PHD #227: Delirious Brainstorming
Delirious Brainstorming
Summary: Following the briefing, a new Marine gets some things cleared up and asks a few more questions.
Date: 11 Oct 2041 AE
Related Logs: Mountaineering
Players:
Corrath Madilyn Vandenberg 
Security Hub - Deck 6 - Battlestar Cerberus
More than just an office for the Marines and their XO, this room has remote surveillance views of the Brigs as well as a state of the art communications center built into the far bulkhead. A locked and heavily armored door to the aft leads into another room, the white lettering on it reading 'ARMORY.' There are a few desks scattered around the room for getting necessary paperwork done and the Commandant's picture hangs on the wall next to one of the President.
Post-Holocaust Day: #227

While the briefing may have concluded and the others dismissed, there was still some work to be done and things to go over. As such, in preperation of such events, Corrath had made his way down to the Security Hub and then over to the multitude of desks that litter this particular area. Claiming one, his notebook had been settled on it and he set to scribbling softly on it while he awaited both the Major and the other Lieutenant for the impromptu meeting.

Following down shortly after the one lieutenant, but before the second lieutenant, Madilyn arrives in the SecHub fresh from the meeting herself. The folder she had just brought papers in is in one hand, and she walks into the office stifling a bit of a yawn. It's been a long day laying all of those thoughts on paper, and this is the last detail before her and rack time.

Vandenberg appears next, the woman apparently navigating the ship with some kind of map she's made. She's still eyeing it when she walks in, heading towards Corrath's desk. There's a short nod to the seated man. "Hey. Hope I found the right place. Sorry I didn't get to meet you sooner; Lieutenant Natalie Vandenberg. Wanted to catch the Major about some things. I'm painfully far behind but doing my best to catch up." She gives the man an awkward smile before looking to the Major. "Sir, just a few things. I, ah- I guess things are kinda overworked and underpaid, eh? I'll try not to keep you long."

As Madilyn makes her entrance to the Security Hub, Corrath is looking up and giving the woman a quick nod of his head, "You look like you're about to drop to the deck and have a snooze, Major. Not been getting much rack time?" Then, Vandenberg is arriving and his attention is shifting to her, the same nod giving once she's introduced herself. "Pleasure, Lieutenant. Name's Corrath O'Hare." With that said, he's simply falling quiet for the moment.

"Nobody's getting paid at the moment, unfortunately. One of the side-effects of fighting for your own survival, I'm afraid," Madilyn replies to Vandenberg, as she takes a seat at the desk. "As for rack time, I've been getting it. I just haven't been doing much with it. Unsettled. Sleep hasn't come easily, if at all." Lots on her mind. "What's on your collective minds?"

"Yeah. Well, I ain't exactly worried about my 401k or retirement package anymore." The female Lieutenant quips a smile. "Sir, had a few questions. First, I wanted to hit a point on the freighter that the Lieutenant here brought up. You all mentioned that your biggest concern is mutiny?" She sniffles a bit, tapping her thumb against her nose as she pulls her notes from her pocket. "Like I said, I'm painfully far behind but I wanted to ask. Has anybody asked these people what they want? They're civilians. I know our big concern is them taking the ship for themselves and doing something crazy, but if things are already agitated?" Vandenberg glances between the two. "Wouldn't it be best? To ask them, I mean. I don't imagine you all are operating with civilian law enforcement. It might calm things down if they know that they have a say. I know you all have your own ideas as to how to handle this and I know my suggestion stands, but.." She trails off, looking between them. The woman is new and she knows it.

There's a soft grunt to echo Madilyn's statement of rack time and then Corrath is giving the hints of a smile to Vandenberg's mention of retirement packages. As the other Lieutenant continues, the smile fades and he's giving a slight shake of his head, "I know I haven't stopped to ask what they want. I'm going to -assume- that command has, or that they've at least considered it, but I can't speak to it. Shy of ensuring a steady rotation of security through the place, I haven't had much contact with the civilian population as it is." Eyes shift in the direction of Madilyn, "Though, I can't say I fault the idea. With everything that's going on, on board the Cerberus, having the Civilians on our side, so to speak, would be a boon."

"I've been in contact with a civilian scientist, Rose Ibbhanas, both as part of rigging this freighter for hydroponics use, and as something of a liason as to what these folks want. But recall that we've had a captain murdered by a civilian, and a number of incidents regarding assault and battery of suspected Cylon-lovers. I know, I know that you're dealing with that issue," Madilyn says to Corrath as she rubs a temple. "They want a celebration, for the harvest seaon. Ms. Ibbhanas thinks bringing the crew to said celebration would be a good first step in showing solidarity. That's the last I heard. They also appreciate the supplies that were retrieved and distributed by the crew on Aerilon as well."

Vandenberg keeps her peace for time while Corrath voices his opinion. "Things are that bad, eh?" She clicks her teeth. "When I was on Aerilon, we ran into a bit of that. Disorganized civilians shooting at each other over food and water. My fireteam and I showed up. They didn't like the idea of a police force - especially military - running things until we proved that we weren't interested in controlling them. Just working with them." She then looks back to Madilyn. "Aye, sir. From my experience, I think that's probably for the best. I- I'm afraid I don't know about this Captain but that may not be 'The Problem' but more a symptom. If this crew is really as divided as it sounds from the civilians, its no wonder the biggest problem is mutiny." She looks back to her notes, blinking a few times. "Sir, has anyone tried integrating the civilian population more with the military? If their only contact is Military Police that has got to be hard on them." Its addressed towards Madilyn verbally, but its obvious she's speaking to the both of them.

There's a flash of white to Madilyn as Corrath gives the faintest of smiles, "I wasn't going to say anything, honest." Then, it's back to Vandenberg, listening to the woman before giving a nod of his head. "I've heard a few rumblings in the past about integration, but if I recall correctly, it seemed to come out more as 'forced labor' to the civilians. Don't think it was played up in the right light or pursued beyond the initial conversation stage."

"They've always had the chance to enlist, same as any Colonial citizen. Whether they choose to do so is at their own discretion. Always has been. As for full-on integration…there's no way they're getting full-run of this ship integration. We're working to give them something to do, a new place to live and daily jobs that aren't military in nature, and benefit all. For the moment their only contact is the military police, and through them, me, simply by virtue of there always being a police presence. Whether they should have more direct lines to fleet officers is up for debate. They'd need to elect a very few representatives, however."

The female Lieutenant quirks a brow to Corrath. "Forced labor?" she repeats. "No, I mean working -with- these people. Part of what we had to deal with in the seventy-third was COIN." Counter-Insurgency. "You have to make that leap of faith towards the locals. There is zero incentive on their part to help our side. You have to prove that you support them and their freedom, not just the rule of law. Any two-bit shitbrick with a military can impose order. If this is an opportunity to give them responsibility and their own freedom?" She looks between them and then back to her notebook, scratching the top of her head. "I'm not so sure revolving fireteams is the best idea. Do they police themselves at all? Any rumbles about civilians taking care of their own problems?" Vandenberg then looks back to Madilyn and cocks a hip against the desk. "This 'Rose' person might be your best bet. I very obviously don't know any civilians, but those who are stepping up to improve contact with nothing to gain? The military should be dedicating resources towards them. Finding out what we can do for them. I know this sounds like altruistic blabbing, but if they're getting a ship?" A shake of her head and she flips her notebok closed. "Sorry. I tend to just kind of run with ideas. Wh- what's the worst case scenario with this freighter and a mutiny? Realistically. I can't see them trying to ram a battlegroup and expecting to succeed."

"Sorry, Lieutenant, I don't think I was clear. There was talk about integration, at one point, but the civilian populace took it to mean that they'd be forced into things that they didn't want to do. Such as being forced to enlist or tend to other tasks. The idea died after that and I don't believe it's been broached again. At least, not that I've been privvy too." Even as he speaks, Corrath slips open his notebook and jots a few things down. "No, they don't police themselves. My men tend to the area's that they are authorized to visit and so far, I've not heard any rumblings about them forming a civilian police force. But then again, I think they know it was a poot point to try that route while they were berthed in the hangar. Once they are moved to a civilian ship? I can certainly see them wanting the chance to police their own, if it's possible." Shoulders lift in the slightest of shrugs, "Honestly? I'm not against the idea. We're stretched thin trying to police our own."

"Admittedly, that may be a stretch of the imagination. However, a ship of nothing but civilians is a breeding ground for sedition and a hiding place for humanoid Cylons that we've no idea what they look like. There's always the potential that one missed jump takes them into a Cylon patrol. That they get captured, killed, their FTL coordinates traced, this fleet ambushed, Colonial transponder frequencies hacked," Madilyn babbles on in paranoia mode. "Maybe I'm just short on sleep. I understand your points, and perhaps I'm ineffective in communicating my own. This is all hinging on the air wing finding a compatible FTL drive first. If they don't find that, we needn't worry about any of this."

Vandenberg looks thoughtful. She taps the notebook to her chin while she stares at the far wall. "Ah." Its all she says for a few long moments. "Well, policing their own? Its also an employable tactic to weed out the troublemakers if you know what to look for." She sits down on the desk with a bit of a hop, looking back to Madilyn. "Aye, skipper. It may be a little paranoid. But remember what I said about making the leap. When people know they are responsible for their own safety and that their frakking up may end humanity? It might bring a little more gravity home. But yeah, that brings me to another point-" She flips over the pages in her notebook. "Uhm. Aerilon? There's a fair few spaceports. Not everything got caught on the ground, I'd suspect. There's gotta be wrecks from ships that augered into the planet. I can't imagine all of them just exploded. There's gotta be one or two with intact drives. Unless you know of anyplace else to salvage, sir?"

"When it comes to Aerilon, I know two things: zip, and squat. I'm leaving the scouting of things to the air wing, and I'm leaving the repairs to the deck and engineering crews. We're only concerned with that ship in terms of planning security should we be a permanent presence, or planning tactics should we need to restore order without a permanent presence. That's the limit of my interest in that vessel, above and beyond using it to relieve some tension among the civilians." Madilyn has yet to take any new notes during all of this, looking between both Corrath and Vandenberg as she talks.

Vandenberg nods once. "Fair enough, sir. Just wanted to offer the suggestions." She flips through the pages of her notepad once more before looking up between them. "Alright, I guess that's all for now. If you have any questions..I guess just find me? I'll be trying to get a bunk on the Officers Quarters for now. Trying to secure some space for my enlisted. Looking forward to an assignment." She flashes a humorless smile to the pair before rising off the desk and tapping her brow in a quick salute.

"I'm getting to that. Hopefully assignments will be finalized in the next few days. When Vendenberg stands to exit, Madilyn does too. The salute is returned, and one given to Corrath as well. Rack time!

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