August 2146

1 August 2146
ANCHOR: Combine Leaders were quick to react to yesterday's shocking news from Fortress Israel.


 * [Replay: from Kanter's press conference... "I regret to inform the combines that Israel will not be opening its Shah-Ar files."]

FAVREAU: This is an outrage. Kanter promised us access to all the information from Shar-Ar. That was the deal offered in exchange for our coming to that conference. How dare he renege!

ANCHOR: NAU President Madeleine Clarke took a more sanguine view.

CLARKE: Of course, I'm disappointed. Shar-Ar sounded like a major breakthrough. Still, Mr. Yakov Kanter did not say "never". He said the time was premature. The NAU can wait... but not forever.

ANCHOR: And FTL has just learned that Dr. Winston Rylo has quit his position as scientific advisor to Kanter.

2 August 2146
VISUAL:
 * FTL Flashpoll: Who Would You Vote for NAU President Today?
 * Clarke: 28%
 * Epp: 12%
 * Swann: 19%
 * Koblatz: 29%
 * What Election? 12%

ANCHOR: Today, FTL begins its coverage of 'Election 2147'. In a climate of worldwide political and economic turmoil, the upcoming campaign will lead to one of the most important NAU elections in decades... and FTL will bring you every development in this race as it happens. Except there isn't much of a race... yet. We go to our impartial commentator, Ay-Eye.

AY-EYE: Current NAU President Madeleine Clarke has yet to announce whether she will seek another term of office... leading some to observe that maybe she's had enough of the high-profile position that led to her kidnapping and, for a time, her replacement by a clone. Still, no one should count President Clarke out. Then there are other possible candidates, Perry Epp – Mr. Reality – and Kyle Swann, once an outlaw until President Clarke pardoned him. And what of Elaina Koblatz? Can a space hero with unanswered questions get elected? I see no reason why not.

ANCHOR: And a current FTL flashpoll agrees.

5 August 2146
ANCHOR: Despite a month of in-depth investigation by SHIVA, the source of the deadly BioMerge feedback from the VR Net remains a mystery. Although he may not know what caused the feedback, SHIVA director Martin Bibo is pretty sure he knows what did not.

BIBO: There's been speculation that the BioMerge feedback might be related to the VR Presence, but we at SHIVA doubt that. The VR Presence was non-directional – it emanated from all corners of the Net. The fatal feedback had a very definite origin point. We simply haven't been able to trace it back... yet.

ANCHOR: But someone thinks she knows the source. Maria Gonzales speaks from the Net.

MARIA: You wish to know the source of the deaths? Ask who hates the Net... and who wishes to bring it down.

6 August 2146
ANCHOR: Tau followers around the world were quick to react to Maria Gonzales's insinuation that their movement might be responsible for the mysterious BioMerge deaths.

LENSTEIN: Insinuation? I call it an outright accusation. Just an other example of Nooman selfishness. The Net is necessary to their existence, so they don't care how many members of the flesh and blood world are damaged or killed because of it. I agree with my Tau friends: The VR Net is dangerous. Tear it down.

ANCHOR: Your Tau friends seem upset about young Ti'm as well. Why is that?

LENSTEIN: Well, you have to lend yourself to their way of thinking. After the dandefox debâcle – I mean, look what that alien plant almost did to the planet. They don't believe any alien can be trusted – even one that's half human!

7 August 2146
ANCHOR: We caught up to new mother Bimbetta Mondaine at Kevorkian Medical Center and asked her how she felt about the Tau protesters outside.

BIMBETTA: I think they're mean. And I'm glad Ti'm isn't old enough to understand what they're saying. He's not even three weeks old. That's too young to have people hating you.

ANCHOR: We understand Ti'm is coming out of isolation today. Are you taking him home?

BIMBETTA (uncertain): I was planning to, but now with all this commotion... I'm afraid. Jay Cypherman [steps into frame] has said he'll help.

CYPHERMAN (Tag: Star of "LateNet with Jay Cypherman"):Don't you worry about a thing, Bimbetta. [pats Bimbetta's hand] I'm offering you and Ti'm the use of my luxury flondo for as long as you need it. You won't run into any Taus there. And you won't see any on my show, either. They're so... so... boring.

8 August 2146
VISUAL:
 * Armondo Corleone (looking battered, bruised and dishevelled, with both arms wrapped in plastic and slung across his chest)

ANCHOR: It's been only two months since he trademarked the Tau symbol for his own line of "Tau-wear", but Sicilian entrepreneur Armondo Corleone announced today that he's relinquishing ownership.

CORLEONE: That's right. As of here and now, I'm giving up all rights to the Tau symbol. It was a bad deal, anyway. These Tau people got no sense of style.

ANCHOR: The burned factories and wrecked shipments were not a factor?

CORLEONE: Not a bit. The stuff just didn't move.

ANCHOR: How did you hurt yourself, Armondo?

CORLEONE: Er, I fell yesterday... and rolled into a door. But it ain't as bad as it looks. I mean, the broken arms will be healed by tomorrow. Just an accident is all. Everything's fine.

9 August 2146
ANCHOR: Without fanfare and without advance notice, Elaina Koblatz was released from the quarantine facility at Midway spaceport this morning. The final report on the as yet unexplained death of Dr. Pablo Valdez-Blaine will not be completed for weeks, but sources close to the debriefing team said that although many questions remain unanswered in this tragedy, no evidence of culpability or neglect on Elaina Koblatz's part was unearthed. Tauists and friends of the Tau movement were ecstatic.

LENSTEIN: This is a great day for Taus, and a great day for the world. Her imprisonment – they may call it quarantine but my Tau friends know what it really was – has only tempered her inner steel. And look! She's finished her book and has it with her. And it's on paper! Isn't that exciting!

12 August 2146
ANCHOR: How's the baby? That's what all the world wants to know, so we went directly to the source. We caught the proud mother at Kevorkian Medical Center for Ti'm's weekly check-up.

BIMBETTA: Oh, he's doing beautifully.

ANCHOR: Dr. Greinechs, are any precautions being taken to insure that little Ti'm doesn't suffer his father's fate?

GREINECHS: Yes, of course. Ti'm's diet is being supplemented with the recombinant dandefox extract that we're mixing here in our lab.

BIMBETTA: He just loves it.

GREINECHS: He certainly does. He's growing like a... well, like a weed.

BIMBETTA (like a typically proud mother about her first child): Only three and a half weeks old and he's already thirteen pounds. He's just the biggest and smartest baby there ever was.

13 August 2146
ANCHOR: Elaina speaks! In her first public appearance since her release from quarantine last week, Elaina Koblatz spoke to a gathering of Taus at the Medieval theme park in the EC.

ELAINA: My fellow Taus, it is fitting that we meet here in a place devoted to a time when life was simpler, and closer to the earth. It underscores a major problem afflicting our world: we have strayed too far from earthly values. The worst offender is the VR Net. It is destroying what is best in us, sucking the very life from our souls. You must make a choice, my friends. How can you fully embrace Tauism if you also embrace the Net? The choice is obvious: Down with the Net! [Raises her fist] Tau!

CROWD (off screen): PLAMT!

ELAINA: Tau!

CROWD (off screen): PLAMT!

14 August 2146
ANCHOR: Yesterday, Elaina Koblatz railed against the VR Net. Today, Perry Epp, former leader of the Reality Party, has a surprising reaction.

EPP: I know everyone thinks Tauism should be my cup of tea, but it's not. I'm well aware of my past stand on the VR Net – hey, they didn't call me "the reality guy" for nothing – but I've had a change of heart. I used to see the Net as a place where people went to hide from life, but now I've come to see it as a home for life... a new and different kind of life.

ANCHOR: You mean the Noomans?

EPP: Yes. The Noomans. And it's not simply because my Sheena is one of them. The Noosphere may be the next evolutionary step for humanity. Destroy the Net and you burn our bridge to that future. And we'll all be left here... stranded.

15 August 2146
ANCHOR: The Net Police, with the help of SHIVA, have determined that the fatal feedback that killed BioMerge users months ago was no accident. Net Police DataCaptain Gill Bates comments.

BATES: We have evidence now that the feedback was a deliberate act. A power surge was directed into the central BioMerge server causing an information burst that overloaded all chip implants hooked into the VR Net at that time. The result was cerebral shutdown... and death. This is now a matter for the Net Police. We are no longer dealing with negligence or a tragic accident. This is cold-blooded murder.

ANCHOR: BioMerge use has dropped off significantly since the mysterious deaths. It is expected to plummet in response to this revelation.

16 August 2146
ANCHOR: Ti'm appears at last! The half alien, half human infant made his first appearance last night on LateNet with Jay Cypherman.

JAY: Well, Bimbetta, I must say, it's an honor to have Ti'm make his debut on LateNet. Can we get a look at the little guy?

BIMBETTA: Just a peek. He's still sensitive to bright lights, you know.

JAY: Hey, he's got his father's eyes. And he's big for his age. What on Earth are you feeding him?

BIMBETTA: He's getting special supplements, plus I'm breast-feeding him, Jay.

JAY (leering): Say no more. That explains everything. No first words yet?

BIMBETTA: He's only a month old!

JAY: Yeah, but I bet I can tell you what they'll be: [mimicking M'ti] "Nice... very nice."

19 August 2146
ANCHOR: Virtual violence on the VR Net – another spate of electronic assaults on the areas frequented by the Noomans. But is this violence so "virtual" when the Net is the only place you can exist? Maria Gonzales addressed the subject from the Noosphere today.

MARIA: Our enemies try to destroy us but they fail. They may hurt some of us someday, but do not fear. The One has come. Our wait is over.

ANCHOR: Tell us, Lady, is Elaina Koblatz "The One?"

MARIA (sharply): No... The One did not come from Europa.

ANCHOR: Then who is he?

MARIA: The One is neither "he" nor "she". The One is... The One. And it is far too dangerous to identify The One now.

ANCHOR: Dangerous for whom?

MARIA (portentously): The world.

20 August 2146
ANCHOR: Armondo Corleone bounces back. His Tau-wear business went belly-up only weeks ago, but already the Sicilian entrepreneur has something new to sell.

ARMONDO: You know, certain recent events got me thinking about my mortality, and how sometimes bad things happen to good people – like me.Take this Nooman thing. Everyday, more unfortunate people are falling into comas and taking up residence in the Noosphere. If that happens to you, who's gonna take care of your body? You want to saddle your family with the crushing expense of keeping your earthly remains alive while you're hanging out with a bunch of Noogoombahs? Of course not. That's why I'm offering a new kind of insurance. Not just life insurance... Noolife insurance. To give you peace of mind in case you don't rest in peace. Hey, you don't have to be dead to collect on a Noolife policy.

21 August 2146
ANCHOR: Political upheaval in the EC. First came the Eurodollar's plunge in value. Then Prime Minister Favreau's resistance to the Sea Floor Communities' declaration of independence. His hardline stance brought the world to the brink of intercombine war. As a result, his government looks shaky.

FAVREAU: It is a matter of perception, really. Things are not nearly as grim as they appear.

ANCHOR: That would be true were it not for the fact that the EC has proven to be a hotbed for Tauism. The Combine ranks first in percentage of citizens sympathetic to Tauism. And those citizens are calling for a greater voice in EC policies. Prime Minister Favreau's embattled government faces a vote of confidence unless he can find a way to shore up its dwindling support.

22 August 2146
ANCHOR: Shah-Ar shut down? That's the word from the Tel Aviv Propulsion Lab. We asked Prime Minister Yakov Kanter about the rumour.

KANTER: The rumour is false. Shah-Ar has not been shut down. However, we have made deep cutbacks in the staff exposed to – that is, working with the Shah-Ar technology.

ANCHOR: Does this have anything to do with the mass murders committed by two top Shah-Ar researchers?

KANTER (almost alarmed): Of course not! Why would you say such a thing? It's... it's simply that the loss of two key men has... has crippled progress and necessitated a... a reassessment of the viability of the project.

ANCHOR: Does this mean that the dream of faster-than-light travel is dead?

KANTER: No. Not dead. But as far as using the Shah-Ar technology is concerned, it has been postponed... indefinitely.

23 August 2146
ANCHOR: To head off an impending vote of confidence – which FTL flashpolls show he would lose – Prime Minister Georges Favreau made a startling announcement today in the Hindenburg Room of the EC Palace.

FAVREAU (uneasily): The EC is changing, and a government must adjust to those changes if it is to remain representative. To that end, and in view of his wide and fervent following throughout our land, I am appointing Prin Toller as chancellor of the EC.

TOLLER (smugly): On behalf of all Taus across the globe, but especially those in the EC, I proudly accept the post of Chancellor. This is a historic occasion. I am the first Tau to be accepted into the central government of a major combine, but I will not be the last. [Raises a fist] Tau plamt!

26 August 2146
ANCHOR: The Spiral... every inveterate Net explorer is familiar with the strange VR-tifact discovered years ago in a remote corner of the Net. It has remained a minor curiosity, huge, dark and – until now – inert. Earlier today, the Spiral sprang to life. We asked Martin Bibo of SHIVA for his thoughts.

BIBO: The Spiral? That old thing? SHIVA investigated it years ago because of its size and to see if it had any connection to the VR Presence. The Spiral and the Presence both first appeared almost simultaneously, you know. Despite our efforts, we couldn't find any purpose to the thing and concluded it was harmless. It was simply there... just another example of unfinished programming that litters the Net. But if it's active now, maybe we'll take another look.

27 August 2146
ANCHOR: Spiral sabotage! Ever since the mysterious Spiral sprang to life yesterday, countless people have been flocking to its remote corner of the Net to view this strange VR-tifact.

ANCHOR: But apparently the Spiral has enemies as well as fans. This morning, barely 24 hours after it came to life, someone tried to destroy the Spiral by bringing down its area of the Net.

ANCHOR: But the Spiral was not so easily defeated. It immediately reappeared in another region of the Net, bigger and brighter than ever. Dr. Martin Bibo of SHIVA had this comment.

BIBO: The Spiral is apparently a highly resilient self-replicating program. Very interesting. We must look into this.

28 August 2146
ANCHOR: Elaina Koblatz announces a tour to launch her new book, To Serve Tau. She will be the first author in almost a century to perform this archaic ritual. What's the book about, Elaina?

ELAINA: To Serve Tau will enumerate the Seven Steps that must be achieved to reach High Tau. The world still uses the term "book", but no one makes actual books anymore. To Serve Tau, however, won't be digital. It will be a real book, with words on pages. And I will make a real tour. Instead of using the VR Net, I will travel to different cities all over the world. I will go among the people, speak to them, sign their books. I will start them on the Seven Steps to High Tau.

ANCHOR: And what awaits at the end of these Seven Steps, Elaina?

ELAINA (eyes wide): Make the climb... see for yourself.

29 August 2146
ANCHOR: And now, on FTL's NetWatch, Ay-Eye comments on Elaina Koblatz's new book, To Serve Tau.

AY-EYE (sarcastically): I have sneaked an advance look at this much-touted tome, and believe me, if you're looking for enlightenment or answers to the mysteries of life, you won't find it in this load of neo-Luddite nonsense. [acidly] "The Seven Steps to High Tau" indeed! It never tells you what you'll find when you reach the top step. And get this: to pass through the mid level steps you must not only forsake the VR Net, you must actively work to bring it down. And here's the author's brilliant solution to education: Taugartens. Schools using paper and pencils and chalk boards to teach children. [genuinely baffled] How's anyone going to learn anything that way?

30 August 2146
ANCHOR: He's two weeks older and ten pounds heavier. To the delight of Ti'm-watchers all over the world, the half-alien/ half-human baby made his second visit to Late Net last night with his proud mother, Bimbetta Mondaine.

JAY: So, Bimbetta. How's the little bundle of joy doing these days?

BIMBETTA: Just wonderfully, Jay. Thanks to you. [to camera] I just want to let everyone know what a wonderful man Jay is. He gave us his vacation flondo after those Tau people said all those terrible things about Ti'm, and he's done everything to make us comfortable. I'm sure a big reason my little Ti'm is thriving is because we both feel so safe there. [to Jay] I just want you to know that if there's anything I can do to repay to, I will.

JAY (patting her hand): Now, now. Don't give it another thought, Bimbetta. Well, maybe give it a little thought... I mean, well we can, uh, discuss this later.