Beauty, success and a loving family. It appears that Caprica City's own Graystone clan have it all - and they do. The Caprican takes a peek behind the curtain and scopes out the lives of one of the planet's - nay, the Colonies' - most influential families.
Of course, when it comes to progressive, everything starts with the Graystones, themselves. Everyone knows Daniel Graystone, founder and CEO of Graystone Industries and pretty much THE name in the technology sector. But his wife, Amanda, is no slouch, a brilliant surgeon and partner in Daniel's social efforts. The couple's daughter, Zoe, attends the prestigious Athena Academy and while we'd never stoop to rumor and innuendo (who, us?), let's just say that we've heard her hard-partying ways are bound to land her on the gossip pages some day, where gaggles of Caprican girls will eat up her every escapade.
The Graystone home is also an architectural wonder; a multi-level palace comfortably nestled just outside of Caprica City with views that only a billionaire could afford. With its modern, yet tasteful decor, it's the envy of every up-and-coming business mogul this side of the Alpha Quadrant. But don't let its clean look fool you, because this place is wired to the hilt, as you'd expect from the home of the man who's pioneering artificial intelligence research. We're not saying Daniel Graystone's a geek, but we have seen his tennis court, and yes, it has line sensors and auto-umpire functionality.
But it's not all opulence with the Graystones. They're pillars of the Caprican community, as well. Daniel, a well-documented Pyramid fanatic, owns his own CPL franchise, everyone's favorite C-Bucs. The Graystones are also big philanthropists, donating large sums of money to Apollo University and Caprica General Hospital.
We'll stop before you really start feeling insignificant, but expect to see plenty more of the Graystones and their high-profile lifestyle in the coming year.
Much to the dismay of commuters, MAGLEV announced that the Minister of Transportation has approved another fare increase. The increase will be the second in five years and is projected to cost Capricans an estimated 144 million cubits annually.
"I don't know what in the gods' name they're thinking!" said Daphne Waters, a MAGLEV commuter. "Cubits don't grow on trees."
More reactions after the jump.
Protesters swarmed outside of MAGLEV headquarters, and some citizens have threatened to boycott the trains in hopes of halting the fare hike. But despite feelings of disapproval, MAGLEV officials are adamant about their plans for rate changes.
"Great measures were taken to develop a cost effective budget that we feel accommodates commuters and also successfully addresses Caprica's economic demands," said Jerry Cormack, Chief Financial Officer for MAGLEV. "Therefore no amendments will be made to our approved proposal, and we plan to move forward as planned."
Rate changes are scheduled to take effect on Februarius 1, YR42.
"It was terrifying," said Mrs. Wiley, an employee of The Caprica Tribune. "She was just lying there with that thing on her face. She was breathing, but she wasn't responding to anything."
"It took a bit of time, but we revived her," said paramedic Joe Connelly. "Wherever she was, she was in deep."
The Holoband, a product of Graystone Industries, has been the target of much criticism and controversy lately due to what many see as an alarming increase in teenage hacks and the soaring popularity of such illegal virtual domains such as V-Clubs and the interactive game, New Cap City. Hackers refer to someone who falls asleep with the Holoband on as a 'Sleeper.'
Neither David nor Margaret Wiley offered any comment when asked if Janet was involved with either V-Clubs or New Cap City when she fell asleep.
Thanks to the genius of Daniel Graystone, the Holo Cafe has been the recent talk of the Colony. Never ones to trust the talk of the streets, we decided to check it out for ourselves. Now, we're talking, too, and our final word is, fantastic! Comfy sofas, tasty food and easy access to virtual reality - this is not your parents' coffee shop.
It seems like just yesterday we were celebrating the miracle that is good coffee in Caprica City. But if you're thirsting for a force greater than caffeine, the Holo Cafe is the place to be.
It's just like real life, except cooler, because time is relative and your reality is what you create it to be. Nice, right? Bring friends and enjoy multiport access and unlimited bandwidth. Plus, at the Holo - planetary interaction, all for just 25 cubits!
Mothers seeking justice for the victims of the MAGLEV bombing have united to form Mothers Against Terrorist Tactics (MATT). Since Amanda Graystone's admission that her daughter Zoe had a part in the horrific attack, the group has been protesting outside of Caprica General Hospital and a MATT spokesperson asserts that they will not retreat until Amanda is indefinitely suspended.
"Innocent men, women and children lost their lives and we're not going to sit back and let Terror Mom continue to operate on people," says Genevieve Spann, MATT Caprica Chapter, Director of Operations. "Just think - if her sixteen year old daughter was the mastermind behind the MAGLEV bombings, who knows what she [Amanda] is capable of!"
Since the public's discovery of Zoe's involvement in the assail, the Graystones have received violent threats at their home and Daniel Graystone's car was tailed yesterday morning by a mysterious vehicle with no license plates. None of these occurrences have been traced back to any members of MATT. Spann maintains that MATT is a non-violent group that does not condone rogue behavior.
Next week, two representatives of the organization will appear on Backtalk to discuss the need for violence prevention methods in the Caprica school system. MATT members will also be holding fundraisers to raise money for children left orphaned by the attack. And despite their visible disapproval for the Graystones, the group hopes to receive a generous donation from the family.
"It's the least they can do. They have billions of cubits and they won't miss a few. Especially since their daughter is the reason why so many other children will have to live without the love and protection of their parents," said Spann.
Neither Daniel nor Amanda Graystone could be reached for comment.
Yes, it's that time of year! Eros Day is upon us and we here at The Caprican turn, once again, to one of our favorite subjects: Virtual Dating. Now, if you're familiar with the world of "v-dating," then you know about the most common v-dating site, V-Match. But maybe you've exhausted the possibilities on that pioneering dating site. I mean, you can only buy someone a v-drink at a v-club so many times. So what now? The next time you strap on your Holoband, how do you expand your v-dating horizons and still ensure a quality experience? And since, in the v-world, you can look like whomever (or whatever) you want, we thought you might need some guidance. So The Caprican staff has taken the liberty of testing out a few new sites to save you some trouble (and some cubits).
High Res Hearts: This upscale site has a pretty steep membership fee but is well worth your cubits. What started as a site just for wealthy Capricans has now opened its v-doors to the rest of us. Some of the members are still a little elitist, but there are definitely some gems here, too.
Virtually Yours: With two million members and counting, this site is getting bigger (and better) every day. Between the v-dating tips and irreverent "how to" videos this site is clearly geared for people who see the humor in v-dating and are looking to have a good time. This is definitely one of our favorites.
E-ros: Have you all but given up on traditional v-dating sites? The creators of this site will match up your dating likes and dislikes with other users - just like good old-fashioned matchmakers. No fancy algorithms at work here - just some wise coupled up folks who want to help you get coupled, too.
There you have it dear readers - some of our favorite new sites. Now, strap on your Holoband and go forth and v-date. Best of luck and, of course, let us know how it goes!
CEOs are getting to be very popular guests on Backtalk as last week gave us the head of Vergis Industries himself, Tomas Vergis.
The brilliant Tauron entrepreneur - somewhat surprisingly - made for one of the best Sarno guests ever, charming both the host and audience with his winning smile and dashing good looks. He was quick on the draw and full of good humor, taking Baxter's good-natured jabs like a pro and proving he had a few tricks up his own sleeve.
In other words, Tomas Vergis had a much easier time than his main business rival, Daniel Graystone, who appeared on Backtalk a few weeks ago, and stumbled out of the gate before gaining his on-air composure.
Vergis took the stage in a smart suit, presenting Sarno with a box of Tauron cigars. Sarno quickly went into the Vergis-Graystone relationship, a "classic rivalry" along the lines of the "Bucs and the [Tauron] Bulls." Vergis insisted that he and Graystone are "friendly competitors, not deadly rivals," saying that the two of them were at a museum exhibit the night before. "Who won?" asked Sarno.
Vergis then jumped in with a friendly but somewhat scathing remark about Graystone, which got quite the audience reaction: "Daniel makes Holobands; he's a toymaker - I'm in a completely different business."
Sarno then mentioned that Daniel and Amanda Graystone were on Backtalk recently, which brought up the subject of the MAGLEV bombing. "My heart goes out to them and everyone who suffered in that terrible and senseless tragedy," said Vergis. He then made a surprising announcement: "The funny thing about tragedy is it makes you realize where your heart belongs. I started to think about where I belong, and it made me realize we're all Capricans. I may as well make it official - I'm going to get my citizenship."
You'd think this guy was a movie star, not the CEO of one of the biggest companies on Caprica.
I'm in grad school, and it's tough. I'm currently fighting with my girlfriend. And my two sisters drive me crazy. I've been going for long walks at night just to clear my head and get a little perspective. One of my recent nocturnal jaunts brought me to a most magical place.
I turned the corner and saw the sign: "The Dive." Not very imaginative, right? Sounds like a temporary name the owner came up with while he was filling out paperwork and he never got around to changing it. But hey, I needed a drink, so in I went.
The first thing that strikes you about the interior of the Dive is the lighting. It's meticulously designed to make sure you're in at least half-shadow no matter where you're at in the room. This is the kind of place where no one really wants to be recognized. A place to hide from the outside world for a while. You might catch a glimpse of a local celeb or a C-Buc looking to avoid the spotlight. I even saw what looked like a woman of the cloth in a corner booth.
I sat at the main bar for one drink and took it all in. The bartender was an older gentleman, the kind of guy who looks like he's seen a lot and done even more. Cool, collected and attentive, neither chatty nor aloof.
There are some tables and chairs in the corners, some couches and lounge chairs in the back - each area occupied by a scene out of a different movie. There was a young woman sitting by herself, staring silently at a single cupcake in front of her, with one lit birthday candle. There was a gentleman in a smart suit looking up at a corner of the room, occasionally looking down to write something on a bubble gum wrapper, then looking back up again. There were three large bearded men at the couches, all clutching giant pint glasses and staring at each other, occasionally bursting suddenly into simultaneous laughter and then just as suddenly plunging into silence again, resuming their staring.
That's just a taste. I was mesmerized. I'm sure the trance music playing from some hidden source had something to do with it. Or did it?
Anyway, I get the impression that other things go down at The Dive. Things in back rooms. Maybe things right in front of you, but you don't notice completely. Either way, if you're looking for an escape - and a nocturnal adventure of sorts - you can't go wrong with this place.
Soon the Telewindow won't just be for the Rich and Famous. Smarter Industries has announced it will unveil what it's calling the first "affordable" Telewindow model at next week's TechnoExpo.
"The Telewindow used to be known only as a luxury item, something millionaires and movie stars have in their bedrooms," says Smarter Industries CEO Michael Smart. "But it's gotten more buzz now that you're starting to see them in some bars and clubs. There's even been video installation artists who've been designing and creating specifically for the Telewindow format. Everyone wants a Telewindow, and now everyone can afford one."
The specs of the "affordable" model - including the retail price - are being kept under wraps until next week's official presentation at TechnoExpo. "If we gave away everything now, no one will show up for the big show next week!" says Smart. "All will be revealed, and we'll start taking orders immediately after the presentation as well."
When asked if up-and-coming Smarter Industries is trying to present itself as a serious competitor to big-time players like Graystone Industries, Smart simply smiles and replies with, "We'll see."
TechnoExpo will be held at the Caprica City Convention Center and is open to the public. Limited space is still available for vendors.
Original Series definition: region of space or planet, see also Quadrant. Usually named after a Greek letter (space sectors), or a geographic formation on the surface of a planet (geographic sector, e.g. Sector Hekla on the planet Arcta")
Capricadefinition: sensors in the grid of a tennis court that can track a ball in play (CAP: "Pilot")
Capricadefinition: a program in advanced sports courts, including the private tennis court on the Graystone Estate(CAP: "Pilot")
Re-imagined Series definition: the process of using the FTL engines to make an near-instantaneous apparent faster-than-light transport of a ship from one point in space to another
