Notes from the End of the World

Radio communication transcription, intercepted and recorded by the USS Antietam

DOMENICO CONSTANTINO - Is there anyone listening? Here is Domenico, Italian citizen, from Sierra Leone... Is there anyone there?

(Radio static)

DOMENICO CONSTANTINO - Is there anyone there? Please ... Please ...

(Low crackling voice. Radio static)

DOMENICO CONSTANTINO - HELP! PLEASE, HELP!

(Radio static)

DOMENICO CONSTANTINO - Listen, I'm at this dock, on the coast of Sierra Leone, about one hundred miles North from Freetown. I need help. I know how everything started. I can help to solve this problem. Are you there?

(Radio static)

DOMENICO CONSTANTINO - I am a medic. I came here with a humanitarian aid program; we were here to provide health assistance to villagers in need. But something went terribly wrong ... There was this team of researchers testing some kind of a new vaccine; they had not given us much details, but, soon after, we observed the first cases. I can't stop thinking they were connected. It must had been. It started as a very high fever, vomiting, and fatigue. Almost half of the villagers we were taking care of fell ill in a fortnight. Then there were the convulsions, the bleeding and, in a quarter of the patients, comma. Most of them died, but some, a dozen I guess, had an incredible, quick recovery. That's what we thought at that time. Those people were acting differently, as their relatives told us; they seemed to be confused, doing their regular duties somewhat mechanically, as if they were under the effect of a drug or anesthesia. Some were sleepwalking, even during the day. The villagers started to become increasingly worried, but they had nothing to fear at that point. But then the first murder occurred. One of the "ghost people", as the villagers were calling them, killed his whole family during the night with a machete. He was lynched by the community. Others got sick. New murders took place. And everybody was worried. One night, the medical team was woken up by screams and gunshots. We got off our tent and the village was on fire. Military trucks were everywhere and they were shooting down everyone indiscriminately. I fled. Two days later, when I meet a group of villagers on the road, I learned that it was widespread already. I bet the same vaccine was tested in other places as well. There must be thousand of cases by now. I fear that this might infect more and more people everyday and get out of control. This disease is very contagious and can be extremely lethal. Death is the least of the problems; the "ghost people", that's what really scares me. They seem to be normal, but they are still infecting others, and when they start to go wild ... Only God will be able help us! So I beg you, please, send someone to rescue me. I have valuable information. I can help to solve this out. Please ...

End of communication