video

[clericals]

[It's her first post on the network. It won't be her last. Karen slides her fingers through her hair, obviously looking for a place to start.]

Okay, does anyone feel like they've actually adjusted to all of this? I know I haven't been here for long, and even when you know for a fact that there are aliens, when you've seen them come down and make a mess out of New York City, you just never expect to be taken on board an actual spaceship. [There's a nervous little laugh at that before she takes a deep breath.] But this happened, so...

[Karen looks directly at the video and smiles.]

So I guess I'll start. Uhm...for those I haven't met, my name is Karen Page. I'm from Vermont, originally, but I moved to New York. Hell's Kitchen - I know, it sounds like a terrible place, and it can be. But there's also some really good people. I work at a law firm there. I'm not a lawyer, I'm...I make coffee and answer phones and I'm the deciding vote in things like whether or not we're having pizza or Thai food for lunch.

[And it's worth noting that the more she talks about her life, the more her face lights up.]

So, who wants to tell me more about themselves? Like where you're from and what you do there, or anything - just anything.

[Conversation always makes for the best distraction. She catches her breath.]

I promise I'll listen.

Comments

[vengeance_driven]

How uh... how much do you know about organized crime?

[Because it might be a help to know if anyone else has the Commission]

[clericals]

I know that it's made a mess of things where I'm from, including getting me thrown in jail on a murder charge. Hopefully the worst of that is over now.

Why do you ask?

[vengeance_driven]

There is a very old set of families in Liberty City. Early generation Italian immigrants got a stranglehold there and in Alderney. Five families, called "The Commission". Even made deals with the government so that they could keep hold of their position.

Wondering if you have anything like that.

[clericals]

It sounds a lot like the mafia. I don't know all the details, but yeah...something like that wouldn't surprise me.

[vengeance_driven]

Well, it is the mafia. But it is... It is more than that. Very dangerous men that have the city on lockdown.

Only three of the original families remain. Two were removed before I left Liberty City.

["Removed."]

[clericals]

Removed.

[Yeah, she has a pretty good idea of what that means.]

By the third family?

[vengeance_driven]

Well there were five to start with. The other two were removed by ah... complicated business politics. One man wanted to muscle in so he took advantage of the weakest family. Didn't work out for him or the other family. The other tried to make deals with a shitty Bratva. Both them and the shitty Bratva got wiped out.

There are those three families still remaining, but the leader of one is on his deathbed. So my guess is? That is fucked too.