scene description: [The voice of Mirali Lamoré is heard over a blank screen.]
Mirali Lamoré (ML):
On July 15, 2017, I sat down with Richard Forester to review his recollections of the events four months prior, on March 22nd.
scene description: [The screen shows Mirali Lamoré, slightly pudgy, wearing a suit in the color of burnt orange with scattered dots of beige and brown, sitting across from a broad-shouldered man of mixed heritage with textured hair worn in thin braids cascading down his neck. He is wearing a loose shirt and drawstring pants with a leaf-patterned design in white and blue.]
ML:
Thank you for taking the time to sit down with me, Richard.
Richard Forester (RF):
action happening: [laughs nervously and shifts in the chair, the braids on his neck echoing his movements]
You're welcome. What do you want to ask me?
ML:
Since this is the first time I've had the opportunity to interview you, why don't we start by having you tell us about your role within the Liaisons?
RF:
I head up LPR, which stands for Liaisons Public Relations. We primarily handle media for the liaisons, such as creating video tutorials to help our new and existing residents navigate our society more easily. We will also serve as a supporting arm to the LCO Initiatives, helping whenever there is a need to connect with the public through various types of media.
ML:
Thank you. Going back to the day you met Alexandra Hanlon, can you tell me what you remember?
RF:
What do I remember about that first day? It was an interesting day, that's for sure, and I'll probably remember certain parts for the rest of my life. To start with, I remember her.
[he sits back in his chair, eyes no longer focused on Mirali.]
Alexandra Hanlon, she sure made a splash that day. From the first minute I saw her, a line from a Terry Pratchett book came right to mind. "My family! My land! My world! My dreams! My brother! How dare you try to take these things because they are mine! I have a duty!"
I mean, she just exuded that attitude, if you understand what I'm saying. Like if she decided you were worth something, she'd go to the ends of the earth for you. That was my first impression. I usually get a good sense of people, and most of the time, I can figure out who someone is fairly quickly.
[Richard pauses for a moment, then focuses back on Mirali.]
Reading her is a lot harder, but I can usually get something. There are times, especially when she goes all "I will not tell you that" on us, when I can't read her at all. It's a weird feeling, like she can just turn the spigot off. I've never felt anything like that with anyone else.
ML:
How did she look to you? What did you notice about her appearance?
RF:
Her looks—let's see. She's probably somewhere in her mid-forties, with dark brown hair pulled back into a ponytail and her eyes—oh man, most people would notice her eyes first. They're that vivid. I thought at first it was how her dark hair framed them, but her eyes are still the first thing I notice every time I'm around her.
ML:
I understand you met her earlier in the day.
RF:
Mika and I met her for breakfast that morning. We thought that since we would be working closely with her, it would be a good idea for all of us to get to know each other. I think it was her second full day, and she looked tired. Most people take a few weeks to acclimate before starting their jobs, but she just plunged in like there was no time to waste.
She had taken the time to try to fit in. Her clothes were made in the habitat; I remember that even if I don't recall the style or design. I remember appreciating the effort she made since shopping here is so different from shopping top-side.
I have to say, the lady was reserved. We began with some small talk and then got right down to business. After that, she and Mika left to attend the meeting with the Liaisons. Effie and I had plans to take her to lunch afterward and then escort her to our meeting.
ML:
What happened next?
RF:
I can only speak about what I observed when Effie and I came in to take her for lunch.
ML:
What happened when you walked into the room?
RF:
The meeting was still going on, and Alex asked a question. Once she got an answer, she spoke a bit, just thanking everyone, that sort of thing. The meeting broke up, and almost everyone left, except for Alex, Mika and Gerold. Effie asked Alex why she had just asked about a pandemic plan.
ML:
And that seems to be a perfect segue to our first clip.
scene description: [The image of Richard Forester and Mirali Lamoré stills, then fades into a screen filled with four equal-sized images arranged in a square. The top left reveals a middle-aged woman of average height, neither stocky nor thin, with her brown hair pulled behind her head. She wears a purple tunic and pant set, matched in their design. A chyron on the screen identifies her as Alexandra Hanlon (she/her).
The image to the right of the first shows an overhead view of the room, a group of three people standing in front of Alexandra as one more walks toward them. Beyond the four is a circle of eight chairs; except for the five people, the room is empty.
The images on the bottom expose the four individuals in front of Alexandra. The left image displays a slim, tall, dark-skinned woman along with a chyron identification of Mika Phillips, she/her, standing next to a taller, lighter-skinned man with broad shoulders and textured, dark brown hair, worn in thin braids that cascade down his neck. He is identified as Richard Forester, he/him.
The final image on the right shows Alexandra standing across from the last two people. On one side, an older woman is holding a mobile interface. Her dark hair is arranged in a high bun at the crown of her head, tapering into a tail clasped tightly at regular intervals with silver rings. She is identified as Effie Tabir, she/her. Walking to stand next to her is a stocky, pale-skinned man of roughly the same age, whose bald head is surrounded by short gray hair. He is identified as Gerold Philby, he/him.]
Effie Tabir:
Alexandra, I'm curious. Why did you ask about a pandemic plan?
Alexandra Hanlon:
In our meeting earlier, Tessa mentioned how the habitats are about halfway to the optimal starting population to survive a generational lockdown. I began wondering how a pandemic would affect recruitment and relocation, especially if the world situation continues to escalate.
[Alexandra pauses, and the room is silent]
Alexandra Hanlon:
Actually, there's something more to it than my simply wondering.
scene description: [The top left image zooms in on Alexandra's face as she appears to look directly at the viewer.]
Effie, when I met you and Gerold the first time, you mentioned that one of the reasons I qualified for this job was my empathy, my ability to accurately assess the people around me, and my excellent instincts. While I'm not empathetic in the sense of actually feeling the same emotions as another person, I am highly empathic, which means I'm aware of the feelings of those around me. I also possess a strong intuitive sense.
They're separate abilities, but sometimes they work together in a way I can't really put into words. When it happens, I end up with realizations for which I have no other explanation. In this case, I'm not sure whether "feelings" or "experiences" is the better term, so forgive me if I use both interchangeably.
I experienced something that caused me to ask about the pandemic. What I felt seemed to reflect something terrible happening everywhere. It was different from the feelings I tend to associate with wars, and the only other highly improbable events coming to mind were an alien invasion or a pandemic. I focused on what we could control and wondered how to keep everyone down here safe and continue to meet population goals if something like a pandemic becomes part of our reality.
scene description: [Gerold Philby's reaction is captured in one of the bottom images. Initially startled, he quickly assumes a look of contempt. The other three stand silently and respectfully.]
Gerold Philby:
[speaking in a scornful tone]
So you're telling us you can see into the future?
[The video pauses, then dissolves back to the interview between Mirali Lamoré and Richard Forester]
ML:
I'm probably going to ask you this every time, but could you describe what you were thinking when this happened?
RF:
I didn't think about it at that moment, at least until Philby made his comment. My work is all about media and public relations; that policy stuff is way out of my league. I'll tell you this, though: I haven't been fond of Philby since we moved here, and nothing he's done has shifted my opinion. I think he's a passive-aggressive bully who uses his position to get away with it.
I have to give her credit; Alex has handled him pretty well over the last few months.
[gives a short laugh.]
She's made a believer out of me.
ML:
I'd like to play the next clip and ask for your thoughts on the other side.
[The video begins again, with the bottom right view showing Alexandra turning her attention to Gerold; she remains calm and collected as she answers.]
Alexandra Hanlon:
I'm not a seer or a prognosticator, and I can't tell you exactly what will happen in the future.
[She pauses, and the room is still.]
But maybe I can give us a general idea of when, even if we don't know the actual what.
scene description: [The overhead view shows Alexandra Hanlon taking a few steps back as the bottom images adjust to keep everyone in range.]
action happening: [Alexandra faces the group, standing easily, with her arms loose and hands open at her sides, her palms facing the people standing opposite her. She closes her eyes and stands silently, her chest rising and falling as she takes deep breaths. Her eyes open, and her face relaxes; her mouth is slightly parted. Everyone stands still, eyes focused on her, waiting.]
Alexandra Hanlon:
2017
[She pauses, and everyone waits.]
2018
[She counts slowly, pausing significantly between each year. Gerold Philby seems about to speak but is silenced by a look from Effie Tabir. ]
2019
[Her mouth closes as her lips tighten and her fingers move toward her palms. The room is silent except for the sound of Alexandra's breath.]
2020
[Her hands tighten into fists, her breathing is audible, and her face tightens as the muscles in her neck begin to jump. Richard Forester seems to stiffen slightly but otherwise makes no move.]
2021
[Her legs and arms begin to tremble and shake; her fists are now tightly clenched, and her elbows bend as her arms rise toward her shoulders. Her breathing is labored and heavy. The images show the others in the room shifting slightly, moving in discomfort.]
2022
[Alexandra doubles over, and her entire body trembles visibly. Mika Phillips tenses; Effie looks concerned.]
2023
[She struggles to rise, her nails digging into the palms of her hands.]
2024
action happening: [Alexandra continues to rise and almost manages to stand completely upright. Suddenly screaming in anguish, she begins vomiting as she collapses onto the floor. Richard rushes to her, pulling her onto a clean section before allowing her to rest on the floor. He positions her so that she lies on her side, with her leg straight under her and the other leg bent, allowing her hips to be rotated and her knee to support the rest. He makes sure her lower arm is set straight from her shoulder and curves her other arm over it, with her hand close to her cheek and her head tilted back.]
scene description: [The overhead image captures Mika and Gerold leaving the room before returning to the interview between Mirali Lamoré and Richard Forester.]
RF:
Oh man, watching that again is tough. What can I say? I felt like I was almost in a trance. I could feel she was in pain, but when she started fainting, there was nothing; it was like a complete and empty void. When I saw her start to fall, some of my old first-aid training kicked in, and I managed to grab her before her head hit the floor and dragged her away from the pool of vomit before getting her into a recovery position.
After I got Alex situated, I looked around and noticed Effie was alone, aiming her mobile at us, filming the whole thing. Gerold and Mika were nowhere to be seen. By the time Alex started stirring, they were both back. Gerold had a glass of water, and Mika was carrying some towels.
The problem was that I knew what I saw and knew it was real, but I had no way of interpreting it, you know? I don't think any of us did. All we had to go on was what we saw with our eyes. But we had no idea what any of it meant.
ML:
Once Alexandra revived, she gave an explanation of her experience as she called it, let's watch.
[The image dissolves and is replaced by the video, with Alexandra still on the floor. The overhead image captures Mika and Gerold returning with towels and water as Alexandra begins to regain consciousness.]
Richard Forester:
[in evident relief]
She's coming around.
action happening: [Alexandra begins to sit up with Richard's help. She takes the offered glass of water from Gerold and sips it slowly. She hands the empty glass back to Gerold and accepts a towel from Mika after looking down at her vomit-riddled clothing. She carefully wipes her face and hands with the towel, then, still holding it, looks up at the four standing over her, all with looks of concern on their faces.]
Effie Tabir:
Alexandra, are you all right?
Mika Phillips:
How could she be all right? If Richard hadn't gotten there in time, she would have cracked her head on the floor! Alex, can you stand? I'm going to call Medical.
[Alexandra, with Richard's assistance, slowly rises and then stands on her own.]
Alexandra Hanlon:
I'm fine, Mika, just a bit shaky, and all I really want is to go home and shower. I don't need to go to Medical, and if anything develops later, Kevin is a member of our floor's medical triage; he'll take care of me.
scene description: [The top left image zooms in until only Alexandra's flushed and serious face shows, hiding her bedraggled figure.]
But before anything else, I need to share what I felt. From what I can tell, 2020 and 2021 reflected the same experiences I had earlier when I asked how a pandemic might affect us. While the experience could begin in late 2019, I'm certain it will be there in early 2020.
[Alexandra's head and shoulders shudder as she sighs]
As I was counting, I felt a push urging me to go further, so I continued. As I spoke of 2022, those earlier experiences persisted but were muted by an overlay of feelings I associate with war. Everything continued throughout 2023 and into the last year, 2024, and the feelings corresponding to war kept escalating.
[She trembles again and takes a moment to breathe.]
I can't describe what happened to me in that moment other than I experienced the worst pain in my entire life. I felt as if I was being turned inside out and then torn into shreds. It's like nothing I've ever gone through, and I hope never to feel anything like it ever again.
[Alexandra pauses and visibly shudders.]
I'm not saying anything will happen. As I said earlier, I can't predict the future; no one can. I can only tell you what I experienced and my interpretations, vague as they are. Having said that, if I were inclined to bet on timing and outcomes, which I am not, I'd put money on the possibility of something happening sometime around the last quarter of 2024.
[Her face stills and then fades back to the interview between Richard Forester and Mirali Lamoré.]
RF:
I didn't know what to think, even after hearing what she said. She was obviously shaky.
But I thought of something I hadn't noticed then, and watching the video just now confirmed it. She didn't predict anything; she just talked about how what she felt reflected something she had experienced before and her associations with it.
ML:
What happened after that?
RF:
After that? What do you think? There was no use in cleaning her up too much, and she insisted she was fine, just needed a shower. So Mika and Gerold saw her home, and I headed over to make calls and reschedule our afternoon meeting. I wasn't hungry anymore, but I did want to think about what had happened.
ML:
Did you discuss what happened with anyone?
RF:
I spoke with Effie and Mika. Effie and I spoke right after everyone else left, and Mika called me later. Effie made a good point; she told me Alex hadn't struck her as someone who thrived on drama and attention, and I agreed with her assessment. Mika told me about the earlier meeting and said she thought Alex was a good choice as head of NAHE Liaisons. She pointed out that many governments, including the United States, had pandemic plans. And she thought it made sense that we should, too, if only to make sure we keep anything from hitting us in the habitats.
I remember agreeing with Mika when she said, "Even if it never happens, shouldn't we be prepared? Isn't that part of planning for the worst?"
Why had Alex done it, though? It wasn't to prove herself, that's for sure. No one had any idea she could do anything close to what she had done, not even Effie and I asked her. But when Mika quoted the Foundation mantra to me, the Pratchett quote I had mentioned earlier resurfaced; I felt like it wrapped around the whole moment.
It's one explanation and the only one I can make sense of, given the pain she experienced. I believe that when Alexandra took the oath for her position, she took on responsibility for every individual across the habitats. She has a duty to protect us to the best of her ability, and so she went through an ordeal to gain the knowledge we will need.
ML:
My final question pertains to Alexandra's keynote speech. Why do you think she brought the Estimate up?
RF:
I have no idea why she brought it up, but I think a valid reason was what she stated.
ML:
It wasn't in the speech prompter.
RF:
I can't speak to her reasons for adding it into her speech; we haven't discussed it. But why wouldn't she bring it up in the keynote? It's why everyone scrambled to get the conference going in three months instead of six. There were discussions about it in the conference schedule. It wasn't a secret, so why are you trying to act like there was anything to hide?
[Mirali shifts in their chair]
RF:
No one ever told me to keep it a secret, but think about it. Do you really want something like that to come out and spook everyone before you know whether it's even real? Can you imagine if someone mentioned a pandemic happening in a few years to their loved ones on the surface, and people put two and two together? No, man, I don't want to be responsible for that. I'm keeping quiet.
I'll tell you what, though. I'm going to speak to Effie and request that the board ask you to hold these interviews for that reason. Make your documentary, sure, but hold it until we know if Alex is right. Three years, Mirali. Just three years, and then we'll know if it's true or not. Things are bad enough top-side without throwing a worldwide panic on top of it.
But regardless of whether what she predicted is true or not, it's lit a fire under us. And we needed it.
scene description: [Video Ends]