“Why would the party of Mother and father order something like this?” asked Kix.
“Who knows? They may have gotten tired of the bad rep we have and want to clear it up. Maybe it’s to help with getting recruits, or they are just doing someone a favor and another hit piece will be written about us,” said Chief Chesty.
With a wave of his hand, he dismissed the two from his office.
“Arron have you ever been on the Holo-news, or done an interview for any e-mag or e-newspaper?” asked Kix as they walked back into the Mag-shoot.
“No, I’m not that interesting of a person,” said Arron.
“Alright, a word of warning. Watch what words you say. You may be allowed to think it but if you voice something deemed to go against the speech code regulations you’re toast. Right now Mother and father have no way to know what you are thinking, so keep all the troublesome thoughts inside that head of yours.”
“Is it really that bad?” asked Arron.
“What do you mean ‘that bad’? It’s common sense that you don’t say things that would anger Mother or Father. Otherwise… normalization…” said Kix, drawing an invisible line across his neck with his finger.
“But you…”
“Remember, this reporter is from KNN’s E-newspaper branch. This will be distributed nationally, if the article goes viral, it will appear on the Holo-news later today. Don’t say anything stupid or they will just edit it out of context and make you look even worse. Just go along, to get along.”
Arron had some strong opinions on several things but decided to follow Kix’s suggestion about giving a bland interview.
When they arrived at the front lobby they found Mishka and Megane hiding behind several holo screens pretending to be busy. When they occasionally took a few side glances at an elderly woman, frowns would appear.
The elderly woman looked to be in her late 50s or early 60s. She was currently letting out a cackle while watching reruns of a Late-night comedy show.
“Separatist are totally bad, am I right?” the host of the late-night show asked the crowd of Holographic audience members.
“So true! Separatist bad!” “Yep, Separatist bad!” Many of the voices from the audience were picked up and broadcasted.
Only old people and the mentally deranged would find such ‘Comedy’ shows funny.
“Haaa… such a good show,” said the elderly woman. She wiped a tear away from her eye after regaining her breath from cackling so hard.
When she noticed Arron and Kix standing a short distance away, her smile disappeared and a scowl appeared on her face.
“Which one of you is Arron?” she asked with a brisk tone.
Arron stepped forward, “I am. Are you Madam Kellery?”
“I don’t do autographs.”
Arron was slightly confused. He didn’t even know about her before this morning, so why would he even want her autograph?
“I need a private room where I won’t be interrupted by anyone,” demanded Kellery.
She was not looking at Kix or Arron as she gave her demands, but instead at Mishka and Megane who were still hiding behind the front desk.
“It has already been prepared exactly as you asked,” said Mishka as she pointed to the smooth wall on the left side of the lobby room.
The wall opened up revealing a small white room with a long rectangle table and hover chairs at each end. They were far apart from each other.
Kellery entered the room first followed by Arron. The wall immediately shut after he stepped into the room and all sound from the lobby was completely blocked.
“Sit over there,” said Kellery pointing to the chair at the opposite side of the room.
From a large Hover case, four hover bots popped out and started to move into the positions Kellery Heaton wanted.
As soon as the green lights on each of the hover bots lit up the scowl on her face turned into a bright smile.
“Hello valued readers and welcome prime holo-vid subscribers. Today we have an exclusive interview with a new recruit of the M1 ‘special’ task force! Please state your name for everyone,” said Kellery in a sickly sweet sing-song voice.
Arron was taken back for a second, the interview started without a short briefing to let him know what to expect or even a warning.
“Arron Wynterz.”
“What did you do before joining the ‘special’ task force?” asked Kellery.
“I was a farmer,” said Arron.
“The Information I have says you served in the WHO military. Is that correct?”
Arron’s brows furrowed a bit before returning to normal. “How did you get that information? Only the Office of Reason and Mother and Father are allowed to view such records.”
Kellery’s smiling face turned into a scowl as she turned to one of the hover bots, “Edit, erase that last part.”
She turned back to Arron.
“Listen kid, I ask the questions. You answer them and then we both can leave.”
Her scowling face turned back to the bright sunny smile.
“Why did you, someone with a military background, decide to join the ‘special’ task force? Debts? Running from the law? An order from the [Office of Reason]?”
“I needed the money because of the bubble burst,” said Arron.
“A country bu…person like yourself, must have had quite a shock moving to the Mega-city Neo-Tokeyo, and to join the ‘special’ task force right away… Simply amazing.”
“Yes the city is quite… different,” said Arron.
“You are on the three approved social media, right? Such as Faceplant, Barker, Ego holo-vids?”
Arron did not know what this had to do with being an M1 recruit.
“So that… others can follow your exploits as an M1 recruit! Or is your SCS so low that you are unable to join?” said Kellery, making something up on the spot after she saw the confusion on Arron’s face.
Her hands were hovering over her holo keyboard ready to type in the information.
“My SCS is high enough to join them,” said Arron.
Kellery leaned forward with gleaming eyes. The hovering interview bots mics and cameras all zoomed out to get the clearest sound and picture, as they waited for his answer.
“I am not on any social media.”
Kellery nearly fell out of her hoverchair. Several mixed expressions appeared on her face as many of the ‘questions’ she had prepared were tossed out the window with this simple answer.
“Edit. Clean up the last few seconds.”
“Ahem…” Kellery cleared her voice and plastered her smile on her face, once again creating a studious and serious appearance as if she was ready to get down to the bottom of some mystery.
“But why not? Everyone is on the approved Social-media! You’re not one of those people are you?”
“Those people? I don’t know what you are referring to.”
“A non-believer… or even a… separatist~?” asked Kellery, slowly drawing out the last word.
“I don’t see how not being on social media leads you to think that. I’m not on social media because it rots the brain and turns its users into raging drones that spout whatever is sanctioned or popular at the time. Plus the yearly fee that you have to pay to even access them stops some from using it.”
“So what you’re saying is, there needs to be a new health regulation determining who can be allowed on social media?”
“That’s not what I said. I think people need to stop attacking each other over stupid things. There are people trying to harm others they don’t even know over something that was said recently or in the past. Everyone needs to stop arguing and start talking to each other face to face in real life.”
“You’re talking about certain people getting Normalized right? Is there anyone in particular on social media that you are championing this opinion for? Have you seen someone get normalized in real life?”
“No one on social media. It is my own opinion, and yes I have seen a few people who have had such things happen to them since I entered the city.”
“Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it after a while. Back to your previous point. So what you are saying is, Mother and father are not doing enough to enforce their speech codes?”
The interview went on for over an hour with little of the questions and discussion actually having anything to do about the M1. Several times during the interview, Kellery stopped and made edits or reordered things.
“That concludes the interview. I hope everyone has been enlightened on the type of person who joins the ‘special’ task force.”
With that, the hover bots stopped recording and flew back to the Hover case.
“I am sure you are familiar with my high standard of writing, Yes? You will be able to read the article later today,” said Kellery as she stood up with a scowl on her face.
“I am sorry, but I am not familiar with any of your current or past work. But I did hear that 90% of the people you write about end up in the hospital… and the other 10% were found dead,” said Arron.
