Chapter 12: Welfare

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The child welfare agency based its operations in a nondescript main deck tower, slightly west along The Bridge from Centerport's harbour. The fermentawool carpet and mural-covered walls abounded in a colourful child-friendly aesthetic. Non-toxic holiday cactus and African violet houseplants provided strategic greenery, while padded seats and large toys were never far from sight. The cosy office the three found themselves in didn't stray from this formula, with a rainbow-painted feature wall pointing to a well-stocked chest in the corner containing wooden trains, blocks, doll houses and figurines, balls, and other assorted amusements. A small bookcase carried a handful of laminated picture books in several languages.

Beats the border agency's decor, at least. Davis mused. He wore his cleanest blue and silver checked shirt, matched with black trousers in spite of the warm weather outside. Flora was in a comfortable golden tone t-shirt and mahogany shorts. Nanaia's formal cream blouse and long blue skirt were accessorised by a bold pink impatiens flower pinned to her chest. They sat upon a soft couch, upholstered in a soft blend of natural fibres dyed sea blue, which was plenty big enough for the three of them. Flora sat between Davis and Nan, restlessly bouncing a knee while the others tried to get comfortable. An additional single chair was placed on either side of the couch. Before them, a small table, perhaps half a meter in diameter. To the front was the antique desk of the person they had come here to see. The desk was adorned with a brass nameplate announcing the officeholder:

Mx. Enn Q. Mason, Ph.D

Resettlement co-ordinator,

Marinabridge Child Welfare Agency,

Centerport branch.

"Radico, Redivivus, Regenerato"

"You have my apologies for the delay." Enn stated in a contralto tone, taking their seat. Enn was a NB of blended descent with a youthful physique. They were approximately in their mid to late thirties, and wore an androgynous lavender suit with suspenders, waistcoat, and bowtie. Their hair was a popular asymmetrical fade, dyed black and tipped with green. "You have our thanks for stepping in to care for Flora in the interim. The circumstances were certainly... atypical. We don't usually have carers coming out of retirement to share a placement with their adult family members, but I understand the situation was urgent."

That was an understatement. Davis wondered how someone as lost as Flora had been could have possibly coped with the alternative of being dumped in a boarding house or shunted around emergency accommodation, all while an over-worked agency tried to find a suitable temporary caregiver. She deserved better. Every kid in her situation deserved better.

"It was tricky," Davis said, with a look at Flora "but I think we managed it."

Flora looked to Davis warmly, her eyes lit up, a gentle smile on her lips.

Enn nodded, taking note of Flora's response. "Would you agree, Flora?"

"Oh?" Flora replied. "Yeah, I agree."

"That's good. So you settled in alright with these two once you arrived here?"

"Mm" Flora nodded. "Davis and Nanaia are nice people. Davis likes showing me around and teaching me how things work. Nanaia makes me yummy breakfasts and tells me lots of stories."

Enn tapped on their infoscreen, inputting their observations into the case file.

"Marvelous. So, to synopsise, the three of you appear to have made the stay a success."

"Yeah!" Flora beamed.

"I'd say so." Davis confirmed. Nanaia nodded.

"That's good news." Enn declared.

"No trouble, dear. It has been our pleasure." Nan replied warmly.

Enn continued, "Again, I wish we could have met sooner, but the agency needed all the help it could get with an urgent matter near Dusk Interchange. You have our apologies."

"Yeah, we heard of that. The sinking ship headed for the Deeptowers station?" Davis surmised.

Enn nodded. "Unfortunately. Caused something of a diplomatic incident when our coastguard ventured into disputed waters to rescue them." Enn explained. "...Allegedly" they added, far too late. "Too many people on board, many of them children who lost parents in the disaster - hence my involvement"

Davis watched as Enn looked through the large porthole window at the sea view, as if to marvel in horror at the vast uncompromising ocean that had claimed the lives of so many migrants. Flora, it seemed, was one of the lucky ones.

"I still don't understand why the Landers make it so hard for people to move countries." Davis said. "Surely there's a better way?"

"I... actually wrote my thesis on that topic, if you'll indulge me?" Enn offered with a gesture to the Centerport University doctorate certificate hanging proudly on the wall, framed in exquisite oak wood.

Davis looked to the others. Seeing no objection he replied "Might as well."

"I hypothesised that it boils down to control" Enn explained. "Keep people confined in your borders and they can't go and work for a rival nation, can't join a foreign military, can't go spreading information or ideas you don't want shared. Make it all but impossible to leave, and people will eventually stop trying, and then they will have to accept the local conditions because there's no other option." Enn continued to elaborate, gazing up at their certificate. "Meanwhile, constraining immigration and pushing migrants into precarity in the informal sector creates a wedge between local and international communities, preventing mutual aid and organisation against exploitative conditions and harmful policies."

Enn sighed. "If nations don't need to compete and don't need to collaborate, there's little incentive for them to make the lives of their constituents any better. Ultimately they want to control what's possible by reducing it to a single possibility, and that single possibility will inevitably be one that suits the powerful few who set this reality in place."

"Must cost them a fortune to maintain." Davis concluded. "Coast guards, detention camps, military, police and customs..."

Enn nodded, facing their clients once more. "Even so, their leadership decided it's worth it. Make an example of the few who get caught and the rest will fall into line. Supposedly."

"Under the threat that it could be them next?" Davis added "if they don't meet their government's requirements for... I would say loyalty, but that implies it's freely given and reciprocal. Goddess, what a mess."

Nanaia said a silent prayer to the Ocean goddess while the others discussed the disaster.

"Are the people you saved alright?" Flora asked, concern beyond her years audible in her quiet voice.

"Yes, Flora. They're going to be ok. We can't undo what happened or solve problems beyond our borders, but we will give the people we saved every support they need, and welcome them to our country as equals."

"Even if the Landers don't like it?" Davis asked.

"Yes. Whether they like it or not, regardless of whether they even recognise our country, they know The Bridge belongs to everyone, and they have no greater authority than anyone else in these waters."

"Hear hear" cheered Nan. "Spirit of the Founders in this one."

Enn chuckled at the compliment. "We seem to have gotten sidetracked." They looked to Flora, who had settled in her chair for now. "My apologies, Flora. You're being very patient with us." Enn leaned forwards, closing the distance between them and Flora ever so slightly. "Now, Flora, I'd like to get to know you and your background a little better. If we have more information about who you are, we can provide an environment that's a good fit for you. And if we can get a better picture of your experiences and challenges you're facing, we can set you up with any help you might need. Does that sound good to you, Flora?"

Flora nodded.

"Great. I know this is difficult and I wanted to let you know you're doing well. You're very brave, Flora."

She nodded again, remaining silent.

"So, it says here that you have lived in... by the builders, sixteen different countries!? Seventeen now, I suppose?"

Flora nodded once more. "Maybe more. I can't remember."

"That's remarkable. You must have seen so many amazing places, Flora."

Flora shrugged. "Scott City was nice. I liked the snow"

"I'll bet it was. I've never seen snow..." Enn moved on. "How about your education? You speak English pretty well, and Davis said you read a lot"

"Mum taught me. Homeschool, I guess."

Enn nodded, swiping and tapping on their infoscreen. "We'll get a teacher to go over some learning attainment tests with you. If there's anything you're behind on or advanced in we can organise some tutoring and a class that matches your progress. You'll be learning with other kids, but you'll get to make friends at the same time too"

"Don't put me in the dumb kids' class" Flora muttered.

"They wont," Nan assured her, "I might be retired but I know a clever child when I meet one."

Enn smiled at the pair and tapped on the infoscreen. "I'd like to ask a bit about your family, if you don't mind, Flora?"

"Don't you have records on that already?" Davis spoke his concern firmly.

"We have the basic facts. Correct me if this isn't accurate - your parents were stateless and worked undocumented in various locations before they passed away?"

Flora nodded with little expression. Neither Davis nor Nan had tried to get much more than that out of her, hoping to avoid bringing up this past trauma while her future still remained unresolved.

"Could you please tell me a bit more about them, Flora? Like, where were they from originally?"

Flora shifted in her seat, hesitant.

"Again, you don't need to tell us anything if you don't want to. But it will help us to help you."

"Why do you want to know?" Flora wondered.

"Good question." Enn leant back a little as they explained. "It would help us understand any cultural needs you might have, and help us assist you in getting used to the way we do things in Marinabridge. Also, we can find other people with similar backgrounds for you to be friends with, possibly even a family that might be a good match for you to stay with."

Davis felt something unsettling at that last prospect. Discussing placement options was one of the reasons for this meeting, yet he couldn't help feeling a pang of anxiety at the truth that Flora would be moving on soon. It'll be for the best, he told himself, yet his imagination filled him with a dread that her eventual placement could be anywhere on the bridge - especially if they decided to place Flora at one of the distant western stations like the Dusk Interchange, with their more sizeable Caribbean diaspora community. Having to spend half a day travelling on a bullet train just to be able to visit her was a daunting possibility.

"Dad's a climate refugee," Flora eventually replied, "didn't have a home to go back to. Mum was born in a country that doesn't give you citizenship, not 'less your father is a citizen. Same as me."

"That's a tough life," Enn empathised with the girl. "but I want you to know you're not alone. I've met a lot of kids without a home country, and you're some of the bravest people I know. What did your parents do for their roles?"

"You mean jobs?"

"Yes. Careers, study, volunteering, other commitments...?"

"Well... Dad was a security guard. He was strong and wanted to get into a military."

"Why's that?"

"So he could get citizenship, somewhere. He applied in lots of places - said some armies don't mind if you're foreign or in the country illegally, but only if you're healthy and happy to fight for them."

"Was he willing to do that?"

"Sort of." Flora equivocated "There was always some problem. He was too heavy, or too tall. Or couldn't see well enough, or didn't speak the language properly. But there were always other people who got in who were fatter or bigger or needed glasses or barely spoke a second language"

"Hm. That must have been disappointing."

"Yeah. It was." Flora prodded at the small kinetic sculpture on the center table in front of her, watching with glazed eyes as it spun over and over chaotically on a dozen axes. "We would go somewhere new. Live there while he worked guarding shops. He always tried to get a military contract."

"But it didn't work out, did it?"

She shook her head. "No. Then one day he went to work... He didn't come home."

They all knew not to push too far with this subject. Davis at least trusted that she would reveal as much as she was comfortable with in due time. They waited with bated breath while she made the choice whether or not to elaborate.

"There was... This riot, outside the shop he worked at. The police had a big fight against protestors and looters. Mum said he tried to run but got hit by their bullets."

Enn tapped some quick notes on their infoscreen. "I'm sorry for your loss, Flora. No-one should lose a parent at such a young age."

Flora nodded sadly. Nanaia held onto Flora's hand, Davis put a hand on Flora's shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze. Flora rested her head in his direction as she took in a deep breath to quell the emotional toll.

"We can talk about your mother if you feel up to it, or we can come back to that later if you'd prefer?"

"No. Mum was..." she sighed. "Mum looked after old people. Wanted to be a doctor but couldn't afford school... Not with me around."

"Her work was also undocumented?"

"Yeah. We weren't citizens of anywhere. So wherever we went she had to work in secret. But doing care work meant she could get the medicines she needed. Anything past expiry, or the little bits left in used vials, what would just get thrown out otherwise."

"Was she... selling them?"

"Sometimes. Sometimes using them herself, or giving them to us when we were sick, or trading for other things. She would have blackouts and seizures sometimes. They got really bad when she couldn't find the right medicines." her voice continued to shake as she recounted. "When it was just the two of us, she kept telling me her plans and things she organised for us, and said..." her voice broke, her lip trembled as she took in a sharp shaky breath "...and said to go on without her if... something bad happened to her."

Flora stared at the carpet. She brought a knee up and hugged it to her body.

"We were packing up to go to the port, but then one day... she didn't wake up. All the empty medicine boxes in her bag... They obviously didn't work."

An overwhelming silence filled the room as the adults looked to one another. They had the same question but knew better than to pry further. The room's cheery decoration was spited as a gloom permeated the office.

"Thank you Flora. I know this is hard for you, but you've made it possible for us to help you. Thank you for being so brave for us, Flora."

Flora just nodded again, clutched her knee and continued to stare at the carpet.

"Oh, poor dear" Nan remarked, stroking Flora's hand with her own. "It's alright dear"

Enn got up from their chair, and made their way around the desk to crouch in front of Flora. "Flora, I'd like to offer you some support to help you with what happened. We have some counsellors - basically friends who can come and talk to you about things that make you sad or worried. It's entirely healthy and normal to miss your family, and we want to help you understand and cope with the difficult feelings you're having right now."

Davis instinctively found himself wrapping both his arms around Flora as her memories leaked like her tears. "Thank you, I'm sure she-" Davis began, but noticed Flora began to shake her head.

"I know it's hard," Enn continued, "but whenever you decide you're ready, we'll be here for you. Ok?"

Flora wiped her face and nodded.

Enn gave her a gentle smile and returned to their desk.

"We do have some good news though, Flora. Your application for asylum has been processed, and you have been granted residency."

Flora seemingly didn't know what to do with the sudden news. "Oh?" She looked to her carers for some context, her eyes still damp.

"It means you're safe here for as long as you want to stay." Davis translated for the girl in his arms.

"And you can become a citizen once you've lived here for a while" Nan added.

"Indeed" Enn said. "It's mostly a formality, but having you registered as a resident as opposed to simply being a visitor means we can give you extra support while you're here. Ongoing healthcare and education, legal support, an allowance and rations, even voting rights once you're a couple years older."

"You'd just... give me all of that?" she said in disbelief.

"Absolutely. Our children are our future, and you all deserve all the help we can offer while you're staying here" Enn assured her. It was all positive news, but it fell short of answering what was the most important question.

"Can I stay with Davis and Nanaia?"

A long pause from the adults. Davis glanced at Nanaia and they exchanged an uncertain look. Enn looked between them, awaiting a response. The deadlock endured, long enough for Flora to recognise something was up.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

Enn spoke "Our first priority is usually to try and reunite children with any extended family they may have left. Do you know your grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings, cousins?"

"I..." Flora shook her head. "no, I don't think I have any. If I did then they're far, far away 'cause I've never met them."

"I see. And, given the circumstances of your parents, any relations would likely also be stateless and similarly difficult to locate."

"Yeah." Flora's breath quickened. "So can I stay with Davis and Nanaia then?"

"I uh..." Davis eyed Enn, as if to beg for help. None came.

"...Can I?"

"That... will depend on a number of factors." Enn said. "A long-term placement requires assessment of the likelihood of ongoing suitability, and the foster family needs to be willing and capable for meeting a variety of needs, for themselves and their wards, both now and in the future". Enn's elucidation was a clinical response that failed to disguise what the answer was.

Davis let go of Flora and shifted about in his seat so he could talk to her. "...Maybe not" Davis admitted reluctantly.

"What do you mean!?" Flora recoiled, shrinking back into the sofa.

"I'm sorry, dear." Nanaia said.

"Having you stay for a few weeks was ok," Davis said, "but we don't know if we can carry on forever." He was audibly disappointed in himself, remorse weighing heavily on his words.

"Why not?" Flora asked. Her arms were tightly crossed, and she rocked in place as she waited for a justification.

Nanaia rubbed Flora's back to comfort her. Davis dreaded being the bearer of bad news, but the unenviable task seemed to have fallen on him.

"A couple reasons. My role keeps me very busy, and you've noticed I can't always balance it properly with looking after you. I don't want you to be neglected like that."

"I don't mind if you're late from work. And Nanaia looks after me too." Flora argued.

"Nan..." Davis looked to his aging carer, apologising with his eyes for what he was about to say. "...She's not getting any younger. Being a main caregiver two decades after retirement is too much to ask of someone in her condition." Nanaia shook her head in tut-tutting disagreement, but the truth was hard to ignore.

"I wont be a kid forever. I can look after myself if I have to. Please."

Davis glanced to Enn, who had been observing intently with a hand to their smooth chin. They seemed reluctant to step in until this discussion had run its course. On the contrary, they may have been using the opportunity to assess the group for their negotiation, conflict resolution and decision-making skills.

Davis disregarded Enn for now. "Our finances are also stretched. Our two UBIs and my inconsistent trading and contract work is barely enough for the three of us. We'd be missing out on a lot of the things you deserve to experience, even if we made it work."

"I don't care if we're poor, I've always been poor. I'll get a job. I'll help you at the workshop. I'll even drink the damn Nutrigel!" Flora begged, pulling on Davis's sleeve. "Please."

"I'm sorry, sunbeam, it might not be possible." Davis couldn't bear looking her in the eye. By the goddess, it hurt to upset her like this.

"Don't send me away!" she wailed uncontrollably. "I DON'T WANNA GO!..." she buried her face in her hands, bawling more noisily than they'd ever witnessed from her.

"Oh dear..." Nanaia fetched the box of tissues off the table and continued rubbing Flora's back. "It's gonna be ok, dear."

Davis ventured a hand onto Flora's shoulder, only for her to shove it back off before continuing in her outburst of crying.

Davis gritted his teeth. A choking feeling filled his throat. He nervously rubbed his arms while Flora's wailing grated in his ears. His heart pounded. He felt his own lip trembling. He wondered how they could make it through this in the least painful way possible. If only there was a way.

Davis shook his head. He reluctantly left Nan to comfort Flora. He stood up and walked over to where Enn was standing silently beside their desk. He needed to be heard over Flora's noisy breakdown, but also didn't want her to overhear. Davis motioned for the two them to step outside the office, and Enn followed him to the hallway. Davis closed the door behind them.

A large, partially soundproof window set in the door provided an ongoing vantage of Flora crying into a wad of tissues, while Nan continued to try and console her. Davis spoke in a hushed tone "Sorry, she doesn't usually get like this. Goddess, I've never seen her this upset"

"It's understandable." Enn said with practiced sympathy "You're the first stable home she's had in who knows how long."

"You sound like you've seen this happen a lot"

"It never gets easier"

Davis sighed. Nan had warned him not to get attached, but all three of them seemed to have failed at that during the interceding days.

"No placement is perfect, you know." Enn said. "We always need to weigh up a range of considerations. One of the considerations is the child's attachments, and how settled and how well looked-after the child is the place they currently are. Minimising transitions to new homes and carers, when safe to do so, is another consideration. Ideally we would find a permanent home as soon as practicable. Sometimes it goes off without a hitch, and other times a placement needs extra support and intervention, or a reallocation if it becomes untenable. But we do everything we can to support our families, if they're willing to put in the work."

What were they alluding to with those comments? Davis wondered. Was it... a tacit endorsement of extending their arrangement with Flora?

"To be honest," Davis said, "We don't want her to be sent away any more than she does... I guess... I'm just better at hiding it. Poor thing's heartbroken" He reflected.

"Children usually don't get quite that upset at the idea of moving unless they've bonded with their caregivers. She does seem to hold you in high regard. You've made a positive impact on Flora, and it seems you've sacrificed a fair bit to give her a secure home in the interim."

"Well, doc... You know the issues now. What's your professional opinion? Is there, maybe... a way that we could make this work for a bit longer?"

Enn hesitated, glancing between Davis, to the pair on the couch inside, and back. "It's far from optimal." They declared.

"We know that" Davis said in return.

"But... few placements are. We have clear legal bottom lines in terms of safety and suitability - as is proper, you'll understand. But for other factors there is some leeway for flexibility. Every family is different after all, and we all have varying needs and priorities. Ultimately it comes down to her," Enn tipped their head in Flora's direction, "what she needs and who does she want to provide it. It's crucial we get the balance right, of what children want and what they need. Perhaps something could be arranged for a continuance, if that is what you are willing to consider."

"Maybe" Davis declared hesitantly.

Enn rubbed their chin, looking past Davis to observe Nan gradually calming Flora down from her hysterical state.

"Hmm. Your resourcing conundrum is probably the easiest problem to solve. Foster carers qualify for a subsidy on childcare-related costs - food, clothing, accommodation, babysitters and respite when necessary, even small gifts for special occasions. It wont cover everything, but you wont be quite as out of pocket as you have been."

"Good." One problem partially solved.

"Nanaia's advanced age is a concern. We usually wouldn't recruit someone over seventy as a long-term caregiver. The fact you're still rather young mitigates that to an extent, but raises another issue - namely your lack of foster care training."

Davis nodded. No point denying his inexperience in the matter.

"Would you be able to commit to undertaking classes on parenting and child welfare?" Another strain on his limited time and sometimes erratic work schedule, but what other choice did he have? Was it worth trying, or might it just make the situation even more untenable? Davis nodded.

"Good. I'll add you to the next intake, if we agree on this path."

"Alright." Davis agreed. "As for my role?"

"You may need to adjust. Negotiate with your co-workers and see if there's a way to better accommodate your obligations. You could also coordinate scheduling with them so you could do as much of your role as possible when Flora's away at school."

Davis considered his routine. He currently did the bulk of his work in the early mornings. Demand for electricity was low then, and it was also well before the day's temperature peaked. It saved expending extra resources on power and cooling, but he was always out of the apartment before the other two even woke up. "I'll see what I can do."

"Good. Could she spend time at your workshop if necessary? For outside of school times and the like?"

"It's not a daycare." He thought back to when he briefly showed Flora the workshop on they day they met. It was a busy place, and could be pretty hazardous with its noxious fumes, toxic and corrosive substances, and dangerous machinery. It probably couldn't be helped. "She's familiar with the place though. Knows to stay out of the way and not to touch anything. We could have her hang out in the break room if need be."

"Our people will need to take a look at locations she will be spending significant time at to ensure they're suitable."

The team hate inspections. Davis thought. The brief check-in from the community social worker to examine his apartment had been awkward enough, and he didn't relish the prospect of someone wanting to childproof his workplace too. "If we have to, I guess" he conceded.

Enn appeared satisfied with that response, for now. "I've been made to sign off on less suitable placements than yours." They concluded. It was hardly a ringing endorsement, but it was enough. "I would be willing to support a continuance, provided you are all happy to comply with the arrangement and its stipulated conditions."

All you gotta do is bring her to the immigration office, Davis recalled. It was remarkable how that simple task had somehow morphed into a short homestay. And now they stood on the precipice of extending it even further, growing into an ongoing arrangement that could define their lives for the future. Davis glanced back through the window, watching as Nan gently held Flora in her arms, speaking softly to the upset child who seemed to have settled down from the peak of her outburst. He wondered if he should reconsider - whether he was out of his depth and had just been lucky that nothing too bad had happened so far. But what was the alternative? He couldn't let her be shoved right back to square one all over again.

"Would you agree to that?" Enn asked him directly.

"I would." he confirmed. "And I'm sure they will too." He said.

Enn nodded and opened the door, then showed Davis back to his seat.

"So, we've been talking..." Davis began, as the others trained their focus on him.

"Better not be a conspiracy" Flora muttered, dejected.

"There is a possibility of continuing the status quo." Enn explained. "We have identified a number of areas of concern and will set in place means to mitigate potential for deleterious outcomes. Davis has volunteered for training in fostering and will endeavour to modify his employment responsibilities to better suit his obligations as a caregiver. Flora would need to make continued progress in her education and wellbeing, in addition to her receiving ongoing care, supervision and support to an acceptable degree. The arrangement, home, and quality of care would be subject to ongoing supervision and review, with regular meetings to discuss progress and to raise and address any arising concerns. Deciding to foster is not a light decision, and I would need the informed consent of all parties involved to proceed."

The legalese went over Flora's head. She looked to Davis, uncertainty in her eyes.

"You might be able to stay, Flora." Davis clarified. "If you and Nan agree that's what you want."

Nan gave him a sideways glance. "You know my answer to that. Of course I do."

Flora put a hand to her mouth. "So... does that mean we can be family?"

"Of course dear. Everyone who lives in our home is family" Nan replied.

"Yes. Yes." Flora nodded "Please, I do." She looked on the verge of tears once more "I do. Thank you, thank you." Nan offered her the box of tissues again, but she shook her head and gave her a tight hug around her middle instead. As Davis watched, Nan reached out a free hand to squeeze him on the arm, as if to say she approved of his decision. A family... He thought, numbly hoping he hadn't committed to more than the three of them could handle.

Davis put a hand on Flora's shoulder. She welcomed it this time, reciprocating with a hand on Davis's. He met her with a warm smile that masked his uncertainty. He wanted the best for her, but could he really ensure she would be properly looked after now and in the future? And what if he couldn't? He wondered how doubts such as these had tunneled their way into his usually confident demeanour. It had been a tectonic shift in his life and outlook, and whatever came next would have the potential to make or break the lives of all three of them.

"I agree." Davis said. "It might not be a light decision to foster, but I think it's the right one."

"Good. However," Enn interjected to the newly celebratory mood, "we will also be formulating a backup arrangement, should this not work out in the long term. Suitable families will be identified and prepared for Flora to stay at if conditions deteriorate, or if you fail to meet your obligations."

It was a warning in no uncertain terms. Look after her properly, or we'll take her away.

Davis nodded. "We'll do our best. You have our word."

Submitted: February 06, 2022

Science Fiction bridge sci-fi refugee ecological solarpunk