From the Comfort of the Radio Room
by Frank Drake, KL7IPV
The evening was turning out out to be blustery and the temperature was dropping. All the indications of fall were in the air, and that made the smell of a hot cup of soup welcome. It was a very good night to spend in front of the radios. Nothing on TV was inviting enough to want the delay of getting to the radio shack. As Henry went to the radio room, he thought back to the days of tubes and relays that were so much a part of his radios. The warmth that they gave both in heat and glow were etched in Henry's memories. He missed them, but still looked forward to using the high tech radios of today. This seemed to be a good night to spend with them, and he was still eager to talk to others around the world. He hoped that feeling would never go away.
Henry stepped into the room and turned on the lights and the radios. The old familiar surroundings exuded a warmth that Henry looked forward to each time he entered. He felt that it was going to be a very good night. He heard the noises grow in volume as the radios came on. He could only hear static for now, but he was sure it would be better as he tuned the twenty meter band.
There were times Henry had wished he had a linear amp, but he found that he really never missed not having one. Henry placed his fingers softly on the dial of his transceiver and slowly tuned for a signal. Then he heard it, a booming CQ that punched the speaker almost out of the cone. It surprised Henry with its sudden srength. He recovered his composure and turned the volume down to hear where it came from.
The signal came through the slight static now with a fierceness that seemed like a signal from next door. It took little concentration to pick this one out. But it seemed also very scared. Henry leaned to try to detect the nuances of the speech. Panic? Alarm? What was in that voice?
What happens next?