Talia Thorne Personal Log: Intake Day
Originally Published by Jason Cochrane on Mar 24, 2016 at 08:07 AM
Talia checked her schedule for the day. Her new Attaché had prepared it and Talia was still "breaking him in" to her way of organising matters. Mentally Talia checked off items. With a long press of her finger on the screen she adjusted events to suit her sensibilities. She was Director Talia Thorne of the AEGIS Outreach Initiative and rank had it's privileges. One of those privileges was to re-arrange other people's days.
"Captain Danvers!" she commanded his presence.
The blonde haired man quickly entered the room and saluted.
"Captain, why was there no appointment for me to address this year's applicants?" While asked plainly the question clearly rattled the Captain.
"Sir," he barked, "I was unaware of your interest in the intake, Sir."
Talia ignored Captain Trevor Danvers for the moment and considered the schedule again. All the while the Captain stood at attention. Presently Talia noticed his immobile form. "At ease, Captain" she absently remarked. The Captain simply shifted to a formal at ease stance. Talia was beginning the regret approving the transfer of her last Attaché to Senior Director Powers but what was done, was done.
"I've adjusted my schedule. Please advise relevant parties."
"Sir, yes sir."
Talia appreciated good discipline however Captain Danvers was taking the matter entirely too far. "Dismissed Captain."
As the man left the room Talia shot him a final piece of advice. "Captain, if you don't start to relax around me I might mistake you for a coat rack."
"Sir? Was that a joke Sir?" he asked earnestly.
"A poor one perhaps. Dismissed Captain."
Alone again Talia considered the significance of the day: Intake Day. Applicants had now become Candidates. Those that she deemed acceptable would ultimately receive the one thing that all superheroes desperately needed in this world: legitimacy.
Senior Director Powers understood super-folk. He knew that when they re-emerged from the shadows during the Terminus War that they would need guidance. He knew, better than the politicians, that the heroes needed a gentle hand and not a ball and chain. He was clever, so very clever.
Senior Director Powers had recruited Talia to his AEGIS Outreach Initiative before it was even fully formed. She had just recently renounced the code name of Patriot. The original Patriot had founded AEGIS and as the current Patriot Talia was a superbeing and a government agent. This made her well placed to head up Outreach. It gave her legitimacy in the eyes of both camps. Talia was sure that the code name assisted tremendously as well.
And so her grand adventure had begun. For those who made the grade her arm of AEGIS would provide support to any accredited hero. This was not simply the provision of "backup". Such a paltry task did not require AEGIS. No. The Outreach Initiative provided resources: training, insurance, medical, reconstruction, legal, research and development. In essence she provided all the essential things that super-folk would prefer not to be bothered with. All it cost was ongoing participation in the Accreditation program.
It was a simple program: Keep casualties and property damage to an acceptable level, adhere to the code of conduct, surrender bad guys and their toys to AEGIS and work co-operatively with your AEGIS Liaison. In return, the hero gets legitimacy. It was a good program. It was a successful program. It was achieving significant measurable results. The brass were pleased. The super-folk were pleased. Talia was pleased.
And today, the next round of candidates were applying. This was her raison d'etre. She wouldn't miss an intake unless it was completely unavoidable. In fact she would rather reschedule a whole intake than miss it.
Absently she pulled at her jacket. "The Picard Maneuver" it kept being called. She had someone explain it to her once. A most amusing description of a very utilitarian action. She always disliked the jacket. It was superfluous at best and dangerous at worst. But Jack Simmons, the original Patriot and founder of AEGIS was especially fond of the look and it became part of regulation uniform... and still was.
Talia adjusted her iron grey hair. Her hair colour had faded before she was twenty. In truth, she preferred the colour. Her hair was longer than regulation and in a non-standard cut but again rank had it's privileges. Also, as Captain Danvers had yet to learn, associating with super-folk required some informalities. They were not Agency and they were not joining the Agency by participating in Outreach. That was an essential truth that could not be forgotten. Despite their association with AEGIS these people were freelancers.
For that reason alone Talia always made a point of being present, seen and speaking at Intake.
Originally Published by Jason Cochrane on Mar 24, 2016 at 08:07 AM
Talia checked her schedule for the day. Her new Attaché had prepared it and Talia was still "breaking him in" to her way of organising matters. Mentally Talia checked off items. With a long press of her finger on the screen she adjusted events to suit her sensibilities. She was Director Talia Thorne of the AEGIS Outreach Initiative and rank had it's privileges. One of those privileges was to re-arrange other people's days.
"Captain Danvers!" she commanded his presence.
The blonde haired man quickly entered the room and saluted.
"Captain, why was there no appointment for me to address this year's applicants?" While asked plainly the question clearly rattled the Captain.
"Sir," he barked, "I was unaware of your interest in the intake, Sir."
Talia ignored Captain Trevor Danvers for the moment and considered the schedule again. All the while the Captain stood at attention. Presently Talia noticed his immobile form. "At ease, Captain" she absently remarked. The Captain simply shifted to a formal at ease stance. Talia was beginning the regret approving the transfer of her last Attaché to Senior Director Powers but what was done, was done.
"I've adjusted my schedule. Please advise relevant parties."
"Sir, yes sir."
Talia appreciated good discipline however Captain Danvers was taking the matter entirely too far. "Dismissed Captain."
As the man left the room Talia shot him a final piece of advice. "Captain, if you don't start to relax around me I might mistake you for a coat rack."
"Sir? Was that a joke Sir?" he asked earnestly.
"A poor one perhaps. Dismissed Captain."
Alone again Talia considered the significance of the day: Intake Day. Applicants had now become Candidates. Those that she deemed acceptable would ultimately receive the one thing that all superheroes desperately needed in this world: legitimacy.
Senior Director Powers understood super-folk. He knew that when they re-emerged from the shadows during the Terminus War that they would need guidance. He knew, better than the politicians, that the heroes needed a gentle hand and not a ball and chain. He was clever, so very clever.
Senior Director Powers had recruited Talia to his AEGIS Outreach Initiative before it was even fully formed. She had just recently renounced the code name of Patriot. The original Patriot had founded AEGIS and as the current Patriot Talia was a superbeing and a government agent. This made her well placed to head up Outreach. It gave her legitimacy in the eyes of both camps. Talia was sure that the code name assisted tremendously as well.
And so her grand adventure had begun. For those who made the grade her arm of AEGIS would provide support to any accredited hero. This was not simply the provision of "backup". Such a paltry task did not require AEGIS. No. The Outreach Initiative provided resources: training, insurance, medical, reconstruction, legal, research and development. In essence she provided all the essential things that super-folk would prefer not to be bothered with. All it cost was ongoing participation in the Accreditation program.
It was a simple program: Keep casualties and property damage to an acceptable level, adhere to the code of conduct, surrender bad guys and their toys to AEGIS and work co-operatively with your AEGIS Liaison. In return, the hero gets legitimacy. It was a good program. It was a successful program. It was achieving significant measurable results. The brass were pleased. The super-folk were pleased. Talia was pleased.
And today, the next round of candidates were applying. This was her raison d'etre. She wouldn't miss an intake unless it was completely unavoidable. In fact she would rather reschedule a whole intake than miss it.
Absently she pulled at her jacket. "The Picard Maneuver" it kept being called. She had someone explain it to her once. A most amusing description of a very utilitarian action. She always disliked the jacket. It was superfluous at best and dangerous at worst. But Jack Simmons, the original Patriot and founder of AEGIS was especially fond of the look and it became part of regulation uniform... and still was.
Talia adjusted her iron grey hair. Her hair colour had faded before she was twenty. In truth, she preferred the colour. Her hair was longer than regulation and in a non-standard cut but again rank had it's privileges. Also, as Captain Danvers had yet to learn, associating with super-folk required some informalities. They were not Agency and they were not joining the Agency by participating in Outreach. That was an essential truth that could not be forgotten. Despite their association with AEGIS these people were freelancers.
For that reason alone Talia always made a point of being present, seen and speaking at Intake.
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