Broadcasting the Apocalypse

[geekyteacher]

Hey all. Genesis is in the process of being self-published, so thought I'd post another one of my stories. Hope you all enjoy!

Broadcasting the Apocalypse

6:00 PM

“Good evening and happy Friday. Welcome to News with KTRK in Houston, this is Raymond Brier with tonight’s top news stories. Our top story tonight: The President announces new sanctions against Russia after new evidence surfaced that they were responsible for an attack on the Ukrainian Embassy. President Roberts spoke from the Rose Garden today where he eulogized the individuals killed in the embassy attack and restated his commitment to supporting Ukraine. However, there were some in opposition to the President, with Senator McDaniels stating that there is no definitive proof Russia was responsible for the attack and denying the new evidence. He argued that the President is risking a relationship with an important ally without enough proof.


“Next up, worrying reports from the CDC about a potential new virus that could be spreading. This virus was identified during a routine doctor’s visit from a resident of...Wait, I’m sorry for the interruption, but we’re receiving word of some breaking news. There are reports of riots spontaneously erupting in the downtown area. We now bring you video footage from downtown.


The screen cuts to footage of a city street. There are fires in the background. There is what appears to be a mass of people walking along the streets. There are loud noises and shouts coming from the mob and screams from people off-camera. When they reach a parked car, they topple it in seconds.



“And we’re back. For those of you just tuning in, we just broadcast footage of riots that have erupted in downtown Houston. It’s unclear the cause of these riots; however, there have been reports of rioters overturning cars. We will keep you informed as we get more information. To discuss the psychology of riots, we have Jerome Steffens on the phone. Thank you for taking the time to speak with us on such short notice, Jerome.


“Pleasure to be talking to you, Raymond. While the current cause of these riots are unknown, riots usually stem from a few root causes. When people feel that they have no other way to express their voice, things can often devolve into riotous conditions. There has been some unrest in the Houston area the past few days concerning the recent bills passed by the city council concerning gender identity. There has been talk of organizing protests to respond to those actions, and it’s possible that these riots could’ve grown out of those talks, especially given the riots that spread across the country in the past couple of years. It’s also possible that these are purely spontaneous actions of a few individuals and there’s no coordination.”


“Based on the video footage, there appeared to be upwards of fifty to one-hundred individuals taking part in the riot. Is it really possible for that many people to spontaneously erupt into a riot?”


“Well it’s certainly a possibility these individuals were originally planning a more organized protest march, but things got out of hand and it turned into a riot. We’ve seen that many times before in history, just as recently as last year. The interesting thing here is that there doesn’t appear to be any inciting incident to turn it from a peaceful protest into a full-scale riot.”


“Thank you for that, Jerome. We’re getting word that police have arrived on the scene in downtown trying to contain the riots. We take you to Dana Miller, our correspondent on the ground. Dana, what are you seeing out there?”


“We’re seeing a clash between protestors and police. As you can see behind me, the police have formed a wall to keep the protestors reigned in; however, they’re pushing back fiercely against this barricade. It sounds like protestors are ramming into the riot shields and expanding out from downtown. Until further notice, the police are asking everyone to stay inside and off the streets until this situation has been contained. I’m moving inside right now, but we’ll continue to cover events as they occur.”


“Thank you, Dana. I’m getting word that the Mayor has put a curfew into effect for the entire city. Residents are to stay inside and off the streets for the rest of the night.”


“Yes, police are currently trying to help anybody who hasn’t already taken shelter into nearby buildings. We’ve gotten word from local sources that some individuals were bitten by protestors. I’ve got one person, Jake Douglas, here with me right now who says he was almost bitten by a protestor. Mr. Douglas, tell us what happened.”


“Well I was just out enjoying the evening when I heard a bunch of commotion behind me. Sounded like cars getting flipped over, and I thought I heard some people screaming. I decided it would be a good idea to make my way inside because I didn’t want to deal with whatever was going on. But as I was making my way toward the building, I ran into a guy who was kind of shuffling down the street. When he realized that I was there, he started snarling and snapping at me like an animal. I couldn’t tell what was wrong with this guy, and I was about to call out to him when he lunged at me. He made a move to grab my arm, but I just barely avoided him. He came at me again, almost like he was an animal or something. It was some really freaky stuff. At that point, I decided to run for it to the nearest building I could reach. The weird guy kept coming after me, but he moved super slow. He was kind of shuffling and stumbling like he’d had too much to drink. When I got into the building, he came up to the door and started pounding on it. It was freaky as hell.”


“We’re receiving more reports of protestors being reported as animalistic and attempting to bite anyone they come into contact with. We’ve also received reports that rioters have been seen breaking windows of cars and dragging the occupants out. We repeat, police are warning all residents to stay inside for the remainder of the night and a curfew has been put in place by Mayor Edwards. We at KTRK will keep you informed with updates as they happen.”

[smitty60]

Good start. I will read more

[geekyteacher]

7:00 PM

“We’re back with more information: We now have an interview with Officer Daniel Holt of Houston who says that he may have encountered a man suffering from a similar condition.


“Officer Holt, tell us what you experienced.”


“Well I got a call about an attack. At first, I thought it must’ve been animal related. The young ladies who called were frantic and we could barely understand them on the call. All we could make out was that one of their friends had been bitten. They told us they were outside a local nightclub in the downtown area. When we got there, we found three girls. Two of them were watching for us and taking care of their friend, but the third was sitting on the ground in tears. She had her hand over her ankle, and she was holding a bloody piece of cloth to it. I figured she must’ve been the one who’d been attacked. After we got out of the car, we started questioning the three about what had happened that night. They reported that they’d been walking to the club when they heard sounds coming out of a nearby alleyway.


“They decided to investigate the noise and told me they found a homeless man slumped over. When they approached him, he suddenly came to life and started snapping at the girls, like a wild animal. He started shuffling towards them, still snapping and snarling. One of the girls said she tried to pepper spray him, but he didn’t even react. He kept shuffling towards them, and they turned to run when he lunged at them. Two of the girls were able to avoid him, but he was able to grab the ankle of the third girl. She tried to fight him off, but she said his grip was like iron. As she tried to kick him with her other foot, he opened his mouth and took a chunk of flesh out of her ankle. When they heard her screams, her two friends came back to help her, and together they said they were able to get the man to let go, but it took a lot of kicking from the two of them. After that, they were able to help their friend to the outside the club, where they called the police.


“I asked the girl if I could see where she’d been bitten. When she took the cloth away, I saw the bite mark. I could tell just from looking at it that they were telling the truth – it clearly wasn’t from an animal. I got on the phone right away to get an ambulance to her location. While we waited for the ambulance to arrive, I asked them if they knew exactly where the incident with the homeless man had occurred and what the man looked like. They told me it happened on 5th and Main, so I radioed in for a team to investigate the alley and gave them the description of the man. When they got there, they reported that the man was nowhere to be seen. We’re currently searching for him, and if anyone sees him, we ask that they call our special hotline at 1-800-255-5465 with any information.


“Thank you for your time, Officer Holt.”


“You’re welcome.”


“Breaking news on Houston: There have been several unconfirmed reports that the dead are re-animating. According to several sources, hospitals have been stating that patients who have been declared dead have been coming back to life. One doctor in Houston General stated, ‘I’d just declared a patient legally dead when he suddenly started snarling and snapping at us. He made a lunge for one of the nurses and bit her on the arm. It took the whole team of us to get the former corpse off her. The nurse is currently recovering.’ These reports have still not been confirmed, but they are disturbing if true. KTRK will keep you updated with new information”

7:30 PM

“This just in, the President has declared that he will make a speech at nine o’clock regarding the events that have occurred in Houston. We will bring you that speech live. While we wait, we have well-known political scientist Larry Lynch to discuss what the President may say in his speech. Larry, how are you doing?”


“I’m doing well, Raymond. Glad to be speaking with you tonight.”


“Larry, what can you tell us about what we might expect from the President tonight.”


“I can only speculate on the subject, but historically, Presidents have prioritized maintaining law and order when these sorts of events have occurred. In the past, I wouldn’t have been surprised if the President had called in the National Guard to contain the situation; however, after what happened during the last Administration, that option may be off the table. The President has quite the needle to thread, especially with midterm elections coming up. He doesn’t want to appear weak, but he also doesn’t want to appear authoritarian after he was swept into office by accusing his predecessor of being a wannabe dictator.”


“Do you think the President will address the unconfirmed reports of bodies re-animating after death?”


“Well I can’t speak to that. Until the reports are confirmed, I don’t know if the President will address the issue. This Administration has been historically cautious in their actions, and I’d predict the President would want to weigh all his options before taking any action. That could be why he’s waiting an hour and a half before addressing the nation. I’m sure he and his team are investigating the reports to see if they’re credible, and they’ll take appropriate action if they turn out to be true.”


“Do you believe these reports out of Houston?”


“I’ll preface this by saying it’s not my area of expertise, but it sounds a little implausible to me. I’d have to see definitive proof before I believe that bodies are coming back to life. That sounds more like something out of a TV show than real life.”


“Thank you for weighing in, Larry.”


“Pleasure, Raymond.”


“This just in, we’ve just received news that the stories of re-animating bodies in Houston have been confirmed. KTRK has received video footage. This could be disturbing for some viewers.”


The screen cuts to shaky cellphone footage. It is a view of a hospital room. A patient is hooked up to a series of machines, which are registering no heartbeat or brain activity. Suddenly, the corpse springs to life and hoists itself off the table. The creature snaps at the person recording the footage and the screen begins to shake as the person backs up from the approaching zombie. The creature begins to shuffle slowly toward the camera – it has milky white eyes and pale skin. Its mouth is open wide, and it lets out a low groan before it begins to move closer. At that moment, the footage cuts.


“For those of you just tuning in, reports of bodies re-animating have been confirmed. I don’t know how to say this, but it appears that Houston is dealing with an outbreak of something that can only be called zombies. KTRK will continue to cover this event and bring you more information as we receive it.”

[NCWEBNUT]

Zombies, their like breeding rabbits ya let a couple get away and the next thing ya know their every where.

[texican]

GT,

Zombies in Houston. Now when will the Texans pullout their fire power and start eliminating the zombies?

Guess another chapter will reveal.

Thanks GT for the new story.

Texican....

[geekyteacher]

8:00 PM

“We’ve received word that the mayor of Houston has spoken with the President, and they’ve declared the city to be in a state of emergency. The National Guard and Texas Rangers have been called to Houston to stop this zombie outbreak. We’re also receiving word the President has called an emergency meeting of the Cabinet and the Joint Chiefs of Staff to discuss the situation in Houston. Press Secretary Craig is currently briefing the DC Press Corps. We bring you live footage from DC of the press conference.


The screen switches to a crowded room. Reporters sit in rows and shout questions at the man standing behind the podium. He appears to be in his thirties – his dark hair is somewhat disheveled. He attempts to project a calm, collected demeanor to the assembled reporters.


“Secretary Craig, what is the Administration’s Plan to deal with this crisis in Houston?”


“President Roberts will be explaining his plan when he speaks at nine o’clock. Right now he’s conferring with his Cabinet and Joint Chiefs of Staff to coordinate an appropriate response to the crisis.”


“Secretary Craig, how does President Roberts respond to allegations that his lack of action is responsible for this outbreak in Houston?”


“I don’t think anyone can say that the President is in any way responsible for this terrible tragedy in Houston. The President is ready to take strong, decisive action to respond to the events that are occurring tonight. He wants to make sure that his response is an appropriate one that won’t endanger innocent lives.”


Another reporter begins to yell a question as the screen cuts back to the newsroom.


“That was Press Secretary Craig speaking to the DC Press Corps about the outbreak in Houston. To anyone just tuning in, the President is still scheduled to speak at nine o’clock about the outbreak. KTRK will bring you the President’s speech live when it happens. Additionally, the director of the CDC has stated he and his organization will do everything in their power to identify the source of this outbreak and deal with it appropriately.”

8:30 PM

“We now have word that the National Guard and Texas Rangers have been deployed in Houston. Initial reports state that the soldiers are fighting back against the former corpses. Our helicopter crew captured this footage of the streets in Houston. As you can see, there’s a wave of approximately one hundred to two-hundred zombies making their way down Main Street. You can also see the riot police and National Guard fighting back against the zombies. From this distance, it’s difficult to tell who’s doing better; however, we here at KTRK are confident that this outbreak will quickly come to an end. The President will be speaking in approximately thirty minutes on the situation in Houston. We will continue to bring you updates as they occur.


“We’re receiving word that the President has declared a state of emergency in Texas. For our viewers in that state, we’ve been instructed to activate the Emergency Broadcast System. This is not a drill, we repeat, this is not a drill.


The screen turns blue. A high-pitched alarm sounds. A deep voice begins speaking, “There is a state of emergency in the state of Texas. All residents are advised to stay in their homes and off the streets. If you are away from home, please seek shelter in the nearest structure. We repeat, there is a state of emergency in the state of Texas.”


“And we’re back. For those just tuning in, there has been what appears to be a zombie outbreak in Houston, Texas. The President has declared a state of emergency in the state. Residents are being asked to stay in their homes or seek shelter in a building.”

[texican]

Zombies in Texas.

War is on. Texans will stand up and start putting the Zs down. Only head shots fix the problem. Another big item is landfill compactors with the sheep feet which would pulverize the Zs, but the cab has to be protected.

Tanks with chain flayers would also be appropriate offensive weapons.

GT, feel free to steal.

Texican....

[papaof2]

tex,

Maybe tanks with flamethrowers? If you burn them away from the neck down, they'll be much easier to avoid ;-)

[geekyteacher]

Good suggestions from both of you, haha. You're clearly the zombie experts here

9:00 PM

“This is KTRK. The President will be speaking any minute now about the outbreak in the city. When the President speaks, KTRK will bring the speech to you live. Right now, Press Secretary Craig is still taking questions from the Press Corps. While we wait, we take you to a report from Houston. We have Corporal Jason Turner, a member of the National Guard, explaining the experience he and his squad have had fighting the zombies. We’re speaking to Corporal Turner now."

A tall African-American man appears on screen, “We’ve been fighting these zombie-things for an hour, and we’re winning. My squad was right on Main Street in the thick of the outbreak. We had the riot police form a wall of shields to keep the zombies-things back. They’re pretty resilient SOBs, but all it takes to put them down is one headshot. I think that we’ll…


The screen cuts back to the newsroom.


“We’ll return to Corporal Turner in a minute. We’ve just received word that the President will begin his address from the Oval Office in one minute.”


The screen cuts to President Roberts sitting behind the desk of the Oval Office. His brown hair is starting to grey at the temples. He has deep set eyes with lines around them. He is projecting an air of confidence as he begins speaking,


“My fellow Americans, as many of you have heard, we are dealing with an unprecedented crisis in Houston. At approximately 6:00 PM it was reported that riots were occurring in the city. My Administration has responded by sending troops into the city to deal with the situation. Our brave men and women in uniform have reported that these zombies are easily dispatched with a single shot to the head, and they believe the situation will be under control shortly. We have also taken the step of declaring a State of Emergency within Texas. Additionally, the Joint Chiefs have been authorized to respond with all appropriate force to put an end to this outbreak. We will do everything we can to prevent these creatures from spreading beyond the city. If the zombies spread beyond Houston, we are prepared to stop the spread by any means necessary. I promise each and every American this: no matter what happens, you can sleep soundly knowing that we will be able to overcome this crisis.


“This is a moment in history that we have never seen before. While we don’t know the cause of this outbreak or the extent of it, we as Americans are ready to take on any challenge. We’ve never backed down before, and we won’t back down now. We send our prayers to the people of Houston. I recommend all Americans be prepared to help those who have been affected by this terrible tragedy. We will come together as a country and we will defeat these creatures.

9:30 PM

“That was President Roberts speaking about his Administration’s response to the crisis in Houston. To discuss the President’s speech, we have Larry Lynch back on the phone along with renowned Political Scientist Marco Lorenz. Thank you for joining us tonight, gentleman.”


“Good to be back, Raymond.”


“Thank you for having us tonight.”


“So, what did you think of the President’s speech? We’ll start with you, Larry.”


“I thought that it followed what we’ve seen from the Roberts Administration over the past two years. He’s a very measured man and his administration has taken a more cautious approach to major national events. It makes sense because his predecessor was known for being much more gung-ho in his responses. I also thought it was interesting that President Roberts kept mostly to recapping the events that have happened tonight. Except for the end of the speech, there wasn’t much addressing the President’s policies moving forward.”


“Marco, what do you think?”


“In all honesty Raymond, I felt like the President’s response was seriously lacking. I feel like what the nation needs right now is a real vision and real leadership. We’ve seen from this President that he’s more willing to take a wait and see approach when the nation is directionless. If I were President Roberts, I would’ve presented a bold vision. We’re dealing with what sounds like a potential zombie outbreak in a major American city. If that’s not the time for bold action from this administration, then I don’t know what is, and I wonder when this President is actually going to step up and do what’s necessary for the country.”


“Larry, how do you respond to Marco?”


“While I think that Marco makes some good points, what the country needs is a measured response,”


“With all due respect, Larry, how is this the time for a measured response? We have something out of a science fiction novel. That doesn’t sound like the time to be cautious, it sounds like the time to do something bold.”


“But is it a very good idea to do something bold when there’s so little that we know about what’s happening in Houston? It’s better to be cautious and try and keep the zombie outbreak contained then it is to go gung-ho and potentially make mistakes. That was the problem that we had with the last Administration. They acted first before they had all the facts and led us into many avoidable situations.”


“I won’t try to defend the last Administration because I think they made a lot of mistakes. But I will say that this Administration shouldn’t be so afraid of going down the road of the previous one that they don’t take the kind of action that the country is calling out for.”


“Gentleman, I appreciate your spirited responses. What actions would you suggest that President Roberts take instead? Marco, you’ve been of the opinion that the President isn’t doing enough, so why don’t you start us off?”


“Thanks, Raymond. If I were the President, the first thing I would do would be to fire everyone on my team who thought that it was a good idea to take this wait-and-see approach to everything. Then I’d send out troops to basically rope off the Texas border. Forget about, ‘Let’s hope it doesn’t spread further,’ and actually take action to make sure that it doesn’t spread further. After that, I’d create a national zombie response team. That way if any of these things show up anywhere else, we’ll be prepared to take them on.”


“Larry, what do you think about Marco’s suggestions?”


“Well let’s start off with his suggestion that we basically cut off an entire state. That seems to be just a tad bit too extreme to me. We know nothing about where these zombies come from or what causes it, so why would we shut down an entire state when that might do absolutely nothing. If you ask me, this is the problem with the shoot first, ask questions later philosophy that Marco is espousing. If I were the President or someone in his Cabinet, I would suggest that we do exactly what he’s been doing: a measured and appropriate response.”


“How can you say that when we’re dealing with what could possibly be the most unprecedented crisis of our nation’s history? Haven’t you watched a single zombie movie? If we wait-and-see, we could all be dead,”


“I’d like to remind you that those movies are just fiction. In reality, we know nothing about the physiology of these creatures, we know extraordinarily little about their behavior, and we’ve had no reports of it beyond Texas. I would be willing to bet money with you that you’re exaggerating quite a bit when it comes to the extent of this problem. Besides, don’t you think the people of Texas find it to be a huge infringement of their rights if President Roberts starts sending troops to enforce total lockdowns? We’ve seen before how the state has responded to those sorts of attempted infringements and they haven’t been pretty. Not to mention that Roberts was the first Democrat to win the state since 1976 and if he were to take the action you suggested, he’d surely lose the state in the next election.”


“Are you really talking about electoral statistics when we’re dealing with a potential apocalypse? I’d much rather we overreact now so we can look back on this and think ‘Wow, did we take this too seriously?’ versus your suggestion that we just wait and hope that nothing happens. That’s the perfect recipe for those of us who are left to look back on this and wish that we’d done more when we had the chance.”


“I hate to cut you two off during this spirited discussion, but we need to move on to our next report out of Texas. Thank you both for your time.”


“Of course.”


“It was a pleasure.”


“That was Larry Lynch and Marco Lorenz with their responses to President Roberts’ speech about the zombie outbreak in Houston, Texas. For anyone just tuning in, the President just spoke about his Administration’s plan to deal with the outbreak. As of our last report, the National Guard and the Texas Rangers are working to respond to zombies in Houston. We now return to Corporal Turner of the Texas Rangers with his report on the situation in Houston from before the speech.”


The screen cuts back to Corporal Turner, “I think that we’ll have them licked within the hour.”


“You sound very confident. How do you know that you’ve truly wiped out a zombie?”


“Well it’s just like the movies. You just have to aim for the head. The only problem is that we’re trained to aim for center-mass, so it takes a second to remember not to aim at the body because those shots do nothing. And sometimes you think you got one of the suckers in the head, but it turns out you only grazed him. You need to get a clean shot right through the head if you want to take one of them down. When they go down and stop moving, then you know that you’re good.”


“Corporal Turner, what do you think about the military’s ability to contain these zombies?”


“I think we should be able to keep them under control no problem. They move slow and they make for easy targets. The only advantage they really have are numbers, and we’ve been taking them out like nobody’s business. Like I said before, I think we have them under control and they’ll be wiped out within the hour.”


“That was Corporal Jason Turner explaining the situation in the downtown Houston area. It sounds like the soldiers are successfully wiping out the zombies. Taking a look at our helicopter footage from the streets, it appears that the zombie horde is dwindling. We here at KTRK will continue to provide you live coverage as we learn it. Stay tuned.”

[texican]

Corporal Turner: Like I said before, I think we have them under control and they’ll be wiped out within the hour.”

Could Corporal Turner have commented too early? Probably, but are there Z's in other areas of Houston. GT will show us.

Texican....

[geekyteacher]

10:00 PM

“Disturbing news coming in. There are reports of zombie sightings in the suburbs surrounding Houston. While these reports are unconfirmed, if they are true then it suggests that the military has been unable to contain these zombies. If these reports are true, does that mean that the outbreak is expanding, and if that’s true then who knows where zombies will appear next?


“We’ve received reports from the suburbs that zombie attacks have been confirmed. These reports come from areas surrounding Houston, and there are reports of small hordes of zombies. We bring you audio from a phone call to 911 from the suburbs by a concerned citizen. We warn you that this phone call could be considered disturbing:


“Hello 911, what’s your emergency?”


“We need help right away! Our house is surrounded by zombies!”


“How many zombies?”


“I don’t know. There’s probably about ten or twenty. I don’t know exactly.”


“What is your location?”


“We’re at 3278 Sycamore St. Please, send someone quickly! I can hear them banging on the windows and doors of the house!”


“Someone will be there as soon as possible. Take shelter on a higher floor and try to create a barrier between yourself and the zombies.”


“We’ll do that, but please make sure someone gets here quickly!”


There are sounds of breaking glass and a woman screaming as the call ends abruptly.


“That’s the end of the call. Highly concerning. Hopefully someone was able to help the woman in the call. There have been many other reports of 911 calls about the same topic in the suburbs surrounding Houston. Most of them report small amounts of zombies between ten-thirty; however, some have reported hordes of up to fifty. If you are in the Houston suburbs, please stay inside your home and call 911. Do not attempt to engage zombies by yourself, except as a last resort.


“With more information about what to do in case of a zombie attack, we have FEMA Director Laura Rickards and CDC Assistant Director Christopher Macleoud. I imagine you’re both very busy, so thank you for taking the time to meet with us tonight.”


“Of course.”


“You’re welcome.”


“Director Rickards, we’ll start with you. What do you recommend for people to stay safe during this crisis?”


“FEMA recommends people treat this like any other dangerous situation. The first thing people need to do is come up with a plan of action. Think about what you are going to do to survive this situation. For everyone in the area, that should be sheltering on a higher floor of your home and attempting to create a barrier between yourself and the zombies. If zombies can’t reach you, then you’re safe from them. Effective barriers include anything heavy, such as a desk or a bookshelf. We also recommend using items that are hard to climb over as video footage of zombies has shown that they have limited coordination or motor skills. Finally, we recommend that if you have a weapon on hand, keep it nearby and ready to use. There’s a possibility that 911 may not be able to respond to calls for help immediately due to the high number of calls that they’re receiving.


“Are there any other steps people should take?”


“It’s important to remain calm. In a situation like this, one of the biggest mistakes you can make is panicking. I know that’s easier said than done when we’re dealing with something that previously only existed in works of fiction, but just take a deep breath to reset your nerves and then make a plan and follow through on it. The last thing is to take advantage of the weaknesses we’ve already observed. These zombies have shown limited, if any, capability to think. Use that to your advantage by setting up obstacles to slow zombies down, or use natural chokepoints in your home to funnel the zombies into a trap.”


“Assistant Director Macleoud, your thoughts?”


“The CDC has always recommended being prepared for any emergency with a plan and a preparedness kit. For everyone who’s not in lockdown, we recommend taking this time to put together a kit now so it’ll be ready in case whatever causes this spreads.”


“What do you recommend people have in their preparedness kits?”


“We recommend people have the survival essentials - enough water and canned food to last for three days for each member of the house, a manual can-opener, a flashlight, a first-aid kit with all the essentials like bandages, gloves, and face-masks, medications, sanitary items, sleeping bags and blankets for everyone in the house, a cell phone and charger, and anything else they think might be useful for making it through a disaster.”


“Some good recommendations there. What about for people already under lockdown?


“People in lockdown now should be trying to put together what they can from the supplies that they have. And they should know the CDC is doing everything in our power to identify the cause of this outbreak and, if possible, start to develop a cure for it.”


“Thanks to you both for speaking with us.”


“Thank you, Raymond.”


“It was a pleasure.”


“That was FEMA Director Laura Rickards and CDC Assistant Director Christopher Macleoud speaking with us about what you can do if you’re currently locked down in Texas. KTRK will continue to bring you the news as it breaks about this outbreak.”

[texican]

gt,

Zombies here and there and elsewhere.

The story expands.

Thanks for the chapter.

Texican...

[geekyteacher]

10:30 PM

“Zombies have now been reported in the Austin and Dallas areas. Governor Park and President Roberts have responded by declaring a lockdown of the state of Texas. This means no one is allowed to leave or enter the state. Additionally, residents are not allowed to leave their homes for anything other than essential activities, such as grocery shopping or urgent medical emergencies. The President has also called the army and coast guard to patrol the borders of the state to prevent the zombie infection from spreading beyond Texas.


“To discuss the President’s lockdown order, we have Senator Ryan McDaniels and Representative Joseph Krause. Gentlemen, thank you for joining us at this late hour.”


“It’s great to be speaking with you tonight, Raymond.”


“Yes, it’s good to be here.”


“Let’s start with you, Senator. What do you think of the President’s decision to lockdown the state of Texas in response to this zombie outbreak?”


“Well I just want to start by saying that my heart goes out to everyone who has been affected by this terrible tragedy. But I feel the President has gone too far with this order. He’s basically made the citizens of Texas prisoners in their own homes, including citizens who aren’t even affected by these zombies or whatever they are. That’s not how things work in the America that I know and love. In the America I know and love people have freedoms,”


“Excuse me, but are you really trying to pull out the ‘what about freedom?’ card in the middle of this unprecedented event? We’re dealing with zombies and you’re wanting people to be able to go out on the streets.”


“Do we have any proof that these are actually zombies? I’ve heard nothing other than hearsay.”


“Haven’t you seen the multiple videos of corpses re-animating? What else could it be other than zombies?”


“Excuse me, gentlemen, let’s try to keep to the question at hand. I was asking you about the President’s response, so let’s keep focused on that. Senator, please continue.”


“Thank you, Raymond. As I was saying, I believe the President needs to seriously reconsider this decision. Or at the very least he needs to make it abundantly clear to the American people that this order will be rescinded as soon as the crisis is over. There are already too many infringements on people’s rights, and the last thing we need is another one.”


“Representative Krause, your response.”


“I think the President is taking an appropriate and reasonable response. As I said, we’re dealing with an unprecedented event in our history. We’ve seen that these zombies are dangerous and they spread through bites, so if we keep people off the streets then it makes it much safer for everyone. Additionally, to respond to the Senator’s point, the President made no indication that this was anything other than a temporary measure. If he were really trying to take away people’s freedoms, why would he consult with the governor first?”


“How do we know the governor wasn’t strong-armed into agreeing? It wouldn’t be the first time that this President tried to force others to do something that they didn’t want.”


“Before we get into another argument, I’ve got to interrupt with some breaking news: There are reports of zombies across urban areas in Texas now, stretching from Houston to San Antonio to El Paso. This has been confirmed with multiple pieces of video evidence.


The screen cuts to multiple videos of large hordes of zombies gathered at buildings and shuffling through the streets.


“Gentlemen, how do you respond to this new information? Representative Krause, we’ll start with you.”


“I’d say that this confirms the wisdom of the President’s lockdown order. We’re already seeing these zombies spreading beyond Houston. Until we can eliminate them, we need to be keeping people off the streets so that the military can do their job.”


“Senator McDaniels, your response?”


“I would say that the President got lucky, just like he always does, but his luck will run out sooner or later.”


“Alright, well that’s all the time we’ve got for right now. Thank you for meeting with us tonight, gentlemen.”


“You’re welcome.”


“Thank you for having us.”

“For all residents of those cities, we at KTRK are praying for you, and we hope that you will be safe during this trying time. While there are no hard numbers, it is estimated that there are thousands of zombies currently in the state, and an untold number of people who’ve lost their lives. KTRK will continue to bring you live updates in Houston as they come.”

[texican]

GT,

So lock down Texas with the longest borders and state lines in America.

Now why didn't the governor tell all of the Texas citizens to arm up and take out the zombies with head shots before it gets out of hand.

Thanks for the chapter.

Texican....

[geekyteacher]

11:00 PM

“We now bring you an update from Houston. According to the National Guard and Texas Rangers, the zombie threat has been eliminated in the downtown area. Our view from the news helicopter confirms that the horde has been reduced to just a few stragglers who are being taken out by the troops on the street. Troops are now being dispatched to areas surrounding downtown to continue to wipe out remaining hordes of zombies. If you are in need of assistance, call the special zombie hotline [phone].


“To give us more information about what’s happening on the ground here in Houston, we have Mayor Anthony Edwards. Mayor Edwards, it’s good to have you.”


“Thank you, glad to be here.”


“What have you seen happening here in Houston?”


“What I’ve seen are the brave men and women of our armed forces doing an outstanding job. It was estimated we had up to a thousand zombies, maybe more, and they were wiped out in a couple of hours. It really shows the true Texan spirit seeing these soldiers who are willing to go in against an unknown enemy. We’re currently cleaning up downtown, and I expect people will be able to come out of their homes shortly.”


“What about in the suburbs? What’s happening there?”


“Right now the suburbs are still infested, but the military is sending troops to start clearing them out. The only problem we’ve encountered so far is that the suburbs are so spread out that it’s easier for zombies to avoid detection. Our estimates are that the suburbs will be cleared by morning, if not earlier.”


“How do you think Houston will be affected by this outbreak?”


“I know that the people of Houston are strong, and we’ll be able to bounce back from this just like we’ve bounced back from hurricanes and tropical storms.”


“Don’t you feel this is a bit different from a natural disaster?”


“While they’re not exactly the same thing, Houstonians will bring the same strength that they’ve shown before to this crisis. That’s a statement that I’ll stand by come hell or high water or even zombies.”


“Do you think there will be longer lasting consequences for Houston compared to other disasters?”


“I can’t say for sure because we don’t know enough about what caused these zombies to appear in the first place. But the troops have shown that they can take out a horde of these creatures in a couple hours, so I think we’ll be able to keep the city under control.”


“And do you think the Governor and the President should lift the lockdown on Houston now that things in the city appear to be under control?”


“Governor Park and President Roberts both spoke with me before they made the decision. I agree with them that it was necessary, and they both said it will be lifted when we all agree that it’s no longer necessary.”


“Thank you for taking the time to speak with us, Mayor Edwards.”


“Of course.”


“While Houston sounds like it may be under control, other areas of Texas are still reporting large numbers of zombies. For those of you who are in one of these affected areas, remember there’s a lockdown in place, so citizens are required to remain indoors until it’s lifted. We also remind everyone to take shelter on a high floor and create barricades from items in your home or apartment to stay safe from zombies.”

11:30 PM

“Breaking news: The CDC has reported that they’ve discovered the cause of the zombie outbreak. After examining several corpses of zombies, the CDC reports that zombie-ism is caused by a previously unknown virus, which they have dubbed CR-131. According to the CDC report, the virus is responsible for re-animating the dead body into a zombie. After a person has re-animated, the only way they can be dispatched is with a shot to the head that destroys the brain. It appears the virus is spread primarily through bites; however, it can also spread through contact with infected bodily fluids and tissues, such as blood or brain tissue.. All citizens are advised to take all appropriate precautions against this virus. That includes: staying inside, creating a barrier to prevent zombies from reaching you, and not harboring infected relatives.


“We now bring you renowned epidemiologist from the CDC, Dr. Sarah Gil. Thank you for joining us tonight, Dr. Gil.”


“I’m glad to be here.”


“Is there any precedent to a disease like CR-131?”


“In over thirty years of studying infectious diseases, I’ve never seen one that can re-animate the dead. If you’d told me six hours ago that I’d be discussing that tonight, I’d have thought you were crazy. So I would say in terms of human diseases, this is totally without precedent. It’s outside my area of expertise, but I have heard of fungi that can control the minds of insects and make them do strange things. However, I don’t know if that’s any precedent for what we’re seeing in Texas.”


“Do you believe that the virus will be able to spread outside of Texas?”


“I can’t say with one-hundred percent certainty since we’ve only known of this virus’ existence for about half an hour. However, I will say that this virus appears to have chosen a very inefficient means of spreading itself. Bites and infected tissues require the victim to be very close, which makes it easy to avoid infection if one takes a few steps such as the ones that you recommended earlier. That makes me think that if we can prevent the spread of the disease in Texas, it should be easier to contain than other diseases that spread through the air or water or animal transmission.”


“What have you discovered about the disease in your research?”


“One thing I will say is that while it’s inefficient at spreading itself, this disease is highly lethal. We tested a few samples on lab animals and all the subjects who were injected with the disease died. While we can’t say for sure if it’s the same with humans, it does appear that once someone is infected with the disease, the only way to prevent re-animation is to destroy the brain of the infected individual, or to completely dispose of the body by means such as cremation. We’ve also found that depending on how the virus is introduced to the body appears to affect the amount of time it takes for the disease to fully manifest.”


“You mentioned injecting the disease into animals. Did they re-animate the way humans appear to?”


“No, there was no sign of re-animation in other animals.”


“You also mentioned that the virus can take longer to manifest depending on how it’s introduced. What do you mean by that?”


“When we were conducting our tests, we found that animals directly injected died much more quickly than the ones that were only exposed to infected materials like brain tissue. This would seem to suggest that bites are more effective at spreading the disease and allow it to access the victim’s internal systems faster than being exposed in other ways. However, both of them are equally deadly and eventually re-animate into zombies.”


“This is a question that’s on my mind and I’m sure it’s on the minds of our viewers too. Is the CDC currently working on a cure for CR-131?”


“Before we can properly begin work on a cure, we need to do more research to properly understand the virus. There are so many factors that go into creating a vaccine that works, and we’re still in the very early stages of even understanding what we’re dealing with. But I want everyone who’s watching and listening to know that we’re working around the clock to create a vaccine and that the CDC will distribute it to the people as soon as it’s available.”


“Thank you for your insight, Dr. Gil. Is there anything else the CDC has to say to the people of Texas and the nation?”


“We at the CDC recommend that the people in Texas follow the instructions provided by FEMA and the other agencies giving instructions during this trying time. And for the people of the nation, keep giving in support of the people of Texas. During a time of hardship, it’s important that we pull together as Americans and do everything we can to help our fellow citizens, especially the ones being directly affected by this tragedy.”


“Thank you, Dr. Gil. I hope you have a good night.”


“Thank you. You too, Raymond.”

[texican]

gt,

Now where did the CR-131 zombie virus come from?

Still no release of those with firearms to start taking out the Z's.

.gov stupidity continues.

Thanks for the chapter.

Texican....

[papaof2]

"CR" China Release?

[eyeseetwo]

More please.

[geekyteacher]

12:00 AM

“It has now been six hours since the beginning of the zombie outbreak in Houston. We here at KTRK are dedicated to staying on the air to bring you the news as it breaks about this ongoing crisis. We will continue reporting until the situation has been resolved.



“We now have some breaking news, Governor Park and President Roberts have announced that they will be creating zombie safe zones within the state. When the lockdown is lifted, the Governor and President recommend all citizens who are able move to a safe zone as quickly as possible. Galveston has been designated as a safe zone for Eastern Texas, Austin has been designated as the Central Texas safe zone, and Amarillo has been designated as the safe zone for Western Texas. As more areas are cleared, the government will extend the safe zones. Any individuals who are not able to make it safely to a safe zone are advised to continue sheltering in place until the military is able to clear your area. Governor Park is predicting that this could take upwards of twenty-four to forty-eight hours to bring the situation under control. To help any citizens in those areas watching this broadcast, we will have the information on safe zones available at the bottom of the screen at all times.



“Governor Park is preparing to give a speech, where it is expected he will lift the lockdown for Houston. We bring you his speech live now,”



The screen cuts to Governor Park. He is a man of average build and height. He has expressive light brown eyes and his short, curly, brown hair is un-styled.



“My fellow Texans, I speak to you at a time of great trial and tribulation for our state. We have faced something that would’ve sounded impossible just this morning. But we Texans are strong, the strongest around in fact, and we don’t let anything stand in our way. I’ve seen so many great Texans in the National Guard and Texas Rangers step up to protect the state and the people they love so dearly.



“Earlier this evening, with the approval of President Roberts, we placed the state of Texas under lockdown to protect our citizens during this outbreak. Thanks to the swift action of the military, I am able to proudly lift the lockdown for Houston. This means that citizens of that city may leave their homes. I still recommend citizens exercise extreme caution if you decide to leave your home. If you spot any zombies, report them on the zombie tracker app or call or text 1-800-559-2020.”



“I have authorized the military to guide people to the designated safe zones that have been established throughout the state. Each city in the state will be evacuated to one of these zones. They will provide people with food, protection, and shelter for the remainder of this crisis. I urge everyone to cooperate with the soldiers who are evacuating cities so that we can have a smooth and orderly evacuation.”



“That was Governor Park speaking about lifting the lockdown from Houston and the evacuation plan for residents of that city.”

[texican]

gt,

Something to ponder.

Amarillo is not an accessible location for West Texas nor is Austin for Central Texas or Galveston for Eastern Texas due to the distance that people would have to travel including availability of fuel to make the long trips and food and lodging for the millions that would be expected to arrive.

These camps would be a feeding frenzy and breeding ground for the zombies.

Still no word from .gov about the millions of citizens taking out the zombies.

If a person is rural, they would be better protected by staying home and defending themselves.

Thanks for the chapter.

Texican....

[papaof2]

tex,

No one ever said the .gov would do things intelligently.

Save those last X bullets to keep them from taking you and your family to the camp...

You do have the ingredients for thermite so you can ensure the destruction of your supplies in that event?

[spazzy]

Just found this, I like it! Hope there is more soon.

[geekyteacher]

Tex - You make some good points, but like papaof2 said, the government may not be handling this the best (surprise, surprise)

1:00 AM

“We’re receiving updates from around the state. In San Antonio, military leaders are reporting a massive swarm that dwarves what was seen in Houston. According to the leaders, additional reinforcements will be sent to help the soldiers who are fighting the zombies. Despite these larger swarms, the defenders are holding strong.”



The screen shows an aerial shot of the city with swarms of zombies advancing toward a line of soldiers. A closer shot replaces the aerial shot, showing soldiers firing at zombies. Like in Houston, improvised barricades are being used to hold the zombies back. There’s a close-up shot of a soldier shooting a zombie in the head.



“Meanwhile, El Paso is reporting smaller swarms than in San Antonio, closer in size to the ones seen in Houston; however, the military has fewer troops than in Houston, and the soldiers are at risk of being overrun. They haven’t reached our studios yet.”



The screen now shows a different scene. Soldiers are firing desperately at zombies that are approaching them; however, there are too many of them. For every zombie that is taken down, two more take its place. Soldiers scream in fear as the swarm gets closer and closer. Some turn and run in terror.



“KTRK will continue to report on it as the situation unfolds. While the situation looks grim, we believe that the soldiers will succeed in overcoming the zombie swarm. All of us at KTRK wish all of our soldiers the best of luck.”

2:00 AM

“According to reports, large numbers of people are currently leaving Houston for Galveston. All roads out of the city are backed up with thousands of cars. There are thousands more who are leaving the city by bike, foot, or any other means of transportation they can acquire. The governor has Citizens who are able are advised to head to the nearest safe zone once lockdown is lifted. These locations will offer safety and supplies for all citizens. The military is assisting with the evacuation to ensure it is safe and orderly.



“Meanwhile, according to military leaders, the situation in El Paso has deteriorated further and it has fallen to the zombies. We bring you this footage from the city, brought to you by our sister station in El Paso.”



The screen shows images of people desperately fighting against zombies. Some turn and run away from the oncoming horde. A zombie grabs a fleeing citizen by her ponytail and pulls her back towards its rotting mouth.



“KTRK pays respects to all the brave soldiers who fought against the zombie horde to protect El Paso. President Roberts has stated that all active military troops stationed in Texas will be deployed to El Paso immediately to re-take the city. President Roberts was quoted as saying ‘We won’t abandon one inch of this country to this zombie menace.’ We at KTRK can only hope that the President is successful. We will stay on air until the crisis has subsided.”

[NCWEBNUT]

Ok why aren't they just running over the zeds with M1 Abrams tanks with a mine frail on the front? LOL

[texican]

Aug 24, 2021 10:08:02 GMT -6 NCWEBNUT said:

Ok why aren't they just running over the zeds with M1 Abrams tanks with a mine frail on the front? LOL

Or use a sheep foot trash compactor roller with added protection.

Texican....