Chapter 3: Orphanage
Lady Hawthorne toured the old Trena Boarding School on the outskirts of Trenaport shortly after receiving her crown warrant. She had gone to school there as a youngster. She remembered the well-kept grounds and beautiful buildings. Now 12 years after her graduation she was becoming quickly appalled. Not only were the grounds a complete disgrace: the children were filthy, the halls were debris cluttered, the children’s clothing, those that had them, were in complete disrepair. She walked into one of the showers and quickly had to leave it was so filthy that it made her gag. Furious that anyone could let children live in these conditions she stormed into the office of the administrator like an avenging angel. Jill Wilson, who was with her had thought she had seen people very angry before; but she had never seen anyone this angry. Even her grandmother, who had a temper when she lost control, Jill had never seen this mad. She followed the small framed Lady Hawthorne trying not to get in her way, as the noble woman charged towards the main office afraid she would suffer the older woman’s wrath.
“You’re fired, you and your staff.” Lady Hawthorne stormed at the head mistress of the school, “I want you out of this facility in five minutes. If you are not out of here by then I will have you arrested for child abuse, child endangerment. Theft in office and anything else I can get the crown attorney to endorse.”
“You can’t do that!” the elderly woman said, “I have a crown warrant to run this facility.”
“Very well,” Lady Hawthorne said calming down. Jill watched in awe as Lady Hawthorne whipped out her com as if it were a weapon. For Lady Hawthorne it was just that. A weapon she used to help Jill’s father and the crown to get her assignments done. Lady Hawthorne keyed in the direct number to Lord Mercer’s office. When he answered she explained what she had found and what the woman had told her. Mercer simply asked to speak with the woman.
“Miss Brunt, this is Lord Mercer, the Crown Attorney,” Lord Mercer said softly, “I am pulling your crown warrant Miss Brunt. You are ordered to leave the premises within five minutes. You should be very thankful that we have too much to do to prosecute you. Miss Brunt you and your staff will report to embarkation command, where the man power office will put you to work.” The woman handed the phone back to Lady Hawthorne knowing she was whipped. The crown warrant had given her access to resources she was selling on the black market, “Delores what do you need there?”
“Some bodies,” Deloris answered.
“You’ve got all the bodies you need Lady Hawthorne,” Jill said. “Give me a few minutes and I’ll get things started.”
Lady Hawthorne looked at her young companion skeptically but nodded; she suspected that Jill knew what she was about.
All through Jill’s schooling, the adults Jill respected and trusted the most were the one who let her try; who gave her tasks that were well with in her capabilities to accomplish! She knew or felt she knew that by letting the kids be part of their rescue, helping themselves would help build their confidence. It would help build their self-esteem. It was something her grandmother had done with her, and it had worked. She possessed a self confidence that sometimes drove her friends’ nuts. She knew that she had to try with these kids.
Jill left the office and saw several kids sitting outside the office waiting for the head mistress, to most likely yell at them she assumed. “Okay you guys heard?”
A couple of them nodded, including an older kid with shocking red hair.
“We’re going to get this place cleaned up, and I need some help. You guys want in?” She asked.
“Are they going to let us?” the red haired girl asked, “I tried to organize the kids into keeping our room clean but the Scow told me to stop.”
“The Scow is gone.” Jill said, “She’s been fired, Lady Hawthorne is who’s in charge for a while.”
“Who are you,” a young boy asked.
“I am Jill Wilson,” She said, “I work with Lady Hawthorne. We’re going to get you ready to leave Trena and see that you are evacuated safely.”
“But I thought they were going to leave us?” someone said.
“No way,” Jill said, “My dad is being driven nuts to make sure all of you have a place to go. If he had known what was going on here he would have been here himself.”
“Your dad?” the red haired girl asked.
“Yes my father is Marshal Wilson,” Jill said.
“Wow!” another girl asked, “You speak with Marshal Wilson every day.”
“Yup” Jill answered.
“That’s awesome,” another boy chimed in.
“Guys, I know it’s been tough,” Jill continued, sitting down amongst them, “It may not be easy; but are you willing to help me and Lady Hawthorne make things better? We can’t do this without your help! So are you in?” They nodded.
Lady Hawthorne watched in awe as Jill began to get the kids confidence. Amazed to see she had the same Wilson charm that oozed out of her father. “Jill, please get them all to the front of the admin building. I want to get a nose count.”
“Okay guys you heard Lady Hawthorne. Get everyone down to the front of this building.” Jill said. “Is there an AI on line?”
“School Mistress here Miss Wilson,” An image of a middle aged woman, with old fashion half reading glasses and in conservative dress materialized as it spoke. She appeared as an image of a school marm from a much gone by era. There was clearly relief in its voice and on her face.
“Would you make an announcement about the gathering in front of this building,” Jill asked.
“I’ve patched you in,” The AI said, “Go with your announcement.”
“This is Jill Wilson,” Jill heard her voice on the school’s public address system. “I need all of the kids to report to the font of the admin building. You older kids look out after the little ones. We have an announcement that you have to hear in person. It’s good news!”
“End it” Jill said then to the AI, “School Mistress, repeat that for five minutes.”
“Yes Miss Wilson.” The AI said.
“School Mistress,” Lady Hawthorne called, “Display for me on my pad a list of all kids in this school, and then tell me the status of all supplies and equipment.”
“On your hand pad Lady Hawthorne.” The AI said.
“When was the last time these kids ate?” Lady Hawthorne asked.
“Last night.” The AI said, “The school administrator was feeding them once a day.”
“Do you have the equipment and resources to feed these kids a midday meal?”
“I don’t know my Lady,” the AI said, “The Scow locked me out of the kitchen and the store rooms. She has shut down my primary I am the backup which my primary self-programmed not to go live and not be taken off line when she herself. I have been watching things only coming live to help when I can.”
“Okay,” she took out her phone called Jonesy at Boeing SpaceWorks, the AI that was the Evacuation Command’s Logistics Officer. “Hey Jonesy this is Delores.”
“What can I do for you Delores,” The computer asked.
“I need hot meals at the Old Trena Boarding School. Any ideas” the noble woman asked. Jonesy was surprised that Deloris had been stumped on that one. The AI had been amazed at the noble woman’s ability to make things happen. She thought Lady Hawthorne’s ability to get things done was second only to herself. She checked the schools population finding how many kids were at school and consulted her databases.
“Would a field kitchen do it?” Jonesy asked after interrogating her data bases. “I’ll call General Langtree and get the duty team to bring you one. What else do you need?”
“I need some large trash containers, cleaning stuff and oh yes send me a medic team. I want to get these kids checked over.” Lady Hawthorne replied.
“Okay Deloris,” the AI said, “The duty flight off the Majestic has been tasked to bring you a field kitchen with staff, and the duty medics. Would you want chief Able to send you a med
ic from station 8?”
“No just the duty medic team off the Majestic for now.” Deloris said, “thank you Jonesy!”
“Welcome.” The AI said cutting the connection. As she talked with Lady Hawthorne she had also spoken with School Mistress and seen what else was needed. She was made aware of the condition of the clothing, at the present time she had no idea how she could solve that issue.
Every Last Mother's Child Page 129