[Oh hey, it's that Old Initiative tech guy again. He's … not quite looking as grumpy as he usually does, but something's obviously on his mind. He takes a few deep breaths, and then speaks up.]

… Alright. I'm…

[Lowell seems to have a bit of an internal struggle here, trying to find the right words, maybe?]

I've come to terms with it. I'm looking for five to seven Transports who are hardware-savvy. I'm going to have a week long tutorial on how to use the Transporter, just in case…

You know.

Anyway, might take a week, might take less than that. I know there's a few self-proclaimed geniuses out there. So… here's your opportunity.

[And then with very little ceremony, Lowell shuts off the video feed.]

Hello. Lowell here.

[Oh hey, it's that Initiative tech guy. The not-nice one. Well now he's not-nice and kind of gross looking too. Seriously, when did he last bathe? Be glad you aren't in the same room as him right now. Unfortunately, Vennett and Trish are. Pity them.]

Giving a note here. I found a way to make the Transporter run on a little less power than it had before. Which, given our situation here and however long this may last, is pretty important. However, it means now all new Transports will arrive on the 8th from this point on. And no, I don't know how to "make it stop bringing people in." I've tried. I've begged. I've prayed. It won't stop. Don't even ask, please.

[He scratches his head, and then rubs at his eye.]

Think that's about it. Vennett, you got anything to say?

[At that, Vennett squints at the screen, actually thinking about what to say this time, as the fallout from their original network posts had the rolling consequence of mutiny.]

Nah. Y'got questions on it, we'll field em. Got an hour or so a time.

[ Roslyn is behind the camera again, face stern, Vennett & Lowell seated just behind her. She’s looking as calm and professional as she can, though traces of exhaustion are seeping through regardless of her best efforts. ]

I’m going to make this as brief as possible. We do not have laws governing the actions undertaken recently by people currently in custody. While hopefully there will shortly be a fuller code of conduct, we cannot apply it retroactively. I do not have the resources to keep anyone locked up indefinitely, nor can I provide a fair trial, and it would be morally suspect to do either in the current environment.

I believe there is a solution to this, one that several others agree with, including Lowell Orwin and Vennett here with me, both of whom were held hostage by these people and have a fair amount of insight into their mindset. However, given that you will all have to live with it as well, I’m going to bring this solution to general consensus.

Under this arrangement, as a first part all current prisoners will be released into the custody of someone who will agree to monitor their actions and ensure that they are not able to plan anything further. These parole officers will either be volunteers from the general population or police officers if necessary, and all will be very carefully vetted. If it is necessary we will ask them to submit to a brief telepathic scan.

The second part of this arrangement would be undertaking a set amount of missions under the supervision of Orwin and Vennett with the goal of putting forth effort into our return to Earth. I am assured that they will be doing real work that will benefit us all.

This is the solution that I and others hope will work best for everyone involved, as well as free up resources to continue working towards getting off of this base and setting up an actual system of leadership.

While Jesse Pinkman was not a member of this, as he has given back all powers taken he would be released under the same conditions.

This is being presented to you all as, essentially, a poll. That is the first option. The second option is ‘other’, and if that is your answer I must insist you provide a fully thought through and careful plan that does not simply consist of ‘strand them somewhere’ or ‘airlock them’. Should enough support be shown for a provided 'other' plan over parole, it will be considered as an option. 

Thank you all for your time. I hope this will be resolved very shortly.

[ And cut. ]


[ ooc: this is an ic poll of the population! you may vote once with each character you have in game. roslyn and others are available for question answering and so forth. ]

- Yeahyeah, ya got it but til then this'll do.

[The video feed kicks in and sets to record mid-message. The closer of the two men turns to the screen, fixing the camera with an irritable look.]

( A brief Initiative transmission )



[For those who do report, the transport pad sits, powered down at the moment, with several of the access panels behind the platform are opened or removed entirely. Vennett sits in a folding chair in front of one of the computer displays. At his feet is a box of tools, and in hand is a strange black device. He doesn't look all that pleased to see you.

Lowell sits at a computer desk in the same room, ready to get the right calculations of the Transports as they step onto the Transport Pad. And while he isn’t really enthused at the idea of being here, he’s also a lot less miserable looking than Vennett. Maybe that makes him more approachable? Good luck.]



((OOC: NOTE: This is an intro for two of the new NPC characters. Come meet them! Handwaving having either done the scan or declined offscreen is totally fine. THIS IS NOT A MANDATORY EVENT.))