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Her destination loomed ahead of them—a big building which housed offices for the camp’s own ruling council, space for the various relief agencies working with the residents, a clinic and a number of meeting rooms. Micki was happy to step inside the structure, out of the heat and make her way with her two companions to the large room which was set aside for her use. She’d confirmed all the arrangements the day the Nebula Zephyr had arrived in orbit.
“Willene!” Micki had a big hug for the woman who was waiting for them as soon as she stepped inside the room. “Sorry to be late. This is my friend Josh and his uh assistant Minorva. They wanted to watch the classes today.”
“The more the merrier,” her friend said, although she was assessing the two new arrivals quite intently. “Would this be Josh from the dancing program?”
“We’re trying to keep it quiet,” Micki said hastily. Glancing at Josh, she said, “Meet Willene Gauman. She’s the local representative of the Sectors Interstellar Relief Fund.”
“I work mostly with the mothers and children,” Willene said as they all shook hands. “Speaking of which, the kids are bouncing off the walls with impatience. The little ones love your visits, Micki. I had them playing a game but I’m glad you’re here.” Turning to Josh, she added, “She’s so good and patient with the children.”
Micki wasted no more time but removed her casual wrap dress to reveal her leotard and tights. She headed toward the excited group of children and clapped her hands for attention. “Are we ready to learn a new dance?” she asked. There was a chorus of enthusiasm. “Great. Anyone remember how to greet the teacher?”
“Good morning, Miss Allwell,” said a voice from the back of the group.
“Yes, exactly. I know a few of you from my last visit so let’s see what you remember. We can show the new students and then I’ll catch the whole group up.”
Seven girls and boys came forward and a space was cleared for them. Micki used her handheld to play an excerpt of a popular song and the impromptu troupe did a surprisingly good job of executing a quick dance. She lavished them with praise and then got the entire class in lines, did a few stretching exercises and started teaching them basic steps one at a time, then linking them in sequences of three to build the muscle memory. She designated the seven children with previous experience to help mentor the others. Micki lost herself in the pleasure of teaching the children, enjoying the back and forth with them and by the end of the hour the whole group was able to perform more or less together, to much applause from Josh, Minorva and Willene.
“I brought treats,” Micki said, going to her backpack and pulling out a box of high-end candy from the Nebula Zephyr, wrapped in fancy gold colored foil. “Form a line and there will be one for each of you, I promise.”
In a fairly short time the room was empty. The children had thanked her, many had hugged her and everyone seemed to have had a great time. “I know the kids don’t need the sugar,” she said as she came up to Josh and Willene, and accepted the container of nutrition drink he handed her. “But I can’t give them anything of real value or someone will steal it from them. At least the candy can be eaten before they leave this building.” She looked at Willene. “So many new faces this time.”
The aid worker shrugged. “We received another ship load of the displaced last week. I understand a world out on the rim was caught in a battle between the Sectors and the Mawreg and the planet was left in a poisonous state, becoming uninhabitable. Lameer Twelve I believe. Conditions are pretty crowded in the camp now.”
“Don’t colonies and other corporations recruit and hire from these camps?” Joah asked, testing his scanty information against the truth the expert on the ground could tell him..
“Only for certain high-end occupations, doctors and such,” Willene replied.
“And these people have nothing but what they can carry,” Micki added. “They have no credits to pay a colony buy in, no way to earn the credits. On their own world they were solid citizens with jobs, families, a future and here they’re shunted into a dead end, existing with no hope. Some do sign contracts with the mining combines but it’s another dead end.”
“The Sectors does its best,” Willene said. “But the military authorities focus on the front end, getting the people off a dying or doomed planet in the middle of a war and getting them to the DPRC’s, but then entrenched bureaucracy takes over, and inertia puts its dead hand on prospects for the future. My agency does its best to help, as do the others here, but we can only do so much with our limited funds. Anyway, we’re grateful for individuals like my friend Micki, who try to help in any way they can. She’s a bright spot for these children when she comes.”
“I can only teach today though,” Micki said. “Since you recognized Josh, you know we’re on ISD and I have obligations to the show.”
“We’ll take whatever you can give us.” Willene nodded and stepped away to confer with an associate who poked her head into the room.
“I have a private student next,” Micki said. “If she doesn’t mind you watching the lesson you can stay.”
No sooner had she spoken than a girl in a threadbare leotard walked into the room, head high, gait graceful. She and Micki embraced and moved away to the other side of the room to work on the lesson for today. The session was intense and ended with the two of them sitting on the floor and talking about a scholarship the dancer was trying for, with Micki’s support. As her student was leaving, Micki dug two leotards from her backpack and pressed them on the girl, who finally smiled and hurried out.
“She has such potential,” Micki said, hands on her hips, staring at the door. “I wish I could get her out of here. She said the scholarship application got kicked back for lack of the right information about her home situation. This is her home situation but the school didn’t believe it evidently.”
“We dug up a few extra credits to film her audition holo on your recommendation,” Willene said sadly. “But the Inner Sectors Elite Dance Academy is hung up on their damn process and paperwork. If ever anyone was deserving, it’s Feia. She’s doesn’t want to leave her family though, so maybe it’s for the best.”
“What did her parents do for a living on their own world?” Josh asked.
“It was a preindustrial society,” Micki answered. “Her father was a shepherd and her mother was a weaver. Not much call for those in the colonies these days. Or here on this world either. The couple has six kids too, counting Feia. Anyway, bored yet?”
Josh’s answer surprised her but she could tell he was being serious. “Not at all. I’m enjoying the unusual day. What next?”
“I have two older classes and then one more private student at the end of the day.” Micki loved the energy of working with the children and seeing how even the shyest blossomed as they learned new steps and got a glimpse of the wider world beyond the stasis fences of the DPRC. These visits of hers to the camps were the most rewarding part of her life, hands down. She always went back to the ship depressed though, because there was so much need for help and she could only do a tiny bit.
The next two sessions passed in a blur. At one point she drew Josh to his feet and used him to demonstrate a fine point of dance, which he did with good humor and then stayed engaged for the rest of the class, helping a few of the students with their form, although he kept proclaiming loudly he was no expert like Miss Allwell but merely a student like them, only taller.
At the end of the second session two of the boys lingered to speak to Micki privately. “Word of who is here with you is spreading, miss,” said one as the other kept a nervous watch on the door. “People know he’s somethin’ big. Best you and him and the soldier get yourselves out of here.”
Disturbed, Micki thanked them and as the two left she was glad she only had one private session left.
“What did the boys want?” Josh asked as she sank into a chair to rest. “Seemed intense for a mere dance question.”
