Search for Survivors Ended
MIAMI – Sep 7, 2009. Authorities have called off the search for blast survivors, and two National Guard Units have been stationed in Miami Beach to assist FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) officials in their investigation. Exact numbers have not been released yet, but it is believed that the death toll for the bombing is over 400 and it is estimated that over 1200 people were wounded in the blast.
Residential areas along the beach in Miami Beach have been evacuated due to heavy structural damage, and businesses in the area of Ocean Drive and 5th Street & Collins Avenue have been closed on FEMA’s authority.
Cleanup efforts along Collins Avenue and MacArthur Causeway continue, but are slow going due to the scope of the devastation and the damage to the roads. Those without business in the area are being asked to stay clear.
PTFA Claims Responsibility!
In an anonymous phone call received at the editorial offices of the Miami Herald this afternoon, a person identifying themselves as a representative of the Party for a Technology Free America claimed responsibility for the destruction that occurred in the Miami Beach area which has to date claimed over 400 lives.
You may remember the first appearance of the PTFA in 1996 when they attempted to establish themselves as a political party by putting forth a candidate in one of the last mayoral elections held in Miami before the eventual dissolution of the position.
Trent MacPherson, who was then chairman of the PFTA and the party’s candidate for mayor, explained their philosophy, “We want to see people get back to the basics of life, to return to human interaction. Cell phones, answering machines, computers, cable, pagers, e-mail, television, voice mail. All we do now is interact with machines, we’re a society who can no longer relate to each other. How many of you can tell me what your child or wife or husband even looks like without pulling up an image of them on your browser? We have to fight back, before it’s too late!”
When their bid for mayor failed as well as an attempt a year later to place MacPherson on the ballot for U.S. Representative they began to evolve towards a more militant form of political activism as shown by their attempt in May of 1999 to blockade the Turkey Point nuclear power plant, located south of Miami near Homestead. The Florida Highway Patrol working in conjunction with the Highway Department and a team of observers from the National Guard Corp of Engineers was eventually able to remove all road obstacles placed by the protestors and arrest those involved with little incident.
The group was scarcely heard from in the years immediately following the attempted blockade, finally coming to the public’s attention again in February of 2006 when then treasurer Clinton Dilam was indicted for tax evasion. Then in August of 2007 the group resurfaced with a splash claiming responsibility for the destruction of the old Allington Tower building but their claim was never able to be verified by Police. This marked the first time that the group had purported to have performed an act of blatant terrorism. If this new claim is substantiated this would mark a terrifying escalation in the methods pursued by the PTFA to further its goals.
Radiation Victims Flood Hospitals
As the once sunny and carefree city of Miami struggles to recover from the sudden twin blasts of doom turning night into day, the death toll continues to rise. Emergency crews have given up hope of finding more survivors in the blast zones and are now concentrating on the grim task of digging out the casualties and informing their families that loved ones are among the dead. Government response to the disaster is still struggling to assess and respond to the horrible consequences of what has been deemed a terrorist attack. As reported in this paper, the terrorist movement calling itself Party for a Technology Free America (PTFA) has claimed responsibility for the attacks, although this has yet to be verified by the authorities. Meanwhile, the hospitals are being flooded by desperate citizens suffering from strange flu-like symptoms. All available staff has been called in, working around the clock to handle the immense task of admitting and treating the suffering victims of this man-made disaster. Beds are crowding any available space at the hospitals as the wards are being filled to the limit and beyond with suffering victims, and the lobbies of the hospitals are flooded with coughing, feverish citizens seeking help.
One city spokesman confirms the grim rumor, stating: “It has yet to be determined how widespread the contamination is, but we strongly urge citizens suffering from symptoms of fever, dizziness, upper respiratory congestion, sneezing, nausea or diarrhea to seek immediate medical attention, either at the official Shelters or at the hospitals. Citizens are also strongly urged not to enter the blast zones, and to follow official directives. Every humanly possible precaution are being taken to ensure that citizens will receive due help, and that the radiation will be contained. ” Donations from concerned citizens keep pouring into various funds set up to aid victims of what has been coined the biggest large-scale disaster in decades. As chief spokesman of the Aid For Life organization puts it: “In a time of sudden disaster where grief and pain seems to dominate our lives, we must show ourselves as true human beings, and offer whatever help we can give to each other. Reach out helping hands to those around us. I have seen countless numbers of brave and caring citizens assist each other in recovering from this meaningless strike against all that we hold dear.”
National Guard Evacuates Beach Area
FEMA investigators have confirmed the presence of low-level radiation in and around the blast areas. In the interests of public safety, citizens in the general area of Miami Beach are being asked to relocate, if possible, while those closest to the blast areas are under mandatory evacuation.
National Guard Units will be coordinating in the evacuation, with the aid of local police where possible.
The areas scheduled for immediate mandatory evacuation are as follows:
Condominiums along Ocean Drive in Miami Beach
Businesses and apartments at 5th Street and Collins Avenue
Citizens in the following areas are urged to relocate:
Lincoln Road and Collins Avenue (Including Ocean Royale and High Stakes Casino)
Lincoln Road Mall
MacArthur Causeway and Alton Road
FEMA authorities state that although the Lincoln Road and MacArthur areas are not under mandatory evacuation, that might not be the case in the near future. “It depends on the radiation levels,” said one investigator. “If they remain at ‘safe’ levels, people will get to stay in their homes. If it becomes too dangerous, they’ll be relocated for their own safety.”
MDPD Lends Itself a Helping Hand
A much-needed upgrade to the Metro-Dade Police Department’s equipment and weapons was funded by a selfless donation from the current Chief of Police, Stacy Johansen. Chief Johansen, owner of Joe’s Generic Bar and The Patio Lounge, had been in the process of placing Joe’s Generic Bar in trust when both bars were destroyed by the terrorist act which claimed most of the Miami Beach area.
The terms of this trust were that the net profits from the bar were to be invested and that the revenues from this managed investment were to be turned over to the Police Officer’s Benevolent Society to be disbursed in support of active and former police officers, as well as the widows and children of officers killed in the line of duty. Each passing year would allow the principle to slowly grow and thus provide more money for the Society to perform its charitable functions as well as act as a hedge against inflation.
The destruction of the bar placed all those plans in jeopardy until one week ago when Chief Johansen signed over the full insurance settlement for Joe’s Generic Bar to create the base of the trust fund. Now, rather than having to wait years for the fund to build it will start with a sizable initial investment and most likely be able to back numerous projects within the next few years.
Mounted Patrols
Due to the destruction of several throughways and the areas rendered inaccessible to vehicles, mounted patrols will be reinstated throughout the city in order to expand the peacekeeping capabilities of Miami’s professionals. All citizens are urged to yield right of way to these working animals and to not attempt to distract them while they are at work.
The animals which provide transportation for peacekeeping personnel are also considered to be peace officers in the same manner as K-9 patrol personnel. Anyone attempting theft of these animals will be prosecuted as if a kidnapping had occurred, including the possibility of Capital Punishment. Any assaults on these working animals will likewise be prosecuted in the same manner as a similar assault on any other peace officer, in addition to any charges the ASPCA and/or the Florida Humane Society might choose to wage against the perpetrator.
<<IMAGE: Montage of mounted patrol officers atop horses in various areas of the city.>>
Additional Support for MDPD
Due to the disruption of the city’s infrastructure following the terrorist attack which cost us so many of our fellows, it has been necessary to temporarily supplement the Metro-Dade Police Department’s active-duty personnel with support derived from the Florida National Guard. This support is costly to the State and will shortly be removed as those Reserves currently stationed in and around Miami are returned to their normal lives.
In order to not stretch the diminished numbers of Peace Officers too thinly, or fail to cover the all areas of the city, an organization has been formed which will be referred to as the ‘Special Police’ division. This organization is privately funded, avoiding a drain on what is left of the Metro-Dade coffers. It will be composed of former military personnel and former peace officers initially. Other personnel will be added as training becomes possible. This organization is in no way intended to replace the Metro-Dade police force, but will parallel it and supplement the peace-keeping force as Miami and the surrounding areas are rebuilt over the next decades.
We ask all citizens to cooperate with all peace officers, whether local or National Guardspersons, during this rebuilding. We have a long way to go, but can rebuild and prove to the world that not even terrorist activity can rain-out the Sunshine State. Thank you all for your cooperation.
<<IMAGE: Comparison photos of Special Police Uniforms (Black with blue striping) and Metro-Dade regulars>>
Wild Animal Causes Riot in Nightclub
On the evening of Sep 28, a riot broke out in the popular nightclub located in Overtown, The River Styx. Allegedly a wild animal had somehow gotten into the club, causing a mad stampede as the terrified club-goers fled to safety. Many was crushed and brutally injured under the trampling feet of fellow humans, and the club suffered extensive damages to the interior. One witness put it like this: ‘Well, me and my friends were at the bar, trying to get drinks. And all of a sudden everybody was screaming and running, and Aki, my boyfriend, was trampled. I just don’t know what happened. There was this huge something, but I can’t remember it too well. People says there was an animal in there, so that’s prolly what I saw. “
<<Insert small picture of a young girl pierced to the gills, in gothic-looking clothes. She has a swollen lip and a black eye. Beside her picture is a larger picture of the facade of the River Styx, police officers and other official-looking people milling about in a crowd of party-dressed people. Many look to be wounded. There’s a lot of ambulances and squad cars parked at haphazard angles>>
Spokesman for the Miami Zoo Foundation, Alan Parkes commented: “We keep an accurate tally on our animals, and I can safely say that the alleged animal in the nightclub isn’t one of ours. It is close to impossible for the animals to wander out of their cages, let alone the park. I can assure the public that we have already offered our expertise to the City in order to quickly find and contain any animal on the loose.’
Spokesman for the Animal Control Department issued a statement earlier today: ‘We are definitely looking for a large quadrupedal animal, quite possibly a wolf or bear, in Overtown and the surrounding areas. There is no reason for fear, but we do advise people to stay away and call authorities if spotting the animal. The animal has most likely fled urbanized areas, but sooner or later we will spot and contain it. ‘