The annual "Day of One" festivities have come to their climatic conclusion. The culmination of a month's long event, this year's celebration is of historical significance. Not only is it the one-hundredth running of the Aerotrax championship race...
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"Good evening, patrons. I am Trista McLoughlin with OneSource and I extend to you a very exuberant Day of One greeting! Next to me is, well...he needs no introduction. He is one of the nominees for this year's Pillar of Honors for his performance in and out of the Tier Sphere arena. The records he has broken over the course of his career nearly match that of the number of broken bones his opponents have suffered at his hands. Please welcome my co-host, Roland Heist."
"Many thanks, Trista...that's actually a personal stat that I am proud of by the way. Good evening, patrons. As Trista introduced I am Roland Heist and let me welcome you to this historic Day of One celebrations, concluding with the centennial running of the Aerotrax, trans-global championship race."
"Historic indeed, Roland. Not only is this the one-hundredth meeting of the champion pilots from all ten market states, it also marks the bicentennial of our Unified Era. I just cannot believe it has been two hundred years since the tribal conflicts came to an end with all ten chieftains agreeing to join as one people. And from that the Unity Accords were signed, which of course led to..."
**in unison**
"...the Pillars of Unity."
"The adoption of the Pillars of Unity really solidified the philosophy that we are all connected to each other, Trista. That's why the solemn statement at the conclusion of the accords rings so true - We all prosper, or We all struggle. A simple truth but one of such profoundness that it transcends every generation, both preceding and succeeding.
"Such a nice sentiment, Roland. There is an entire segment later in this unicast dedicated to the history that has become our Unified Era. But, right now I am being informed that our keynote speaker for tonight's commencement ceremonies is on their way to New Tarsus City's Sportsplex, our host city and your home arena."
"That's right, Trista. A few weeks ago, at the Day of One commencement ceremony, it was announced that a special high-ranking Director Chief would serve as guest emcee for this year's gaieties. Now I am quite sure that every patron's speculative wheels began turning with that announcement. And now, I am authorized and deeply honored to reveal to all that are vizzing this unicast just who that very special speaker will be.
"Being bestowed with that level of privilege truly is an honor, Roland. Well, do not keep us in suspense any longer...who is our guest emcee?"
"Trista, fellow patrons all over the world...I am humbled to be given the honor and privilege to reveal that...Johnson LuPrince, Director Chief of UniTech, will be the guest speaker who concludes the Day of One festivities."
"Johnson LuPrince will be here in New Tarsus City?!! He will actually be here in person?! That...that is simply astounding, Roland!! He is one of the most revered Directors of the fourth market state! And he is also the Director with the highest chance of being appointed the new Premier of the northern market states!"
"The social polls do have him favored to win the appointment by seventy percent, Trista. Additionally, I am also authorized to reveal that he has accepted the burden of Director Chief for New Tarsus City's utility operations and will be announcing this himself at the commencement ceremony."
"Roland, this means that Director LuPrince will have dual directorship...he"
"...will become the first binary Director, yes."
"I have no words, Roland! Everyone I'm sure is just elated with this announcement!!"
"Well, I can think of about thirty percent of patrons who are not."
**both laughing superciliously**
"How was this honor bestowed to you, Roland?"
"Director LuPrince, Johnson as he insisted, called me personally to congratulate my Pillar of Honors nomination. During the ensuing conversation, he told me that he was an avid follower of my career and that it would be his honor to announce my induction into the Pillar of Honors during the Aerotrax championship race, should I secure the required number of electorates from the Honors committee of course. It was then he revealed his new appointment and personally asked me to be the one to reveal it during this unicast. Johnson LuPrince himself made a request of me, Trista and there was no way I was about to deny him."
"No one would. Since his appointment as Director Chief of UniTech all patrons have benefited immensely from what he has accomplished. The invention of R.E.L.M. alone has revolutionized the way all patrons connect to everything and everyone; it has really brought the classes together. I bartered out some perks to upgrade my R.E.L.M.'s optics interface so I can enjoy the augmented feed of the race as it progresses. Nothing like vizzing the action live from the onboard stream of my favorite champion's aerocraft. And we all know who you will be rooting for, Roland. You and Eaton go back decades, right?"
"We do. Everyone knows Eaton Pate and I are best friends - even grew up in the same market and became inseparable from the first time we met. And back then R.E.L.M. didn't exist so we hung out the old-fashioned way...in VR. But during racing season I'm a little more cautious when being around her."
"Really, why is that?"
"Everyone knows that Tier Sphere is brutal, Trista and I am the top Aggressor position in the sport. When New Tarsus Health Center names an entire ward after you because of the frequency of occurrences they receive your opponents after a match, then I would have to say that I earned the name given to me by my fans - Maniac...another attribute I am proud of. But my girl Pate...she takes aggression to a whole new tier, no pun intended of course. When she straps in she's laser focused, methodical even. She transforms into a predator and everyone else on the track is her prey. I am fearless in the arena but when it comes to Pate and her competitiveness, she makes my soul quake."
"She makes your soul quake? Never thought I would ever hear someone of your physical prowess verbally express that, Roland. Especially about a patron of petite stature as Eaton Pate...she is even smaller than I."
"Yeah, well trust me...when she gets into that higher, hyper-focused plane she transforms. We're both in our prime, only in our seventies so we still have many more decades to play out. The difference is I can turn the aggression off once the game is over. But Eaton Pate...she is a whole other animal altogether. She is a..."
"Predator?"
"A stealthy one at that, Trista. That's why she's won the last four Aerotrax championships. Just when you thought you have lost her she comes out of nowhere and broadsides you off the track and into the bay waters some three hundred meters below."
"Such savagery. I guess that's why she is polled at eighty-seven percent to win tonight's championship race."
"Not surprised, Trista. Eaton is ruthless and has a lot of fans supporting her tonight."
"Roland, I am just getting a report that Director LuPrince is on approach to the sportsplex and will be touching down soon."
"Getting the same report, Trista. Need to stream down and prep for his arrival. I'll stream back up after the commencement ceremony. Until then, conformance continues sustainment."
"Thanks, Roland. Patrons, we now take you to the skies over New Tarsus City. For the first time ever, OneSource has been given exclusive, Director-level access to the very prestigious Firmaments club. I'm sure all of you who have been celebrating tonight's festivities in the streets of New Tarsus City have seen the giant, floating airship that resembles the ancient humpback whale of the old era traversing the skyline. We go now to our very own, Tori Spelter, who is live inside Firmaments...Tori?"
