Emergency Alert: An Immersive Novel
What exactly is an immersive novel?
“Technically, well, just listen…”
ABOUT THE BOOK:
In December 2018, my husband and I devised a whacky plan to live in southeast Asia for a year or so. Within a three-week period, we hurriedly packed each of our worldly possessions into an eight-by-ten storage unit and booked a fourteen hour flight to Seoul, South Korea. Why Seoul, you ask? Well, to make a long story short, we were both stationed at an air base in the Republic of Korea roughly a decade past and presumed that a reunion would be good for the soul (pun).
It was not.
Imagine receiving an emergency alert on your cell phone in 한글 (Hangul), which is the alphabet utilized to write the Korean language. No amount of Duolingo prepares the brain for those flashing alerts and rising sense of panic. However, the initial warning paled in comparison to burgeoning rumors that a “new influenza bug” had begun to wreak havoc on the local elderly populace. Essentially, the novel coronavirus was running rampant and no one was the wiser, including us.
Needless to say, within days our feet were back on American soil. Yet, perhaps most surprising is the fact that a whopping three months passed before the virus showed face in the United States. A whole three months. Then, you guessed it, emergency alerts were disseminated to cellular devices and I began to ponder the complexities of having a long-term, unwelcome visitor amongst us.
“Emergency Alert” is a short story about our shared experiences and the extensive life modifications that individuals have been forced to preserve for the preservation of many. The novel will thrust readers into an interactive world where citizens of the Collective Union are terrorized by the emergence of a virulent global pandemic. Clearly marked zones separate regional borders and local “sectors” are brimming with increasingly aggressive militia factions. A dedicated cast of characters eagerly leap from the pages to share their personal journeys while navigating the bizarre environment. Sound familiar?
As the first installment of a two part series, the second volume will release directly to the reader’s e-library via remote update on 04 July 2020. Audience members are encouraged to engage the interactive icons located throughout the novel as the performers connect with fans in real time!
Ranger Vance Tulley developed a dangerous habit of silencing radio communication during night shift rotations at the Zone 3 Police Department. The voices of local dispatchers brimmed with a sense of urgency that he found terribly distressing, particularly during the solicitation of crime scene personnel. While his peers rushed to assist with crowd control and evidence tagging, Tulley managed to lay claim to an obscure area tucked behind a local fast-food restaurant.
Overgrown greenery and low hanging tree branches masked the sizable truck as smoke billowed from its dual exhaust tailpipes. The rookie surmised that if he was relegated to earning half the salary of traditional law enforcement officers, then he would contribute half the work. Police Chief Windmore had underestimated the tried-and-true philosophy that criminal cases transitioned from red to black by way of green cash.
An all-points bulletin shot across the airwaves, jarring Tulley from his extended slumber. Radio static and minutiae about a level one explosion in Sector 1310 echoed within the interior compartment space. He immediately flipped a red switch situated next to the steering wheel and whipped the truck from its subterranean hideout. Rear tires sprayed gravel buckshots towards vagrants as their faces remained shielded behind gloved hands. Being the first to arrive at the scene of a crime was comparable to winning the lottery, particularly during investigations in which illegal drug activity was the focal point.
An expunged criminal rap sheet provided Ranger Tulley with a flourishing network of hoodlums who were desperate to cash in on relatively low risk illicit activities. The inaugural class of brainwashed PRP officers believed that the price of admission for a firsthand view of a collapsing society was far more damaging than profits earned by way of hawking seized merchandise. Vance swore that this instance would be no different than the other occasions as long as he remained discreet.
The audacious rookie arrived on-site following a hurried excursion past twelve city blocks. He parked the six-pack behind a white WKRP news van and walked towards a crowd of angry spectators. Briefly showing face at crime scenes tended to mollify public scrutiny about his lack of professional enthusiasm. At least half a dozen burly videographers and dolled up reporters with Rhode microphones swarmed the area. Small film crews from the Zone 3 Command Post had unwittingly upended his larceny scheme before it had an opportunity to commence.
“Tulley! Ranger Tulley!” A canine unit foot soldier called out for assistance as he struggled to subdue an agitated suspect while his partner stood watch. Vance briskly walked towards the melee and secured the perpetrator’s hands with plastic zip ties. He noticed that the crook donned a black ski mask which was haphazardly strewn about during the scuffle. Volunteering for transport duty to a regional jailhouse was a no-brainer after he spied the signature crown of an expensive Zoleax timepiece on the fugitive’s left wrist. A tiny golden watch clasp proved a significant hindrance for Tulley as the jewelry remained firmly secured to its owner despite his best efforts. The arrest was streamed live by scores of citizens who gathered to watch the Mayor ushered away under the cloak of darkness.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Novelist O.W. Showe is a former professional basketball player, retired US Air Force Flight Nurse and recipient of numerous halls of fame accolades for athletic and professional excellence. Often referred to as the inventor of modern-day immersive writing, she enjoys sharing comedic banter with her husband Pocco and early morning walks on cartoon beaches.
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All for the Books 