Post by JazzBuddah on Jan 4, 2013 2:24:49 GMT -5
-SURVIVE THE SIGNAL-
When people hear of my job, they instantly think I'm living the life. Working doing what I love, hanging with rock gods with my hand on a button. Little do they know that button is small and labeled with red tape and a magic marker. -ON THE AIR-
Being a disc jockey for a small coastal town in Maine is nothing like blasting the airwaves in the metro areas. My home town, Cambden, is a semi-popular port for die-hard fishermen. My primary duties are to relay information from the weather service to the sailors out at sea. Sure I get to play music between each minor crisis but if I play a song offending one of the many 60 to 70 year old fishermen set in their ways, well lets just say it's not hard to find someone else to press this button. So I keep it mild. Hits of the oldies, some smooth jazz while throwing in the rat pack to stir things up. Sometimes I have something clever to say. On other days I just put the whole thing into automation for the whole day just to sleep in. And before you ask yes, I live in the studio. It's much like a lighthouse, I have to be at the ready for when disaster strikes.
It really isn't half bad. Especially now with the internet. I never took up any hobbies but suddenly I've been collecting the greatest hits of sites you need a credit card to access. I suppose I could go out to go to the market, maybe attend church though I don't know why. But instead I receive my goods meals on wheels style. Not an ideal life but I feel as though I've carved out my own small patch of paradise. The greatest feature of the studio is the view. Ocean on all three fronts. The crashing will lull you to sleep if your not careful. Some say the phantoms of dead sailors may visit from time to time. If so I'll take a request and dedication. I don't discriminate and their isn't much that truly frightens me. This is useful in a town knee deep in superstition.
Taking in a deep sigh the bare red bulb in the corner lit up. Information was coming in from the weather station. Grunting to himself he sat up and ruffle his hair and put on his panda shaped slippers. "Work, work, work..." I didn't say this exactly negatively. I could work in the comfort of my own home in slippers, boxing shorts and a torn up indie-band T-shirt. A simple life filled with the sounds of the past. I checked the clock and groaned, 3:50 am. It must be breaking news to wake him off hours. Finding the rail from his room in the basement he began to ascend the spiral staircase. I had named each step but wasn't feeling chatty enough to greet them.
Passing the first level live in area, I reached the second level used for housing the massive broadcast hardware. It hummed with life. A sound I no longer even heard as it has made the same tune since I had first arrived. Over time it just got lost in the waves. In my slippers I could almost glide over the hardwood floor of the production room where I slid to the counter which held the obnoxiously red rotary phone stamped with a large black batman symbol. Taking a moment to think of something to say I then picked up the phone with a smile.
"Commissioner lets please make this quick. I need to pry a dog out of the grill of the bat-mobile and Robin won't stop polishing his bat-pole!" On the other end their was a sigh.
"Evan, You finally lost it haven't you? Told you your mind couldn't handle the strain." Evan shot up instantly recognizing the voice.
"GREAGGER! Where have you been? You sholuld know this phone is for the emergency broadcast network. I know it's silly but they REALLY take their responsibilities seriously over there."
"Yeah, I'm just discovering. But yeah, I was on assignment in Iran and was just brought back on a return trip with the troops. Didn't have a place to go so headed back to the old city and took up a research gig here until I find something better. But it's great to hear your in good spirits." I started to rifle through the cabinets for food.
"Yeah, that's great. But to what do I owe this call. Your not the sentimental type. What's the news?" Instantly I could hear stirring on the other end. "Greagger?
"Listen, some stuff has been going on. Media in the major cities have been giving on and off reports but as part of our jobs is to keep the public informed I figured I'd let you in the look." I had to groan again.
"Did I mention how early it is?"
"At first we figured it was just some flash mob. A practical joke for the public until the incidents began occurring in most major cities. We're still getting calls. It started in a way no-one understood. People were walking into the city. But what's the harm in that right?"
I smirked "Maybe we'll solve our health crisis after all. Power walking!"
"That's what some people thought. And the thing is you can't call in to the police to report people walking so it got dumped on the medias doorstep. It's now been 10 hours these people have been walking in from outside the city limits and their numbers continue to grow. Some thought that this could be a political action like "Occupy Wallstreet" but some of these people walk in dressed for work, a date, or completely naked. Also, some of them have bare feet and they've been leaving bloody footprints behind the." Evan quickly grabbed a pen and paper.
"And the Military refuses to get involved?"
"We're celebrating our victory over terror, we have a new president, it would be political suicide to order the troops on US citizens who have not actually broken any laws except for nudity and jay walking. Local police have been setting up barricades to coral the hordes but once in the city they all went in separate directions making containment near impossible. And that's where we are right now. A silent flood of silent nobodies enter the city and begin to blend into the public." I continued to write furiously as he listened to Greagger.
"So these people...They didn't say anything? Aren't they responsive?"
"They're dead to the world. Several have been hit by cars refusing to move or avoid being hurt. When spoken to they don't respond. It's like they're being called to something and nothing can deter them. Greagger tried to think of more to say but he was baffled and while he wanted to say more he had nothing more to add. "Anyways, I don't know if this has hit the coast yet but you should tell your listeners to take precautions until we figure this out.
"Right." I said nodding finishing his notes. "We get hit by allot of storms so these people know how to hunker down. I hate to cut this short but it's time for me to address the world."
"Goodluck..." Greagger replied before he heard a click on the other end. Shaking his head he hung up the phone and tried to think of how he would handle this situation. The townsfolk didn't care much for high tech so for those who did have tv might only have 2 channels. It appears that he was about to become very famous, VERY quick.