Preserving Our History

Participants:

delilah_icon.gif kaylee6_icon.gif kendall_icon.gif megan_icon.gif rue_icon.gif tasha_icon.gif wright_icon.gif

Scene Title Preserving Our History
Synopsis Kaylee sends out a message to her fellow Ferrymen looking for help with preserving Polepell Island.
Date April 8, 2021

Kaylee’s Apartment - Raytech Campus


Kaylee settles at the dining room table, coffee steaming next to her, and a sleek laptop in front of her. It has taken a month to gather everything, but now it was time. Willy jumps up into her lap and headbutts her chin before curling up. Fingers brush along the curve of the cats back as she stares at the blank page. While many had kept in contact over the years, how many would really remember her?

There was only one way to find out.

Sipping her coffee first, Kaylee finally settles in and starts typing.

Preserving our history
reply by: kthatcher
date: 8 Apr 2021, 9:15am

I had an interesting conversation with my son, Carl, the other day. He handed me his history book with the tiny picture of Bannerman. He started asking questions. The history book didn’t explain much, just that the fall helps spark the war. For everything that happened there and especially that fated night, it felt… lacking.

The legacy of the Ferrymen is very important to me, I started out one of the protected and eventually became one of them. Being Ferry is a big part of who I am today. I am sure I would have been a far different person if they hadn’t taken me in. Even the island had a big impact on my life and I feel that story needs to be told clearly.

So I’m writing to you, the ranks of the former Ferrymen, to seek your help in preserving this part of our history. This country talks about us as heroes, but has relegated some of our efforts to a small footnote in history books, because of the blood stains left behind, tarnishing this country. Because of this, Pollepel Island sits neglected and forgotten. The island is littered with the bones of those massacred. Left to bleach under the sun. They deserve to be properly inturned and given their rites. In fact, as you can see in the proposal I have enclosed, we will beseech the government into creating not just a heritage site out of the island, but also the creation of a national cemetery for the Ferrymen. That way we can all be buried as the family we are.

This won’t be easy, so I’m seeking help with forming and funding a foundation, The Bannerman Memorial Fund, that will dedicate itself to the preservation of the island. Paid into and cared for by the Ferrymen and their families. This way we can tell our story fully, the way we want, and the way it should be. And I can already assure you Raytech Industries will dedicate people and donate time to helping with identification of our lost.

I don’t want that night and the sacrifices of those who died forgotten, let's preserve our legacy for generations to come.

I hope you will help. If you wish to donate, I can give you the information. If you want to be a part of the foundation, I will add you to the mailing lists. Just let me know.

Kaylee Thatcher


re: Preserving our history.
reply by: gingerhound
date: 8 Apr 2021, 2:23pm
Ms Thatcher,

I’m glad to hear from you. The Ferrymen made me who I am today. I couldn’t watch the injustice and do nothing. I can’t do that now. I would be happy to help you start up this foundation. I have funds from my Wolfhound days that I can use to help get things off the ground if there are other investors able to join in. If not, I’ll still pitch in. Even a modest effort is better than no effort at all.

What happened there, what we all did and lived through, it deserves to be talked about. I don’t care if it makes people uncomfortable. We can’t make those mistakes again, and people need to see the consequences of allowing hate to grow unchecked.

Additionally, I would like to help organize this effort. It isn’t something to be undertaken alone. Like we did in those days, let’s work together.

Please let me know what you would like our next steps to look like. You understand how busy our schedules can be, but I will make time for this and do my best to support it, whether in person or from afar.

Hope to be in touch again soon.

- Rue


re: Preserving our history.
reply by: dr_trafford
date: Apr 8 2021, 2:53pm

Yes, yes, three times yes. Of course I'll help, are you kidding? :)

I have some experience with this from helping with the Brickhouse museum and its collection! I'm sure we could do some similar work in getting items and writing for this too. Of course it's way more somber a place, but I've seen some real learning happening at the museum and I know it would all be appreciated.

We can take some cues from other locations turned historical sites. God knows there were plenty of them before the war too. It'll be sensitive, and I'm sure there will be disagreements on the contents, so I'd be happy to help field anything like that should it arise. Definitely expecting some pushback somewhere along the line, you know?

What a fantastic project, I am so speechless at the attachments here, the concepts and everything. I hope there can be a real leap!

─=≡Σ((( つ•̀ω•́)つLET’SGO!

Delilah T.


re: Preserving our history.
reply by: RadMaenad
date: 8 April 2021, 3:19pm

Good afternoon,

I was forwarded your email by Rue Lancaster. While I don’t think we ever met while we were at Bannerman’s, I did get to see you tackle a gun-toting robber at the Halloween Gala! Which was amazing, by the way. I was with Wolfhound, the one in the bull skull mask. Wright Tracy. Sorry I did that all out of order.

Anyway my partner and I (he was napping in the infirmary the whole time so you probably didn’t meet him either (Elliot)) would love to help however we can. Let me know how we can help.

Wright (I feel like the signature should be at the top so you know who’s emailing you because my email address is weird?)


re: Preserving our history
reply by: N.Renard_Lazzaro
date: 8 Apr 2021, 4:30 pm

Kaylee (and Friends!)

It is always lovely to hear from you. This is an undertaking that I feel is very worthy and I’d be happy to donate as well as contribute time and effort to it. Most of you know I am now a lawyer, and as such, I would like to offer my services, pro bono, to handle the legal matters that will arise in doing something like this. There are a lot, and I don’t want to bore you with the details nor deter you from the endeavor, — it can be done, but paperwork is daunting and better to have someone you knows how to navigate the system.

Thanks for starting this up. I’d be happy to talk to you more about it in person, anytime, as well.

Best,

Tasha Renard-Lazzaro


re: Preserving our history.
reply by: M.Young (myoung)
date: 8 Apr 2021, 4:55 pm

I think what you're doing is a good idea. It is time we were able to return there and give a proper burial to those who remained at the end. I'm happy to donate my time and what funds I can to the attempt. Perhaps I'll even manage to wrangle our resident Old Goat into volunteering his hands as well… after all, the Ferry as an organization of cells was his brainchild. ;)

Let me know what I can actually do to help out. Those days at Bannerman are still vivid in my mind. And I would like it if the legacy of those who kept people safe as long as they could and stood up to Evil on that island are remembered. You give your miracle a hug for me.

Nurse Meg (Ratched of Bannerman)


re: Preserving our history.
reply by: xxEphemerisxx
date: 9 Apr 2021, 6:15pm

Heeeey, it's Kendall! I heard about this and for one, awesome. For two, you can't stop me from helping out even if you tried!

Matter of fact, I'll even be willing to sell some pictures in the store, if that's ok. Not sure what yet, but maybe drawings of the publically known safehouses before they were, uh… destroyed. Or maybe portraits of some of the ones who aren't around anymore. That's probably the best I could do. But if that isn't a good idea I can try and come up with other things.

So cool you wanna kickstart this! The memories there may have not been the best, all things considered, but they're still very important.

LMK when you need me and I'll jump right in!

~Kendall


Preserving our history
reply by: kthatcher
date: 8 Apr 2021, 11:02pm

Thank you each and everyone of you that has responded so far. It gives me hope that we can make this happen.
I admit when I first set out to do this, I wasn’t sure how folks would take it. It wasn’t one of the best moments in the history of our country, but I feel like you can’t hide the mistakes of the past lest they be repeated again.

Next step is to go back there and assess the island. I’ll be in touch soon.

Until then keep spreading the news.

Sincerely,
Kaylee Thatcher

Kaylee re-reads her email again, giving a small nod when satisfied, and clicks send. It was a better response than she expected for the first day, with hope in the days to come more of the Ferrymen would get this message and join in the endeavor.


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