Chapter One
STATIC
FADE IN:
"And five, four, three …" Murray counted down as he stood in the back of Network 23's controller bay. "Roll intro."
Theora sat at her computer, made a few keystrokes, and cued the intro to Edison Carter's "What I Want To Know Show".
"This is Edison Carter, coming to you live and direct from Warrington Heights, in the middle of a gang shootout," said Edison into the lens of his vidcam. Behind him lay an industrial wasteland of decaying, crumbling, semi-collapsed tenements and storefronts.
Intermittent gunfire rang out through the air.
"This fight in particular has been going on for the past two hours now," Edison continued.
"This is boring," Murray muttered as he stood behind Theora. He then asked Theora off-handedly, "Think you could get him to get us a corpse? It'd do wonders for the ratings."
Theora ignored Murray, her attention focused on Edison. She made a few keystrokes here and there, trimming the focus.
"We SO need a corpse," Murray mused to himself.
All at once, an explosion sent Edison to the ground, unconscious. Static filled the overhead screen back at Network 23.
"GET MARTINEZ IN THERE NOW!" Murray roared. "I WANT FIRE E-M-S ON STANDBY!" He then ran out of the controller bay.
Theora glared at Murray as he ran out of the room.
You wanted a corpse, Theora thought acidly. I just wish it wasn't Edison Carter's.