Front Lines Communications

Good day, brothers and sisters.

I am The Maker.

I am writing you today, at last, because of the unfortunate incident which took place at 31 Whitehall shortly before Christmas. This violence was sparked by baseline extremists, and our security forces were acting in self-defense.

Let me be very clear: I unequivocally demand the immediate release of those three security guards from Project: Ascension custody.

Moreover, as the baseline government has proven itself incapable or unwilling to meet the needs and civil rights of atavists, I am declaring 31 Whitehall a sanctuary, above baseline law. Any further meddling in our affairs by the government or its agents will be met with force.

Atavism is here. The world has changed. Evolve or die.

[ MÂDAR ]

So.

[ MAL ]

What do we want to do now? As a group, I mean.

[ RAJ ]

I talked to mum and dad.

[ KAROLINA & JOY ]

Would it be strange to come by? I'm interested in seeing what you've done with the place.

Happy New Year from Project: Ascension!

To start 2018 off right, I have an exciting announcement: a cease-fire has been reached with the organization known as the Movement for Atavist Liberation. Known operatives of the MAL are no longer to be arrested on sight. The President has received critical intelligence from the Movement that he feels obviates the need for criminal prosecution, but exact details of that process are still to come.

For now, it is enough to be a united community again, and to bring this long nearly four-year conflict to a close.

I am available for any questions you may have.

[ KNOWN MAL ]

You are permitted to travel freely in atavist circles. I would ask only that you keep something of a low profile for now, as the President is still determining his strategy for defusing baseline public opinion about you and refocusing the general public on the threat posed by The Way.

How is 2017 already almost over??? It feel like it went so fast!! But also like it lasted about a decade...

Yes at the same time. Yes I know that doesn't make sense. Doesn't make it any less true though...

Anyway! Wishing all of you guys peace and happiness and all that other good stuff in the new year. Extra super emphasis on the peace. A girl can dream right?

[ Nadine ]

And speaking of peace: thanks again for your help on Christmas Eve!! Never thought you'd be saving my dumb butt again... Sorry I didn't get your tall friend's name and sorry I didn't get this message out until today but it's been kind of nonstop insane with my family and work since then. But really THANK YOU. And can you tell him I say thank you too? He was awesome.

I'm here at the airport waiting for this flight back to New York. I had a really good Christmas and I have a nice tan going so I'm feeling re-energized and ready to get back into things up north.

My ataversary (has anyone used that before?) is coming up in less than a week and I started thinking about how much my life has changed in a year. I was working at Disney still last year and here I am making my debut as Insight. It's a dream come true! (Having that conversation with my family was seriously super-fun, btw)

What did you guys do on your ataversaries? Is this something y'all actually have or do celebrate?

[P:A]
Backdated to 12/23, a few hours after this

Desai and I have contained the situation and Way security personnel are in custody. Looks like the crowd spooked the security detail and they decided de-escalation meant shooting into a mass of bodies. Three baseline casualties, plus about a dozen injuries.

We have statements, and the injured have been sent off to the nearby hospital to get patched up. NYPD is offering to inform the families of the deceased in our stead.

[NETTA]
I'm fine. I knocked the fuckers out before they noticed we were there.

[ESPO]
Up to five minutes now.

( BACKDATED TO DECEMBER 23rd )

jakda;

[ Project: Ascension ]

SOS SOS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i'm at a way party
31 whitehall

THERE'S A MOB like a baseline mob outside and the way have their own security and i think they're armed???

PLS HURRY

So New York loves superheroes. Who knew? Hint, it was me

Everywhere I've gone this week, it's been free food, endless streams of selfies, and I even got to rescue a cat from a tree, which was nostalgic. I could get seriously used to this.

Hands down though, being able to tell my brothers has been the best part. "Well no, I didn't bitch out and quit being a firefighter to be a personal trainer. I've actually been a secret agent for years now, and now I'm a superhero."
Pretty sure a couple of them actually turned green. So that ruled.

Here's hoping it keeps catching and turns things around with the baselines.

I've fallen into that part of the internet: I'm taking Buzzfeed quizzes. So far, my atavism should be fruit salad making (I'm not certain how this is an atavism); my Disney atavist animal sidekick is Pascal; I'm actually 5'3".

This is going to be a long day.

[Project: Ascension]
Just a friendly reminder that annual psych evals are right around the corner. Dr Mizuno's and my schedules are up to date, so if you have a preference on when your eval is, please claim the slot. For anyone who chooses not to pre-schedule, you'll get an appointment confirmation by January 5th.

To bypass the annual deluge of questions: yes, you have to. Yes, it is mandatory. Yes, trainees are subject to this. No, you can't skip it. No, we can't just pass you without seeing you. No, not even if you bribe us.

[Friends]
Is there anyone staying here over Christmas who can check in on Catalina for us while we're gone?

[Matt]
What do you think the chances are that if I 'forget' to pack an ugly sweater, my mother will have one waiting for me?

KNOWN MAL

How is your search for Barone coming along?

LEV

Your mother told me to invite you for dinner tomorrow evening.

[ PROJECT: ASCENSION LEADERSHIP ]

Dora Barone's defection has been all the news can talk about this week. To try to swing the narrative back around I'm looking to finalize the superhero team this weekend, and would like your input on the agents who've been trying out over the past few weeks. You all work more closely with them than I do. Here are my impressions:

• CALDWELL: Has a mouth on him, but his power looks fantastic on camera. Needs media training.
• DESAI: A little stiff in front of cameras, but follows orders without complaint and also has a flashy power.
• PÉREZ: Loyal company gal, young (we want the millennial crowd to be invested), excellent command of her abilities.
• RHODES: Excitable, but works hard. Eager to really lean in with all the superhero trappings, which is good when most of the others seem more reluctant.

Then there's the trainees.

• HALL: Impressive power, and impressive growth in her control of that power. Looks like a supermodel, which doesn't hurt with the media angle.
• WALKER: Not sure about throwing him into combat outright, but a psychic is always useful and rounds out the team nicely when presenting their powers to the public.

Personally I'm inclined to go with all six, and expand if more agents express interest going forward.

Thoughts?

[Remaining 12]

Hello.

I have tried to remain an independent contractor in this struggle for dominance, and so I think that it's a good idea if I provide the following information to both parties:

Your great and grand Idol is not a God, it's a machine. Sorry. Right now, the context is closest to a particle accelerator; the resonance of the material in conjunction with the actual shaping of it is creating a field that is perpetuating continued movement of particles through the system it creates. Considering the low-frequency nature of the radiation from those particles (I don't have enough experience to say WHAT kind of particles they are, just what the characteristics are), it is not surprising that past attempts at analysis have not detected it -- it wouldn't have stood out from normal Earth readings on magnetometers and stuff.

I also understand that the split of the idol has increased this acceleration and continues to do so; unfortunately, bringing it back together will not cause it to cease and the field will continue to grow.

I'm still processing my way mentally through this, so I'm sure I will have more to say in the days ahead. But I wanted to leave you with one last point and I think this is very, very important:

Neither halves of the idol have a fail-safe that I understand will cause someone to fry to death. I don't know what the hell happened with Heather White but... I guess... are you SURE she's dead? Cause... you know, people thought that Ricky guy was dead too.

Filtered to RAD;

So, remember how great it was when Arthur gave me a full time job at the Bulletin and I found myself gainfully 100% employed again, with a nice paycheque? Yay.

Let's hold onto that wonderful feeling, because...

I'd like to take a moment to introduce everyone to the new member joining the Bueno-Moretti-Rouvas household;

( Not Cut IC. )

On a more serious, topical note, I'm going to be starting up a new project in my freetime;

For a variety of reasons, I got to thinking about who we are and our stories. We're the first generation of Atavists, and while we don't know if we're all going to lose our powers in a year or if there'll be generation after generation after us, our stories are important. And right now, other people are telling them for us.
So I'm going to be filming a documentary. One camera, simple, stripped down. We'll be the subject.
Anyone who wants to can arrange a time to sit down in front of the camera, and talk. About your atavism, about what it means to you, about how it's shaped your life, hell even just about someone cute you met at Throwback.
The only condition? No politics. I'm not blocking anyone from participating, but I want to hear from you. Not who you represent. I'm a fan of a tight edit, and any needless soapboxing will be cut. This is going to be about us as people, not us as members.
I know it's a little cheesy, but I think that no matter where we end up, it's important that we get our voices out there in a way that's ours to control.

[Contact details] If you're interested, shoot me an e-mail and we can work out a time that works for you. If you're self-conscious, we can work out a way to shoot without me in the room or we can even conceal your face. Just let me know.

soooooooooooooooo if you're subscribed to Midtown Comics' newsletter, you might've received a very!!!! special!!!!! email today about the first atavist artist book signing next Friday. did I actually agree to this? WHAT A GOOD QUESTION. answer: I might've, or my editor thought I'd say yes or didn't care what I'd said and went ahead to respond to some of the interested venues who sell my books. so, that's happening. my first book signing. I'm trying to decide if I'm excited or terrified or proud of myself or like all the above because I'm fucking shaking

MAY THE MAKER'S LIGHT SHINE BRIGHTLY UPON ME SO I MAY WALK BY HIS SIDE

if any of you are regulars at my brother's diner or at suyin's gym, can you please help make sure nothing bad happens there? i tried but i'm not intimidating

( text to Gus )

If yooooooou're suspended from active duty pending investigation, clap your hands! If your extremely Catholic family now thinks you got the devil in you, clap your hands! If you're an atavist and you know it and you really didn't want to show it, if you're an atavist and you know it clap your hands!

If you haven't done so already, it's probably a good idea to make any social media accounts you may have private. It seems like less than scrupulous reporters are trying to find people through Facebook and Instagram to try to get some sort of story out of them, and a few of my baseline friends have been contacted for 'comments.'

[MATT]
I feel like I should be used to these kinds of messes by now, and yet.

[RUBY]
I've never been so happy to have already told my parents than I am right now.

[TANCY]
Hey. You okay?

[...]

[GARRET]
Hi.

Here at The Way we just wanted to remind all of our brothers and sisters (and that's each and every one of you) (well, not Mr. Kincaid or Mr. Sanford) (sorry, you two) that we're here for you, and we will protect you with all the resources at our disposal.

If you're afraid to go home, come to 31 Whitehall. We have room.

FILTERED TO PROJECT: ASCENSION.

I've been unable to contact Agent Barone and unable to locate her on Governors Island. I hesitate to use the phrase "missing person", so for now let's say she's unaccounted for. While it's unlike Agent Barone to go AWOL, I don't know that anything official is warranted at this point, so let's just say if you manage to contact her, ask her to check in.

If you have tickets to see "The 38th Parallel" this weekend, be careful. Anti-atavist protesters have gathered outside the theater. Please don't engage them, just ignore them.

Hopefully after this weekend they'll get bored and move on. Hopefully this isn't just wishful thinking on my part.

[ Friends ]

What a fucking day for a pick-up rehearsal.

How's everyone else doing with this brand new bombshell?

well thats just great

The last couple of weeks have been a fun adventure in figuring out where to eat that isn't our restaurant. Thanks to everyone who has supported ROOSTER so far (even if by "supporting" I just mean listening to me rant about those baseline assholes after 5 or 6 drinks). On the bright side - the glass is always half full, every cloud has a silver lining, blah blah blah, my Bumble inbox is BLOWIN UP now that I've been the victim of a hate crime!

Anyway. Here's the cocktail I've been drinking to drown my sorrows:
THE REBUILDING
2oz bourbon
.75oz lemon juice
.75oz cinnamon and chile infused simple syrup
red wine float (try a Beaujolais)

Combine the first three ingredients, shake with ice and strain into a double old fashioned glass over ice. Top with the red wine float. Enjoy. Rinse and repeat until you can't remember why you started drinking in the first place.

[OSCAR SUMMERS]

I have a question.

PUBLIC MAL MINUS LEO

President Winston is amenable to your proposal. A position within the Department of Atavist Affairs will be allotted to one MAL member, subject to my approval, and others will be contracted to maintain security on the Mother.

Pardons will be signed when we have the Mother and Barone in our possession, details of which I have my office currently drawing up.

- Chris

In case you haven't checked the P:A-sponsored job boards lately:

I am, in partnership with Steadfast Productions and the Alston Rothman Foundation, looking for talented people, preferably atavists or those adjacent to the atavist community, to fill the following roles for an upcoming reality TV show about atavists. Filmed in New York, NY, 12/4-12/22*. All positions paid; compensation varies by role and, in certain cases, commensurate with experience.

(2-5) Principal cast*;
(open) Recurring/guest cast*;
Writers;
Production Assistants;
Camera operators;
Set dresser;
Makeup artist;
Hair stylist;
Costumer;
Electrician;
Carpenter;

*Acting or other performance skills/experience preferred, but all interested will be considered. Requires audition by appointment at 31 Whitehall St.

All other positions, please send a copy of your resume and portfolio (if applicable) to jobs@steadfastproductions.com.

For all inquiries, filter a message below or email hmrothman@alum.dartmouth.edu.

If you are an atavist and own a business that you would like to have featured on the show, contact me.

---

*OOC NOTE: Please don't comment on the dates; a veritable TIME WARP is needed to pull off filming and airing an entire season in the last 2 months of the game. I AM AWARE it's not realistic, but it's fiction, k?

[PA:L -Kincaid]

For your consideration, please.

We will be hearing back shortly on whether the Movement accepts the terms outlined here and will also share with them your thoughts. With addendums, I would like to present this to Director Kincaid and Senator Sanford very soon.


Thank you.

If you're still not sure about The Way, hear me out for a minute.

Thanksgiving is a shitty holiday, but it is a good opportunity to give back. This weekend, some of the brothers and sisters went to homeless shelters downtown to help serve food to the less fortunate and down on their luck. We passed out blankets, and a lot of the volunteers donated their time and services to people who needed help. It feels good to remind people that atavists can spread Light, not just destroy Midtown.

This week, the Center is going to be open for Healings, both spiritual and physical. Just walk in the door, no strings attached, and you can be helped by one of our experts to fix whatever's hurting you — ease the psychological pain your family inflicted on you this holiday, get rid of those winter blues, or fix the aches and pains from any injury. Maybe even get a free consultation on how to become your better self. I'll be there, doing my part to help.

Sure, you might be thinking, you can always go to the clinic, but maybe that's just because you haven't really come to terms with the real pain you're feeling. Lost, alone, unsure of where you belong right now in a community slowly being torn in half by Project: Ascension and MAL. Feeling exposed by the news. Afraid of the future.

I mean, we're all feeling a little bit of that right now, aren't we? Come down to the Center and let's talk about it.

I saw a man struggling with his 55" TV out of the store and I was like, son u gonna drop that or u gonna get robbed. something about Black Friday turns people stupid or homicidal or both.

JUSTRO.

I've got your paint and rollers and brushes so how we gonna do this, gentlemen?

I solemnly swear I am actually up to good, and I will not paint anything reptilian in nature or animate anything off the walls. I will sign this in blood if need be but there's been enough of that tbh.

APHRA, unsent.

YOU COULDN'T HAVE AT LEAST SAID FUCKING BYE

PUBLIC MAL

It has been a week. Have you discussed what we talked about?

Yeah so I was hoping never to have to ask this on here but uh does anyone have any leads on open apartments that don't cost a billion dollars a month? And are open starting 12/1? And don't require me to sign up for anything except a lease? Is there room at Stuy Town or...

[ Ken ]

OK so first of all I'M SO SORRY.

Second I finally tracked down Terry and I was right - he was avoiding me. I cornered him and he finally told me that he'll only renew our lease at 3x the current rate cause I'm a "liability." THANKS NEWS CYCLE.

I think you could maybe stay with a new roommate if you wanted but I have to go by end of month cause there is no way I can afford that.

I might have to go back with my parents if I can't find a place fast................