Thoughts on the Secret Service questions

[Mark Rand]

Re: Thoughts on the Secret Service questions

 

"Slipped my mind," Holly said as they entered the motorhome.

 

"This was once Cowgirl's motorhome," Cat said as she pulled a digital bathroom scale from its holder on the bathroom door. "After the law came out requiring a nurse on all traveling shows, they advertised for one. Since I'd just been laid off, I answered the ad and got the job."

 

"They were expecting a practical nurse," Holly explained as Cat weighed her. "Instead, they got a nurse practitioner that had worked in a level-one trauma center."

 

"Why'd you get laid off," Connie asked.

 

"By taking the side of the patients, and talking some into filing show cause actions against some health insurance companies, I made them angry with me," Cat replied. "My employer was losing money when they got bought out by a for-profit hospital who's parent company was owned by an insurance company. They merged the hospitals, closed the trauma unit I was in, and laid me off."

 

"I see," Connie said.

 

"Holding at 125 pounds," Holly said, pulling her sweatshirt off and tossing it onto the dinnette table, where Annette and Cat had their bags. "Oops."

 

"As for me, increasing government regulations, insurance costs, and insurance company bean counters telling me how to practice medicine made me sell my practice," Annette explained as she pulled a ceiling-mounted exam light down and turned it on. "Everything looks fine, Holly," Annette said, after checking Holly's hands and arms.

 

"Thanks, Doc," Holly said, pulling her sweatshirt on. As they exited, she said," Since they were expecting a practical nurse, who would handle first aid, they gave her Cowgirl's old motorhome. Once they knew that a nurse practitioner was joining the show, they installed the lights and let Cat pick what she wanted from catalogs."

 

"Where there any limitations," Connie asked.

 

"Yeah," Holly replied, "A budget of $2000, and she couldn't make changes to the vehicle's structure. Fortunately, Cat brought some stuff with her."

[Mark Rand]

Re: Thoughts on the Secret Service questions

 

After leaving the medical office, Holly and Connie went to the motorhome Holly and Raul owned. There, Connie called her boss, Agent Andrea Price, on her cell phone and briefed her on her intent to learn as much as she could about the circus. When Andrea protested, Connie pointed out that she needed to know how things worked and that this was the best way to do so.

 

Andrea finally agreed, after getting Connie to agree to wait for Art West, her partner, who was driving in from Dallas in an agency SUV. While they waited, Holly introduced Connie to Sassy, her Bermese python. After saying goodbye to Midnight, the family's black cat, who was resting on the sofa, they headed across the road to the practice area, where Holly's red, white, and blue circus cannon, American Beauty, it's net, and other equipment waited.

 

"Oh, my!" Connie exclaimed.

 

"I hear you," Holly said. "I'm a human cannonball. We're the few, the proud, and the insane."

 

How do you do it?" Connie asked.

 

"It's not a real cannon," Holly replied. "The smoke is a stage effect. Compressed air pushes me out of the barrel. I go from 0 to 50 miles per hour in one fifth of a second. I pull 9Gs on takeoff and 12Gs on landing. If I don't land right, I break something."

[Mark Rand]

Re: Thoughts on the Secret Service questions

 

"Breaking something should be avoided at all cost," Connie said.

 

"I agree," she said, before explaining the cannon to Connie.

 

"We're about to fire a 125 pound sand-field bag from the cannon to the net," Raul said from the controls.

 

"I see," Connie said. There was a countdown, a big boom, and the bag landed square in the net.

 

"Score!" Holly exclaimed, jumping up and down.

 

"She's full of pep," Raul said. "See the two SUVs?"

 

"Yes," Connie replied.

 

"They're our vehicles," Raul said. "One tows the cannon and carries the sandbag, a hand truck, tool box, leveling boards, and black powder. The other carries the net and its gear."

[Mark Rand]

Re: Thoughts on the Secret Service questions

 

Art West arrived that afternoon and was given quarters in Roberto and Elena's motorhome. A detatchment of the Oklahoma State Police arrived the same afternoon and began patrolling the property boundaries.

 

As time passed, Connie visited with various departments and learned how the big top, and side show tent, were erected. After that, her training in the circus arts began. Connie, who already could ride a horse, quickly learned how to handle a snake, work with juggling equipment, and perform both the Blade Box and Zig Zag Girl illusions.

 

It took a bit of time for her to understand the knife thrower's act and the Electric Girl act, but Holly's insistance on doing them first helped. Next came the Single Trapeze and Hair Hang. Her next stop was Holly's cannon.

 

Two weeks of theory and ground school came first. Roberto Vasquez wanted to make sure Connie understood elerything before she lept off the cannon and into the net. Finally, the day came. The net was readjusted and the cannon positioned so that the muzzle was resting on the edge of the net. Connie jumped, hitting the net properly. Then came the time for her first shot.

 

Holly lent Connie her helmet, then Connie was weighed, everything was double-checked by Raul, Roberto, and Holly. None of them were taking any chances. She was the loaded into the cannon. After a countdown, the cannon went BOOM and Connie went flying. "Your first flight," Holly laughed as Connie climbed out of the net. "It's official. You're a bona fide human cannonball."

[Mark Rand]

Re: Thoughts on the Secret Service questions

 

From time to time, we'll be looking at other matters and how the Secret Service might deal with them. The agent for those looks is Gina Toscano, from The West Wing.

 

When she asks someone to do something and they refuse, she doesn't threaten them. Instead, she asks "Why not?" Quite often, there's a good reason that she never knew.

[Mark Rand]

Re: Thoughts on the Secret Service questions

 

A few random thoughts for you today.

 

If Holly's father had run for the Presidency, his daughter's employment as a circus performer would've been discovered by his opponant and the belief that circus people are untrustworthy would've been used against him.

 

Some versions of this have Holly as the cat trainer and Matt Reese's wife.

 

Some versions have the medical vehicle as being a converted 40 foot International Harvester schoolbus (the kind with the engine that sticks out in front).

 

Some versions had Holly's mother employed by George Washington University Medical Center as the head nurse in its outpatient eye clinic and the eventual Vice President's wife as an eye surgeon and professor in the medical school.

 

Another thought was to have the incident that made Holly's father President occur while the show was on the road.

[Mark Rand]

Re: Thoughts on the Secret Service questions

 

This is the first of several posta featuring Agent Gina Toscano. Today, she's visiting a drawbridge that the President's motorcade is to cross over.

 

Edit: Doing a bit of tweeking to this section.

 

Thanks for letting me drop by," Gina said as she entered the ground floor of the tower.

 

"Always glad to help," said the woman who let her in. "I'm Yvette Thompson, one of the two operators. The other's my daughter, Yvonne, who is at the controls."

 

"Agent Gina Tuscano," she said as they shook hands. As they did, she noted that Yvette had leather gloves on.

 

"Our place is a bit weird," Yvette said. "The first two floors are normal, but the top floor is quite large."

 

"Oh?" Gina asked.

 

"It's bigger inside than outside, just like the TARDIS on Doctor Who," Yvette explained.

 

"Oh," Gina said as they entered the top floor. "I see what you mean. This place is huge."

 

"It's comfortable," Yvette laughed. "Please sit."

 

As she did, Gina took a good look at Yvette. She noted that Yvette, who resembled Pam Grier in Jackie Brown, had on a black turtleneck sweater, jeans, work boots, a leather jacket and gloves and a watch cap as well as a gold pendant. "That's a nice pendant."

 

"It's a bos'n's pipe," Yvette said. "That's a type of whistle that can be heard over most noises."

 

"Good idea," Gina said. "The chairman of the county commissioners promised that this bridge would be closed when the President arrives.

 

"He has no legal right to make that promise," Yvette said.

 

TBC

[Mark Rand]

Re: Thoughts on the Secret Service questions

 

"Oh?" Gina asked.

 

"We're employed by the state," Yvette replied as Yvonne scanned the river. "The county commissioners have no control over us. They can make suggestions, but not demands. Want to look at the policies and proceedures manual?"

 

"Please," Gina replied.

 

"I'll get it for you." While Yvette retreived the book, Gina walked to Yvonne's side and looked at the desk on her left. A row of five monitors was on top. The two on the left had views of the bridge. The center monitor displayed system readouts and the two on the right had views of the river. Below them were the PA amplifier, a clock, a calendar, and a two-way marine-band radio. Binoculars, a pen and the log book were closest to the front.

 

"Here's the book," Yvette said.

 

"Thanks," Gina said, taking it.Looking around, she noted the fire extinguisher sitting between the desk and the control panel, which looked like a metal podium with switches on it. On it's right was a bookcase with a telephone and another set of binoculars on top. The shelf under it held emergency-band scanners and a standard broadcast receiver. Books and a first aid kit filled the bottom two shelves.

 

TBC

[Mark Rand]

Re: Thoughts on the Secret Service questions

 

Once Gina finished with the book, she gave it back to Yvette, who reshelved it and handed Gina a key. "It's to the door you entered through before," she explained.

 

"Nice," Gina said. "Where do I bunk?"

 

"We live in an apartment accessable only through the spiral staircase that's in the center of the room," Yvonne replied as she glanced at the monitors. "Ships heading our way."

 

Yvonne flexed her fingers, letting Gina see the knuckle-out driving gloves she had on, and grabbed the pen as a ship called for passage under the bridge. She logged the information, and got busy. After pressing a switch on the control board, she spun and grabbed for the PA mike. As she did, the black fur collar of her jacket stirred and said "Merrorp."

 

"Sorry, Heidi," Yvonne said. "I thought you knew what was going on." She grabbed her bos'n's pipe, pressed the button on the mike and sounded the pipe. After doing so, she dropped the pipe and announced that the bridge was about to open. More switches were pressed. A horn sopunded from the outside and traffic lights changed. Yvonne watched her monitors and lowered the gates when she could.

 

"I like your cat," Gina said.

 

"So do I," Yvonne admitted. "She likes to sit on my shoulders and watch the world go by." Hiedi twitched her tail as Yvonne pressed another switch, depressed a pedal, and pushed two levers forward. The bridge rose, letting the ship through.

 

TBC

[Mark Rand]

Re: Thoughts on the Secret Service questions

 

After the bridge was up, Gina exchanged greetings with Yvonne and Heidi. "This is an unusual occupation," she said.

 

"Yeah, but it's cool," Yvonne said. "Mom and I backed into this job."

 

"How so?" Gina asked.

 

"I was born in 1950," Yvette replied. "At 18, I was an airline stewardess for two years, then spent the next three working my way through nursing school as a waitress. Yvonne was born in 1975, while I was still a nurse."

 

"Mom looked pretty cool in her white uniform and cap," Yvonne said with a grin.

 

"I was laid off in 1979 and got a job driving a bus," Yvette said. "In 1994, Yvonne entered college as a student nurse and worked her way through as a waitress at the same restaurant I'd worked at. She graduated in 1998 and spent the next four years there. Then, she was also laid off and started driving a bus, too. Eventually, we were both let go, and found jobs here."

 

TBC

[Mark Rand]

Re: Thoughts on the Secret Service questions

 

"I see," Gina said as Yvonne lowered the drawbridge.

 

"I expected to wear a real uniform, like mother did," Yvonne said, pressing switches. "Instead, I wear scrubs. Oh, well. My bus driver's uniform was nice, and I got to wear gloves all the time."

 

"Yeah," Yvette laughed. "We both did. I always wore leather gloves like the ones worn on dressy occasions while Yvonne always wore knuckle-out driving gloves."

 

"We still do," Yvonne said. "Mine have the advantage of keeping my hands cooler."

 

"I notice an air conditioner in the window," Gina said. "Is this whole place that way?"

 

"The tower room is," Yvonne replied as she left the controls. "Our quarters downstairs are climate-controlled."

 

"They're also in another reality," Yvette added.

 

"How big is your apartment?" Gina asked.

 

"Spacious," Yvette replied as she took the controls. "We have a living room, two bedrooms, each with two twin beds and their own bathrooms, a kitchen with laundry, a storage room with clothing and weapons, a shrine to Artemis, and a home gymnasium with a built-in pool."

 

"That's nice," Gina said. "What kind of weapons?"

 

"Swords, daggers, spears, bows and arrows, crossbows and bolts, and other ancient weapons," Yvette replied. "Our family is decended from the Amazons of ancient Greece."

 

"Like Wonder Woman?" Gina asked.

 

"More like Xena," Yvette replied. "My mother was part of the underground in World War II."

 

"Nice," Gina said. The rest of the day ran smoothly. She joined Yvette and Yvonne for dinner and spent the evening watching them deal with the ships in the city's harbor. At 11:30, Yvette and Yvonne, still carrying their cat, went into one room while Gina took the other. They were wakened at 2:55 am by a ship's horn. They looked and saw people setting up for a rally on the bridge. Gina ordered them to stop. They refused, claiming that it had been organized by the chairman of the county commissioners. Gina told them that he had no legal authority to do so on a state-owned structure, and informed them that if they didn't, she'd have the state police arrest them. They didn't and she did.

 

TBC

[Mark Rand]

Re: Thoughts on the Secret Service questions

 

At 9:05 the next morning, the chairman arrived with the press in tow, demanding to know who had the nerve to have the celebration he had arranged interrupted by the police.

 

"I did," Gina said, showing her badge. "Your celebration was illegal. This drawbridge is owned by the state. Any use of it, other than crossing from one side of the river to the other has to be approved by the state department of transportation. They didn't because of your celebration's disruption of river traffic. Furthur, your plan could be considered a threat to the safety of the President." Turning, she asked, "Yvette, how long does it take to raise or lower the bridge deck?"

 

"Two minutes, Gina," Yvette replied.

 

"Yvonne, it looks like river traffic is already waiting for the bridge to open," Gina said.

 

"They can wait," the chairman roared. "My celebration is the only thing that matters."

 

"Yvonne, raise the bridge as soon after 9:30 as you can," Gina said. "If necessary, I'll get the United States Marshal's Service to help clear the bridge."

 

"How long do you want me to keep the bridge open to ocean traffic?" Yvonne asked.

 

"Until I tell you to lower it," Gina replied. "Is a five minute warning good enough?"

 

"Yes," Yvonne replied.

 

The politician strode over to Yvonne, stuck his finger in her face and was hissed at by Heidi, who also took a swipe at him with her claws extended.

[Mark Rand]

Re: Thoughts on the Secret Service questions

 

"My cat doesn't like you," Yvonne told the chairman. "Neither do I. The orders of the Secret Service outweigh any selfserving orders your petty mind comes up with. If you even try to interfere with the operations of this drawbridge, I'll have you arrested and tossed in jail."

 

"On what charge?" he asked.

 

"Malfeasance, or being a threat to the President's safety," Yvonne replied. "Gina, could you please eject him?"

 

"Happily," Gina said, ejecting the commission chairman. "He's getting on my nerves, too." At 9:31, before any of the people in the celebration arrived, Yvonne raised the bridge and locked it in place. She didn't lower it until Gina gave her the word.

 

(A/N: Most politicians are smart enough not to try and tell the Secret Service what do do, but some aren't.)

[Mark Rand]

Re: Thoughts on the Secret Service questions

 

"Gina, the President is planning to go to the local ice arena to watch an amateur hockey game tonight," her department head said. "Head to the arena and check everything over."

 

"Understood," Gina said. When she arrived, she showed her ID to the first person she saw and said, "I need to talk to whoever is in charge, now."

 

"I'll call the general manager's office," the response came.

 

"Thank you," Gina said.

 

"Yes?" asked a burly man who came out of an office.

 

"The President is coming here tonight," Gina replied after showing her ID.

 

"So what?" the burly man asked.

 

"We need to work on security arrangements and I need to check under the rink floor before he gets here," Gina said.

 

"I have two hockey games and a party on the figure skating side tonight," the burly man said. "That's more important than the President."

 

"I don't think so," Gina said.

 

"Don't mind him," said a soft female voice from behind Gina. "He wants to keep things running as they are and doesn't realize how important the President coming here can be for us."

 

"Finally, someone with sense," Gina said, looking at the speaker, a tall redhead wearing white running shoes, blue jeans, and a black tee shirt with Ice Princess across the front, in script form, in gold glitter. "Nice."

 

"Thanks," the redhead said. "I'm Bethany Conners, the facilities manager. Ice Princess is a nickname. Come on. I'll show you around."

[Mark Rand]

Re: Thoughts on the Secret Service questions

 

"We need to discuss security arrangements and I want to look at the floor under the ice," Gina said.

 

"We don't have security here," Bethany said. "As far as medical emergencies go, we have a nurse on staff and a local doctor provides his services in exchange for tickets."

 

"What about removing the ice before tonight's game?" Gina asked.

 

"No way," Bethany said. "Follow me. I'll show you around, then explain why it can't be done."

 

"Lead on," Gina said. She followed Bethany down a hallway. "Where are we?"

 

"This is a service corridor between the two rinks. The ice in each rink is one inch thick. On our right is the hockey rink. We keep its ice at 16-18 degrees Fahrenheit. On the left is the figure skating rink. The ice there is kept at 24-25 degrees Fahrenheit. The reason for this is that the two sports require different hardnesses of ice. The warmer the ice, the softer it is."

 

"How do you control the temperature of the ice?" Gina asked.

 

"The slabs have tubes running through them," Bethany replied. "Our chillers circulate brinewater through those tubes. Under that slab is a layer of insulation. Below that is a heated slab, with the drainage system under that."

 

"Impressive," Gina said. "How long would it take to remove and replace the ice?"

 

"Three days and four hours, if no repairs are needed anywhere," Bethany replied.

 

"Oh," Gina said. "We'll skip that."

[Mark Rand]

Re: Thoughts on the Secret Service questions

 

"Good plan," Bethany said as they reached the end of the hall. "Our two Zamboni model 500 Ice Resurfacers are on the left, out front-end loader and paint truck are on our right, and the chillers are downstairs. Which do you want to see first?"

 

"Chillers first," Gina replied. "After that, everything up here."

 

"Fine," Bethany said. "Let's go. They looked at chillers, Zambonis, the front-end loader, paint truck, and various other things before retiring to Bethany's second floor office for talk and bottles of apple juice.

 

"What does the process of removing and replacement of the ice consist of?" Gina asked.

 

"First, we turn the chillers to 50 degrees," Bethany replied. "It'll take 16 hours for the bottom of the ice to soften up enough for the front-end loader to remove it and drop it into the pit. While it's warming up, we pull the goals and send the Zamboni's over the ice, with their systems for cleaning the ice and laying a new coating off. The front-end loader takes about an hour to clear the rest of the ice off, then the crew begins the inspection and repair process. If we're lucky, that takes only seven hours."

 

"So, we're at the end of the first day," Gina said.

 

"Right."

 

TBC

[Mark Rand]

Re: Thoughts on the Secret Service questions

 

"I'm guessing that once they've finished, the chillers are returned to the colling position and it takes another 16 hours for the floor to get cold enough to create more ice," Gina said.

 

"Right," Bethany said. "While the floor's chilling, we use the flooding hose to fill the paint truck with water. Once the floor's chilled, we make two passes with the paint truck. On each pass, a mist of water is sprayed, leaving a layer 1/32 of an inch thick. We then fill the tank with a white, water-based, paint and spray that, creating the white base. The tank is then drained, refilled with water, and I make another misting pass. This time, the layer is 1/16 of an inch thick."

 

"Then what?" Gina asked.

 

"The crew comes in and paints the markings on the ice by hand," Bethany replied. "The stuff with the tank takes about an hour. The painting by hand takes 15 hours."

 

"We're eight hours into the third day," Gina said.

 

"Yeah. Then, we use the flooding hose to pour the last 10,000 gallons of water at the rate of 500 gallons per hour," Bethany said. "Once that's done, I make a final pass with a Zamboni and the goals are put in."

 

Impressive," gina said. "Thanks for the information. "Now what?"

 

"I take a Zamboni out onto the figure skating rink," Bethany said, pulling on a black, red-trimmed Isotoner driving gloves. "Want to come with me? You can actually ride on the Zamboni while I drive."

 

"Sure," Gina replied. "Why the gloves?"

 

"To prevent caluses, of course," Bethany replied. "While driving the Zamboni, I have to keep adjusting the various controls."

 

"Oh."

[Mark Rand]

Re: Thoughts on the Secret Service questions

 

I haven't forgotten this thread. I'm still getting my notes together for a newer version of Holly and the agents protecting her.

[JmOz]

Re: Thoughts on the Secret Service questions

 

2005, Holly starts doing the human cannonball. An airliner crashes into the Capitol Building while George Bush Junior is giving his State of the Union Address. Jack Ryan, the cabinet member that had to stay at the White House is the new President. Halfway through the year, Robbie Jackson becomes Vice President. His adopted daughter, a high school student and one of three Slayers in the campaign city, gets Secret Service protection.

 

To be a jerk: Why would George Buch Jr give the state of the union when his son is president?...Look it up...

[Mark Rand]

Re: Thoughts on the Secret Service questions

 

To be a jerk: Why would George Buch Jr give the state of the union when his son is president?...Look it up...

 

George Junior refers to George W. Bush, not George H. W. Bush.

[JmOz]

Re: Thoughts on the Secret Service questions

 

George Junior refers to George W. Bush' date=' not George H. W. Bush.[/quote']

 

George H W Bush Jr, I know, it's a pet peeve, The one everyone called senior was actialy a jr, while the one everyone calls jr is a sr...

[Mark Rand]

Re: Thoughts on the Secret Service questions

 

We're going with a version of the Jack Ryan universe. Andera Price, the head of his Secret Service detail, likes Jack to follow her decisions on security matters. When he doesn't, they argue about things. Anderea doesn't expect to win all the arguements, but she wants her opinion on the record.

[Mark Rand]

Re: Thoughts on the Secret Service questions

 

In the game world, by Presidential order, the President's National Security Advisor and all members of his family are offered Secret Service Protection. Only those above 18, and married have the right to refuse it.

 

John Patrick "Jack" Ryan, PhD became President George W. Bush's National Security Advisor in mid-march of 2005. Agent Andrea Price was assigned to Jack's wife, Caroline Muller "Cathy" Ryan, M.D., F.A.C.S., an eye surgeon ond member of the Johns Hopkins University Medical School faculty. To help her blend in, Andrea wore a white lab coat and faculty ID badge. (A/N: this is from Tom Clancy's book Debt of Honor. In Executive Orders, when Cathy is First Lady, all members of her detail have faculty ID badges.)

 

In our version, Jack's eldest daughter, Holly, is a circus performer and she gets her agent, Kelsey Innes, a slender blonde, the day before the show goes on the road.

[Mark Rand]

Re: Thoughts on the Secret Service questions

 

Just a quick note. The game this ties into is set in an alternate version of the Marvel Universe. It split from the mainstream MU in 330 BC, but follows it closely.

[Mark Rand]

Re: Thoughts on the Secret Service questions

 

The White House staff is going to be composed of characters from the Jack Ryan books Debt of Honor and Executive Orders and the television series The West Wing.

 

The FBI and Secret Service agents are taken from these series and the TV movies First Daughter, First Target and First Shot.

 

Additionally, bad guys come from various sources, too. Senator Robert Kinsey and the NID come from Stargate SG-1 and Senator Roark comes from Sin City.