// On various news sites a link to an article appears. All of them are posted by an user "IndependentNewswithATouchofBlues.StefanKramp" and they lead to the official site of the said man. Not a second passes and you're redirected to a section "Interviews". // Independent News with A Touch of Blues! Good day to all the readers, people of archaic yet still thriving passion of reading. My name is Stefan Kramp and as a debut for my site I have decided to contact one of the representatives of Atlas Federation, one of the leading forces in the Fringe whether one likes to admit it or not. We will be talking about various topics, from recent happenings to the general questions I am sure at least half of the Fringe's population have asked themselves. Enjoy the interview. [X= Xexanoth, S= Stefan] S: I am here today with Xexanoth to ask questions and learn things for the broader masses. What do the officials of the Fringe think every day? About events? That's what we might get a glimpse of today. Miss Xexanoth, who are you? What do you do and why do you do it? X: My official job title is 'Viceroy,' as I'm sure you know. My primary duty, and responsibility, is to administrate Calypso and see to the needs of her people. I like to think I'm rather good at it. Of course, if that was all I did, I probably wouldn't be as polarizing. S: Let's start with recent events in the Federation. The Atlas Federation over the course of few years grew significantly into one of the most influential powers in the Fringe. Recently though Olympus suffered great loss caused by terrorists. Is it the first notable blow dealt to Atlas's civilians? X: No, it isn't. The people of Atlas, and particularly the people of Olympus, have faced incredible suffering in recent years. The collapse experienced there after the pixel crash was devastating. In a short period of time, a prosperous place was found cut off from the rest of the galaxy. It was all they could do to fight for scraps and survive. The Reclamation wasn't easy either- asserting authority and restoring safety and balance came at a cost. Olympus has been reconstructed, but the wounds felt by the people who live there are still healing. S: A pack of years won't cure all wounds, but they do get smaller annually. Back to the attack, what exactly happened? Were any leads found that narrowed down the suspects? X: Two trucks crashed through the front of the capitol building, then released gas. 'Unconventional weapons.' Ten people proceeded to exit the vehicles and murder everyone they saw and anyone in their way. Security forces fought valiantly, and ultimately contained the threat- but not after immense loss of life. They targeted civilians, and they came prepared. I can't speak too much on any on-going investigations. There may be more of them out there. Perhaps they'll listen to this interview. S: Thank you for the insight into the catastrophe. Moving on, conflicts are a frequent thing in the vast galaxy and The Federation is no different as it had gathered numerous enemies. Not only factions, public opinion too as it is split. One half supports you, one hates you. Do you know the reason? X: I've found the people who know me well tend towards one of those two sides. There are a lot of incorrect assumptions made about me and Atlas as a whole. There's this perception that we're an oppressive force stomping out freedom- and that just are not true. I invite you to take a stroll down the streets of Calypso, or Olympus, and get a feel for the people yourself, as it's rare that my word is taken for it. The people of Atlas are not oppressed. It's true that myself and High Atlas Aleksandr were not elected, but that certainly doesn't mean that we're unpopular among our constituents. Of course, there are others. There are those who would see the Ruin victorious- enemies of sapient life are no friends of mine. Preventing another destruction on the scale of Dakka and the human home-world of Earth is the highest priority. S:Well said. I would like to continue the topic of Federation's system, For a nation with an emperor that's not bound by democratic standards like term of office, there were quite a few of them in a short span of time. Am I right? Can you tell me more about it? X: Well, in the Fringe, you'll find no leaders tend to serve long terms. There have been countless minor nations with leaders 'serving for life' that have passed the torch or fallen apart long before that tenure came to a close. In that sense, we're doing rather well with the tenure lengths of our leaders. I'm not terribly knowledgeable on Lloyd's rise to High Atlas- I was in a different field of work then- but I am on the more recent change. Lloyd stepped down and Emperor Aleksandr stepped in. He sought to retire without seeing the Empire fall to ruin or stagnate as it had under prior administrations. Our new Emperor is certainly capable of keeping that from happening. I would expect a more prosperous era to come with the new man at the helm. He's charismatic, wise, and cunning. Perhaps most importantly, he has a vision for a better future for the Fringe. It's rare to find them all in one person. [After a short pause.] He really cares about our people. S: You seem to be fine in relations with the current Emperor, but how about other colleagues? Do you get along too? X: Sometimes there's small tensions, or disputes where not everyone walks away happy, but I would say I get along fine with those within the government that I work with regularly. Certainly, I get along fine with Viceroy Vermillion and the Chancellory. I've know the Praetor for years, from back when I was a bartender. S: I won't bore you with more work-related questions. Miss Xexanoth, do you feel it is a carreer for the rest of your life? Or are there things you want to do in the future? X: [She laughs.] Who knows what the future holds in store? I try to do good. Right now, the Ruin is still on our collective doorstep, and this position empowers me to help unite people against it. So, at least for the immediate future, I don't plan on going anywhere. S: And what do you like to do in free time? Is there a safe place you think of when stress kicks in? X: In my time off, I like to be able to turn off a little bit. Lot of movies in my catalog. Plenty of bad action movies and TV dramas. I read when I can. It's a bit of a guilty pleasure, but a few years ago a friend introduced me to 'roleplaying games.' So, every now and again, I'll try one of those. S: And last question Miss Xexanoth, It would be pointless to ask you if you ever had difficult moments caused by your job, but have you ever felt regret from taken choices? Are there things you would change if you knew how to travel in time? X:Of course. I've made mistakes. Decisions that I would've made differently if I had the information I have now. When you make hard decisions, you always wonder if you made the right one. S:Thank you for the interview Viceroy, it's been a pleasure. X: Same goes to you. Stefan KrampMusic played during the interview: Muddy Waters - I Can't Be Satisfied Nina Simone - My Man's Gone Now // At the very bottom is a humble button with a text "Donate". Comment section is also available. //
