(Disclaimer: Max Headroom and his colleagues are the property of Max's current owners, who are not me.)
-Chapter 01-
Theora Jones walked into the cramped Control Room at Network 23. As she headed to her chair, she noticed one of the Controllers sitting anxiously at the computer across from hers.
"What've you got?" Theora asked.
"Bureau Burner," the other Controller replied.
"That's an extremely clear picture, Theora praised. "Well done."
"I don't deserve the credit," the Controller told Theora. "It's the vidicam, not the computer. He wanted to make sure it could send a good picture from a distance before he gave it to Edison."
"Who did?" Theora wanted to know.
"Bryce Lynch."
Theora hurried over to her own computer and linked to Edison's vidicam.
"Edison, we've found the Bureau Burner."
"Yeah, I was watching. Nice picture."
"I want you to get down there. Bryce is on it, but I want you to take over before he gets hurt."
"Bryce?" Edison asked in surprise. "What's he thinking taking on someone like that?"
"Apparently he was testing a new vidicam when he spotted the 'Burner and decided to go after him." Theora replied.
"Who's his Controller?" Edison asked, knowing that Theora would've dragged Bryce back in at the first sign of danger.
"Andrew," Theora told him.
"Get Martinez over here," Edison instructed. "And transfer him to your computer until we get there. I don't want Bryce out there with some neophyte controller watching over him.
Bryce stopped as the Bureau Burner turned to confront him.
"You're a bit young to be a reporter," the man taunted. Eyeing the camera, he smiled wolfishly. "I've heard that the big Networks hired their heads of research out of the genius pool at ACS. Are they getting their reporters from there now, too?"
"Here you are with your chance to express yourself in a non-violent way and you're wasting it trying to rile me," Bryce remarked. "What's the point?"
"I guess Edison Carter doesn't consider me good enough to interview himself." The Bureau Burner remarked, casually. "It's really a disappointment to be interviewed by a cub whose legs aren't even steady yet. If you are a legit reporter, shouldn't you be behind a desk at this point?"
Bryce glared for a moment, then reigned in his emotions. He would not let this man make him lose control. He turned the camera on himself.
"This is Bryce Lynch coming to you live and direct on Network 23. I am here today with the infamous Bureau Burner who has lit up this city's streets with several conflagrations over the past five weeks." Turning the camera to the arsonist in question he continued...
"Tell me, what was it that made you choose fire as your method of communication?"
"Bryce," Edison ordered as he ran up with his standard vidicam. "Get your ass back to Network 23! Now!"
"Edison! This is my report!" Bryce argued.
"You're not qualified," Edison argued back. "Get home! Now!"
Bryce stormed off to the helicopter, his eyes blazing with anger.
"Bryce is on his way back," Edison told Theora. "He's not happy about it."