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*Intro to WNN World Talk plays overhead before the spotlight shines upon two news anchors. Both look more weary than usual, a noticeable air of tension between them. The music eventually fades into the background.*
Carly: Good morning, America!
Mark: And good morning, world!
Carly: My name is Carly Day.
Mark: And I’m Mark Stevenson. Welcome back to World Talk! Today is Thursday, September 5th, and here’s what’s happening in your world.
Carly: At this point, if you haven't heard the news or observed its effects, you must surely be living under a rock. Following last week's explosive announcement regarding the recent passing of the G.E.I. registration act, the world has entered into a state of turmoil. The controversial identification program requires all U.S. citizens to register at their local government offices as either human or G.E.I. This has led to legal action being taken upon those who refuse to identify themselves, regardless of the genetic results. Unfortunately, this has caused increased protests amongst the people, particularly in states which identify as predominantly liberal.
Mark: Thankfully, the brave men and women of S.W.A.R.M. have been assigned to help the process go smoothly, utilizing their special training to help quell the masses and appease the people. In areas where protests have turned violent, the American task force has stifled the violence, apprehending several of the culprits responsible. As General Stone predicted, these men and women are truly the heroes that we need during these troubling times.
*Carly visibly rolls her eyes.*
Carly: As tensions continue to rise throughout the nation due to these forced registration processes, metamorphs have reported being actively harassed and assaulted when coming forth to register. Others have found themselves unfairly dismissed from their jobs, while some have even discovered unexpected fame and publicity. While unconfirmed, several popular movie stars and recording artists have even come forth as metamorphs themselves, their social media following exploding as rabid fans have rushed to revere and idolize their favorite stars. Despite these outliers, many metamorphs have refrained from coming forward. Regardless of their social status or power level, there is an understandable fear that retaliation will occur if they do, in fact, openly announce themselves.
Mark: (scoffs) I don't see what they need to be afraid of if they have nothing to hide. If they are innocent, they should be completely comfortable coming forth and declaring their powers.
Carly: What do you mean “if they are innocent”? What does innocence have anything to do with it? Were talking about classifying their species, not whether or not they've committed a crime.
Mark: See, that's your problem right there, Carly. As far as I'm concerned, if they are capable of utilizing their powers in harmful ways that could potentially cost the lives of innocent Americans, they are guilty. They are guilty of deliberately obscuring information and indirectly threatening the lives of others.
Carly: That is ridiculous, Mark! You can't seriously believe that. How is it their fault that they’re born this way? How can you say that they are threatening the lives of others when they’re simply trying to live out their lives in peace?
Mark: I absolutely believe that, Carly! I could care less if they were born this way or not. The fact of the matter is, they are. End of story. If I wave my AK-47 in the middle of a public gathering, and it accidentally goes off, I don't have the privilege of saying that I didn’t mean for people to get killed. At the end of the day, those lives are lost because of me and my irresponsibility. No one is going to care what my intentions are. They are going to care what the result is. I don't care if these liberals think that this is fair or not. This is for the safety and betterment of our nation, and if they can't see that, then maybe they need to get the hell out of this great nation and go somewhere where metamorphs are allowed to roam the streets free and recreate the Escabana Bombings daily!
Carly: I swear, you are such an idiot. Seriously, you are so shortsighted. Where does it end? How far are you willing to infringe upon the freedom and God-given rights of our citizens in the name of security and peace of mind? You can't punish an entire species because of a few bad people—!
Mark: A few bad people?! Listen here, I had family members in Michigan when—!"
*Camera begins to quickly pull away as the newscasters continue their argument. The scene fades to black, and commercials begin to roll.*
