Len was surprised to see that a crowd had gathered; newsies jostled for good positions, and ear-thumping amateurs pushed to get close to the microphones. Still, they waited impatiently in line, scowling crabbily. Everyone there knew that the reporters were there to hear and report on some vapid celebrity, or some two-bit act.
"What's going on?"
"Oh, just that movie star, what started all the trouble. He's talking!"
"Hey! Keely! Get over here!"
A mountain of a wireless security guard pushed through the gathering, and grabbed Keely by the shoulder. She shrugged him off irritably. "Relax. I have the tape."
"Oh. Right. Good girl."
Keely dragged Len away from the crowd and through the streets, toward a large grey cube of a building. Len tried to speak to her, but she ignored his questions. An intercom next to a door of the building buzzed; Keely pressed a button. "Keely Lennox. I have a source and need to see Deputy Director Stuart. It's only blah blah blah blah."
There was a hiss of sound and the door hissed open. Half a dozen armed guards barged out, shifting dirty rifles casually as they made way for Keely. She entered the building, and the door hissed shut behind her. Len looked around, noticing the armed guards poking their heads out of windows on all sides of the cube. Was nothing secure anymore?
A guard approached and held out a hand. "The tape, please."
"Nah. I'm not done with it yet."
"Oh, come on! You know you have to hand it over!"
"I thought I did. But seeing that this is the Ministry of State Security, I'm not so sure..."
The guard blew out his cheeks impatiently. "Look, just give me the tape!"
"Why? So you can erase it, and hide the evidence? Don't you people have any confidence in your own decisions? Is this hard-nosed tactic of suppression the best you can do?"
The guard shoved her shoulder. "Give me the goddamn tape."
"Why?"
"Don't make me ask for a second time."
"Why?"
The guard's breath burst from his wide-open mouth with a huff. "Dammit! Now look, do you want me to tick off some subordinate? Do you?"
"Yes."
"No I didn't think so. Here's a little treat. Watch the dolly."
Keely stared suspiciously at him as he walked away. She dimly heard the sounds of a scuffle. It'd better be okay, she thought to herself. If this is some kid with a camera...
She noticed the dolly. It was a camera. But it looked like a baby Cadillac. It was strung up by cabling, and the right-side door was flapping open. It was painfully obvious that someone was hiding behind it.
"Look," said the guard, walking back behind the dolly, "it's not my fault, okay? I just do what I'm told. If you don't like it, blame Mr. Work."
Keely turned toward one of the windows opposite the door. She couldn't see anybody inside. But a thought struck her like a spearing arrow as she looked at the room and the camera. She jumped.
A giant mouth opened on the window's edge.
"Keely Lennox, please stand at the base of the camera. You won't be harmed. You have nothing to fear."
The mouth slowly closed. Keely looked at the dolly. It was hers. And it was hers. And it was hers.
The monstrous mouth opened again. "Keely Lennox, you are under arrest."
"What?!" Keely lost her balance and stumbled backwards, banging her hip on a glistening glass wall.
"No!" the giant mouth said in her ear. "You are under arrest."
The camera on the dolly whirred to life and a snotty, middle-aged man strode toward her. He was tall and heavy, with an unhealthy shine to his black hair and sideburns, and the self-satisfied expression of a man relieved to see his work done. "Sorry, Keely," he said, like he really was sorry. "I can't have a journalist who flouts the New World Order talking about the glorious leader that is Andrew Tucker. You're a traitor to the state. Alexander Tucker has called you before him to inform you that you are under arrest by order of Alexander Tucker, among others. If you comply, your wealth can be used to help everyone get a decent place to live. If you defy those who protect you, they will execute you forthwith. If you fight, they will perform the lesser of two evils. I hope you choose wisely, Keely. Because there's nothing you can do to change your fate alone."
"What national debt, Mr. Full Throttle?"
"I was just...I was just asking."
"I guess I'll..."
"I'm good. Hey!" the man said, grabbing her arm and snapping his fingers, "bring Ryan here. Ryan, do as I said. Bring her to the car, but don't let her out of your sight. We'll be right behind you!"
The man switched to a much higher voice and top formality, and Keely shook her head. "You can't just abduct someone!"
"Of course I can. You are the one that stole the tape."
Keely pulled at the man's arm; his fingernails dug into her shoulder; his scowl was a business. "You're the news agency? You can't just order somebody's arrest! Somebody who is a journalist!"
The man nodded briefly to himself. He relented a bit. "Actually, we can."
"You're the power, right? You can just...you can just take people. People are your...your toys!"
"Not...not exactly. There are a few things that we don't have control over. But, we can still do a little good. You see, I am just...a tool. I make, and on the sly, I take..."
"Fine! Fine! Don't let me out! I'll never speak against the government! I'll say all the right things! I'll make movies about how evil communists are! I'll just back down, and..."
"There is no backing down. We are the people. We are the power. And we have been slowly gathering. And we have learned what to do with such a power."
"I don't know about this...I don't...I'm sorry. You sound excited. But I don't know about this. What's out there? What's out there that will be worse than execution?"
"I don't know. Maybe...maybe a future."
The man switched off instantly. When Keely looked again, he was her friend. "Take her to the carriage, Ryan. Take her...take her...off to...Johnsburg, or someplace. Take her out."
Keely had become frozen in sheer shock. She trailed behind Ryan and kept mumbling "I'm sorry...I'm sorry...This is unbelievable ...I'm sorry." And then she was gone.
