Asylum

Posted on Tue May 7th, 2024 @ 3:22am by Lieutenant Phaedrae Cyn & Civilian Alexandra Winters & Civilian Brunel Winters

1,468 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Mission Interlude Starbase 76 & Serenity
Location: Deck 11, School Playground
Timeline: MD 8, 1530 Hours

After classes let out for the day Alexandra and Brunel ran to the nearby playground and climbed to the top of the jungle gym.

"Time is going by so fast," Alex said sadly. "We'll meet back up with the rest of your people tomorrow. Have you heard anything?"

At the mention of his people, Brunel seemed to grow quiet in his expressions. When he was able, he replied to her with his signing. "I...I don't want to go back to them, Alex. I have been reading more about your Federation. I want to stay here, with you. Who do I tell... that I want to ask for A...S...Y...L...U...M?" He had had to spell the word out in Federation Standard, as there was no equivalent world for asylum in the Ataran language.

Alex hung her feet off the edge of the jungle gym and dangled them. "I know my dad told the Captain you don't want to go back, but he said that since you are a kid it might be more complicated than that."

From the edge of the playground, an adult approached the children with a signed greeting of, "Hello." She spoke as well, "Do you hear?" She had an occasion to learn FSL (Federation Sign Language) in her younger years. "My name is Phaedrae. I was wondering if I could speak with you for a few minutes." She addressed this to both of the children, though it was clear she was more interested in what Brunel had to say.

Brunel looked over to the adult and nodded, then signed in reply. "I can hear, Ma'am. I just am unable to speak, because of a birth defect." He then looked at Alex and signed, "Will you stay with me, while she asks me questions?"

Alex nodded. "Of course. If that's okay?" She asked the adult. "My dad's Nash Winters, the Chief Engineer," she said as if it might make the adult more likely to let her stay.

"Yes, that's fine," Phaedrae replied to Alex. "And you can pick the place you want to talk... here in public, or somewhere more private," she offered.

Brunel looked around and, seeing no other Ataran present, looked back at Phaedrae and replied. "Here is good, if that's okay, Ma'am?"

Alex tapped Brunel on the shoulder. "We should get down and sit somewhere," she said, reminding him that they were perched on playground equipment.

Brunel nodded, then pointed to a park bench off to their right. He then did a back flip, rolling off the monkey bars with ease. Once on the ground, he turned to Alex and offered her his hands, if she desired any assistance.

Declining any assistance, Alex dropped from her seated position on the bars so that she was hanging by her hands and let herself fall the rest of the way. When she was on the ground the girl checked her surroundings, noticing some other kids their age still on the playground and of the teachers nearby.

"You're with the Intelligence Department," Alex stated, noticing the gray uniform. "What do you think Brunel knows?"

"I am," Phaedrae confirmed. "I'm newly arrived on the ship, so I admit that I don't know much about the situation here. But the Captain mentioned that Brunel and one of the older girls would like to stay on the ship instead of relocating with the remainder of your," she addressed this word in particular to Brunel, "group. So I wanted to know a little more about that."

Brunel seemed a bit hesitant at first to reply, then he asked, "Will you inform the Elders of what I tell you?"

"Our conversation is strictly confidential," Phaedrae replied. "I won't discuss it with your Elders. I'm good with keeping secrets," she assured the young man.

Still a bit shy about it, he looked into Alex's eyes and drew strength from her. Finally, he began signing, "There is no Ataran word for it... I request A...S...Y...L...U...M. He then looked the adult in the eyes and continued. "I do not wish to remain with my people, nor want them to be able to claim me. My family is dead. With them gone, I am no longer safe. If my Elders take me, they will kill me."

Phaedrae nodded slowly, "Where did you learn the word, asylum?" she asked.

Alex briefly looked down at her feet when Phaedrae asked Brunel the question, then she looked back up. "I told him about it, but Brunel is really smart, and he's been reading a lot and learning about our laws."

Brunel nodded silently. He then signed, "I know I am just a child in your eyes, Ma'am. However, I speak true. My people see deformity as something to get rid of. Had my parents not been who they were, I would have been removed from my mother's womb before I was born."

"Your age does not minimize our conversation. If I didn't value what you have to say, I wouldn't have asked to talk with you," Phaedrae said and was pleased that he was volunteering the information she was looking for without having to ask. "Who were your parents?"

"My parents, Greto, my father, and Nakipa, my mother, were highly respected professors at the university, that had been in the capitol of our world. They were also close friends with the Prime Minister." Brunel replied, a look of sadness on his face as he spoke of his lost parents. "I was the youngest of four children. My brother, Herton, was the oldest and was a Weapons Officer on the Tragu'ul, one of the ships in our Defense Fleet. Then there were my twin sisters, Caplan and Molana. They were both training to be Handmaidens of the Goddess Feltoona, The Goddess of All."

He lowered his hands to wipe away the tears that had started flowing.

Alex scooted closer to Brunel and put an arm around his back. She hadn't heard about his siblings. The handmaiden part seemed really strange. Alex looked up at Cyn to see if she had a reaction, Starfleet didn't really believe in gods and goddesses.

"It's okay, Brunel. Starfleet won't let them kill someone. Especially not after we've gone to all this trouble to save you. Will they ma'am?" Alexandra looked at Lieutenant Cyn half hopeful, half challenging.

"His parents didn't make it to the ship they were on," Alex continued. "They were maybe on one of the others, but obviously that was a long time ago now."

Phaedrae didn't address the legal question, "What will the elders say if you stay on our ship?"

Brunel shrugged, a bit of nervousness creeping in to his mannerisms. "I don't know, Ma'am. As I said, my people do not have a word or idea that equals your A-S-Y-L-U-M." He paused briefly before asking, "Would they be able to get to me after I made the request?"

Alex was feeling nervous too, but she tried to not show it for her friend. She wondered if this was his chance. It didn't seem fair that the people who abused him might have a say over what happens to him. Alex took the arm she had around Brunel's back, and offered him her hand to hold if he wanted to.

Brunel took her hand and squeezed it gently. He found it very pleasant to hold her hand.

"That is a very good question," Phaedrae nodded in approval. "And that's why I asked how your elders might react. There is bureaucratic work to do - filling out forms, mostly - to begin the process of asylum. When asylum is granted, you would be considered a citizen of the Federation which would grant you many protections. As a minor, and presumed orphan, you could either apply for emancipation or fostering. Fostering normally leads to adoption and we can go into more details about what all those words mean as forms are completed.

"From the little information you gave me," Phaedrae continued, "seeking asylum sounds like the correct route to take, especially if you fear persecution from your current government."

"I do, Ma'am," he replied after releasing Alex's hand. He retook it afterwards.

"We can begin the process now if you are sure," Phaedrae offered.

Once they finished speaking, the three of them left the playground and made their way to Phaedrae's office where they started the necessary paperwork to achieve Brunel's freedom from his people and citizenship in the united Federation of Planets.

~OFF~

Lieutenant Phaedrae Cyn
Intelligence Officer
USS Astrea

&

Alexandra Winters
Civilian, 8th grade
USS Astrea

&

Brunel Cal-Torin
Civilian (orphan)
(NPC - Spello)

RSS Feed