[TV Interview] NGBC Evening News - January 11
Correspondent: Over the past month, there have been increasing reports of unusual sightings on all levels of the city. Humanoid creatures, most of them having the appearance of teenagers or young adults, have been spotted displaying some highly unusual abilities... often causing injury to the ordinary people in the vicinity.
[cut to amateur video footage montage of NPC mutants using various powers, ending with a cell phone video of Spider-Man]
Correspondent: Although some of these creatures have become folk heroes to a few citizens, most have taken to referring to them as "mutants" and regard them with high levels of suspicion.
[cut to interview montage]
Soccer Mom: I just don't feel safe anymore. I just, you know, what can the police do when you have these mutant freaks blowing things up with their bare hands? How can I feel good about sending my son to school when he might have one of these things among his classmates?
Teenage Boy: My friends think they're aliens or something, but I did a report on toxic dumping in 8th grade and, like, I think mutant's a good word for them because they probably mutated from all that toxic stuff. That's why recycling's important, you know. But yeah, I think they're pretty creepy anyway.
Priest: Demons! No, no, no, this is a sign of the End Times, my son! Inhuman creatures living among us. We cannot accept these mutants into our God-fearing society! To do so would be inviting Satan himself to dinner.
[cut back to studio]
Correspondent: The government's response has been mixed. Last week, the mayor of Terra issued a controversial statement that any mutant seen displaying these abilities would be considered armed and dangerous, giving police the order to shoot on sight. But Senate has been debating the issue of civil rights, and whether mutants should be treated as ordinary people. Senator Johan Liebert explains.
[cut to Johan interview]
Johan: They're anything but ordinary. I've seen what they can do, and it can be terrifying. But I've also read their letters, I've heard their stories, and they're just as scared as we are. They don't understand what's happening to them or why. Most of them have been kicked out of their homes and are living on the streets of Abyss. They don't want to hurt anybody.
Interviewer: Are you saying we should leave them be?
Johan: No. Absolutely not. Leaving them alone isn't helping us or them. In the same way that we don't want to leave the homeless to wander the streets and starve, there needs to be a place where these people can go to feel safe.
Interviewer: A shelter for mutants?
Johan: A shelter, a hospital, a school... All of these things combined. Senate arranged funds several weeks ago and now we've opened the Home for Gifted Individuals in Abyss. The facilities are still being stocked, but our staff is trained and waiting with open arms. It's a warm place with hundreds of beds, food prepared with Elysium's finest ingredients, and doctors ready to help with any and all health concerns that residents may have. This is a project that I'm overseeing personally.
Interviewer: Is this really the best use of the Senate's funds? Wouldn't it be better to just increase security, increase the NGPD's funding--
Johan: No. Guns may solve a lot of problems, but they can't solve this. These people need our help. If we help them, we help us.
[cut back to studio]
Correspondent: The Home for Gifted Individuals is located at 6600 Locust Street, in Abyss. Walk-ins are encouraged. Coming up next, a woman who claims she's carrying Spider-Man's baby.
((OOC: I'll be setting up an open log soon for people to come register their mutant freaks.))
[cut to amateur video footage montage of NPC mutants using various powers, ending with a cell phone video of Spider-Man]
Correspondent: Although some of these creatures have become folk heroes to a few citizens, most have taken to referring to them as "mutants" and regard them with high levels of suspicion.
[cut to interview montage]
Soccer Mom: I just don't feel safe anymore. I just, you know, what can the police do when you have these mutant freaks blowing things up with their bare hands? How can I feel good about sending my son to school when he might have one of these things among his classmates?
Teenage Boy: My friends think they're aliens or something, but I did a report on toxic dumping in 8th grade and, like, I think mutant's a good word for them because they probably mutated from all that toxic stuff. That's why recycling's important, you know. But yeah, I think they're pretty creepy anyway.
Priest: Demons! No, no, no, this is a sign of the End Times, my son! Inhuman creatures living among us. We cannot accept these mutants into our God-fearing society! To do so would be inviting Satan himself to dinner.
[cut back to studio]
Correspondent: The government's response has been mixed. Last week, the mayor of Terra issued a controversial statement that any mutant seen displaying these abilities would be considered armed and dangerous, giving police the order to shoot on sight. But Senate has been debating the issue of civil rights, and whether mutants should be treated as ordinary people. Senator Johan Liebert explains.
[cut to Johan interview]
Johan: They're anything but ordinary. I've seen what they can do, and it can be terrifying. But I've also read their letters, I've heard their stories, and they're just as scared as we are. They don't understand what's happening to them or why. Most of them have been kicked out of their homes and are living on the streets of Abyss. They don't want to hurt anybody.
Interviewer: Are you saying we should leave them be?
Johan: No. Absolutely not. Leaving them alone isn't helping us or them. In the same way that we don't want to leave the homeless to wander the streets and starve, there needs to be a place where these people can go to feel safe.
Interviewer: A shelter for mutants?
Johan: A shelter, a hospital, a school... All of these things combined. Senate arranged funds several weeks ago and now we've opened the Home for Gifted Individuals in Abyss. The facilities are still being stocked, but our staff is trained and waiting with open arms. It's a warm place with hundreds of beds, food prepared with Elysium's finest ingredients, and doctors ready to help with any and all health concerns that residents may have. This is a project that I'm overseeing personally.
Interviewer: Is this really the best use of the Senate's funds? Wouldn't it be better to just increase security, increase the NGPD's funding--
Johan: No. Guns may solve a lot of problems, but they can't solve this. These people need our help. If we help them, we help us.
[cut back to studio]
Correspondent: The Home for Gifted Individuals is located at 6600 Locust Street, in Abyss. Walk-ins are encouraged. Coming up next, a woman who claims she's carrying Spider-Man's baby.
((OOC: I'll be setting up an open log soon for people to come register their mutant freaks.))