"This Earthforce prison transport was discovered by a civilian freighter drifting in the space between two jump gates," the reporter on the news said. "When the crew of the freighter boarded the vessel they found this horrid scene."
And the screen behind the reporter shifted to shaky, scattered views of blood streaked walls and slashed Earthforce personnel. Much of the scene was fuzzed out to avoid showing "sensitive" material to potentially young viewers.
"Pause program," someone commanded.
The TV froze and a figure turned around to look at his fellows.
"Who is behind this?" the froggy, bald man demanded angrily. "Who'd attack one of our shi..."
"Two, President Clark," a small man in the dark uniform of a Psi-Cop said. "The ship intending to pick up the agent is also missing and I presume we won't find it any time soon in less than a hundred easily sellable pieces."
"Is it the Mars separatists?" Clark wondered.
"Doubtful," he said. "Forensics suggests that the violence was mostly for the sheer fun of it. Someone smart, crazy and with friends. That, however, isn't the biggest issue."
"And what is Mr Bester?" Clarke wondered irritably.
"Resume program," Bester said clearly looking toward the television.
"Included on the ship were information and reports that implicated the prisoner carried by this ship in an assassination plot against the late President Santiago," the reporter continued.
Clark frowned and swallowed angrily.
"Tainted evidence," he said immediately.
"You're still not seeing the big issue, Mr. President," Bester said, pointing to the screen. "We can deal with and repair this situation. We can even use it. The question is, how did this even get on the air without our..." he paused and made a brief condescending smile, tapping his forehead "...excuse me, Mr. President I meant your? How did this get on the air without your approval and foreknowledge?"
The president frowned at that. He was an ambitious man, not unintelligent and well educated, but his ambition had surpassed his patience and despite legitimately being one of the driving forces of the new world order, he wasn't one of the primary movers and shakers, bot by a long shot.
"Right, I'll have to look into that," he said.
"This is not good," Rally said with a frown as she paused to look up at the news screen and the report of the derelict craft's state was made plain.
The bounty hunter frowned, she was not unused to psychopaths breaking out of jail in order to get revenge on her for something. However, Jack hadn't struck her as anything but a soldier working for a cause, maybe not a true believer, but a loyal follower none the less.
Shaking her head, she bent back down to her work, doing some maintenance on Garibaldi's heirloom slugthrower. Not that there was much need for it, he apparently took good care of the weapon.
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(Posted Sat, 01 Jan 2011 10:39)
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