force its citizens to return to its fold who don't want to--and certainly not if it means their deaths. I've seen some of the news stories about your planet. I'm willing to sponsor you for asylum status if you want that." He looked at all of them. "My main concern is, I don't want Brown Sector to be a dead-end street for anyone. When I first began exploring these decks a couple of years ago and started meeting people down here, I saw far too much of that."

Renato had kept his smirk as a placeholder emotionally, to this he replied in a snort, "Like when I was asleep in filthy clothes but you took me to get something to eat..." his expression softened finally, "You convinced me to start this place to help others, and in doing so help myself. You were right. I think some of us are ready, but it will take time to get everyone to agree."

Kya had set her hand on his arm to soothe him, speaking still to Paul, "All this to say, thank you for your help. A school, a real school, is another step towards this legitimacy we are discussing."

 

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