October 2145

2 October 2145
ANCHOR: The dandefox crisis appears to be over. September has passed without the dreaded seed release. Across the globe, billions of dandefoxes are turning brown and slumping to the earth. But what of Dr. F. Paulson's warning about dandefox's vast root systems surviving and giving rise to an even more virulent strain of the red-petaled scourge? Test excavations appear to be laying that fear to rest as well. Every dig reveals the same thing: the root systems are shrivelling up and dying. The hound virus, discovered inside the Rylo-7 asteroid with the help of M'ti, the Last Visitor, has eliminated the dandefox threat – above and below the ground.

3 October 2145
ANCHOR: The dandefox menace appears to be past.

PAULSON: After examining thousands of dead dandefox patches in the past few days, I feel safe saying that the dandefox is dead. Gone... but it should not be forgotten. We must never forget the lesson of the dandefox: the reckless importation of xenobiologicals – even a seemingly harmless plant like the dandefox – can wreak untold havoc on our ecosystem. If not for M'ti and the hound virus formula he led us to, I wouldn't be speaking to you today, and most of you wouldn't be watching.

ANCHOR: And what of M'ti? How does it feel to be a global hero?

M'TI (holding a dead dandefox): It feels hungry. What am I going to eat?

4 October 2145
ANCHOR: Concern has spread across the globe about the price M'ti might have to pay for leading us to the hound virus. We asked Dr. Rod Hamm, his personal physician at the Kervorkian Medical Center, to comment.

HAMM: I'm – I'm deeply concerned. Less than a year ago, M'ti was about three feet tall, speaking only gibberish – and dying. A steady diet of dandefox not only restored his health, but doubled, doubled his height and intelligence. Now that there are no more dandefoxes, however, his mental and physical stature may begin to regress. But that is the least of my worries. Remember why he is called the "Last Visitor": all the other Little Visitors are dead.

5 October 2145
ANCHOR: As the world regains its bearings after the dandefox crisis, attention is returning to the Nautilus and its crew as the prepare for their October 9 landing on the ice moon Europa. Dr. Kristeen Ballard is becoming increasingly vocal in her concerns about the mission.

BALLARD: I've been in touch with the Society of Concerned Scientists on Earth and we are all troubled by the continued secrecy enshrouding Operation Reach Out. Winston Rylo's vague statements and bland reassurances last month raised more questions than they answered. I've been monitoring the readings from the Nautilus here at Habitat Mars and I can tell you this: something's not right there. The SCS wants real answers and so do I. It's time for Winston Rylo to reveal what he's keeping from us.

6 October 2145
ANCHOR: Five days without a bit of dandefox in his diet, and M'ti seems to be doing fine. We spoke to his wife, Bimbetta Mondaine. Ms. Mondaine, we understand you received a complimentary supply of textured fungal protein products from Pfood, Inc.

MONDAINE: Yes, people have been so kind.

ANCHOR: Well, the world feels it owes M'ti a tremendous debt. We don't want to see anything happen to him.

MONDAINE: Oh, don't worry. Nothing will happen to my M'ti – not when he can eat my homemade TFP lasagne. It's an old family recipe and he just loves it.

M'TI: And it's good for me too!

ANCHOR (to M'ti): No ill effects from dandefox deprivation, then?

M'TI: Not a bit. I don't think I need that stuff any more. I'm just as smart as I ever was!

9 October 2145
ANCHOR: The Nautilus has landed. Touchdown was less than an hour ago. FTL managed to catch this comment from a very busy Captain Mike McDonald.

McDONALD: All I can say at the moment is that we're all very honoured to be the first humans to reach the outer planets. I'll have a more formal statement later, but as you know, there are only four of us here and right now we've got a lot to do. (He hurries off)

ANCHOR: And back on Earth, the massive dandefox clean-up is in full swing. Billions of dead Martian plants litter the planet. The dilemma: how to dispose of them? Bury them? Burn them? Each Combine will decide for itself. But whatever the solution, it appears that even in death, the dandefox still remains a problem.

10 October 2145
ANCHOR: Dr. Kristeen Ballard is in the news again. Speaking from Habitat Mars, she released her most critical statement yet.

BALLARD: I congratulate the crew of the Nautilus on their safe landing yesterday. But now that they're on the surface of Europa, it becomes even more important than ever to have answers to the questions everyone is asking: What are they looking for? What do they expect to find? I think it's time for Winston Rylo to stop playing coy and come out with a full disclosure.

ANCHOR: We went to Winston Rylo for his reaction.

RYLO: I think what we're hearing from Dr. Ballard is more the result of professional jealousy than scientific curiosity. Operation Reach Out has taken Habitat Mars out of the headlines. I think that's what's really bothering her.

11 October 2145
ANCHOR: The war of words between Dr. Kristeen Ballard and Dr. Winston Rylo heats up.

BALLARD: How typical of Dr. Rylo to dismiss serious questions about the scientific rigour underlying his mission to Europa as mere "professional jealousy". All right, it's true that funding for Habitat Mars' terraforming project has been cut due to the huge expense of Operation Reach Out, but even if it hadn't, I'd still be as deeply concerned about the goals of the mission. Let's not overlook the fact that mine is not the only scientific project suffering. Operation Reach Out has been a black hole for research funds, gobbling up every resource in sight. We in the scientific community deserve an accounting. Not next year, not next month – now!

12 October 2145
ANCHOR: Under increasing pressure from scientific and fiscal watchdog groups, Dr. Winston Rylo says he will explain everything about Operation Reach Out.

RYLO: Although I really don't have time for it, I have scheduled a VR press conference for October 16th to satisfy all the ankle-biters in the news media and the scientific community. I'll answer all questions then.

ANCHOR: All questions? No limitations?

RYLO: No limitations. I've even invited Dr. Kristeen Ballard to participate.

ANCHOR: And elsewhere, concern for the Last Visitor's health seems to be fading as he shows no ill effects from the lack of dandefox in his diet. He seems to be getting along as well as anyone on a steady diet of textured fungal protein.

13 October 2145
ANCHOR: After a two-month absence since the BioMerge incident, Maria Gonzales has once again been sighted in the Net. Word of her presence spread at lightspeed and within minutes that particular area of the Net was inundated with the ever-growing legions of her followers. Reports say her lips appeared to be moving but no words could be heard. Before she could repeat herself, that area of the Net collapsed due to log-in overload. (a beat) As you know, Maria Gonzales' body remains in a coma at the Kervorkian Medical Center. We asked Dr. Rod Hamm about her physical condition.

HAMM: Strangely enough, she's showing a little more responsiveness. She's still in a coma, but not quite so deep a coma. But how an unconscious woman manages to log onto the VR Net with no hardware remains a mystery.

16 October 2145
ANCHOR: We take you live to Dr. Winston Rylo's VR press conference where he has promised to answer all questions about the Europa mission. But first, Dr. Rylo's opening statement:

RYLO: I've been accused of spreading disinformation about the ultimate purpose of the Europa mission. In a way, I suppose, that is true. But here's the whole truth: We have very good reason to believe that Europa is the key to contacting another intelligent race – the ones who created the asteroid and the drones manning it.

ANCHOR: Dr. Rylo, do you believe this alien race is there, waiting?

RYLO: That's not clear yet. We've good evidence that they've either left one of their number there, or left a means of contacting them. We've determined that whoever, or whatever is waiting, is buried under the ice. And we're going down to find them.

17 October 2145
ANCHOR: The storm of controversy still rages after the Rylo VR press conference yesterday. For those FTL viewers who missed it, here is a typically heated exchange:

BALLARD: Do you mean to say us that you've known all along that there's an alien intelligence on Europa and never told anyone?

RYLO: First of all, we don't "know" anything – we've merely got good evidence. Certain heads of state were briefed at the outset and it was decided to keep the information under wraps. No point in raising people's hopes.

BALLARD: "Hopes"? How about fears? Whatever's on Europa is probably responsible for the death of Mars, using the same plant that damn near strangled the Earth.

RYLO: They were the source of the virus that ended the dandefox threat.

BALLARD: How do we know the virus wasn't designed for their use after all life on the planet had been choked out?

18 October 2145
ANCHOR: Fallout continues from Dr. Rylo's revelation that he fully expects first contact with an alien intelligence on Europa. Dr. Kristeen Ballard remains his most vocal critic.

BALLARD: Haven't we learned anything from the Cydonia murals and the dandefox crisis on Earth just weeks ago? (holds up thumb and index finger an inch apart) Earth came this close to ending up a dry, airless red dust ball like Mars. Something killed Mars, and the same thing damn near killed Earth. And now Dr. Rylo tells us that whatever was behind these catastrophes is waiting out on Europa and he wants to go shake hands with it! Well, I want the Europa mission called to a halt... right now!

ANCHOR: Dr. Rylo states that he fully intends to begin penetration of Europa's ice mantle on October 25th.

19 October 2145
ANCHOR: Cameron Grant, leader of the violent Earth First Brigade, is back in the news.

GRANT: I've just returned from a tour of the Earth's hell spots, and you know what? There's a global revolution brewing. All the unpatrolled zones around the world are seething with rage at the billions of credits wasted on these idiotic terraforming projects and missions to iceballs. They're hot spots, waiting to blow. And the Earth First Brigade will help them achieve critical mass. (a beat) I've had a vision: "End Day". A day when it all blows sky high. The end of the Old World Order and a beginning of a New World Disorder. It's coming soon... sooner than you think. All governments and their leaders are targets. We will bring them all down... on End Day.

20 October 2145
ANCHOR: After three months in seclusion since the bombing of the Capitol Rotunda, President Madeleine Clarke made a surprise appearance today with Attorney General Marcia Kent.

CLARKE: Cameron Grant has finally gone too far, forcing me to emerge from protective seclusion. I am here today to announce a three-pronged attack on Earth First Brigade and its nihilistic fellow travellers. (holds up a pearl) First: this datasphere contains a list of all known Earth First sympathisers. They will each be located and interrogated. Second: As of this moment, all encrypted messages on the VR Net will be intercepted and decoded by the Net Police. Honest citizens have nothing to fear. Third: Although virtual meetings and rallies will remain unregulated, all real assemblages in public areas by six or more people must have a permit or they will be broken up. I promise you, the only "End Day" we'll see around here will be Cameron Grant's.

23 October 2145
ANCHOR: M'ti, already wealthy from his many endorsements and merchandising deals, increased his net worth significantly today. Exact figures were not disclosed, but his new hyperdisk deal is rumoured to be in the eight-figure neighbourhood. What do you think of this new venture, M'ti?

M'TI: It's nice. Very nice.

MONDAINE: It's going to be called M'ti Saves the World and it's about how he led the world to the hound virus formula on Rylo-7.

ANCHOR: Sounds wonderfully dramatic. Say, it's been three weeks now since you've eaten a dandefox, M'ti. Any ill effects?

MONDAINE: Not a one. He's the same old M'ti we all know and love. (hugs M'ti) Aren't you, darling?

M'TI: Well sure. Who else would I be?

MONDAINE (giggling): See what I mean?

24 October 2145
ANCHOR: Terror in the European Community! Just moments ago, a devastating blast ripped through the heart of the EC Palace in Brussels. The explosion destroyed the huge central conference area which was, fortunately, empty at the time. However, the upper floors collapsed as a result of the blast. An exact count is unavailable at this time, but the death toll is expected to run into the hundreds. As for who is responsible, Cameron Grant left no doubt.

GRANT: The EC Palace was an eyesore, a suppurating boil on the backside of a once-beautiful city. Consider this Earth First Brigade's method of urban renewal – cut out the infection before it spreads. Our planet, it seems, is covered with boils. So expect more surgery soon. Because each excision brings us that much closer to End Day and the New World Disorder.

25 October 2145
ANCHOR: Despite protests from a number of scientific groups, the Nautilus's laser-based Icebreaker began its 6-mile journey into Europa's frozen crust right on schedule this morning. Its crew? Col. Elaina Koblatz and Dr. Pablo Blaine. (a beat) And here, with his own unique and idiosyncratic take on current events, is FLAKE president Benjamin Droid.

DROID: Oooh, I don't know about this... be careful up there. This is a little too much like that old flat-screener, The Thing – I have both versions, by the way. Be careful if you find anything frozen in the ice. Best thing to do is leave it there. But if you gotta have it, then keep it cold... keep it very cold. Otherwise you all could be in big trouble!

26 October 2145
ANCHOR: Maria Gonzales has once again appeared in the Net, but this time she was not identified for a almost an hour. Her followers barely recognized her. That's because the mystery woman, whose body remains in a deep coma at the Kevorkian Medical Center, manifested herself today with a thick coating of hoar frost... as if she'd just been removed from a cryotank. We asked Debbie Gonsher, the leader of her legion of followers, what this might mean.

GONSHER: I wish I knew. If only she could talk, but as you saw, her lips are frozen shut. Some of us think she might be instructing us to put her body in a cryonics tank, to preserve it. But the law won't let us do that because she never authorized it. Others think it's some kind of warning. But warning about what? I don't know what to think! If only she'd speak to us!

27 October 2145
ANCHOR: FTL was permitted direct contact with the Nautilus's Icebreaker, on its second day of melting its way through Europa's frozen crust. We asked Drs. Blaine and Koblatz about their progress.


 * Scroll: "COMPRESSED HOLOVID: TRANSMISSION LAGS EDITED... COMPRESSED HOLOVID: TRANSMISSION LAGS EDITED...

BLAINE: It's been slower going than we expected. The upper crust is not solid ice. It's full of deep crevasses and empty pockets, which, oddly enough, take us longer to traverse than solid ice.

KOBLATZ: Plus we've run into a lot more meteorites than we anticipated. They've been sealed in the ice for aeons. And since we can't melt our way through them, we have to go around them.

BLAINE: Right now we've only penetrated a thousand feet into the ice crust, maybe three per cent or so of the distance we need to go. I don't see us reaching liquid until the end of November.

30 October 2145
ANCHOR: Troubles in the EC. As if the terrorist bombing of the EC Palace wasn't enough in itself, the incident appears to be causing a disastrous domino effect in the EC economy. We spoke to Prime Minister Georges Favreau earlier today.

FAVREAU: The loss of life was tragic... all those innocent workers. As for the EC credit, it has lost value against other Combine currencies, but this talk of "plunging" is ridiculous. I see this situation as a temporary dip... an adjustment.

ANCHOR: Will CenBank step in to prop up the EC credit?

FAVREAU: CenBank is hardly in a position to do much of anything these days.

ANCHOR: What about the Asian Prosperity Sphere? After all, Prince Uchida's daughter is married to your son.

FAVREAU (icily): I have not heard from Prince Uchida.

31 October 2145
ANCHOR: It's Halloween, which means it's costume time in the Net. And what are the most popular images this year? Last Halloween it was Kyle Swann and President Clarke. This year it's M'ti and Maria Gonzales. Some Net tricksters are even trying to duplicate the appearance of the VR Presence – with varying degrees of success. [a beat] And Halloween is always a time to visit the so-called "haunted" areas of the Net: the old abandoned MUDs left over from the 20th century. Legend has it that the souls of long-dead gamers returned to the place where they spent too much of their lives and will remain there forever, wandering the rooms with others of their kind, searching endlessly for a way out...