Duck and Cover! An American Spinoff of Protect and Survive.

Duck and Cover! is the American View of the events happening in Protect and Survive, the post-nuclear war Time Line started by Mcgraggle. I recommend you check it out here, reading the first couple of posts and some of the Prospero stories will help you get some context of some of the events found in Duck and Cover! Now, without further ado here is Duck and Cover! hope you enjoy.

Part I: Earthquakes

They say it starts with earthquakes, birds, snake and airplanes...

February 21st 1984 changed the lives of every person in the world forever. As missiles arched across the planet, humanity stared up at the sky wondering if the end of the world was really coming.

They were right.

The problem for most people was that the Nuclear War, as it would later be known, was not as deadly as most had envisioned. In its wake millions of unprepared found themselves in a completely different world. These are their stories.

* The Son sat in the basement and cried. His family had gone to the Airport to pick up his sister from college. He was alone. When the warnings and sirens went off. He was home. Alone. As he duct taped the doorframe and the window frames as the man on the radio said. He was alone. When he went to the basement carrying the food from the refrigerator and the pantry. He was alone. When the bombs went off. He was alone. When he shit his pants. He was alone. After the bombs went off. He was alone. When he cried. He was alone.

*All the stores were empty, including the one on fire. The Fireman glanced at his friends left and right and wondered exactly what they had hoped to accomplish. There wasn’t much in there to save, and well…real estate wouldn’t matter much soon. The sirens went off, screaming that they had a couple minutes left on earth. The Squad Chief laughed, “Stop it boys! There’s no point now is there?” No one else held the Squad Chief’s humor, including the Fireman. How could he be so jovial the world was ending? As their engine silently rolled off the Squad Chief shouted behind him “IT WAS A PLESURE TO BURN!” That remark got a chuckle. They pulled into the fire house and waited. The Fireman wondered if Aberdeen would even show up on the Commie’s nuke maps. Too small anyway he assumed. He turned to the kitchen to make himself something to eat as the Flash off on the bay illuminating the whole town with unholy light. Thinking back later the Fireman realized that that sandwich probably saved his life. He remembered the film they had shown him as a child. Duck and Cover. Duck and Cover…

*The Singer wandered the streets, there wasn’t much to do, now was there. People around her were well, scaring the horses she decided. Those who were leaving the poor horses alone wandered in a dream like state, some pretended that life was normal and nothing was going to change, still others ran around crying and screaming panic filing their eyes and coming out their lungs. And amongst all the cacophony came a silly poorly played track of Oh! Susannah! An Ice-Cream truck wandered aimlessly down the street. She stared at the truck and its overweight driver blankly. “Lady do you want an Ice-Cream, they’re on the house today?” the Ice-Cream man grinned. Finally she mumbled “sure.” “Well what’ll you be having?” She mumbled “Just the…” he handed it to her. She stared. He must be telepathic. As he munched on his own, (no wonder he was so fat) he asked “So what do you do?” The sirens screamed.

*The Cadet was trying to keep order outside of the Supermart. “GOOD GOD PEOPLE ONE AT A TIME!” It was getting hectic out here. It got worse after the sirens went off.

*The Lieutenant swallowed the pill, as he lay dying he couldn’t stop thinking. I pushed the button…It’s my fault…All the women and chi….

*The Farmer saw the crash and ran over. As he pulled the lone survivor out of the Crash he couldn’t help but notice the painting on the side. PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. The man mumbled something…The Farmer bandaged the man as best he could. He was afraid of some kind of internal trauma but there was nothin else he could do ‘bout that. The man slowly came to. The Farmer smiled “Well Mister Secretary or is that Mr. President see’n how no one else survived that crash.” The man just blinked and said nothing.

*“We’re broadcasting on all channels” someone in the Bunker said. The Assistant noticed that the Director looked too haggard for his age and his health. He took the mike and said nothing. He looked down, “I don’t know what to say…” The Assistant smiled, “I know what to say." The rest of the room looked at her as she depressed the button on the microphone. She licked her lips and coughed. “Our Father who art in heaven…”

America gone. The World gone. Welcome to Duck and Cover.
 
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I have been thoroughly enjoying Protect and Survive, so I will try to keep up to date with this as well. Although you changed perspective a bit too frequently here, overall this first update was good. I'll be interested in where you take this.

How closely will you be following the source material?



Also, I eagerly wait to hear the fate of Cleveland. Inferring from the list of targets in the original thread, Cleveland is given as one of the largest 'surviving' cities in North America. Although disease, starvation and radiation may change that, it was nice to see that my hometown survived in some form.
 
I have been thoroughly enjoying Protect and Survive, so I will try to keep up to date with this as well. Although you changed perspective a bit too frequently here, overall this first update was good. I'll be interested in where you take this.

I ran into a problem with the US mainly it has to do with population and land area. As opposed to England there is wider ground and more people to cover and I need more people to tell the story right. Sorry if it was hard to follow.

How closely will you be following the source material?

As close as possible. I plan to follow a bit behind as you can tell.

Also, I eagerly wait to hear the fate of Cleveland. Inferring from the list of targets in the original thread, Cleveland is given as one of the largest 'surviving' cities in North America. Although disease, starvation and radiation may change that, it was nice to see that my hometown survived in some form.

Good to hear your hometown made it. Mine didn't.:( I'll get more from the original P&S before touching on that going-to-be-important city.
 
I subscribed.


In a way, this reminds me of Top Gear UK and Top Gear USA.

People who insist on comparing the two detail for detail are going to be scathing of the latter.

But, if you take the latter on its merits, it is quite enjoyable.


As you can imagine, I'm writing this to remind myself in part; my first reaction, after reading "Protect and Survive" for over a year, was, "This had better be ----ing good!"

Well, so far, I like it. :cool:
 
The war occurred in 1984, not 1983 (read Protect and Survive for more details. The tensions started to rise in late 1983 and WWIII broke out in 1984).

Other than that error, good start so far.
 
I subscribed.


In a way, this reminds me of Top Gear UK and Top Gear USA.

But, if you take the latter on its merits, it is quite enjoyable.



Well, so far, I like it. :cool:

Thanks for the praise! And Yeah US has a "different flavor" than UK Top Gear.

How many cities in Texas are still standing, btw? :(

From the Secretary's list not many. :( College Station isn't mentioned so the CADET is from there...

The war occurred in 1984, not 1983 (read Protect and Survive for more details. The tensions started to rise in late 1983 and WWIII broke out in 1984).

Other than that error, good start so far.

Sorry typo! Fixing that!
 
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Frankly I was impressed with the first upload and subscribed immediatley.

I just wondered if you had a an overview of the regional throw weights. Eg "70% of towns with a population over 70K destroyed in USA, 45% in Mexico, 50% in Canada". I ask only as a lot of time is being spent guessing at such things in P&S and I just felt this sort of detail would help to keep the story at a human level. Just an idea :)
 
Frankly I was impressed with the first upload and subscribed immediatley.

I just wondered if you had a an overview of the regional throw weights. Eg "70% of towns with a population over 70K destroyed in USA, 45% in Mexico, 50% in Canada". I ask only as a lot of time is being spent guessing at such things in P&S and I just felt this sort of detail would help to keep the story at a human level. Just an idea :)


Thanks for the support! Love to hear from y'all!

I'm doing a rough estimate on the total of US dead based on county statistics for 1983, I'm assuming that everyone in a county containing a hit city is dead to make the math simple. Its probably a very low estimate but it should give us a good idea of where the US stands.
 
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