19 News Duo

For Estella Bermudez and Sonny Casimiro, life was always on action and they had to be always where the news were. Riding in an old black car, they always raced to outsmart other mediamen to get exclusive news update. So immediately after the meteor hit Subangdaku, Sonny fetched Estella and combed through the district in search for any news.

While Sonny was a seasoned camera man who knew too well the perfect angles, Estella was a neophyte in news reporting. She was young, only twenty-five, and beautifully looked on cam. Her face was angelic and attractive, with her silky white skin and distinctive black mole near her left eye. Despite her young looks, there was command and authority in her voice, as if demanding attention to everyone who hears her. No wonder, she was a rising star in the news department of the local TV station. There were countless product endorsement offers for her but she mostly turned them down, except if she believed in their advocacy, so that she could better focus on preparing her news reports. With that, her colleague respected her and audience adored her.

Meanwhile, Sonny had been working in the television station for almost half of his life. He started as merely utility and errands man in the company. Through hard work and perseverance, he learned the meticulous craft of handling lenses and he was soon promoted as a field cameraman. He was a devoted employee that he could appear in a scene as fast as lightning. Though sometimes, his dedication to his job crossed the line that he sacrificed quality time with his wife Tina and their two daughters.

It was usually Sonny who the television network assigned to get paired with rookie reporters. At the start, Sonny was quite unhappy with the arrangement since he was not really open to the idea of always adjusting to another personality. Time came and his partner would be assigned as studio reporter or be transferred to another cameraman or to the newspaper section of the company. That saddened Sonny, as well as partnering with another individual.

It was quite a different story with Estella. Three years back, Sonny was grumbling with the thought of a new partner when Estella, in her faded worn jeans and matching white shirt and denim jacket, walked into the conference room and startled everyone. It was not a usual sight as neophyte reporters always came in business coat and slacks on their first day. It seemed that the young cheeky lady knew exactly what she would be doing.

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After reading the feature article and getting briefed by the segment writers, Sonny and Estella travelled to a distant community in the province. They went through muddy dirt roads and woody grasslands before reaching the small village. Along the way, Estella was vibrant as she shared some stories with Sonny. The man was initially nonchalant but was soon enjoying her company. In his heart, he knew they had hit off a good start.

Estella was also not fussy and had excellent way of dealing with people. They shot the feature fast. When the magazine show aired, it was their segment that was raved by viewers. People were instantly crazy about the new face and they constantly talked about her. The duo received more assignments until they became staple field reporters in the primetime news. Three years had passed and they still maintained a great working relationship and Sonny was not yet partnered with a new reporter.

It was still early in the night when the mysterious object hit Subangdaku. Sonny was living in the nearby town, just a few minutes ride from the district, and he saw before his eyes how the bright light landed and violently shook the ground. He saw everything and his heart pumped with worry and excitement. Just seconds after the spectacle, his pager immediately beeped with a message from the news head to cover the event.

Sonny quickly prepared his gears and went out, against the will of Tina and his kids. When he dropped by Estella's apartment, she was already in her denim outfits, ready for some action. Out of fear and anxiety, they were mostly silent. They talked only when some ideas popped into their heads.

Subangdaku was in panic when they came. They also came when the first meteor fell but the chaos this time was so much different. People were on the streets hugging their loved ones. There was an earthquake which damaged several infrastructures, even causing fire to a big hardware store. It was heart-breaking for Estella that she shed a tear or two before going out of their car. She interviewed fathers, mothers, and children after offering her sincere sympathy. It was a long night and both of them was exhausted at the end.

It was other news team who grabbed the live telecast of the town mayor's speech. Estella and Sonny heard it in their car radio. They sighed after hearing the speech. They knew that their work had just started and they could be staying a little longer in Subangdaku.

It was near midnight when they decided to take a rest and parked in the outskirts of the district. They had interviewed plenty of individuals and covered a fire. They were terribly exhausted and were about to sleep in the car when they spotted three white vans coming to Subangdaku.

"Are those familiar to you?" Estella asked sleepily and pointed at the vehicles. "What channel could they come from?"

"No idea," Sonny answered after taking a long time studying the vehicles. "I could not see any logo. There must be one but it is too dark to see."

"Oh wait, where are they going to?" Estella asked in wonder when the vehicles turned around.

Sonny also looked in puzzlement. He finally said, "They could also be the team of scientist the mayor said would be coming to investigate."

They watched as the vans moved farther aways.

"Should we follow them?" Estella inquired.

Sonny pondered on the question. If indeed they were the scientists, they must be investigating the landing site. If not and they were simply town people and they would be wasting some time on them.

"I think we should wait a while," he finally spoke. "Our people will inform us if the scientists have arrived and where they will be heading."

Estella nodded. She watched how Sonny leaned back his seat and lie down to sleep. She was restless, as if her intuition was telling her something was off with the vehicles. But she was too tired anyway that she also leaned back her seat and slept.