C A S E U LT R A
THE QUIET WARS SAGA
ISSUE
9
teve Salt looked at his watch one last time and got out of his car. He could still smell that
S
new car smell as he walked across the parking lot and approached the building. The coffee in his paper cup made his right hand warm and he made sure not to drop his neatly folded newspaper he kept tucked under his armpit. A young woman with long legs entered the building ahead of him and kindly held the door for him.
“
Good morning Mr. Salt,” she said. He looked at her vaguely familiar face, went blank and simply replied, “Good morning,” making sure to raise his eyebrow and give her that same charming smile he gave everyone. The focus groups always mentioned liking the way he smiled whenever they were tested. However, he wondered how reliable the results were. The people in the focus groups were always forced to be in them so he knew they couldn’t be too accurate.
“
You don’t remember me, do you?” She suddenly lifted her skirt. “You remember this though, don’t you?” Images from some distant office party
rushed into his mind. “How could I forget.” He smiled again. So did she. “You tease. Call me,” she said. “I will,” he lied. By the time he stepped off the elevator and on to the studio floor his coffee cup was empty but his stomach was starting to do somersaults. With a shaky hand he plopped his newspaper down and threw away his cup. He could see everyone motioning him to the stage. He approached carefully. Today was going to be different. The powder the make-up artist applied to his face did little to stop the heat coming from the bright lights all around him. A tiny bead of sweat was forming around his temple but he wiped it away before it could travel across his face and bring unnecessary attention. A voice from somewhere behind the lights said, “And we’re live in 5, 4, 3, 2…”
“
Hello ladies and gentlemen and welcome back. Tonight’s headlines are truly spectacular. The nation has reason to celebrate. General Lobo and his band of rebels has been
killed and completely annihilated from existence due to the heroic deeds of our nation’s police and army forces…” He stared at the teleprompter and let the next words scroll by without repeating them. Instead he looked around at the studio crew around him. He knew half were on drugs and the other half were anxiously waiting for theirs. It was time.
“
I’m sorry ladies and gentlemen but what I just said is not true. It’s a lie. How do I know this? Because I just read it from the teleprompter and the guy that writes this stuff doesn’t even write this stuff, he gets it from someone so far up the chain all of us here know it’s always bullshit. You want to know the truth? General Lobo and the rebels are probably alive and well somewhere and the government is scared shitless because otherwise why would they have me reading this stuff?” The people around the studio were too shocked to do anything, but an executive came running into the room waving a
baseball bat. Luckily Steve had his gun and fired shots into the ceiling that stopped him in his tracks.
“
I’m sorry. I’m not a violent man but I’ve just about had enough of this fucking bullshit. You can’t pay me enough money to do this one minute longer. So as part of my last broadcast I think it would be nice to give the people the actual news for once. How does that sound?”
“
Well, you live a suppressive country with a government that declares itself a democracy but is anything but. A handful of the super wealthy control everything and own practically everything and every day of your lives you are working to help give them more and more of the very little you do have. They want you crawling on the floor starving, fighting and eating each other like animals because that’s what they think you are. Well, guess what?! You’re not!! You’re human beings and deserve better than a media that is nothing more than a propaganda machine
for these bastards to screw you. Which brings me to the final news story of the night. People of America…this station is signing off permanently. I which I could say it’s been a pleasure but after what comes next…maybe…good night America. Let’s take this country back.”
He smiled one last time and pressed the small button hidden under his left sleeve. Television sets across the country went black.
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