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Governor's Office - Assessment and Decisions (Tag Kolchak)

Posted March 16, 2023, 9:29 a.m. by Civilian Kenzo B'tren-Hyrushi (Governor) (James Sinclair)

Posted by Civilian Carsyn A. Kolchak (Reporter, Federation News Service) in Governor’s Office - Assessment and Decisions (Tag Kolchak)

Posted by Civilian Kenzo B’tren-Hyrushi (Governor) in Governor’s Office - Assessment and Decisions (Tag Kolchak)

Posted by Civilian Kenzo B’tren-Hyrushi (Governor) in Governor’s Office - Assessment and Decisions (Tag Kolchak)
Posted by… suppressed (4) by the Post Ghost! 👻
A few days after the press conference, a call was placed to the FNS lead reporter Carsyn Kolchak. It was the Governor’s aide requesting a meeting later that day, not to be recorded.

The Governor’s office was on the top floor of the Government Tower, located in the center of the city. Security was substantial but not unexpected, but Kolchak had been cleared prior to her arrival.

The lift took her up to the forty-eighth floor and the doors opened onto a reception area with a comfortable waiting area, a reception desk, and two large doors to the right of the desk. A human Asian woman in her late twenties or early thirties sat behind the desk and looked up as the doors opened. “Ms. Kolchak, welcome. I am Dorma Fen. I contacted you earlier. How are you?” she asked with a smile.

Dorma Fen

Carsyn had just barely settled into her new apartment when she had received a communications page requesting she meet with the Governor’s aide, off the record. She sighed, government officials always wanting to speak ‘off the record’. She had of course excepted the invitation. Now she stood in the office in a black business skirt and pale pink blouse; with a quirk of dark blue sneakers, “I am fine. So may I ask why you wanted to see me off the record?”

-Carsyn A, Kolchak, FNS Reporter

The doors to the Governor’s office swung open and a voice said “Not her, Ms. Kolchak… me.” The Governor stepped out of the office and said “Thank you for coming. Come in, won’t you.” and he gestured into the office.

Kenzo B’tren-Hyrushi. Former mediator between Dominion and Federation forces on several contested worlds. Son of a daughter of a prominent Betazoid House and a wealthy Japanese man from Earth, Governor Hyrushi carried himself with grace and ease. He was dressed in a gray suit with a blue vest over a black shirt.

The room beyond was spacious and white. Walls of floor-to-ceiling glass from the left of the doorway gave an uninterrupted view of the city as they wrapped around the far corner of the room and then continued on out of sight behind a three-quarters-high wall that extended from the far right corner of the room about three-quarters the length of the room. Set into the wall was a fireplace, in front of which was a large seating area with a low table surrounded by couches and chairs. In the far left corner of the glass walled room was a desk on a raised section of floor. Set at an angle with two chairs before it Hyrushi walked up the steps and around the desk, the gestured to one of the chairs. “Please be seated.” he said and took a seat himself.

Hyrushi steepled his fingers together and set his wet obsidian-black eyes on Kolchak. “We are in the process of vetting who will be coming to the gala we are hosting for the Vren, Ms. Kolchak. Your name was requested by your editor. I am not going to approve you unless we can come to some kind of understanding. Because after your performance at the press conference and your subsequent jabs at Ambassador Mathis and myself in your… I hesitate to call it a ‘report’… I am not certain that you are responsible, professional, or impartial enough to report on the event without some sensationalistic spin. I will tell you that there is a fairly large press contingent. And I am fairly certain that if you are not allowed to go, your editor will be most displeased. So… I am giving you the opportunity to change my mind. I have read some of your work. It used to be very good. But it also used to be impartial. Why the change?”

Hyrushi, Governor

Carsyn cocked her head for a moment, composing her thoughts. She normally did not talk about her personal life with people she didn’t know. “How much do you truly know about me?” she inquired. “I know quite a lot about you Governor B’tren-Hyrushi, so with that being said I am going to discuss with you something I normally do not discuss with people I do not know.” Here she paused “My husband, Rowan Kolchak, was a Federation Merchant Marine Starship captain. He was captain of the FMMS Alcoa Rambler, his first captaincy. He was so proud of the ship and being her captain. I was supposed to go with him on his first mission out, but I was given an assignment last minute. His ship was destroyed by Breen raiders because the Starfleet Ship assigned as an escort pulled off their assigned duty to study a nearby comet. Well, I went into a major tailspin after his wake, drank myself into a major stupor, used some illicit drugs, and basically stopped living. My editor and good friend found me in my apartment and took me to rehab. It was all done hush hush. When I cleaned myself out, I found myself not the same, I really did lose my perspective on things. I am more antagonistic and jaded towards the Federation government and Starfleet. Reason I am here is because I embarrassed Starfleet with my article, even though it was factual, like you said it was slanted. So, my editor decided to send me out here to Oed V in hopes that I will find myself again.” She sat back and looked at the governor “So there you have it. I am to ‘find myself’ and finish my rehab so to speak. I thought my article was much nicer to you and Ambassador Mathisthan what I have been putting out since my husband’s death.”

-Carsyn Kolchak, FNS Reporter

Hyrushi was silent a moment and then said “My condolences on your loss. Having never been married, I can only guess as to the impact it has. That being said…” and he took a breath.

Mrs. Kolchak… while I can personally sympathize with your current sitaution, I have to do what is best for the people of this colony. Part of that is ensuring that the press is impartial, factual, and objective. Speak to your fellow reporters. Ask them how things were in the past. Sensationalistic. Opinionated. Striving for views instead of disseminating information. But… the efforts of some off my predecessors and myself have changed that. Oed is, I believe, a model of a free and unfetterrd press who understand and embodies the belief that an informed populace is capable of far more than one kept in the dark and victimized by ‘spin’.” He paused and then leaned forward.

“You used to be an excellent reporter, Mrs. Kolchak. One we would have been happy to welcome and here and work with. Your reputation was impeccable, and your tenacity in finding truth inspiring. What I need to know is if you can be that again… a voice of reasoned and informative discourse… or if I should just remove the FNS press credentials from Oed V and book you passage back to Earth. We have all, all of us, experienced loss and pain Mrs. Kolchak… what defines us as individuals is how we deal with it.”

Hyrushi, Governor

Bump

Carsyn sat and carefully mulled over what the governor had said. She knew he was playing an extremely risky political game by threatening her. No governor of any Federation colony world had ever succeeded in their jobs by being belligerent to a Federation News Network/Service reporter. She knew for a fact that the higher ups would crucify him if he pulled her from the gala, or even attempted to hinder her ability to report on Oed V. As the governor had pointed out there were sensationist and slanted reporters out there, and the FNS had some of the best to use as attack dogs. She sighed inwardly and placed a smile on her face “Of course governor, you are most welcome to decide whom the ambassador and yourself want at the gala. You can prevent me from going and yes, my superiors would howl about it, then knowing them, they will unleash the true sensationist and slanted reporters on the ambassador, yourself and the Vren. I am not making a threat governor, as it does not matter to me one way or the other, I have seen many governor’s of colonies be destroyed by the FNS. With that said you have pointed out some very good facts to me and for that I will endeavor to report the facts and try not to be biased, hell I will even allow you and the ambassador to read my story before I send it. If objectional then I will can it.”

-Carsyn A. Kolchak, FNS Reporter

Hyrushi shrugged slightly. “You say that as if I would care about what the FNS or their less professional pseudo-reporters would say, which I do not. But I also want you, Mrs. Kolchak, to care. About this colony. About these people. They deserve truth. And they deserve to get it from a source that no one on any side can claim is biased. The Federation has a long and storied history here on Oed… one of manipulation of fact and omission of detail. If you wish to continue that tradition, well.. I bid you good day and wish you well on your travels.” He looked down at the desk and tapped some commands into it. “If you wish to finally be an actual investigative reporter, though…” There was chirp on her communicator. “That would be your press credentials being updated to grant access to the gala. I am going to trust you once, Mrs. Kolchak. One time. I really do hope that you can prove that you are what I am hoping you are… a truly competent, professional, and trustworthy source of fact. Not editorialized garbage.” He leaned back in his chair and looked at her intently for a moment. “Perhaps instead of seeing Oed as a punishment, you should look at it as an opportunity. I, for one, will never be upset for you telling the truth. I doubt you will get the same level of respect from your editors on Earth.” and the doors to the office swung open and the receptionist said “Ms. Kolchak, your car is ready.”

Hyrushi, Governor


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