After leaving M’traliel and the check in at her cover location, Kukaeshra made her way to the mobile broadcast station. This generally took some time due to the elaborate security precautions that must be followed in order to avoid detection.
Once there, she headed straight for production, where she ran the llhaesa recording given her by Jahrae.
Seven minutes later, she wiped away tears. Tears flowed from her reaction – tears that came along despite her excitement of what might happen, tears that came along despite her anticipation of what would happen.
How could one not be moved by the recording? Here was the world’s best musician in her final hours, instinctively knowing her fate. And in that moment, she chose not to rant on the sorry state of politics, not in defiance of Brellian and the government, instead choosing to memorialise her love to her beloved partner.
This song, apparently titled Forever, Wherever – was a raw and unedited sharing of all llhaesa felt inside, an emotional recording of llhaesa playing piano with accompanying vocal. There was no other accompaniment edited in, no subsequent takes. She likely wrote the song that very evening, and just sat down and played it from her heart. Though Kukaeshra had never met the musician, from what she knew of llhaesa, she probably had no need for written lyrics or music, it all flowed from her brilliant mind.
Llhaesa’s key play was laden with emotion, emphasised in just the right points; she played as if being pushed beyond all physical barriers to her movement. Kukaeshra could feel the urgency, the importance to say – all of these things were so thick they could be cut with a knife.
The song was not quite seven minutes long, but it seemed hardly enough. “When the world hears this” Kukaeshra thought – basing it on years of professional knowledge and insight, “it will stop in its collective tracks.”
Kukaeshra had no intentions of editing the song for shorter play time; it was going to air as is. She needed to conduct interviews with Jahrae and M’traliel; their comments would share insight into llhaesa’s life.
There was another very significant issue: very few people were aware of llhaesa’s loss. That would change with the release of this song, and that alone would trigger a reaction of unknown strength. If she were asked to guess, Kukaeshra would opine that this could well begin an unstoppable reaction, likely resulting in Brellian’s removal from power. How much of this was sound judgment, and how much was clever insight remained to be seen, but that would be her opinion.
Since the station broadcast constantly, it was just a small matter of giving the song to the current person on air, with instructions to ‘play this immediately.’
It was now the afternoon commute in the capitol time zone; millions of commuters would be listening. Kukaeshra walked to the broadcast room, saw they were in the midst of song playback, and so she continued on in.
J’saera was the current personality on air; she warmly greeted Kukaeshra, and inquired after her day. Pleasantries complete, Kukaeshra got down to business.
“J’saera, this is a new release. It is a recording by llhaesa t’yaeli on the occasion of her imminent death. I know we heard rumours, unsubstantiated. They are true. Llhaesa was murdered by those fiends, and if I have anything to contribute to bring them to justice, it shall be so.” Kukaeshra was pissed just talking about what had happened.
“Kukaeshra, how much do you know? When…?” J’saera was looking to find her own outrage.
“It apparently happened about a year ago. They stormed her flat, held her prisoner there overnight, while tossing out Jahrae – her spouse. Before noon the following day, Jahrae received word that – to quote her own words “llhaesa t’yaeli ceased to be at 10:20 am.” Pissed was putting it mildly.
At this information, J’saera slumped dejectedly in her chair, only to notice there were but ten seconds to song’s end. She quickly started the next without going on air, buying time for her conversation to continue with Kukaeshra. With llhaesa actually lost, things were incredibly grim.
“J’saera, your dejection shows through your body expressions. I suggest you wait and hear what is on this recording.”
“Kukaeshra, do you wish to…” she began to ask, but Kukaeshra knew where she was going, and interrupted. “No, I give you this honour, because you represent us and the greater community of equalists with honour.”
J’saera cued the new recording, not having previewed what she was about to play. She and her listeners were going to be surprised together.
The playing song wound down, 5…4…3… and J’sera began to speak. “I’ve just been handed a brand new release by llhaesa t’yaeli. As we all know, llhaesa has not been heard from in a year; we have fielded countless communications inquiring as to her current work.
The answer is: there is none. Wait, you say… you just said you have a new recording…yes, that we do. What need also be said is when it was recorded and why it was recorded, as well as what was happening when it was recorded.
J’saera proceeded to meticulously outline the story as she understood it, finally almost whispering an introductory “llhaesa t’yaeli.”
She shut down her input, and the song began. J’saera sat back and closed her eyes, ready to let her spirit be taken away by the incredible talent of llhaesa.
One minute from the end, she realised she was in no shape to speak. A series of songs were cued for automatic play. With this done, she ran from the room in tears, tears coupled with outrage unlike any she had ever felt before.
