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* BecomingTheMask: Hauser enjoys being a terrorist so much he decides to become a real one.
* CorruptCorporateExecutive: Braddock is actually a subversion as while he's sleazy, he thinks he's just blowing up empty buildings.
* EvenEvilHasStandards: Braddock may be a man willing to profit from fake news but he draws the line at being involved in actual terrorism.
* FalseFlagOperation: Played with as the White Brigade are TerroristsWithoutACause but are doing it for the money and fame.
* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler: Braddock]] actually performs one, which surprises everyone.
* HorribleJudgeOfCharacter: Carter is usually the exact opposite but is completely fooled by Hauster due to the latter being TheSociopath and able to seem completely reasonable.
* OnlyInItForTheMoney: What Hauser claims to be.
* TerroristsWithoutACause: The White Brigade only cares about making money via ratings.
* WesternTerrorists: The White Brigade are a group of impoverished American media junkies.
* BecomingTheMask: Hauser enjoys being a terrorist so much he decides to become a real one.
* CorruptCorporateExecutive: Braddock is actually a subversion as while he's sleazy, he thinks he's just blowing up empty buildings.
* EvenEvilHasStandards: Braddock may be a man willing to profit from fake news but he draws the line at being involved in actual terrorism.
* FalseFlagOperation: Played with as the White Brigade are TerroristsWithoutACause but are doing it for the money and fame.
* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler: Braddock]] actually performs one, which surprises everyone.
* HorribleJudgeOfCharacter: Carter is usually the exact opposite but is completely fooled by Hauster due to the latter being TheSociopath and able to seem completely reasonable.
* OnlyInItForTheMoney: What Hauser claims to be.
* TerroristsWithoutACause: The White Brigade only cares about making money via ratings.
* WesternTerrorists: The White Brigade are a group of impoverished American media junkies.
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20 minutes into the future, we find ourselves out in an abandoned heavy-industry area north of Sector 7, where something strange is happening. Network 23 junior reporter Janie Crane is hiding out with a telephoto "gun camera" as two would-be terrorists blow up a huge empty building. Janie is left injured but alive by the blast.
There is a global ratings sweep in progress, and the best Network 23 can do is a parade of trained poodles. Board member Ashwell has lined up a pitch from the sleazy program packager Frank Braddock, whose offer turns out to be the same old tired "urban guerrilla" connection he's had before. Cheviot turns him down.
But then, pipsqueak Breakthru-TV manages to get instant coverage of the explosion, and a huge ratings surge. When the network scrambles Edison Carter with Martinez at the stick of the helicopter, they get to the explosion only to have the police chief send them packing. The reporter from Breakthru is already on the scene, despite having lumbered in in a battered network bus. Worst of all, Ped Xing of the Zik-Zak Corporaton is threatening to move his advertising to the hotter Breakthru-TV.
On return to the station, Carter is furious at having been blocked from the story by someone who had paid for the rights for it, and announces that he's taking the day off. This turns out to be playing "Breakerball" with Murray - something much like racquetball, but with a scoring target on the wall. Discussing the odd case, they conclude that the packager must be working directly with the terrorists. Meanwhile, Janie Crane has been found by the terrorists and is being taken... somewhere.
With the Network 23 board backing the story, Carter and Martinez fly back to the explosion site and find an unusual item - a ruined tape clip from a Network 23 gun camera. They bring the damaged tape to Bryce, who reluctantly takes the time to process it to extract some grainy footage.
Frank Braddock calls Cheviot back to gloat at the ratings bonanza they passed on, and is directed to a live interview with the White Brigades leader, Croyd Hauser, taking place on Breakthru. As they watch, an explosion levels another building. It's terrorism on demand, and Breakthru holds the rights.
Carter, with help from Max, Theora and Bryce, has figured out what's on the camera clip: footage of the control bus, broadcasting the explosion as they themselves set it off. Just then, Murray bursts in with news: their new staff reporter, Janie Crane, talked the equipment manager out of a sophisticated camera gun.
Carter and Martinez return to the explosion site yet again, and with Theora's help track the terrorist's bus - and hopefully, Janie Crane - to an abandoned building. They are too late, though - Hauser has sent Janie Crane off to the new explosion site, one promised to "provide a few casualties."
Almost lost in the half-ruined structure, Carter finds the terrorists, and blasts in shooting... with his network-linked vidicam... only to find what appears to be a movie set, where the "terrorists" have been staging their "explosions" on tabletop sets. Hauser explains how they use models, state of the art television gear and scripts to replace all that tedious actual street warfare. It's completely convincing, and Carter leaves with a far different story of his own - which airs promptly on Network 23.
And then the White Brigade sets off and claims another explosion, at the "Ad Market" brokerage floor. Cheviot and Formby are present, Formby is hurt... and Network 23's credibility is badly damaged.
Carter and Martinez head back to the war zone, looking for Hauser with blood in their eye. They get there just after Frank Braddock, who has come to see the latest staged explosion and is horrified when he finds Janie Crane positioned in the middle of it. As the terrorists and Braddock fight in the control bus - which is positioned too close to the explosives - Martinez swoops in so Carter can grab Janie. They barely get clear, Janie hanging from the chopper door, before the explosion destroys the bus, taking the three terrorist and Braddock with it.
Carter hands the breaking story over Janie, now a blooded reporter - in both senses! - who begins to tell her tale to Network 23's rapidly zooming audience.
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There is a global ratings sweep in progress, and the best Network 23 can do is a parade of trained poodles. Board member Ashwell has lined up a pitch from the sleazy program packager Frank Braddock, whose offer turns out to be the same old tired "urban guerrilla" connection he's had before. Cheviot turns him down.
But then, pipsqueak Breakthru-TV manages to get instant coverage of the explosion, and a huge ratings surge. When the network scrambles Edison Carter with Martinez at the stick of the helicopter, they get to the explosion only to have the police chief send them packing. The reporter from Breakthru is already on the scene, despite having lumbered in in a battered network bus. Worst of all, Ped Xing of the Zik-Zak Corporaton is threatening to move his advertising to the hotter Breakthru-TV.
On return to the station, Carter is furious at having been blocked from the story by someone who had paid for the rights for it, and announces that he's taking the day off. This turns out to be playing "Breakerball" with Murray - something much like racquetball, but with a scoring target on the wall. Discussing the odd case, they conclude that the packager must be working directly with the terrorists. Meanwhile, Janie Crane has been found by the terrorists and is being taken... somewhere.
With the Network 23 board backing the story, Carter and Martinez fly back to the explosion site and find an unusual item - a ruined tape clip from a Network 23 gun camera. They bring the damaged tape to Bryce, who reluctantly takes the time to process it to extract some grainy footage.
Frank Braddock calls Cheviot back to gloat at the ratings bonanza they passed on, and is directed to a live interview with the White Brigades leader, Croyd Hauser, taking place on Breakthru. As they watch, an explosion levels another building. It's terrorism on demand, and Breakthru holds the rights.
Carter, with help from Max, Theora and Bryce, has figured out what's on the camera clip: footage of the control bus, broadcasting the explosion as they themselves set it off. Just then, Murray bursts in with news: their new staff reporter, Janie Crane, talked the equipment manager out of a sophisticated camera gun.
Carter and Martinez return to the explosion site yet again, and with Theora's help track the terrorist's bus - and hopefully, Janie Crane - to an abandoned building. They are too late, though - Hauser has sent Janie Crane off to the new explosion site, one promised to "provide a few casualties."
Almost lost in the half-ruined structure, Carter finds the terrorists, and blasts in shooting... with his network-linked vidicam... only to find what appears to be a movie set, where the "terrorists" have been staging their "explosions" on tabletop sets. Hauser explains how they use models, state of the art television gear and scripts to replace all that tedious actual street warfare. It's completely convincing, and Carter leaves with a far different story of his own - which airs promptly on Network 23.
And then the White Brigade sets off and claims another explosion, at the "Ad Market" brokerage floor. Cheviot and Formby are present, Formby is hurt... and Network 23's credibility is badly damaged.
Carter and Martinez head back to the war zone, looking for Hauser with blood in their eye. They get there just after Frank Braddock, who has come to see the latest staged explosion and is horrified when he finds Janie Crane positioned in the middle of it. As the terrorists and Braddock fight in the control bus - which is positioned too close to the explosives - Martinez swoops in so Carter can grab Janie. They barely get clear, Janie hanging from the chopper door, before the explosion destroys the bus, taking the three terrorist and Braddock with it.
Carter hands the breaking story over Janie, now a blooded reporter - in both senses! - who begins to tell her tale to Network 23's rapidly zooming audience.
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