scene description: [The voice of Mirali Lamoré is heard over an overhead view of a room set up for a face-to-face interview. We see two people facing each other, each sitting in cushioned chairs. ]
On June 12, 2020, I spoke with Alexandra Hanlon. Although this interview is featured in the documentary "In the Room Where It Happened: The Estimate," we did not discuss it during our conversation. Instead, Alexandra came to give an update on what has been accomplished since then.
scene description: [The image shows Mirali Lamoré, wearing a plaid suit in the colors of brown, green, and yellow, sitting across from Alexandra Hanlon, who is wearing a cream-colored open-work sweater over a thin blue shirt patterned with the Liaisons emblem in white. Her soft pants are in the same blue as the shirt.]
Mirali Lamoré (ML):
Thank you for agreeing to this interview, Alexandra.
Alexandra Hanlon (AH):
[nodding her head]
Thank you for interviewing me, Mirali. I've admired your previous work.
ML:
Thank you. Could you tell us what has happened since the liaison conference ended? Where are we with recruitment, and how will this affect our current residents?
AH:
Liason Community Outreach has been the primary working arm coming out of the Liaison conference. During the two weeks of the conference, liaisons from every habitat collaborated to determine what and who were necessary for the Initiatives we initially agreed to concentrate on. Many of our initiatives are short-term, focusing on integrating newly recruited individuals and maintaining recruitment levels during a potential pandemic. Those attending the conference agreed that while nothing might come of either of my explanations, they at least provided a timeframe to follow. By the end of the conference, LCO members in each habitat began seeking out those with specific expertise or interest to participate in the initiatives.
Planning to bring down over fifty-three thousand people into each habitat in just under seven years has been a significant endeavor, made doubly so because of our commitment to bring down a majority before 2020. We opened the third residential floor in each section as soon as possible and asked everyone who needed to relocate to consider moving to the newly opened floors.
I'm pleased to report that we've welcomed almost two-thirds of our projected population, bringing in over seven hundred thousand new residents across all the habitats, for an average of thirty-seven thousand new residents each. While friendly neighbors continue to mentor newcomers, we have also offered classes through the Liaisons to help acclimate people to the culture of inclusivity we are working toward. As we begin recruiting during this pandemic, those classes have been virtualized and will be made available to every individual during their quarantine period.
Our target population still needs to grow by over three hundred thousand across all habitats over the next five years, which is approximately sixteen thousand more residents in every habitat. All efforts to bring anyone down from the surface were paused in early December of 2019, and our pause has continued as countries experiment with lockdowns on their population in attempts to stop the virus. As lockdowns have ceased, we've restarted our recruitment and are implementing quarantine procedures.
ML:
Could you please tell us about the plans for quarantine? Will it be safe for everyone living here?
AH:
Yes, everyone living in the habitats will be safe; it's the primary concern of everyone involved. Two floors have been built out within Section 14 as a quarantine village in every habitat. One floor will hold the residences, and the other will provide support services. Section 14 will become entirely self-sustaining, and no air will be shared between it and the occupied sections. Those who volunteer to work in the environment will always wear biological hazmat suits with separate air supplies. Volunteers will also undergo a decontamination process after every shift, as will our recruits, both upon entering quarantine and again once they have completed the requirements and are ready to join us in our livable sections. I am confident that none of the coronavirus will make it to the rest of the habitat.
ML:
And what about the people being brought in? Why can't they quarantine in the hotel?
AH:
Our current plan is to bring in fourteen to twenty people a day, which works out to over four hundred a month. None of our waypoints can support a population of that size for a thirty-day quarantine. We've built a residential floor in each quarantine village, which will confine each family to a domicile. They will not be allowed to leave their home for thirty days. If they become ill, we will have the resources and facilities on the same floor to treat them while keeping everyone else safe.
ML:
That's a long time to be confined. Our houses are comfortable sizes, but not to be able to step out of them? I'm not sure how happy I'd be.
AH:
You're right, Mirali. The houses in the village are larger than usual and provide an extra room equipped for physical exercise. There are therapists available to work with anyone who needs them for any reason, and we are also adding trained Liaison companions.
Each companion will be assigned up to three quarantined residents to provide social experiences and a friendly ear. Our experts agreed that the best way to acclimate and navigate a lengthy and sometimes solitary quarantine period is to provide a companion who can teach what is necessary or simply be there for conversations to relieve loneliness. They will recommend pre-recorded videos and virtual classes to attend, as well as other resources, and answer any questions. We hope to prepare these new residents for a comparatively seamless transition when they arrive in their new home section.
We plan to begin operating within our quarantine protocol and bring in our first recruits starting next week.
ML:
Where will these individuals be relocated once they've completed their quarantine?
AH:
From the beginning of habitat occupancy, only two residential floors were occupied in each section. The third was built out but slated to be used to hold residents when their original floors were being renovated. The Foundation Board authorized opening the third residential floor in each section, and of course, we opened Section 6 last year with its three residential floors. It's given us plenty of space to accommodate our new residents.
ML:
Are there plans to keep everyone in one section after they leave quarantine?
AH: [face going blank]
I will not tell you that.
ML: [recovering]
Is there anything else you wish to announce?
AH:
I can't think of anything I wish to add. Thank you, Mirali, for this interview and for preparing this documentary.
ML:
Thank you, Alexandra.
scene description: [Video Interview Ends]