"I see. You should know that you'll probably be required to supply more information if you want to join the Protectorate." She scans the form. "...Is it the case that you have lost your memories from before you acquired powers? That is a very rare but documented pattern. We can help you establish a new legal identity, if you affirm that you've lost yours irrecoverably. As opposed to - being from another country or something."

"I don't want to talk about where I came from with strangers including by either making that assertion or asserting that it's false. If that's make-or-break, then thank you for your time."

It will be make-or-break eventually in the process! Unless Cam can be convinced to pretend this is a cape identity for the sake of procedure, which is the normal way to get the PRT to stop asking, or falls under one of many many exceptional cases (she's not cleared to know most of them even exist). Her job (neatly summarized in this intake conversation flowchart!) is to learn as much about him as he's willing to divulge before he walks out, if he does do that.

"I didn't say that, I was only trying to help. People are often not aware there are others like them or that there are established procedures for various cases, and it's my job to check if you belong to one of those."

"Alright, moving on. They put down that you're already familiar with your powers and are considering joining the Protectorate or one of its affiliate programs. Do you already know what you're going for, or should I give you an overview of what-all is there? If you're willing to describe your powers to me, or describe what you'd like to get out of working with us, I could make a more informed recommendation."

"I can make things. That's the biggest one. I have a rate limit and a range limit but they are both huge. This has everyday practical applications such as chairs," he appears one and sits on it, "but also industrial, medical, and forensic ones. I know how to use my powers in their medical applications but can't prove it and my bedside manner is unpracticed. I made my own wings and tail. If other people want wings, tails, et cetera, I can do that, but flying is pretty tiring and I am relying on secondary powers to make it work for me; probably lots of secondary powers could do it though.

"I am fluent in sixty-eight languages, mostly popular ones but including some oddities and some nobody else on the planet has, but lack any special advantage at picking up new ones from here. My accent will be pretty strange in a few of those, most notably Portuguese.

"I believe myself to be physically indestructible, which is distinct from invulnerable in some ways - you can cut me but you won't cut me any deeper with a meat cleaver than you will with a piece of paper. I heal within seconds when injured even to that level. Relatedly I do not need to perform any conventional biological function, though I am at my most content when I do some of them most of the time - sleep I skip for weeks on end but am most comfortable doing so with caffeine.

"I am not a Tinker but I do have a repertoire of technology that is not conventionally available that I can make; I expect it to tolerate reverse-engineering in terms of figuring out how it works as well as you'd expect if it had been invented the normal way, but some of it might not admit of non-powers-based manufacture or economical fueling, as though it were invented in a context where powers like mine were very common."

There is not, in fact, a combination of boxes she can tick on the form that will lead the Intake flowchart to conclude Cam is claiming to be from another Earth with more advanced technology. There is also no option for 'obviously lying' - well, there are many options, but they would require her to get a completely different form and start over. 

Luckily, her job is only to write it all dutifully down and to check the boxes saying 'Thinker (unverified)', 'Brute', 'wrong about powers' and 'PRIORITY'. (But not the 'URGENT' one, or the little button under her desk.) 

"...wow. Alright! So, there are several primary programs you could apply to. One is obviously to join the Protectorate. The Protectorate focuses on national security, combatting supervillains and other parahuman-caused threats and coordinating Endbringer defense. They can make use of most any parahuman powers, and they can second you to another branch if they conclude you're best used there. Because of that flexibility, you wouldn't be as certain where you might be assigned a year from now or what you'd work on, unless you negotiate something else in your contract, but you know you'd be doing good, work that matters. You'd be an employee of the United States Government with everything that entails, full employment benefits, the works."

"Protectorate heroes are the ones the public hears about. You get to interact with the people you're serving and in many cases saving, you can have your work appreciated your picture in the Times and fans sending you flowers. If being appreciated and interacting with people motivates you, consider joining the Protectorate! But remember that your mistakes - and everyone makes mistakes sometimes - would also be public sometimes."

"Next, focusing on the making things and technology aspect, you could apply to work in R&D. There are many specializations and laboratories; the options on offer will depend on the results of powers testing. Or you could become a materials or equipment supplier; there are programs meant for Tinkers whose machines produce mundane materials and objects which the PRT can vet. They usually work as external contractors supplying particular things, and you could also do that in addition to being employed in R&D or another program. The PRT has its own requirements, obviously, but we also work with other government agencies, so we find ourselves buying a wide range of things that aren't available on the market, or not as cheaply. We also resell some of these to trusted partners, if your power needs something in particular to make things."

"The last option that I think is relevant is to join a Thinker program. I'm not sure what your abilities there are, you mentioned something about forensics? And whatever aspect of your power lets you know so many languages. Again, it would depend on power testing and an interview. You'd work with other Thinkers, you would be exposed to at least mildly classified material and need a corresponding security clearance. Does any of these three sound like the obvious track to pursue for you?"

"I suspect I can't get a security clearance as long as I only want to discuss my personal background with my personal friends, does that sound right to you?"

"That's right." Tracy doesn't actually have a security clearance herself, but she assumes it includes questions such as 'are you a foreign national'. "What about the other two?"

"I am not really excited about Cops And Robbers With A Bodycount. It would also dovetail poorly with the fact that, flight aside, I'm not very steady on my feet and fall over a lot. I would make a fine thing-supplier, though."

Note note. "Alright. Are you potentially interested in a full-time job in R&D, or only as an external contractor? For example, if you make something that requires reverse-engineering, are you interested in taking part in that and do you have training or power abilities that would help? Employees participate in the actual scientific research and in engineering and manufacture, and they get many more opportunities to interact with each other and learn about different projects and potentially join them. ...some projects require a security clearance, but not all of them.  And of course there are all the usual perks of having an actual job, with an office and social benefits."

"Contractors usually settle on whatever they're best at - or have narrowly applicable powers to begin with - sign one or a few delivery contracts, and change them relatively infrequently. This is also because the PRT has to assume responsibility for whatever we buy from you and this is more complicated if you're not an employee we can tell to do something differently without renegotiating a whole contract. And suppliers might only need to interact with us to make regular deliveries, which would leave you with more free time."

"I can explain most of my exotic technology but not all of it and cannot demonstrate any credential that would justify me knowing. Can I see whatever you have as a boilerplate contract for employees?"

Sure! Counting the appendices, it's 186 pages long in 11-point text.

"Do you have a while?"

"This meeting slot is until the end of the hour, and you can schedule a followup if you'd like to think about your options and come back."

"Well, without reading a word I still feel like I have learned a lot about what you guys are like to work for."

"I'm glad I could help you! Do you have any questions, or more details you'd like to hear?"

The customer service voice is impenetrable; he can’t even tell if she’s being sarcastic.

"If I wait around long enough could I try meeting someone with just, like, a completely different style, of doing your job, on the off-chance that helps?"

"...I'm sorry, helps with what?" She's not going to ask what he means about her 'style' or if he's accusing her of being unprofessional or what, it never helps.

"With me not just, uh, leaving to reconsider warlordism in Africa rather than doing more of this."

"I don't understand what - you're complaining about, or what you want." Also she's about to press the button for SECURITY under her desk because a cape suddenly threatening to become a warlord completely out of the blue isn't not scary.

In Africa, not in the Bronx! "I am finding the process here tedious and sterile, and that's sort of what I expected, but it'd be more bearable with a guide to the system who does not themself act tedious and sterile. I would have tried having this conversation over the phone in the first place so you could more easily transfer me, but if I make a phone it doesn't come with non-emergency service to the existing telephony network."

Is that... some kind of special needs, like autism or something? Tracy tries to find something in her mental flowchart that would let her shunt this conversation to firmer ground.

"You can schedule a phone appointment for your next meeting," she tries. "Prepaid phones are available in kiosks. Or - you could have a friend or family member come in to negotiate with or for you, or hire a legal representative that you find it easier to work with."

"I do not have any available friends, family members, or legal tender, and if I so much as sell a violin to a pawn shop, it's illegal. - look, what do you do for the people who pop up with no memories, is the process for them something I should consider piggybacking on?"

Flip flip flip. "We can create a new legal identity for them, so that they can open bank accounts and so on. Help them register them with the appropriate government services. But since you're not claiming to have lost your memories, you'd be ineligible because... well, the process assumes you don't have a legal identity, such as in another country. If you do, then the appropriate process would be immigration."

"Is there someone I can talk to who is" smarter "perhaps empowered to implement new processes?"

"What?" What? Implementing whole new processes takes months at best and requires sign-off from so many higher-level managers! What is even this guy's problem?

"...no," she settles on.