November 2145

1 November 2145
ANCHOR: Friends and fans of M'ti got a jolt last night while watching Late Net with Jay Cypherman. Here is a replay of the disturbing scene.

CYPHERMAN: So, M'ti. You've been awfully quiet tonight. Anything you'd like to ask our guest?

M'TI: Who?

CYPHERMAN: Our guest for the last fifteen minutes.

M'TI: Oh... yes... sure... (drifts off)

CYPHERMAN (becoming concerned): M'ti?

M'TI (coming back to us): What? Okay. (Asks a totally inappropriate question)

ANCHOR: The world is asking: Is something wrong with M'ti? Is the lack of dandefox in his diet finally taking its toll?

2 November 2145
ANCHOR: Concern mounts over the wellbeing of the Last Visitor. We asked his former legal guardian and advisor, Perry Epp, what he thinks.

EPP: I'll say quite frankly that I'm worried about the guy. I've watched replays of that show at least half-a-dozen times and let me tell you: M'ti was not himself. I think something's wrong.

ANCHOR: M'ti's co-host, Jay Cypherman, has a different take on the situation.

CYPHERMAN: First off, let me straighten you out on one little point: I'm the host, he's the co-host. Got that? Now, as for his behaviour? Nothing to worry about. He was just having an off night. We've all had them. I even had an off night... once.

ANCHOR: One thing is certain, his countless friends around the world will be watching to see if M'ti has another "off night".

3 November 2145
ANCHOR: Trouble on Europa. Captain Mike McDonald explains.

McDONALD: This quadrant of Europa was pelted with a meteor shower. Mostly small particles. No damage to the Nautilus, but some of our monitoring link ups to the Icebreaker got banged up. Nothing we can't repair, but we won't be able to link Earth directly to the Icebreaker for a few days.

ANCHOR: How is the craft progressing?

McDONALD: Very well. They've penetrated about a mile-and-a-half into the mantle now – almost a quarter of the way.

ANCHOR: And on Earth, good news for Late Net viewers and fans of M'ti: the Last Visitor was his old self last night, regaling audience and guests alike with his pithy remarks.

6 November 2145
ANCHOR: The New York Horde attacks! Led by Cameron Grant, the rioting Horde attempted to breach the walls protecting lower Manhattan. But the disorganised army met powerful ground and air fire that stopped them dead in their tracks. New Attorney General, Marcia Kent, explains the operation.

KENT: We owe this victory in our war against the Earth First Brigade to the NetPolice who secretly monitored the private areas of the Net and seized unregistered encrypting devices. We knew this attack was coming... and we were ready for them.

ANCHOR: No word yet on the number of casualties.

ANCHOR: And there's good news from Europa. The Nautilus's Icebreaker today resumed its historic voyage beneath the ice. It looks like smooth drilling from here on.

7 November 2145
ANCHOR: Not everyone is applauding the NAU's defeat of the New York Horde. Some Netphitti labels the battle the "Massacre in Manhattan". "R" leader Kyle Swann had this to say.

SWANN: Look, Grant is a world-class terrorist. But what happened yesterday was a massacre. Marcia Kent's NetPolice knew the Horde was coming. They could have stopped them earlier. How many people died needlessly?

ANCHOR: FTL caught up with President Clarke as she inspected the rebuilding of the Capitol Rotunda. President Clarke, do you feel that Kent used excessive force?

CLARKE: Hardly! This is war, and in a war you meet force with greater force. The NetPolice did their job, and so did Darryl King's Double-Y clones. Swann should decide which side he's on.

8 November 2145
ANCHOR: Once again, the world got a glimpse of something disturbing on Late Net with Jay Cypherman. Here is a distressing moment from the netcast.

CYPHERMAN: Well, it's great to have you back on the show, M'ti. Tell me, how's married life and how is Bimbetta?


 * M'ti looks around, as if disinterested in the proceedings

CYPHERMAN (embarrassed by M'ti's distraction): M'ti... er, how's Bimbetta?


 * M'ti finally looks at Jay

M'TI: Bimbetta? Who's Bimbetta?

ANCHOR: But no viewers could have been more upset than Mrs. M'ti...


 * Two shot, with Bimbetta being comforted by Jay)

BIMBETTA: How could he forget me? M'ti isn't the same... not since he stopped eating the dandefox.

CYPHERMAN (Looks out to camera): And you know.. the big guy is looking a little shorter.

9 November 2145
ANCHOR: Can M'ti be helped? Dr. Rod Hamm would like to try.

HAMM: This institute is where M'ti's life on Earth began. And I invite him to return. There must be something we can do to stop this terrible regression – before it goes any further.

ANCHOR: But convincing M'ti may not be so easy...


 * M'ti and Bimbetta's apartment

BIMBETTA (still tearful): M'ti – the nice Dr. Hamm thinks that he can help you. But y-you'll have to go back to the hospital.

M'TI (shaking his head): No! I don't like that place. It's not a nice place.

BIMBETTA: Please, M'ti. You're changing and–

M'TI (more upset): No! I don't want to go back to the place where I was small.

ANCHOR: And it's been confirmed: M'ti is a full two inches shorter that he was last month.

10 November 2145
ANCHOR: How far will the NAU go in its war against Cameron Grant's Earth First Brigade? And a terrifying rumour has appeared in the VR Net: Anonymous reports claim that the NAU has a new biological weapon, a killer virus that can be used against anyone without an ID Chip. Marcia Kent was quick to quash the stories.

KENT: These rumours are absurd. Even if we had such a weapon, we wouldn't use it... at least not at this point.

ANCHOR: And the body count for what's being called the "Massacre in Manhattan" has been released: 185 Horde members were killed, while five of Darryl King's heavily armed clones suffered minor wounds.

13 November 2145
ANCHOR: M'ti – the Last Visitor and the hero of the dandefox invasion – has disappeared.

BIMBETTA: I-I thought he was right behind me. We were taking a walk in a real park. M'ti said he wanted to see some 'nice' things. He loves flowers and trees... as if they remind him of something. When I turned around, he was gone. (appealing to the home audience) Please... everyone who's watching... M'ti's easy to spot. Let the authorities know if you see him.

ANCHOR: Not everyone sympathised with Mrs. M'ti...

EPP: Hey, I'm sorry that the big guy is gone. The last thing I want is anything to happen to M'ti. But I'll tell you this, he never walked away when I was in charge of him. I just hope that – wherever he is – he's okay.

14 November 2145
ANCHOR: Team Europa reached an important milestone today in their historic voyage beneath the ice. We go live to the control room of the Icebreaker.


 * Elaina Koblatz turns away from the 'screen' showing the ice ahead, a big grin on her face

KOBLATZ: We've just reached three miles down – the half-way point in the ice crust of Europa. And we're well ahead of schedule...


 * Now Blaine also turns to the camera

BLAINE: The really good news is that we're hitting fewer meteors trapped in the ice. The deeper we go, the easier it is to drill.

ANCHOR: But there's still no good news about the missing M'ti. Bimbetta Mondaine today offered a 100,000 credit reward for any news leading to M'ti's return. The entire world wonders... where's M'ti?

15 November 2145
ANCHOR: M'ti has been found! But it appears that his marriage may be over. The Last Visitor, missing for two days, turned up in the tiny apartment of Jayne Winston, a BioMerge Rehabilitation Counselor. A befuddled M'ti explained to FTL how this happened...

M'TI: I-I think I got lost. And I saw this person–

ANCHOR: Ms. Winston, M'ti?

M'TI: Yes, Jayne... and I said, "Take me home". That's what I said. And she did. She was nice, very–

ANCHOR: M'ti, but what about Bimbetta?

M'TI: Bimbetta? What's a bimbetta?

ANCHOR: Mrs. M'ti's response to her husband's embarrassing discovery was quick.

BIMBETTA: That's it! I guess M'ti will follow any blonde. I'm outta here.

16 November 2145
ANCHOR: The break-up of M'ti's marriage has moved the Last Visitor to act. Dr. Rod Hamm confirmed that M'ti has checked into the Kevorkian Medical Center... the place where his great adventure on Earth began. And Perry Epp is once again by the side of the Last Visitor.

EPP: I convinced M'ti to come here. Now that he's out of the clutches of that gold-digger, maybe we can get to the bottom of this problem.

ANCHOR: Perry, any truth to the story that sales for M'ti items – like the dolls – has fallen off?

PERRY: I'm afraid so. Since M'ti started this terrible regression, sales have plummeted. But (he squeezes M'ti's shoulder) we hope to get the big guy back to normal, right M'ti?

M'TI (nodding half-heartedly): I-I don't want to be small again... or dumb again...

17 November 2145
ANCHOR: The madness of Cameron Grant and his Earth First Brigade has spread to another Combine!


 * Prim Toller addressing his followers

ANCHOR: This man is Prin Toller, head of the underground East German group, the CyberRights Party. His target? Georges Favreau and the leadership of the EC. For the first time, Toller spoke to FTL.

TOLLER: The European Community is tottering on the edge of economic collapse. And the EC's leadership is equally bankrupt. (makes a fist) We've had enough of Favreau.

ANCHOR: Mr. Toller, are you threatening violent action against the EC?

TOLLER: The CyberRights Party doesn't threaten anything. We will move, we will do, we will act – and the whole world will see that we don't threaten!

20 November 2145
ANCHOR: Here with an update on M'ti's condition is Dr. Rod Hamm of the Kevorkian Medical Center.

HAMM: Mti's condition is as bad as we feared. We've put him through a battery of intelligence tests. We compared the results to his earlier scores and there's no doubt. There's been a dramatic drop in M'ti's IQ. Most alarmingly, the drop increases measurably every day.

ANCHOR: Dr. Hamm, what about M'ti's size?

HAMM: Oh, that's been obvious from the first day. M'ti is shrinking, actually regressing to his former diminutive stature. It's terrible to watch.

ANCHOR: And what are your plans to treat the situation?

HAMM (wringing his hands): We don't know... but we're trying everything.

21 November 2145
ANCHOR: The violent rebellion headed by Cameron Grant has gone worldwide. This holovid was received last night by CommLink and the other major Net services:

GRANT: Today, a historic alliance has been achieved between the Earth First Brigade and the CyberRights Party.

TOLLER: Cameron Grant and I have created this manifesto... (holds up a pearl-like datasphere)... which is currently available for downloading.

GRANT: And in this manifesto we pledge to work together, to fight together, to die together to bring about End Day – the end of all Combines' intrusion in our lives.

TOLLER: Together, our two groups will offer a new contract... for a New World Disorder!

22 November 2145
ANCHOR: There's been no response from any of the Combines to yesterday's manifesto from Cameron Grant and Prin Toller. But the world continues to follow the increasingly tragic story of the Last Visitor. Today, Mrs. M'ti rejoined her husband at the the Kervorkian Medical Center.

BIMBETTA: I– I heard the terrible news... M'ti is losing his mind. And he's getting smaller. He was always so afraid of being small again. (Takes a big breath) I'm back now. And I'll stand by him, no matter what happens.

ANCHOR: Bimbetta, you're no longer upset over M'ti being found in another woman's apartment?

BIMBETTA (shakes her head): No. He couldn't help himself. I'm ready to help M'ti – and his doctors – any way that I can.

23 November 2145
ANCHOR: Good news from Europa! The Icebreaker is only 1,000 metres away from reaching the ocean under the frozen crust. Captain McDonald explained why they're making such good time.

McDONALD: The Icebreaker crew has been hitting very little hard rock for the past few days. There were some major delays during the first week of drilling when they hit giant meteors. But recently it's been smooth drilling all the way.

ANCHOR: Captain McDonald, what will the team do when they finally hit the under-ice ocean?

McDONALD: First, they'll take a well-deserved rest for a day or two. Then we'll launch the unmanned probes.

ANCHOR: To search for...?

McDONALD: To search for whatever we find. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to monitor the Icebreaker‘s progress.

24 November 2145
ANCHOR: Unrest is on the rise in both the European Community and the North American Union. Recent riots and attacks on government buildings and exclusive floater communities all appear tied to the new worldwide cabal headed by Cameron Grant and Prin Toller. Startling news: A recent CommLink flash poll shows an increasing number of citizens support the extreme views of Grant and Toller.

VISUAL:
 * CommLink Flash Poll: How afraid are you of world unrest?
 * Not at All: 37%
 * Somewhat: 21%
 * Whole Heartedly: 19%
 * Otherwise Engaged on the Net: 23%

ANCHOR: And reports from the Command Module on Europa confirm that the Icebreaker is down to the last 500 metres of ice. But there's still no good news from the Kervorkian Medical Center... where doctors are working around the clock to help a faltering M'ti.

27 November 2145
ANCHOR: We are only seconds away from a historic moment on Europa. We go live to the Icebreaker.

KOBLATZ (looking straight ahead at a screen): We're about to break through the bottom of the ice cover.

McDONALD (voice only): Elaina, we're showing thermal readings all within an acceptable range.

KOBLATZ: We copy that, Mike.

BLAINE: Ice density dropping rapidly. Ten seconds until break-through.


 * A smashing noise, followed by a splashing sound. The screen goes to a murky blue.

McDONALD (voice only): We're showing everything AOK up here.

BLAINE: Five seconds... four, three, two–


 * Digital timer showing milliseconds remaining until breakthrough

KOBLATZ (turns to Blaine): We're through!

McDONALD (voice only): Well done, Icebreaker.

ANCHOR: Well done indeed...

28 November 2145
ANCHOR: Reputed mystic Maria Gonzales may be in a coma – but she has once again reappeared in the VR Net. The last time Gonzales appeared, she was covered in a thick hoarfrost. But these new visions are even more disturbing.


 * Gonzales in the Net: she has fins instead of hands, a bluish-green pallor. She has gills and looks wet.

ANCHOR: The cult leader appeared in the VR Net as some kind of fish-like being. Net cruisers who stumbled into the vision were startled, even scared. What does it mean? We asked cult follower Debbie Gonsher.

GONSHER: First Our Lady was frozen, and now she is a creature of the sea... She is telling us something, warning us about something...

ANCHOR: And what's that Debbie?

GONSHER: I– I don't know. But I will tell you this... it scares me. For the first time, I'm scared by her appearance.

29 November 2145
VISUAL:
 * M'ti sitting on an oversized chair with his Go, Clone, Go book... and his M'ti doll.

ANCHOR: How far has M'ti regressed? Telling vids of a shrunken M'ti were released by Dr. Hamm.

HAMM (voice only): Okay, M'ti. Go on. Read the book.


 * M'ti cocks his head

HAMM: That's it. You can read the book. It was one of your favourites.

M'TI (nodding): One of my favorites... (he flips to the first page, and reads falteringly) Go, clone...Go.

HAMM (voice only): Good, M'ti, keep going.

M'TI: See the clone run, see two... see– (hesitates)

HAMM (voice only): Go on, M'ti.

M'TI: See two-two-two more... more... (looks up) I– I don't know that word. I–

HAMM (voice only): It's "clones", M'ti. The word is "clones".


 * But M'ti's head is down, defeated... he shakes his head. The doll falls from his hand.

30 November 2145
ANCHOR: The first probe has just been launched from Icebreaker. We go directly to the team, 6 miles below the frozen crust of Europa.

KOBLATZ: At 21:45 we launched a probe directly into the sub-ice ocean of Europa. Already it's sending back a stream of incredible data.

BLAINE: And the probe has only begun its search. We don't have a clue what it will find as it continues its journey to the bottom.