Embedded with journalists
21 Jul 2023Claude Lecardunoie
A couple of hours after Rufus DeNeuville second article was online (read News from the front: embedded with the Pilot's Federation), I was abruptly woken up by the sound of my pocket terminal, signalling urgent notifications.The first one was from Ahmid Svensonn, my techo' from back in Dromi and the Pilot's Federation Academy: "Is that you on this Rewired article?", another one from Jorge, my friend from the Revolutionary Party of Veroandi: "Damn it, Claude, you can't just say all that on any newsfeed".
After I quickly read the article, I figured that I had to have a serious talk with Rufus and Almira, my journalists crew.
I first met Almira, in the bar of the concourse attached to my landing pad. Almira 'Pixie' Keita was the photographer, or "Images Editor", as they liked to be called, for Rufus DeNeuville, journalist and war correspondant on the Taranis front line for Rewired.
- "What was that!!", I said, showing her the article on my terminal display, "You just can't write all that about me".
- "Ok, calm down", she answered, "Rufus didn't write everything he knows regarding your past. I think he protected you instead".
And then she started to tell me how they got all this information about me:
"Rufus and I were having an edition meeting in you ship comms hub. Rufus was a little bit frustrated because you were too discrete about you background":
- "It's one thing to write about the war", he said, "but if we want to get our readers on board, we need to know who these Commanders from the Pilot's Federation are: their past, their motivation etc. My fridge has more charisma than this Lecardunoie."
And then he called Rudolf Za'er, his long time informant at Interstallar Factor:
- "Rudi! How are things", started Rufus
- "I'll be damned! Rufus, old recycler cockroach. How can help you this time?"
- "I'd need the record and all information you can have on a certain Claude Lecardunoie, registered at the Pilot's Federation. Usual reward for you of course"
- "Okay give me 3 hours, after paiement. My bank account hasn't changed, still at the Bank of Zaonce. Oh, I heard that you were near Taranis front line, right? Well pay attention, please! Not that I care, but, Rufus, you're one of my main source of income. I would't like you to die in a bath of caustic acid, okay!".
"3 hours or so later, we had all the information about you, and trust me, Rufus didn't write everything, like this murder in Dromi you were involved in. Rufus, he may look like an arrogant prick and might be a little bit old fashioned and out of his time, which often makes me smile, but he is a good journalist. Think about it. Everything he wrote is harmless for you: member of various illegal political partys, well that's nothing especially now that you are a war hero! As for your transaction with this Commander Tiberius, we are not even sure he exists: we just saw you exchanging text messages with a ship docked on the landing pad next to ours..."
- "Oh, the commander Tiberius, he exists", I said, "A weird person, trust me!"
For one more week, I kept helping Maybury Enterprise in its recovery, with my two journalists on board, but I couldn't say that the atmosphere was friendly anymore.