#1 video; @waltz

[enveloped]

[The video starts with a tall, bearded man wearing a tailored suit sitting on the edge of a very executive looking desk in an equally executive looking office.

He smiles before speaking in a low, steady voice, his arms by his sides. Purposely left uncrossed. No fidgeting. He's comfortable in front of a camera, but not without practice.]

To be forcibly removed from our homes, support networks, and everything we’ve ever known is no small matter. For some, the experience can be traumatic. You may struggle with day to day life, or find yourself feeling unsafe in your new home. Holding down a job or making connections with other people can feel difficult, or even impossible, when you're uncertain of your environment and place within it. Everyone copes differently.

Very few of us asked to be here, and it's necessary the city is prepared to deal with the very real problems experienced by its displaced citizens, and accommodate their needs as efficiently and empathetically as possible in order to create and maintain a happy, healthy society. My name is Cameron Waltz, I'm a negotiator and cultural mediator from Earth, and I've been appointed the role of public representative to present our needs to the city council, and ensure our voices are being heard.

I'm looking for feedback on how your life has changed for the better or the worse since your arrival. I'll start with a few questions, none of which you have to answer, but would be very helpful in solidifying the case I'm building.

Please answer as honestly as you're comfortable. Anonymous commentary is allowed on this post, and you're welcome to be as vague or as specific as you'd like, without fear of discrimination.

I greatly appreciate any and all responses. With your help, we can find the holes in the existing social services system and work together to close them.

Thank you for your time.

--text attachment

-Have you felt adequately supported by the city, and its representatives?

-Do you struggle mentally or emotionally with your expatriation on a day to day basis?

-Are there aspects of life in Riverview you find more difficult than others?

-If you’re a minor, or know a minor, have you found the social services offered adequate?

-Are you satisfied or dissatisfied in the career provided for you? Do you find yourself changing jobs often?

-Do you struggle to make ends meet?

-If there's any one thing the city could do to improve your life, what would it be?

Comments

text; un: kirk

[winscenario]

Have you felt adequately supported by the city, and its representatives?
When I first got here, yes. They answered my questions, let me look around, provided me with a place to stay for starters, and gave me a base income. I'm not used to sitting around so I started working pretty quickly after getting here.

Do you struggle mentally or emotionally with your expatriation on a day to day basis?
It fluctuates. I didn't come here alone, I had someone else from my world with me. That was my primary support. But when he left it was pretty jarring, luckily I'd built a solid network that served as great support during the short though difficult while it took me to adjust to the reality of not having him around anymore. But mainly, what I mean by this is that the support I've gotten has come mostly from other people who were brought here, rather than the city or its representatives.

Are there aspects of life in Riverview you find more difficult than others?
It's not always safe here. Sometimes it's too easy to forget that, and we're caught off-guard when some disaster happens, natural or otherwise. I'm used to dangerous and unexpected things happening, but that's not the case for everyone else here.

If you’re a minor, or know a minor, have you found the social services offered adequate?
I don't think the level of support is very extensive. I know one little girl who often roams the city and goes beyond the walls at will, and the social worker assigned to her usually can't keep track of her. She's a very unusual girl, though, so I don't know if that says much about the social services here. The only other minor I know more closely is my adoptive daughter, and she always had someone from her world here with her that took her in as family.

Are you satisfied or dissatisfied in the career provided for you? Do you find yourself changing jobs often?
Joined the Perimeter Guard the moment I got here, and now I lead the Aerial Unit. I'd say I'm pretty settled, yeah.

Do you struggle to make ends meet?
No, and I never have.

If there's any one thing the city could do to improve your life, what would it be?
I'm pretty content right now, actually.

[enveloped]

I'm glad to hear you're content. It's all too easy to forget the good things in life and focus solely on the bad.

To be honest, I'm still adjusting to life in Riverview. It's encouraging to know people have overcome their initial struggles, and were able to find fulfilment on some level.

Improved support for minors is at the very top of my list. That's one topic nearly everyone has agreed on. That people care for children regardless of relation or origin is a great sign. I think it's safe to say a voluntary fostering program would have plenty of volunteers.

[winscenario]

There's always something bad in one's life, something that could be improved upon. I learned a while ago to focus on the positives.

That kind of program sounds like a great idea. I'd have to talk to the rest of my family, obviously, but I'd gladly sign up as a volunteer. We've got a big house, plenty of room. And we're more than familiar with life in Riverview.

How long have you been here?

[enveloped]

You sound like a perfect candidate. With some of the stories being reported, I'm going to try and get a program in place ASAP. I haven't worked for the city long enough to have any estimate of a budget or time frame, but I do have high hopes they will act in the best interests of the people.

A little less than a week. They threw me in at the deep end.

[winscenario]

Generally speaking, they're very accessible and lenient. I don't think you'll have much trouble setting up a program like that, especially if the kind of investment put into it is fairly close to what they already spend on their current program. For instance, if you have a fair number of foster families and you can place every child that comes through the portal with one, you can free up the social workers that usually look after them for other tasks and duties. Taking care of a child 24/7 isn't easy.

Oh you're not doing so bad, for what it's worth. It's really nice, by the way. What you're doing. Not everyone jumps straight into helping others and getting some work done the moment they get here.

[enveloped]

I agree. So far, they've seemed very amenable to any requests the general population might have. The problem being there was no avenue for those requests to be made until now.

It's not as nice as it looks. This is how I deal with stress. By keeping busy, and managing my surrounding. Doing this kind of work is familiar enough to be comforting despite the relative weirdness of everything else.

But I do appreciate you saying so. I was a little afraid I might look pompous jumping into making changes in a place I barely know myself.

[winscenario]

Not the worst way of dealing with stress. Most people I know do the same too, though— throw themselves into work. Myself included.

Personally, I think that's a good thing. Wanting to make change, especially for the better. Which isn't to say there's anything wrong with just settling in and leading a quiet life here, but if it weren't for those of us who want to effect change, then life in Riverview wouldn't be what it is today.

[enveloped]

Put that way, I would have to agree.

What is it you do within the Perimeter Guard as part of the aerial unit?

That sounds like a very interesting job.

[winscenario]

We get assigned a variety of tasks, duties and missions, although we are fairly independent. I generally run the unit without any interference. We can do just about anything from exploration, disaster relief, rescue, transportation, so on. Whatever we can help with and needs to be done. Survey and exploration are what we're mainly geared towards.

I'm Captain James T. Kirk, by the way. Sorry, I never said.

[enveloped]

[Yes, he heard everything else, but--]</small Captain James Kirk? Of the USS Enterprise?

[winscenario]

The one and only.

[ Well, not only, but let's not get into that. ]

And before you ask: no, I don't have my ship here.

[enveloped]

This may sound like a strange request, but could I see your picture?

I'm very curious to know if you look like the James Kirk of my world.

[AKA Cam wants to know if he's talking to a clone of William Shatner.]

[winscenario]

You know something? It's not even the weirdest request I've gotten. Sure, I don't see why not.

[ You're welcome, Cam. ]

I hear he's a little chubbier.

[enveloped]

[Oh myyyy. Cam's flustered for a moment, and doesn't respond right away.]

He's a lot chubbier and less...

He's not you. I'll say that much.

[winscenario]

Blue-eyed? Handsome? Tall? Yes, I've heard all those too.

[ Sorry Shatner, but. Yeah. ]

Not that you look so bad yourself. A shame that I'm happily taken.

[ Not really a shame, he loves Victor. But it's fun to tease anyway. ]