August 2144

1 August 2144
ANCHOR: While the world's top xenolinguists continue to try and communicate with the aliens, the music industry has added their vocals to the latest release from Big Head Lewis and the DN'Arts. The song, "Little Visitors, Visit Me", has shot to the top of the Virtual Chart. Ten percent of the profits from the sale of the holovid are earmarked for the Little Visitors Relief Fund. On a related note, FloaterCapades announced today that its new antigravity extravaganza will also have a celestial theme – "Visitors On Air". Part of the box office will go to the Visitors Fund as well.

2 August 2144
ANCHOR: The 2144 Summer Olympics drew to a close in New Orleans last night. With the elimination of the Asian Prosperity Sphere after one of its biomorph athletes murdered a competitor, the NAU came away with the most titanium medals – a record forty. Olympic Director, Jack Gilooly, announced this morning that the 2146 Winter Games will be held in McMurdo City, Antarctica. The southern icecap has become a winter sport haven for those jaded by Colorado's overcrowded natural slopes, and the virtual ski resorts of South Africa. The New Trump Ice Palace will be finished in time to accommodate the thousands of visitors expected to attend the Winter Games.

3 August 2144
ANCHOR: There has been a breakthrough in the attempt to communicate with the Little Visitors! For more on the story, we go live to Dr. Winston Rylo at the Kevorkian Medical Center.

RYLO: We went through all known human languages, ancient and modern, with little success. But once we introduced a combination of dolphin vocabulary and hand signing, our progress picked up dramatically. We're now able to communicate approximately thirty concepts.

ANCHOR: What kind of concepts, Dr. Rylo?

RYLO: Simple ones – eat... drink... warm... cold... you... me. We're hopeful this will lead to a more sophisticated exchange of ideas. [chuckles] But for now, we've learned one important thing – the aliens love TFP Burgers!

4 August 2144
ANCHOR: News of a communication breakthrough has once again drawn global attention to the Little Visitors. At World Congress headquarters in Brussels this morning, Secretary General Regnad Kcin issued this statement.

KCIN: As soon as possible, we'd like to invite the Visitors here for an international reception.

ANCHOR: But President Clarke was... unreceptive.

CLARKE: The Congress wasn't willing to pay to save their lives – but now they want to hog the spotlight? Hah! Any official ceremony will be held right here at the NAU.

ANCHOR: TFP Burgers has a new slogan inspired by the aliens.

CHEW: "They came from outer space – to enjoy the special taste... of TFP Burgers!"

5 August 2144
ANCHOR: President Clarke announced today that a gala reception to honour the aliens will be held in two weeks at the NAU Capitol Pavilion over Chicago.

CLARKE: Dignitaries from around the world will be invited. And they'd better bring their credit chips, because this is going to be one expensive meal!

ANCHOR: Dr. Winston Rylo expressed concern.

RYLO: We've only just begun to communicate with them. I'm not sure they're ready for this kind of public exposure.

ANCHOR: But President Clarke would not be deterred.

CLARKE: Nonsense! No one expects them to make a speech. That's my job. There'll be plenty of TFP Burgers there. That should keep them happy.

8 August 2144
ANCHOR: There's life on Mars! Dr. Kristeen Ballard made the stunning announcement this morning from the Cydonia desert.

BALLARD: Along with tons of lava, the recent volcanic eruptions here have transported millions of hyperthermophilic microbes to the surface. Our xenobiologists believe they're very similar to the ones which dwell deep in the Earth's crust. But, while gathering these microbe specimens, we came upon an even more exciting discovery – tiny objects which appear to be seeds. We're breaking camp here today, and we'll be back at Habitat Mars in about a week. Between the artefacts we've collected, the Martian skeletal remains, and now these alien seeds, we've certainly got our lab work cut out for us.

9 August 2144
ANCHOR: Former Reality Secretary, Perry Epp, was the victim of a kidnapping attempt near his home outside Chicago.

EPP: I'd just climbed into my floater car when another vehicle landed alongside me. Three men in holomasks got out and came toward me with plasma rifles. Suddenly, a third craft buzzed us and opened fire on them. They returned the fire, got back in their vehicle, and took off with the third craft in pursuit.

ANCHOR: Do you know who saved you?

EPP: Yes. As they flew away, they ejected a small autopod which landed at my feet. Inside, I found this holocrystal. [He holds up the crystal; it "emits" a psychedelic, 3D-looking "R" insignia.] It seems I owe my life – to "R".

10 August 2144
ANCHOR: Official government reaction to yesterday's kidnapping attempt on Perry Epp came swiftly today, in a press briefing by NAU Police Chief, Darryl King.

KING: Naturally, we're doing everything possible to find and apprehend the suspects.

ANCHOR: Do you have any leads, Chief King?

KING: Well, we've taken a complete statement from Mr. Epp. Unfortunately, the suspects were wearing holomasks, and his description of their vehicle doesn't give us a lot to go on. But we're talking to other witnesses.

ANCHOR: Any theories?

KING: Well, the fact that alleged members of "R" seemed to "magically" appear at the scene just in time to rescue Mr. Epp suggests to us that the whole incident could have been staged by the rebels. That's certainly an angle that we're pursuing.

11 August 2144
ANCHOR: The first 2145 Mustang convertible floated off the assembly line today. Beyond such standard features as autopilot and fusion engine, the new model is available with antigravity boosters which allow drivers to leapfrog over traffic jams. This limited edition classic – base-priced at 250,000 credits – is truly for those who consider themselves "above the fray". And in other news: the Better Than Real Corporation has awarded its third annual VR scholarship to Kyushu Schwartz of Nome, Alaska. She gets four free years at Virtual State University in Whitewater, Arkansas, where she hopes to graduate with a Virtual Degree in Political Correctness.

12 August 2144
ANCHOR: Dateline Hollywood Island: police had to be called in to arrest angry members of the Film Preservation League, who stormed Jane Turner's studio early this morning. They were protesting Turner's recently-announced plan to use her new holorization process on such 2D movie classics as Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and It's a Wonderful Life. The League's president, media critic Jeffrey Lyons, spoke briefly with reporters before police took him away.

LYONS: There's more reality in those two-dimensional motion pictures of the past than in all the 3D cyberspace junk made today! If they get holorized, we'll be losing an irreplaceable piece of our artistic heritage. I give it three "Angry Roars" from the Lyons Den!

15 August 2144
ANCHOR: Final preparations are underway at the NAU Capitol Pavilion for tomorrow's gala reception to honour the Little Visitors. Joining us now to discuss the historic event is Dr. Winston Rylo. Dr. Rylo, do the aliens understand what's going on?

RYLO: I think so. We've done our best to explain it to them. Of course, we're hampered by their very limited grasp of our language. We seem to have reached a... saturation point in our communication efforts.

ANCHOR: Are you taking any special precautions to safeguard their health?

RYLO: Well, they've been out of quarantine for a while now. Our atmosphere is a bit oxygen-rich for their blood, but they should be all right for a couple of hours. We're all hoping for the best.

16 August 2144
ANCHOR: We are live outside the NAU Capitol Pavilion over Chicago. Inside the Grand Ballroom, world leaders and other dignitaries, scientists, and captains of industry have gathered to honour the Little Visitors. Security is understandably tight. We are not allowed to bring our camera inside, but we've been promised pictures shortly by President Clarke's press office. Wait a nano... there's a commotion at the front gate... yes, a crowd of people seem to be leaving in a hurry. There's Dr. Rylo. Dr. Rylo? Dr. Rylo? What's going on?

RYLO: I warned them. I told them it was too soon, but they wouldn't listen! It's a disaster in there – a disaster!

17 August 2144

 * [A beat for one or two pictures of the alien chaos to register.]

ANCHOR: ...These pictures, smuggled out of President Clarke's press office by an FTL informant, confirm Dr. Winston Rylo's assessment of yesterday's reception for the Little Visitors – "a disaster". Eyewitnesses say the aliens simply went berserk – scampering over the tables, tossing TFP Burgers, swinging from chandeliers, screeching and scratching at the guests. One person described them as "the Ten Stooges". No one was seriously injured, and attendants from the Kevorkian Medical Center soon had the aliens sedated and on their way back to the hospital. But the damage to the Little Visitors' image – not to mention President Clarke's prestige – could be enormous.

18 August 2144
ANCHOR: Shock waves from the recent PR fiasco at the reception for the Little Visitors are already being felt. Israeli Prime Minister, Yakov Kanter, retracted his position that the aliens must be descended from the lost tribe of Israel.

KANTER: We have concluded that the Little Visitors cannot be related to the Jewish people.

ANCHOR: Here now with a commentary is Perry Epp.

EPP: Okay, so they're not geniuses. But those cute little – whatever – they're still our galactic neighbours, and darn it, they need our help.

ANCHOR: Dr. Rylo's team at the Kevorkian Medical Center continues to try and figure out what went wrong.

19 August 2144
ANCHOR: FTL News has received a holovid from President Clarke's son, Bryan, who has been a fugitive ever since he helped "R" leader Kyle Swann escape several months ago.

BRYAN: The love of my life, Marilyn J-31, is dead – at the age of 29. That's a full life for a clone. Clones could live as long as we do – but their cruel creators insist on a limited lifespan. Marilyn's funeral will be held in Medellín two days from now. The Hispanic Commonwealth has promised no interference. I'm inviting all Free Will clones the world over who want to come. Let's use this tragedy to send a message to the clone masters – your days of playing God are numbered.

22 August 2144
ANCHOR: President Clarke responded today to the message from her son Bryan about the death of his clone lover, Marilyn J-31.

CLARKE: Clones are created infertile, and given short lifespans, to maintain control of their population – and to discourage relationships with humans. That's why inter-marriage is forbidden. Bryan crossed the line – and now he must pay the price.

ANCHOR: The NAU filed a protest with the World Congress against the Hispanic Commonwealth for allowing a public funeral for Marilyn J-31 to be held there tomorrow. The HC has denied a request for the arrest of Bryan Clarke and his return to the NAU for criminal prosecution.

23 August 2144
ANCHOR: A massive outpouring of grief and rage attended the funeral of Marilyn J-31 in Medellín today. An estimated half-million Free Will clones gathered to hear impassioned speeches by Bryan Clarke – and Kyle Swann.

BRYAN: Marilyn should be standing here with me today. But her life was cut short by the greed of the clone masters and politicians who refuse to recognise that clones are people, too!

SWANN: Clones who've tasted Free Will can never go back to being slaves. "R" is the only organisation on Earth willing to fight and die for your full human rights. There's an evil afoot on our planet – and its path leads right to Madeleine Clarke's door. Join us!

24 August 2144
ANCHOR: President Clarke's popularity – already weakened by the escape of Kyle Swann and the debâcle with the Little Visitors – has suffered another blow. Yesterday's revelation that her son Bryan has allied himself with Swann to mount a clone insurgence, has dropped her approval rating to an all-time low. Clarke made a rare public address in the Net earlier today.

CLARKE: I've been accused of assuming dictatorial powers, and now you see why. There is an evil afoot – and it's "R". I need the support of every citizen, if we're to win our war against this insidious enemy. You have nothing to fear from clones, or anyone else – as long as I'm in charge.

25 August 2144
ANCHOR: Bryan Clarke and Kyle Swann weren't the only major figures at the recent funeral of Marilyn J-31 in Medellín. Hispanic Commonwealth President, Jorge Diaz, New Amigos leader Francisco Cruz, and Elaina Cruz were also there. This would seem to confirm NAU intelligence reports that Diaz was put into power with the help of "R". This morning, the NAU asked the World Congress to declare the HC a "terrorist combine". Secretary General Regnad Kcin agreed to take up the motion.

KCIN: The Congress is loathe to interfere with the internal policies of any member state. But the recent actions of the Hispanic Commonwealth require our most serious consideration.

26 August 2144
ANCHOR: At a press briefing earlier today, Dr. Winston Rylo announced that non-verbal IQ tests were recently given to the Little Visitors – with shocking results.

RYLO: Until now, we logically assumed that any alien race capable of building an asteroid ship like Rylo-7 would have to be of equal or superior intelligence to humans. Well, we were wrong. It turns out that the Little Visitors have a human-equivalent IQ of about eighty. To put it bluntly, they're a bunch of morons – and that's exactly how they behaved.

ANCHOR: But, Dr. Rylo – could this "bunch of morons" have built Rylo-7 and sent it here?

RYLO: Clearly, these aliens didn't. So, the big question now is – who did?

29 August 2144
ANCHOR: Dr. Ballard and her team have returned to Habitat Mars, and are busy evaluating their finds from the Cydonia expedition. They have planted the seeds they collected in Martian soil at the Habitat's hot house.

BALLARD: We've done our best to approximate the climate conditions we think existed on Mars 50 millions years ago. But the odds against these seeds actually germinating are enormous.

ANCHOR: Her comparative analysis of the skeletal remains discovered on the Face of Mars and the medical data on the Little Visitors is inconclusive.

BALLARD: Although there are physiological similarities, we can't extract enough trace DNA from the petrified bone samples to establish a definite genetic link.

30 August 2144
ANCHOR: In a secret vote late last night, the World Congress condemned the Hispanic Commonwealth for failing to arrest Kyle Swann, Bryan Clarke, Francisco Cruz and Elaina Cruz, and extradite them to the NAU. This falls far short of President Clarke's demand that the Congress declare the HC a "terrorist combine". But Secretary General Regnad Kcin added this threat at a press conference today.

KCIN: "R" is an international criminal organisation. No member state of the World Congress has the right to provide a safe haven for anyone connected with the rebels. The HC has one week to turn these outlaws over to the NAU, or face intervention by the InterCombine Police.

31 August 2144
ANCHOR: At 0437 hours Global Time this morning, an earthquake measuring 6.7 on the Richter scale rumbled through southern California. The upper Los Angeles floater city remained stable but lower Los Angeles experienced mild property damage. Thanks to its strict shock-proof building codes, there were no serious injuries. This is the first major earthquake to strike the area since the Big One in 2047, which created Hollywood Island and the San Andreas Inlet. The California Earthquake Control Bureau is investigating why its automatic tectonic buffers failed to prevent the seismic incident, as they have done so successfully for nearly a century.