2013.09.13 - Setting Things Up

Magneto's embassy in Hammer Bay has grown rather substantially. As the pressure on the local population congestion eased, he'd levelled the shanties within twenty yards of the Embassy and built up around them. Now a Bastion-in-miniature, a series of five white, shining towers stretches to the sky some ten stories, a beacon of progress in the center of squalor- lilies rising from the muck. A skywalk joins all five of them at the eighth story.

Magneto's offices are in the centermost spire, the largest of the three in dimension, and it is to here that Jocelyn is brought. Her face is scanned briefly and the woman is admitted to the inside of the Embassy, then to the elevator. With a whisking motion she's swiftly brought to the ninth floor, and disembarks directly into Magneto's offices.

Appointed in white stone and stainless steel, the bright white lights are muted by thick rugs and tapestries hanging aboout the place. One wall is entirely filled with books and documents folders, a research library of sorts, though some of the books are at least a century old. The other wall is taken up by a huge rendition of Magneto depicted as Michael, straddling the serpent- a spear in one hand, and the Earth clutched in the other.

The Imperator himself is in a small sitting circle just inside the suite, quietly and deftly playing a full-sized harp. He's no master of music, certainly, but his motions are gentle and surely timed and there's a melancholy about the music that's difficult to overcome.

At Jocelyn's arrival, Magneto smiles and rises. Clad in comfortable slacks and a long-sleeved shirt cuffed around his thick forearms, he looks like a successful businessman in casual clothing, not one of the most powerful political figures in the world. "Jocelyn! What a pleasant diversion," he offers. He invites her to the small parlor. "Please, come, sit. May I offer you some tea?" he suggests. "Or a libation? Dare I hope you come to me with news to celebrate?"

When Jocelyn had arrived, she had done so in something of a more formal outfit than she normally wears. She's wearing a charcoal-colored belted sheath dress with a brown leather shoulder bag slung over her left shoulder. She didn't own much in the way of business formal wear, but she did have a couple things she'd picked up. She hadn't bothered with heels, however, and just wore a nice pair of flats, because there was no world in which she needed to wear heels with her height.

As she was led through the embassy, Jocelyn took everything in, including getting an idea of how many people were working here with her energy sight. Magneto's location was easy enough to spot for her, but she let the worker lead the way. It would be rude to point out that she could figure out the way, after all.

"Hello, Imperator," Jocelyn greets once the man stops his harp playing and greets her. "I was unaware you were a musician. I must admit I never had the opportunity to learn," Jocelyn comments with an easy smile. Inner city Detroit kids, unless they were in a 'band', didn't really get that much into music unless they were lucky.

"I hope to come with good news. I think I would like to take you up on your offer, depending on the fine details of course," the woman says. "Tea would be fine with me though," she adds. "I trust you are doing well?"

"I'm quite well. And I hardly call it 'playing'," Magneto chuckles, moving to a small tea set set aside for him. He brushes his finger against the quite cool pot and it surges with a billow of steam in a second or two. The Master of Magnetism sets some strainers up and piles some loose leaf tea into them, then settles them on the lid of the cup. "I played the violin as a young man, and the piano. I'm exploring a new instrument. The theory is simple enough and the skills translate, so I wanted to try something new."

Magneto pours the steaming tea into the cups, then brings over the service, settling it down on a coffee table between two seats. He invites Jocelyn to take one seat and settles into the other, the chairs arranged at an oblique angle so people can sit and talk comfortably without the overtones of a direct confrontation, yet not so side-by-side as to be overly familiar.

"I'm very pleased to hear you'll accept the offer of my backing you," Magneto says with a smile. He gathers his tea and sets the dripping steeper aside, then sips the amber liquid. "And I'm sure we can iron out fine details, as you like. Were you preferring to work in a static location, or maintain clinics in all three major cities?"

Jocelyn takes a seat in the indicated chair, even as she notes how Magneto heats the tea. "I imagine some of the skills are translatable, yes. I forget if the harp is technically part of the 'stringed' instrument family or not. I'm afraid my musical education, as I said, was rather lacking," Jocelyn admits. She gathers her tea quickly enough. It was something that, until she'd come to the Institute, was unfamiliar to her, but she had grown to enjoy it.

Taking a sip of tea, Jocelyn considers Magneto's question. She sets the tea down before speaking. "I think, for the time being, it makes sense to start with one city, and branch out there as more staff are hired and, in some cases, trained. I suspect that there will be some healers who are rather new to their abilities who will need to be trained up. It is not a common mutation, from what I have seen. Mutants who can heal themselves is more common, at least from wandering the streets of New York and Hammer Bay. I suppose it makes sense though. It's a natural outreach of self preservation".

The woman takes a sip. "I think that establishing a set of procedures, guidelines, and training system at the first clinic would be beneficial before expanding too rapidly," she adds. "Of course, the clinics will need to be brought up to speed on local laws as it pertains to medical treatment as well". Things such as if authorities had to be alerted for certain types of injuries, patient rights, etc... That sort of thing is likely different here than in the States.

"Well, to be honest, Hammer Bay is... a functioning anarchy, is the best way I can describe it," Magneto hedges. "I imagine if you simply hang your shingle out, you'll have no end of business. Most of the trade here is either barter or a mix of dollars, euros, and rupees. Unfortunately, this is a vastly destitute city. You'll likely not see much in the way of personal renumeration for your work. I'll happily contribute any equipment you need, of course, and guards to protect you, but Hammer Bay needs far more help than a well-intentioned medic."

"Bastion's residents have overall better health, but we're lacking in a formalized medical program. What you start in Bastion could be a model for medical programs all over Genosha. You'd have access to all the equipment you need, as well as economic and operational support."

"Bastion is markedly safer, as well. You wouldn't need guards or security, nor would you deal with the logistical issues of transporting equipment and supplies. You well know my ambitions to help stabilize Hammer Bay- while your aid here would be extremely helpful in a limited capacity, I think your efforts could be better bent towards helping Genosha as a whole."

"This is true. Hammer Bay is still finding itself in a lot of ways," Jocelyn says, taking another sip of her tea and listening to Magneto's suggestion. "I do think the most immediate medical need is in Hammer Bay, as the health is lower and people are not necessarily able to travel to Bastion. However, you are right that a more stable business could be founded in Bastion," Jocelyn agrees. "Perhaps a smaller branch can be opened immediately in Hammer Bay, and a main headquarters opened in Bastion. If individuals with transportation skills were employed, we could safely transport patients who are not treatable in Hammer Bay to Bastion for treatment, or move personnel around as required," the teen suggests. She could see the need for Bastion to have a medical center of it's own.

"With mutant healers, I do not think there were be many who need to stay overnight, except in extreme circumstances, so our operating costs will be lower than traditional hospitals. I would not expect Bastion to fully fund the program in Hammer Bay, but if a small portion of that initial start-up cost can go towards establishing a presence here, I believe that would be beneficial to everyone in the short and long term, to have that base," Jocelyn suggests. She takes a sip of her tea, giving Magneto a chance to respond.

Magneto smiles approvingly at Jocelyn. "Actually, I'm quite prepared to do that," he says quite calmly. "I simply wanted to hear your thought process on the matter. Hammer Bay is in dire need of some kind of medical assistance, and I think you are able equipped to do so."

"I propose we set up a surgical center in Bastion as your main clinic. Staff it with whomever expresses a desire and ability to contribute to the effort. You have no limitations on your budget for equipment. I want my citizens to be healthy and well-tended. You can arrange with our local architects for high-priority construction of a new hospital. Make it as large as you think you'll need- we have approximately a hundred thousand residents on Genosha, and I'd like to see that expanded tenfold. Plan accordingly."

"I'll negotiate permission to install a clinic here in Hammer Bay. They may put someone else in charge of it, but I'll suggest your name as a primary candidate to operate it here a few days a week as a social benefit. I think the President pro tem will not object to free medical care for his people. And as you say, we can bring more urgent cases to Bastion for long-term treatment and rehabilitation."

"I think that sums it up rather nicely, doesn't it?" Magneto says, tapping a finger on his chin thoughtfully. "I don't think we've neglected anything. If you are ready, then, I'll start putting the wheels in motion to get you set up both at home and here in Hammer Bay."

"Indeed. I will arrange a meeting with the architects for construction. If you have any particular names you've worked with in the past for construction who have impressed you, Imperator, I would be glad to speak with them as one of the options," Jocelyn says. As she is sure there are a few construction companies, so to speak, that have been established now. She'd talk to a few, find the best one, and do her due diligence there. "I doubt that the current administration will object to some free medical care to their people".

Mentally, Jocelyn is doing the numbers on the size and scope of the hospital. She'd have to do a bit of research, but she had access to such information if she really needed it. She had already been coming up with transportation options, as that was one of the more crucial things.

"I think that does cover what needs to happen here," she agrees. "As I said, I'll get started finding the people. And finding myself a place to live while work is being done in Bastion. I suspect I'll be doing a fair bit of commuting between the cities, as Hammer Bay's will likely be open a bit sooner than the main facility, if only because of the size requirements. But the commute shouldn't be a problem". She could fly, which helps drastically in travel time.

"Thank you again for this opportunity," Jocelyn adds with a smile. "Is there anything I can do for you in return?"

"All I ask of anyone is to be the best they can," Magneto says with a smile. "'Be Excellent'. If we are a society of excellence, we will become an excellent society. And you've already been assigned housing in Bastion," he adds. "Housing unit Horizon, east wing, room seven hundred twelve. Our projections show your social value significantly above the mean levels. I took the liberty of setting you up a two-bedroom apartment with an office suite and a rather lovely view of the forest," he adds. "If you find it's too much room for one person, we can of course relocate you and return the credits to your personal account. Your wish," he says, smiling and spreading his hands.

"That's not all that different from my own personal motto, so I think I can do my best to accomplish that," Jocelyn comments with a smile. Thank you," is given in regards to the apartment. Apparently Magneto had anticipated that she'd be interested, and it probably wasn't that hard to pick out a location. She'd just use that second bedroom for a home gym or something like that. It at least wouldn't get in the way of the computer stuff for her work on the hospital. "I will gather some things and visit it today," the woman tells Magneto.