Folks…

Posted on Sun 30th Apr, 2023 @ 7:31pm by Leslie Mack

1,544 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Neither Yours Nor Mine
Location: SB109 comms
Timeline: MD1 1900

-START-

{Public broadcast media channel- Martian News Network}

It was evening time and that meant dinner with something good on to watch. The old world called it Prime Time, but really the ceremony of gathering around the hearth for a meal and bit of storytelling was ageless. Tonight, many eyes for some reason were drawn to a portly unpleasant grimace of a man, red in the face from shouting before the camera even rolled on. The children played with toys and let the angry man grumble and whine, but sometimes, the man made funny voices and that was ok.

The logo for FNN came into frame, a silhouette of two starships replacing the laurels of the Standard Federation Logo superimposed over the waving flag graphic. Triumphant march music played with a fade into a drum and fife background cadence. There was just no attempt at subtlety, a red circle rose to replace the logo before bearing title information for the show and a link to the informational data site he hosted in tandem with the broadcast. It was classic Pro Martian Propaganda iconography which was often looked upon as pro human as well, a problem he never seemed to comment on.

The image of the flush faced pale man was shrouded partially in a heavy gray smoke. Though the thick unraveling gnarled stump of a thing was a holographic cigar, the smell was real enough. Cloying and thick, it hung in heavy shrouds around him helping to cover the dripping wet skin so moistened from the efforts of this high octane rant. The smoke was an impressive effect but it meant there was no fan for aeration, so he used this burr in the saddle along with so many others to get mad at nothing. A dog barking at the night, hoping to hear something just like him howl.

His opening remarks were as always,

“Hello Freedom loving members of the Federation, Leslie Mack here to shine light on the dark deeds all around us.”

He tapped out the imaginary ashes from his fake cigar, the gravel in his voice cracking with a dryness prompting those who heard to clear their throats.

“We have a deep dive today folks… I am looking at evidence… you know its the kinda thing that makes me want to just look up at the big man in the sky and ask why?” He made a show of looking at the padd, then as if enduring great pains, he read out the text.

“There are genetically enhanced officers working in Starfleet, we all know this, but, this says Tal Sek of the Romulan Repatriation Center on Aurellius Majora as having accepted members of the G’ron colony into their population centers and made into Federation citizens."

There was silence, and he glared off camera, where suddenly someone whispered quite loudly, "Noooo." Leslie got truly mad and his cheeks flushed stark red for a moment as his temper was contained. The infamous rounded double chin returned to face the camera, "400,000 of them folks. If you know… If you know… I imagine you're already grabbing a phaser and seeking a bunker with thick doors... but if you're still listening well I guess you need to hear this to understand."

"G’ron is a quarried wreck of a L class world. G'ron was founded by Remans who could survive in that hellhole and earned a ton of money selling precious minerals to the ROMULANS. They take on tech and biogenic upgrades and have been seen ripping apart Jem'Haar shock troopers with their bare hands folks. These arent just your every day friendly Romulans here."

He let the moment sink in before speaking again, "They can travel anywhere now, compete in the most unfair ways for jobs and positions while being modified in secret… prone to who know what madness. Go to the info site, you’ll see the evidence in full, I got a few stillshots here but its not a pretty picture. One of these Romulans has such extensive modifications that she has Andorian Antennae!”

Leslie tossed the padd down and gritted his teeth, “We all want to help in a crisis, but the Federation has laws doesn’t it?" He made sure there was no other reply by immediately shouting again, "DOESN’T IT?”

When the beat passed, Leslie shook his head in dismay to continue, “So what can we do here? I’d say if they lived in one colony there, they can do it again here. Slap a beacon on the system and give them some horses and cows, lock it down. The Beacon can warn people, and tell them there’s a whole society of megalomaniacal Romulan Genetic supermen, and to stay away!”

The camera widened, a guest was sitting across from him. From the looks of them, an older Human as well, but none too friendly with the looks toward Leslie as they were introduced.

“My corporate sponsors have asked a professor of social sciences here, in response to the lawsuit by the Shadowmasters censoring free media. By the way, you Freedomers out there have really kept me going. I dont get a salary as a free state journalist, so my cameras and this show is sponsored by you through your donations and the purchase of fine handmade products available on my info site. The attempts to silence me were blocked by your relentless dedications and I salute you. 20 percent discount for people listening use code G'ron has invaded.”

The pleasantly appointed elderly man had been sitting there blankly staring, when finally Leslie finally introduced him as “Professor George Sin-Taio. So you feel the Federation was right to take on this existential threat, how is that so?”

George was trying not to laugh at the aggressive question, “Well I just need to say they aren’t anything like the people we wrote laws to prevent from happening. They were modified for simple radiation borne illnesses-“

"Oh, this one with the Antennae here, you got an answer for that?"

Looking at the picture was an exercise in restraint, George managed a straight face, ""That's a hat, she's wearing a Captain Kof costume-"

“As we already knew, genetically modified soldiers for the Romulans, millions of them, they cant stop fighting and infighting and they collapsed!”

“The colony was farmers as all fledgling colonies are. G'ron collapsed from a lack of supplies, Aurellius stepped in because their own people were starving, millions of them."

“They are military aged warriors who have been enemies in our past. Once they are given citizenship they can go anywhere, and do anything.”

“No!, there is a process, they will be given shelter and allowed to apply if they choose-“

“If they choose, how grand, like any would deny the gifts of the Federation to return to some refugee camp or mercenary pirate vessel raiding the traders-“

“That isn’t true sir, you are… why are you..?”

George was stammering against the diatribe of misinformation. Leslie took the gap in conversation to continue the pummel, "Guess they couldn't go to Remus huh?"

The destruction of the Romulan home world was now the crux of a joke by an angry con man and the casual disregard for the epic scope and tragedy of such a thing was apalling. George found his tongue tied.

Leslie hit again, "If they hadn't blown up their own star they could have taken their people home, but they play with fire and will burn our house down."

George found some righteous indignation, with grit he pushed back with, "Now wait a damn second here, every man woman and child has been welcomed by the colonies who offered. They are engineered only against radiation! There is no invasion and no laws are being broken."

Leslie made a plaintive motion, as though asking for help to explain, "The Federation has a weak grasp of its own laws, theyll sell out citizens in the name of earning false peace, we’ve seen it time and again!"

George blinked, unsure of what to say.

Leslie filled the void again, “Four million genetically enhanced people suddenly needs to get relocated all over the place, and we are supposed to just let them come in? How many more are here?”

George was getting frustrated, “Over half of them are on Vulcan as well being relocated to other Vulcan colonies, its a species level crisis Leslie I cant believe you would-“

“I’m a patriot for the Federation, not the Romulans. This illegal migration was forced through and it is Federation citizens who will pay the price for it.”

George was red in the face now too. Too old men, red in the face screaming at nothing. “Well Leslie I don’t really know. The Romulan colonies and Vulcans have agreed to take them in. I’ve explained it already and this seems pointless to continue.”

“I accept your gracious recognition of my superior logic.” The camera refocused on just Leslie and cut off Georges shocked face.

“Next up, I’m continuing my 34 part series, “Arm wrestling across the Alpha,” and I have an interview with Bazzah Olman of the Jakes Jazzz Institute here with a masterclass in harmonica. See you in 2.”

-END-

Leslie Mack

 

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