(Disclaimer: the book will never describe, mention, or even imply sexual violence. read comfortably)

A man wheeling a bulky black camera rushes into the studio. The wheels roll smoothly but his shoes squeak against the marble as he runs along with it. The sign over the control room burns a fluorescent red "HOLD." Strange techno-synth sounds can be heard once in a while, phones keep ringing, conversations are sloppy and fast, and now someone is loudly confirming updates to the system checks.

"Wireless T40 still not active!"

"Collin, please. I need you to wear the earpiece," I plead. Collin Hart, the anchor assigned to me, looks unbothered. He leans back on the couch, that is set on the stage, making himself more comfortable.

"Listen, sweetheart. I've been doing this since before you were born. I've been in war zones and interviewed world leaders. I don't need you or anyone else whispering in my ear."

"It's just that they're a little controversial and we have to tread—"

"It's his first time giving an interview of this reach. Do you know the saying, 'the spider's more scared of you than you are of it?' Frankly, I'm offended that you think I cannot handle this," He says, cutting me off.

"You're right. I'm sorry." I sigh exasperatedly and walk off the stage. 

Chloe waits outside the control room, wearing a tense expression. When our eyes meet, I shake my head slowly, and her face falls. Faint dark circles are visible under her blue eyes. I bet I look worse.

Once I'm close enough to whisper, I say, "I'm going to kill him one day."

She nods. "I'll gladly be your alibi."

"Are the other two ready?" I ask, pulling my hair into a ponytail and securing it tightly. 

"Yes. They are. Sound testing worked fine. We should be close to a minute now," She says with an accomplished smile.

"Okay. Hey, get hold of Ara's assistant and tell him to be ready with the backup," I say. She nods and goes back into the control room.

"One minute!"

The studio grows quieter. 

Everything moves into place like cogs in a machine. People take their positions and loudly confirm their presence and Chloe accounts for each of them. Collin adjusts himself in his seat, a young reporter grabs the handheld mic and readies herself before the camera for the opening scene. Lights are switched to their needed setting and pushed into position. The whole studio is transformed before us. The large circular platform has two peach-coloured couches around a sleek coffee table. They fit well against a pale shimmery backdrop.

I move closer to the stage and sit next to the technical director, Abbas. Collin straightens up, waiting for his cue. Abbas gives the final countdown and—

We're live.

The camera pans to Collin. "Good morning and welcome to Coffee Table Nothings for a special episode—"

I stop listening and lean backwards, signaling the runners to guide ONA's Northside candidate onto the stage. The introduction is about five minutes long and he has just begun to introduce their political history. The shiny screen behind him lights up in green and blue dots which translates into videos and pictures on the livestream.

Two young men shuffle towards the stage. One of them gets on to it. Tall and dark, broad shoulders and soft features—the Northside candidate is easy on the eyes. He sits down in front of Collin after shaking his hand, looking surprisingly at ease. 

He cracks a joke. Collin covers his mouth and laughs.

Standing behind one of the camera rigs is Martin, their campaign manager. He's the complete opposite of the candidate. A wiry figure, with pale skin, light hair and sharp features. He smiles as if he is in on the joke as well.

The introduction ends, and we straighten up in our seats. Cameras move along the metal ring and focus on the interviewees. 

It's really happening. 

I want this to go well for the ONA. There is a nagging feeling in the pit of my stomach—telling me that I want more. I want their candidate to name every filthy executive on this side of town. I want every building to be defaced with paint and blood. For a second, I imagine him clawing open Collin's throat, blood splattering the peach-coloured cushions. 

A subtle shift in lighting brings me back to the present. 

"Jeremiah Brown, running for Northside's office! It's a remarkable decision." Collin smiles widely. "We are so glad to have you with us."

"Thank you for having me!" Jeremiah replies, mirroring his smile and posture.

"Since the shocking announcement, this is ONA's first interview." Collin emphasizes for the benefit of the viewers. "So, Jeremiah, tell us a bit about what this means for your party."

"It's an honour, really, to be able to to run. We hope to win a majority of the seats in the provincial council and tackle some of Odile's most pressing problems. Unemployment, infrastructure, bail reforms." "So, they won't mention immigration?" Chloe's voice chimes in my earpiece. "Together, we have compiled a detailed nineteen-point plan that will help us address each of these issues, in all five districts, in just our first year."

My breaths are shaky. I'm praying that Collin stirs clear of any talk regarding unemployment. His smile bears a certain tension, and I wonder if it's because Jeremiah doesn't possess the shy tone of someone who's on a livestream for the first time.

"That sounds impressive!" Collin exclaims in his strange round accent. "We will get to all of it in a minute. But first, tell us about yourself."

Jeremiah takes on a more sober expression. He sighs thoughtfully and then begins, "Well, I'm a biotechnologist. I was a level two employee at Nutrien, but then I left my job there to help build better farming machinery. It's a small organization, and we work right alongside farmers. Now, I am hoping to be of service to the people in this district."

"If they'll have me." He adds and smiles charmingly.

Collin prods, "And you're from the Northside, born and brought up?"

"I am. Despite travelling back and forth between the farming grounds and here, I have stayed well connected. My parents are here and so is my wife."

"I travel a lot too, so I can understand how hard it can be to maintain relationships. Do you think working alongside farmers helps put things in perspective?"

"Well, I would say it does." Jeremiah readily agrees. "I think it makes me confront the differences in their lives and mine. It's easier to be able to prioritize administrative decisions when you can see the larger picture. Without actually interacting with the different sections of society that will be looking to you for leadership, you can't make the best decisions."

"That's a good answer. Such a subtle blow." I think, chewing the inside of my cheek. I can see the gears turning in Collin's head. He might pounce a little too early in this interview.

"But wouldn't you say that the ruling party has done a good job helping the farmers? Reportedly, they've maintained a constant amount of produce despite climate disruptions, a recession, and epidemic."

He pounced.

There is a shift in the mood in the studio. I can see some people smile from the corner of my eye. I quickly tell Abbas to close in on Jeremiah for his answer.

"I would. I think they've done a good job," Jeremiah replies. My head snaps towards him.

"They have really held the line all these years," He continues. "Food production has been abysmal in a lot of countries. Whether it's rain or soil, things are far from ideal. At Nutrien, I used to work in processing. You won't believe the care and effort it takes, to make sure the food you eat has been cleared of the chemicals needed to grow them."

"Interesting. So, ONA's nineteen point plan doesn't include any changes on that front?" 

"Processing? No! People are working tirelessly to make sure food is safe to eat. They're heroes. If any change has to be brought about, it should be to appropriately reward them for their work." 

Labor issues, that's their turf. Collin won't bite. 

He pauses for a second, and then chuckles. "I hope you don't mind me saying this. I think it's the first time an ONA representative has had something good to say about the AFD." 

"Credit where credit is due." Jeremiah smiles and leans back in his chair. 

Abbas and I exchange surprised looks. 

Before Collin can ask another question, Jeremiah begins to talk as if he's thinking out loud. "'Constant amount of produce.' You're right about that. It's just unfortunate that the same amount of produce doesn't mean that everyone gets fed the same." 

"What do you mean?" Collin asks, taking a sip of his tea. He doesn't care to reply to a loaded statement.

"Produce is the same but prices have been skyrocketing." Jeremiah explains. "Now, in theory, the food is there, but you can't afford it."

"Didn't you just say that it takes effort to make sure food is safe? If we have to pay all the people who take care of that, the machines, the formulas, whatever it takes, wouldn't food cost more?" 

"Of course." Jeremiah concedes, raising a palm. "But are the people who take care of it, really the ones being paid? If the farmers who handpick your tomatoes were earning enough, they wouldn't have to live the way they do to afford food." 

"The point is that they can afford food." Collin wears a lopsided smile. I wonder if he believes half the things he says. "And that there is food to buy, in the first place. Sure, we have to budget a bit to afford essential things but that's just how paychecks are." 

Jeremiah nods considerately as Collin speaks. He allows a second of silence to slip in, and the tension is almost palpable. 

"Food, water, housing, education." Jeremiah lists, softly. The camera refocuses on his face. "I think I'd consider these essentials." 

"Yes, of course. You can't live a decent life without them," Collin agrees. 

Getting the last word in the previous line of conversation has brought a sparkle to his eyes. They dim in a second, when Jeremiah promptly replies. "They get running water half of the day and can't afford to send their kids to college."

"Well." Collin smacks his lips. And I want to groan loudly. If only I could tell him to move on already. This is neither a debate nor an arena for him to itch his ego. He continues, "That's why the Water Bill was passed! It makes sure that people in the farming lands don't have to pay taxes on the water they use—"

"Ever since Nutrien has opened a factory there, they're the only ones who are benefitting. Water has been increasingly hard to tap for locals." 

Collin presses his lips into a flat line. With a somber expression, he pretends to absorb Jeremiah's words as he speaks. 

I think he feels cornered. Smoothly changing the topic of conversation is tough. 

I badly wish he had let me put that earpiece on him. He should say, "Nutrien also buys from them and hires them independently. A give and take relationship." Northsiders eat that shit up. 

"I mean, if we're talking about Nutrien then they're also the ones helping the locals educate their kids and send them to colleges."

Oh, fuck me. 

My eyes widen. I can't believe this. That bastard didn't even care to read my memo. In a fair world, this would be a teachable moment for him but I know that if he makes a mistake on screen, then I'll be the one taking the fall. 

I immediately spring up and stand closer to the stage. 

"They certainly do." Jeremiah says. "I would know. I was a Corp kid, under Nutrien for seventeen years of my life."

He was a corp kid who filed a complaint against his supervisor. That's all Collin had to read, and all that I could find. Most of his files were private or unlisted. Corp kids are generally hard to track. 

"Interesting. Nutrien's kids have been the center of discussion lately. According to the gendarmerie's reports, the man behind the graffiti was angry at Nutrien for dismissing his son. Did you see a picture of that graffiti?" Collin asks. The widescreen next to me shows that a picture of the graffiti floats up next to them. 

I murmur into my earpiece, asking Chloe to not let it be on the screen for too long.

"Yeah. I did. It was incredibly graphic." Jeremiah shakes his head.

Collin tips his mug forward. "The initial reaction of the public on ATOM was to look at what happened at Silver Valley. People were speculating that it might be the work of some ONA supporter." 

"But it wasn't, right? The case has been closed. He was just a disgruntled father. He heard that his son would not receive support from Nutrien, for his second year at college, and felt wronged." Jeremiah shrugged, his lips twisting into a small frown. 

"Do you think that was a fair reaction?"

"I think it was a strong reaction, but we don't know the whole story. His son was a high performer with good conduct. He wasn't given a reason before his contract was broken—something corps are legally allowed to do at any time. I'd say he reacted as a father would," He replies.

I turn around to look at Chloe. She catches my eye at the same time and shakes her head, confused at this new dump of information. Did he know the graffiti man's son? 

"But it's not a fair civilized reaction." Collin stresses. "There are other ways you can handle that situation."

"Like what? File a complaint?" Jeremiah laughs dryly.

Collin, Collin, Collin. Don't take the bait.

"Yes." Collin smiles. My nails dig into the plush arms of my chair. "Take it up as an official complaint. There are tons of grievance cells maintained to make sure corp kids are taken care of."

"Yes Mr. Hart, I  know." Jeremiah smiles, leaning forward in his seat. "I feel quite passionately about this. I knew at some point in my campaign that this would reach the public. I guess it's best to address it once and for all."

I impatiently watch him dramatize the reveal. My eyes flit to their manager, who hasn't moved an inch. His eyes are narrowed at the duo, his silver-ringed fist pressed to his lips. 

"I had, as a teenager, filed a complaint against my supervisor at Nutrien." Jeremiah finally says. Collin looks shocked, but he quickly composes himself. 

"Oh, I was not aware of that. I'm sorry if you had a bad experience with their grievance cell." Collin replies, most sincerely. He hesitates for a second and then continues, "It's only later in life that you realize how tricky those things can be. Imagine working at a cell that solely works with messy and delicate issues that directly affect people's lives. One or two cases are very likely to go wrong, but those cases don't necessarily reflect the whole situation, now do they?"

Jeremiah seems to listen closely and then smiles. It's a faint smile with an expression of sadness and Collin's words suddenly feel too harsh.

"I understand, but I suspect it's not just one or two cases," Jeremiah says, carefully.

"Do you believe that their grievance cell needs a stricter policy? They're not as efficient as they should be?"

"No, Mr. Hart. I'm saying that they're bullshit." He replies. 

Collin's polite smile twitches. I can see some members of the sound team look both visibly uncomfortable and thoroughly entertained.

"Let's cut to a sponsorship break in under a minute,  Lu." Chloe's metallic voice rings out in my earpiece. I quickly agree with her and move to inform the others.

"I'm guessing this is an important election promise then?—" I hear Collin ask Jeremiah. Their conversation continues as I inform Abbas about the early break. He looks slightly annoyed at the sudden change of plans but reiterates that it's for the best.

"It's necessary. Suppose you're the janitor at some fancy firm with multiple shifts to worry about, or you're the clerk there, or you're an accountant pushing numbers in your cubicle day and night. You're working past exhaustion to make sure you can support your child. A corp comes around and aggressively promotes its program to the people in your community. Come to us! Let us adopt your kids. We will give them three meals a day—a breakfast you can't imagine—we'll pay for their studies, send them to college, and so that it doesn't cost you a penny, they'll work the rest of the time at our 'workshops.' What a way to learn the kind of self-discipline you need, to make it through the rest of your life!"

Forgotten what I was meant to be doing, I walk closer to the stage as he gives his impassioned speech. Everyone in the studio seems transfixed, and the glaring lights and cameras remain focused on the two couches. 

His simple and direct manner of speaking has a magnetic effect. Someone who would have passed you on the street and you would not have noticed, sitting in front of a man in an expensive suit, advocating for something he feels so deeply about. It felt honest and things just didn't feel honest these days.

"Parents are so busy these days trying to make ends meet. It's our duty to protect children in a world hurtling towards an increasingly uncertain future. No one should be neglected or dismissed or hurt. And definitely not by a corporation that vows to help you raise your child."

"Can I ask you what your complaint was about?"

* Content warning: Short description of child abuse. Move to the next star to skip. 

Jeremiah's face takes on a hard expression. The studio remains silent, waiting with bated breath for his answer. You could hear a pin drop.

"Well, there was a lot. Um." His eyes flicker towards his clasped hands. "Sometimes I wouldn't meet my deadlines. He would lock me up in this cupboard." He swallows. "We had this cupboard in the workshop and he—my supervisor—would drag you out of your chair, push you in, and leave you there. I'd just stand for hours in the dark. It was suffocating. I wouldn't know when I could leave. Sometimes he would leave me there for a whole day. I wouldn't even understand as a kid."

"Did the other kids see this happen, if this was at the workshop?" 

"Yeah. What could they do?" He shrugs. "Trust me, some of them had it a lot worse. You have no idea what these people get away with." 

*

"So you do believe, to some extent, that the graffiti was called for?" Collin presses.

"I don't think they intend to neglect the kids under their program, but the fact that they keep looking the other way speaks volumes. Sure, the graffiti feels cathartic. But where does that leave us? What have we achieved? What we need"—He moves closer to Collin, his voice growing deeper—"is radical changes to make sure no one can hurt children and get away with it."

As soon as his words sink in, the magnetic pull of the stage falters and I'm jolted back into this crisis.

"SPONSORSHIP BREAK."

I push the button and the sign glows brightly. Collin notices it. He immediately begins to thank Jeremiah for sharing his experiences and announces the short break.

The sign over the control shifts from the bright green "LIVE," to the bloody neon "ON HOLD" again. The studio becomes noisier. Everyone shifts positions, grabbing sandwiches from the snack tables, dabbing their faces with cold wipes, discussing the interview in hushed tones, and stretching out their limbs. 

I angrily follow Collin into his green room.

"You didn't read my memo!" I shout. He sighs and takes out a cigarette. Chloe walks in and locks the door behind her.

"Well, sorry. I get a million notifications a day, I'm supposed to read all of them?" he mumbles with the cigarette hanging from the corner of his lips.

"Yes. This was important! They're going to take an axe to my head. Oh, God. This is Nutrien, we're talking about! Mark Hubert funds our premium fucking magazines. Do you think he wants to hear people talk about how his corporation is overworking and punishing kids? All you had to do was not ask him more questions."

"I think you're overreacting." He pats his pockets, looking for a lighter.

"I'm overreacting?" I huff, my vision turning red.

Chloe stands next to me and folds her arms. She sighs, looking beyond exhausted. "I hope you understand how stressed we have been pulling all this together in such a short time. The least you could do is cooperate."

"'What was your complaint about?'" I quote him angrily. "Did you have to ask that?"

He does not reply to either of us. Instead, he smiles to himself as he notices the lighter lying under the chair next to him.

"I get it. You don't want to do this! Not with me or anyone else. You want to cover the tough stuff; death and war and crime. You don't have time for politics. But get this—this is your job now. No matter how much you hate being here, you have to grit your teeth and do it. You want to keep reminding people that you're a great reporter? Then be one. Answer your calls. Read your emails. Reach the studio on time. Pay attention to my memos and wear a fucking earpiece when you're asked to wear one."

I take a sharp breath in. He finally meets my eyes, looking stunned and incredibly offended. Chloe purses her lips and waits for him to reply.

"You can't talk to me like this," He sneers and looks away again. He flicks his lighter a couple of times and takes a long drag of his cigarette. 

I steal it from his fingers, and toss it away from us. Irritated, he glares at me. "Fine. What do you want?"

"Stick to the list!" my voice rises with agitation. Chloe puts her hand on my shoulder, assuring me that she'll handle this.

Soon enough, we are about to go live again.

In perfect synchronization, the whole studio returns to the interview. I stay close to the stage and say a little prayer. The countdown begins, 3..2..1...

"Welcome back to Coffee Table Nothings where we were just discussing Nutrien's adoption program and the recent vandalism case with Jeremiah Brown, the ONA candidate from the Northside. Let's just jump right back in. Tell me, Jeremiah, this isn't the first time ONA has empathized with an act of vandalism, is it?"

"I think it is. If you are referring to Councilman Hamdi's arrest, then I think it's important to mention that it was much before the creation of ONA. He was sixteen. It was a young reckless form of protest. There isn't much to it." Jeremiah tries to casually dismiss it.

"Still, burning their mascot in the public square! It was quite the spectacle. He must greatly sympathize with the vandal of Nutrien's wall. You're frankly, new to the political scene. Why do you think they nominated you?" Collin smiles politely.

"I guess, Councilman Hamdi understood where I was coming from. Both of us, have been a part of the system. We understand how it works and we hope to reform it. He was a public prosecutor for a few years and he witnessed firsthand how the judiciary worked. His opinion of the system is informed. I think that's one of the reasons, it resonates with so many people at the forums we hold," Jeremiah explains. "I've had a similar trajectory. I understand how Nutrien works, I was a part of it. It's only once I realized that some changes will not come into place unless someone does something about them, that I quit and I started to become more involved in politics. This is something a lot of our candidates have in common. We're so tired of waiting for someone else."

Collin nods, hanging on to every word. "I mean it's clear that you're passionate about these changes especially when it comes to kids and their education." He pauses. "You must have heard that the AFD is hoping to create an educational channel for children. It's going to be freely available in every household. What are your thoughts on that?"

I sigh in relief. The tension in my shoulders dissipates. We're back on track.

Once it's over and everyone has left, the studio appears desolate. The rigs and cables stand silently in the dark against an empty background. Pieces of string, thumbtacks, and tape litter the floor. 

I sit on the edge of the stage with the coffee machine next to me. A few people from the control room grab the leftover juice boxes from the snacks table and give me a strange look when they notice that the machine is missing from its place. They shuffle out slowly. 

I press for three shots of espresso and watch the liquid drip into my cup. The humming of the coffee machine smells like sanitizers and white walls. When it's done I bring the cup close to my face letting the rich aroma of coffee fill my lungs and ground me to the present.

My phone, which I finally dared to turn back on, rings loudly. I answer hastily when I notice Chloe's caller id. "What did they say?"

"Oh, you won't believe it. Wait—let me get out of her driveway. I'm leaving Ara's house right now. She was raging mad. Just wouldn't believe that Collin wouldn't have cooperated. Anyway, she starts asking me for an explanation, and I'm grasping at straws, right? But then, IT sends her the stats for today, and Lu, Lu, Lu, we shot up from two million to seven million live viewers in just the first half. We pulled in a surprisingly large crowd from Afra as well. Some celebrity posted an angry response while it was airing and that catapulted us further. Drink up or go get your sleep, we have tomorrow off."

I break into an unexpected fit of laughter and lean back on the stage. "You're not joking?"

"What kind of sinister fuck do you think I am?"

"Sorry." I can't stop giggling. "I'm just—thank you. I'll see you later then."

I press the phone close to my chest with a silly smile on my face. My hair is splayed about me, and as I am picking a piece of electrical tape off it, my phone rings again. 

This time, I don't recognize the id.

-------

Hi there. If you enjoyed this, please like and comment. Feel free to criticize or point anything out. If these chapters are too long, please let me know. I honestly do not know when to stop because it all plays out like one episode in my head, do you know what I mean? Anyway, take care!