Kelvoo's Terra: An Immigrant's Tale (Kelvoo's Chronicles Book 2) by Phil Bailey

Author:Phil Bailey [Bailey, Phil]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-10-14T16:00:00+00:00

Twenty-Two: Counting Down

After escaping the sorry excuse for a debate, relief and fatigue set in during the flight back to the university. The security people sat in silence and, for the most part, so did my supporters, some of them nursing bruises or cuts acquired in the melee.

A group of seats located in the forward section of the semi-orbital’s cabin served as the de-facto media section. There were two pairs of seats facing each other across a small, low table. Liz was in a seat beside James Sulawesi from Vega Network, and Laurexia Benjerang of Terra Broadcasting sat across from James. Each journalist alternated between checking their Infotabs and closing their eyes due to fatigue.

May sat in the next row aft of the journalists, and I squatted beside her in a space where the seat had been removed and a supporting frame had been installed.

The moment the craft started coasting above the atmosphere and the graviton field was activated, Kaley walked over and took the empty seat across from Liz.

“What are you doing here?” Liz asked.

“I’d like to talk,” Kaley replied.

“No, I mean what the hell are you doing on our vessel?”

“I need to make a statement, and I want all three of you to record it on your Infotabs.”

“Why should we?” Laurexia asked. “So you can spread more trash and alarmist lies about the so-called ‘alien menace’?”

“Please,” Kaley said, looking at the cabin floor, “I have information that will interest you. If you don’t like it, you can delete your recordings. I’m asking you this favor as a fellow professional journalist.”

The term “professional journalist” made James snicker. Laurexia smirked, and Liz rolled her eyes.

“Fine! Go for it,” Liz said as the three of them pointed their devices toward Kaley.

“My name is Kaley Hart, and I’m a former employee of the Veritacity Network.”

The word “former” got the group’s attention as they moved their Infotabs slightly closer to Kaley.

“When I was at a low point in my career,” she continued, “I found a home and family at Veritacity. They took me in, they paid me well, and they gave me a new start. Unfortunately, that family turned out to be highly dysfunctional. For years, I ignored Veritacity’s sensationalism and loose relationship with the truth. I rationalized my support of the network with the thought that we were just providing a different perspective, and I chose to believe that the public could gain a balanced viewpoint by watching us along with all of the other sources of news.

“I always had lingering doubts, but who else was going to hire me? My doubts turned to regret when the Human Independence Movement started getting attention, and Veritacity became little more than the movement’s propaganda arm.

“The Humanity Party uses people. Today, they used Brenna Murphy as a prop to try to unnerve Kelvoo. They also used me. I don’t have the experience or, honestly, the skill to host major debates with audiences in the billions, but they chose me in the hope that my presence

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