The Solution (2nd Edition)

Chon

Before heeding Dieng's call, I reached over my littered desk and grabbed the last carton of mung bean milk. I didn't know whose it was, hell, I didn't even like the stuff, but I didn't care. All that mattered was me drinking it in defiance of Charlie's rule and so I sucked on the paper straw already pushed through it. Seconds later, the bubbly remnants gurgled.

    Charlie clenched his fists.

    I smiled.

    Having gained the upper hand, I gave Michelle another fleeting look, just so she knew how low my respect for her had sunk. Then with a spring in my step I headed for the lion's den. As always, I walked in and was disoriented by the intense aroma of green tea and smoke. The tea's zing tickled my sinus while the smoke irritated my eyes. Dieng was always trying to balance his smoking with the constant intake of anti-oxidants. To make matters worse the tea's aroma reminded me I hadn't eaten, and I'd rubbed my stomach which groaned, yearning for sustenance.

    Seated behind a cluttered desk only he saw had any order, Dieng sipped on his brew. I moved to my usual seat and got proceedings underway. "Chief, this can't take too long," I explained. "Got my luggage in a taxi outside and told the driver to keep the engine running."

    But despite my stern wording, Dieng just looked at me blankly. He also loosened his tie, rolled up his sleeves and reached for a fresh cigarette and lighter. "Why is today so different?" he asked, bringing his tobacco stick to life with an ember flame. "Normally you bring your luggage into the building and get Henry to deposit it." Dieng never missed a trick, and so I kept quiet while thinking of another way to exit the briefing early. "Listen Chon, enough with the pathetic excuses. I don't care you want to cover the terror attacks. And I don't care you're not Environment Correspondent, either. You and Xen's 'position' has made Mae-Zu expendable for now, plus, I kinda like that Lim hates you," he laughed. "It's amusing seeing you squirm when she's around, but I digress! Chon, with green stories still grabbing public interest, I want you on them because you're the best! Now remind me, why are you...?" Dieng thud a clenched fist to his desk and probably did so knowing I hated answering the same old questions!

    "Chief, do we have to go through the routine Q&A every time I don't want to correspond on something?"

    "Yes, Chon, we do! Now humor me and answer the damn question!"

    "...Because you had faith in me, because you pushed me," I sighed, my words monotonous.

    "Why else?"

    "Because you gave me everything in order to achieve it-"

    "-That's right, Lai, and don't you ever forget it! Twelve years ago, you stood in front of me and all I saw was a post-graduate rookie with little promise, until I changed that, remember?"

    "Yes," I whispered.

    He went on. "Rather than an armada of crew, you asked for a small set-up and I gave you Mikey and Sarah - the best Audio-Visual-Holo Duo in the business!

    "You wanted to report on anything to increase your profile, and what did I do?"

    "You made it happen," I said.

    "That's right, Chon, and when the CPC came down heavy on your fuck-ups, who defended you?"

"You did, Dieng."

    "Yes Chon, I frickin' did! So today, I don't want your resistance on covering the biggest eco agenda since The Paris-Plus Accord! Okay?"

    Dieng stared my way until I nodded. Once I had, he extinguished his dying cigarette and gave life to another. "Good! Now Chon, I know you've only got a basic understanding of climate and warming. But don't let it deter you. As I've said before, be resourceful and ask your māma for pointers!"

    As he droned on, I got frustrated. "Are we done yet?"

    "Chon, don't take that tone with me. Who are you, Gail? You're my bitch, it's not the other way around and don't you ever forget it. Plus, aren't you forgetting somethin'?" Dieng reached into a draw and pulled out a tablet copy of my brief. He waved the holopad around and made faces at me as if I was stupid. He really was a cantankerous prick. "Here, have a good read," he said. "And most importantly, 'do your job' when you get to Frankfurt. The world will be watchin'! Now leave, Lai, I have tea to finish and breakfast to start!"

    I took a moment to ponder how I'd tackle the Diary News Report, until Dieng shooed me away. And so, with a grip on my brief, I jumped up and headed for the door. But I was so hungry my senses forced me to look back. As I did, he pulled two bread circles from a brown paper bag and salivated over them - as did I. Dieng studied both, probably deciding which one looked the tastiest, then threw one to the desk and gorged on the winner. He only stopped once realizing I was still there. "Yeah, what's your problem?"

    "Hunger, Dieng, hunger," I said. "Any chance I could take that other circle off your hands?" Squinting, Dieng stopped chewing. This was new territory, for the both of us.

    "Do you wanna get cut?" he mumbled.

    "So that's a 'no' then?" I said. As I moved through the door, he started chewing again.

    He also puffed on the droopy cigarette still stuck to his blackened lips. "Scram, Lai, scramclkjm-!" Dieng trying to multitask resorted in choking, as well as the muffling of words, and I couldn't help but revel.

    "Asshole, I hope it hurts," I whispered.

    I flew across the technology plain and headed for the exit. I also ignored every spineless traitor I passed, as I could feel most of them piercing my back with imaginary daggers. I also didn't know why it felt like Michelle had had a sudden change of heart, but she wasn't one of the knife wielders. She sat with her head hung low, and I thought perhaps there was hope for her yet.

    When I got downstairs, I said goodbye to Henry and exited BTV. Afterwards, the only thing left to do was scan my data number, jump into my hover taxi and glide off for the airport. "To BCIA please," I asked the driver.

    "Of course, news man," he kindly obliged.

    Once the Seatstream fastened me in, I took a breather. The easy part was over. But without a doubt, I knew somehow, more public scrutiny would follow.

End of Chapter 4