Dead Air
(c) 1998 Chris Myers. All rights reserved.)

"Don’t you just love that song? One of the best from one of the all time great bands, Pink Floyd, ‘On the Turning Away.’ Channel 95, WROC. Bob Ivey here, with you all the way until midnight. It’s just after seven here in Boston, and I’m looking out over a lovely August dusk. From here, high atop the Prudential Building, ladies and gentlemen, the Harbor looks stunning, as always here in Beantown."

"As it’s summer, Ticketmaster is bringing the hottest shows here to Boston. My lovely manager Rebecca has just handed me this list of shows upcoming to the FleetCenter. This Friday, July 31st, we have Van Halen coming to the FleetCenter for what I think is the biggest show of the summer. Hell, it’s the one I know I want to see. Rebecca’s looking at me through the glass like I’m nuts. We all know deep down inside she’s a Spice Girl fan. Come on, Bec. You want to take that one’s place. I can see it now, ‘Southie Spice.’ It would be perfect. Now my manager’s letting me know that I’m number one, ladies and gentlemen. OK, what else do we have here...we’ve got Dave Matthews coming too, August 2nd. On the 3rd...." "One sec. What’s...OK, folks. I’m being told we’re switching over to the Emergency Broadcast System. I don’t know if this is a surprise test or what. So, let’s see what’s up, and we should be back in 2 minutes."

 


THIS IS THE EMERGENCY BROADCAST SYSTEM. THIS IS NOT A TEST. I REPEAT, THIS IS NOT A TEST. ON THIS EVENING, JULY 26, IT HAS BEEN REPORTED THAT SEEMINGLY RANDOM ACTS OF MASS HOMICIDE HAVE BEEN OCCURRING THROUGHOUT THE GREATER BOSTON METROPOLITAN AREA. THESE ACTS ARE BEING COMMITTED BY AN ARMY OF UNIDENTIFIED ASSASSINS. THESE ASSASSINS HAVE BEEN REPORTED AS BEING SLOW AND IN SOME SORT OF TRANCE. THEY ARE DANGEROUS IN LARGE NUMBERS, AND SHOULD BE AVOIDED AT ALL COSTS. AS OF THIS TIME, THE BOSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN PLACED ON FULL ALERT, WITH ALL PERSONAL BEING CALLED TO DUTY. ALSO, UNITS OF THE MASSACHUSETTS NATIONAL GUARD HAVE BEEN MOBILIZED TO DEAL WITH THIS THREAT. AT THIS TIME, ALL CITIZENS SHOULD REMAIN BEHIND CLOSED AND LOCKED DOORS. IF CAUGHT OUTDOORS, CITIZENS SHOULD MAKE THEIR WAY TO THE NEAREST POLICE STATION, STATE POLICE BARRACKS, OR HOSPITAL. IF YOU SIGHT ANY OF THESE ASSASSINS, DO NOT APPROACH THEM. I REPEAT, DO NOT APPROACH THEM. AVOID THEM AND MAKE YOUR WAY TO THE NEAREST POLICE STATION, STATE POLICE BARRACKS, OR HOSPITAL. THIS MESSAGE WILL REPEAT ITSELF UNTIL 9 PM, WHEN WE WILL HAVE A LIVE UPDATE OF THE SITUATION. THIS IS THE EMERGENCY BROADCAST SYSTEM. THIS IS NOT A TEST I REPEAT, THIS IS NOT A TEST...

 


"Good evening, Boston. This is James Solomon, reporting from the WBSN newsroom, AM 10:30. Ladies and gentlemen, for the past few hours, we here in Boston have been witness to an event that has stretched up and down the Eastern Seaboard and back to the Mississippi River. Apparently, an army of assassins have been causing a wave of terror, committing acts of vandalism and homicide. Here in Boston, this army seems to be everywhere. From the Rox all the way up the coast to Salem, reports have been pouring in here, the center of Boston’s Emergency Broadcast System. Boston police have been trying to contain the situation, with some success here in Downtown Boston. In the Combat Zone, police have succeeded in clearing out that area, and have worked their way here to the waterfront. National Guard units have supplemented the police, and together, they are beginning to sweep up Interstates 90 and 93."

"These assassins have been identified as being very slow, and have a vacant look in their eyes, as if they are in some sort of trance. They do not communicate, and have attacked young and old alike. Along the Interstates, cars have been reported overturned, and the occupants pulled out and murdered. This is the same everywhere in the Eastern United States. In New York, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Miami, Detroit, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, St.Louis, Chicago, and New Orleans, this army has been reported in action. So far, only cities east of the Mississippi have reported in, although initial reports from Gavelston and Houston are just now coming in."

"This just handed to me. First, we will be switching over to TV and simulcasting at 10 P.M. on all channels. Second...ladies and gentlemen, we have reports that the victims of this army appear to have been devoured. The victims have had bites taken out of them, and reports have spoken of groups of assassins tearing about victims. Ladies and gentlemen, I know this is hard to believe, but these reports are now being confirmed. From Washington, DC, we are being told that the President is holding a high level Cabinet meeting, with the Joint Chiefs of Staff present, in order to deal with this crisis."

"Also, we earlier told you that all citizens should remain behind closed and locked doors. Well, that has changed. As I reported earlier, Downtown Boston is firmly under control of the police and National Guard. I am now being told that Cambridge is clear of these assassins. Around the greater Boston Metropolitan Area, rescue stations are being set up, providing food, shelter, and medical attention for citizens. When we switch over to TV at 10 P.M., a list of these rescue stations will be given. Citizens should remain behind closed and locked doors until this list is given, and then should make their way to the closest rescue station, where protection by armed National Guardsmen will be provided."

 


"It is now 11 o’clock here in Boston, and the news is beyond belief. James Solomon here on the Emergency Broadcast System, and ladies and gentlemen, we Bostonites, along with the Eastern United States and portions of Texas, have been presented with something out of a horror movie. We have reported over the past few hours that an army of assassins have been striking throughout the Boston area, and I was handed a memo from the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta an hour ago as we went live on the air on the TV side. Ladies and gentlemen, it has been confirmed that the bodies of the recently deceased are returning to life and devouring the living. I know this is unbelievable, but in the last half hour, we have had confirmation from Washington, DC, where the President has addressed Congress in a joint session. Reports have been pouring in from funeral homes, morgues, and hospitals all over Boston of the bodies of the recently dead reanimating and attacking the living, devouring the flesh of their victims. Boston 911 has been swamped with calls since this began around 6 P.M., and Boston Police and National Guardsmen are making sweeps of neighborhoods. I have been told that units of the United States Army are also being mobilized to help deal with this threat."

"We have had reports of rescue stations being attacked by groups of reanimated bodies, and a few have been overrun as we know it. We will try to update the list you see on the bottom of the screen as soon as we can, but take caution as you try to make it to one of these stations. We have word the President will be addressing the nation at midnight, Eastern time, and if this is true, we will show you that speech, with the list still running across the bottom of the screen."

 


"My fellow Americans, this is quite possibly the hardest test we as a nation have faced so far. To see our loved ones in this wretched half-state is indeed a burden. But we will prevail, as long as we pull together. Thank you."

"That was the President, wrapping up his speech. We have updated the list of rescue stations, and some extra information to pass along to you. We have had conformation from the Boston Police that these creatures can be stopped by two means. One is trauma to the brain area. Police have reported creatures taking shots to the head and ceasing to function, and it has also been handed to me that blunt trauma, with a crowbar or tire iron, can stop these creatures. It should be warned, also, that these...zombies...are indeed dead. Police and Guardsmen report that creatures have taken upwards to 50 rounds to the chest and throat but still remained active. Only head wounds can put them down. Second, the zombies seems to be afraid of fire, and burn easily. Along the roads leading over the Charles River and into Downtown Boston, bonfires have been lit, to keep the creatures away and to guide citizens to safety."

"In an interview given about an hour ago, Boston Police Captain Johnathan Frost talked about these creatures. Here he is now."

"Well, we had about 25 of them down by Fenway that we exterminated a few minutes ago. Right now, we’re moving them down to the FleetCenter to store all the dead bodies. It’s the only place big enough for us to use right now, until we get word from Washington what they want us to do. What we want to tell people is that these things are dead, and they’re mighty hungry. One of my boys had to shoot his grandmother. Little lady, about 4’7”, kept coming after him like there was no tomorrow. These things are not the relatives and friends you once knew. They are stone cold dead. I should know. I shot one of them in the bal...er, testicles, and the damn thing didn’t flinch. Believe me, if he wasn’t dead, he would have been screaming to God himself."

 


"James Solomon back with you, ladies and gentleman, here on July 29th, 9 am, after getting a few hours of sleep. The situation has stabilized somewhat here in Boston, with National Guardsmen and Army Units declaring the city of Boston proper clear of all of the creatures that have been terrorizing this city. This declaration came at 7 am this morning. Police are acting as a rear guard as now they get ready to push out into the suburbs of Boston."

"I have reports that bands of vigilantes, so active during the night, have joined up with the Guardsmen to help clear the suburbs. Our own Katherine Bell caught up with one of these bands out near Wellsley, and this is what they had to say."

"All day, these men have worked around the clock trying to give the walking dead their final reward. Men from all walks of life gather here to prepare, and to swap stories."

"I shot me 10 of those things down near the park. Ayuh, just got each one with my rifle from a good 30 feet. Didn’t even touch me, not a one."

"The leader of this group is a Ronnie Fredsti, a teacher from Kingston High School. He gathered these men and took them out into the woods, trying to flush out the dead."

"I knew there would be a couple out here, because the Kane’s Funeral Home is up near here. Any we didn’t get I’m sure would come to us. Let me tell you, these things can smell you. I had two jump me. I’m lucky to have gotten away with only a couple of scratches."

"Around the Eastern United States, other cities are reporting similar degrees of success, with Washington, DC, also being declared a clean city. Baltimore and New York City are still the hardest hit, and Denver, Colorado, has reported the dead returning to life, the furthest city west to be hit. Los Angeles, San Diego, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Portland, Salt Lake City, and Seattle are preparing for the worst, with the bodies of the dead being shot in the head as as precaution. We have word in from Canada that they too are experiencing this phenomena, in Toronto and Ottawa."

 


"Ladies and gentlemen, today is August 8th, and the situation worsens here in Boston. As you all know, two days ago on the 6th, a major accident occurred on Interstate 90 leading into Boston, at one of the main checkpoints, at the intersection of 90 and I-95. A tractor trailer carrying ammunition for the Army exploded....and you can see for yourself, from these shots filmed from a helicopter hovering overhead." "For reasons unknown, the trailer just exploded into flame. And, as you can see, the ammunition went off, causing a chain reaction. The Interstate was packed with cars trying to get into the city, as Army and National Guard units fought a losing battle with the creatures. Faced with desertion and supply problems, whole squads were overrun, and over half the rescue stations we listed when this crisis began have been knocked out. The governor had called for all citizens to try to make it into the city itself, which was free of the living dead, thanks to the Boston Police. As you can see, the flames caused the ammunition to go off. It was reported that the truck was carrying primarily 7.62 mm rounds for high-powered rifles, along with a few incendiary devices. Many people were killed by the ammunition, and more from asphyxiation brought on by the fire."

"Firefighters moved in to try to contain the blaze, but as they did, the bodies of the victims that were not burned or killed by head trauma were already reanimating. It was a massacre, as here the entire 80th Fire Fighters were overrun. And here, the zombies turn their attention to the cars stacked up behind them, many carrying wounded citizens. They tore them from cars and ate them, regardless of their pleas for help. Our own Katherine Bell was on her way back from a on the spot report, and was one of the victims."

"What made the situation worse was the intersection was only minutes away from Garrett Hospital, one of the few rescue stations operational. The staff tried to move as many people out as possible, but the zombies found them too. What was two days ago a relatively clean city is now threatened as National Guardsmen, the Army, and Boston Police try desperately to turn back this resurgent army of the dead. While the numbers of dead in Massachusetts were swelling, here in Boston, the situation was under control. Now, from maybe 45 dead in the accident, there was over 600, maybe more, making their way towards Downtown Boston, and their numbers are increasing."

"Around the country, the situation worsens too. The last reports from Miami were that a ocean liner sunk off Miami Beach, and that the dead were washing up on shore. Communication with Miami was then lost. Also, Manhattan is still dark, power being disrupted by a gang attack on a power station supplying Manhattan with electricity. Communication has not been forthcoming, and the island has been written off as a total loss. The Holland, 5th Avenue, and Hudson tunnels have been sealed off with explosives, and as we speak, all bridges leading to the island are being wired. It is estimated over 3 million zombies are on the island."

"Today, Berlin reported the dead rising. It is now official; the plague that started here two weeks ago has enveloped the entire world. Reports from Europe show the cities there are collapsing rapidly, as anarchists take advantage of the situation. Pakistan and India have taken the opportunity to fight each other, and unconfirmed reports say that New Delhi was taken out by a Pakistani nuclear weapons. Japan has been silent for a week, as all communication and transport to and from the island has been blocked. And up north, in Canada, Montreal Island has been sealed off and the government relocated there. Here, Los Angeles, Detroit, Chicago, Atlanta, and Dallas have all fallen silent, with Pittsburgh and Jacksonville in flames this evening as fires have been set to try to halt the spread of the plague."

 


"We’ve been on the air for three weeks now, ladies and gentlemen. If there’s anyone out there listening, this is what we know. Contact with Seattle and Memphis has been lost. Parts of Philadelphia are still broadcasting along the Delaware shore, and Washington, DC is the only city we are receiving. Here in Boston, it is hell on Earth. The last checkpoint fell three days ago, and Downtown was flooded with the living dead. They have been reported everywhere, and National Guard units, a few still active, are fighting block to block, trying to keep the few pockets of humanity alive. Here at WBSN, we have the doors barricaded, and we have hoarded as much food as we dare before closing the station. We hope to broadcast as long as we can. The national government has written the city off. The last Army units were helicoptered off shore yesterday, and are moving down to Washington I have been told."

"Along the Harbor, piles of terminated bodies lie to the sky. They were being dumped into the Atlantic Ocean for as long as possible to try to keep airborne infection down, but now, they lie there, a feast for seagulls and a breeding ground for disease."

"We have a few guns here, and plan on holding out for as long as possible before going off the air. If anyone out there is watching, we are in the John Hancock Building, near the Boston Square. Right now, it’s pretty clear, so if you want to make a run for it, bring whatever you got here. We can use all the help we can get."

 


"Ever hear of Bud Dwyer, ladies and gentlemen? He was the Treasury Secretary in Pennsylvania back in the 70’s. He shot himself during a live press conference, and pretty much invented the seven second delay all by himself. He inspired the movie ‘Network’ and that Filter song. Well, I may be the second person to kill himself live, and the first to do it on radio. Too bad no one’s around to hear it."

"I’m still Bob Ivey, this is still Channel 95, WROC, and my production manager is still pounding against the glass. I can see the hole in her chest; I even think I can see through the hole in her chest. And there’s another guy in there, trying to get through the barricade I put up. I didn’t even see how she died. All I heard was her cries, and I threw up this barrier. Now, she’s saluting me again, and she’s getting blood all over the glass."

"I’ve been here for over a month. When this all started, I was reading a concert report, and spent the night helping organize everything. We had people running in and out of here, and this was a rescue station as one point. We were attacked, and the National Guard pulled back. Now, I’m going to die here. The city is dying. America is dying. Screw it. America is dead, ladies and gentlemen. But Boston lives on. This has always been the cradle of American independence. The patriots of this city will fight on. But I’m spent. And I refuse to become one of those things. My manager, who I’ve worked with for over five years, is throwing a hissy-fit because she can’t eat me. I don’t know what we did to piss off God and get this punishment cast down on us, but what’s done is done."

"I’ve got a gun, and I’m going to blow my brains out. I took it off a dead Guardsman before running up here. I would rather suffer the indignity of suicide then walk around forever. So, I’m going to commit suicide, live on the air. If the FCC wants to fine me, they know where I’ll be. I dare you to come and get me. Boston, good night, and may Jesus forgive me."

"God, I’ll see you soon."
"Click-clack......BANG!

 


"It’s been five weeks, and we’re done. We’re out of food, and there’s two dead bodies sitting in the office. James Solomon here, WBSN news, and Boston is dead. From the window, we can see the dead wandering the streets, from the Square all the way to the South Rox. But they’re here, too. They’ve been pounding on the door for the past couple of hours now, and it’s only a matter of time, I guess. All we have is a few pipes and bats. When Chad tried to run for it yesterday, he took the guns with him. I’m willing to bet it was him who led them up here."

"I wish I could think of something to say, but I can’t. All communication with Washington, DC ceased two hours ago. We get nothing on the Internet or on the short-wave. It’s over, ladies and gentleman. All we can hope for is a quick death, although I doubt we’ll get that."

"I asked one of the P.A.’s to kill me yesterday by beating me over the head with a lead pipe. He looked at me like I was crazy. I don’t want to walk around forever. Life may be in short supply right now, but I’d give it up...."

CRASH!

"Shit!"

A gaggle of moans.

"Oh, no...stay back...please...for the love of God...NO! NO! PLEASE, FOR GOD’S SAKE! AH! AH! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

Tearing sounds.

Chomping.

One last scream...then a thump.

Static for a few seconds.

Dead air.

 

- THE END -

(c) 1998 Chris Myers. All rights reserved.)

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