Secret Government Office

Orianna2000 · Apr 20, 2013

I've got a (modern) secret government agency in London that deals with all things extraterrestrial, e.g.: tourism, trade, diplomacy, etc. It's divided into branches and this particular branch deals with both security and investigation. They deal with alien invasions, go after aliens whose visas have expired, investigate weird stuff that happens, and so forth.

Question #1. I'm trying to describe the center of operations through the eyes of a visitor. It's an open area, with a few desks and PCs in the middle of the room. There's a whiteboard and a holographic map of London. What else might there be? I need easily recognizable stuff that a visitor would notice. The organization does have access to alien technology, so I don't mind adding some advanced tech, but I'm drawing a blank as to what might be useful to them.

Question #2. I'm wondering how many people should be employed in the office. It's a small branch, but they do vital work. Considering what they do, everyone is trained in weapons and self-defense, but each has their own specialty, too. They have a linguist, a security officer, a computer tech, a medic, plus their leader. Is that enough? It's a rough job, as well as being top secret, so I imagine it's hard to find employees. Torchwood manages with just three people, and I don't want to have too many folks wandering around the building, but at the same time, I want it to feel realistic. Any thoughts?

King Neptune · Apr 20, 2013

Don't forget the file cabinets.

You might try visiting some government offices in your area and see how many people do nothing, or so little that no one notices.

If I were setting up such an office, then I would try to have more communications specialists and/or computer programmers. I would hope that they would try to have computerized translations from alien languages.

You might want to see what you can about the airline that the CIA used to run. I would think that this office would be similar in some ways, so have a front. They could be travel agents in front and alien communicators in the back.

mirandashell · Apr 20, 2013

If they are a British Government agency, they don't need a front. Their job description would be Civil Servant and they wouldn't need to say any more than that.

Oriana, do they only deal with events in London? Are there other branches in other cities? If so, they would need some sort of lists of contacts. Which is usually on paper and pinned to a board.

Is it a very sci-fi office? Like in Primaeval? Or does it look more like a normal office? More like the one in Being Human. What kind of building is it in?
Remember, the Government don't really like to spend money on offices. Unless it's a politican's.

As for those screens that you swing your fingers across..... doubt there would be one of those!

waylander · Apr 20, 2013

Bound to be a tearoom.
There would also be conference rooms for private meetings

Orianna2000 · Apr 20, 2013

King Neptune said:
Don't forget the file cabinets.

There's a separate filing room, where the MC works.

mirandashell said:
Oriana, do they only deal with events in London? Are there other branches in other cities? If so, they would need some sort of lists of contacts. Which is usually on paper and pinned to a board.

They have sister-organizations around the world, but only in large cities. I'll see about adding a memo board.

Is it a very sci-fi office? Like in Primaeval? Or does it look more like a normal office? More like the one in Being Human. What kind of building is it in?
Remember, the Government don't really like to spend money on offices. Unless it's a politican's.

The office itself is rather normal, not a lot of frills, but they have advanced alien tech, like holographic maps. The building is a three-story office building in a commercial/residential area.

ironmikezero · Apr 20, 2013

I can't believe no one has asked if you've seen the Men in Black films... They might offer some specific insights.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119654/

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120912/

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1409024/

benbenberi · Apr 20, 2013

Staffing: you probably need more communications & IT people, as mentioned above. Also: at least 1 or 2 admins to handle paperwork (it's govt, after all!), logistics, & general support. Someone who's responsible for accounts & budgets. Someone who does the PR (& coverups). Someone who manages records/archives/artifact storage. Someone in charge of the weapons. Someone to act as a dedicated liaison-to-bureaucracy/bosses. (Some of these roles can potentially be combined, of course, if you want a really minimal staff.)

Office setup: can be as posh or basic as you want. Don't forget conference setups with polycoms for conference calls, & screens/cams for videoconferencing, webmeetings, presentations, etc. If I were setting up an office like this, there would probably be a bland but nice waiting/reception area out front (with chairs, magazines, & PR brochures) for visitors & vendors, & the actual work areas with controlled access beyond it. Security locks & cameras. Supply closets. Printers/scanners/copy machines & paper supplies. Armory. Break room/tea room with fridge, microwave, water cooler, etc. Multiple whiteboards of different sorts, with erasers & markers. Detention & interrogation rooms for illegal aliens & invaders. Misc. decorative objects (or they may be functional too, if they're alien things). Tacked-up notices of blood drives, charity events, document shredding reminders, the Heimlich maneuver...

mirandashell · Apr 20, 2013

ironmikezero said:
I can't believe no one has asked if you've seen the Men in Black films... They might offer some specific insights.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119654/

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120912/

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1409024/

This is the British Government. It wouldn't look anything like that.

Orianna2000 · Apr 20, 2013

I have seen the MiB films, yes. They're what partly inspired this, along with Torchwood. The office, though, is much, much smaller, as it's only a single branch of the organization, not the entire world HQ.

benbenberi said:
Staffing: you probably need more communications & IT people, as mentioned above. Also: at least 1 or 2 admins to handle paperwork (it's govt, after all!), logistics, & general support. Someone who's responsible for accounts & budgets. Someone who does the PR (& coverups). Someone who manages records/archives/artifact storage. Someone in charge of the weapons. Someone to act as a dedicated liaison-to-bureaucracy/bosses. (Some of these roles can potentially be combined, of course, if you want a really minimal staff.)

This is a great list, thank you! The MC is hired as an office administrator and she deals with records/archives/artifact storage in her spare time. PR and coverups would be handled by someone at HQ, wouldn't it? I may have to go through and add a few background characters, just to fill up the office space.

Office setup: can be as posh or basic as you want. Don't forget conference setups with polycoms for conference calls, & screens/cams for videoconferencing, webmeetings, presentations, etc. If I were setting up an office like this, there would probably be a bland but nice waiting/reception area out front (with chairs, magazines, & PR brochures) for visitors & vendors, & the actual work areas with controlled access beyond it. Security locks & cameras. Supply closets. Printers/scanners/copy machines & paper supplies. Armory. Break room/tea room with fridge, microwave, water cooler, etc. Multiple whiteboards of different sorts, with erasers & markers. Detention & interrogation rooms for illegal aliens & invaders. Misc. decorative objects (or they may be functional too, if they're alien things). Tacked-up notices of blood drives, charity events, document shredding reminders, the Heimlich maneuver...

So far, we've got an armory and infirmary, filing room, exercise/training room, shooting range, prison cells, recreation lounge, storage room for safe artifacts, plus a high-security storage room for confiscated weapons and dangerous artifacts. On the ground floor is their cover--a temp agency--with a receptionist and waiting area. At first glance, the place appears totally normal. Well, if you excuse the holographic map of London.

mirandashell · Apr 20, 2013

Aaahhh. So it's meant to look like a commercial operation, rather than a Government office. Fair enough.

Yeah, it would look different and have most of the stuff Benben mentioned.

Rufus Coppertop · Apr 20, 2013

I reckon there'll be a noticeboard and some bright spark will have pinned up something that says, "It's difficult to soar like an eagle when you work with turkeys."

There might even be a picture of a celebrity pinned to it with a tooth blackened out by a marker pen and a caption that's only witty if you're in the know.

frimble3 · Apr 20, 2013

mirandashell said:
This is the British Government. It wouldn't look anything like that.

More like Spooks/MI-5? http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0160904/

Buffysquirrel · Apr 21, 2013

I think if any of the functions could be covered by another agency, they would be. So instead of having their own personal shooting range, they'd use the nearest police range.

shaldna · Apr 21, 2013

Orianna2000 said:
I've got a (modern) secret government agency in London that deals with all things extraterrestrial, e.g.: tourism, trade, diplomacy, etc. It's divided into branches and this particular branch deals with both security and investigation. They deal with alien invasions, go after aliens whose visas have expired, investigate weird stuff that happens, and so forth.

I've worked in government for a while. So happy to help.

Question #1. I'm trying to describe the center of operations through the eyes of a visitor. It's an open area, with a few desks and PCs in the middle of the room. There's a whiteboard and a holographic map of London. What else might there be? I need easily recognizable stuff that a visitor would notice. The organization does have access to alien technology, so I don't mind adding some advanced tech, but I'm drawing a blank as to what might be useful to them.

I'm going to assume they have already gotten past reception - usually pretty non-descript - a desk, computer, security guard, sign in book, usually in the lobby.

Assuming they get past security, I hate to burst your bubble, but Government buildings are really, really boring. They are huge office blocks with nothing exciting going on. Anything senstive - such as the set up you are describing will be well out of the normal visitor/client space that they won't see shit.

In addition, there is a 'clean desk' policy in operation in all government buildings - this means that there will be nothing on display on desks, walls, charts etc relating to day to day procedeures - so the map and whiteboard you have may be an issue. Sure, we have white boards, but any thing that isn't in the public domain is earased as soon as it's been conveyed.

Question #2. I'm wondering how many people should be employed in the office. It's a small branch, but they do vital work.

I've worked in several VERY specialised areas and you will normally have between 6 nd 10 people, depending on how big the area is.

Considering what they do, everyone is trained in weapons and self-defense, but each has their own specialty, too. They have a linguist, a security officer, a computer tech, a medic, plus their leader. Is that enough? It's a rough job, as well as being top secret, so I imagine it's hard to find employees. Torchwood manages with just three people, and I don't want to have too many folks wandering around the building, but at the same time, I want it to feel realistic. Any thoughts?

As a side note, Torchwood is a HUGE organisation - look at Ianto;s back story for clarification.

Bear in mind that government organisations are populated by civilians and you'll get a fresh perspective.

Orianna2000 · Apr 21, 2013

Buffysquirrel said:
I think if any of the functions could be covered by another agency, they would be. So instead of having their own personal shooting range, they'd use the nearest police range.

Except, they're using alien weapons, like pulse rifles. Might raise a few eyebrows at the local police range.

shaldna said:
Assuming they get past security, I hate to burst your bubble, but Government buildings are really, really boring. They are huge office blocks with nothing exciting going on. Anything senstive - such as the set up you are describing will be well out of the normal visitor/client space that they won't see shit.

Sorry, I was using the term "visitor" loosely. She's someone of interest to the organization. They're showing her around, with the intention of either wiping her memory afterward or hiring her on.

In addition, there is a 'clean desk' policy in operation in all government buildings - this means that there will be nothing on display on desks, walls, charts etc relating to day to day procedeures - so the map and whiteboard you have may be an issue. Sure, we have white boards, but any thing that isn't in the public domain is earased as soon as it's been conveyed.

I may need to change things a little. Is it possible for them to be government funded, with some government oversight, but to be at least slightly independent? I could make them totally independent, I suppose, but I wanted them to be sanctioned by the government (as in, the government knows about the aliens and allows the group to do what they need to do). I also wanted some global unity (sister organizations in various countries) and this seemed more likely if they were a government agency. There may have been some other reason I chose to make them government-run, but I can't remember at the moment.

Buffysquirrel · Apr 21, 2013

Orianna2000 said:
Except, they're using alien weapons, like pulse rifles. Might raise a few eyebrows at the local police range.

/me sneaks back into my post and adds "after hours"

.

ClareGreen · Apr 21, 2013

"What do you mean, the range is booked for two hours tomorrow, sir? It's our range!"

"Don't ask me, Sergeant. All it says here is 'booked, MI19'."

"MI19? There is no MI19."

"You're right, Sergeant. There isn't. And they haven't booked the range for two hours tomorrow."

"Yes, sir."

"And there won't be any spectators, either."

"Damn."

Cyia · Apr 21, 2013

If there are offices worldwide, then an "inside" detail might be that - instead of a contacts list - the desks are set up to match a map on the floor (one that can't be seen except with certain lighting or some such). So, their NYC liaison sits "in" NYC. Lisbon sits "in" Lisbon. Johannesburg in Johannesburg. That way it's instantly obvious to anyone in the room where a problem is by virtue of knowing that the phone is ringing or an alarm is going off in Tokyo or some such, but to the casual observer, it's simply an office with a desk taking a call.

King Neptune · Apr 21, 2013

Orianna2000 said:
I may need to change things a little. Is it possible for them to be government funded, with some government oversight, but to be at least slightly independent? I could make them totally independent, I suppose, but I wanted them to be sanctioned by the government (as in, the government knows about the aliens and allows the group to do what they need to do). I also wanted some global unity (sister organizations in various countries) and this seemed more likely if they were a government agency. There may have been some other reason I chose to make them government-run, but I can't remember at the moment.

If you are having them operate through a front, then you don't have to worry about any ordinary standards for government organizations, because they will operate as a separate entity with their own standards. You might have them operate the aegis of the Illuminati, rather than any government. Another kind of organization that might work would be a bank. Both commercial or investment banks operate in different places, and some of them seem to do little in some places. Banking would also supply them with funding that would be off the government's books, and that would explain the ared guards all over the place.

Orianna2000 · Apr 21, 2013

Cyia said:
If there are offices worldwide, then an "inside" detail might be that - instead of a contacts list - the desks are set up to match a map on the floor (one that can't be seen except with certain lighting or some such). So, their NYC liaison sits "in" NYC. Lisbon sits "in" Lisbon. Johannesburg in Johannesburg. That way it's instantly obvious to anyone in the room where a problem is by virtue of knowing that the phone is ringing or an alarm is going off in Tokyo or some such, but to the casual observer, it's simply an office with a desk taking a call.

Wow, that would be a really cool detail. I don't have an excuse to show their headquarters in this novel, but maybe I'll go there in the sequel. Right now, you only get to see the small branch that deals with security/investigations.

ECathers · Apr 21, 2013

Don't forget secretaries, a janitor and an IT guy or two who can handle both the regular systems and any alien tech.

Hendo · Apr 21, 2013

I would like to think there would be some sort of high tech scanning device for when people enter and exit. Sort of like the metal detectors and full body x-ray machines you'd find in an airport. It could help keep people from smuggling stuff in and out.

As for size of staff

They deal with alien invasions, go after aliens whose visas have expired, investigate weird stuff that happens, and so forth.

if they're going to be doing stuff like this then I think you would need several field agents as well. They would go out while others remained behind. Sort of like a detective bureau... the bureau doesn't(usually) just close down because the Detectives are out of the office working on something else.

and yes, like ECathers said... you'll need a janitor lol People tend to take them for granted. We didn't have one at my last job and HQ was always a mess. Sweeping the floors is something that really needs to be done daily. It would get so bad in the locker room that we had a Sgt. who would always sweep before his shift.

shaldna · Apr 22, 2013

Orianna2000 said:
I may need to change things a little. Is it possible for them to be government funded, with some government oversight, but to be at least slightly independent? I could make them totally independent, I suppose, but I wanted them to be sanctioned by the government (as in, the government knows about the aliens and allows the group to do what they need to do). I also wanted some global unity (sister organizations in various countries) and this seemed more likely if they were a government agency. There may have been some other reason I chose to make them government-run, but I can't remember at the moment.

There are lots of organisations that are government funded but they still have to follow the same procedures etc and are audited to the hilt - bear in mind you might have more trouble with an external body being funded due to FoI etc - and you can bet your ass that someone, somewhere is going to ask exactly what that £10m out of the block grant is being spent on.

ECathers said:
Don't forget secretaries, a janitor and an IT guy or two who can handle both the regular systems and any alien tech.

There generally aren't any secretaries any more - Ministers and some very senior civil servants may have personal secretaries, but on the whole no - they went out with the typists.

IT is outsourced, with the exception of a couple of guys who handle the day to day running of the systems.

Cleaning too is outsourced and the cleaners here work outside of office hours - so you aren't likely to ever see them.

Orianna2000 · Apr 22, 2013

Hendo said:
I would like to think there would be some sort of high tech scanning device for when people enter and exit. Sort of like the metal detectors and full body x-ray machines you'd find in an airport. It could help keep people from smuggling stuff in and out.

Good idea! I'll add a scanner to the elevator. Of course, it'll have to be alien tech. The real scanners are pretty worthless. I know a guy who smuggled a pocket knife aboard an airplane (because it had sentimental value and he'd forgotten it was in his pocket).

They hire alien refugees as janitors, since they (obviously) have clearance. You don't see them, but they are mentioned in passing.

shaldna said:
There are lots of organisations that are government funded but they still have to follow the same procedures etc and are audited to the hilt - bear in mind you might have more trouble with an external body being funded due to FoI etc - and you can bet your ass that someone, somewhere is going to ask exactly what that £10m out of the block grant is being spent on.

I did a quick search of the document for the word "government" and apparently I did not specify that they're a government agency. However, they are called the "London Extraterrestrial Home Office," a title I can't easily change because the initials work nicely: LEHO. (Pronounced "Lee-oh.") Could a non-government agency use the title "Home Office"? Or would that get them into trouble?

Actually, now that I think about it, your average American reader isn't going to know what the British "Home Office" is. I should probably find a way to change the title (hopefully while keeping the same initials) so it makes more sense to an American audience. That's going to be tricky.

Buffysquirrel · Apr 22, 2013

I think non-governmental use of "Home Office" would be severely frowned upon. It'd be considered 'passing off'.

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