by James Mapes
To:
Council
Leadership Collective
Census Committee
Full Distribution List
Subject:
Monthly Radio Report (Oct, 2047)
Welcome to the Monthly Report by Bunker NW 2, care of your local Comms Department (sub-level 4 – open during business hours – come say hi!). We’ve widened our distribution list for some important news (see below!), and we hope you’ll bear with us as we quickly recap some raw statistics. As all of you are aware, this remains a very fraught time, and we believe that the following data continues to bear this out.
DATA SUMMARY:
Since previous report, we have lost contact with the following bunkers:
10.2.47: NE.14 – termination of signal ping – no follow-up
10.7.47: NE.93 – loss of coherence – only static on frequency, suspected equipment short
10.23.47: NW.42 (Alderwood 4) – termination of signal ping – no follow-up
10.24.47: NW.12 – termination of signal during transmission – no follow up
NOTE: It seems pertinent to include a portion of the raw transcript from NW.12’s latest broadcast. The full transcripts are available in the Comms Office (sub-level 4 – please note: business hours only).
NW.12 TRANSMISSION 10.24.47 TRANSCRIPT:
0340 hours (BEGIN TRANSCRIPT)
Urgent – it has figured out how to get into the air-exchange vents, through the filters. We don’t know how. Once inside, it’s re-assembling itself, somehow. All weapons are useless. We’re closing off sections and attempting to contain. We think this explains the loss of bunkers to the north and west of us. We’ll try to escape to the south. Seal yourselves in! You have to –
0341 hours (END TRANSCRIPT)
NOTE: Please see analysis in the following section
NOTE: Since previous report, we have been unable to re-establish communication with the following bunkers, which had previously demonstrated communications abilities:
SE.71
SE.32 (Pittsburgh)
SW.1
SW.3
NE.16 (Cleveland)
NW.5
NW.6
NW.9
NW.14
NW.39 (Alderwood 1)
NW.40 (Alderwood 2)
NW.41 (Alderwood 3)
Since previous report, we have not established any new communications partners.
Given these changes, the number of bunkers with which we are engaged in active communication is now:
0
ANALYSIS:
We have forwarded the transcript of NW.12 to the pertinent authorities in-bunker, to aid in defensive planning. We have also continued re-transmission of the transcript and our own warning on all known radio frequencies. As noted above, we have not received any reply to these messages.
Given these developments and the transmission from NW.12, we are also in the process of updating our Threat Ability And Assessment Report. A separate report will be issued when that process is complete.
The conclusion of this department is that we are in a new and extremely dangerous phase of our struggle for survival. While we recognize that the Comms Department is included in neither the council nor the leadership collective of the bunker’s organizational chart, we believe that we should all stand up in desperate times and do our best to help. To that end, we have forwarded this report to the full departmental contact list. If you’re wondering why you’re seeing this report, it’s because we feel that it is of the utmost urgency for everyone to see the raw data. (And greetings! We hope this won’t need to be a monthly occurrence!)
OTHER BUSINESS:
Since previous report, by request, this department has investigated means of re-establishing communication with other bunkers around the world (see: Council Minutes, 10.16.47).
The conclusions of the technical report of March of last year on the subject of re-establishing satellite communications remain the opinion of this department. With additional analysis, we continue to believe that attempting to rebuild our surface-based satellite dish network in present conditions will present significant and immediate risk to the entire bunker. While it is difficult to determine how thoroughly our surface-level communications facilities were destroyed in May 2041, it seems likely (given the enemy’s capabilities) that they are a total loss. Furthermore, this department believes that our bunker has, regrettably, lost the technological ability to launch new satellites, especially given the probable destruction of the bunker’s launch pad and facilities in that same attack. Beyond just the physical structures, our diminished numbers, resources, and the recent loss of engineering expertise would prove to be additional, nigh-insurmountable obstacles. (Rest in peace, Expedition 12, you continue to be missed.) In summary, we do not believe we have a future on the surface while the enemy maintains its presence.
On a happier note, we are pleased to report that the newest member of our team, Mister Pawsome, is settling in well beneath the now-unnecessary satellite uplink console. The bunker infranet can no longer handle graphics, so you’ll have to come down to sub-level 4 for a visit!
This department was also asked about updating our census data (see: ibid). Unfortunately, given the lack of radio contact with other bunkers (see above), we are unable to supply updated global population numbers, and – given our recent unsuccessful exploratory missions, the lack of transmissions, and the latest, pessimistic news from NW.12 – we must conclude that whatever the number is, it is likely lower than previous estimates, not higher. Regretfully, we must maintain our previous estimates on the official table, though now accompanied by an asterisk denoting “not enough information.”
Finally, on a personal note, this department would like to state that while it may seem like loss of direct radio contact might make it tempting for the Council to eliminate the resource cost of maintaining this department and its personnel, we believe that continued staffing and monitoring is absolutely paramount. This department is convinced that radio communication with other bunkers is of the greatest importance. Re-establishing contact with even a single bunker within radio line-of-sight may allow us to relay to many more. This would allow us to continue growing our knowledge base and improve our threat assessments. This seems particularly important as recent evidence from NW.12 and other sources suggests that the threat is changing its attack vectors. The greatest tragedy that could afflict us would be for one of our fellow bunkers to discover the key to survival and for it to fall on deaf ears.
In our current situation, the unknown can hold more terror than the reality, no matter how terrible the state of the world is. Our lights are dimming, and we stand facing the darkness. To shut our eyes may be tempting, but we risk missing that crucial spark. Knowing that, this department pledges to continue listening until the very end, whenever that may be.
Signing off,
Your comrades in Comms, Sub-Level 4
~
Bio:
James Mapes is a writer, theatrical lighting designer, and board game creator based in Portland, Oregon, United States of America. He has toured the world with theater and dance productions and been published by magazines like Amazing Stories, Every Day Fiction, and in an anthology honoring Ursula K. Le Guin. He lives with his family in a secret library.
Philosophy Note:
I approached this story with several goals. First, and foremost, I attempted to cut out all of the normal sorts of exposition (anything starting with “of course, as we all know…” and the like). Second, I was fascinated by looking at a slow-moving apocalypse from the perspective of those living through it, seeing it coming for them but having nothing but their old habits to fall back on. (I can’t imagine why my mind went there in the years 2025 and 2026.) I’ve always been inspired by classic science fiction, and believe this story is strongest in how the nature of the situation borrows from sci-fi tropes without nailing itself down to any one particular, specific terror.
