Endless Humanity: Genesis Dawn

August 14, 2043
Global News Network Broadcast Center
New York City

"We are on in two Alex." The stage manager said as she ran by. Armed with her headset and clipboard, she franticly tried to ensure that everything in the studio was working properly. A herd of make up, lighting, and sound technicians surrounded Alex Mandrake, top anchorman for the Global News Network. He closed his eyes, preparing for another barrage of powder across his face. The makeup girl gracefully danced the pad from ear to ear. One of the sound technicians ran an earpiece cable up Alex's chair and placed the piece around his ear, leaving it to rest until Alex was ready to put it in.

"Sam, get these people out of here. I don't need any more make up." Mandrake was top anchorman on the planet. He started out as a field correspondent and worked his way up the media food chain, by less then scrupulous manners. The result was the highest rated anchorman in network history. A fact that he never let anybody forget, threatening to go to a different network any time he did not get things his way.

Samantha Cabal, the executive producer, walked up to the anchor desk and clapped her hands twice.

"Alright you heard the man, get out of here." The swarm surrounding Mandrake dispersed, as the makeup girls went back stage and the techs stood off camera running final sound and lighting checks. Sam walked behind the desk and placed her hands on Alex's shoulders, massaging him like a coach preparing her star quarterback. "Alex I don't think I have to remind you that this is the biggest event that GNN has ever covered."
"I know Samantha," he said with obvious frustration in his voice.

"So after the jump is over, we will cut to Geneva . . ." Mandrake cut her off before she could finish.

"Sam, I know the drill. I read the memo. This is just another story. I mean look what happened after we went to the moon. We came, we saw, and we lost interest for how long was it, sixty years? Nobody cared about the moon and nobody is going to care about subspace." The central camera focused on Alex as one of the assistant producers began to yell.

"Sam, we are on in thirty seconds." Sam nodded at Alex for a final time and walked in front of his desk.

"Alright people lets make a little history here. Turner, get the teleprompting running." The assistant producer yelled again.

"Ten seconds!" With that, Samantha turned around and walked off set. She sat down on her chair, located next to central camera. The assistant took a step forward and began the final countdown. "In five, four, three, two." As he lowered his index finger and pointed it towards Mandrake, the red light on the camera snapped to life.

The GNN theme music slowly faded in, and soon flooded the studio. Samantha looked down at her monitor and saw the logo for GNN scrolling across her screen. As the camera zoomed in on Mandrake, the music came down and Alex shuffled his papers, a time honored anchorman tradition. Only then, did he look into the camera.

"Good evening. We break network tonight to bring you a live report of a historic event. Not since mankind first left the cradle of his mother earth, has an audience been so captivated by a single event." Alex paused for a moment before continuing to read the prompting.