The governing body of Perplex City. This nine-strong group is elected by the public and often make the headlines. Political infighting between members can distract them from their daily tasks of calculating budgets, planning developments, and improving the citizens' quality of life.
The Council delivers a report on the Third Power ('soundly dismantled'), Helena Frye ('immense contributions') and Violet & Kurt ('took the Cube'). Looks like our blogging friends are going to be cleared of any charges, though.
GOT IT! Intrepid amateur archeologist Andy Darley (aka 'Astro Random') comes over all Indiana Jones and finds the long-lost Cube. Perplex City is overjoyed and Mind Candy is delighted, while Darley keeps his cool and offers some sage advice: "Take more care of it next time."
Violet calls back, and plays Kurt a message left by Scarlett. Violet, for one, doesn't buy it. Kurt is suspicious too and suggests enlisting Helena Frye's help in tracking Scarlett down. He's back in the game.
Locus Technology's Gregory Dempsey condemns the Academy's security policies. Seems fair enough, especially since Sente's own residence was broken into last night.
Caine drags everyone along to the Ball - only for them to witness Sente's arrest. Kurt goes on a bender, Violet screams at the police, and Caine takes Scarlett back home and looks after her... and has a romantic near-miss.
Violet gives us an update on what's been going on during the lockdown: Scarlett's been a mess; Caine has been a rock (and about as active); Sente still has his job (just); the CRT are decimated; and Violet herself is exhausted by it all.
Kurt returns! But he's hardly returning in triumph - it looks like he's about to get fired for the apparent flimsiness of the data link's firewall and the infiltration of the Library of Babel site.
With all that, he doesn't feel much like going to the Academy Ball tonight.
Oops. Nathan Earlywine decides he might not have been right to close the data link after all - especially as it looks like the Third Power has been circumventing the firewall all along.
Henrik Tanner and the CRT's very own Garnet Reed reveal that secret communications have continued between Earth and Perplex City, despite the recent lockdown. The sources of these messages are not known, and the content has not been made public - except for one enigmatic message reading, "Phase 3 complete. Happy birthday."
Could this development offer a glimmer of hope to those Cube Hunters on Earth hoping for the comms link to be fully re-opened again? The Council will decide.
Kurt is in charge of locking down the data link, in accordance with Earlywine's orders. That means no more blog posts, no more uncensored communication... is this goodbye? Or just au revoir?
New Council Leader Nathan Earlywine limits the data link between Earth and Perplex City, insisting on a screening system to block 'potentially dangerous or subversive' material. Even the Sentinel may be censored. The order is put into effect today.
The Viendenbourg scandal looks like it will put a premature end to Scott's leadership of the Council. A new leadership election will now take place on Wednesday 18 October.
Violet and Scarlett spill the beans to the Sentinel, handing over all the material they found at Lancewood and Viendenbourg, implicating Sente and Council Leader Camryn Scott. Nathan Earlywine capitalises on the political situation and makes a decisive move for power.
Violet and Scarlett approach the fearsome Viendenbourg facility ready and armed - only to find that the place has been turned into a heritage centre. Slightly confused, they take the official tour, which offers a sanitised version of recent history.
The girls were prepared for anything but this. What now?
Kurt updates us on the latest rumblings in the CRT, his heart-to-heart with Scarlett, and the strange virus that seems to be destroying all references to Special Project 487.
Leadership candidate Nathan Earlywine criticises Camryn Scott's style of leadership. He proposes a more hands-on approach - citing the waywardness of the Academy as a serious case of political mismanagement.
Sente and the Council come into conflict over the big blackout. The official statement is here. Looks like the Academy is coming under more pressure to reveal their secrets and strategems...
Election dropout Douglass Finlay continues his descent into disreputability with an arrest for corruption. Looks like the Sentinel's allegations were well founded.
The Sentinel speaks out - and fiercely attacks the Academy, accusing them of causing the blackout and demanding an explanation. They start a protest campaign, encouraging all and sundry to email protest@perplexcitysentinel.com to voice their displeasure.
The city suffers a huge power cut and the data link to Earth is lost. (All Perplex City websites become inaccessible from Earth.) Sente blames the Third Power - but everyone else blames him.
Kurt can't think of a decent way to track any potentially stealable equipment - so it's lucky that he has Karen on hand. She suggests hacking into the city-wide Air Quality System (AQSYS), and using its sensors to follow radioactive tags they could place on any suspect kit. It's not a great plan, but it's all they've got...
Council members find a new bone of contention, arguing over the merits of the city's high-tech Air Quality System (AQSYS). It's apparently far too sophisticated and expensive for what should be a simple job.
Council candidate Douglass Finlay suffers a setback in his election campaign. Allegations surface that he has been planning policies to benefit his own business interests - and has considered ways to spy on current council members.
Finlay, however, remains silent, while the police describe the whole thing as "hullabaloo". Well done them.
News of a fabulous piece of urban art from the mind of Randal Tokei. Words written on pavements will tell a story that pedestrians can follow around the city, narrating a dreamlike tale that changes depending on your route. Cool.
Travel regulations are being relaxed, which will let citizens of Perplex City travel more freely to and from their neighbours in Allerdun, Harbin, Xia-Hifa and Brauenbourg. An influx of tourists is expected.
Kurt gives us the skinny on his meeting with Helena Frye. A couple of details stand out. One is that V's blood was found at the scene of Monica's murder - but it didn't match anyone in the police's 'infallible' DNA records.
The second detail is about the very clean disused station at Gillit Road. Frye thinks the Third Power were building something - something that needed a clean room. And someone at the Academy is behind it.
