maskormenace | 007; Video

It sure has been a few harrowing months in Maurtia Falls, has it not?

[ Baelish flashes an exhausted smile. ]

And riding on the coattails of destruction and clean up was an election. Congratulations to Ambassador Delos and the first ever Deputy Ambassador Maximoff. As this city's mayor, I do hope to work with you both and help bring Maurtia Falls a stronger sense of security and growth.

And to everyone else who ran -- thank you. I am grateful for those who would stand up to represent this city. It's no secret Maurtia Falls is the toughest of porter cities -- to visit, to live in, to be an imPort in. And I believe now, more than ever imPorts need to demonstrate their leadership qualities and the good we can do. If any candidates have ideas or projects they wish to see happen within Maurtia Falls, please do feel free to speak with me.

[ Squaring his shoulders back, he sits up a bit taller to address the business part of this post. ]

A few months ago I addressed the network regarding the construction of an underground shelter. The plans and designs have already been drawn up and this project was slated to be completed within a year's time. But I think it's imperative to get this done much sooner. I am asking for engineers, builders, scientists -- anyone who has something to aid this project to volunteer their time and efforts. If all the citizens ever see is the destruction imPorts can bring, then we owe it to them to show the opposite, do we not?

[ There's a long pause. Baelish has in his fingers an engagement ring -- colorful with double DNA helix shapes of diamonds. ]

One final thing. To those who knew her: my fiancee Haen Hithiel has ported out for a month's time. I would like to be optimistic about her chances of returning, but given the nature of the porter... [ He trails off, offering only a helpless shrug. There is little anyone can do about port outs and port ins. ] That said, she ran the Maurtia Falls Endeavor Center. While my team and I have been overseeing things in her absence, this center was always meant to be an imPort vision -- to give children of this city a place to flourish while at the same time educating them about us. If this is something any of you would be interested in taking over, I would love to be able to reinstate an imPort director.

I believe it would be Haen's wish as well.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Take care of yourself, Jacob. You and the rest of the team are showing tremendous bravery by facing the great unknown. I only hope there will not be a chance for the OTO to retaliate with deadly consequences. If Lachesis has exhausted her powers on protecting us the last time, then....I am not certain we could fend off another attack of that magnitude again.

Don't worry, we've taken precautions. There's an orbital observation post that Aegis set up specifically to spot any more missiles from Mars and give an early warning. The rest of the team will be on alert for planetside threats as well. I know we can't count on Lachesis to save our asses again.

Hopefully once we're done with Phobos, she'll never need to.

Hopefully.

[ He agrees, even though he's doubtful. Once the OTO is done and defeated, there will be another large scale threat. It won't end with them. Such is the never ending cycle. ]

Is this country's military on standby in the event things do go awry?

[Jacob purses his lips.]

If they are, they haven't kept me in the loop. Most of our contact on the government's side has been with NASA. Hopefully the forces are ready if it all goes sideways.

But let's face it- usually we're left on the front lines of these things. The 'heroes.'

I merely wondered if they believed this threat. They must to a certain extent to have allowed the mission in the first place. But are they taking it seriously, is the question. As seriously as they should.

[ Baelish shakes his head. ]

I would like to hope by now, we've established ourselves as credible. But perhaps we do have a ways to go still.

[All Jacob can do is sigh.]

Money and bullshit have a way of clouding these things up. OTO has all kinds of influence they can use to confuse people.

I like to think Aegis is doing something to boost our credibility, at least. Helping people in the spotlight, telling the public what's going on, working with the government... if it works like it should, it will make people trust us more.

If it works like it should. You've chosen a hell of a city for your base.

[ He says this with faint amusement. He's the mayor. He can be honest about his city and its failings. ]

For as much as Maurtia Falls certainly needs the attention, you do have the most skeptical population here. They can, at times, have difficulty seeing reason.

[He chuckles softly, while grimacing.]

Yeah, well. We go where we're needed. Besides, it's the only city with a big-ass fortress.

[Built by a previous Ambassador for exactly this kind of thing, to be a stronghold of imPort security. Jacob likes to think Revan would approve of what he's doing with Helix these days if he could see it now.]

I'm just glad we're only stuck with chasing terrorists and putting out fires. You've got the really tough job, winning people over in the media.

Ah yes. The media can be quite the firing field. I would like to hope the accomplishments would speak for themselves, but really....it sometimes seems only the negative will be highlighted. One imPort doing awful things can seem to quickly invalidate 20 imPorts doing great things for a city.

[More grimacing!! And also some frustration.]

Right? It drives me nuts. ImPorts just helped build a park in Nonah, we save lives every day, a lot of us are involved in charity or medicine... but all it takes is one person losing control of their powers to make people forget all that.