Mrs O'Hare
Mrs O'Hare is a 'teaching consultant' on O'Neill Station. This means she is paid consultancy rather than full-time staff rates, and in theory could be fired with minimum notice. The reason for this is so that the staff can be claimed to only be 'attractive young women'. There is practically no chance that Mrs O'Hare ("I don't use my first name") will be fired, as she is so critical to the use of The Machine.
Mrs O'Hare was contacted by Arthur as she was a teacher friend that his aunt knew, and both lived in Dublin, Eire. Her husband had left her, and she was 'terminally shy', almost afraid to leave her own house. However, she was brilliant at personal instruction, in clear English diction, writing and presentation skills. Originally she trained to be an actress, but that ended because she could not overcome her fear of audiences. Arthur wanted to use her skills to train staff for O'Neill Station.
She had been giving Rod (Arthur's assistant) some free instruction, after hours, in the premises Arthur was using to build The Machine. Mrs O'Hare had been paid to talk into an experimental 'teaching machine' that Arthur'd waved-up, from an old dicta-phone and a teleprinter. Unfortunately, he'd junked that project, as it seemed to be going no where.
Arthur had a premonition, and when he checked there were Mrs O'Hare, and Rod, slumped under old-style hair driers, no sign of the partitions that previously hid the workshop, an immense machine looming behind them. They quickly revived, and Mrs O'Hare seemed far less timid than she often was. Rod opening his mouth was the big surprise. His stutter was totally gone, and he spoke with Mrs O'Hare perfect diction. Mrs O'Hare strode across, picked up the exercise book, and thrust it at Rod. Word perfect.
Rod said he was jumpy about leaving home the next couple of days, and while his stammer remained gone, his speech mostly returned to normal, but with a clearer accent. Mrs O'Hare said they'd not seen the machine, just a couple of old hair driers, and she'd told Rod how she always used to feel relaxed under them. Then things got strange.
After a further 'accident' (likely influenced by The Machine) it was discovered that Mrs O'Hare was a critical part of a process that could take reasonably fit normal women and make them glamorous. Every time this is done Mrs O'Hare finds her agrophobia weakens, at temporarily, for a few days.
The now-named "Hollywood Machine" was moved up to O'Neill Station, and after a little thought she accepted the long-term consultancy job. With little to spend it on her bank balance is looking very healthy. She ensures she takes regular holidays, and is (carefully) exploring Fenspace. Note that an NDA prevents her from talking about her job, or even where she works. It is possible, at least sometimes, that an Angel might shadow her to ensure she is OK (Sarah is most likely).
Mrs O'Hare is a secondary character, though she is vital to operation of Arthur's Hollywood Machine.
