each person at the table knew what was at stake. it was both their jobs and reputations that would be determined by the decisions they would proceed to make.

they had gravitated towards these positions by the double headed motivation of control and financial compensation. it had come to the point, however, where they faced cutting their own wages in order to keep the company active for another few months.

in the end they decided to accept the fate of markets, continuing as they began.

[05/28/03]

the rancher loaded the .22 and shot the cow. he had brought his youngest son and daughter outside to help calm the beast before he put it down. the cow had been sick and there was concern it would infect others in the herd.

disgust lined the rancher's face. this cow was going to waste, since the meat was tainted and inedible. it sickened him to think about how much meat he had destroyed in the past week. when he drove into town to pick up supplies at the co-op, he noticed how others also carried a worn look.

everyone mentioned the slaughter in near whispers, seemingly afraid their words would carry the contagion. all of the ranchers knew this was not an isolated event. this was the beginning of something new, reeking of death and hinting at an unsustainable future.

[05/21/03]

he held the worn button in his hand for a moment before placing it in his mouth and swallowing it. when he died, some months later, they would find dozens of small foreign objects in his stomach.

the remainder of the day he felt like crying, though no tears actually came. there was something wrong, he thought. he had been told the medication should dissipate these feelings.

later, in the afternoon, he went for a walk to the nearby pond and watched the ducks. he pulled pieces of bread out of an old plastic bag and threw torn up bits to the birds.

an old woman, attempting to collect some change well-wishers had thrown in, slipped into the water and almost drowned. he pulled her out of the water by her jacket and yelled for a doctor. while her bruised hip would begin to heal, she would die at home of pneumonia.

[05/21/03]

she listened to the gentle whir of the satellite as it changed positions. every noise was amplified in her mind as she had been working for forty-three hours non-stop. now she had a moment to breath and regain her composure as the tracking equipment reconfigured.

there was a new target to focus attention on, she had been told. while she waited files were being transferred to her display and in a few moments the hunt would begin anew.

to this point no one fully appreciated the impact this situation would have. in a few hours many civilians would die. the aim here was to keep those numbers as low as possible.

[05/20/03]

sunday night, empty city streets, dusk approaching. he stood at the railing, arm against the cold metal, watching the waves touch the embankment.

the working world was at home, anticipating the approach of monday morning. two seagulls fought, banking and diving towards the water, both desiring a piece of garbage the other had.

street lights turned on. slowly he watched the inner glow of the buildings, lights left on all weekend, become apparent as the sun descended below the mountains. the city began to feel warm and secretive.

[05/20/03]