"Daddy, you should eat too."
Just as Osborne was worrying, his daughter's childish voice came. She held the can up to his mouth.
Only after eating half of it did the little girl remember that her father had not eaten yet, so she thoughtfully offered him the remaining small portion of the can.
"Daddy isn't hungry yet."
Osborne shook his head and pushed the can back, hoping the little girl would eat a little more.
"Oh." His daughter nodded after hearing that and continued eating. She was not full yet.
In truth, Osborne was hungry too. Since boarding, the managers of this Federation ship had only handed out one can of food to each refugee.
No one knew when the next food distribution would be. He could only try to let his daughter eat as much as possible.
As for himself, he should be able to hold out for a while. The Federation would not simply let them starve to death.
"This isn't a good sign..."
Osborne looked at the crowded cabin. The refugees were filthy from fleeing, while stale, foul-smelling air drifted through the compartment.
He was beginning to worry about the condition of this Federation vessel. Perhaps its managers did not have the energy to care about so many compartments, especially those holding citizens from non-core districts.
This Federation citizen suddenly no longer felt any joy at having boarded a Federation ship. A shadow settled over his heart.
Beyond that was confusion over the future. He did not know what he and his daughter would still have to face during this arduous journey.
"Protest!"
"That's right! How are we supposed to get full on this little food? Where's the supply officer?"
"We're Federation citizens! Surely the Federation can afford to hand out a few more cans!"
At some