September 2146

2 September 2146
ANCHOR: The Spiral – under attack again. The enormous VR-tefact that came to life last week has had its Net area sabotaged for the second time. But once again the Spiral reappeared instantaneously somewhere else. Our NetWatch commentator Ay-Eye had these observations.

AY-EYE: Everyone's asking: What is the Spiral? Who wrote its program? What does it represent? What does its slow but steady growth mean? Fascinating questions... but I'm more interested in who would try to destroy it. These incidents aren't pranks. They're sophisticated electronic assaults. But why attack a VR-tefact that has no discernible purpose? Note, I said "discernible purpose". Someone out there knows – or thinks they know – the Spiral's purpose... and feels threatened by it. Threatened enough to try to destroy it.

3 September 2146
ANCHOR: Despite the fact that it has no digital version, and that its author refused to promote it on the Net, To Serve Tau has become the number one best-selling book in the world. FTL's pop-culture commentator Benjamin Droid offers his unique view of the phenomenon.

DROID: To Serve Tau... hmmm... that has a familiar ring. I remember an old Twilight Zone where these aliens came to Earth and all they wanted was to make humans happy. They ended war and hunger and made Earth a Paradise. Their leader carried this book called To Serve Man. Sort of sounds like the Taus, dontcha think? I mean, Elaina comes back from Europa with this symbol and writes this book, To Serve Tau, that's supposed to solve all our problems. Trouble is, in the sci-fi story, To Serve Man was a cookery book! (conspiratorially) So if there's a Tau in the kitchen, think twice before ordering "French fries" or "Irish stew". (raises hand) Check please!

4 September 2146
ANCHOR: Prin Toller was sworn in as Chancellor of the EC today. He is the first Tauist to gain such a high position in a combine. Georges Favreau was forced to bring him into his government in response to the explosive growth of Tauism in the EC. Elaina Koblatz was present at the swearing in. We asked her afterwards about the spread of the Tau movement.

KOBLATZ: We are growing. Tau cells are springing up all over the globe... more slowly in Israel and the Islamic Federation, it's true, but soon we will be represented everywhere.

ANCHOR: Any political aspirations for yourself, Elaina? Would you like to lead a Combine someday?

KOBLATZ: Lead a Combine? No, I assure you, I have no desire to lead a Combine.

5 September 2146
ANCHOR: Elaina Koblatz's best-seller, To Serve Tau, has been available for less than a month, and already it is having a cultural impact. Tau followers all over the world are removing their children from virtual classrooms and placing them in Taugartens modelled after the schools detailed in To Serve Tau. Tau apologist Bernice Lenstein explains.

LENSTEIN: As you know, some of my best friends are Taus, and these enlightened people are simply removing their children from Net-based schools in preparation for the day when there is no Net.

ANCHOR: But by limiting their education tools to paper, pencils, and chalkboards, aren't you cutting them off from the whole universe of knowledge available on the Net?

LENSTEIN: It's a cornerstone of Tau philosophy that how you learn is just as important as what you learn. Fascinating, aren't they?

6 September 2146
ANCHOR: The global popularity of Tauism is recognized as a sociological phenomenon. We asked Elaina Koblatz to explain the basic tenets of the movement.

KOBLATZ (she speaks this arrant nonsense with dreamy but unswerving conviction): Tau is the symbol of our inner selves but it is also the road to our destiny. The Seven Steps to High Tau will lead us away from the stifling electroverse of the VR Net back to the reality of Earth itself. And it is through that reality that we will contact the greater consciousness that waits outside us, that calls to us from the stars. The path to High Tau will unblock our ears so that we may hear that call. Hear... and follow.

ANCHOR: Critics of Tauism have called it mystical Luddite gibberish.

KOBLATZ (a slow smile): Tau is not for everyone. Only the chosen can hear the call.

9 September 2146
ANCHOR: Is Ti'm a him? Ti'm watchers around the world have always assumed that to be the case, but the latest word from Kevorkian Medical Center has cast doubt on that assumption. Dr SamIam Greinechs explains.

GREINECHS (not quite sure how to phrase this): Well, you see, Ti'm is genetically a male, but anatomically, he's neither.

ANCHOR: Are you saying he's a hermaphrodite?

GREINECHS: Not at all. A true hermaphrodite has characteristics of both sexes. Ti'm has neither. At least not yet. It may be a case where he'll develop those characteristics later in life. But since he does have that Y-chromosome, I think it's accurate to refer to Ti'm as a "him."

BIMBETTA (cooing to the bundle in her arms): I don't care if you're a her or a him, you're my Ti'm. Yes, you are! Yes, you are!

10 September 2146
ANCHOR: What's it like to have a half-human/ half-alien baby around the house? Jay Cypherman has given Bimbetta and Ti'm the use of his luxury flondo since Tau protesters threatened the infant, so he should know. How about it, Jay? Is Ti'm a good house guest?

CYPHERMAN: I don't know... (mimics M'ti) "I never had a baby before." (laughs) Seriously though, it's really no problem. Ti'm is a very considerate house guest. The only time he makes a peep is when he's hungry. And then – wow – does he peep.

BIMBETTA: And Jay has been a marvellous host. Whatever we want he– (Jay does an exaggerated startle reaction to an ear piercing SHRIEK) Oops! He's hungry!

CYPHERMAN (an edgy smile): That was the "peep" I was mentioning. When he– (Another reaction to a second SHRIEK)

11 September 2146
ANCHOR: Elaina Koblatz announces a political agenda for the Tau movement.

KOBLATZ: As you all know, Tauism and the Net cannot coexist – will not coexist. The Net needs the ongoing support of the Combines. We Taus have asked the Combines – we have petitioned them daily – to withdraw their support from the VR Net. But have they listened?

CROWD (off stage): NO!

KOBLATZ: The only solution, then, is to take control of the Combines. For that purpose, I am establishing the Tau Fund, which will contribute to the campaign of any Tauist running for office in any Combine in the world. As an example to all of you, I am donating all royalties from my book to the fund. (wild CHEERING from crowd) If we can't be heard in the Combines, we will become the Combines! (more mad CHEERING)

12 September 2146
ANCHOR: "What are you wearing to the Tau meeting?" That seems to be the question among politically active Taus as they attend the instructional sessions run by their local cell. Better dress up, because you never know when you'll run into a celebrity. FTL caught award-winning holo star Kendall leaving the Hollywood Island meeting.

KENDALL: Oh, yeah. It's given, like, so much meaning to my life. I'm sayin' I didn't really know, like, who I was until I was introduced to Tau.

ANCHOR: And now you know?

KENDALL: Right. Now I'm a Tau – that's who I am. It feels so good to belong to something bigger than myself. With Tauism guiding my career, I know the sky's the limit. I'm so totally grateful I'm giving half of all I own to the Tau Fund.

13 September 2146
ANCHOR: The dark side of the Tau movement was revealed from the Net today by Maria Gonzales.

GONZALES: We Noomans have traced the deadly feedback that killed the BioMerge users to its source. And that source bears this symbol. (A tau appears above her upheld palm)

ANCHOR: Datacaptain Gill Bates of the Net Police has already taken action.

BATES: We followed tips provided by the Noomans and traced the programming of the feedback surge to a console located in the office of a Tau cell in Düsseldorf. We've since determined that this same console has been used to shut down areas of the Net where the Spiral was located.

ANCHOR: Any arrests, Captain?

BATES: Not yet. As typical when dealing with Tauists, nobody knows anything.

16 September 2146
ANCHOR: Still no arrests in the BioMerge deaths, despite the fact that the deadly feedback has been traced to a Tau cell in Düsseldorf. Tau apologist Bernice Lenstein comments.

LENSTEIN: No arrests? Of course not! Look, these Taus aren't a threat. Why, I always have two or three over whenever I throw a party. Fascinating people. I'll bet those Noomans planted the evidence. They hate Tauism because Taus are against the VR Net.

ANCHOR: Well, the Noomans do live in the Net. If it's brought down, where will they go?

LENSTEIN: Why, back to their bodies, where they belong.

ANCHOR: What about those Noomans whose bodies were murdered by Taus?

LENSTEIN (defensively): That was never proven. (blithely) But as for the bodiless ones, I'm sure they can find someplace to go. Be creative. Maybe share a body with another Nooman.

17 September 2146
ANCHOR: Is romance in the air? Except for rare appearances on LateNet, Bimbetta Mondaine has kept pretty much to herself since accepting Jay Cypherman's offer of his luxury flondo as a haven from the public's consuming curiosity about her child. But lately she and Jay have been spotted sharing tables for two at exclusive night spots. FTL caught them outside the Asteroid Cafe. Well, don't you two look like... a couple.

JAY: Actually, we're just good friends.

BIMBETTA: Very good friends. We've really gotten to know each other since Ti'm and I moved in. And now that Ti'm is old enough to be left with a nanny, we thought we'd get to know each other even better.

ANCHOR: Any thought on making this a permanent arrangement?

JAY: Oh, it's a bit too early for that.

BIMBETTA: Do you really think so? I don't think so. (Jay - a confirmed bachelor - reacts with a queasy smile)

18 September 2146
ANCHOR: Not everyone is excited about the budding romance between Bimbetta Mondaine and Jay Cypherman.

EPP: I'm not sure this is such a good thing. I mean, I'm happy for Bimbetta, of course. I know she's been lonely since M'ti passed on, but I wonder if a showbiz environment is good for little Ti'm.

ANCHOR: You're still managing endorsements for Ti'm?

EPP: That's right. I'm sifting all the offers, and believe me, we're getting lots of them - dozens per day. But I'm only considering products that will be consistent with Ti'm's image. Can't be too careful about that.

ANCHOR: And this response from Jay Cypherman.

JAY: Well, Perry's entitled to his opinion, of course. But as for managing Ti'm's endorsements... maybe that's something my people can handle better.

19 September 2146
ANCHOR: Will Madeline Clarke run again? Here's the NAU President's reply.

CLARKE: The election isn't until next spring! Please, let's not start campaign talk now. There's too much left to do this year.

ANCHOR: But Kyle Swann was more to the point.

SWANN: Who is she kidding? Of course she's going to run again. It's in her blood. But let me tell you: four more years of Madeline Clarke will mean disaster. (Ticks off on fingers) We got a new Combine; we've got a political and monetary crisis in the EC; we've got Net sabotage; we've got the Noomans; and it seems half of humanity has gone Tau crazy. We need a fresh approach to this rapidly changing world, and... I never thought I'd hear myself say this... (swallows) I am declaring myself a candidate for the Presidency of the NAU.

20 September 2146
ANCHOR: Since Kyle Swann tossed his virtual hat into the presidential ring yesterday, reaction has been swift... and divided. Here are two differing views from the EC.

FAVREAU: Kyle Swann as President of the NAU? It is absurd! Why, just a few years ago, he was a hunted criminal. I know he was pardoned – by Madeline Clarke herself, I should remind you – but to expect to go from rebel insurgent to president... C'est incroyable!

TOLLER: I believe Kyle Swann would be a quantum leap in quality from Madeline Clarke... if he would embrace Tau.

ANCHOR: An FTL Flashpoll shows that if the election were held today, President Clarke would easily defeat Kyle Swann. It also shows, however, that if Elaina Koblatz were in the race, she'd run away with the election.

23 September 2146
ANCHOR: Mass murder in orbit! The peace and tranquillity of the exclusive Sun-Ra resort in the O'Neill belt was interrupted by the brutal murder of 12 vacationers by one of their fellow tourists. After spending the morning floating within the resort's no-grav ocean, the as-yet unidentified perpetrator – a middle-aged woman who was vacationing alone – surfaced and began stabbing anyone nearby with a piece of razor sharp coral. The briny bubble of ocean churned red with blood as panicked floaters fled the vicinity. After killing 12 of her fellow vacationers, the mystery woman slit her own throat. No one knows what set her off. Witnesses say she had no contact with anyone else: One minute she was drifting peacefully, the next she was on the attack.

24 September 2146
ANCHOR: The perpetrator of yesterday's mass murder on the Sun-Ra resort O'Neill has been identified as Chaya Arnowitz, a professor of particle physics at Tel Aviv University. FTL has learned that she is connected with the Shah-Ar project... in fact, Ms. Arnowitz was a member of the original research team that prototyped the Shah-Ar drive. The Israeli government has refused to respond to the worried questions rising from all corners of the globe, but FTL's Ay-Eye offers this commentary.

AY-EYE: Even in these crowded times, mass murders are rare. To have three in three months is alarming; to learn that all three were perpetrated by Shah-Ar researchers is as confounding as it is shocking. What is it about Shah-Ar research that sends those closest to it on homicidal binges? Logic tells us that there is a direct connection, but only Israel can tell us the nature of that connection.

25 September 2146
ANCHOR: After weeks of keeping her party and, indeed, the entire NAU in suspense, President Madeline Clarke has finally made her long anticipated announcement.

CLARKE: The last four years have been challenging and eventful. Under my leadership we have successfully begun the terraforming of Mars, preparing it for eventual settlement by pioneers from Earth. We've contacted an alien race and participated in a mission to the outer solar system. You'd think that would be enough for anyone. But not for me. I think we can do more, go farther, and I think I am the one to lead us into the future. Therefore I have decided to run for a third term as President of the NAU.

ANCHOR: What about Kyle Swann's challenge for the Unified Party's nomination?

CLARKE: I have survived assassination attempts and a kidnapping. I can certainly weather a challenge from Kyle Swann.

26 September 2146
ANCHOR: As she announced yesterday, President Clarke will run again. But first she must defeat Kyle Swann's bid for the Unified Party's nomination. Her challenger had this to say about the announcement.

SWANN: President Clarke's glowing account of her term of office left out a few important details. Civil disorder, for instance: we've had more rioting and looting in the NAU during the past four years than we've had in this entire century. And let's not forget her enthusiastic support for the identity chip, the greatest threat to individual liberty in recent memory. And now we have the Taus knocking on the door, wanting to trample the freedoms that have made the NAU great. We'll need a strong voice for liberty during the next four years – not Madeline Clarke's barely audible whisper.

27 September 2146
ANCHOR: Still no comment from Israel on the three mass murders committed by Shah-Ar researchers. But Dr. Winston Rylo, who's been acting as a consultant on the project, is less tight-lipped.

RYLO: I don't know why these people connected with Shah-Ar research went on homicidal rampages – I doubt anybody does – but I've got my suspicions. I've been close enough, and I've seen enough to convince me that the project must be shut down. Not cut back, but shut down – immediately. And so I am putting Prime Minister Kanter on notice: discontinue all Shah-Ar research or I will go public with my suspicions.

ANCHOR: Why can't you reveal your suspicions now, Dr. Rylo?

RYLO: Because they're too damn frightening.

30 September 2146
ANCHOR: Little Ti'm continues to grow at a remarkable pace. Although not yet three months old, he's already the size of a typical pre-school child, with intelligence and maturity to match. Here he is, reading his first book.

TI'M (haltingly): "See... the clone... run... (flips the page) See another... clone run. (flips another page) See... two more... clones run... Run, clones, run!"

BIMBETTA: Isn't he wonderful? Isn't he just the smartest little kid you ever saw? (near tears) And that was his father's first book too – the very same copy. M'ti never threw it away. Go, Clone, Go always remained his favourite! And now it's Ti'm's. (breaks into sobs)