Dead Land Journal December 3rd 2027

I have hooked up a scanner that can read and convert printed documents into a text files compatible with most word processing programs. I am scanning all my journal entries into them as I go so I can edit later if I need to. The backup is on a 64 gig memory card in my wallet. I still type my journal entries on the Smith Corona, but I can now re-enter them on my computer without having to retype them.

Katherine is now using an old Underwood desktop typewriter to type up her records now. Her hard drive crashed and she lost some data. She confessed to me that she cannot afford to trust her computer now and her handwriting is not legible enough for even her to read. Most of it was backed on memory cards but there was some data loss. I was not aware that she had that much in the way of records, but apparently she has been keeping medical records on all of us, plus her research notes on the wraiths. She is preparing a report on the adult wraith that was still intact after they retrieved me. She has promised me a copy of it and I will add it to my journal when I get it.

I have been working on the radio setup in the Uni this week and am actually pleased with the progress I have been making. The setup is similar to that I was using back in Independence. It scans shortwave, am/fm and citizens band. As before everything is recorded and stored digitally for review later. I get a lot of false broadcasts on AM and FM that turn out to be just static. I am starting to pick up some shortwave broadcasts, most of them are foreign language, but there is a faint one I picked up three days ago in English. Very strong British accent though. I will need a more powerful transmitter before I can make contact though.

But what has really got my interest though is the CB transmissions I have picked up. CB is strictly short range so I don't think these can be more than 50 miles away.

After a few hours of going over the recordings I think what I am hearing is a stationary base dispatching a couple of scouts and foraging parties. The dispatcher sounds angry most of the time and there are frequent arguments. From what I have picked up from their conversations they are based at the Springfield Marine Corp Reserve training base. They are systematically hitting all the houses and stores in the area cleaning out all the food and supplies in the area. I have not heard more than seven distinct voices so I don't know what they can possibly do with all that food. They are also gathering all the guns and ammo they can find too.

They have had several encounters with wraiths and have one dedicated hunting party. The wraiths are nesting and possibly hibernating in the basement of houses now. Groups as large as twenty-five have been found huddled in basements. They are firebombing houses where they are nesting and just letting them burn to the ground.

The fact that they are killing the wraiths is not something I have a problem with, but the hoarding of food and weapons makes me uneasy.

I am getting a very bad feeling about this.

I will bring this up to the others in the morning, but it's late I should close up here in the Uni and go inside.

© 2009 R. Keith McBride