Metafire

"What kind of computer? Can you remember? What did it look like?"

Then he got very calm and lucid for a moment and said, "My DEC Alpha. My name on top. My name's on top. My name. Please help. Please don't kill. Don't kill. Please."

"Where was it? In your office? Where was it?" Jill wanted more.

Only there was no more. He stared up at the ceiling. The agent said, "Ma'm he's out of it."

Jill tried again, "Where? Where?"

No answer. Finally the nurse said to one of the agents standing there, "Sir, you need to leave now. Ken comes and goes like this. You might get some more at another time. He needs his rest now."

The phone conversation was over.

The rubble of New York City had not been cleared. The radioactivity was still dangerous in downtown Manhattan. The people who escaped largely walked out. There was no help. There was enough death and destruction on the outskirts and in the buildings that were otherwise shielded from the blast. Rockefeller University, was partly shielded by the United Nations building.