galactic_conman

RISK ANALYSIS: Williams, Rhys
Author: Harkness, J

Rhys has been an ongoing concern for Torchwood Two since Gwen Cooper joined the team. Gwen, if you are reading this - which I know you will, even though I told you not to - I make no apologies for anything I wrote here. Shout at me all you want. You're cute when you get angry. Not a major concern, but something we have to keep in mind at all times. Unlike the rest of the staff here at the Hub, Gwen has maintained something approaching a normal life outside her work for Torchwood. This was on my recommendation, as Gwen's empathy has been a huge asset in investigations and interviews. Part of this normal life is her fiancée - Rhys.

Although Rhys has been pretty frustrated by the demands of Gwen's work at times, he's used to her not being able to tell him about work: he hasn't pushed her to go into any details and seems to have swallowed what she's told him.

Like a lot of civilians, Rhys is an ordinary guy who likes his ordinary life and doesn't really want to believe in aliens: he's one of those people who believes that recent sightings of alien activity were caused by terrorists putting psychotropic drugs in the water supply.

I sent a selection of our surveillance of Rhys to a UNIT medical officer (Yeah, yeah, Gwen), who more or less confirmed what I said here. Rhys is classed as low-risk, unlikely to encroach on Torchwood's work and is certainly no threat to the security of our operations. Ordinary precautions, keeping him at arm's length from everything we do, should be enough to keep it that way.

--

"Mum's The Word!"
A Guide to Keeping Official Secrets

Congratulations! You've got a new job helping to protect our planet from alien aggressors. It's exciting and you probably just can't wait to tell you friends and family. But wait!

It is essential that no civilians know the details of your work, or that it concerns alien life. That includes all family members, even spouses. From day one you will have to hold back much of the truth about what you do.
WHAT DO I TELL THEM?

We usually recommend that you claim to be working for a counter-terrorist department, and that the details of this are likewise largely classified. To help you make this convincing, our Fiction department is continually generating details of fabricated counter-terrorist operations. Let them know if you would like to receive their weekly newsletter. Should you need a more elaborate cover story for a specific situation, they will be happy to help. You can also ask your immediate superior about our Truth Management workshops, where you can learn to be more effective in misinformation.
WHAT IF I HAVE LET SOMETHING SLIP?

Don't panic.

Did they notice? You will be surprised how often they don't. Hundreds of people fail to notice evidence of alien activity every day.

Can you cover for it easily? You may be able to pass it off as fatigue. More major errors can be explained by feigning mental illness. We can supply a doctor's note to state that you are delusional, for example.

At the first opportunity, make a note of their personal details and those of anybody else who might have heard. Pass these on to the Information Security Office.

If the situation is not recoverable, we have treatments which can induce amnesia. These are most effective if administered as soon as possible, so do not delay if you think it is necessary. However, you should not treat this as an easy fix, as over-use can cause problems. Prevention is better than cure!

WHAT IF SOMEONE IS BEING A PERSISTENT PROBLEM?

Most of us at some point encounter someone who asks too many questions and simply won't be dissuaded, whatever you do. This is not your fault. If you think someone may need special attention, speak to the ISO and they will decide whether further action is appropriate, up to and including 'disappearing' the person in question.

It should be noted that there are severe penalties for abuse of any Information Security mechanisms. Never try to have someone 'disappeared' for personal reasons.
"Mum's the Word!"

--

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

snakeling

Let them know if you would like to receive their weekly newsletter.
Torchwood has a weekly newsletter? ... *dies laughing*

Part of this normal life is her fiancée - Rhys.
Not sure whether that's you or the BBC, but it really should be "fiancé". :)

galacticconman.livejournal.com

I just copy and paste

Then it's the BBC. For shame! :D

1 E is masculinE, 2 Es is fEmininE :) It's always the first e that's accented, and apostrophes have nothing to do here. (Seriously, I've seen fiancee', which just makes no sense whatsoever.)