Trinity RPG - Gravball Champion Killed

[Matt]

<H1>This Is An OBC News Special Report</H1><H3><A HREF="regans@netdoor.com">By Hobbie Regan</A></H3><BR CLEAR><HR><IMG SRC="Http://www.nprime.net/images/obclogo.jpg" ALT="OBC logo">

[special report bumper]

[cue announcer] We interrupt this program for an OBC News Special Report. Live from our studios in Olympus, Luna, is OBC News Correspondent Carl O'Brien.

[cut to OBC studio]

Good morning. Luna-born gravball star Carl Losoya is dead this morning, the victim of a brazen daylight attack at the stadium where he had just won his sixth consecutive match to secure a berth in this month's all-Luna playoffs.

Losoya was pronounced dead by attending physicians at the Beaulac Clinic at 5:30 this morning, Lunar standard time, twenty minutes after the attack. The cause of death, according to clinic spokesperson Sonja Ganz, was massive internal hemorraging caused by a sonic weapon at close or point-blank range.

<IMG SRC="Http://www.nprime.net/images/obrien.jpg" ALT="OBC Correspondent Carl O'Brien" WIDTH=276 HEIGHT=185 ALIGN="RIGHT"> Losoya, age 25, was a promising pro gravball player with the Apoderado Designs Tour, and had won his last set of matches to secure a playoff berth earlier this morning. Lunar authorities are keeping a tight lid on this investigation, but here's what happened this morning at the Toshi Ginko-Fengming Sports Complex, according to eyewitnesses. As Losoya left court 7 at approximately 5:10 a.m., he was immediately surrounded by a throng of fans and media when a sonic blast sent the crowd running for cover. In the confusion, the gunman fled.

The gunman, whom witnesses described as a Sudamerican male, is at large and eluding police and military officials. An ISRAn has been requested to investigate the scene of the assault. No other information is being revealed by lunar authorities at this hour.

No one is sure of a motive, but speculation runs wild. Some have guessed at a Norca involvement due to the recent suspension of three Sudamerican players earlier thismonth for the use of illegal substances. In a brief statement, Victor Trabaj, Norca spokesperson, officially denied any involvement by his Order in the incident.

[cut to Trabaj tape]

"We have never condoned the use of violence against others as a means of coercion, nor do we support those that do."

[cut to OBC studio]

Others have pointed to the possible involvement of organized crime from the Pit due to illicit gambling that goes on at the gravball games.

There has been rumors of a reward of 1,000,000 yuan being placed on the assailant's head, but authorities have no leads as to who may be offering this bounty or even if it is a legitimate offer.

At this hour, the only thing that is for certain is that Luna has lost one of its finest athletes.

In an interview earlier today, legendary sports commentator Joah Cris characterized the murder as an "atrocity commited against the citizens of Luna by Earth dwellers."

[cut to Cris tape]

"I believe the fact that Carl was the first major sports figure not from Earth singled him out by various xenophobes and extremist factions from Earth. These people represent the manifest underlying tones of animosity towards non-Earth industry and media superstars. This kind of unspoken hatred has been going on now for years. It was only a matter of time."

[cut to OBC studio]

Lewis Baker, a spectator who made the trip from Earth to watch Losoya play, had this to say about Cris' statement.

[cut to Baker tape]

"I've always respected Joah Cris as a sportscaster, and usually find him to be veryintelligent and informed, but he's wrong about the public sentiment of Earth towards Luna. I'm from Australia, came up for the games just three days ago, and I love the game and I love Luna. The moon is like a second home to me -- my Camelot in the sky, and Gravball is simply the greatest game ever. Both the game and Luna are more than just escapes for me, they are my hopes and ideals. I'm as shocked and saddened as anyone by what just happened here. I think I speak for most of the sports fans of Earth when I say both Luna and Gravball represent the aspirations of humankind -- to go further, to reach higher, and achieve the stars. Why would one of us kill our hopes and dreams?"

[cut to Olympus Central tape]

[voice-over] This was the scene a few minutes ago at Olympus Central tube station as Marco Stoyanovich, Losoya's coach and manager, arrived after speaking to investigators at Fengming Station. The woman with him is holovid actor Gloria Moran, of the daytime drama "Luna Clinic," who was linked romantically with Losoya in news reports two months ago. Neither Stoyanovich nor Moran would give a statement to our reporters on the scene.

[cut to OBC studio]

Funeral services have been set for Tuesday, 13:00 hours at Fengming Station, Deck 5, Docking Bay C.

Tune in to OBC News later tonight for up-to-the-minute information on this shocking crime. Once again, gravball champion Carl Losoya, dead at 25 of a brazen daylight attack. I'm Carl O'Brien and this has been an OBC News Special Report. We now return to Strike Team Psion, already in progress.