STORYLINE

Should Veilcorp be Required To Evacuate People During an Emergency?

Veilcorp sends millions of people on billions of trips every year, but should they be legally required to transport people to safe areas during an emergency? According to a growing number of people, including Rep. John Kildee, the answer is yes. Kildee has introduced a bill which would designate the Veil station in Lahaina as an emergency evacuation center, and require the company to send evacuees to a “safe destination” during an emergency. Veilcorp says the proposed law is an unnecessary government overreach.

Representative Kildee and his supporters say that House Bill 6239 is about protecting life, and ensuring that all available tools and options are open and ready in case of an emergency. Kildee points out that the InterIsland Preservation and Travel Act (IPTA), passed in 2046, already allows the government to regulate how many people are allowed to use veil technology to travel to Maui. “6239 is similar, but less intrusive to the company,” he says.

“Less than three years ago we were hit with the worst hurricane to ever make landfall in Hawaii. It was a miracle that more people weren’t hurt. Despite what some might have you believe, the world is not safe. While we are able to easily travel vast distances in the blink of an eye, it has not brought us together. Some regions have never been more dangerous, and the threat of a missile attack looms darker now than it ever has. Veilcorp has the technology to help all citizens get to safety during a natural disaster, attack, or civil event emergency. House Bill 6239 simply ensures that Veilcorp uses their technology to help those in great need. We want to ensure everyone’s safety, not just those who can afford it.”

Veilcorp COO Lisa Hunt says that the company already has protocols in place to handle emergencies and evacuations, and that the bill is more about political theater than public safety. “Rep. Kildee is once again beating his anti-Veilcorp drum to rally his base, but it is unnecessary,” she says.

“When hurricane Neki hit the island, hundreds of residents were safe in Veilcorp shelters. During the terrorist attack that claimed 10 lives, and injured many more, we transported people to safe locations, not knowing if more bombings were to come. We already do all the things mandated in this bill, but we do them efficiently without government interference. Look, many of us live in the Lahaina area. The people that this bill would cover are our friends and neighbors. We wouldn’t hesitate to help them in an emergency. We’ve been in the business of moving people from one place to another for over two decades. We’re pretty good at it, and getting the government into the mix will make things more dangerous, not less.”

Some agree with Hunts assertion, and believe a law forcing the company to transport people during an emergency is a bad idea. Many residents have expressed concerns over where they would be sent, with one local telling the Lahaina Advertiser, “I live in Lahaina because I fell in love with the people, sights and sounds. I don’t want the government forcing Veilcorp to send me somewhere with strange smelling food, and the daily news in a language I don’t understand. How am I supposed to find out what is happening to my home? What if I get sent somewhere with terrible coffee, and horrible wireless connectivity?”

Local author Kevin Morrow says the bill, as written, would be a mistake because it overlooks many logistical problems. He says, “I’ve actually been studying the Lahaina Veils Station since it was built and I can say with 100% certainty, that the line and queuing system inside would fail during an emergency situation.”

“Living in such close proximity, most of us have been in the veil station during a busy time like the holidays. The lines are like something out of a nightmare. Now imagine how bad they would be if people were scared for their lives. People push, pull, and fight in lines over bargains while shopping. Imagine the chaos involved with a line full of people who are trying to reach safety, and not just the last must-have toy of the year. Stanchions and retractable belts are no match for a crowd of anxious people.”

Morrow says he doesn’t believe that the government would be any better prepared to efficiently handle lines than Veilcorp, and says one only need visit their local DMV lobby for proof. However, he says he has a plan that could solve the problem.

“The main issue is that waiting in line is not natural. Lines are, for the most part, a product of The Industrial Revolution. Factory work changed people’s schedules forever. Instead of working sporadically throughout the day, people were now starting and leaving work at the same time, creating crowds. To deal with the chaos of this newfound social phenomena, we invented lines. In their lifetime, the average person spends five years waiting in line. The truth is the human psyche is not strong enough to endure that period of time participating in an unnatural social construct, especially with the prospect of impending doom lingering. That’s why I endorse such things as: Secure queuing chutes, letting evacuees pick waiting teams, assigning numbers in micro-waiting areas, and certified line soothers, who would assure you that your turn is coming soon. It’s all inside my 38-point “Better Queuing Plan” which I have shared with Rep. Kildee’s office and Veilcorp. Residents would have enough to worry about in the event of something like a missile attack. The last thing they’d need to deal with is the mental toll and physical dangers that a slow or mismanaged line would cause. Personally, I’d rather take my chances with a missile.”

STORYLINE

Hearings Continue Over Alleged Veilcorp Rendition Program

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Imagine returning home from your dream vacation. You’re dreading going back to work the next day and you briefly consider how difficult it would be to call in sick before stepping into the gateway. As your vision clears, you see that you’re not in your local veilstation. You are surrounded by masked people holding weapons. You are forced to your knees and handcuffed. You ask the people who they are and what’s going on. You’re told, “You know why you’re here.” Over the next week you are denied sleep, starved, administered drugs, and accused of being a terrorist. Eventually, your friends and family are threatened and you decide to make up a story to save them and make this all end. However, before you can falsely implicate yourself, you are told a mistake has been made. Suddenly you find yourself home, seconds after you stepped into the gateway as if the previous week never happened. It may sound like the plot to the latest summer blockbuster, but 29-year-old Brian Leets told congress yesterday, that it was his reality.

The weeks after the Veilcorp bombing that claimed 10 lives, including Tracy and Alohi Oeming, was a difficult time for many travelers. Long lines, invasive searches, and increased security protocols had many complaining that ease of Veil travel was now a thing of the past. Rumors began to quickly circulate that the headache and delays were the least of some people’s worries. In the dark corners of the internet, stories began to pop up about holding facilities and people missing while traveling. Environmental groups claimed that members were disappearing and expressed publicly their concerns that the government was operating an extraordinary rendition program with the help of Veilcorp. Those concerns were mostly ignored by the public and denied by officials, until people like Leets began speaking out.

The congressional inquiry into the allegations hasn’t been the swiftest on record, but it has become one of the the most boisterous in the past week. With U.S. Rep. John Kildee leading the charge, the investigation into the scope of the program and the level of Veilcorp involvement has reached fever pitch.

On Monday, Veilcorp attorney Harold Breen testified before an often openly hostile panel. When asked directly about the program, Breen claimed that no such arrangement existed. He acknowledged that on occasion, “Veilcorp works with government or law enforcement officials by providing personal or travel details about certain customers when presented with the proper orders or writs. While it’s true that we can transport people instantly over great spaces, we haven’t become masters of time. To suggest that we are are involved in an alien abduction type scheme that exists outside the realm of reality is absurd. Frankly, the committee should be embarrassed that the question was asked at all. Nonetheless, to be clear, and for the record, we do not grab people while they are veiling and transport them to internment camps.”

Representative Kildee pressed the issue with stories like that of Heather Ward who claims 2 of her employees have disappeared and is so scared that she took a train across country to testify. Ward runs an animal sanctuary that had been accused of working with the radical environmental group Gaia Guard and says that she has been harassed for almost a year. She testified, “Nobody has heard anything from Sarah or Allie for almost 9 months. I have trucks with tinted windows parked across the street all day and night and the police don’t do anything when I call. It takes forever for my phones to work and you can hear people on the other end before you even dial sometimes. Everyone in the community knows what’s going on. I just want it to stop. I’ve spent months looking over my shoulder and I just want some peace.”

Despite Ward’s allegations not everyone in the environmental community is worried about waking up in a detention center. Prominent marine biologist and urchin researcher, Alanai Kalipalani says she’s not concerned. “I work extensively on a number of environmental issues across the globe. I can’t tell you how many times that I’ve been involved with conservation projects that blocked Veilcorp expansions or projects. I veil at least twice a month but have never had any problems. I think I can safely speak for the vast majority of the environmental community when I say we have bigger concerns than rumors about secret phantasmal prisons.”

Yesterday’s testimony from Leets however offered the first official account of these detention centers. He detailed days of being kept naked, cold, and awake in a tiny doorless white room while, “hellish Hawaiian elevator music” played constantly. He claims he was asked to sign a confession to being part of Gaia Guard. When he refused he was forced to stand on the balls of his feet or squat for hours until his legs cramped. “I told them that I didn’t know anything about Gaia Guard besides what was in the news. I told them that I belonged to a water conservation group in college but all we did was circulate petitions to have the city’s sewage system upgraded, but they said I was lying.”

Leets claims that he was administered drugs that made him confused but maintains that he was clear headed enough to count the days he was held. He says he only saw a couple other prisoners while he was being detained but heard many more. It is what he didn’t see during his time at the holding facility that has many, including Kildee upset. According to Leets his guards weren’t part of any military or government agency, but were part of a private security force.

After I complained that I had the right to know what I was being accused of, one of the guards said that they weren’t working for the government. He said I didn’t have any rights other than the right to sign my confession. The first time I saw anyone with a government uniform was on the day I was sent home. They weren’t wearing Veilcorp uniforms or hats but it was made clear to me through little comments who they were working for. I can’t explain how they sent me back to the exact time I was going home, but I can’t explain how the veil works either. All I have is the memories from those 6 days. What I want is some answers, and I hope that with the help of Representative Kildee, I’ll get them. If I can prevent even one other person from going through what I did, it will be worth the ridicule and harassment.”

Like Veilcorp, the government acknowledges collaborating with the company in certain cases, but strongly denies any knowledge of a Veilcorp run detention facility or technology capable of doing what Leets claims. The say any such facility, if it exists, would be illegal. Still, Leets testimony was troubling and many are waiting expectantly to see what today’s hearings will unveil.

STORYLINE

Case In Third Veilcorp Bombing Suspect Faces Legal Roadblock

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The case against the third suspect in the Veilcorp Luau bombing has hit a major roadblock. While she is still being held for trial, attorneys for 35-year-old Sierra Tabot have alleged that major pieces of evidence in the case against her were obtained improperly as part of a wide-ranging illegal rendition program. They contend that the government colluded with Veilcorp officials to wrongfully hold and interrogate dozens of suspects in undisclosed locations. If proven to be true, it could have a devastating effect on the State’s case not only for Tabot, but also for her alleged conspirators.

The Veilcorp bombing back on May 4, 2041 shocked the world. 39 were injured and 10 people lost their lives including founder Eric Oeming’s wife and young daughter. 3 days later Ben Drakes, a Veilcorp employee with ties to the radical environmentalist group Gaia Guard, confessed to the crime and released a manifesto accusing the company of “tearing her [the Earth] apart with gateway technology.”

The arrest so soon after the attack led much of the public to expect a quick resolution to the investigation but it was over 6 months before the next suspect was apprehended. On January 15, 2042 Richard Yates was arrested for his involvement in the conspiracy. A branding associate at Reality Machine, Yates had moved to Lahaina to work on the inter-island rail project and blamed Veilcorp for the project’s early end.

The case seemed to be picking up momentum again when earlier this month the government released some additional information about their case against Yates and arrested a third suspect, Sierra Tabot.

The state says that Tabot was working as a Barraloha instructor at the Kokua Wellness Center when she met Richard Yates. The two seemed to bond immediately over their shared hatred of Veilcorp and the company’s leader, Eric Oeming. The pair were soon inseparable and Sierra’s fellow employees began to worry about her stability. Ascended Pali-ites Master Autumn says,

“Sierra began to travel down some troubling paths. She became obsessed with the idea that the Veilstation was powered by draining the Ch’i of the living things around it and the people passing through the gateway. She talked about how the scientists and engineers working at the station were spiritually hollow and that they were trying to make everyone else hollow too. It began to affect her work and we had a few complaints from guests. The final straw came when she burst into another instructor’s class one day with a handful of her crystals, screaming about how they were no longer attuned and tried to evacuate the building. Management had to let her go.”

After her dismissal, Tabot found work with Kaiwi and Sons catering. The State says that it was at this time that Sierra and Yates became heavily involved with Gaia Guard extremists and met with Drakes for the first time. They contend that after discovering Kaiwi and Sons was scheduled to provide food for the annual Veilcorp company Luau, the trio began to craft the plan that would eventually claim 10 lives and stun the world.

Any forward progress in the case was stopped over the weekend however, when Tabot’s legal team accused the government and Veilcorp of participating in an illegal rendition program. They say that dozens of possible suspects were taken and improperly held at secret facilities, where they were interrogated and in some cases, tortured. The backlash has been quick and overwhelming.

U.S. Rep. John Kildee has been very vocal about the allegations and just this morning has called for a congressional investigation into the charges, “I think the American people deserve to know if Veilcorp has decided that it’s OK to snatch people out of thin air. As troubling as that idea is, I think it would be even more disturbing if it turned out that someone in this government gave them a green light or was working with them. These are not the kind of ideas that this country was founded on and I intend to find the truth.”

Veilcorp attorney Harold Breen counters, “Veilcorp works with government or law enforcement officials from time to time, by providing personal or travel details about certain customers when presented with the proper orders or writs. Nonetheless, to be clear, and for the record, we do not grab people while they are veiling and transport them to internment camps. These allegations are categorically false.”

At this point, while she sits waiting in her cell, the future of the case against Tabot is on hold until the courts rule on her lawyer’s allegations. If even some of her accusations prove true it could have huge ramifications. Yates’ case has already been slow and mired in motions, but this could derail the case entirely. There have been calls for the President to put a temporary stay on Drakes’ execution by a small but growing and vocal group. Any hope that the long investigation might finally come to an end seems all but lost at this point. Tonight, there is still no peace for the victims in Lahaina.