“Of course she declined to comment.She’s the director of Career Services.I’m sure she has nothing to say about Zone Seven raids.”They should have come to Blair.With her history, she had more than enough to say.“Unless...”Blair’s gaze snapped up to Maxine.“She’s another one the board is considering, isn’tshe?”
Blair sounded surprised, although she wasn’t in the slightest.Cathshould beup for consideration.
But Blair should win.
“Yes, but don’t worry.”Maxine winced.“Not that you are, or anything.I only meant that Dr.Scott won’t get very far if she’s unable to type up a simple statement about the raid.That’s not nearly as difficult as the live speech you had to make the other morning.”
Blair’s chest puffed slightly.She hadn’t stopped criticizing herself for all that she could have done, but she supposed shehaddone better thanmost.
With a flick of her wrist, Maxine threw Blair’s calendar from her holopad onto the holoscreen.“I already contacted the head of the production team.You have anon-camerainterview between your meetings tomorrow.”
Blair didn’t know what to say.Between this and thecolor-codedand expertly researched file Maxine had given her on Preston Darby, Blair was...pleased?Whatever the feeling was, it was rather strange.
“Unless you’d rather I call and cancel...”
“Absolutely not.This is my chance.”Blair wet her lips.“My chance to inform our fine citizens of whatever the corporation deems necessary.”She smiled to herself.Truly aCath-likerecovery.
“Maxine, you and everyone else know that Cath and I areveryclose.”She paused to add emphasis to the statement as she folded her hands in front of her the same way Cath did when she explained something serious.“And I do appreciate your excitement and ability to seize an opportunity—but she is the closest thing I have to a mother.We mustn’t forget that.”The corner of Blair’s lip itched with a sly grin.“While still working to claim Holbrook’s title, of course.”
Maxine nodded.
“And get a new card for Holbrook’s widow, what’s-her-face.I should sign it myself this time.”Blair huffed.“While you’re at it, go ahead and have my funeral attire dyed black.”She’d wanted to standout as much as possible while also appearing respectful, but perhaps she’d have a better edge if people thought she was grieving as much as Cath.The board was clearly comparing them, so she had to try harder to embody everything everyone loved about Cath, while maintaining her own ruthlessness and persistence.It shouldn’t be too hard.She’d been pouring herself into different molds for as long as she could remember.
“I’m on it.”Maxine tapped out notes as she headed to the door.“And Holly will play the feeds whenever you’re ready.I loaded both the version that we’ll show the public as well as the actual footage.”She scanned her cuff and the door closed noiselessly behind her.
Blair settled into her plush velvet seat and crisscrossed her legs underneath her.She stretched, brushing the top of her chair with her fingertips.She’d told the designer that she wanted a throne, and he had delivered.
“Holly, play the version that’s been approved for citizen viewing.”Blair trailed her fingers over themetal-studdedarmrests as the holoscreen image changed, replaced again by the Key’s vibrant redlogo.
“To health.To life.To the future.We are the Key.”Blair said the words along with the version of her own voice that she’d had programmed into Holly.
“Good afternoon, citizens.”Vaughn Kelley stared into the camera.His expertly maintained caterpillar eyebrows twitched with each inflection.Blair often wondered if that had been taught, a sort of signature he’d perfected over the years of being Westfall’sgo-tonews anchor, or if it was natural, if his brows and his vocal cords had been stitched together since birth.“We have reporters on the ground in Zone Seven to bring you live,up-to-date information on the current raids and how they are impacting the safety of our community.”Vaughn flicked his attention between the cameras as the studio bots changed angles.His tailored blue blazer matched the intense aqua of his eyes and stood out in stark contrast against the white backdrop beaming behind him.
Live,up-to-dateinformation...
Blair didn’t stifle her eyeroll.
One of the many false truths the Key fed to its citizens.Black lies of necessity.Protection and safety and helpfulness wrapped into an easily digested nugget ofcensor-enrichedtruth.That may sound confusing to some, only because some people had too much faith in what citizens would do if given the whole truth and nothing but the truth.And Blair, more than anyone, understood how facts created monsters.
Only real emergencies or causes for celebration were reported in real time.This video may not go out for days.And, up until the Eos attacks, there had never been arealemergency in Westfall.Realemergencies had occurred overseas and in other New American cities where Eos cells had been active for years, but Westfall had seemed immune.Apparently, no city was safe fromEos.
Vaughn’s eyebrows twitched as he snapped his gaze to another camera.“Now, over to Chad Sandhar, reporting live from Zone Seven.”
Flames seemed to engulf the wall of Blair’s office as the view switched from Vaughn’s sterile newsroom to the fires blazing throughout Westfall’s outermostzone.
The corner of Blair’s mouth curled with agrin.
The camera steadied and zoomed in on a row of Key Corp soldiers, their black,flame-retardantuniforms rising from the charred and barren field like so many more lifeless husks.The black earth and withered trees told the story of the Key’s previous voyages to the wooded forbidden zone.Soldiers would be deployed to Zone Seven and beyond again and again until the fingers of the Key stretched black and charred throughout the land.And, if—No,whenBlair was appointed director, the land surrounding Westfall would be the first thing up in flames.
The camera swung around to Chad Sandhar, reporting on scene, decked out in red gear.The thin paper face mask loosely hanging from his ears was streaked gray with soot, and tears carved clean tracks down his smudged cheeks.“What we’re seeing now, Vaughn, are our very own brave and dependable Key Corp soldiers torching the Zone Seven area behind me so no bacteria, viruses, or germs can develop and mutate or hop species, like the bird and swine flus that plagued our ancestors and led to the mutated Cerberus strain.”Chad waved the camera away as a bout of dry, hacking coughs overtook him.
The camera panned to the right and slowly zoomed in on flames licking nearby treetops.
“Vaughn,” Chad continued, a hoarseness clawing at his voice.“I’m out here in flame retardant gear issued by the corporation and specially made to withstand these conditions.And, I have to say, I am having a hard time maintaining my cool.”The view widened to again encompass the reporter as he brushed a gloved hand down the red Key Corpzip-upsuit.“These soldiers,oursoldiers, are out here protecting our community while wearing at least fifty pounds more than I am.I do not know how they’re able to handle it.It’s—” Another cough.“It’s mighty impressive.If you see one of these amazing people in the street, give them a big thank you.It’s the least we can do for what they’re doing to protect us.”
A crack splintered thesmoke-filledair.
“Look out!Look out!”a soldier shouted over the flames as he ran up to the reporter.
