video;

[usaf]

[ The video opens on Carol at the airfield where she works, finishing up some maintenance on a Cessna Skywagon. She has a rag in one hand and a wrench in the other, her phone propped up on something to capture the scene. ]

There have been some more... informal polls online lately. [ She's looking at you, Bow... ] For once, I have a more serious question to ask.

I've been giving a lot of thought to what I'm going to do with my time here. So far, I've been assigned the job of Flight Instructor at Heropa Airfield, which... Don't get me wrong, it fits. I can do it. But it's not exactly what I've been training my whole life to do. Back home, a... while ago, admittedly... I was in the Air Force. And I heard that imPorts can join the Air Force here, but there's a caveat: They need to be registered first.

I've been here a couple months now, but I haven't registered yet, because I don't know how I should feel about the government having my name on a list. That's why I'm coming to you, for... advice, I guess? Opinions?

Should I register? Should I not? What are the pluses and minuses to each option?

[ Okay, that's enough sincerity for one afternoon. Carol's face breaks out in a sarcastic grin. ]

Or if you just want to tell me your favorite animal, that's fine, too.

Comments

[helpdesk_hero]

Like they could even begin to sideline you. But seriously, what's the point of having us here if we're not allowed to do the only thing that matters? Not that I want to fight their ideological wars, mind you.

[usaf]

That's what I figure. But apparently just leaving the country as an Unsettled imPort is enough to get some people arrested.

[helpdesk_hero]

Yeah. This organization is about as intelligent as the Registration Act back home. All of does it deprive one of resources and criminalize people who want to help.

[And this from a Registered who was staying out of field work.]

[usaf]

How did that issue resolve, back on your world?

[helpdesk_hero]

Iron Man and Captain America got into a big fight, divided a lot of things up. It was a mess of several sorts. In the end the Act was given up.

[usaf]

I'd say we could try to replicate that here, but it sounds like this Registration program is a bit more ingrained. And I don't want a huge fight with innocent casualties.

[helpdesk_hero]

Exactly. It was bad back home, because there was always the question of what would happen with mutants from this. Because a lot of us were too young to make the decision easily.

[usaf]

Right. All you people-- all us people who didn't ask for our powers. It's not like we can turn them off. "Here you go, Uncle Sam, take my super strength, I don't need it anymore."

[helpdesk_hero]

For mutants, given we were a less than welcomed population, it was worse. That means giving up your identities and private information to the government. Which could get hacked. That's mutants at risk from hate groups because of such an agreement. And the jails they have for people like us weren't exactly a better choice.

[usaf]

Right, of course... Man, that's heavy stuff.

[ She frowns. ]

What makes you think this Registration deal won't turn out the same way?

[helpdesk_hero]

Nothing. However here, they already know. They know all of it, and they can track us. Effectively we are already registered by the terms of the Act, except we're not forbidden from using our powers without sanction.

[usaf]

So why participate? Why volunteer your name for Registration? Because you think it's useless to fight it?

[helpdesk_hero]

Bingo. It is useless to fight it, and the restrictions put upon us without registration are barriers I'm not willing to face.

[usaf]

It doesn't rub you the wrong way, to play along like that?

[helpdesk_hero]

No. Because I'm using them too.

[usaf]

Reaping the benefits of registration?

[helpdesk_hero]

The resources.

[usaf]

What resources?

[helpdesk_hero]

The bases. The potential knowledge there. There's always doors, Carol. And backdoors.