PRION

Chapter 1-3: We'll be Right Back

Recovered Clip from Sixty Minutes to Midnight with James Cancel - June 3rd, 2026

"...-with the dissolution of the FBI and several other alphabet agencies, came the order for the reorganization of the DHS as a 100,000 member super organization. That reorganization has reportedly finished as of last night; and according to the President, will be 'getting to work immediately on things that the opposition party have gotten away with for far too long'. As per usual, the President did not elaborate on what he was talking about besides 'very bad, illegal things'. Continuing on, the President unveiled the rebrand of the DHS, dubbing it the Department of Domestic Enforcement or the DDE," James spoke to his audience, before he stopped to take a breath. Although there was quite a lot he wanted to say, he had to hold his tongue like he had been firmly told to do.

He continued; "We reached out to the acting head of the DDE, former Governor Allison Noll, and did not receive an answer. Whether or not the DDE will fill the hole the FBI leaves behind remains to be seen; of course with the destruction of well over a hundred years worth of documents, as ordered by the former acting head of the FBI, any sort of attempt to do so will be severely handicapped going forward. As for the spread of CWD-"

Recovered Clip from Local 59 News at 7am in Topeka, Kansas - June 4th, 2026

"-Governor Carpenter issued a joint statement with the National Guard and state law enforcement today, saying the infection has been routed and safely contained to Wichita and its surrounding counties. Businesses around the state are clear to re-open, with the Governor quoting the President 'it'll be gone in August, gone just like the wind'," the anchorwoman said. She then turned to her co-hosts for the next story.

The young man next to her looked at the camera and began to speak with a smile;
"Moving on, the President's administration continues to fight multiple legal battles on the state and federal levels as they attempt to accomplish the agenda for his term. This is compounded with several constitutional amendments failing to get ¾ of the votes in the House; as well as pushback in both the House and the Senate over the return to the gold standard in spite of the retiring of the filibuster. The Secretary of the Treasury dismissed their concerns over the drastic effects such a change will have on the economy; dubbing them 'useless fear mongering'. He then cited the stability of the gold standard, and the volatility of the late 1920s as having been nothing more than a fluke caused by Hoover's inadequacies."

Another of the hosts piped up once the anchorman was done; "Wasn't Coolidge the President in the 20s?" she asked.

"Oh, I think they mean since it started in Hoover's term that it's his fault," the anchorman responded.

"I suppose so, haha" the one who asked the question laughed.

The fourth co-host began to speak, "Now for the weather for the next few days-"

BAM BAM CRASH BAM CRACK

Loud sounds from outside the studio caught their attention. "I'm sorry, there seems to be a disturbance out in the hallway. Can someone check on that?" the fourth host asked as the noises continued. For the viewer, chatter in the studio is caught on the microphones as confusion and bewilderment set in. A few seconds later, a scream rang through the room and the current camera swung around to show a crowd of zombies that had just poured into the room. The man who opened the door already submerged in the depth of the helter-skelter of flesh.

"Oh my God," one of the hosts said in a panicked tone, their microphones still on.

Several of the crew began a mad dash towards the back door of the studio with the infected close on their tails. The howls and moans of the horde became clear for the audience to hear as they grew closer to the microphones. Some of the crew had made it through the door and shut it behind them, which left the rest to bang on the door and plead for them to come back. Their screams and desperate resistance gradually grew silent as the camera continued to film the entrance. It took several minutes for the network to finally remotely cut the broadcast to commercial.

Transcript of Recovered Advertisement Aired on Local 59 - June 4th, 2026

[A man is resting his head in his palm, leaning forward on a table. The colors are in grayscale.]

<Life got you down? Need more energy to get you through the day?>

[The man sighs.]

<Then get that pep back in your step with an 80-08-13!>

[The man is handed a bottle of blue liquid. Colors fill the screen when he takes a sip, and the man becomes excited and filled with energy]

<It has eighty essential minerals, eight essential vitamins, and thirteen flavors packed in!>

[Various giant fruits appear around the man as he heads outside, the world turns more fantastical. Others start leaving their homes and they all begin running down the street in joy. Logos appear.]

<Everyone loves a good 80-08-13!>