June 2145

1 June 2145
ANCHOR: Not everyone is happy with M'ti's plans to leave his bachelor's life behind. Here is what Perry Epp had to say.

EPP: Look, President Clarke asked me to look out for the little guy. Well, he's not so little anymore. He's free, he's rich – and he's full sized!

ANCHOR: So you don't approve of this marriage?

EPP: I don't want to smear Ms. Mondaine, but I just hope that M'ti gets her to sign a pre-nuptial agreement.

ANCHOR: Meanwhile, Maria Gonzales continues to appear in the Net. So far, the images have been without sound. Is the comatose mystic trying to reach her followers electronically... or is this only a trick? SHIVA's scientists are still working on it.

2 June 2145
ANCHOR: There is still no word of the whereabouts of missing "R" leader, Kyle Swann. But Cameron Grant has a warning for the once-rebellious Swann.

GRANT: The Earth First Brigade rules! "R" is dead! And Kyle Swann will be dead too if he ever decides to come out of hiding. This is war, and Swann's name is on my personal enemies list.

ANCHOR: Grant's message was received by CommLink via a untraceable scrambling system. And with the announcement of M'ti and Bimbetta Mondaine's wedding, guess what colour tuxedo is all the rage this June? That's right, a sleek alien grey...

5 June 2145
ANCHOR: Kyle Swann is standing by in the Hispanic Commonwealth capital of Brasília.

SWANN: The battle for the soul of "R" has been joined. "R" was never about death and terror. The NAU has been drifting closer and closer to a police state, with no rights for clones and few rights for citizens. But Grant and his thugs are killers. When I return to the NAU my first task will be to find Grant and destroy his group!

ANCHOR: Mr. Swann, can you tell us why you are in the Hispanic Commonwealth?

SWANN: I couldn't continue to support President Clarke's policies. Elaina Cruz offered me sanctuary, here at her home.

ANCHOR: But you will return to the NAU...?

SWANN: You and Cameron Grant can count on it!

6 June 2145
ANCHOR: The world awaits the upcoming wedding of the Last Visitor, M'ti, to holovid dancer, Bimbetta Mondaine. Vatican City released the following from Pope Thelma Louise.

POPE: This union concerns me. Ms. Mondaine is one of God's children, a blessed – if flamboyant – creature. But what of M'ti? We know he's not human, but does he have a soul? Does he believe in God? Until I know, I must reserve judgement on this wedding. I invite M'ti and his future bride to come for special audience. I will look into the heart of M'ti to see what is there.

7 June 2145
ANCHOR: More blackmarket M'ti hologames have been uncovered. Authorities have taken Armondo Corleone into custody today.

CORLEONE: What's this? Another frame up? Okay, so the warehouse was leased to a company that is a division of Corleone Enterprises. But hey, like I know everything people put in my warehouses? This persecution has gotta stop!

ANCHOR: And while the Key West mystic remains in a deep coma, her image continues to appear all over the Net. Is Gonzales reaching out to us? No one knows for sure.

8 June 2145
ANCHOR: The controversy over the Cydonia mural continues.

PAULSON: Just look at the mural. Clearly the roots of that plant are strangling Mars. It's telling us: destroy dandefox now... before it's too late.

GINJERBU: There you go again, Paulson, acting alarmist. I look at this mural and see an homage to the global plant of Mars.

PAULSON: Then how do you explain the fact that Mars is now a dead planet, and red all over?

GINJERBU: How should I know? But there's no way this pretty little plant could have played a rôle – other than making the Martians' last days more beautiful.

PAULSON: You, madam, are an imbecile!

9 June 2145
ANCHOR: With the debate over the Cydonia mural continuing, we asked our crack meteorologist for his opinion. Is it possible that dandefox destroyed life on Mars?

NIMBUS: Well, the greedy little plant sucks up oxygen at a ferocious rate. Its reproductive cycle is incredibly short. And in no time at all, Mars could have been covered with dandefox.

ANCHOR: And that might have killed the planet?

NIMBUS: Not by itself. But once it started spreading, the climate of the whole planet could change.

ANCHOR: So it is dangerous?

NIMBUS: All I can tell you is that, on my advice, the Islamic Federation has just outlawed the plant. And I strongly suggest that the other Combines follow the IF's lead.

12 June 2145
ANCHOR: Rumours of new trouble aboard the Nautilus continue. Vid-clips found on the Net shows the Nautilus crew not getting along. We questioned Mission Director Winston Rylo about this. Dr. Rylo, do you have any comment on these reports?

RYLO: Look, I don't know where you're getting your information. Everything's fine – now that the computer virus has been destroyed.

ANCHOR: And what of the pirated audio and video clips that show the crew arguing?

RYLO: Some unauthorised material got onto the VR Net. But the crew's been going through a rough time, losing sleep and working under less than optimal conditions. Things are better. Any team, working in close contact will have its difficulties.

ANCHOR: So you still have confidence in Mission Captain McDonald?

RYLO: Absolutely.

13 June 2145
ANCHOR: Has M'ti hit a new low? Last night he showed up on TSN – The Shopping Net – hawking his 'authorised' dolls. Here's what his NAU-appointed protector had to say:

EPP: M'ti is looking at a lot of expenses this year. Do you have any idea what a real wedding costs these days? At least we got the M'ti knock offs pulled from the shelves. The new M'ti merchandise is top-draw material.

ANCHOR: Perry, you're not worried that M'ti is being exploited by all this?

EPP (laughing): No way that's happening. He's had the services of the best media lawyers on both coasts. If M'ti doesn't blow his credits, he'll be the wealthiest alien on the planet.

ANCHOR: Perry, he's the only alien.

EPP: Oh, you know what I mean.

14 June 2145
ANCHOR: Armondo Corleone was indicted today. His warehouse full of M'ti games will be destroyed.

CORLEONE: Now this is the real crime. Those games are good. And trust me, I'm going to fight these gavones on this indictment.

ANCHOR: On what grounds, Mr. Corleone?

CORLEONE (with a sly smile): On the grounds that M'ti belongs to the world. He's not a citizen of any country, he's not a member of any Combine, and he doesn't even come from good old planet Earth. You know something... (Corleone takes a step closer to the camera) he's not even covered by the Berne Convention.

ANCHOR: (turning to the left) Perry, did you know that?

EPP: The, er, Berne Convention? I, er... I'll get back to you on that point.

15 June 2145
ANCHOR: Heavily armed troopers from the Earth First Brigade launched a pre-dawn attack on the ranch compound where Kyle Swann was staying. A sophisticated surveillance system and automatically-targeted laser cannons weren't enough to protect the compound. There are reports from Cameron Grant's Brigade claiming that Kyle Swann is dead. In response, NAU President Clarke held a brief Net conference.

CLARKE: There's been no confirmation from the Hispanic Commonwealth of any deaths. President Jorge Diaz has launched a massive investigation. But this shows the Earth First Brigade is made up of killers and terrorists. They are rabid dogs and I will use any measure to stop them.

16 June 2145
ANCHOR: Is Kyle Swann dead? No word yet from the site of yesterday's attack by the Earth First Brigade. The job of identifying the dead is made more difficult because "R" members don't have Identity Chips. But Elaina Cruz's ID chip has been recovered and it now appears that she was killed in the attack. Back in the NAU, the legal status of M'ti is resolved. Perry Epp explains:

EPP: I've got good news for M'ti! President Clarke has named him an honorary citizen of the NAU. Now the big guy's entitled to the same rights and protection as any other citizen. And crooks like Corleone won't be able to prey on him anymore.

19 June 2145
AUDIO STING: News from the NAU.

ANCHOR: Kyle Swann is alive! And he vows vengeance for the death of Elaina Cruz.

SWANN: Elaina is dead... because Cameron Grant and his Earth First thugs were trying to kill me. Well, here I am. I'm out of hiding and I have a message for Grant: I won't rest until he and his killers are brought to justice.

ANCHOR: Grant's rebel group has accepted responsibility for the raid. And in Israel, budget squabbles threaten the antimatter research project. Yakov Kanter explains:

KANTER: There was some fierce opposition to continuing this expensive research. But I pushed it through and the research will continue.

20 June 2145
ANCHOR: An historic meeting has taken place at the Vatican. M'ti and his fiancée, Bimbetta had a three-hour private audience with Pope Thelma Louise.

POPE: Today, two cultures met under the eyes of God. Alien and earthling alike joined hands and asked for God's blessing of their union. I have spent much time discussing M'ti's beliefs – and I believe he has a soul... And Ms. Mondaine also has, er certain gifts.

ANCHOR: So, M'ti does this mean that creatures from your world believe in God?

M'TI: I couldn't say that. No I couldn't. But I did tell the nice Pope that I also couldn't say that they didn't believe in God. And besides... God sounds nice, very nice!

21 June 2145
ANCHOR: With the big day drawing close, everyone wants to know what Bimbetta Mondaine's wedding gown will look like. Now A Current Byte has released these sketches, supposedly smuggled out of the shop of Parisian holodesigner, Willy Bouilly.

VISUAL: (the dress revealed)

ANCHOR: But M'ti need not worry about the price tag. A new licensed M'ti item has just been released.

CHEW: Yes, we're proud to announce that we're now shipping the delicious M'ti Bar. Modelled on the Last Visitor's face, the grey part is a chewy textured fungal protein nougat with a dark chocolate flavour TFP used for the eyes. And boy, it's got that "Out of this World" taste!

22 June 2145
ANCHOR: Kristeen Ballard has joined those warning about the danger of dandefox.

BALLARD: My team and I have studied the Martian mural closely... and we feel it shows Mars in the grip of something deadly, a plant like dandefox. We're preparing an advisory statement for the World Congress.

ANCHOR: Benjamin Droid has his own thoughts to share.

DROID: Wake up NAU! Go out and grab a copy of the old flat vid, Day of the Triffids. These big alien plants attacked Earth and took over the planet. Now we got the "Day of the Dandefox" – except the dandefoxes don't walk like the Triffids. At least they don't walk yet! (He holds a potted dandefox plant up to his face) Argh, my eye! Kidding...

23 June 2145
ANCHOR: Over 300 invited guests said goodbye to Elaina Cruz at a memorial service in Sedona, Arizona. This quiet desert spot was perfectly still at sunset when a single laser beam shot into the sky. That shot symbolised Elaina Cruz's spirit, now free from Earth. Security was supplied by "R", and a distraught Kyle Swann himself spoke.

SWANN: Elaina is gone. Today those who loved her bid her farewell. (a beat) And tomorrow I start the manhunt... for Cameron Grant.

ANCHOR: President Clarke was invited to the service but declined due to pressing business.

26 June 2145
ANCHOR: There's more trouble for the multi-Combine crew of the Nautilus. Just when the controversy over the leadership of Captain Mike McDonald – a clone – seemed to have died down, a private holovid message between Nautilus Scientific Chief, Dr. Pablo Blaine, and HC President, Jorge Diaz, has been decoded and posted in the VR Net.

BLAINE: President Diaz, I – I don't like taking orders from someone who isn't even human. This is a mission for Earth people, not lab creations. The whole world likes this Captain McDonald – well, there are some of us here who want a new leader, and soon!

ANCHOR: No reaction yet from Mission Director Winston Rylo to this new scandal.

27 June 2145
ANCHOR: We go live to Operation Reach Out headquarters where Dr. Winston Rylo is addressing the world media.

RYLO: Yesterday's FTL netcast by CommLink of a private message from Dr. Blaine to President Diaz was an unconscionable act. The message was private and personal. We have total confidence in the leadership of Captain Mike, and I'm sure the team does too.

ANCHOR: Dr. Rylo, has there been an apology from Dr. Blaine?

RYLO: No. Not yet. But I'm sure Dr. Blaine, er, regrets his remarks.

ANCHOR: And the image of the comatose mystic, Maria Gonzales, continues to be sighted in the Net. Some are comparing the odd visions to the 20th Century sightings of the Virgin Mary.

28 June 2145
ANCHOR: Support for Captain Mike McDonald has come from a fellow team member aboard the Nautilus.

KARAWARA: I want to go on record as having complete confidence in Mission Captain McDonald. Clone or not, he has shown himself to be cool and calm during the first weeks of this historic voyage.

ANCHOR: There was no comment from another Team Europa member, Col. Maria Koblatz of the EC... and still no apology from Dr. Blaine. And where is the ICEman, Kyle Swann? Only days ago he vowed an all-out manhunt to find Cameron Grant, the leader of the Earth First Brigade. But since then, Swann has vanished. Is he on the trail... or has he turned tail?

29 June 2145
ANCHOR: This month's dandefox seed release was the most startling yet. It's hard to imagine the size of next month's release, with so many new plants. The area least affected by the phenomenon was the Islamic Federation, where the red plant has been outlawed. Close to home, plans continue for tomorrow's big day for the once Little Guy, the marriage of the Last Visitor, M'ti, and holovid dancer Bimbetta Mondaine. Will the seed display mar the great day? We asked M'ti's representative, Perry Epp.

EPP: I doubt it. By tomorrow the seeds will have all drifted to the ground. I don't think we have anything to worry about.

ANCHOR: And is M'ti nervous?

EPP: Of course! He's like any other bachelor about to take the plunge. And besides, as M'ti himself might say... (grins and mimics M'ti) he's never been married before!

30 June 2145
ANCHOR: The big day has arrived for the Last Visitor from space, M'ti, and his bride, Bimbetta Mondaine.

POPE: Do you, Bimbetta, take M'ti as your husband, to love–

BIMBETTA (interrupting): Oh, yes, I do!

POPE (a little put off): And do you, M'ti, take Bimbetta as your lifemate, to share in all your assets and debits until legally dissolved by a recognized court?

M'TI: Yes, I do. (to Bimbetta) I think your asset is nice, very nice.

POPE: I now pronounce them m– (she stops) alien and wife.

ANCHOR: The newlyweds were roundly cheered by their VIP guests. No word yet of the couple's honeymoon destination.