The World Beyond

[Transcript of a news report]

Announcer: And now for the evening report with Claire Hiltebrandt

Hiltebrandt: Thank you, John. Breaking news tonight: the latest in a string of riots across the globe. What started as several small, local movements against Gifted-owned businesses has gained momentum, becoming an almost widespread campaign against people with superhuman abilities. Kevin Bingham reports to us live from Tulsa, Oklahoma. Kevin?

Footage from Tulsa plays. A short man wearing an immaculate suit speaks into a microphone in front of a crowd of people and other news vans cordoned off from the action by police. He keeps increasing volume to be heard over sirens, shouting, and the sounds of general mayhem]

Bingham: Hey, Claire, I'm here in downtown Tulsa and the level of energy here is just off the charts. It started as a protest against a business rumored to employ Gifteds. However, at around seven this evening, the protest ceased being a peaceful one. It's not clear what happened yet, but eyewitnesses are saying that an individual not involved in the protest threw a brick at the building.

[Footage plays as he speaks. Shaking cell phone clips and some smoother clips from earlier that day of the protest. It cuts back to Bingham, who can speak almost normally now]

Bingham: It looks like the police are starting to get everything subdued right now and we're waiting for a statement from the department. More as the situation develops. Back to you, Claire.

[Setting changes back to the woman at the desk. She taps her papers into alignment and stifles her customary smile in order to seem professional]

Hiltebrandt: Thanks, Kevin. That's a very serious situation happening out there in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Stay tuned for Lionel Derrick's Money Talk!

[Excerpts from the Post]

The World in Brief

Stavanger, Norway: Locals in shock over devastating fire that consumed most of the city center, including the famous Stavanger Domkirke. Law enforcement officials have determined the cause of the fire to be a Gifted man, Alv Solheim, who has the ability to create and command fire at will. Solheim worked as an engineer until recent social and political unrest caused his superiors to fire him.

This is the third Gifted-related attack Norway's seen this year.

From The New York Times:

It should certainly come as no shock that there is an evolved race of humans emerging. We certainly cannot ignore the uprisings in the Midwest or the movements in Europe, but where do we draw the line? 

How dangerous are these evolved people, and do they have an agenda unlike our own or do they live each day as we do: with jobs aspirations, family struggles and small triumphs? These are the questions we must ask as the most high-profile case comes to the public attention.

Business mogul Edward Van Howard, Esq has been outed by an undisclosed source as a "puffed up and egotistical mutant." It has been suggested that Van Howard has a rare string of genetics that rejuvenates his skin, which has caused his genesis to be unclear. 

Van Howard will be brought forth in court and tried against allegations of fraud which includes but is not limited to faking his own death and taking on the names and social security numbers to continue his financial legacy. 

More to come as the trial unfolds.

Quebec, Canada: Mass panic developed in a small coffee shop that went onto the streets, several murders and injuries were reported. The cause of this panic was twenty-six year old woman, Anastia Connor. She was reported to have created strange beings out of innocents shadows and the shadows to have attacked these people. Connor is currently on trial. More to be reported*

*Translated from French

Missing persons report Beregin co. Wicklow.

Don Shepperd, father of three, reported his wife missing this past Sunday. He arrived home late from his part time job art the local pub to discover his wife to be nowhere found and his three small children alone.

Last seen by youngest daughter Ava, Lorie Shepperd left the house around 9 o'clock carrying a "funny leather jacket." Don Shepperd admits that he was only half truthful to his children on how he and his wife met. Lorie Shepperd is a Scottish native, explains Mr Shepperd explains un police reports. She is also a silkie; a seal that can take form of a human. The Greeks called them sirens. Mr Shepperd admits to stealing and hiding her coat. According to lore, if a silkie finds her coat she must return to the sea.

Mr Shepperd asks that fishermen stay mindful of there nets so as not to accidentally kill his wife of ten years and deprive hours children of a devoted mother.

Guerilla pamphlet found to be analyzed by the CIA. 

1. A war of attrition against enemy personnel (non gifted militia) based on causing as many deaths as possible so as to create a demand from their (non gifted) people at home for their withdrawal.

2. A bombing campaign aimed at making the enemy's financial interests in our country unprofitable, while at the same time earning long term investments in our country.

3. To sustain the war and gain support for its ends by national and international propaganda and publicity campaigns.

4. By defending the war of liberation by punishing criminals, collaborators and informers.

Flyer on a public bulletin board in Port Albion, outside of the coffee shop

MISSING:

Name: Genevieve Johnson
Age: 34

Description:
Hair color: Blonde
Eye color: Hazel
Height: 5'5"
Weight: 167 lbs
Status: Non-Gifted

Genevieve was last seen leaving her work at ten-thirty pm on Wednesday, the 27th of December. Her car was found on a gravel path on the other side of the island.

There is a reward for any information that can be given about her whereabouts.

The Washington Post:

Riots of protesters began storming down the Superior Court of DC only just last night. The cause of it, a boy looking to be no older than the age of 20 that only goes by the name Miller was declared innocent after being accused of murder. The protesters themselves declare the ruling as unfair and biased due to there being more gifted jurors than ‘normal’ human beings. The government so far has stuck to their rulings and stated that they will only return to the case when there is more evidence and a better understanding of the gifted ability to mind control. 

Local gifted activist Nola Capello submitted this statement in accordance to the riots. “Just because he looks like a monster does not mean he is one. I have met with [Miller] and he is a gentle, if not timid, person. He fears the world because of people like you that make your judgement before a single word is said.” She has also stated that her own family had been through difficulties due to being gifted as well, her first born son being kidnapped at a young age for the sole purpose of abusing his abilities.

It has been ruled however that the boy is not natural born, instead he was created in a laboratory under the name Argentine Miller Laboratories and currently a Brazilian owned company. The owner, Francis Miller, refused to speak on the behalf of Miller or his own daughter during the case, but he has answered our E-mails and a few questions we have posed to him. We first asked him if Miller was his creation due to their sharing name and he had this to say: “Yes, Miller is a creation of A.M. Laboratories, but his image has been perverted to an almost unrecognisable level. When we were moving to our new location in Balem, Brazil he was accidently allowed to roam free and in turn we suspected that he was captured by a rival company. We cannot say which.” We then asked him about this supposed clone that was found skulking about the school Miller was also found within. “Again, it was most likely the handy work of a different company. We never had the intentions of turning Miller into a weapon, the mere thought is disgusting.” We then asked him what purpose Miller was created for. “Our laboratory has always been about aiding humanity in the knowledge of gifted beings. Activists may claim that we are fascist and twist our company’s good name into something bitter and ‘Anti-Mutant’ as it were, but we are nothing of the sort. We needed a gifted test subject and given our reputation and the reputation of most laboratories that ask for or resort to kidnapping, we weren’t going to get any anytime soon. We created our own gifted being so that we could better understand them.”

Francis Miller was also the father to the alleged victim, Margaret Miller, though came to the defense of his creation during the trial. He didn’t have much to say for her other than “I wish what had happened didn’t, but it wasn’t anything that could be controlled. She never liked Miller and the accident that took place in my lab caused her enough anguish to try to take the both of them down in a single action. I pray that my daughter’s soul has found its way and I would like nothing more than to have Miller safely brought back to me so that I may tend to him, but the government wouldn’t allow that.” As for Miller himself, the government assures their citizens that should not concern themselves with his presence. He has been relocated to somewhere far away from their homes. 

Headline from recent newspaper:

Siphoning New Craze for Impressionable Youths

The dark basements and private rooms in exclusive clubs, places where one used to encounter use of Ecstasy, LSD, marijuana, and other similar illegal recreational drugs, now house a new threat. The young people who partake of this new crazy call it Siphoning. The new drug started popping up on the East coast of the United States early this year and it's taking the country by storm.

When asked what the appeal of these new drugs were, the answer was the power. Each different strain has a new and novel effect. All of them seem to be named after the darker aspects of their power; Ahoga allows the taker to manipulate water, Quema creates the ability to work fire. There are several strains, which will list below, but the common thread is a general abandonment of all control of one's emotions and upper-level rational thought. What's left, and this is what has officials worried, is a person enslaved by their feelings and instincts. That, along with the power granted by the drugs, has the potential to cause tremendous havoc.

Brief list of the drugs and what powers they grant:

Ahoga: Water manipulation

Quema: Fire manipulation

Huye: Above-average speed

Entierra: Earth and rock manipulation

Sofoca: Air manipulation

Cambia: Shapeshifting (seems to be limited to monsters)

Rompe: Above-average strength

Cae: Flight

Authorities are strongly urging citizens to leave these drugs alone. Not only are they dangerous, they are seriously addictive even in small amounts.

Ohio, United States

ENTIRE TOWN FORCED TO LEAVE HOMES 

A state of emergency is being declared across the northwestern regions of Ohio, and a city-wide mandatory evacuation has been ordered of the city of Findlee. Government officials have remained vague with the details, but have made it clear that Findlee is now considered a disaster zone. 

Assistance for those affected has been assured from both government and independent disaster relief programs, and efforts to shelter everyone displaced during this time of tragedy are already well underway.

Eye witness accounts have reported rather strange goings-on before the evacuation, with things like sudden pollution of the water system, the local plant life turning into black fog and an army of angry mole people all being reported as the cause of alarm. While we remain highly skeptical, it should be noted that Findlay was also the birthplace of the infamous “Findlee Phantom” legend not too long ago. For those unaware, the Findlee Phantom is a shadowy figure based around the similar depictions of the perpetrator of a long-lasting crime spree in the titular city.  Many assume the menace to be among the 'gifted' individuals that have been appearing throughout the world at an alarming rate in the past few years, due to the seemingly supernatural nature of  some of the Phantom's appearances. For those interested, you can check our website to read our report on the topic. 

Whatever the true cause is, rest assured that we will keep you covered at the signs of any developments. 

[headline from local paper]

ARE YOU BEING DECEIVED?

---

Home is where the heart is, so it’s quite understandable that the displaced citizens of Findlee, Ohio have been trying very hard to get back to theirs. They were forced to leave because of what government authorities are now identifying as an “Extremely Volatile Gas Leak,” apparently so severe that authorities have been erecting temporary walls and barricades around the hazard zones.  Not convinced, many have taken to studying satellite imagery for clues, and one individual, who wished to remain anonymous, has found what appears to potentially be traces of manipulation to the satellite's feed. Could this be a sign pointing towards a government coverup, or is this yet another scare story?

Approximately [insert vague period of time here] ago the American town of Findlee, Ohio, was declared a disaster zone and an emergency evacuation of the entire county was placed under effect. Residents were forced to abandon anything they couldn’t immediately bring with them, with rescue teams working tirelessly to ensure that those who were physically incapable of leaving themselves made it to safety as well. The most notable thing about the whole event was the lack of communication between US officials and the citizens of the area; none quite knew what was going on till after the fact, and even then it was chalked up to something as mundane as a gas leak without much further elaboration.

This was naturally quite concerning for locals, especially in the wake of the “Findlee Phantom"s spree of crime and terror through the county, but the trouble doesn’t end there. An anonymous individual, one with a supposed background involving the studies of deepfake satellite imagery, contacted my colleagues just a few days ago with what they say to be evidence that at least some of the publicly available imagery of the town and its surrounding area is being edited behind the scenes to appear not as they truly are.

Things like individual birds staying completely static across multiple images from different points in time, leaves and branches ignoring wild wind and rain patterns, and even a few, difficult to notice spots with seemingly no color at all. That last one could be chalked up to a glitch of the satellite itself, but our source says it’s much more likely to be technical difficulties with editing software used in the coverup. Still, we’re not so sure about-



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