0:01

hi

0:02

philip a mcleyman here

0:03

just wanted to thank you for listening

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to my podcast

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bigger blast knowing you are enjoying it

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consider supporting it with a one-time

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donation of three dollars

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right there at the top

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record the podcast so it kind of makes

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sense okay thanks again for listening on

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to the next episode and the next cup of

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coffee

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[Music]

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[Music]

0:48

human

0:50

extinction level

0:52

yes

0:59

in other news

1:02

from the studios of kwtr it's the six

1:06

o'clock newshour with charlie henson and

1:08

denise clark

1:10

good evening i'm charlie hinson and i'm

1:13

denise clark

1:14

tragedy today of epic proportions

1:17

a gas explosion at a commuter airport

1:19

kills upwards of 40 people

1:22

information is still coming in but the

1:24

destruction seems to be total

1:26

both in the loss of life and property

1:29

for more on this we go to our reporter

1:31

in the field sally richards

1:34

sally what can you tell us about what

1:35

happened out there

1:37

well denise i'm here at the parker

1:40

county commuter airport and the scene

1:42

speaks for itself

1:44

total devastation

1:46

we are about a mile from the actual site

1:48

of the explosion but as you can see the

1:50

airport is still burning

1:52

even at this distance we can feel some

1:55

of the heat from the fires

1:57

precious little is known at this time

1:59

except that a gas line exploded setting

2:01

off a chain reaction that caused total

2:03

destruction of the property and claimed

2:05

the lives of about 40 people the

2:07

destruction was not limited to just the

2:09

parker county airport the gas line ran

2:12

from the airport underground to a

2:14

trailer park nearby

2:16

we are told the name of that park is

2:18

delacroix's delight trailer park we have

2:20

learned that a mrs marguerite delacroix

2:23

owned the property and rented out the

2:25

mobile homes

2:26

that park also was destroyed

2:29

authorities and fire and medical

2:31

personnel have been on site for several

2:33

hours and still have not been able to

2:35

get the blaze under any kind of real

2:37

control

2:38

during an earlier press conference i had

2:40

the opportunity to ask fire chief benny

2:42

lowen if he thought there would be any

2:44

survivors from such an explosion

2:46

he told me that this is the worst

2:48

conflagration he has seen in his 20

2:50

years of firefighting and that it would

2:52

be a miracle if anybody could survive

2:54

something like this

2:55

once again a gas explosion has occurred

2:57

at the parker county commuter airport

2:59

and at delacroix's delight trailer park

3:01

with what now appears to be total loss

3:03

of life and property

3:05

for kwtr this is sally richards

3:08

reporting charlie denise back to you

3:12

just tragic sally charlie here

3:14

are authorities saying anything about

3:16

identifying the bodies of those who died

3:18

and when relatives might be notified

3:21

well charlie from what we are hearing

3:23

that is going to be a monumental and

3:25

difficult task

3:26

the explosion was so disruptive and the

3:29

flame so hot it literally cremated the

3:31

victims

3:32

medical personnel are not even confident

3:34

that dental records will aid them in

3:36

identification there is just nothing

3:38

left

3:39

with the airport obliterated authorities

3:41

are hoping the passenger manifests were

3:43

stored off-site so that they can try to

3:45

get a handle on just who might have

3:47

perished here

3:48

the trailer park likewise provides its

3:50

own difficulties at this point it could

3:52

be quite some time

3:54

okay well thanks for following that

3:56

story for us sally we'll check back in

3:58

with you later

4:01

in other news we go from the tragic to

4:03

the downright bizarre it seems there

4:05

were several assaults today at a local

4:07

strip joint known as the beaver dam

4:10

it started when one of the employees

4:12

jenny harper became highly aggressive

4:14

and begin attacking her boss when

4:16

bartholomew's smalls

4:18

the attack came in the form of bites and

4:21

some of them quite severe witnesses said

4:23

mr smalls was in his office in the back

4:26

when they heard him screaming when

4:27

several employees went in to see what

4:29

was the matter miss harper started

4:31

attacking them as well

4:33

she seemed to calm down shortly

4:34

thereafter but fled the scene before the

4:37

police arrived

4:38

authorities are asking for your help

4:40

tonight in locating miss harper

4:44

newer test to subjects

4:47

colonel stephen bennett sat in his

4:49

darkened office

4:50

a small desk lamp was on

4:53

its light casting him in deep shadow he

4:56

stared straight ahead and waited for the

4:58

phone call he knew was coming

5:00

a moment later it did

5:03

the phone's ring was jarring in the

5:05

preternatural silence of the room

5:07

colonel bennett did not jump at the

5:09

sound

5:10

he took the luxury of waiting for a

5:12

second ring then leaned forward and

5:14

picked up the receiver

5:16

he did not say hello and the voice on

5:19

the other end did not introduce

5:20

themselves

5:22

they knew each other and knew why they

5:24

were speaking

5:26

you saw the news

5:28

yes

5:29

colonel bennett said his voice flat and

5:31

emotionless

5:32

there are protocols in place that will

5:34

mitigate the event

5:36

colonel bennett sat back and ran his

5:38

fingers through his hair

5:40

he offered no response and the voice on

5:42

the other end did not ask for one

5:45

it's important now that we think about

5:47

what comes after

5:48

if we want the tree to grow tomorrow we

5:51

must plant the seed today

5:53

am i understood colonel

5:55

colonel bennett stared straight ahead

5:58

beyond the feeble reaches of his desk

6:00

lamp into the recesses of his darkened

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workspace

6:04

i understand

6:05

he said

6:07

when the protocols fail the official

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record should accomplish two things

6:11

target a scapegoat and allege successful

6:14

early trials

6:16

the tree won't grow if those who remain

6:18

think the seed was poisoned

6:20

colonel bennett blinked he grit his

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teeth

6:23

i understand

6:25

he said

6:27

dr krenor must be given everything he

6:29

needs to render an effective termination

6:31

perhaps the loss will not reach

6:33

extinction level

6:34

is he prepared

6:36

colonel bennett side

6:38

i will speak to him but yes he is

6:39

prepared

6:41

we will require updates on the work

6:44

we have our projections but we'll be

6:46

monitoring the protocols in real time

6:49

explain to dr krenner that he has

6:50

anything he needs but time

6:53

sooner is better than later make sure he

6:55

understands that colonel

6:57

colonel bennett did not respond he sat

7:00

and waited for the voice to finish

7:02

you have a daughter isn't that right

7:04

colonel

7:05

there was a long pause

7:07

the blood rushed from colonel bennett's

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face and he swallowed

7:12

yes

7:13

was all he said

7:14

there was a longer pause on the other

7:16

end of the line

7:18

the ark is authorized

7:20

colonel bennett blinked again

7:22

he let out a long breath he hadn't

7:24

realized he was holding

7:26

i understand

7:28

he

7:28

said we'll speak again tomorrow

7:33

there was no farewell salutation on

7:35

either end

7:36

only a click in the handset

7:38

colonel bennett hung up the phone and

7:40

reached to his left for another

7:42

he hit a single button

7:44

a single ring later dr krenner picked up

7:48

colonel bennett did not waste his words

7:51

begin human trials

7:53

start with those from the trailer park

7:55

but understand doctor your work now is

7:57

termination of the agent

7:59

human extinction level loss is an

8:01

outlying parameter so be diligent with

8:03

what you have am i making myself clear

8:05

dr krenner

8:08

satisfied with the doctor's answer

8:10

colonel bennett pushed a button and hung

8:12

up

8:13

without hesitation he pushed another

8:15

button this one for an outside line

8:19

he dialed the number from memory

8:21

four rings later the line picked up and

8:23

a female voice answered

8:25

hello

8:26

steven bennett took another deep breath

8:29

nicole

8:31

it's your father