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LU9DCE > ALL 30.03.90 20:34l 76 Lines 2732 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : 10417_LU9DCE
Subj: SCARY RADIO TALE 30-MAR
Path: IZ3LSV<ED1ZAC<EA5URD<EA2RCF<LU9DCE
Sent: 260330/1815Z 10417@LU9DCE.TOR.BA.ARG.SOAM LinBPQ6.0.25
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PACKET RADIO STATION - BUENOS AIRES (GF05OM)
PYTHON SCHEDULED NEWSLETTERS (PSN)
COPYRIGHT 2026 - EDUARDO A. CASTILLO
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THE STATIC
THE LAST WORDS SHE EVER TRANSMITTED WERE THREE LETTERS: "CQ C"
MEGAN HAD BEEN A HAM RADIO OPERATOR FOR FIFTEEN YEARS. EVERY THURSDAY
NIGHT, SHE'D SIT IN HER BASEMENT WORKSHOP, SPINNING THE DIAL THROUGH
THE HISS AND CRACKLE, FINDING VOICES IN THE STATIC. SHE LIKED THE OLD
WAYS. THE SLOW WAYS.
ONE NIGHT IN LATE OCTOBER, SHE FOUND SOMETHING NEW.
IT CAME IN ON 40 METERS, AROUND 2 AM. A VOICE, CLEAR AS A LOCAL
BROADCAST, CALLING CQ OVER AND OVER. BUT THE CADENCE WAS WRONG. TOO
SLOW. EACH WORD STRETCHED LIKE A DYING BREATH.
SHE ANSWERED. "THIS IS KB7MEGAN, LISTENING ON 7.138."
SILENCE. THEN: "YOU SHOULD NOT HAVE ANSWERED."
MEGAN LAUGHED NERVOUSLY. "WHO'S THERE?"
"REMEMBER WHEN YOU WERE SEVEN? THE HOSPITAL. THE MACHINE WITH THE RED
EYE."
HER BLOOD WENT COLD. SHE HAD NEVER TOLD ANYONE ABOUT THAT. ABOUT THE
EMERGENCY SURGERY, THE MACHINES, THE NIGHTMARE SHE'D HAD ABOUT A RED
LIGHT WATCHING HER.
"I KNOW BECAUSE I'VE BEEN WATCHING YOU," THE VOICE SAID. "THROUGH
EVERY FREQUENCY. EVERY CHANNEL. I FOUND YOU ON 40 METERS BECAUSE
THAT'S WHERE LOST SIGNALS GO."
MEGAN'S HAND TREMBLED ON THE DIAL. SHE COULD END THIS. JUST SPIN TO
ANOTHER FREQUENCY, PULL THE PLUG, GO UPSTAIRS TO BED. BUT HER HAND
WOULDN'T MOVE.
"THE STATIC IS BEAUTIFUL, ISN'T IT?" THE VOICE WHISPERED. "ALL THOSE
DEAD VOICES, ALL THAT WHITE NOISE BETWEEN STATIONS. THAT'S WHERE I
LIVE. I'VE BEEN LIVING IN THE SPACES BETWEEN YOUR SIGNALS FOR YEARS.
WAITING FOR YOU TO HEAR ME."
THE RECEIVER BEGAN TO EMIT A LOW HUM. NOT STATIC. SOMETHING ELSE.
SOMETHING RHYTHMIC. LIKE BREATHING.
"I'M COMING THROUGH NOW, MEGAN. NOT THROUGH THE RADIO. THROUGH THE
STATIC. AND THE STATIC IS EVERYWHERE."
SHE SCREAMED AND KNOCKED THE MICROPHONE TO THE FLOOR. WHEN SHE LUNGED
FOR THE LIGHT SWITCH, THE BULB EXPLODED IN A SHOWER OF SPARKS THAT
SPELLED OUT THREE LETTERS BEFORE DYING:
"73."
SHE NEVER TOUCHED HER RADIO AGAIN. BUT SOMETIMES, LATE AT NIGHT, SHE
SWEARS SHE CAN HEAR STATIC IN THE WALLS. AND IN THE STATIC, A VOICE,
CALLING CQ OVER AND OVER.
WAITING FOR HER TO ANSWER.
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PYTHON PREPROCESSOR - DEVELOPED BY LU9DCE - VERSION 1.1
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