CITY ADMINISTRATOR Zahra Goudarzi, City Eighteen - "The Iranian Socialite"

[ClapTrap]

"Reap the benefits of your loyalty; it is only a taste of what's to come through faith in the Union!"
- Administrator Zahra Goudarzi, 2018



Zahra Goudarzi was never a stranger to the intricacies of politics. Born in the heart of Iran in the year 1960, seven years after the Iranian coup d’etat, Zahra was the first and only daughter to be conceived into a wealthy family, her siblings consisting of six older brothers, who always teased and picked on her for being the sole woman in a family of men. Her father, an exceedingly popular painter, would host elite and extravagant parties at their palace, many attendees being in high standing with the shah of the time. Despite her obvious curiosity and interest in the politics of her country, Zahra found it near impossible to hold a serious dream of ever becoming involved professionally, as Iran had a notorious lack of woman suffrage to allow her any possibility of holding any sort of office, especially with the ever-changing political climate within the country. It wasn’t until the end of 1978, with the bloody escalation of the Iranian Revolution, that Zahra and her family would flee the country to the United States of America, Zahra only being eighteen at the time.​

Still holding a deep appreciation and hunger for politics, Zahra would dutifully work towards becoming a U.S. citizen and, given enough time, relentless effort, and her father’s supportive bankroll, eventually earn a doctorate in ‘International Relations’ at the age of twenty-eight. Due to her innately strong work ethic and perspective of professionalism, Zahra had a rather difficult time attempting to truly connect with most people on a personal level. Though she is exceptionally skilled in public speaking, it tends to translate somewhat poorly when speaking individually, at times sounding condescending to the person being spoke to. Nevertheless, her clear show of experience, list of contacts from networking, and schooling qualifications would finally net her a job in the ‘United Nations’ as a senior political affairs officer for Africa, Central America, Eastern Europe, and Asia, stapling her spot in New York City. A year after moving, Zahra’s father would pass away due to heart failure. Having proved the most successful out of the entire family, he left a will that would grant Zahra majority inheritance of his wealth during his years of painting, much to the dismay and outrage of her brothers. All contact Zahra had with her family would die with her father, as she had never been particularly fond of her siblings. As a result of her personal ostracization, Zahra grew to be somewhat bitter and hesitant to the feelings of others, which only sharpened her ability to make harsh decisions for the sake of accomplishing certain goals, somewhat dulling her sense of empathy. Despite quickly climbing the ranks of her occupation and reaching the position of Security Council, Zahra found herself wanting more out of her duties during her years of working under the U.N.. She felt as though she hadn’t yet been pushed to her absolute limits and knew she was capable of achieving a role with more effective reach in power, at least someday. But for now, she was content.

It wasn’t until the year 2004 that the Combine would invade Earth and set every human government and political structure ablaze. Within a matter of seven hours, all sense of order and control of humanity would be lost to the superior number and technological advantage of the alien invaders. After managing to survive an almost total destruction of New York City due to the onslaught of Combine forces, Goudarzi would inevitably be grouped with all other political leaders of the state and be put under intense scrutiny. The overall governing structure of the world had been completely reset and was in desperate need of new leaders to guide both the will of the Union and humanity as a whole, causing a stir of fire and reinvigoration of interests within Zahra’s mind. Proving to be particularly exceptional in her field of knowledge and expertise in leadership, Zahra would serve as a temporary leader in the reconstruction and order in the otherwise ruined state and metropolitan area. Due to showing immense loyalty and dedication to the cause of the Combine over the years, Zahra would inevitably be moved to the newly constructed Union structure of City Eighteen, a city located in Odense, Denmark.

Once a bare-bones residential city, Eighteen would prove to show limitless potential as a result of its proximity to the twinning city of Thirty-Five. Zahra, having been placed into an administrative council for the growing city, was the first to point out both the clear geographical distance and difference between the neighboring cities, inciting a push for the city to exceed in loyalism in an attempt to provide a role model for newly developing cities all over the globe during an era of uncertainty and resistance to change. City Eighteen needed to prove to any doubters that leniency to the rule of the Union would prove fruitful to anybody willing to follow them. Through a vigorous campaign, consent in Thirty-Five’s already overcrowded production being amped up, and the faith of the residents of Eighteen, Zahra’s initiative would prove overwhelmingly successful, much to the dismay of the residents living within Thirty-Five. High ranking loyalists and officials that had been living within Eighteen showed enormous backing for the council, more particularly Zahra for the speeches in which she conducted regularly, one of the more remembered ones being towards the tail-end of her campaigning with many saying that it solidified her place as the inevitable administrator to the city:

“My fellow residentiaries, it has come to my understanding that many residing within the safe walls of City Eighteen remain skeptics to the will of the Universal Union and its intentions on guiding us towards a more hopeful path we ourselves never could have fathomed. While it is intrinsic to human nature to ask these questions that hold worries during times of uncertainty, allow me to try and ease these concerns with a modicum of facts that show that the intent of our Benefactors isn’t to cause us harm or even ‘keep us down’, but to permit us to truly embrace a side of our humanity that was once a rare commodity in our day-to-day lives, this being a grand sense of overall purpose and true unity as a species. Throughout humanity’s consistent course of history, leading from the days of our inception all the way to the twenty-first century, one particular trait has held true to society without fail. Conflict.

Conflict is an innate part of us that has plagued humanity since our earliest days, a vehemence we as a species are still struggling with today. Our progress as a society was slow and hampered by the prospect of those looking out for only themselves and their pockets through means of violence and greed. Those who only care for their fill and their fill alone and are willing to do anything to achieve their goals, even if it means stepping on the innocence of others. It was an endless cycle of events that would never cease, had we not been graciously pulled apart from one another like rabid dogs mauling over the last tinge of scraps we had left ourselves in. We, as a species, were put on full reset for our own sake. For the sake of us preventing ourselves from utter annihilation and extinction by our very own hands. I ask you, if the Universal Union are as malice as many ignorantly imply, why would they have ever given us a second chance? A spotlight from the stars to gift us the vision to look back on our history and see the direction we were heading in had we continued. If that is not the very definition of ‘divine-intervention’, then I ask you: what is?

Do not waste this gift bestowed upon us by looking for a new target and reset our cycle of violence. Cease the opportunity to respect your fellow man and look out for one another. Hold yourselves loyal to that of the Union and the peace that comes with it. Only then will we reap the fruits of our labor and live among each other as one. As a Universal Union.”

It was not long after for Zahra’s streak of success to catch the eye of the Combine’s governing forces and allow her to surpass the council, ceasing her position as the primary administrator of City Eighteen at the age of fifty-five.​