Video #1 UN: Waltz

[enveloped]

[Unlike some people whose biggest concerns are their inappropriate footwear, Cam is all business.

Speaking to you live from a crumbling room within the colony is a tall, bearded man wearing a suit. Or half of one. He has his sleeves rolled up, Prada jacket slung over an overturned desk. His face isn't unfriendly, but there are well-worn lines speaking to a serious nature.

This man does not wear flip-flops.]

Hello, my name is Cameron Waltz. Like you I am a recent arrival, and have more questions than answers regarding this place, and why we're here. Back home I was a humanitarian interpreter and cultural mediator specializing in foreign aid and disaster relief. Experience I hope will be useful, considering the conditions, as it appears we've found ourselves in something of a disaster.

In my brief exploration of the colony, it appears many of the necessary facilities are damaged and in disarray. Those few blocks that aren't already compromised will be well on their way if the problems regarding utilities and structural decay aren't addressed.

Especially since we appear to be activating potentially hazardous technology left and right. All it takes is one spark to set an electrical fire, or worse.

If we're going to survive here, it's important we work together to increase our chances. There are far too many repairs to complete alone. We need to survive before we can return home.

I don't know how many of you are out there, but if you can read this I would appreciate a response. A rough headcount would be helpful in terms of rationing supplies. People with engineering skills and knowledge relevant to repairing or securing the colony, please name yourself and what you can do.

A directory of skills could be incredibly helpful in terms of creating working teams to get things done.

To everyone who may be out there, you are not alone. If you are hurt, or simply don't know what to do, I and many others will be here to help.

[A man can hope.]

Comments

[benhargreeves]

Line, for sure.

[ Mostly he is kidding, but Ben does actually have a fondness for facts, put down on paper. Things that can be laid out and understood. Apparently Cam may be a kindred spirit.

Cam's question has Ben scrolling through the other responses and sure enough, there is Klaus. Telling people Ben used to be dead (which he doesn't mind) and that their dad bought them like they were things (which he does mind). ]

Yes, he's my brother.

[ And since Klaus is here letting cats out of bags left and right, Ben might as well clear up some things up in advance. ]

He really can communicate with the dead. My own powers are not useful except in situations requiring deadly force, so you can just put them in a sub-section of your directory called 'hopefully it will never come to this'.

[kaballin]

Are you saying I'm special? That warms my heart a little.

So you're gonna teach us all to get along and sing around campfires like good little citizens?

[nonscriptum]

[ Momos. Nate grins at the thought, because those dumplings remind him of Tenzin, of strong, bitter tea and unbelievable mountain vistas. How old is Pema now, he wonders? Probably in her teens, which is insane to think about. It's been too long since they visited old friends, especially now that Nate can actually speak passable Lhasa Tibetan. ]

A little of both?

[ Now when he goes abroad it tends to be for pleasure, rather than a combination of both it and business, though Jameson tries to get them away from Louisiana as often as is possible.

For a long moment Nate considers whether he should be forthcoming about his previous work, ultimately deciding that people didn't care too much in Hadriel. Ergo: ]

I work for a salvage company out of New Orleans, but I used to be a treasure hunter. Kind of goes hand-in-hand with international travel.

[writtendestiny]

[She perks up, barely but just enough to be noticable, at the mention of bean bag chairs. Poison may have seen far too much for someone her age, but she's still young. Bean bag chairs sound wonderful.]

The equipment on the agricultural level needs repairing. [And Poison could try to look at it, but it's not really her area of expertise.]

A lot of the technology here looks like it was created to be easy to understand.

[enveloped]

Cooking? How interesting, I didn't think of that, but you're very right. Being able to feed yourself is a very important skill.

My daughter has yet to make popcorn in the microwave without burning it. I can't decide if she isn't inclined towards cooking, or she enjoys the taste of smoke.

I'm not a master chef by any means, but I've done a great deal of traveling and learned to fend for myself under a variety of conditions. No matter where I've gone, or how dire the circumstances, the locals always found a way to make something out of what appeared to be nothing. To me, anyway. Being an incredibly privileged American.

In comparison to some places I've been, we have a veritable buffet at our disposal here.

Not that I don't miss my morning cappuccino.

[enveloped]

Ah.

[A treasure hunter. Cam glances away from the camera, smoothing the front of his suit with one hand. Composition is important. Especially when dealing with attractive, ethically questionable men.

In Cam's experience, treasure hunters are one step away from being grave robbers, and grave robbers are one step away from murderers. What graves can't be found, some are more than happy to make.

An internal sigh. Why does rakish have to be such a look?

When he glances back again, there's still that smile, albeit more polite.]

Hand in hand for some, I suppose. Is your interest in ancient civilizations, or international currency?

[Tongue barely kept out of his cheek.]

[enveloped]

One of many, from what I understand.

[Between every Hargreeve in the colony, he's hoping to get the complete story.

Cam's never been into gossip rags, but... who doesn't have a weakness for family drama? Especially when the Gifted are involved, and potentially useful allies.]

I appreciate your candor, and while I am curious about your Gift... Let's hope you never have the opportunity to show me.

[enveloped]

So you admit you have a heart. Good to know.

I'm a mediator, not a babysitter. I won't hold anyone's hand unless they ask me to.

Though I may slap your wrist.

[enveloped]

Yes, I noticed the same.

It makes sense for the technology to be intuitive when your population is from so many different times and places, it can't be too specific, or archaic, for people to contribute in any truly helpful way.

I've heard the means for creating livestock and produce exist, if we can figure out how to utilize the laboratories. There is a means of sustainable food, at the very least, so long as we're willing to get our hands dirty.

[substances]

haha he was the actual opposite of that

depends on ur definition

[itsnotaonesie]

Mm, yeah, that sounds about like where my level of culinary expertise is. I can make mac and cheese, that's about where I'm at.

I think we're better off here that we were at the last place I was stuck, though. We can grow our own food, once we get everything back in top shape we'll be set. Back in Hadriel we had to rely on the guys running the place to restock our food supply.

Totally feel you on the coffee, though. I would do just, unspeakable things for a Starbucks right now.

[fishermansweater]

[ He has to laugh, a brief wry smile and a single chuckle because he's not used to being thanked for his outlook except in a much darker and more threatening manner.

His outlook hadn't been so great over the last few months, but it's gotten immeasurably better since he was reunited with Annie. Since he married Annie. ]

Being where Annie is is what matters to me.

[ And if that has the not-quite-believing smile of a newlywed, Finnick's not even trying to hide it. ]

We also both have some experience surviving in ... difficult situations. This place could be worse. We have shelter and there's some food available.

[writtendestiny]

Mm. It's on one of the upper levels. I think the labs are sealed off, though...

[For now.]

Anyone not willing to get their hands dirty isn't going to last too long.

[benhargreeves]

There are seven of us, but it's only me, Klaus, and Diego here. We're not sure why the others aren't here.

[ Ben thinks of it as strange that some of them are missing, not that so many of them arrived already...

As for disclosing about his powers, what makes up his mind is perhaps the fact that Waltz expresses his curiosity but doesn't push, or maybe it's because Ben really does think having a complete list of skills, and someone coordinating from that list, might be necessary to their survival. But either way, he knows that just dropping cryptic hints is for his own sake, because talking about his powers sucks. But cryptic hints are not useful. It's his responsibility to be useful. Even if that means discomfort for him. Ben's known that all his life. ]

I appreciate what you are doing with this. For a team to function together, they need to know each other's capabilities. If we're going to survive this place, we should think like a team, so a complete inventory is a good call. I just hesitate to explain because I don't want to give the impression I am going to be a threat to the other people trapped here.

I can summon and partially control creatures from another dimension through a portal under my skin. They're basically giant tentacles, like on an octopus, but extremely strong and extremely violent. In theory, I could smash through a wall with them or something, but mostly they'll just try to rip anything near me that's living to shreds. So, for emergencies only. But if a kaiju shows up, I'm your guy.

[volitaunt]

Yeah, you two were... [ Fuck. These two aren't together. He hates this duplicates bullshit. ] You seemed to like each other at least.

[ A pause. Then an addition, because it's Poe: ]

A lot.

And I noticed that. There's a lot of people from the world I was in before this one. There's a guy here with two of his brothers, too. And you've got people from your world and I've met you and him before.

[kaballin]

No one's perfect. And It'd be a little hard to walk around without one. You know.. with the lack of bloodflow and all.

You're making that sound kinky.

[nonscriptum]

[ Nate has his moments of complete and unadulterated idiocy, but this is not one of those times. Cameron Waltz's implication was about as subtle as the shoulder holster Nate is wearing right now. ]

Ancient civilizations. Was never really in it for the "big score"- [ finger quotes ] -as it were.

[ A fact which could frustrate working partners to no end, to know that Nate's priority was not treasure so much as learning. ]

Honestly? I think the only time I walked away with anything not earned by gainful employment was, uh- 2007? El Dorado.

[deadlycurves]

Fingers crossed that's the worst of it, yeah? [Not that he believes that it will be, not even for a second.] Yeah, we have. Thanks. [He nods a bit.] It definitely helps.