Matt asked.
"Leave that to me." David said. He went over to one of the large desks and turned the power onto the computer. The screen flashed to life, casting an eerie glow across David's face.
"What are you doing?" Matt asked.
"I'm accessing the schools database. I can get a printout of all locker combinations."
"How do you know how to do that?"
David smiled up at them. "I was an office assistant. I used the system everyday." He turned back to the computer. "Besides, computer's are my Thing. "
He waited a moment while the system booted before his fingers began to move rapidly across the keyboard.
"Got it." The printer on the small table beside him kicked to life, and began rapidly printing out the information displayed on the screen.
"Where would we be without you?" Zack asked. David smiled with pride.
"Try and log onto the 'net." Matt suggested.
David clicked the appropriate icon and after several seconds an UNABLE TO CONNECT message popped up.
"No good. It's down."
"Lets get checking those lockers." Zack said.
They began at the lockers just outside the main office. It took them fifteen tries, but at last they found a radio. A small transistor tucked up on the top shelf of the locker. Matt pulled it down and turned the power knob. White noise burst through the speakers. He turned the dial up and down the FM band. Every station carried the whistle of the Emergency Broadcast System. AM was the same thing.
"At least they’re sending a signal." Zack said. "They have set broadcast times."
"Let's get back down to the shelter." Matt said.
They moved quickly, Zack leading, David in the middle and Matt bringing up the rear. Back into the storage room, and down the stairs to the sealed pressure door. Zack banged the pre-arranged signal with the palm of his hand and a few seconds later the door opened, and Frank stood pointing his rifle at them.
"That was quick." Frank said.
"Thanks to David. We'd still be up there knocking our heads together if he hadn't been with us." Zack clapped his shoulder again, and recounted the tale to Frank while he closed and sealed the door.
"Good work, son." Frank said, smiling at his boy.
The radio signal became garbled with static as the door was sealed, but still audible. After they had descended the ladder and were back into the main shelter, the reception was almost nothing.
"Is that all you can pick up on that thing?" Frank asked.
"Every station up and down both bands." Matt said. "And with this shitty reception, we'll be lucky of we pick up the transmission when they do broadcast."
"Dad you should have seen all of those things out there." David's voice was filled with disgust.
"How many were there?" Frank asked.
"I didn't get an exact count but there was at least twenty. Just on the front lawn."
"Jesus." muttered Frank.
"It's like we were saying earlier. There's more and more of them every day. And we're just waiting in here to die." Zack said solemnly. They all remained silent, hanging on Zack’s words…
Chapter 4
Thursday, June 21, 2001
Salt Lake City, UT
10:13 AM
Four days had passed, the four longest days of all their lives. They did little besides eat, sleep, and huddle around the radio, listening through the static for change in the Emergency Broadcast System which continually looped the conditions of martial law, turning in the sick and dead, and established rescue stations.
It was on the fifth day that the power went out. They had been huddled around the radio, as usual, a breakfast of soup and water in their hands when the lights flickered and went out, plunging the room into darkness.
"Oh shit." Frank muttered. "I knew the power would go out eventually."
"Where is the flashlight?" David's voice came from the darkness.
"I got it. Just a minute." Matt said. He fumbled under his bed and found the flashlight. The beam sliced the darkness, casting all of their faces in shadows.
"What are we going to do?" Sharon asked. "How are we going to get
"Leave that to me." David said. He went over to one of the large desks and turned the power onto the computer. The screen flashed to life, casting an eerie glow across David's face.
"What are you doing?" Matt asked.
"I'm accessing the schools database. I can get a printout of all locker combinations."
"How do you know how to do that?"
David smiled up at them. "I was an office assistant. I used the system everyday." He turned back to the computer. "Besides, computer's are my Thing. "
He waited a moment while the system booted before his fingers began to move rapidly across the keyboard.
"Got it." The printer on the small table beside him kicked to life, and began rapidly printing out the information displayed on the screen.
"Where would we be without you?" Zack asked. David smiled with pride.
"Try and log onto the 'net." Matt suggested.
David clicked the appropriate icon and after several seconds an UNABLE TO CONNECT message popped up.
"No good. It's down."
"Lets get checking those lockers." Zack said.
They began at the lockers just outside the main office. It took them fifteen tries, but at last they found a radio. A small transistor tucked up on the top shelf of the locker. Matt pulled it down and turned the power knob. White noise burst through the speakers. He turned the dial up and down the FM band. Every station carried the whistle of the Emergency Broadcast System. AM was the same thing.
"At least they’re sending a signal." Zack said. "They have set broadcast times."
"Let's get back down to the shelter." Matt said.
They moved quickly, Zack leading, David in the middle and Matt bringing up the rear. Back into the storage room, and down the stairs to the sealed pressure door. Zack banged the pre-arranged signal with the palm of his hand and a few seconds later the door opened, and Frank stood pointing his rifle at them.
"That was quick." Frank said.
"Thanks to David. We'd still be up there knocking our heads together if he hadn't been with us." Zack clapped his shoulder again, and recounted the tale to Frank while he closed and sealed the door.
"Good work, son." Frank said, smiling at his boy.
The radio signal became garbled with static as the door was sealed, but still audible. After they had descended the ladder and were back into the main shelter, the reception was almost nothing.
"Is that all you can pick up on that thing?" Frank asked.
"Every station up and down both bands." Matt said. "And with this shitty reception, we'll be lucky of we pick up the transmission when they do broadcast."
"Dad you should have seen all of those things out there." David's voice was filled with disgust.
"How many were there?" Frank asked.
"I didn't get an exact count but there was at least twenty. Just on the front lawn."
"Jesus." muttered Frank.
"It's like we were saying earlier. There's more and more of them every day. And we're just waiting in here to die." Zack said solemnly. They all remained silent, hanging on Zack’s words…
Chapter 4
Thursday, June 21, 2001
Salt Lake City, UT
10:13 AM
Four days had passed, the four longest days of all their lives. They did little besides eat, sleep, and huddle around the radio, listening through the static for change in the Emergency Broadcast System which continually looped the conditions of martial law, turning in the sick and dead, and established rescue stations.
It was on the fifth day that the power went out. They had been huddled around the radio, as usual, a breakfast of soup and water in their hands when the lights flickered and went out, plunging the room into darkness.
"Oh shit." Frank muttered. "I knew the power would go out eventually."
"Where is the flashlight?" David's voice came from the darkness.
"I got it. Just a minute." Matt said. He fumbled under his bed and found the flashlight. The beam sliced the darkness, casting all of their faces in shadows.
"What are we going to do?" Sharon asked. "How are we going to get
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