Providence

Right to an effective remedy

Everyone has the right to an effective remedy by the competent national tribunals for acts violating the fundamental rights granted him by the constitution or by law.

--- UN General Assembly, 1948, Universal declaration of human rights (217 [III] A). Paris. Art. 8

Erin tries to sit down on the wooden bench and immediately regrets it. Pain flares through her upper legs the moment they make contact with the wooden plants, and she jumps up, screaming. Laura looks up from her plate of steamed vegetables. David, who is sitting next to her, don't even look up and just continues eating.

"Are you okay, Erin?" Laura asks.

Erin sighs. "I am not. These damn blisters."

Laura shakes her head. "If you want me to take a look at them. We have many herbs and ointments, maybe they will help."

Erin shakes her head. "My blood is filled with nanobots. They should heal me. Don't waste your medical supplies, they are limited, other people need them more."

Laura shrugs. "If you insist. But are you sure your nanobots still work? Your blisters don't seem to heal."

Erin grabs the knife for David's hand and slices the palm of her left hand open. Erin demonstratively shows her hand to Laura, while the wound immediately heals. "You see. All my other wounds instantly heal.

David looks disappointingly at the knife. "Great, now my veggies will be mixed with blood." He starts wiping the blood off with her napkin.

"I am sorry David."

"It is okay. I was just thinking, if it takes such a toll on your body, maybe we should give some people in the colony a blood transfusion. Then we can take turns."

Erin sighs. "I have explained it before. I had some bad experiences with it, so for the time being, I like to control who gets my blood and who doesn't. Besides, it will place a target on all of your backs."

David shrugs. "There already is a target on my back. Always has been."

Laura ignores him and seems to be just staring past her.

"Are you listening to me, Laura?" Erin asks

Laura keeps staring past her. "Who is my Mom talking to?"

Erin is confused, she turns around, following Laura's gaze. Ingrid, Laura's Mom, is standing at the front gate of the building. She seems to be arguing with someone right outside of the gate. From this angle, Erin can't see who.

Erin grabs the knife again from David's hand, ignoring his protests, and walks towards the gate. Laura stands up and follows her.

Ingrid looks at them as they approach. "Girls, please stay back, I handle this."

Laura shakes her head. "Mom, what is going on? Who are you talking --"

Laura stops talking when she notices the people outside. Erin notices them too. Right outside the gates stand a dozen watchmen, all with their serrated knives drawn. Behind them is a giant brass wagon It looks a bit like a giant brass vault on wheels. Large brass chains lead from the wagon to the watchman, allowing them to pull it. In front of them stands Priest Dahlia.

Priest Dahlia spots Erin at the exact moment Erin spots her. She looks at Erin from top to bottom with her piercing eyes.

"Hi Erin," she says. "You don't look as good as you used to."

Erin rolls her eyes. "I wish I could say the same, but to be honest, you always looked this terrible. Why are you here, on the outskirts of the city?"

Priest Dahlia crosses her arms. "I got a report that there were a bunch of people living here. A bunch of people without food privileges. Somehow there are alive and thriving, so we came over to check if they were growing their own food. Turns out they do."