April 2144

1 April 2144
ANCHOR: Virtual reality entrepreneur Buddy Dumpskin may have solved the biggest problem facing corporations which do business in the VR Net. Until now, there has never been a way to determine if the virtual alter egos you are dealing with truly represent the people they say they do. Visualization code theft has become one of the world's leading white collar crimes.

DUMPSKIN: Electronic security checks can only go so far. But I've created a hunter-tracker program which uses ID Chips to trace the source code of any registered hologram and verify its identity.

ANCHOR: How much is the process worth? Millions, judging by the corporate clients flocking to Dumpskin's new company: Who's Who in the Net.

4 April 2144
ANCHOR: Digman bands are the latest pop music craze among teenagers – and the latest controversy to arise concerning children and Virtual Reality. Digman bands appear only in the VR Net and usually feature musicians – each more bizarre than the last. Their digital music directly affects the cerebral cortex, producing altered states of consciousness. This worries Parents' Association president, Chastity Oberall.

OBERALL: Digman bands inspire a cult-like following among their fans. Their songs often contain subliminal anti-social messages. If the music industry won't police itself, the government may have to step in.

5 April 2144
ANCHOR: The Cydonia expedition has made a surprising discovery at the "Face of Mars".

BALLARD: We've found the wreckage of the Mars Observer satellite, which vanished on its way to Mars 150 years ago. For it to have crashed here is either an incredible coincidence – or an indication that neutrino emissions from the Face brought down the Observer, the same way Rylo-7's neutrino field destroyed the ships we sent to stop it.

ANCHOR: The Mars Observer was an unpeopled probe sent by the United States to investigate the Face back in 1993. Its mysterious disappearance was humankind's last attempt to explore the region – until Dr. Ballard's expedition arrived in Cydonia last week.

6 April 2144
ANCHOR: President Clarke, who has rarely been seen in public since her abduction by terrorists last November, will testify for the prosecution at the trial of "R" leader, Kyle Swann, next week–


 * (Video hash jams news, "R" insignia appears on screen)

VOICE OF "R": This is the voice of "R". Kyle Swann is innocent. Madeleine Clarke cannot be trusted. She is not what she appears to be. Remember the words of Barton Poole – "there are ghosts in the machine".


 * (Jamming ends)

ANCHOR: We have regained control of this broadcast. The statement you just heard claiming to be the voice of "R" refers to the last word spoken by former CenBank chairman, Barton Poole. Poole was later exposed as a hologram and disappeared into the Virtual Reality Net.

7 April 2144
ANCHOR: Karin Diop is suing the Champs-Élysées Restaurants because of back injuries sustained when she tried sitting in one of the holographic chairs outside its Duluth franchise.

DIOP: It looked so real! There should've been warning signs.

ANCHOR: But company president, Harry Hausen scoffs at the lawsuits.

HAUSEN: Everyone knows there are no sidewalk cafés in Duluth. Get with the programme, lady!

ANCHOR: A virtual reality Verdi conducted Aida at the Metropolitan Floating Opera House last night. Despite a hologram of the composer, critics agreed that the performance was "lifeless".

8 April 2144
ANCHOR: The jamming of FTL News by hackers claiming to represent "R" has injected controversy into the trial of Kyle Swann.

JETSON: My client has been cut off from all contact with "R" while he's been in jail. Clearly, these hackers do not speak for him or his organisation and should not prejudice his case.

ANCHOR: Attorney General Nagle is threatening severe consequences.

NAGLE: If CommLink and FTL News are unable – or unwilling – to provide fair coverage, the government may be forced to curtail public access to this trial.

ANCHOR: Courtroom news coverage is guaranteed by the 91st Amendment – except in cases where state security may be violated.

11 April 2144
ANCHOR: Children and the VR Net: simulated sex, virtual religious cults, and now Digman bands which allegedly use music to corrupt young minds – all play a part in the controversy. But an experimental procedure announced today by the Communications Technology Commission may put an end to the problem. A microchip implanted behind the retina – called a "Lock-Out Lens" – would make it impossible for children to enter the Net until they are old enough for the chip to be removed. The NAU Parents' Association is enthusiastic – but Hollywood Island studios are already crying "censorship".

12 April 2144
ANCHOR: Virtual reality wizard Buddy Dumpskin was found dead today of an apparent suicide – only one week after announcing his breakthrough program: Who's Who in the Net. The new process was reportedly designed to verify the identity of corporate holograms doing business exclusively in the VR Net. But Police Chief Darryl King believes that it may have been bogus – and that Dumpskin took his own life when word of the fraud was about to leak out.

KING: We've gone through Dumpskin's computer files and found no trace of the Who's Who program. In fact, his entire computer memory appears to have been wiped clean.

ANCHOR: Did Dumpskin do the big dump before his death? The investigation continues.

13 April 2144
ANCHOR: After two weeks of exploration at the "Face of Mars", the Cydonia expedition reports finding no source for the neutrino emissions which seemed to link the Face to Rylo-7.

BALLARD: We've gone over the surface area thoroughly. The next step is to drill several kilometres beneath the Face using our sub-surface scanners.

ANCHOR: Meanwhile, the excavation team on Rylo-7 is at the half-way point in their attempt to reach the chamber at the centre of the asteroid.

RYLO: Spectrum analysis of the metal shell surrounding the chamber shows it to be an alloy of unknown origin, many times denser than titanium. We'll have to bring up special laser blasters from Earth to penetrate the shell once we reach it.

14 April 2144
ANCHOR: Police have made a shocking discovery in the New Mexico desert.

KING: The rains from El Niñocito have unearthed a secret underground lab. Inside, we found clones of the leaders of the European Community, Asian Prosperity Sphere, Hispanic Commonwealth, and Islamic Federation – all cryogenically preserved in stasis chambers. A fifth chamber was empty. We can only assume it held a clone of President Clarke – and that clone may have been activated. We don't yet know who's behind this – but we suspect "R".

ANCHOR: Clarke had this reaction.

CLARKE: If there's an unauthorised clone of me walking around, I want it found... now!

15 April 2144
ANCHOR: Joining us now is NAU Police Chief Darryl King. Chief King, can you update us on your investigation of the clone cache found in the New Mexico desert?

KING: We're still gathering evidence at the scene. I can't release any new information at this time.

ANCHOR: Why would someone want to illegally clone the world's leaders?

KING: We think there was a plot to eliminate these heads of state and secretly replace them with clones genetically engineered to do someone else's bidding. That would certainly explain the recent attempt to kidnap President Clarke.

ANCHOR: Do you still suspect "R"?

KING: They have the motive. And with Kyle Swann's technical expertise – plus his access to CenBank – they probably have the know-how.

18 April 2144
ANCHOR: To help explain the significance of the clone cache recently unearthed in New Mexico, here's Eugene Splice, president of CloneStyles Unlimited.

SPLICE: Most public figures – politicians, holovid stars, and the like – have clones which double for them at functions where a hologram won't do. Their DNA codes are kept under the tightest security, often in numbered Swiss gene accounts. For unauthorised replicas of our world leaders to turn up in a secret clone factory, someone must have gotten access to those codes.

ANCHOR: "R"?

SPLICE: Perhaps. But even with the codes, I doubt the rebels could run an operation as sophisticated as this.

ANCHOR: Then who?

SPLICE: I simply can't imagine.

19 April 2144
ANCHOR: The search continues for the replica of President Clarke presumed missing from the New Mexico clone cache. Police have set up a special CommLink channel called ClarkeWatch. Any suspicious sightings of the President should be reported immediately. Now, here's Perry Epp with a commentary.

EPP: First, CenBank Chairman, Barton Poole, turns out to be a hologram. Now, we discover illegal clones of the world's leaders in a secret desert lab. I've always said that clones aren't real people – but they are a real danger in the wrong hands. Clones, holograms, biomorphs... where does it all end? When we can no longer believe our own eyes and ears, what – and who – can we believe?

20 April 2144
ANCHOR: In a rare public appearance, President Clarke took the witness stand this morning in the trial of rebel leader Kyle Swann. Due to concerns about the President's safety – prompted by an apparent rise in agitation by "R" – Clarke testified via the Virtual Reality Net.

CLARKE: Just before I lost consciousness. I heard one of my kidnappers say that they were waiting for orders from Kyle Swann.

ANCHOR: In a related story, CommLink chief, Sheila Vox, denied government accusations that FTL News is deliberately promoting "R" propaganda in its coverage of the trial.

VOX: We promise complete cooperation with police in tracking down the hackers who've been illegally jamming our broadcasts.

21 April 2144
ANCHOR: Sparks flew at the trial of "R" leader Kyle Swann today as defence attorney Monia Jetson cross-examined President Clarke.

JETSON: President Clarke, you were drugged, injured, and nearly unconscious. How can you be sure you heard your kidnappers mention Kyle Swann?

CLARKE: I know what I heard.

JETSON: At this point, I move that the President's medical records be entered into evidence.

NAGLE: Objection! Those records are protected by state and security regulations.

JETSON: Kyle Swann's life is at stake! We must know President Clarke's mental state at the time.

JUDGE: Motion denied.

22 April 2144
ANCHOR: Microfriends, Inc. is recalling two of its most successful new products: Fat Freeze and Libidos. Both use genetically-engineered micro-organisms, known as benevolent parasites, to turn fat into protein. Fat Freeze is a popular diet aid, while Libidos are designed to enhance sexual drive and performance. Both products tested safe in the lab, but in actual use the parasites have greatly exceeded laboratory levels. Some Fat Freeze customers are simply wasting away while Libidos users are exhausting themselves and their partners. The FDGA is now calling for further clinical trials.

25 April 2144
ANCHOR: Kyle Swann testified this morning in his own defence.

SWANN: I had nothing to do with the murder of Julian Matthews or the kidnapping of President Clarke – and as far as I know, neither did anyone else in "R".

JETSON: Do you know who did?

SWANN: Not exactly. But I have reason to suspect that someone involved in the Artificial Intelligence–

NAGLE: Objection! Kyle Swann is on trial here, no one else. His suspicions are irrelevant.

JETSON: But if my client can shed some light on who might truly be responsible, then in the interest of justice he should be heard!

JUDGE: This court will decide what is in the interest of justice, Counselor. The objection is sustained.

26 April 2144
ANCHOR: Kyle Swann continued his testimony today before the Supreme Court.

SWANN: At the core of CenBank's computer system is an entirely new form of Artificial Intelligence. It absorbs human neural imprints. In other words, it is a mirror of all the minds of all the people who created it. Now, somehow, this AI has linked up with CommLink's Virtual Reality Net. That's how it was able to jam the Net with holograms of Barton Poole and me. It was a diversion – part of the ICE which conceals CenBank's secret files. At first, I assumed that the AI could only reflect the neural imprints of those that programmed it. But as I started chipping away at the ICE I discovered something far more dangerous.

27 April 2144
ANCHOR: Kyle Swann continued his testimony today before the Supreme Court.

SWANN: CenBank's Artificial Intelligence mirrors the neural imprint – the mind – of anyone it encounters. It uses the VR Net to create any illusion it wants. It also has access to CenBank's ID Chip files for nearly everyone on Earth – and each Chip contains the neural imprint of its owner. Do you realise what this means?

NAGLE: Objection!

SWANN: The AI's power to manipulate Virtual Reality is unlimited!

NAGLE: Objection!

JUDGE: Mr. Swann, if you don't stop this totally irrelevant testimony, I will hold you in contempt.

SWANN: No one in the Net may be what they seem – not me, not you... not even Madeleine Clarke–!


 * (Picture cuts to the NAU seal)

OFFICIAL VOICE: This broadcast has been terminated for reasons of state security.

28 April 2144
ANCHOR: The government blackout of news coverage concerning the trial of Kyle Swann continues. To help explain Swann's dramatic testimony, here's an excerpt from an interview with the rebel leader recorded late last year.

SWANN: Whenever you project a Virtual Reality Alter Ego into the Net, the computer takes a neural imprint from your mind and translates it into a moving, three-dimensional hologram. But you create and control this hologram. Now, the Artificial Intelligence running CenBank can also create and control these holograms – so to speak – at will. Using the billions of neural imprints from CenBank's Identity Chip files, it could literally flood the VR Net with false images... ghosts.

29 April 2144
ANCHOR: At a press conference this morning, Attorney General Nagle denied Kyle Swann's claim that a dangerous Artificial Intelligence is secretly running CenBank. Swann contends that the AI is using CenBank's ID Chip data to manipulate the Virtual Reality Net.

NAGLE: Our experts tell us that an AI of this kind is pure fantasy. The technology simply doesn't exist. The Net is perfectly safe. This is just another attempt by Swann to cover up his sabotage of CenBank's computer system.

ANCHOR: Meanwhile, police handling the CenBank investigation admit that, without Swann's help, it will take months – even years – to crack the ICE concealing CenBank's secret computer files.