Sextday, Guire 8th 067.M42

I found my niece today.

I tried calling her mother on Quartday, after I'd gotten her number from an old friend the day before. She didn't answer. I assumed she was at work.

I tried calling that evening, still no answer. I didn't think anything of it, Throne knows I miss enough calls from time-to-time when I'm too busy or just don't feel like talking to someone.

I was going to call yesterday evening, but Madalene asked me out for dinner and it kind of slipped my mind. I knew I'd resolved to go and try to visit her today, so I didn't bother trying to call when I got in after we finished.

I don't know if it would have made a difference if I did. I don't think it would have changed anything.

I decided to take a chance on Daisy working a similar schedule to me, and left before lunch to try and get to her place. It's a bit of journey to the twenty-fourth precinct. Two magrails and a bit of a walk from where I got off the second. I thought I'd get there a little after lunch time, which I did.

Elysian Heights is pretty much what I expected, your average hab-block in your average mid-hive precinct. Kind of like my place in a way, maybe a little further down the scale. There were pict-captors in the lobby, but no security desk. At least the elevator worked.

I got to the fifteenth floor. 1528 was in the second hall. I could hear other people in their habs, some talking, some watching the holocasts, some arguing. Pretty standard hab-life. I found 1528. It had a welcome mat outside, with a smiling face printed under the word "welcome". I remember thinking how odd it was to have a welcome mat in a hab hallway, but I didn't think anything else when I knocked.

There was no answer. It was a risk I'd taken, assuming she'd be home when I got there unannounced. I was going to turn and head down the hall when I heard it. A child crying. I couldn't tell how old. I couldn't tell if it was male or female. It was faint enough at first that I thought it was one of the habs further down the hall. But something felt wrong. I knocked again, harder. The crying got closer, like the child was walking toward the door.

I started pounding on it. Nobody answered.

I went to the next door neighbours. Most of them didn't answer. One did, a young guy two doors down. He said he'd heard crying each time he went past that hab coming or going for the last two or three days, but he knew there was a kid there, knew she was a toddler so he figured it was just kid tantrum time. Didn't think to look in on things. You don't bother your neighbours unless they bother you, and he only heard it in passing as he walked past.

I called the Magistratum. They took their time arriving. I could hear her crying on the other side of the door. I sat down on that mat and tried to talk to her through the door, tried to tell her someone was coming. But finally they got there. I explained who I was, gave my ident card and let them run it. I told them to run my full background, bring up Cordell's details, so that they'd know I had a reason to be there. I don't know if they did or not. But they heard her crying too. One of the Magisters had a multi-key, thank the Throne, so he was able to get the door open without having to risk breaking it down.

They didn't let me in. But they brought her out. She was skinny and filthy and crying, hair matted and naked from the waist down. The Magister who took her out said they found a soiled nappy on the living room floor, and signs that it had been taken off at least a few days earlier from the… mess… they said was left on the carpets. They told me they'd take her to the local infirmary, told me to call her father and get him to present to the medical staff so she could be released into his custody. They said that from the state of things in the hab, she might have been left alone for four or five days, maybe up to a week.

They didn't let me accompany them. I had to get Cordell first, he's her parent. They gave me a report number for his CO after I told them he was PDF and back on duty. I called Mum and Dad, then I called the number that they gave me for family emergencies for PDF members. I had to leave a message.

There wasn't anything to do after that. The Magisters locked up the hab. Said it was a crime scene, and they would be looking into whether Daisy had abandoned Mei, or if there was some sign of foul play occurring to her. I gave my testimony, was told to return home and wait for further contact if they needed me.

I left. Got a call from Cordell's CO while I was on my way and went through the story again. He said he'd ship him back on the first transport, but he'd likely be a day or two as they'd gone up to the orbitals for zero-gee exercises and a return shuttle had to be arranged. I thanked him and he asked if I wanted to pass on a personal message to my brother.

I told him to tell my brother that this is his fault.

Thought for the Day: You can't abdicate responsibility for a life you've created and get away with your soul untainted.