Its been a long time coming and its not complete but i've hit a point where I don't know where to go in the interview.
"Hey, Dan, have you seen this notice?"
'What is it Psian?'
"Its a note from the boss, he wants a reporter to interview a new squad who've just entered at number 8 in the top ten squads list - 3 votes behind NWO."
'What squad is it?'
"Shoot First, Ask Questions Later - a necanthrope union."
'Shit, I don't want to talk to no dead ebb freaks!'
"Yeah, but after Sour Blood died just after your interview with him, you need everything to rebuild your career, and remember, your face on TeeVee is what pays your wage - the media is everything."
'OK, I'll see the boss later. You want an iced tea or a black coffee'
"Surprise me!"
'Look 3T, you know I need this interview and you know i'm the best reporter for the job.'
"There's Janette and Mike. And after that Sour Blood fiasco i'm not sure you..."
'You're not sure I should do interviews. Yeah, you've said that before. But Janette hates ebb users and curls up into a ball when they're around, and Mike's wifes pregnant and about due so he'll be taking his holiday. I'm your only choice..."
"OK, I want 20 minutes, full picture and sound and no you can't have a camera man. And I want it by 7 pm tonight."
3T watched through his office windows as Daniel flung the papers off his desk onto the floor and pulled out the Oyster Workstation. O'Crow had been right that he was the best, but he didn't like to add to his ego - it was big enough as it was and had hardly gone down after Sour Blood had tripped on the microphone cable and electrocuted himself to death. A funny event, but not too good for the ratings.
He switched on his monitor and watched the data that Daniel was accessing. Daniel made a good reporter because his operative training and high security level gave him access to files that Janette and Mike were un-priviledged to see. 3T had access to all the files of course, but simply because Cloak liked to have an experienced operative controlling what the public see's and hear's.
Daniel was pulling up records of the squads line up:
Now Daniel was trying to access data relating to when the squad had
formed, but kept recieving a D-Notice. 3T logged into the database and
tried to access the same file. His monitor lit up with D-Notices, and he
was taken aback. He had sufficient clearance to access the file yet he
was getting the notice. He accessed the command subsystem and requested a
D-Notice information check. This time his cloak division clearance worked
and he recieved the information concerning when the D-Notice was set on
the data.
It had been set by the Perceptor, personally, on 14/Jan/899 SD.
3T did a scan for any other D-Notices set by the Prceptor and only recieved 7 results.
He switched his view back to the data Daniel was accessing and watched as he pulled up a list of completed BPN's by SFAQL.
They had only complete 17 BPNS in the last 9 months, but 6 of those BPNS were Jade BPN's, 3 were Blacks and 4 were Reds. Their success rate was 100% with a casualty rate of 0%. Third Eye had covered 10 of the BPN's and the public had voted the squad into the top ten charts after they had survived an attack by 9 close-knitts and 3 sarge powersuits with negligable damage to the SLA Industries in-vitro fertilization plant in Uptown.
Daniel then did a few more searches but failed to bring up any decent results other than their apartments address. He logged out and 3T watched him as he packed his VidCam and DataSlug Mic into his rucksack and leave the office.
Daniel looked around at the flickering neon lights of the shops in downtown.
He peered through one grimy window of a gun-shop to see the full and latest
CAF range presented in immaculate order on a grubby display stand.
He crossed the street and watched as two dogs fought over the body of a rat that he had kicked out of his way earlier.
He couldn't believe that one of SLA Industries top squads lived in such a run down area, and even though it was downtown, it looked more run down than any other area he'd been to.
He picked his way along the path, avoiding the piles of stinking rubbish and the puddles caused by water dripping down from the walkways above. He passed a group of women chatting in a shop doorway, who stopped talking and stared at him.
He reached the squad's apartment, about 10 minutes walk from the nearest gauss train, opposite a kebab shop. He knocked on the door, rang the bell and shouted through the letterbox but he got no response.
"Yar tha' Danel O'Cro arn't ya? Yar tha one tha's 'sponsibul for Sour Blood's death arn't ya? Well, Stryder and 'is onion arn't in. And I arn't goin' ta tell ya where 'e is."
Daniel looked round to see an old woman and her 4 year old grandson wearing a Sour Blood t-shirt. She had appeared from the flat next door and was waving her walking stick at him menancingly. He thought fast on his feet luckily.
'I'm doing an follow up to my Sour Blood interview. Its called Sour Blood - Mourned and Missed. Would you like to star in it?'
The old woman perked up.
"Me, on tha TeeVee. Wow, of cours' I wanna be in'it."
'First I need some information from Mr Stryder. Could you tell me where he is and I'll come back to you when i've spoken to him.'
"He and 'is onion ar in tha bar, over on old Harry's corner. Carn't miss it. Its called tha Dying Parrot."
'Thank you Ma'am.'
The Dying Parrot was a big and noisy establishment. It was full of people, from dirty factory workers, to suit wearing media and business men. Loud music thrashed out from wall mounted speakers and clouds of smoke swirled through the room, illuminated by the rotating lights that flashed on and off.
Daniel picked his way through the crowd to the bar, glancing to his left and right to try and spot Stryder and the rest of the union. Two operatives made a space for him when he flashed his SCL badge at them.
He waited about 5 minutes for a pretty barmaid to come and serve him.
'A pint of SirAlec please.'
The barmaid pulled out a glass from under the bar and procedded to pull a pint of SirAlec. It took 199 seconds to pour, Daniel knew because he timed her, but when he drank it, it was a perfect pint.
The barmaid asked him for his fincnace card and while she inserted it into the reader he asked her if she'd seen Stryder or any of the other Nec's.
"Can't say that I 'ave. They sometimes pop in to see Shard, the owner, but I 'aven't seen them for a few days."
'And where is Shard now?'
"Can't say that I 'ave seen 'im tonight. Come back tomorrow, 'e might be in then."
Daniel drank his pint and chatted to the two operatives next to him, an ebon and a human from a relatively new squad called Channel KATN. Daniel was intrigued as to what KATN stood for and laughed heartily when they told him it meant Kick Ass Take Names.
He finished his pint and having got no further to getting an interview, decided to try the squads apartment again. At the worst, he'd get the beginings for a follow up to his Sour Blood interview, and 3T wouldn't mind that because the ratings would go back up. But first he needed the toliet because a SirAlec always made his bowels do strange things and his shit go wierd.
He went to the blokes toliets which were crowded and dirty, but no where near as bad as the Pit's had been last time he went to a gig there.
As he came out of the toliets someone tapped him on his shoulder.
"Are you looking for me Mr O'Crow?"
Daniel spun round and came face to face with a black skinned ebon wearing shades. Sat by him were a male ebon with electric blue hair and a pale faced female ebon wearing bikers clothes. Both of the two ebons sat down had small pulsating bulbs on their shoulders and Daniel relaised that they were Dagar and Immagin from SFAQL.
'Mr Stryder I presume?'
The black skinned ebon nodded and bowed slightly.
The members of SFAQL drifted into the apartment slowly and in dribs and drabs. Stryder was leant across the kitchen counter talking to Immagin who was making coffee. Dagar was sat on the sofa next to him, avidly flicking through the channels, looking for something and smiling anytime a channel had loud, fast and heavy music on.
Vildirn and Moggot drifted in first. The former skipped ahead of the latter, whose grey, bald head was stuck in a book. Daniel wondered how he was able to avoid bumping into any of the furniture, until he saw the necanthropes gore cannon grinning at him and then looking down at the floor.
A loud stomping heralded Gideons arrival. He stared across at Daniel, then stomped to where Stryder was, and, in a throaty rasp spoke to him.
Saspit arrived a few minutes later and threw a six pack of beers across to Dagar. He then moved off towards the squads bathroom.
G'lad arrived last. Daniel physically shook when he saw the 10 foot necanthrope stoop down to get through the doorway. G'lad roared at him and Daniel almost wet himslef in fear until he heard Vildirn giggling away. She skipped across to him and took his power glaive, staggering slightly under the weight. Daniel watched as G'lad washed what appeared to be blood off his hands in the kitchen sink.
Stryder whistled sharply and the squad assembled in the flats living room. Daniel pulled his VidCam out of his bag and set it up on the portable stand on wide angle, and set the microphone on high detail recording.
'This is Daniel O'Crow, interviewing squad Shoot First, Ask Questions Later, for Third Eye News.
SFAQL, you have been voted as number 8 in SLA Industries top ten squads. This was all due to your last red BPN in Uptown, protecting an in-vitro fertilisation centre from a Thresher attack. How do you feel about this?'
Stryder answered for the squad. "We're glad the public has voted us into this prestigous top ten list. We think that it shows that they appreciate the work that Necanthropes such as ourselves do."
'Can you tell the viewers anything about the BPN, what it felt like to face all those powersuits?'
Dagar speaks up. "IT gives us a buzz, knowing that the odds are against us, that those Thresher bastards could blow us away. But we serve the Perceptor, Mr Slayer and SLA Industries and we laugh in the face of danger!"
Styrder shook his head slightly. "What Dagar is saying, albeit enthusiastically, is that we enjoy serving SLA Industries and ensuring the safety of the viewers of Third Eye News."
'And could you tell the viewers a bit more about the squad. Who was the first necanthrope to join SFAQL?'
Vildirn giggled. "Stryder came first. He always does, just ask Immagin!"
Immagin blushed while Stryder gave the child like necanthrope a long and hard stare. Vildirn answered it by sticking out her tongue.
Stryder turned his head towards Daniel, ignoring Vildirn. "I was the first of the union to become a necanthrope and the Perceptor gave me permission to form the union and squad. Vildirn and Dagar joined next then Moggot, Saspit and G'lad. Finally Gideon and Immagin jopined and the union just fit together perfectly."
Daniel noticed Stryder squeezing Immagins hand, and watching her face, he realised that Stryder had stopped her from saying something.
Dagar however hadn't noticed anything and kept the interview going. "Yeah, the squad was a bit wild before Immagin joined. Me and Saspit used to get thrown out of bars all the time, and Vildirn was always playing practical jokes on Moggot, ruining his research. But like Stryder says, the union just melded when Immagin arrived."
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