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Our Airport Went Into Lockdown. Then People Started Dying · Dr. NoSleep Animations

• 0:03
  Speaker 1: Talk to nicely. Well then, that is unfortunate, said Duncan coolly,
• 0:12
  Speaker 1: staring up at the terminal's departures board. The status of
• 0:15
  Speaker 1: the family's connecting flight to Cleveland had just changed, from
• 0:19
  Speaker 1: check-in open to delayed. But on the bright side, we've
• 0:24
  Speaker 1: got some time to grab a bite to eat before boarding.
• 0:27
  Speaker 1: To Duncan's left, his 15-year-old son Jaden shrugged. Jaden... had
• 0:32
  Speaker 1: in earbuds, and his full attention was on his phone.
• 0:36
  Speaker 1: To Duncan's right, his wife shook her head and sighed.
• 0:40
  Speaker 1: Janet Cooley was straining under the weight of their four-year-old daughter, Haley,
• 0:44
  Speaker 1: who was still feeling sick from their first flight. I
• 0:48
  Speaker 1: just want to get home, Duncan, Janet whispered, adjusting her
• 0:51
  Speaker 1: grip on the girl. And then I need a vacation.
• 0:56
  Speaker 2: Uh, we've just been on vacation, hon. Exactly. Exactly.
• 1:03
  Speaker 1: All around them in the airport terminal. People moved about
• 1:06
  Speaker 1: in tangled lines, passengers hurrying to their gates, to the bathrooms,
• 1:11
  Speaker 1: to grab a cup of coffee and a croissant. The
• 1:14
  Speaker 1: wheels of rolling suitcases rattled and bumped across the tiled floor.
• 1:18
  Speaker 1: Gate agents chatted behind their desks or argued with Karens,
• 1:23
  Speaker 1: while janitors emptied trash cans and airport staff in neon
• 1:27
  Speaker 1: vests pushed elderly travelers in wheelchairs. In her mother's arms,
• 1:32
  Speaker 1: Little Haley began to whine.
• 1:34
  Speaker 2: My tummy hurts. I know, baby, but Mommy's arms are
• 1:39
  Speaker 2: falling asleep. I'll hold her, Janet. Here, honey, I got you.
• 1:44
  Speaker 1: Just as he reached for his daughter, a short man
• 1:47
  Speaker 1: with a gray ponytail and terrible B.O. shoved his way
• 1:50
  Speaker 1: between the husband and wife and shook his fist up
• 1:53
  Speaker 1: at the departure screen.
• 1:56
  Speaker 2: Now that's some bullshit.
• 1:58
  Speaker 1: The ponytailed man shouted. Janet scoffed down at him.
• 2:02
  Speaker 2: Language, sir, please.
• 2:05
  Speaker 1: Cupping a hand over Haley's ear, she looked up at
• 2:07
  Speaker 1: her husband, but Duncan had turned to look up at
• 2:11
  Speaker 1: the screen again, his expression serious. Beneath the flight to Cleveland,
• 2:16
  Speaker 1: the flight to Columbus had also changed to delayed, and
• 2:21
  Speaker 1: the flights to Dallas, to Denver, to Detroit, the whole board,
• 2:25
  Speaker 1: every flight.
• 2:26
  Speaker 2: What the hell even is this shit? There ain't no
• 2:29
  Speaker 2: storms today.
• 2:30
  Speaker 3: Huh.
• 2:31
  Speaker 2: Could just be a technical problem, maybe, Duncan mumbled.
• 2:36
  Speaker 1: He glanced around the terminal, where the paths of passengers
• 2:39
  Speaker 1: were shifting, joining together, like iron filings in a magnetic field,
• 2:44
  Speaker 1: to gather around the mounted screens. Or it could be
• 2:48
  Speaker 1: an ATC ground stop, or... Oh, man, interrupted Teenage Jaden,
• 2:54
  Speaker 1: taking out one earbud and holding up his phone.
• 2:57
  Speaker 2: The airport Wi-Fi stopped working, and I don't have any
• 3:00
  Speaker 2: service all of a sudden. Do you guys?
• 3:04
  Speaker 1: The parents exchanged another heavy look, then moved as one,
• 3:08
  Speaker 1: gathering the family, grabbing their carry-ons, and hurrying off down
• 3:12
  Speaker 1: the terminal. Some crazy Karen in a fur coat had
• 3:15
  Speaker 1: started screaming uncontrollably at the gate agent.
• 3:19
  Speaker 2: Whatever's going on, they better figure it out soon. We
• 3:22
  Speaker 2: are not sleeping in this airport tonight. I'd rather rent
• 3:25
  Speaker 2: a car. That'd be a 12-hour drive, hon.
• 3:28
  Speaker 1: A door banged open on their left. and an airplane
• 3:32
  Speaker 1: technician in coveralls and a reflective vest sprinted suddenly across
• 3:36
  Speaker 1: the hall, nearly knocking over Jaden in his rush.
• 3:40
  Speaker 2: Hey, what the hell, man?
• 3:42
  Speaker 1: Jaden grunted, rubbing at his shoulder where the man bumped him.
• 3:45
  Speaker 2: This place is going crazy. Language.
• 3:49
  Speaker 1: His mother chastised, though without much conviction. Janet's gaze was
• 3:53
  Speaker 1: now fixed out the gate windows to their right.
• 3:56
  Speaker 2: Duncan, there, look.
• 3:59
  Speaker 1: Duncan turned. His eyes narrowed. Just beyond the parked plane outside,
• 4:04
  Speaker 1: a line of olive green trucks was barreling along the runway.
• 4:08
  Speaker 2: Well, those aren't luggage carts.
• 4:11
  Speaker 1: Others started to notice, and many people broke away from
• 4:14
  Speaker 1: the screens to gather at the windows to watch, as
• 4:18
  Speaker 1: more and more military vehicles pulled into view. Utility Humvees,
• 4:23
  Speaker 1: personnel carriers, transport trucks. Some braked to let out soldiers
• 4:28
  Speaker 1: in full gear. who ran to the planes, to the workers,
• 4:31
  Speaker 1: or toward the airport. Duncan led the family over to
• 4:35
  Speaker 1: a waiting area, peering out the glass at the strange
• 4:37
  Speaker 1: scene unfolding in real time. Janet set Haley on her feet.
• 4:42
  Speaker 1: The girl yawned, then reached up to grab her mother's
• 4:45
  Speaker 1: hand to rub her cheek against it. Whoa, said Jaden,
• 4:50
  Speaker 1: raising one hand to lean against the window as he
• 4:53
  Speaker 1: looked out.
• 4:54
  Speaker 2: That's a lot of soldiers. Dad, you know what's going on?
• 4:58
  Speaker 1: Duncan lifted his gaze to the empty, cloudless sky. Hmm.
• 5:03
  Speaker 2: Big ground response, but no air support. Odd.
• 5:08
  Speaker 1: Another dad, holding a sleeping infant, looked over at Duncan.
• 5:12
  Speaker 2: Hey, dude. You military then?
• 5:15
  Speaker 1: Duncan nodded.
• 5:16
  Speaker 2: Uh, retired, yeah. Army logistics.
• 5:19
  Speaker 1: So all this gotta be like a response to a
• 5:21
  Speaker 1: terrorist threat, right? Before Duncan could answer, the short asshole
• 5:26
  Speaker 1: with the ponytail coughed a laugh. He had come to
• 5:29
  Speaker 1: stand just beside them, arms crossed.
• 5:32
  Speaker 2: Bullshit! Ain't no terrorists coming here to Kansas City.
• 5:36
  Speaker 1: This is just the government being goddamn disruptive. Probably a
• 5:41
  Speaker 1: false flag operation or some shit. Well, I ain't putting
• 5:44
  Speaker 1: up with it, no sir. Huffing, the man twisted around,
• 5:49
  Speaker 1: nearly hitting Jaden in the face with his ponytail, and
• 5:52
  Speaker 1: headed off toward baggage claim in the airport's exit. A
• 5:55
  Speaker 1: lot of other passengers were already rushing that way, Janet
• 5:59
  Speaker 1: and Jaden both looked at Duncan, who straightened up and
• 6:03
  Speaker 1: smiled back at them reassuringly.
• 6:05
  Speaker 2: It'll be fine, guys. It's probably just a precaution.
• 6:09
  Speaker 1: From down the hall, voices rose up in shock and anger.
• 6:13
  Speaker 1: Duncan's smile wavered.
• 6:15
  Speaker 2: But I do want to check it out. Come on,
• 6:18
  Speaker 2: stay close together.
• 6:21
  Speaker 1: Leaning to pick up Haley, he led the family down
• 6:24
  Speaker 1: the hall toward the commotion. As they got closer... An
• 6:27
  Speaker 1: icy dread settled in Duncan's stomach. At the sight of
• 6:31
  Speaker 1: soldiers marching into the terminal, their weapons drawn. Oh, God,
• 6:36
  Speaker 1: murmured Janet, clutching at Duncan's arm. As the coolies joined
• 6:40
  Speaker 1: the crowd, many of those in front were already screaming
• 6:43
  Speaker 1: at the line of the soldiers, demanding to know what's
• 6:46
  Speaker 1: going on.
• 6:47
  Speaker 2: This is unconstitutional. You work for us, you know, and
• 6:51
  Speaker 2: we want answers. If I have a panic attack right now,
• 6:55
  Speaker 2: I will literally go apeshit.
• 6:57
  Speaker 1: Duncan didn't mind the crowd's reaction. Their behavior was to
• 7:00
  Speaker 1: be expected. But what did worry him was the look
• 7:04
  Speaker 1: in the soldier's eyes. Something was very, very wrong. An
• 7:08
  Speaker 1: officer stepped forward from the line. His hands crossed behind
• 7:12
  Speaker 1: his back, his expression just as alarming as those of
• 7:15
  Speaker 1: the troops. Janet's hand tightened on her husband's elbow.
• 7:20
  Speaker 2: Stand the hell back!
• 7:23
  Speaker 1: The commanding officer screamed at the crowd. This airport is
• 7:26
  Speaker 1: under federal lockdown until further notice. You all need to
• 7:29
  Speaker 1: return to the gates and await further instructions. I am
• 7:33
  Speaker 1: a free citizen, screamed Ponytail, who stood in the front
• 7:37
  Speaker 1: of the crowd, directly ahead of where the coolies were huddled, watching.
• 7:41
  Speaker 2: And you have no authority over me.
• 7:44
  Speaker 1: The brave fool marched forward, heading straight toward the exit.
• 7:48
  Speaker 1: In response, the officer drew his sidearm.
• 7:52
  Speaker 2: I said stand back!
• 7:54
  Speaker 1: The Karen who threatened to go apeshit did just that,
• 7:57
  Speaker 1: throwing up her arms and screaming like a 30-year-old toddler.
• 8:01
  Speaker 1: Some people tried to rush away, shoving against those around them,
• 8:05
  Speaker 1: while others held up their phones to record videos and
• 8:08
  Speaker 1: shout at the soldiers.
• 8:10
  Speaker 2: We need to stay calm and listen to.
• 8:12
  Speaker 1: Them, Duncan called out, even as his wife tugged him
• 8:16
  Speaker 1: by the sleeve, trying to pull them back into the hall.
• 8:19
  Speaker 2: You have no claim on my.
• 8:21
  Speaker 1: Soul, declared Ponytail to the soldiers. with the gun aimed
• 8:25
  Speaker 1: at his face.
• 8:26
  Speaker 2: And no claim on my land!
• 8:28
  Speaker 1: And he raised a fist into the air. Duncan sensed
• 8:31
  Speaker 1: what was about to happen. Clutching Haley to his chest,
• 8:35
  Speaker 1: he spun in place. One gunshot rang out.
• 8:38
  Speaker 2: Bang!
• 8:39
  Speaker 1: And as a fine spray of blood hit the crowd,
• 8:42
  Speaker 1: the place erupted in screams. Duncan grabbed a handful of
• 8:45
  Speaker 1: Jaden's jacket and yanked his son into a run. Hundreds
• 8:49
  Speaker 1: of feet pounded the tiled floor as people ran in
• 8:52
  Speaker 1: every direction at once. Shoving their way through the chaos,
• 8:55
  Speaker 1: the coolies raced down the hall, jumping over fallen carry-ons.
• 8:59
  Speaker 1: Behind them, gunfire sounded again. The pop, pop, pop of
• 9:03
  Speaker 1: a semi-auto. A window shattered. This is crazy, moaned Jaden,
• 9:09
  Speaker 1: stumbling between his parents. In her father's arms, little Haley
• 9:13
  Speaker 1: was stunned into silence. Her balled-up fists dug into the
• 9:17
  Speaker 1: back of Duncan's neck as he sprinted. Reaching a closed restaurant,
• 9:21
  Speaker 1: Duncan turned. and led them all inside the dim room.
• 9:24
  Speaker 1: Ducking and motioning for the others to do likewise, they
• 9:27
  Speaker 1: crept through the empty tables to the windowed wall at
• 9:30
  Speaker 1: the far side and crouched, panting.
• 9:34
  Speaker 2: What the hell is happening?
• 9:36
  Speaker 1: Asked Jaden.
• 9:37
  Speaker 2: Why'd he just shoot that guy? He just shot him!
• 9:41
  Speaker 1: Sweat tangled on Duncan's cheeks, and setting down his daughter,
• 9:45
  Speaker 1: he clutched at a stitch in his side. They're very
• 9:49
  Speaker 1: shaken up, Duncan thought out loud.
• 9:51
  Speaker 2: Of course we are! No!
• 9:54
  Speaker 1: Duncan looked from his son to his wife and exhaled.
• 9:58
  Speaker 2: The soldiers! They're terrified!
• 10:00
  Speaker 1: Jaden choked on a sob. Janet put an arm around
• 10:04
  Speaker 1: him and swallowed. We'll be fine, she said, forcing herself
• 10:10
  Speaker 1: to smile.
• 10:11
  Speaker 2: We just need to listen to your father. He knows
• 10:14
  Speaker 2: what to do. He knows.
• 10:17
  Speaker 1: But Duncan was staring out the window. out across the
• 10:20
  Speaker 1: airport grounds, where a small plane, probably a private jet,
• 10:24
  Speaker 1: was speeding down an adjoining runway with two military vehicles
• 10:28
  Speaker 1: in rapid pursuit. Janet and Jaden turned to watch him
• 10:33
  Speaker 1: as the jet leaned back and began its ascent. Then
• 10:36
  Speaker 1: a missile whizzed up from below, hit the plane in
• 10:39
  Speaker 1: a fiery burst, and the aircraft fell and crashed to
• 10:41
  Speaker 1: the earth with a flash and a rolling thunderous boom.
• 10:45
  Speaker 2: Oh, Jesus, said.
• 10:46
  Speaker 1: Janet, clutching a hand to her mouth.
• 10:49
  Speaker 2: Daddy, why are you all wet?
• 10:53
  Speaker 1: Jaden gasped, and when Janet turned back to her husband
• 10:56
  Speaker 1: and glanced down, her eyes went wide. Duncan watched the
• 11:00
  Speaker 1: fireball from the crash rise and cool into a column
• 11:03
  Speaker 1: of black cloud. Then he blinked, and looking down, he
• 11:07
  Speaker 1: pulled aside his jacket. Dark red seeped across his shirt. Oh,
• 11:13
  Speaker 1: he said, his knees buckling.
• 11:16
  Speaker 2: Well, that's unfortunate. Duncan, Duncan!
• 11:27
  Speaker 1: Two teenagers moved through the darkness of the baggage conveyor tunnel.
• 11:31
  Speaker 1: Jaden coolly led the way, holding out his right hand
• 11:34
  Speaker 1: to feel along the cold concrete wall and holding the
• 11:37
  Speaker 1: duffel bag of precious goods in his left. It was
• 11:41
  Speaker 1: the second time he had made this dangerous journey, taking
• 11:44
  Speaker 1: medicines and snacks to trade with the people who had
• 11:47
  Speaker 1: settled in Concourse B. after the Battle of the Food Court.
• 11:52
  Speaker 1: They had to be careful, of course, but to be honest,
• 11:55
  Speaker 1: Jaden liked making the journey. He welcomed any excitement. It
• 12:00
  Speaker 1: got so boring just sitting in baggage claim, hour after hour,
• 12:04
  Speaker 1: with the luggage stacked up in barriers all around them,
• 12:08
  Speaker 1: and his little sister whining that she was hungry, and
• 12:10
  Speaker 1: that she wanted Daddy, and that it was so smelly
• 12:13
  Speaker 1: and dark in there.
• 12:15
  Speaker 2: And his mother?
• 12:16
  Speaker 1: Jaden hated being near her, and seeing the empty expression
• 12:20
  Speaker 1: in her eyes. Besides, volunteering to do this trade meant
• 12:25
  Speaker 1: Jaden could spend time alone.
• 12:27
  Speaker 2: With Talia.
• 12:29
  Speaker 1: She was 17, and admittedly way out of his league. Smart, pretty,
• 12:34
  Speaker 1: and far more tough than Jaden was, no doubt about that.
• 12:38
  Speaker 1: Talia wasn't the sort of girl Jaden would have the
• 12:40
  Speaker 1: balls to approach under usual circumstances. But this was different.
• 12:46
  Speaker 1: And when this whole lockdown nightmare was over, When the
• 12:49
  Speaker 1: military let the people out, then Jaden was determined to
• 12:53
  Speaker 1: keep in touch with Talia. He had even written down
• 12:56
  Speaker 1: her number on a piece of paper and everything, because
• 12:59
  Speaker 1: there hadn't been power to charge his phone since that
• 13:02
  Speaker 1: first day. I think we're getting close. In the dark,
• 13:07
  Speaker 1: Talia scoffed. Nope, only halfway.
• 13:12
  Speaker 3: Really?
• 13:13
  Speaker 1: Oh, yeah, I think you're right. They moved on in silence.
• 13:18
  Speaker 1: Jaden's sinuses tingled at the smell of burned rubber emanating
• 13:22
  Speaker 1: from the motionless conveyor belt beneath them. And there was
• 13:25
  Speaker 1: another scent in the air today, growing stronger as they walked.
• 13:29
  Speaker 1: It was like the smoke from a campfire. That was
• 13:33
  Speaker 1: a good sign. Maybe Concourse B had managed to catch
• 13:37
  Speaker 1: some rats or pigeons. Jaden and Talia would be heroes
• 13:40
  Speaker 1: if they returned a baggage claim with real meat.
• 13:43
  Speaker 2: Hey, uh, Talia?
• 13:45
  Speaker 1: Said Jaden. mustering his courage to make conversation while they
• 13:48
  Speaker 1: were alone. I was thinking about that thing that Miss
• 13:52
  Speaker 1: Lazy Eye was saying, about the airport lockdowns being a
• 13:55
  Speaker 1: sign of biblical end times, and I think... In the dark,
• 13:59
  Speaker 1: Talia scoffed. Miss Lazy Eye's a crazy bitch, Jaden.
• 14:03
  Speaker 2: She's an idiot.
• 14:05
  Speaker 1: Well, yeah. Yeah, I know.
• 14:07
  Speaker 2: I just... What is she's like? Half right?
• 14:11
  Speaker 1: He waited to see if she'd laugh at him, and
• 14:14
  Speaker 1: when she didn't, he went on. So, her whole theory
• 14:18
  Speaker 1: is that planes started falling from the sky because Jesus
• 14:21
  Speaker 1: came back and snatched up all the Christians or whatever, right?
• 14:24
  Speaker 1: And that's why the military freaked out and... Which doesn't
• 14:28
  Speaker 1: make any sense. Which doesn't make any sense.
• 14:31
  Speaker 2: Yeah, totally. But what if.
• 14:35
  Speaker 1: What if something else was... Messing with aircraft. And it
• 14:39
  Speaker 1: scared the government so much they sent in the army.
• 14:42
  Speaker 1: Jaden's shin banged a pipe and he grunted.
• 14:44
  Speaker 2: Quiet.
• 14:45
  Speaker 3: Quiet.
• 14:46
  Speaker 1: Jaden rubbed at his shin, annoyed, but then he felt
• 14:49
  Speaker 1: Talia lay a hand on his back in the dark,
• 14:52
  Speaker 1: and the pain in his shin vanished, replaced by butterflies
• 14:56
  Speaker 1: in his stomach. Or was that just his hunger? Keep moving,
• 15:00
  Speaker 1: and give me the bag, I'll lead. Jaden might have
• 15:04
  Speaker 1: been embarrassed, but as she moved past him in the dark,
• 15:08
  Speaker 1: their bodies pressed together, and as her fingertips slid down
• 15:12
  Speaker 1: his arm to his hand, his butterflies flew in loop-de-loops.
• 15:16
  Speaker 1: She grabbed the straps of the duffel bag and pulled
• 15:19
  Speaker 1: it from him, then started forward again.
• 15:22
  Speaker 2: Uh, yeah, okay. Thanks.
• 15:25
  Speaker 1: Swallowing, he set off after her. Anyways, like I was saying,
• 15:30
  Speaker 1: at first I thought maybe there was a crazy solar
• 15:32
  Speaker 1: flare or something, like a natural EMP, which took out
• 15:36
  Speaker 1: satellites and radar and stuff. But then I thought, maybe,
• 15:40
  Speaker 1: just maybe, it was actually.
• 15:44
  Speaker 2: Do not say it, Jaden.
• 15:46
  Speaker 1: Don't say aliens. Jaden's cheeks flushed, and he was glad
• 15:51
  Speaker 1: it was too dark for her to see him clearly. Well,
• 15:54
  Speaker 1: I mean, what else could have caused all this?
• 15:57
  Speaker 2: Shh. They both froze.
• 16:00
  Speaker 1: They could hear the muted footsteps from the ceiling above,
• 16:03
  Speaker 1: and the smell of smoke and cooking meat was definitely
• 16:06
  Speaker 1: getting stronger. War, Talia whispered, when the footsteps had moved away.
• 16:13
  Speaker 2: That's what's happening. It's war.
• 16:15
  Speaker 1: It's always war, she turned to face him, her shape
• 16:19
  Speaker 1: at black silhouette in a world of dark grays. You
• 16:22
  Speaker 1: want my theory? The enemy pulled something big, found a
• 16:26
  Speaker 1: way to hack planes and send hundreds crashing to the
• 16:28
  Speaker 1: ground or something like that. And the army didn't know
• 16:31
  Speaker 1: who was responsible. So they just locked down every airport,
• 16:35
  Speaker 1: every passenger, until they could get to the bottom of it.
• 16:38
  Speaker 1: Jaden crept closer to her. Okay, but then why are
• 16:43
  Speaker 1: we still here? Why'd they cut off the power in
• 16:46
  Speaker 1: the water? Why don't they send in food? Why don't
• 16:49
  Speaker 1: they tell us anything?
• 16:51
  Speaker 2: I don't know.
• 16:52
  Speaker 1: Maybe the war went nuclear. Maybe the whole federal government
• 16:56
  Speaker 1: has collapsed, and the army doesn't know what to do now.
• 16:59
  Speaker 1: So they're just following their last order. For a frickin' month?
• 17:03
  Speaker 2: No way!
• 17:04
  Speaker 1: He snickered. But Talia went very still.
• 17:07
  Speaker 2: What? Are you serious?
• 17:10
  Speaker 1: J.D., how long do you think it's been? He shrugged. I...
• 17:15
  Speaker 1: I don't know. Forever, it feels like. Eight days, she said.
• 17:21
  Speaker 1: Then she sighed, turned, and moved quietly down the final
• 17:25
  Speaker 1: stretch of tunnel. Jaden followed, shaking his head in confusion,
• 17:30
  Speaker 1: and tried to catalog the insane events since his family
• 17:33
  Speaker 1: walked off their flight and into this cursed airport. Day one.
• 17:39
  Speaker 1: Now that was hard to forget. The army had marched
• 17:43
  Speaker 1: in and opened fire when people tried to leave. And
• 17:46
  Speaker 1: then the power went out, and the soldiers took the
• 17:48
  Speaker 1: dead and exited the airport. Jaden's mom couldn't stop screaming
• 17:53
  Speaker 1: when they took Jaden's dad out, holding his limp body
• 17:55
  Speaker 1: by the feet and shoulders. Where had they taken him?
• 17:59
  Speaker 1: No idea. That first night, they could hear the military
• 18:03
  Speaker 1: setting up barriers outside, all around the airport grounds.
• 18:08
  Speaker 2: Day two.
• 18:09
  Speaker 1: People started getting really restless. and dozens tried to sneak
• 18:13
  Speaker 1: out and climb the barricades. Sniper bullets had taken them
• 18:17
  Speaker 1: out one by one, popping their heads like bloody balloons
• 18:21
  Speaker 1: and leaving their bodies tangled in the barbed wire.
• 18:24
  Speaker 2: Day three.
• 18:26
  Speaker 1: That's when the food ran out. Nobody could believe it.
• 18:29
  Speaker 1: All those airport restaurants, the shops, the catering facilities, it
• 18:33
  Speaker 1: all seemed like a ton of food. But there were
• 18:36
  Speaker 1: thousands of people trapped inside now, not just passengers, but TSA.
• 18:41
  Speaker 1: Airline staff, retail workers, maintenance workers, flight attendants, a couple
• 18:45
  Speaker 1: dozen pilots. Lots of mouths to feed. And when people
• 18:49
  Speaker 1: get hungry, they got wild. Day four was the tipping point.
• 18:55
  Speaker 1: It was the plumbing that did it. Once the water
• 18:58
  Speaker 1: pressure ran low and sewage started backing up, the odor
• 19:01
  Speaker 1: of the shit and piss filled the airport and pushed
• 19:04
  Speaker 1: everyone over the edge. A fight broke out in the
• 19:07
  Speaker 1: food court.
• 19:08
  Speaker 2: It was brutal.
• 19:10
  Speaker 1: And Jaden had to scoop up his sister Haley and
• 19:12
  Speaker 1: grab his mom by the hand. He had taken them
• 19:15
  Speaker 1: through security, running along with a couple hundred others, through
• 19:18
  Speaker 1: check-in and out into the open air. The day was
• 19:22
  Speaker 1: cold and foggy, and there was a smell outside, acrid
• 19:26
  Speaker 1: and smoky, like burning rubber and metal and chemicals. Someone
• 19:30
  Speaker 1: said it was the city, the whole of Kansas City,
• 19:33
  Speaker 1: just up the road, burning. But Jaden didn't know. Gunfire
• 19:38
  Speaker 1: had sounded from the parking garage across the street. So loud,
• 19:42
  Speaker 1: so bright even. All those weapons firing at once. Bodies
• 19:46
  Speaker 1: fell in waves, whole families just toppling over on the sidewalks.
• 19:50
  Speaker 1: or slumping onto the abandoned taxis by the curb. Jaden's
• 19:54
  Speaker 1: mom had frozen again, and he had managed to get
• 19:57
  Speaker 1: them back inside, barely. By the time the sun rose
• 20:02
  Speaker 1: outside the smoky windows on day five, everyone left alive
• 20:07
  Speaker 1: had been forced to join one of the factions. The
• 20:10
  Speaker 1: Cooleys were in baggage claim, which was a good choice.
• 20:14
  Speaker 1: A lot of good, smart people were in that group.
• 20:17
  Speaker 1: And all the luggage they controlled meant they had a
• 20:20
  Speaker 1: lot of extra supplies. Supplies which they could trade with
• 20:23
  Speaker 1: the factions in Concourse A, the lounges, the food court,
• 20:27
  Speaker 1: or Concourse B. Plus, Talia and her family were in
• 20:31
  Speaker 1: baggage claim. But how many days since day five? Was
• 20:36
  Speaker 1: it really? Yeah, just three days. Holy crap, Jaden mumbled,
• 20:43
  Speaker 1: as a dull gray light from the staircase up ahead
• 20:45
  Speaker 1: revealed the pipes and walls and wires around them.
• 20:49
  Speaker 2: You're right.
• 20:50
  Speaker 1: Eight freaking days.
• 20:52
  Speaker 2: Damn.
• 20:53
  Speaker 1: Who would have guessed people would go crazy that fast?
• 20:56
  Speaker 1: Anyone who understands human nature, that's who. Talia slowed as
• 21:00
  Speaker 1: they approached the employees' stairwell, which went up to the
• 21:04
  Speaker 1: ground floor at Concourse B. A line of dusty light
• 21:08
  Speaker 1: shone between a pair of double doors above them. She
• 21:11
  Speaker 1: stopped on the bottom stairs, sniffing the air. Reaching to
• 21:15
  Speaker 1: her belt, Talia pulled out the steak knife she kept
• 21:18
  Speaker 1: in a sheath made from a leather passport wallet. Think
• 21:21
  Speaker 1: about New Orleans after Katrina hit, she whispered, examining her
• 21:25
  Speaker 1: weapons edge in the dim light. Or the aftermath of
• 21:27
  Speaker 1: the Haitian earthquake in 2010. Yugoslavia in the 90s. The
• 21:32
  Speaker 1: Russian Revolution. The Holocaust, for God's sake.
• 21:35
  Speaker 2: Ugh.
• 21:36
  Speaker 3: Okay.
• 21:37
  Speaker 1: But what's your point? She turned to him.
• 21:40
  Speaker 2: The point is.
• 21:41
  Speaker 1: When civilization collapses, it is not measured in years or
• 21:44
  Speaker 1: even days, but in hours. Jaden nodded.
• 21:49
  Speaker 2: Oh, yeah.
• 21:50
  Speaker 1: I gotcha, yeah. Cool. So, are we going up? Whatever
• 21:54
  Speaker 1: they're cooking smells crazy good. Yes, it does.
• 21:59
  Speaker 2: Here.
• 22:00
  Speaker 1: She handed Jaden back the duffel bag, then crept up
• 22:03
  Speaker 1: the stairs, holding out the knife before her. Jaden thought
• 22:08
  Speaker 1: she was being a little dramatic, but followed. trying to
• 22:11
  Speaker 1: move as quietly as she did. Reaching the top of
• 22:14
  Speaker 1: the stairs, Talia pushed on the doors, careful not to
• 22:18
  Speaker 1: let them squeak. Once there was enough room to squeeze through,
• 22:22
  Speaker 1: she slid from view. Jaden hurried up and out, the
• 22:26
  Speaker 1: duffel bag scraping against the door. Sorry, he whispered. But
• 22:30
  Speaker 1: even that whispered apology made Talia's eyes flash with irritation.
• 22:35
  Speaker 1: They were in a dim hallway, the smell of human
• 22:38
  Speaker 1: waste wafting from the bathroom doors there. and they hurried
• 22:41
  Speaker 1: toward the daylight at the end of the hall. As
• 22:45
  Speaker 1: he stepped out onto the carpeted floor of Gate B-12,
• 22:47
  Speaker 1: even Jaden could sense the danger lurking nearby. The hairs
• 22:52
  Speaker 1: on his arms stood up, and his heart began to race.
• 22:56
  Speaker 1: When they had come here yesterday, trading medication bottles for
• 22:59
  Speaker 1: a tray of sodas liberated from one of Concourse B's
• 23:02
  Speaker 1: vending machines, the area had been crowded with families and
• 23:06
  Speaker 1: staff members. gathered under makeshift tents along the windowed walls. Now,
• 23:12
  Speaker 1: the gate was a mess, the tents torn and loose
• 23:15
  Speaker 1: clothing and carry-ons and discarded playing cards tossed about. Talia
• 23:20
  Speaker 1: tapped him on the arm, and when he looked at her,
• 23:23
  Speaker 1: she pointed around the corner at the main hallway and
• 23:25
  Speaker 1: again held a finger to her lips. Jaden listened and
• 23:30
  Speaker 1: heard a few men chatting and chuckling in the crackling
• 23:33
  Speaker 1: of a fire. A haze of smoke was in the air, thick,
• 23:37
  Speaker 1: with the smell of meat. Crouching, they moved to the corner.
• 23:42
  Speaker 1: Jaden popped his head around to look, but after less
• 23:45
  Speaker 1: than a second, Talia yanked him back. But he had
• 23:48
  Speaker 1: seen enough, though.
• 23:49
  Speaker 2: More than enough. Oh my god.
• 23:52
  Speaker 1: Dozens of bodies were piled across the hall at Gate 9B,
• 23:56
  Speaker 1: stripped naked, their limbs limp and bloody. In the center
• 24:00
  Speaker 1: of the hall, standing with their backs to him, Some
• 24:03
  Speaker 1: men stood beside a stack of broken wooden pallets, looking
• 24:06
  Speaker 1: down at a fire blazing on the tiles at their feet.
• 24:09
  Speaker 1: The flames rose up to a large chunk of meat
• 24:11
  Speaker 1: on a makeshift spit. That meat was in a shape
• 24:15
  Speaker 1: he recognized. A human head and torso, wet and charred
• 24:19
  Speaker 1: and dripping. Jaden still hadn't processed what it all meant
• 24:24
  Speaker 1: when Talia tugged him by the sleeve and started back
• 24:26
  Speaker 1: the way they had come, creeping swiftly toward the doors.
• 24:30
  Speaker 1: Jaden turned to follow her, his vision unfocused, his brain
• 24:33
  Speaker 1: all foggy. Then he tripped on his own shoes, stumbled sideways,
• 24:36
  Speaker 1: and reaching out to find his balance, felt his grip
• 24:39
  Speaker 1: on the duffel bag slip. The bag hit the carpet
• 24:42
  Speaker 1: with a thud. He winced and froze in place, then
• 24:45
  Speaker 1: screamed as hands grabbed him from behind. Jaden didn't fight back.
• 24:49
  Speaker 2: He couldn't.
• 24:50
  Speaker 1: His whole body seized up, sneakers glued to the floor,
• 24:54
  Speaker 1: arms stiff at his sides, and fists tightened around his elbows.
• 24:58
  Speaker 1: Talia did not freeze up. Jaden watched as she sprinted
• 25:02
  Speaker 1: toward the hall, but a man rushed by him and
• 25:04
  Speaker 1: grabbed her by one shoulder.
• 25:05
  Speaker 2: She spun.
• 25:06
  Speaker 1: The knife in her hand whistled through the air. The
• 25:09
  Speaker 1: man grunted and staggered backward, blood dripping from his face.
• 25:13
  Speaker 1: But two more guys charged, each armed with a golf club,
• 25:16
  Speaker 1: and after a few seconds of snarling, swinging, and slashing,
• 25:19
  Speaker 1: the knife was on the floor, and Talia was being dragged,
• 25:22
  Speaker 1: kicking and biting into the hall. Jaden let himself be
• 25:25
  Speaker 1: led after her, coming back around in sight of the
• 25:28
  Speaker 1: naked corpses and the roasting torso. He still couldn't get
• 25:32
  Speaker 1: his body to resist. Even his eyes were frozen open.
• 25:35
  Speaker 2: Lookie, we found Captain.
• 25:38
  Speaker 1: Grunted the bleeding man whom Tali had slashed. A couple stowaways,
• 25:43
  Speaker 1: and with a bag of goodies too. The man they
• 25:46
  Speaker 1: addressed as Captain stood across the fire, his back to them,
• 25:50
  Speaker 1: his arms raised, to clutch at either end of a
• 25:53
  Speaker 1: golf club resting across his shoulders. The club head had
• 25:57
  Speaker 1: nails extending out on every side, like some medieval weapon.
• 26:01
  Speaker 1: He was short, with greasy, bleach-blonde hair sticking out from
• 26:05
  Speaker 1: beneath a crooked airline captain's hat. He wore a fur coat,
• 26:09
  Speaker 1: and when he turned to face the teenagers, they saw
• 26:12
  Speaker 1: that under the coat he had an oil-stained jumpsuit, a
• 26:16
  Speaker 1: heavy gold-chained necklace, and a pair of Balenciaga sneakers. There
• 26:22
  Speaker 1: was a name tag on his chest. Mike Crunch, Aircraft Maintenance. Well, well, well, well,
• 26:29
  Speaker 1: he said, looking.
• 26:30
  Speaker 2: Them up and down. What's your story, then? Been hiding
• 26:34
  Speaker 2: in a closet somewhere, bumping uglies? Or else? Nah, you
• 26:38
  Speaker 2: two are either from the lounges or else. Baggage claim,
• 26:41
  Speaker 2: he grinned. This here is some first-class meal service, ain't.
• 26:45
  Speaker 3: It, gents?
• 26:46
  Speaker 2: The food comes to us.
• 26:48
  Speaker 1: The other men laughed. and Jaden felt the hands on
• 26:51
  Speaker 1: his arms tighten their grip. But Talia began to struggle again,
• 26:55
  Speaker 1: and it took two of them to hold her still.
• 26:58
  Speaker 1: Captain Crunch lowered his spiked club. Believe me, kids, when
• 27:02
  Speaker 1: I say that our actions here are necessary.
• 27:05
  Speaker 2: All this fun is just beginning.
• 27:09
  Speaker 1: He looked from his weapon to Talia, and his grin widened.
• 27:12
  Speaker 2: You can't! She screamed. You can't just kill everyone at once! Idiot!
• 27:17
  Speaker 2: The meat will spoil! Think about it!
• 27:20
  Speaker 1: A few of the guys laughed again, but their leader's
• 27:23
  Speaker 1: smile vanished, and he cocked his head.
• 27:26
  Speaker 2: Hmm, good point. Perhaps we'll just break your legs and
• 27:31
  Speaker 2: tie you to a column.
• 27:32
  Speaker 1: Jaden blinked, coming gradually out of his disassociation. He had
• 27:37
  Speaker 1: bead in his jeans, and there were tears in his eyes.
• 27:40
  Speaker 1: He wanted to say something, something clever or useful, something
• 27:44
  Speaker 1: to get them out of this nightmare. But when he
• 27:46
  Speaker 1: opened his dry mouth, the only words that came out were,
• 27:50
  Speaker 1: Eight days. Their captor swung his gaze to the boy.
• 27:54
  Speaker 2: Eight days, you say?
• 27:56
  Speaker 1: He clicked his tongue.
• 27:57
  Speaker 2: Eight days. So far. But I've been sending someone out
• 28:01
  Speaker 2: every hour, testing the blockade at various places. The soldiers
• 28:05
  Speaker 2: are dug in, focused. They won't let anyone through. And
• 28:10
  Speaker 2: no wonder. See, y'all didn't hear what I heard before
• 28:13
  Speaker 2: the power cut. I know what's happening out there.
• 28:16
  Speaker 3: Oh, yeah.
• 28:17
  Speaker 2: And it's everywhere. It's the whole damn world. Now we're
• 28:22
  Speaker 2: living in the Dark Ages to point zero.
• 28:25
  Speaker 1: His eyes flashed with deadly excitement.
• 28:28
  Speaker 2: Jaden swallowed.
• 28:30
  Speaker 3: Why?
• 28:31
  Speaker 2: What happened? How did it start?
• 28:35
  Speaker 1: The captain shrugged.
• 28:37
  Speaker 2: What the fuck does that matter?
• 28:39
  Speaker 1: He turned to a pair of his guys.
• 28:40
  Speaker 2: Lucky. Get the harness straps. Jax, break their ankles, will ya?
• 28:45
  Speaker 3: Wait!
• 28:46
  Speaker 1: Talia called out.
• 28:47
  Speaker 3: You need us!
• 28:48
  Speaker 1: For a moment, Jaden felt a rush of hope in
• 28:51
  Speaker 1: his stomach at her words. Talia had a plan. Of
• 28:54
  Speaker 1: course she did. She was smart. She was a survivor.
• 28:58
  Speaker 2: Baggage claim has barricaded themselves in! She went on.
• 29:02
  Speaker 1: They have weapons! Weapons we found in the luggage! Two pistols, ammunition,
• 29:06
  Speaker 1: a machete, a hatchet, and there's more food! You'll need
• 29:10
  Speaker 1: baggage claim! Jayden gawked at her.
• 29:13
  Speaker 2: Their families.
• 29:14
  Speaker 1: Their families were in there.
• 29:15
  Speaker 2: Why would she... You could get them on your own.
• 29:17
  Speaker 2: I know you could. But it would be difficult. A battle.
• 29:21
  Speaker 2: You'd lose, guys. But we can get you in. We
• 29:24
  Speaker 2: know the way. And they're expecting us back. They'll let
• 29:26
  Speaker 2: us in. I promise.
• 29:28
  Speaker 1: Across the sizzling human meat, aircraft maintenance member Mike Crunch
• 29:33
  Speaker 1: wrinkled his nose, then nodded.
• 29:36
  Speaker 2: Okie dokie. But surely I don't need both of you
• 29:40
  Speaker 2: for that.
• 29:42
  Speaker 1: For a moment, Jaden and Talia were still, staring at
• 29:45
  Speaker 1: each other. Then the girl moved in a blur, twisting
• 29:49
  Speaker 1: from her captor's grip, kneeing the man between the legs,
• 29:52
  Speaker 1: then turning and kicking at the blazing fires. Embers sprang
• 29:56
  Speaker 1: into the air in the torso, and its spit fell
• 29:58
  Speaker 1: onto the floor. Jaden saw the captain raise an arm
• 30:01
  Speaker 1: to shield his eyes from the sparks when Talia jumped
• 30:04
  Speaker 1: at him and tore the golf club from his grip.
• 30:07
  Speaker 1: She had done it! She could fight them!
• 30:09
  Speaker 2: They could get away and.
• 30:10
  Speaker 1: The spiked club head struck Jaden across the face, knocking
• 30:13
  Speaker 1: him sideways in his captor's grip. He went stiff, bloody
• 30:17
  Speaker 1: teeth and bits of skin falling to the tiled floor.
• 30:20
  Speaker 1: Then the hands that held him let go, and he
• 30:22
  Speaker 1: fell onto his side. Talia moved to stand above him,
• 30:26
  Speaker 1: bringing the club up, then down, then up again and
• 30:29
  Speaker 1: down again, until his body stopped twitching. Straightening up, her
• 30:34
  Speaker 1: hair disheveled and sweat on her cheeks, she exhaled and
• 30:38
  Speaker 1: handed the bloody club back to its owner. Captain Crunch
• 30:42
  Speaker 1: accepted it, examining the mess of skin and hair stuck
• 30:45
  Speaker 1: on the nails. Then he laughed. Was cold, he said, smirking.
• 30:52
  Speaker 2: You're quite the little frosted flake, ain't ya?
• 30:54
  Speaker 1: He turned to her and tipped his hat.
• 30:57
  Speaker 2: Welcome to the crew. I do hope you're hungry.
• 31:00
  Speaker 1: Talia inhaled deeply.
• 31:02
  Speaker 2: Her eyes set. Starved.
• 31:11
  Speaker 1: When dawn broke on the 44th day since the lockdown began,
• 31:15
  Speaker 1: only a faint glow of sunlight pierced through the haze
• 31:18
  Speaker 1: outside the cracked and filthy windows. The airport was mostly quiet.
• 31:23
  Speaker 1: There was the drip, drip, drip of dirty water from
• 31:26
  Speaker 1: the makeshift reservoirs on the roof down to the collection barrels.
• 31:30
  Speaker 1: and the dry cough of someone curled beneath a mound
• 31:32
  Speaker 1: of blankets in one corner. And then, the wobbly wheels
• 31:36
  Speaker 1: of a luggage cart being pushed around the corner, followed
• 31:39
  Speaker 1: by soft, shuffling steps. The woman hunched behind the cart
• 31:43
  Speaker 1: was gaunt and sickly pale, not unlike the skeletons she
• 31:46
  Speaker 1: was collecting. All those bits of bone, no flesh or
• 31:50
  Speaker 1: even marrow left behind, their edges notched with the marks
• 31:54
  Speaker 1: of human teeth. Slowing her cart, The woman leaned to
• 31:58
  Speaker 1: pick up a small skull from in front of gate A12.
• 32:01
  Speaker 1: The skull had once belonged to a girl named Haley Cooley,
• 32:05
  Speaker 1: though no one was left who remembered her name. As
• 32:08
  Speaker 1: the woman turned to set the bone upon her cart,
• 32:11
  Speaker 1: a door squeaked open and footsteps approached. She gasped and
• 32:15
  Speaker 1: dropped the skull, which fell with a hollow thud under
• 32:18
  Speaker 1: the tiles at her feet. Two people approached the woman,
• 32:22
  Speaker 1: and when she saw who they were and the golf
• 32:24
  Speaker 1: clubs in their hands, She sank into a bow and said,
• 32:28
  Speaker 1: Master Sergeant Frosty and Sergeant Pebbles, a grim morning to
• 32:32
  Speaker 1: you both.
• 32:33
  Speaker 2: I do hope the captain is well.
• 32:35
  Speaker 1: The club leaders exchanged a look. Then Talia set the
• 32:38
  Speaker 1: end of her weapon on the floor, leaned on it,
• 32:41
  Speaker 1: and sighed.
• 32:42
  Speaker 2: Look around, Helen. The psychos aren't here. They're all sleeping
• 32:46
  Speaker 2: at check-in. They can't hear us.
• 32:48
  Speaker 1: Even now, after all that had happened, there was conviction
• 32:52
  Speaker 1: in the teenager's voice. Though it hurt to speak, Talia's
• 32:56
  Speaker 1: gums had started to bleed the week before. She was
• 32:59
  Speaker 1: so thin now, so tired, so nauseous day and night.
• 33:03
  Speaker 1: Her flesh, feeding only upon the flesh of others, had wilted,
• 33:07
  Speaker 1: and her mind would go next. She could feel it
• 33:10
  Speaker 1: starting to happen, as it had happened to so many others.
• 33:15
  Speaker 1: Captain Crunch hears all, responded the woman, bowing deeper.
• 33:19
  Speaker 2: I am proud to serve and to gather the bones. Oh, Jesus,
• 33:23
  Speaker 2: give it a break.
• 33:24
  Speaker 1: Said the man with the other golf club rolling his eyes.
• 33:27
  Speaker 2: Enough of this bone-gather shit. You are Helen. I am Jihoon.
• 33:31
  Speaker 2: This is Talia.
• 33:33
  Speaker 1: And my crunch—' Jihoon sneered, but even his bold voice
• 33:37
  Speaker 1: lowered as he said the next words about their mad ruler.'
• 33:40
  Speaker 1: Is a goddamn lunatic.' Helen began to tremble.' No, no, no.
• 33:45
  Speaker 2: You mustn't say that. He'll cut us up. He'll cut
• 33:48
  Speaker 2: us up and make us eat ourselves before we fade.
• 33:51
  Speaker 2: I must gather. I must gather the bones.
• 33:54
  Speaker 1: She grabbed her cart and tried to hurry away, but
• 33:57
  Speaker 1: Talia seized her by the arm.
• 33:59
  Speaker 2: Listen, Helen, we have a plan. Do you hear me?
• 34:02
  Speaker 2: A plan to leave this place. But we need your help,
• 34:05
  Speaker 2: and we need to go right now.
• 34:08
  Speaker 1: Helen hung her head.
• 34:09
  Speaker 2: I am the Gatherer of Bones!
• 34:12
  Speaker 1: No, Helen, said Talia.
• 34:14
  Speaker 3: You're a pilot, remember? With Delta Airlines. That's why you
• 34:20
  Speaker 3: were here, and it's why we need you now.
• 34:23
  Speaker 2: I must gather the.
• 34:24
  Speaker 1: Bones, she called out again. But Jihoon raised his club
• 34:28
  Speaker 1: and smacked her lightly across the head. She winced, blinked,
• 34:32
  Speaker 1: and looked back at them with some hint of the
• 34:35
  Speaker 1: woman she once was. Still afraid, yes, but finally able
• 34:39
  Speaker 1: to listen.
• 34:40
  Speaker 2: You are an airline pilot.
• 34:42
  Speaker 1: Talia went on, releasing the woman's arm.
• 34:45
  Speaker 2: Now listen, the.
• 34:47
  Speaker 3: Ember storm has burned up almost everything outside, but there
• 34:50
  Speaker 3: is still one plane left over on runway 1R.
• 34:54
  Speaker 2: It was taxiing when the world went dark. It's just
• 34:56
  Speaker 2: sitting there. It's intact. It's fueled. It's ready to go,
• 35:01
  Speaker 2: added Jihoon. There might be some soot and dust in
• 35:03
  Speaker 2: the engines and some smoke damage, but you can get
• 35:06
  Speaker 2: it airborne, right?
• 35:08
  Speaker 1: Helen swallowed, her hollow cheeks twitching, her eyes blinking very fast.
• 35:13
  Speaker 3: Aye, that is possible if we get the APU to start,
• 35:19
  Speaker 3: but the PETA will be clogged with ash. Airspeed readings
• 35:22
  Speaker 3: will be impossible and Wait, no!
• 35:25
  Speaker 2: We can't leave! The darkness! The great darkness is everywhere!
• 35:29
  Speaker 2: We don't know that for sure. The U.S. military responded
• 35:33
  Speaker 2: to the initial emergency, and our power grid went out.
• 35:36
  Speaker 2: But the rest of the world?
• 35:38
  Speaker 1: He shrugged.
• 35:39
  Speaker 2: But where? Canada.
• 35:43
  Speaker 3: That's where we need to go. We fly due north
• 35:46
  Speaker 3: to Winnipeg. Maybe, maybe they're doing.
• 35:49
  Speaker 2: Better than us.
• 35:51
  Speaker 1: Helen shook her head.
• 35:52
  Speaker 2: Or maybe they're doing worse.
• 35:54
  Speaker 1: Talia sniffed a laugh, then leaned to pick up the
• 35:57
  Speaker 1: child's meatless skull from the floor and tossed it onto
• 36:00
  Speaker 1: the cart.
• 36:01
  Speaker 2: How could things be worse?
• 36:03
  Speaker 1: For a moment, Helen's expression relaxed, and she looked less
• 36:07
  Speaker 1: like a zombie and more like a human again. But
• 36:10
  Speaker 1: then a fresh wave of fear passed over her face.
• 36:14
  Speaker 2: But the soldiers! If we go out there, they'll shoot us!
• 36:17
  Speaker 2: Or shoot down the plane!
• 36:18
  Speaker 1: Jihoon shook his head.
• 36:20
  Speaker 2: We haven't heard a gunshot in days! The army is
• 36:23
  Speaker 2: all gone. We're all dead. The only thing keeping us
• 36:26
  Speaker 2: marooned in here now is our fear.
• 36:28
  Speaker 3: Well, that and Crunch's mad obsession with hunting down any
• 36:31
  Speaker 3: survivors of the loungers.
• 36:33
  Speaker 2: If he has his way, we'll all be bones by
• 36:35
  Speaker 2: this time next week.
• 36:37
  Speaker 1: As Helen thought this over, rubbing the handle of the
• 36:40
  Speaker 1: cart in her skeletal hands, Talia turned and looked out
• 36:44
  Speaker 1: through the grimy windows, past the burnt-out shells of planes
• 36:47
  Speaker 1: and vehicles, to the debris-strewn runways, to the charred grasses
• 36:51
  Speaker 1: and the silent barricades in the distance.
• 36:54
  Speaker 2: We are leaving. Today. We are getting on that plane.
• 36:58
  Speaker 2: You are flying us out of here. There's no other choice.
• 37:02
  Speaker 1: Helen stared into Talia's face, which, like Helen's, now looked
• 37:07
  Speaker 1: twenty years older than her true age. Yet there was
• 37:10
  Speaker 1: still a hint of defiant hope in her eyes. Helen nodded.
• 37:16
  Speaker 1: Half an hour later, All eyes turned to Talia as
• 37:19
  Speaker 1: she reached to pull the chain off the doors and
• 37:22
  Speaker 1: shoved them open. Talia held her breath and took the
• 37:25
  Speaker 1: first step outside. The air was thin and smoky and
• 37:30
  Speaker 1: hard to breathe. How does it look? Asked Helen's voice
• 37:35
  Speaker 1: from the shadows within. Talia turned and shrugged. Like shit.
• 37:40
  Speaker 1: Now come on everyone, before the psychos know we're gone.
• 37:44
  Speaker 1: Out they came, a dozen of the last survivors each
• 37:48
  Speaker 1: with skin and bones, with sunken eyes and shaking hands.
• 37:52
  Speaker 1: They moved like ghosts, hunched and quiet, too afraid to
• 37:55
  Speaker 1: blink or to look back at the airport windows or
• 37:57
  Speaker 1: the rooftop. Jihoon came out last of all, and shutting
• 38:01
  Speaker 1: the doors behind them, he slid his golf club through
• 38:04
  Speaker 1: the handles to seal them shut. Then he turned and
• 38:07
  Speaker 1: hurried south after the others, moving around the burnt-out shell
• 38:11
  Speaker 1: of a military Humvee before breaking into a run. From
• 38:14
  Speaker 1: up ahead, Talia turned her head to glance back at him.
• 38:18
  Speaker 1: and he saw her eyes flick up and behind him.
• 38:20
  Speaker 1: Then pain shot through Jihoon's right shoulder blade and into
• 38:23
  Speaker 1: his chest, and he pitched forward onto his knees. His
• 38:26
  Speaker 1: right arm went numb, but he clung with his left hand,
• 38:30
  Speaker 1: to the bloody length of rebar protruding from just below
• 38:32
  Speaker 1: his collarbone. He tried to take a breath, but his
• 38:35
  Speaker 1: lungs didn't work, and there was so much blood, and
• 38:38
  Speaker 1: he was so cold. As Jihoon fell dead upon the asphalt...
• 38:42
  Speaker 1: Talia watched the spearmen on the roof grab for another
• 38:45
  Speaker 1: weapon to throw, screaming over his shoulder as he did so.
• 38:49
  Speaker 2: Mutiny! Fetch that captain! The cowardly scum are trying to flee!
• 38:54
  Speaker 2: Talia grunted.
• 38:55
  Speaker 1: Come on! She yelled, gesturing at Helen to speed up. Run!
• 39:00
  Speaker 1: The escapees sprinted south, then turned east, around an abandoned
• 39:04
  Speaker 1: parking structure. Talia was out in front, and soon she
• 39:07
  Speaker 1: could see the 737 over on the runway, but it
• 39:10
  Speaker 1: was still so far away. Twisting her head as she ran,
• 39:14
  Speaker 1: Talia watched the others, trying their best to keep up.
• 39:17
  Speaker 1: But they all looked so exhausted, so scared, so weak.
• 39:21
  Speaker 1: But Helen, Helen was the one that mattered. Doubling back,
• 39:25
  Speaker 1: Talia rushed to grab the pilot by the elbow and
• 39:27
  Speaker 1: help her along. That's when someone in the back of
• 39:30
  Speaker 1: the group started to scream.
• 39:31
  Speaker 2: He's coming! He's coming!
• 39:34
  Speaker 1: Talia's ears picked up the rumble of a diesel engine,
• 39:37
  Speaker 1: then the sound of squeaky tires and hooting laughter.
• 39:40
  Speaker 2: Fuck!
• 39:41
  Speaker 1: Talia mumbled. pulling Helen into a jog as a baggage
• 39:44
  Speaker 1: tractor chugged into view, pulling a train of three flatbed dollies,
• 39:49
  Speaker 1: each with a golf club-wielding maniac.
• 39:51
  Speaker 2: Seated atop it.
• 39:53
  Speaker 1: And in the driver's seat, one bony hand gripping the
• 39:55
  Speaker 1: steering wheel, the other holding up his spiked club, was
• 39:59
  Speaker 1: Captain Crunch. He still wore the captain's hat atop his head,
• 40:03
  Speaker 1: though his face below its brim was like a yellow
• 40:05
  Speaker 1: skull with dark eyes and a sneering, blood-stained smile. On
• 40:09
  Speaker 1: his emaciated chest, The golden chain necklace jingled and sparkled.
• 40:14
  Speaker 2: This is your captain speaking.
• 40:18
  Speaker 1: Crunch declared, driving the tractor wildly, so that the dollies
• 40:22
  Speaker 1: behind it swerved and drifted, and one his guys tipped
• 40:25
  Speaker 1: out with a squeal.
• 40:26
  Speaker 2: Please return to the gate and await further instructions. Thank you!
• 40:32
  Speaker 1: Reaching the first of the runners, he veered left and right,
• 40:35
  Speaker 1: knocking down the bodies of two scrambling women, then swung
• 40:37
  Speaker 1: his club at the head of a young man.
• 40:39
  Speaker 2: Hurry, Helen! We can do this!
• 40:41
  Speaker 1: Talia urged, cutting across a corner of charred lawn and
• 40:45
  Speaker 1: guiding them to the plane. The cabin door was open,
• 40:48
  Speaker 1: and a set of portable stairs sat idly at an
• 40:51
  Speaker 1: angle next to the aircraft. Talia ran faster. Behind them,
• 40:55
  Speaker 1: the luggage tractor bounced and crunched over someone else, and Captain.
• 40:58
  Speaker 2: Crunch let out a shrill whoop of laughter.
• 41:02
  Speaker 1: Reaching the portable stairs, Talia snatched the cold metal and
• 41:05
  Speaker 1: leaned against it, forcing the stairs back and over until
• 41:09
  Speaker 1: they bumped against the plane. Helen was wheezing as she
• 41:11
  Speaker 1: stepped up onto the stairs. Talia flew up behind her,
• 41:15
  Speaker 1: shoving the woman forward. As they reached the top and
• 41:18
  Speaker 1: hurtled inside, Crunch's voice rang out behind them.
• 41:21
  Speaker 2: Master Sergeant Frosty! Where you running off to? Hey, you
• 41:26
  Speaker 2: mutinous bitch!
• 41:28
  Speaker 1: Get in the cockpit! Talia shouted to Helen. She spun
• 41:32
  Speaker 1: in place in the back of the plane, blinking as
• 41:34
  Speaker 1: her eyes adjusted to the light. The windows were sooty
• 41:37
  Speaker 1: and the gray morning sky didn't help. Then she gasped.
• 41:41
  Speaker 1: A corpse was sitting up in a flight attendant's jump seat,
• 41:44
  Speaker 1: with the empty drawers of a storage cart tossed around
• 41:47
  Speaker 1: on the floor around it. In the body's cold, dead hand,
• 41:50
  Speaker 1: there was a pistol... The corpse had been a soldier,
• 41:53
  Speaker 1: and filthy camp fatigues and a chunk of his skull
• 41:55
  Speaker 1: had been blasted off when he shot himself in the face,
• 41:58
  Speaker 1: leaving a dark stain on the bulkhead behind him. Talia
• 42:02
  Speaker 1: leaned and grabbed the pistol. Spinning back to the open door,
• 42:05
  Speaker 1: she held up the gun in a two-handed grip, aiming
• 42:07
  Speaker 1: down at the runway, where the last of her people
• 42:10
  Speaker 1: were being run down one by one. Talia aimed at
• 42:13
  Speaker 1: the oncoming luggage tractor. Please be loaded, she prayed through
• 42:18
  Speaker 1: gritted teeth. Captain Crunch looked up at her. his dark
• 42:21
  Speaker 1: eyes flashing.
• 42:23
  Speaker 2: Talia fired.
• 42:24
  Speaker 1: The bullet went wide, but it pinged off the shaft
• 42:27
  Speaker 1: of his golf club and swept off his captain's hat.
• 42:30
  Speaker 1: The spiked clubhead spun in the air and landed on
• 42:33
  Speaker 1: the greasy dome of his head. She saw him flinch,
• 42:36
  Speaker 1: his left hand spasming on the steering wheel, and the
• 42:38
  Speaker 1: tractor lurched, tipped, and fell onto its side with a
• 42:41
  Speaker 1: screech of metal, the dollies behind it slamming against each other,
• 42:45
  Speaker 1: tossing bodies into the hazy air. Talia lowered the pistol,
• 42:49
  Speaker 1: then reached out to grab the aircraft door.
• 42:51
  Speaker 3: Helen!
• 42:52
  Speaker 2: Get us the fuck out of here! What about the others?
• 42:56
  Speaker 1: Called Helen from the cockpit. Talia winced against the weight
• 42:59
  Speaker 1: of the door as she pulled it shut, catching sight
• 43:01
  Speaker 1: of a young couple racing up the portable stairs.
• 43:04
  Speaker 2: Wait! It's just us! Now fly!
• 43:09
  Speaker 1: The engine spluttered, coughing out clouds of ash as Talia
• 43:15
  Speaker 1: reached the cockpit. The plane around them rattled, and the
• 43:18
  Speaker 1: view outside the filthy windshield shifted as the plane rolled forward.
• 43:23
  Speaker 2: There we go! There we go!
• 43:25
  Speaker 1: Said Talia, dropping into the jump seat behind the pilot's chair.
• 43:28
  Speaker 2: Winnipeg, we go!
• 43:30
  Speaker 1: In front of her, Helen's pale hand pushed the throttle forward,
• 43:34
  Speaker 1: and the engines howled. Talia raised her right hand. She
• 43:38
  Speaker 1: was still holding the pistol and wiped sweat from her forehead.
• 43:42
  Speaker 1: One minute at a time, she said to herself for
• 43:45
  Speaker 1: the millionth time.
• 43:46
  Speaker 2: Just one minute at a time. That's the trick. That's
• 43:50
  Speaker 2: all you gotta do.
• 43:52
  Speaker 1: Her guts clenched and rolled as the jet's nose tipped
• 43:55
  Speaker 1: up and the wheels rumbled for a second more, then
• 43:58
  Speaker 1: lifted off the runway.
• 44:00
  Speaker 2: I think... I think we might make it!
• 44:03
  Speaker 1: Talia looked up as the clouds above glowed silver. She exhaled,
• 44:08
  Speaker 1: feeling dizzy. They reached the cloud ceiling, slipped into the
• 44:12
  Speaker 1: gray mist, and all at once, the 737 began to
• 44:15
  Speaker 1: shake and rattle, Talia winced, bouncing in her seat.
• 44:19
  Speaker 2: Almost through!
• 44:21
  Speaker 1: Helen assured her, over the turbulence. And seconds later, they
• 44:26
  Speaker 1: were out, soared above the clouds and light, a pure
• 44:29
  Speaker 1: bright and blinding whiteness, filled the cockpit. Helen screamed. Talia
• 44:35
  Speaker 1: clasped her eyes shut, but it barely helped. The sky
• 44:38
  Speaker 1: was so bright, so impossibly bright.
• 44:41
  Speaker 2: What is this?
• 44:43
  Speaker 1: Helen screamed.
• 44:44
  Speaker 2: This can't be! Sunlight! Sunlight!
• 44:46
  Speaker 1: Talia didn't answer. She didn't know. A shadow whipped across
• 44:50
  Speaker 1: her vision as something whooshed by the plane just outside
• 44:53
  Speaker 1: the cockpit window. And another.
• 44:56
  Speaker 2: Another. There's something out there!
• 45:00
  Speaker 1: Clasping her hands around her eyes, Talia opened them in
• 45:03
  Speaker 1: a painful squint. There were shadows. Dozens of blurry shapes
• 45:08
  Speaker 1: swooping against the blazing sky. Then something landed on the
• 45:12
  Speaker 1: roof of the plane, with the slamming boom and footsteps
• 45:15
  Speaker 1: sounded from over their heads, the many feet of something big.
• 45:19
  Speaker 2: Oh, God!
• 45:20
  Speaker 1: Whined Helen.
• 45:21
  Speaker 2: What is it?
• 45:23
  Speaker 1: Talia blinked and watched as a shape moved into view
• 45:26
  Speaker 1: from above them, bending over the windshield and twisting its
• 45:29
  Speaker 1: long neck. It turned to stare inside, at them.
• 45:33
  Speaker 2: Whoa!
• 45:34
  Speaker 1: Talia swallowed.
• 45:36
  Speaker 2: I think it's a.
• 45:36
  Speaker 3: Outside.
• 45:38
  Speaker 2: Outside.
• 45:38
  Speaker 1: The eldritch creature tipped its monstrous head. Its skin was violet,
• 45:43
  Speaker 1: and three eyes of dazzling gold looked out from its
• 45:46
  Speaker 1: terrible face. From its gaping mouth, a thousand glassy teeth
• 45:51
  Speaker 1: extended like shards of mirror. And as it crept further
• 45:55
  Speaker 1: down onto the windshield, one arm extended into view, its
• 45:58
  Speaker 1: long claws scratching against the glass. Talia could see one
• 46:02
  Speaker 1: of its great wings of purple shade, which spread to
• 46:05
  Speaker 1: cloak the cockpit in magenta shadow. And from the mouth
• 46:08
  Speaker 1: of the winged messenger, there came a great sound, which
• 46:12
  Speaker 1: vibrated the windshield and the airframe and the very bones
• 46:16
  Speaker 1: in Talia's body as it said.
• 46:18
  Speaker 2: Thou art not welcome into the Holy Kingdom.
• 46:27
  Speaker 1: In the pilot seat, Ellen whimpered and curled up, trying
• 46:30
  Speaker 1: to shrink, to make herself small before the horrible shame
• 46:33
  Speaker 1: of the angel's words.
• 46:35
  Speaker 2: Ye are immortal words. And return to the Ashen Earth.
• 46:42
  Speaker 1: Its clawed fingers tightened and the windshield cracked. Talia sighed.
• 46:47
  Speaker 2: Descend.
• 46:50
  Speaker 1: Talia raised the pistol, setting its barrel against her right temple.
• 46:55
  Speaker 2: Descend.
• 46:58
  Speaker 1: The other angels swooped upon the plane, seizing the roof
• 47:00
  Speaker 1: and the wings and tail in their clawed grips to
• 47:03
  Speaker 1: squeeze and smash, to render in ruin, to rip the
• 47:06
  Speaker 1: aircraft apart at the seams. Well, said Talia, her finger
• 47:12
  Speaker 1: squeezing the trigger.
• 47:14
  Speaker 2: It was worth a shot.
• 47:16
  Speaker 1: The monsters shrieked as they ripped the plane open like
• 47:18
  Speaker 1: a tin can. A final burst of freezing wind roared
• 47:22
  Speaker 1: through the cabin. The muzzle flash flared against her temple.
• 47:26
  Speaker 1: as her world collapsed into perfect, merciful silence. To hear
• 47:32
  Speaker 1: more stories like this, be sure to hit subscribe and
• 47:35
  Speaker 1: turn notifications on.
• 47:36
  Speaker 2: I'll see you in the next one.