Matrix Man Read Free Page A

Cyclops? Kim felt disappointed somehow. She directed her thoughts to Val. "Okay, give me the studio."
    Two seconds later a shot of the News Network 56 studio in New York popped onto the center program monitor. These were the lucrative morning hours when the news junkies got their first fix of the day. And news junkies were an important factor in network profitability. VCRs had driven the nets out of the entertainment business some twenty years before and forced them to concentrate on news, sports, and cultural events.
    As usual, Ken Whitworth and Barbara Lansing were at their well-groomed best. Whitworth had prematurely gray hair and the finest features money could buy. Lansing was younger, thin almost to the point of emaciation, and beautifully dressed. Television critics referred to them as Ken and Barbie.
    A rather laconic male voice came on the intercom. "Yeah?"
    "Seattle bureau," Kim answered. "We have Comsat lockup for the 0600 special. Bars and tone on the way."
    Val could've transmitted bars and tone to New York in a number of different ways, but chose a fiber-optic cable as the least expensive.
    "I have your bars and tone, Seattle," the male voice said.
    "Stand by. Give me program audio," Kim thought, and Val turned it up.
    Ken Whitworth had decided to deliver the lead with what his staff referred to as "expression number three," a straight face with overtones of profound concern.
    A 3-D Mercator projection appeared behind him and began to rotate. Pirate radio stations were represented by red dots and a series of radiating lines. There were quite a few of them.
    "For some time now authorities have been increasingly concerned about the number of pirate radio and TV stations cropping up all over the world. Over the last hundred years there have been a number of pirate stations, but due to the bulk of the equipment required to run them, they were easy to find. Now the necessary equipment fits into a suitcase or backpack, making the task a good deal harder."
    At this point Whitworth frowned to emphasize the severity of the problem.
    "Some of these stations are run by harmless eccentrics, while others are used to make money or promote a particular point of view. Whatever the reason, their unlicensed transmitters often interfere with the signals broadcast by legitimate stations."
    At this point the relevant section of the Mercator projection zoomed out to fill the screen and transformed itself into a 3-D topographical map of western Canada.
    "In this case both the United States and Canada allege that an organization calling itself the Exodus Underground has been operating a pirate radio station from the Canadian wilderness.
    "In a joint statement released last night, the two governments claimed, 'The station airs nationalistic propaganda and interferes with signals from licensed broadcasters.'
    "Government spokespeople also allege that a man calling himself Captain Video has used these broadcasts to make 'false and misleading statements impugning the WPO and other properly constituted public authorities.' "
    Whitworth allowed himself the barest hint of a cynical smile. "Just moments ago you heard Exodus Society officials in Washington, D.C., deny any connection between their group and the pirate radio station. In spite of their statements to the contrary there is considerable similarity between the rhetoric employed by the Exodus Society and the Exodus Underground. Both are pro-space, fervently nationalistic, and often critical of the WPO."
    The director cut to a two-shot just as Whitworth let expression number three slip in favor of a modified five. A five conveyed patient exasperation with just a touch of cynical disbelief.
    "Meanwhile, our News Network 56 special correspondent Rex Corvan has joined members of the World Peace Organization as they try to learn the truth of the matter. Barbara?"
    Barbara Lansing flashed a set of perfect teeth and turned to camera three. "That's right, Ken. We’ve purposely delayed