Transcript, Midday New Extra, News 24/7 Night City, December 28th 2050

VB: This is Veracity Blaize, reporting for News24/7, your eye on Night City. I’m sitting in the main auditorium of the luxury Ottoman hotel and casino in Core Night City, which just an hour ago was the filled with the rich and famous of five continents as the inaugural session of the 2050 Grey Auction got underway. The auctioneer, as ever, was Mornington art dealer and bon vivant Agustin Hashaway, who managed the often-frenetic pace of bidding like an old master. Bidding was brisk and excitement high as the first consignment of items came under the hammer, each one with a reserve price of no less than $100,000.

The big ticket items of the day were: a pair of matched 18th century handmade British shotguns, which made $2.5 million and were bought by Sensie star pairing Hector Dahl and Corine Ven; a mint condition 1964 Chevy Malibu which last belonged to the Texan President, which went to an undisclosed Net bidder; and the electronic ghost of the head of the British secret police, which went for a dizzying $3.6 million after a two-way bidding war between Shaina Chacon, the new head of DreamCorp’s Night City facility, and the British Consul-General himself. The Consul-General was as obviously very pleased with his purchase as the DreamCorp’s exec was unhappy – especially when she received a phone call just before the last bid.

But the auction is not the only story, or even the biggest story, here today.

We’re being told by the Hotel’s management that the event would have had to be postponed if not for the swift actions of their security consultants, the rising Edgerunner team known as the Lazarus Group. I’m here now with the Group’s leader and spokesperson, who is known only as Candyman. To preserve his anonymity, we will not show his face and his voice has been electronically altered.

Candyman, what can you tell us about the emergency in the early hours of this morning?

C (Backlit): Not very much, I’m afraid, Veracity. The cleanup is still underway and I cannot give you full details of the plot due to reasons of operational security. I’m sure you will understand.

VB: Of course, of course. But I hear there was a serious threat to the hotel and perhaps the whole city?

C: Not the city, no, it was never in actual danger. A group of disaffected nihilist agitators had placed a quantity of unsophisticated, home-brewed explosives in the hotel’s basement. The plot was detected, those involved identified, and the problem removed.

VB: Was there ever a pressing danger to the hotel or the auction’s guests?

C: No, absolutely not. The explosives had no method of detonation attached [laughs].

VB: [Laughs too] Sounds like Lazarus handled matters pretty swiftly. Thank you, Candyman, for your time.

C: a pleasure, veracity, anytime.

VB: While the auction was in process, your News 24/7 team observed several specialists from the Rossum Corporation and others under contract to the Lazarus Group working in the basement. Shortly thereafter a truck under heavy guard by the hotel’s security left the hotel’s parking garage headed for the A.S.M. facility at the docks, where we’re told the homemade explosives found will be taken out to sea and sunk. However, without the prompt action of the Lazarus Group, things could have been very different and we all owe them a vote of thanks that this signature tourist event for the city was not disrupted.

We’ll be back tonight at 6p.m. with live coverage of the second session of the auctions, where one of the items expected to attract the highest bidding is a a sample of a prototype crystal matrix which would allow monofilament blades to be made which were sturdier and less inclined to fracturing. Several mega-corporate representatives are said to be interested in the item.

This is Veracity Blaize from the Ottoman hotel.

Transcript ends.