The Meeting

* See also Government in Rapture
* See also Ryan
* See also Rapture City Council
* See also Players_FORCE_FED_-_Ryan_The_Villain
* See also Laws_in_Rapture
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Scene : Rapture Central Council Meeting, 2 weeks after the Neptune's Bounty "Shootout" ( Thursday September 25, 1958 ) :
Ryan : Is the recorder running ? Good. Meeting of Rapture Central Council, convened September Twenty Fifth, Six P M. Sander Cohen, Tenenbaum, Steinman, Kyburz not present. 
Ryan : These children Fontaine mutated ... So, what the hell are we expected to do with them ? Kill them ? Put them out on the street to starve ? They generated most of the ADAM for Fontaine Futuristics. You have seen the report about what has been happening when the ADAM Addicts go without their ADAM for too long ... SO, any ideas ? That damned Fontaine dropped this in our laps, and it is left for us to handle it.
Council : *Silence*
Ryan : Anybody ? *Looks around the table*, *Shakes Head* And the Citizens wonder why it seems I make all the decisions ... Perhaps we can breed a lot more of the Sea Slugs to generate ADAM, but Fontaine and others have already tried that. We will, for now, have to continue to use those children to generate sufficient ADAM until we can find a solution to the ADAM addiction, or a better source. Then, hopefully, we can find a way to undo what was done to those little girls. 
Ryan : Alternatives ? No ? I will expedite my Company Labs looking into the feasibility of solving an alternative source, a hard problem that won't be quick. I still have hopes that my Vita-Chambers might have some prospects, at minimum to alleviate some of the ADAM addiction effects.
Ryan : Next. Sullivan reports he has found sufficient evidence of coercion of many of Fontaine's workers. Those arrested for being involved peripherally with the Smuggling, or those compelled, will probably be let off with time served and be allowed to resume their normal work. Those who assisted in the Coercion of others, won't. For the long lists of the buyers of the Smuggled goods, there is a good case for Conspiracy, and we will have to take it to the Citizenry for what they want done as punishment. After all, it was the Citizen's safety that was risked, and the City's progress blocked by the unfair competition. Confiscations of Proceeds and Heavy Fines, might possibly be the penalty ... Also, the Warden at Persephone has warned that they will need more isolation facilities, if too many of these unstable Splicers get dumped into his Prison. Mentally deranged people, makes me wonder if Fontaine did it purposefully.
Ryan : Sullivan also reports that he is now half done with the Neptune's Bounty Investigation, and old titles of all the identified Fishing business properties will soon be ready to be returned to the surviving owners -- Those who can be proven were strong-armed out of their property by Fontaine. Tracking Fontaine's other rackets, besides the Smuggling Operation, apparently is taking longer, as many of the records, such as they were, seem to have been destroyed at the time of the Shootout. Arrests are still being made, and more will be when the other criminals involved are tracked down and apprehended. 
Ryan : Next item - Fontaine's other assets. They ARE largely proceeds from his criminal operations. They have mostly been identified and Seized, and are awaiting disposition. There probably should be a City held auction to pay for the victims filing for damages, and to recoup the City's expenses. One hopes that some of those businesses, lock, stock and barrel, will go to Citizens who can reopen them soon with the original employees. The issue with the sham Orphanages will have to be handled - I'll get to that in a moment. The other charities like the Poor Houses will be left to wither, but I've asked Langford for a plan to create some additional subsistence farming opportunities. Rapture can always use more varied agricultural production, and now as Fontaine is no longer feeding them, they might be more willing to work to feed themselves. 
Ryan : Miss Culpepper, you were to check on the legal issues with Fontaine's alleged heirs ?
Culpepper : There are none. The City Registry doesn't have much on Fontaine before he arrived here, apart from his Fishing business operation. There is no evidence of a wife, children, or any other relatives being in Rapture. There are also no investors or partners registered with more than a pittance in any of the companies Fontaine owned. Legal precedence usually has some Statutory Period for Claimants to come forward. In any case, after criminal restitution, there may be very little left to go to any possible heirs.
Ryan : How long this 'Statutory' period will last can be an Action Item for the next meeting.
Culpepper : To continue. Evidence of additional Fontaine crimes and victims keep being found. There could be a great deal of property repatriated IF the original owners or their families are still alive to make claims. Affidavits are being collected. *Shakes Head* I find it really amazing how Fontaine was able to buy-off some News Editors to cover up all his business thuggery, with reporters only NOW claiming they obtained evidence to the fact. It appears to have been through bribes and threats of violence, with some incidents of damage and injury which Fontaine apparently carried through with his threats. I had thought those Journalists would have had more courage. But then, our City Constables reputedly were compromised using many of the same tactics.
McDonagh : I would have thought some bloke, his business stolen from him, would have stuck a bleedin' shotgun in Fontaine's face and blown it off. But it seems he had that covered. I went all about the City, and Fontaine, every time I saw him, had a pack of goons about him, and nobody was allowed to get close.
Ryan : Someone doing that would have saved us and the City a lot of trouble. Anyway, as to Fontaine Futuristics, it will be a special case, for the previously mentioned reasons. Bill, you've said that all this 'Seizing' will disrupt numerous peoples' lives, putting them out of work, not to mention the ADAM production. But right now, are not all of the Fontaine's businesses in chaos ? Fontaine himself held such tight control, and most of his lackeys managing things are now in Jail. So we will soon have what you fear anyway. *Gestures at McDonagh* YOU don't like this seizure business. Are YOU then volunteering to oversee reorganizing and reopening that company, while Sullivan's boys nab the rest of Fontaine's operators ? That, again, is also AFTER Sullivan and his investigators have searched and seized all the contraband squirreled away in those facilities, and will find whatever criminal evidence is still there.
McDonagh : *Begs off* ... I'm a plumber Andrew, not an industrialist or business manager. ... Anyway, I'm already too busy with the City's maintenance headaches ( those @#%-damned Wales' leaky buildings ) and problems with the 'Diver Dans' ( *** how McDonagh refers to the City's maintenance cyborgs ).
Ryan : Alright, But it IS important that the ADAM production resume with only a minor delay. We only managed to find a few weeks supply there. After that, there will be shortages, which will only get worse. *Looks around the table* Can anyone else suggest someone to reorganize and run Fontaine Futuristics for the City ? 
Kinkaide : Sinclair might, but he is still being investigated because of his previous dealings with that company. It is a big operation, which is going to need a thorough reorganization in a very short time.
Ryan : We really cannot wait. I will put some more of my people in place to start straightening things out, and I will want to hear the names of some potential management candidates at the next meeting. So ask around. Someone must be willing to take on the challenge. They will have to deal with the building damage done by Fontaine's thugs trying to cover their tracks, and the large quantity of ADAM stolen and other things pilfered. There has been a general disruption of operations, and most of the staff is hunkered down waiting to see what happens. At least the damaged systems can be repaired, and SHOULD be stable within the week. Bill, *gestures* you should put that at the top of your priority list to be verified. 
Ryan : Perhaps later we could open up its ownership as a stock company, if that will quiet these Newsie quibblings over 'Seizure by the Council'. But FIRST, we have to fix it and get it back in operation. ADAM supplies might be adequate and stable for the moment. Doctor Suchong has been placed in charge of securing and monitoring the "Orphanages" and their charges for now. Production Status will be reported daily. Currently, at least some minimum raw ADAM is still being produced, but there is the concern that demand for ADAM is still increasing, and I doubt that a "Don't Do ADAM" public announcement campaign will do much to stop that.
Ryan : On to other things - Kyburz report from Hephaestus - "Power utilization at normal levels, Reserve Capacity is well over-margin. Other power companies report operations normal, problems nominal. No major issues with the utility grids. That one big sewer system problem near Ridgeway has been repaired, and the smell should be gone in a week."
Ryan : Other reports ? 
McDonagh : City Maintenance Report. Since last meeting, one major leak, three lessor leak incidents, one fire, and some pressure doors fouled because of refuse. All under control and repairs completed. We still need more inspectors to try to find the problems before they happen. I've refiled the request for added personnel for that job. Spares, situation is good, but the annual inventory will indicate another production supply run will have to be contracted, particularly for door actuators and sensors. There is evidence that people are making unauthorized accesses to the ventilation ducts, and I will be looking into that. That's it, Guv.
Kincaide : Rapture Transit Authority reports all traffic flow normal. A new cable line bypass is being constructed near Shady Acres to better handle the weekend crowds along to the Fort Frolic line. Fare increase to cover the cost will be nominal. No accident or interruptions of service reported for Trolley or Bathysphere systems. Routine maintenance on the Arcadia to Depot Cable will be completed before the weekend.
Ryan : Good. Cohen, not present, so no report there. That Harvest Festival oversite at Carnival no doubt is keeping him ... Preliminary details for the New Years party ... Cohen took that one last time. Pencil him in for it again.
Culpepper : Steinman's City Sanitation report is scheduled for next week.
Ryan : OK. *Stands Up* Now this whole smuggling business and the Splicer violence has shocked a lot of people, but we can be certain that things will get back to normal, now that Rapture's biggest corrupting factor has been eliminated. There doesn't seem to be evidence that the City's Secrecy was compromised in any significant way. We luckily caught it before there was a serious problem. Ryan Industry's operatives are now tracing Fontaine's surface contacts, and the matter will soon be dealt with and finished. The Fishing Fleet's and raw material haulers' activities will definitely have to be monitored more closely. We don't need another would-be crime kingpin stepping in. *Points* Add an action item for that.
Ryan : The ADAM issue is a worry, so if anyone has ideas about possible contingencies, send them to my office. Council business is declared Closed. Next meeting in three days. The El Dorado Club has a new chef, so anyone who wants to show up, Cocktails will start at the usual time.
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