The Day The Earth Fell

Chapter 2

My first thought, as would be anyone else's, was that my large hearted, yet truthful, friend had disliked the gift to the point of utter disgust and felt it necessary to dispose of it in our washroom. I did feel slightly hurt that she didn't even thank me for the gift or explain why she did not feel it right to keep it near her as is bothered her to that extent. Even if Janet had kept the radio for a couple of days; then returned it to the dump when I wasn't around. I was beginning to feel annoyed at my one companion, when I heard the quiet rumble of static coming from the washrooms where Janet had entered.

As I walked into the facilities, I saw Janet sitting on the floor turning and twisting all the dials on the radio trying to find some sort of signal.

"I thought you came in to the washrooms to through out the radio." I said,

"Oh my God Quinny, I love the radio, I was coming to test it out! You really have a great imagination!" She replied laughing,

"Let me help you work it." I said, realizing that Janet had no idea what she was attempting to do.

It was stupid, but when I gathered the radio I only put batteries into it and made sure it turned on, I never though to try it and insure that it had the technology to receive a signal in the twenty-first century. The dials were still sticky from their recent coat of paint but I managed to turn them well enough to remain some kind of control. I passed over the usual radio channels, 79.2, 44.9, 102.8, yet none would set up on the radio. I felt bad. I had just brought Janet's hopes up, giving her the first proper gift she has received in seventeen years and it was a failure. As all of my hope for the radio was slowly slipping out of sight, the device set onto a channel and began to blast out the sound of male voices arguing.

"You did it Quinny!" Janet stated,

"Well, I'm not sure if this is considered good radio." I spluttered, "It sounds like a debate!"

"I love it, thanks Quinn!" Janet said sincerely.

We decided to both sit and listen to the quiet rumble of the debate, trying to interpret the moot of the argument. On occasion we would hear the odd statement about 'everyones choices not being involved' or 'that the budget is too low'.

As the night grew old and we felt the warm sun rays break through the cheap blinds that hang in the washrooms and spread across the room, Janet began to give up on figuring out that the men were rambling about. Although I too was tired, I felt like if we only gave the radio a bit more time, it would reveal all the answers.

"I am going to bed, feel free to stay up." Janet said, "But, don't complain to me in the morning if you are tired as a bear in the winter!"

Her southern accent came through as she stated the simile. Janet still doesn't know where she is from, but my bet is on Austin or Houston, but she thinks she is a true Georgian.

I sat in front of the radio. Listening to the babble of the men over and over. I was starting to feel my eyelids become heavy and my body craved for sleep. As I leaned in to shut the old army radio off it suddenly went quiet. All of the chatter and argumentative behaviour that the men on the channel portrayed clearly for the past four hours ceased in an instant. One man's voice spoke as clear as ice through the speakers.

"I have made the decision." The man boomed, "After consulting my jury, the government, and the American Navy, we have come to the conclusion that this generation is a failure. That everyday 'this generation' poisons our earth. We, as the top most force in America, must do something to change this, to save our earth before it is too late. Before there is nothing but pollution, garbage and rabid animals living on our home. I, Robert Trundle, President of the United States Of America, have made the executive decision to rid our planet of the poison, to cure our generation. To kill off this race.