[The video begins, showing a woman sitting in an office with her back to a window. The sky-line of Gateway City can be seen behind her, facing the west. She stares forward for a few moments before pausing, and adjusting her glasses. For all intents and purposes, this is a new face on the Network.]

Ah, hello everyone. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Sonia Clarke, and I'm Benjamin Factor's personal assistant. As I'm sure you are all aware, both Mr. Factor and his company have been supporting the Numbered heavily in this past year. It was therefore decided that there needed to be a direct liaison between all of you and the company.

[She pauses, before adjusting her glasses and continuing.]

Furthermore, we'd also like to personally thank those Numbered who assisted in the recent... incident here in Gateway City. The animals that caused such damage are being cared for, but as you might understand, there are certain struggles in doing so for such bizarre creatures. However, Mr. Factor would like for me to assure you that they have not been mistreated or experimented upon. This has created some friction with the military, but we anticipate that will be resolved before long. Any damages to personal or public property are also being taken care of, as well.

[Sonia pauses for another brief moment, before her eyes widen slightly, and she sighs.]

I suppose I should also address the elephant in the room. Seeing as how I can communicate with you like this, it should go without saying that I'm a Numbered, just like all of you. I want you all to know that you can trust me, and that I do not intend to betray anything I learn here. Mr. Factor and I imagine that this is an area where you've potentially been used or manipulated, and it's for that reason that we intend to be as transparent as possible. We are committed to supporting all of you as much as possible, as we have in this past year.

[She offers a tiny smile, before speaking again.] Now, I would be happy to take any questions. I cannot promise an answer for every single one, but I will make an effort to be clear and concise for the ones in which I can.

A little over a year has passed since the invasion that rocked the planet. A year since conflict tore a country in two. A year since extraordinary people convinced a being far beyond them of their right to exist. In that year, the world has made every effort to rebuild.

Communities have risen anew, while others have made efforts to heal. Others lie in ruins. Life goes on. And in this time, it seems that extraordinary things have left the Earth alone.

Or maybe they've just been lying in wait.

It begins with slime. As the dawn breaks in New Zealand on the 25th, while it's still the afternoon of the 24th in Gateway City, news reports all over the world remark upon the sudden appearance of spheres green, gelatinous slime. This is all over the world. They do not fall from the sky, they do not appear with a sudden burst of light. They suddenly begin to be, congealing in plain sight like algae in a pond, or moss upon the trunk of a tree.

The balls of slime are not poisonous. They are sticky, and gooey, but all they do is seem to sit there. They may grow bigger over time, but they don't do anything to suck people in. But when a Numbered comes in contact with them... well, that just might make things more interesting.

If one takes a closer look at the slime, the scientific method would yield interesting results: They're composed of the same newly discovered single-celled life form that appeared in the wake of the invasion. But all they do is divide, and multiply. Grow, and coalesce.

A year ago, the world changed in fire and understanding. Today, it all begins again. With slime.

[ooc - Let the games begin! For details on this slimy new event, check out the "Happening Now" section at the new plot post. Feel free to tag here, or use it as a spring board for your own posts! This event runs until August 5th!]