The pleasantries come first, naturally and automatically, just as expected. There are rules, after all.
"Ladies and gentlemen, before I begin, I'd like to thank you all for making time in your busy schedules to join us today. I'd especially like to thank my wife, Regan, and Andronicus Crowley of Bentley Aeronautics..."
As he continues through the formalities with the easy natural grace afforded him by years of negotiations, the atmosphere in the room seems to thicken with anticipation. In the end, all the preparation comes down to this moment.
"...you all know why we're here." Gabriel pauses, glancing out across the crowd, meeting gaze after gaze. "You all know what's happened; most of you have reported on the Miranda Plan and its aftermath."
"As a consequence, you also know that much of Parliament is still scrambling. There are those who supported what happened at Miranda, and there are those who knew and yet turned a blind eye to it as well. These are the people that were trusted by worlds -- to 'make people safer.'"
The quote from the broadwave is deliberately chosen and emphasized, and a momentary hush descends.
"Thirty million people died on Miranda, murdered in an experiment. Thousands more died afterwards at the hands of monsters who were once men and women just like us. And what did those in power do? They tried to hide it away. To keep the secret; to make it as though it had never happened. To clean up their mess -- like children who had broken their toys."
"That sort of 'safety' we don't need. What we do need, ladies and gentlemen, are those who are willing to stand -- not for political gain and personal power, but for the people themselves. Someone willing to make sure that we all remember what government should be, and to see that it becomes so once again."
"Someone willing to fight for change."
"And therefore, I'm announcing my candidacy for Parliament, in order to be that someone, and to fight for that change-- and to make it happen."
There's an electricity about him as he speaks, a passionate fervor that carries the weight of utter and absolute conviction. Silence again, and then he smiles cordially and with confidence at the assembled group.
"Thank you for your attention. If you have any questions, I'll be pleased to address them."
Michaela Ravulapalli of the political-economic Weekly Herald wins the discreet scramble for first question, and clears her throat. "Mr Tam," she drawls, her distinctively nasal voice broadcasting her southeast Londinium origins. "What kind of concrete platform components can you give us, given this call for radical change?"
"Ms. Ravulapalli," he returns, with a nod. "I'm pleased to hear you acknowledge that although there is a possibility that the change needed may be radical-- though we may all hope otherwise-- the call itself is not."
"To that end, I will seek to improve openness, accessibility, and accountability from Parliament to all the people that it serves, in all aspects of government." He grins, charming and direct. "If you have other particular issues you're interested in, I'm of course glad to address those in more specific detail."
A frantically waving hand near the front of the throng; a young journalist, green, who looks frankly shocked when Gabriel picks him out of the crowd.
"Mr. T-Tam." There's a ripple of laughter amongst the other news reporters; the young man flushes hotly, but continues, forcing the stammer out of a plainly border-planet accent.
"You say accountability, and I'm sure there's people as would like an apology for what happened on Miranda, but what direct action are you proposin' to take as regards the consequences of that? I mean t'say, the outermost border planets are under a severe threat from Reavers - what practical action might we see from you to combat this?"
Gabriel listens gravely, and his expression doesn't change even when the reporter stumbles over his name. He nods again as the young man finishes, and then says,
"An apology would be warranted, there's no question about that -- but who exactly should the responsible members apologize to? The dead can't hear them, and as for the Reavers, I frankly doubt they'd be willing to listen."
Laughter again from some corners, slightly nervous, and he raises his hand to signal that he's not yet finished. Gabriel addresses the young man once more, very seriously.
"As things now stand, the Alliance has jurisdiction over every planet. There was a war fought, after all." A beat. "It's important to remember that jurisdiction also means responsibility." His sharp glance scans the room, making his point clear. "Resources must be found to devote to defending our people -- our responsibility -- against the threat for which Parliament was also responsible for creating in the first place."
"The time for secrecy and concealment is past. The time for working together in common cause to benefit the Alliance as a whole -- all of the Alliance -- is here."
More waving hands, and an older woman in a conservative blue suit comes first out of the scramble.
"Touching on the issues of secrecy and concealment, Mr. Tam ... how do you respond to allegations about your activities in the past few years, connected to your son's covert sabotage of government facilities which led to the still outstanding warrant for his capture?"
Her face and voice are perfectly calm, displaying no emotion other than a mild interest, as though she's asked about his favorite tailor.
A ringing silence descends upon the room, the gazes of the assembled reporters intent upon Gabriel. Who looks -
Crowley leans forward, sudden motion breaking the frozen tableau, shifting the focus of attention. Deliberately, he reaches for his glass of water and takes a sip, flashes a meticulously calculated absent grin at the reporter nearest him, and leans back.
The entire thing takes no more than three seconds; three seconds wherein the eyes of the room are not focused on Gabriel Tam.
They'd known it was coming, but not like this -- for a frozen moment, he isn't sure whether the woman means Ariel or the Academy, and it's entirely possible she could mean either or both.
Regan is rigidly controlled beside him, but he doesn't dare look at her. Doesn't dare show weakness, and inwardly he spares a half-second of the time bought by Crowley to be grateful to him for it.
When the reporters look back at Gabriel Tam, he's ready for them.
"I welcome such inquiries," he says calmly. "If I'm to support openness in government, then it's of tantamount importance that I demonstrate that within my own family as well."
"I will also remind you, ma'am, that accusations remain only those, and that it was our own government that perpetrated horrific crimes in the past. When, in due course of time, an unbiased examination of evidentiary facts reveals the truth, then justice must be done-- no matter who it affects."
Her face is calm. Pleasant. And unflinchingly determined.
"My husband," she says, "speaks for our family's values and this campaign both. We have made a commitment to working within the Allied parlimentary system to ensure that our government is truly a servant of its people, based on open communication and true, impartial justice, rather than shadowy secrets such as those that led to the Miranda tragedy."
"Thou shalt not be a victim. Thou shalt not be a perpetrator. Above all, thou shalt not be a bystander."
Crowley has leaned forward again, to speak into his own microphone; a practised tone, not quite so formal as the Tams, but no less grave.
They do say the devil can cite scripture for his purpose, and Crowley is a master.
"From the Holocaust Memorial Museum, on Earth-That-Was. We have all learned, in recent months, that what is just and what is laid out by a governing body as law do not always coincide. The right, for example, for a government to decide, without referendum, what is best for its people. Modification," he says, with a wry grin, "without consultation. If the law is to be our god, then we must all be Abrahams - and that includes Mr. Tam. But never again can we follow blindly; if something is found to be unjust, then action must always be taken. Above all, thou shalt not be a bystander."
The questions continue for a little while longer, but the first hard-hitting ones have been asked now. The rest is just routine.
Soon enough, the journalists pack up their recorders and their cameras and their lights, and take their leave in ones and twos, heading back to edit their stories and submit them over broadwave to every planet from Core to Rim.
Different angles will be studied and considered and discussed, depending on the source. More than one newswave will feature Andronicus Crowley leaning forward and speaking into the microphone. Thou shalt not be a bystander. In the days to come, the quote will take hold and begin to spread like wildfire through dry grass.
Most of the reports will show Regan at her husband's side in unflinching support as the topic of the Tam children -- the highly-ranked brilliant doctor, once-rising star Simon Tam, and the disappeared daughter River, rumored to be an unstable murderer -- is examined from every angle, over and over again. Scandal raises ratings, after all... but with each repetition, the word of the campaign continues to spread, reaching a wider and wider audience.
All of them will show Gabriel Tam, dark-horse independent candidate for a seat in Parliament, coolly defiant and prepared to fight for the changes that he advocates, refusing to back down from his beliefs.
The race is only beginning, but it's a hell of a start.
"Ladies and gentlemen, before I begin, I'd like to thank you all for making time in your busy schedules to join us today. I'd especially like to thank my wife, Regan, and Andronicus Crowley of Bentley Aeronautics..."
As he continues through the formalities with the easy natural grace afforded him by years of negotiations, the atmosphere in the room seems to thicken with anticipation. In the end, all the preparation comes down to this moment.
"...you all know why we're here." Gabriel pauses, glancing out across the crowd, meeting gaze after gaze. "You all know what's happened; most of you have reported on the Miranda Plan and its aftermath."
"As a consequence, you also know that much of Parliament is still scrambling. There are those who supported what happened at Miranda, and there are those who knew and yet turned a blind eye to it as well. These are the people that were trusted by worlds -- to 'make people safer.'"
The quote from the broadwave is deliberately chosen and emphasized, and a momentary hush descends.
"Thirty million people died on Miranda, murdered in an experiment. Thousands more died afterwards at the hands of monsters who were once men and women just like us. And what did those in power do? They tried to hide it away. To keep the secret; to make it as though it had never happened. To clean up their mess -- like children who had broken their toys."
"That sort of 'safety' we don't need. What we do need, ladies and gentlemen, are those who are willing to stand -- not for political gain and personal power, but for the people themselves. Someone willing to make sure that we all remember what government should be, and to see that it becomes so once again."
"Someone willing to fight for change."
"And therefore, I'm announcing my candidacy for Parliament, in order to be that someone, and to fight for that change-- and to make it happen."
There's an electricity about him as he speaks, a passionate fervor that carries the weight of utter and absolute conviction. Silence again, and then he smiles cordially and with confidence at the assembled group.
"Thank you for your attention. If you have any questions, I'll be pleased to address them."
Reply
And then a furor.
Michaela Ravulapalli of the political-economic Weekly Herald wins the discreet scramble for first question, and clears her throat. "Mr Tam," she drawls, her distinctively nasal voice broadcasting her southeast Londinium origins. "What kind of concrete platform components can you give us, given this call for radical change?"
Reply
"To that end, I will seek to improve openness, accessibility, and accountability from Parliament to all the people that it serves, in all aspects of government." He grins, charming and direct. "If you have other particular issues you're interested in, I'm of course glad to address those in more specific detail."
Reply
A frantically waving hand near the front of the throng; a young journalist, green, who looks frankly shocked when Gabriel picks him out of the crowd.
"Mr. T-Tam." There's a ripple of laughter amongst the other news reporters; the young man flushes hotly, but continues, forcing the stammer out of a plainly border-planet accent.
"You say accountability, and I'm sure there's people as would like an apology for what happened on Miranda, but what direct action are you proposin' to take as regards the consequences of that? I mean t'say, the outermost border planets are under a severe threat from Reavers - what practical action might we see from you to combat this?"
Reply
"An apology would be warranted, there's no question about that -- but who exactly should the responsible members apologize to? The dead can't hear them, and as for the Reavers, I frankly doubt they'd be willing to listen."
Laughter again from some corners, slightly nervous, and he raises his hand to signal that he's not yet finished. Gabriel addresses the young man once more, very seriously.
"As things now stand, the Alliance has jurisdiction over every planet. There was a war fought, after all." A beat. "It's important to remember that jurisdiction also means responsibility." His sharp glance scans the room, making his point clear. "Resources must be found to devote to defending our people -- our responsibility -- against the threat for which Parliament was also responsible for creating in the first place."
"The time for secrecy and concealment is past. The time for working together in common cause to benefit the Alliance as a whole -- all of the Alliance -- is here."
Reply
"Touching on the issues of secrecy and concealment, Mr. Tam ... how do you respond to allegations about your activities in the past few years, connected to your son's covert sabotage of government facilities which led to the still outstanding warrant for his capture?"
Her face and voice are perfectly calm, displaying no emotion other than a mild interest, as though she's asked about his favorite tailor.
Reply
Crowley leans forward, sudden motion breaking the frozen tableau, shifting the focus of attention. Deliberately, he reaches for his glass of water and takes a sip, flashes a meticulously calculated absent grin at the reporter nearest him, and leans back.
The entire thing takes no more than three seconds; three seconds wherein the eyes of the room are not focused on Gabriel Tam.
Reply
Regan is rigidly controlled beside him, but he doesn't dare look at her. Doesn't dare show weakness, and inwardly he spares a half-second of the time bought by Crowley to be grateful to him for it.
When the reporters look back at Gabriel Tam, he's ready for them.
"I welcome such inquiries," he says calmly. "If I'm to support openness in government, then it's of tantamount importance that I demonstrate that within my own family as well."
"I will also remind you, ma'am, that accusations remain only those, and that it was our own government that perpetrated horrific crimes in the past. When, in due course of time, an unbiased examination of evidentiary facts reveals the truth, then justice must be done-- no matter who it affects."
Reply
Her face is calm. Pleasant. And unflinchingly determined.
"My husband," she says, "speaks for our family's values and this campaign both. We have made a commitment to working within the Allied parlimentary system to ensure that our government is truly a servant of its people, based on open communication and true, impartial justice, rather than shadowy secrets such as those that led to the Miranda tragedy."
Reply
Crowley has leaned forward again, to speak into his own microphone; a practised tone, not quite so formal as the Tams, but no less grave.
They do say the devil can cite scripture for his purpose, and Crowley is a master.
"From the Holocaust Memorial Museum, on Earth-That-Was. We have all learned, in recent months, that what is just and what is laid out by a governing body as law do not always coincide. The right, for example, for a government to decide, without referendum, what is best for its people. Modification," he says, with a wry grin, "without consultation. If the law is to be our god, then we must all be Abrahams - and that includes Mr. Tam. But never again can we follow blindly; if something is found to be unjust, then action must always be taken. Above all, thou shalt not be a bystander."
Reply
Soon enough, the journalists pack up their recorders and their cameras and their lights, and take their leave in ones and twos, heading back to edit their stories and submit them over broadwave to every planet from Core to Rim.
Different angles will be studied and considered and discussed, depending on the source. More than one newswave will feature Andronicus Crowley leaning forward and speaking into the microphone. Thou shalt not be a bystander. In the days to come, the quote will take hold and begin to spread like wildfire through dry grass.
Most of the reports will show Regan at her husband's side in unflinching support as the topic of the Tam children -- the highly-ranked brilliant doctor, once-rising star Simon Tam, and the disappeared daughter River, rumored to be an unstable murderer -- is examined from every angle, over and over again. Scandal raises ratings, after all... but with each repetition, the word of the campaign continues to spread, reaching a wider and wider audience.
All of them will show Gabriel Tam, dark-horse independent candidate for a seat in Parliament, coolly defiant and prepared to fight for the changes that he advocates, refusing to back down from his beliefs.
The race is only beginning, but it's a hell of a start.
Reply
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