Thursday Morning Rewind - July 24th, 2025:

Thursday Morning Rewind - July 24th, 2025: Opening Segment

(SOUND of the signature "Thursday Morning Rewind" theme music, now with a more pronounced, slightly unsettling drone underneath, fades in and then under.)

ANNOUNCER (Voice smooth but now with a noticeable undercurrent of unease): Live from Nocturnis Local 6, it's Thursday Morning Rewind. With Beatrice Hemlock and Edgar Crowe.

(Camera focuses on the sleek, modern news desk in the Channel 6 studio. EDGAR CROWE, with his neatly trimmed beard and blue suit, sits on the left, a serious expression on his face. BEATRICE HEMLOCK, her voluminous brunette hairstyle perfectly coiffed, wears a vibrant orange dress, her usual bright demeanor tempered by the grim week.)

BEATRICE HEMLOCK: Good morning, Nocturnis. It's Thursday, July 24th, 2025. A new astrological alignment, the Guru Pushya Yoga, coincides with a New Moon in Cancer today. Astrologers speak of rebirth and new beginnings, but in our city, even the cosmos seems to carry a darker resonance. This week, we navigate the continuing fallout from events that have fundamentally reshaped our reality.

EDGAR CROWE (A dry, cynical laugh escapes him): "Rebirth," Beatrice? Perhaps for the elite. For the rest of us, it feels more like a re-evaluation of how deep the rot goes. Since our last broadcast, the city’s power players have been exceptionally busy.

(Beatrice gestures to a graphic appearing on the screen behind them, showing a triumphant headline about the "Big Beautiful Bill" passing, quickly followed by images of protests and displaced citizens.)

BEATRICE HEMLOCK: Indeed. The controversial "Big Beautiful Bill," which we've been tracking, has officially been pushed through and signed into law. While financial districts celebrate new records and global tech markets rally, the very real consequences are already being felt here in Nocturnis. This monumental legislation, championed by our monolithic corporations and founding families, promises prosperity, but for whom?

EDGAR CROWE: "Prosperity" is always selective, isn't it? While the financial elite toast their gains, the rest of us are left to pick through the rubble. This bill, cloaked in the language of "economic growth," is a direct assault on the common citizen. It's designed to funnel more power and wealth into the hands of those who already control our city, further entrenching their grip. We're seeing the "Good Trouble" protests, as they're called, erupt across the city and beyond, against these very policies.

(Edgar gestures to a screen showing a chaotic montage of protest footage, intercut with a chillingly sterile corporate press conference.)

EDGAR CROWE: They're cutting funding for public services, slashing social safety nets, all under the guise of eliminating "wasteful spending." But the real waste, the true cost, is borne by the people who have already lost everything in the flood. This isn't about rebuilding Nocturnis; it's about restructuring it to serve a select few, leaving the rest of us in the cold. And with the tech layoffs still rampant, and AI-driven crime on the rise, the desperation only deepens.

[STATION BREAK]

(SOUND of a grim, static-filled commercial break for an emergency supply depot, looking suspiciously well-stocked, begins to fade in and out.)

SOUND of the signature "Thursday Morning Rewind" theme music, now with a more pronounced, slightly unsettling drone underneath, fades in and then under, leading back from the break.)

ANNOUNCER (Voice smooth but now with a noticeable undercurrent of unease): Live from Nocturnis Local 6, it's Thursday Morning Rewind. Beatrice Hemlock and Edgar Crowe welcome Alden Hedges, live from the Historical Society HQ, to discuss the Crater Lake Dam and its deep roots in Nocturnis lore.

(Camera transitions from the main news desk to a live feed from a different location. The screen now shows ALDEN HEDGES, a man with a neatly trimmed beard and thoughtful glasses, wearing a casual blue button-up shirt. He sits at a sturdy wooden desk, hands clasped, amidst towering, antique shelves filled with dusty ledgers, old maps, and historical artifacts. Behind him, through a large, paned window, is a glimpse of a soft, green, somewhat idyllic rural landscape with a red barn in the distance – a stark, almost ironic, contrast to the city's turmoil. This is the Historical Society HQ in the West Side Nocturnis, the former Wild West frontier town of Gloom Creek, now the city's historical district.)

BEATRICE HEMLOCK: Welcome back to "Thursday Morning Rewind," Nocturnis. We've just touched on the future our city's power brokers are building, but now we must confront the devastating present that continues to define our landscape. Joining us live from the Historical Society HQ in the West Side is our own historical reporter, Alden Hedges. Alden, your family, of course, has a long and storied history with the Crater Lake Dam. What are you seeing from the ongoing investigation into its failure?

ALDEN HEDGES: Beatrice, Edgar, thank you. From here, amidst the echoes of Nocturnis's past, the investigation into the Crater Lake Dam's catastrophic failure, which occurred just over a week ago on July 16th and 17th, 2025, is, predictably, a massive undertaking. Teams from every relevant agency—and some, frankly, less so—are swarming the site. They're deploying the latest advancements: satellite-based InSAR technology for millimeter-scale ground shifts, Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) to probe for unseen fissures, even AI-powered analytics to sift through decades of structural data. It's a modern inquest into an old wound.

(Alden gestures to a subtle graphic of the Crater Lake Dam's structure, overlaid on a blueprint projected faintly behind him, highlighting internal fault lines and stress points.)

ALDEN HEDGES: They are, of course, searching for the "smoking gun." The single point of failure. But the truth, as it so often is in Nocturnis, is far more complex, and far older. The Crater Lake Dam, a feat of 1930s engineering, was built in an era of grand ambition but, perhaps, less stringent foresight. Records, even those I've had the privilege to examine from my own family's archives, hint at warnings—minor structural anomalies, unforeseen geological stresses, even questions about spillway capacity—that were documented over the decades. They were addressed, yes, but perhaps never fully resolved. We saw a chilling echo of this in the July 16th and 17th, 1987 breach, a catastrophic warning that, in hindsight, perhaps wasn't heeded with the full gravity it deserved.

EDGAR CROWE: So, another layer of negligence being uncovered, then? Conveniently overlooked flaws, perhaps? We've heard plenty of stories about dams elsewhere—like the Edenville Dam—where warnings were ignored for years.

ALDEN HEDGES: (A subtle, almost imperceptible tightening around his eyes) "Overlooked" or "prioritized differently," Edgar. The city was growing at an exponential rate, demanding power and water. Resources, then as now, were finite. And the recent storms... they were, by any measure, extraordinary. This wasn't just rain; this was a "thousand-year event" that turned the Crater Lake watershed into an inland sea.

(The screen behind him shifts to satellite images of massive, swirling storm systems, then overlays them with flood maps of Nocturnis.)

ALDEN HEDGES: These aren't just isolated incidents. Climatologists are observing increasingly unusual atmospheric anomalies and extreme precipitation events globally, mirroring the devastating floods seen recently in Texas and New Mexico. The very air above Nocturnis, choked with industrial output for decades, the constant humidity... it’s a volatile mixture. While no one could have predicted the exact scale of this particular deluge, the underlying conditions have been building for years, driven by unchecked industrial expansion and a certain... convenient blind eye to long-term environmental consequences.

(Alden turns to a new graphic that overlays NOAA statistics on a map of Nocturnis Counties, highlighting disaster zones and death tolls.)

ALDEN HEDGES: And this brings us to a grim, broader context, Nocturnis. According to statistics from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, tropical cyclones have been the most damaging and deadly type of billion-dollar weather and climate disaster in Nocturnis Counties between 1980 and 2024. From 1980 to 2024, these events alone have claimed over 7,200 lives, representing more than 42% of all deaths from billion-dollar disasters. Two of the worst historical storms, the 2005 "Blackwood Tempest" and the 2017 "Ironwood Gale," account for a staggering portion of that total, with over 4,800 deaths combined.

BEATRICE HEMLOCK: So, the Crater Lake Dam failure isn't an anomaly, but part of a terrifying, accelerating trend.

ALDEN HEDGES: Precisely, Beatrice. In the past decade alone, from 2015 to 2024, Nocturnis Channel 6 Facts Reports indicate that nearly 200 billion-dollar climate events have led to over 6,300 deaths in Nocturnis Counties. And chillingly, the first half of 2025 alone has already logged 15 such disasters across our counties. A recent Stanford study even suggests the indirect death toll from tropical cyclones, including long-term health consequences, could be far, far higher than official numbers indicate – potentially ranging from 7,000 to 11,000 excess deaths per average tropical cyclone. Researchers estimate tropical storms since 1930 may have contributed to a staggering 3.6 million to 5.2 million deaths across Nocturnis Counties.

EDGAR CROWE: So, even if the investigation finds a "smoking gun" in the dam's foundations, it'll just be one bullet in a much larger, widespread catastrophe. The scale of the problem is so vast, it almost makes local corruption seem... quaint. Almost.

ALDEN HEDGES: (A faint, knowing smile plays on his lips) The true lesson is rarely simple, and never easy to accept, Edgar. Especially when it challenges the very foundations of our perceived control over the elements, and our fate.

[STATION BREAK]

(SOUND of a grim, static-filled commercial break for an emergency supply depot, looking suspiciously well-stocked, begins to fade in and out.)

(SOUND of the signature "Thursday Morning Rewind" theme music, now with a more pronounced, slightly unsettling drone underneath, fades in and then under, leading back from the break.)

BEATRICE HEMLOCK: Alden Hedges, thank you for that sobering, yet crucial, historical context. It seems Nocturnis's past is as murky and dangerous as the floodwaters themselves.

EDGAR CROWE: Indeed. And those murky waters have, as always, revealed more than just debris. They’ve highlighted significant cracks in our digital facade, too.

BEATRICE HEMLOCK: For a look at what the sky holds for us in the coming hours, we turn now to our Channel 6 News Weather Mistress, the inimitable Cortney Cline. Cortney, what's the forecast for Nocturnis and beyond?

(Camera transitions from the main news desk to Cortney Cline's weather segment. CORTNEY CLINE, with her striking, bright blue hair cut in a modern bob, stands confidently before a large holographic weather map that shimmers with atmospheric data and shifting storm fronts. She wears a sharp blue blazer, and her smile, though professional, carries a subtle, knowing intensity.)

CORTNEY CLINE: Beatrice, Edgar, thank you. Today, the heavens continue to remind us of their raw power. First, the heat: Heat Advisories remain in effect for North Bank & Central Nocturnis Counties, reaching into the sleek, glass canyons of the Southwest, Southeast, and East Nocturnis Thorne Corp districts. Heat index values in these areas are expected to reach a suffocating 105 to 109 degrees, creating dangerous conditions for anyone venturing outside.

(The holographic map highlights the specified areas in shimmering red and orange.)

CORTNEY CLINE: We're also seeing similar warnings stretch into the northern peripheral marsh counties and the sprawling urban centers that border the Old Territories, with heat indices potentially reaching 106 degrees. Further south, towards the industrial plains, temperatures are in the 90s to lower 100s, but with humidity levels so high, our Nocturnis Climatological Bureau is forecasting heat indices up to 110 degrees. This dangerous heat is widespread across the deeper counties of Nocturnis.

(The map shifts to show broader storm systems moving across different regions.)

CORTNEY CLINE: Now, for the storms. Widespread showers and thunderstorms are expected across the Industrial Plains beyond our Eastern borders, fueled by that relentless combination of heat and humidity. These systems pose a significant threat of flash flooding and severe weather, stretching from the distant, jagged peaks of the Central Rockies to the northern Great Lakes region. Closer to home, scattered severe storms capable of producing damaging winds and large hail are possible in the Northern Fringes and the Northeast Wards of Nocturnis.

(The map now pulses over the coastal areas.)

CORTNEY CLINE: Down on the Gloom Coast, a particularly active tropical system is bringing widespread showers and thunderstorms, especially along the arterial highway stretching to the southern wastes. We're monitoring potential heavy downpours and the possible development of this system into a tropical depression as it moves westward over the northern Gulf through the weekend. Our corporate weather scouts and independent aerial forecasters are out there, actively investigating this system for further tropical development.

CORTNEY CLINE: And looking west, our sister counties, like those in the arid, western territories, continue to experience significant flooding in some areas, leading to ongoing rescues and damage assessments. Their monsoon season remains active, with daily afternoon thunderstorms expected. The low-lying delta cities, akin to the swamp-edged sister port of Voodoo Bay, are also under alert for heavy showers and thunderstorms, complete with intense lightning and potential isolated flooding. Here in the murky bayous surrounding Nocturnis, and across more of the peripheral marsh counties, scattered showers and thunderstorms are possible today, increasing tomorrow.

(Cortney turns to face the camera directly, her expression serious.)

CORTNEY CLINE: Important notes for our viewers: Always consult your local Nocturnis Atmospheric Division for the most up-to-date and localized forecasts and warnings. During periods of extreme heat, drink plenty of fluids, seek air-conditioned shelter, and remember to check on relatives and neighbors – especially those in flood-affected areas. If you find yourself near the treacherous coastal waters, be aware of the high rip current risk along parts of the Gloom Coast. And always be prepared for heavy rainfall and potential flooding in areas experiencing prolonged or intense thunderstorms. The skies above Nocturnis are as unpredictable as its streets.

[STATION BREAK]

(SOUND of a grim, static-filled commercial break for an emergency supply depot, looking suspiciously well-stocked, begins to fade in and out.)

(SOUND of the signature "Thursday Morning Rewind" theme music, now with a more pronounced, slightly unsettling drone underneath, fades in and then under, leading back from the break.)

BEATRICE HEMLOCK: Welcome back to "Thursday Morning Rewind," Nocturnis. We've just navigated the increasingly volatile skies above our city. Now, we turn to the equally turbulent undercurrents of its power structures. As the floodwaters begin their slow, grudging retreat, they continue to reveal not just devastation, but a desperation so profound, it's driving families to unthinkable measures, and a Mayor to desperate moves.

EDGAR CROWE: Indeed, Beatrice. With official channels overwhelmed and the city's infrastructure gridlocked, the wealthy and the powerful are turning to alternative solutions. And those solutions are anything but clean.

BEATRICE HEMLOCK: We've received breaking news from the District Attorney's Office this morning. In a move that has sent shockwaves through both the city's elite and its notorious underworld, a prominent figure has been taken into custody. For more on this developing story, we're joined live via secure link by District Attorney Elias Thorne. Mr. Thorne, thank you for making time for us this morning.

(Camera shifts to a split screen: Beatrice and Edgar at the main news desk, and on the other side, DISTRICT ATTORNEY ELIAS THORNE, a man with a carefully sculpted, unreadable expression. His immaculate office, despite the city's chaos, speaks volumes about his controlled environment.)

DA ELIAS THORNE: Beatrice, Edgar. Thank you for having me. I can confirm that earlier this morning, after an extensive and diligent investigation, my office, in cooperation with federal authorities, arrested Jax 'The Maestro' Rourke.

EDGAR CROWE: 'The Maestro,' you say? The acclaimed sculptor whose work adorns every corporate plaza and private collection in this city? The man celebrated as a civic paragon just last month? This is... quite a development, Mr. Thorne.

DA ELIAS THORNE: Indeed, Mr. Crowe. Mr. Rourke faces charges including serious fraudulent statements, visa overstay, and, most critically, alleged deep affiliations with a major transnational organized crime syndicate. We anticipate a swift move towards extradition and further charges related to ongoing organized crime investigations.

BEATRICE HEMLOCK: "Alleged affiliations," Mr. Thorne, or deep ties to one of Nocturnis's most elusive crime families? Whispers have long linked 'The Maestro' not just to the glittering art galleries, but to the shadowy operations of the Obsidian Syndicate, whose roots stretch far beyond city limits. Is this arrest a genuine strike against organized crime, or, as some speculate, a politically motivated move to divert attention from other pressing city matters – perhaps even the ongoing fallout from the "Big Beautiful Bill" and the dam disaster, especially with Mayor Barlow under fire?

DA ELIAS THORNE: (His gaze remains steady, a hint of steel in his voice) Ms. Hemlock, my office pursues justice without political agenda. This is a meticulously built case against a powerful individual who has used his public persona as a shield for illicit activities. We believe this is a genuine and significant blow against the forces that seek to undermine our city's integrity. Justice will be served.

EDGAR CROWE: Justice, or convenience, Mr. Thorne? Mayor Barlow has been under increasing pressure since the dam broke, and many are calling for someone to take the fall for the decades of neglect. 'The Maestro' certainly makes for a high-profile target. What secrets, do you think, might 'The Maestro' spill if pushed? And who in this city would want him silenced, perhaps even more than they want justice served?

DA ELIAS THORNE: (A barely perceptible pause, his eyes flicker for a moment) Mr. Crowe, we are confident in our evidence. Any information Mr. Rourke may possess will, naturally, become part of a secure legal process. Our focus remains solely on the charges at hand. We are committed to dismantling the criminal networks that infest our city, and this arrest is a crucial step.

BEATRICE HEMLOCK: A crucial step, indeed. District Attorney Elias Thorne, thank you for your time.

(Camera returns fully to Beatrice and Edgar, DA Thorne's image shrinking to a small box in the corner, then fading.)

EDGAR CROWE: "Justice will be served," she says. Sounds like the Mayor found his fall guy, Beatrice. The question now is, what dominoes will 'The Maestro's' arrest truly topple? And how many corrupt hands will be scrambling to cover their tracks, both in law enforcement and in the underworld, hoping he doesn't sing too loudly?

BEATRICE HEMLOCK: Indeed. The public's trust in our institutions, already battered by the flood, is eroding even further with revelations like these. And it leads us to our next disturbing report.

(The screen behind them shifts to a blurred, shaky security camera feed. It shows the exterior of a sleek, windowless building, almost like a fortress, partially submerged by floodwaters. A heavy-duty, customized transport vehicle, bearing a stylized tiger logo – perhaps from Tiger Transit, a firm known for its robust logistical operations in the energy sector – is seen maneuvering through the murky water towards it. The vehicle looks out of place, too tactical for civilian rescue.)

EDGAR CROWE: We're receiving unconfirmed, but persistent, reports of private security operations escalating, particularly around certain… discreet facilities. It appears some of Nocturnis’s most influential families, fearing for loved ones trapped or held in places the official rescue efforts can't, or won't, reach, are hiring elite private extraction teams. We're hearing whispers that these aren't just any "facilities," Beatrice. We're talking about places like The Zenith Institute for Reorientation – outwardly a private rehabilitation center, but long rumored to be a front for something far darker. A corporate "re-education" facility for... problematic individuals. A place where fortunes are spent to keep secrets buried, or minds molded.

BEATRICE HEMLOCK: And now, it seems, that secrecy has been violently breached. Sources close to the situation indicate that one such facility was targeted in a coordinated, brutal assault. The leading figure in this audacious operation? A former Peacekeeper – a name that once commanded respect, but now carries a heavy shadow: Kaelen 'Ghost' Thorne. A decorated operative, discharged with a checkered past, now a rogue element striking at the heart of the city's hidden infrastructure.

EDGAR CROWE: 'Ghost' Thorne. A man who always marched to his own drum, even when he wore the uniform. The question is, Beatrice, was this a desperate rescue mission, initiated by those desperate families hiring Tiger Transit to retrieve someone they truly valued? Or was this a high-stakes hit, perhaps a distraction from the broader chaos of the flood and the ongoing fallout from 'The Maestro' Rourke's arrest? Who was being held in a place like the Zenith Institute that was worth this level of extreme risk?

BEATRICE HEMLOCK: And what dark secrets does the Zenith Institute truly hold, Edgar? Secrets now potentially exposed by Thorne's actions, or perhaps by the flood itself. Was Thorne acting as a lone wolf, driven by some personal vendetta, or are there deeper, more dangerous factions at play within the remnants of our city's former protectors, challenging the very authority of corporate security?

(As Beatrice speaks, a new graphic appears on screen, overlaid with faint, almost subliminal images of cargo planes and indistinct military vehicles. It's subtle, hinting at global movements.)

EDGAR CROWE: And on that note, Beatrice, the ripples from our city's internal chaos are apparently extending far beyond Nocturnis's flooded borders. We're receiving unconfirmed reports that the very same private security forces, linked to operations like these, including elements of what's being called the Tiger Force Shadow Saga, have been dispatched internationally.

BEATRICE HEMLOCK: You're referring to the highly specialized units that have seemingly been sent to assist with US weapon shipments to volatile regions like Israel and Ukraine? It seems the desperation and expertise honed in our city's shadows are now being outsourced onto the global stage.

EDGAR CROWE: Precisely. It raises uncomfortable questions about who truly controls these forces, and what their real objectives are. Are they merely protecting assets, or are they involved in something far more intricate, leveraging the chaos of distant conflicts for their own, or their employers', gain? The lines between state-sponsored operations, private security, and the underworld are blurring with alarming speed. It suggests that even the global geopolitical stage is becoming a playground for Nocturnis's shadowy elite.

BEATRICE HEMLOCK: A chilling thought as we close out this edition of "Thursday Morning Rewind." Nocturnis, we've faced a week of unprecedented devastation, from the literal breaking of our city's foundations to the metaphorical cracks appearing in its political and technological structures. The flood has laid bare the moral ambiguities that define us, the desperation that drives us, and the pervasive dread that looms over every shadowed alley.

EDGAR CROWE: We'll continue to bring you the stories, the facts, and the uncomfortable truths as this city attempts to rise from the waters. Stay vigilant, Nocturnis. Or as safe as you can be in a city like ours.

(SOUND of the signature "Thursday Morning Rewind" theme music, now with a more pronounced, slightly unsettling drone underneath, swells and then slowly fades to black.)

End of Broadcast have a good day from Channel 6 News...................