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looked at Hanna, his expression turning more serious. “This line of questioning was not agreed upon…”
    “I was told that you would answer all questions regarding the Klaria virus,” Hanna responded, cutting him off.
    “All reasonable questions,” the doctor replied.
    Hanna noticed that Arielle was no longer sending her messages to stop, which meant that her friend knew there was no turning back, and that if she continued the line of questioning Hanna might be able to work her way out of the corner she had just painted herself into. After all, it wouldn’t be the first time. “All questions that help to clarify the nature of a deadly virus that has killed thousands of people should be considered reasonable,” Hanna insisted. “After all, the public has access to the same information that I do, and I’m sure many of them have come to the same conclusions and are wondering the same thing. Is it possible that Klaria and Twister are somehow related?”
    “I’m not going to respond to conspiracy theories from the lunatic fringes of society,” the doctor warned.
    “I’m not asking you to do so, Doctor,” Hanna explained as diplomatically as possible. “I’m only asking you to explain why such a connection is possible, or impossible.” Message; Arielle: Why is this guy getting so unhinged?
    Arielle’s answer was immediate. Reply: Because it’s a stupid, and potentially irresponsible question, and you know it. You’re just going for a ratings grab, and it’s going to end up costing us a paycheck!
    “Such theories only feed public panic,” Doctor Benarro insisted. “They waste the time of those of us who are seeking truths, as you should be. They are unfounded claims, reckless theories… nothing more. Furthermore, both the Global Disease Control Organization and the International Center for Network Security looked into the possibility of a link between the two…”
    “Then my question is not so unreasonable, is it?” Hanna interrupted.
    “It is in that the theory has already been disproven beyond a shadow of a doubt, Miss Bohl. Attempting to bring it into public attention again is nothing more than a reckless, irresponsible attempt to stir up controversy, I suspect for your own gain, and I will not be a party to it.” Doctor Benarro rose from his seat. “This interview is over,” he said firmly, after which he headed for the exit. “Pack up you gear and get out,” he added as he left.
    Arielle sighed in frustration. “Are you happy now, Hanna?”
    * * *
    “You do realize we aren’t going to get paid?” Arielle said as she stormed across the spacious lobby on their way to the main entrance of the medical building.
    “You don’t know that,” Hanna replied as she followed her friend out the doors.
    “I do know that, Hanna. I’m the producer. I’m the business manager. Standard contracts clearly state that if we don’t produce usable material, we don’t get paid.”
    “Well, who defines usable?”
    “The client, of course! Jesus, Hanna! Are you really going to argue with me about this?”
    “It was a reasonable question, Ari.”
    “It was sensationalism, Hanna, and you know it.”
    “I was looking for clarification. If anything, I was hoping to assure people that there was not a connection between Klaria and Twister. You yourself said that the idea was already ruled out by the GDCO, so the idea wasn’t crazy. You also said that if I could make the connection then most likely anyone could. Anyone includes our viewers.”
    Arielle stopped as she reached the bottom of the steps, turning back to Hanna and Graham. “The facts are, Hanna, that we were hired by the client to ask a specific line of questions. You knew what those questions were, but you chose to go off on a tangent in the hopes of stirring something up, something that might boost your numbers so that you could land your dream job before you’re too old to be considered.”
    “I thought it was our dream job,” Hanna