#zrhf3

[zrtranscripts]

Home Front, Mission 3: Hope Is An Axe

The Sound of Hope

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JANINE DE LUCA: Abel Township runners, this is Janine De Luca broadcasting from Abel Township. The horde continues to surround us on all sides and there is no route of escape at this time. You must take shelter and remain in a place of safety until you receive further instructions. However long this situation continues, I will do whatever I can to support your physical and mental well-being throughout this difficult time. And so, with that in mind, we will continue with ministry-approved indoor workouts designed to maintain and even improve your condition while you are unable to serve in the field.

Begin your warm-up now. Jogging on the spot, star jumps, or dancing. Anything that gets your muscles warm and your blood moving. And to assist you, I have here an audio cassette distributed by the Ministry of Recovery to accompany your exercises. I'm sure you're looking forward to hearing this carefully curated and enriching selection of music every bit as much as I am.

[cassette clicks into tape player]

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[tape player button clicks]

JANINE DE LUCA: Very good, runners. I'm sure you found that musical selection as... educational as I did. By now, you should be feeling warm and limber. Ready, I trust, to raise a really good sweat. Today we will begin with the step ups which I'm sure you recall from Mr. Yao's broadcast.

To recap, you will need to position yourself by the bottom stair of your home or beside a sturdy box that can support your weight. The box must be heavy and very stable, nothing that can overbalance. Now simply step onto the step, then off it. Simple. If you have neither box nor step, you may raise yourself up on tiptoes slowly, holding as long as you are able, then lower your heels to the ground under full control, rest for a moment, and begin again. If you find this too easy, you may perform your tiptoe raises standing on one leg.

Attempt a 60 second session beginning [winds timer] now. [timer ticks] This exercise will build the quadriceps muscle of the thigh. Very useful for explosive bursts of speed while being chased by the walking dead. Very good, runners. That's halfway to completing your first set. Remember, if you feel sharp pain, stop immediately. Well done. Now change to the other leg. Remember to keep looking up. There are no crawlers under your feet, I hope. 15 seconds to go. Last few repetitions on this side, runners. Really make them count. Five, four, three, two, one, [timer rings and stops ticking] and rest.

Well done, runners. Take a moment or two to recover and I'll play the next track. Keep moving while the music plays. You don't want to stiffen up. There's plenty still to do. If you like, you can continue with your step ups, gently stretch out the thigh muscles, or go back to your warm-up exercises while the music plays.

[tape player button clicks]

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[tape player button clicks]

JANINE DE LUCA: I must confess, I was expecting rather more Elgar from the ministry and less... whatever that song was. Nonetheless, we shall now move on to incline press-ups.

Begin by taking a press-up position with your hands on the second or third step of your stairs with your fingers pointing forwards, your back straight, and your hands shoulder-width apart. Bend your arms at the elbow to lower your body until your chest is close to the floor. Hold that position for a slow count of two, then return to your starting position. It is perfectly acceptable to put your knees on the ground instead of your toes. The important thing is that your back remains straight and your form perfect at all times. If you're well-versed in this exercise, feel free to do your press-ups on the flat or even reverse the incline for a more intense workout.

Once again, we shall repeat this exercise for one minute, beginning now. [timer ticks] This exercise reminds me of being locked down in the first days of the outbreak, linked to the outside world only by an old wind-up radio. 15 seconds, runners. I used to perform this exercise while listening to the World Service. One of the announcers, Annabelle McKind, had such a comforting voice. Halfway. Remember, if you're finding this too much of a challenge, you can put your knees on the ground as long as you keep your back straight. 15 seconds to go now, runners. That's excellent. Remember to breathe. There's no need for anyone to faint from holding their breath. Five seconds. Four, three, two, one, [timer rings and stops ticking] and rest.

Well done. You should be feeling that in your shoulders and upper arms. I shall play the next piece of music while you recover, then return to the warm-up exercise or continue your press-ups if you feel strong enough.

[tape player button clicks]

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[tape player button clicks]

JANINE DE LUCA: I really am finding it hard to believe that this is the Ministry's idea of appropriate music to which to exercise. Let me check the cassette box again. “The Ministry of Recovery: music to inspire and energize in a time of crisis.” Well, far be it from me to criticize. One must assume they have selected these pieces of music for a reason. Very well, we shall continue with bodyweight squats.

Stand upright, arms by your sides and feet hip-width apart. Now bend your legs as though you are sitting on an invisible chair, keeping your knees above your feet and your bottom sticking out, then stand up again. You can put a hand on the wall to support yourself if you find it easier, and do ensure the floor beneath you is sturdy and intact. The last thing I want is to hear tales of runners plummeting through rotten floorboards into zombie-infested basements.

Now on my mark, begin. [timer ticks] Don't worry about speed in this exercise. It's more important to use your muscles to support you in slowly going into as deep a squat as possible for you. That's 15 seconds. If you like, you can put your hands on your head or stretch them upwards as you squat. Only 30 seconds to go. Even if you've only managed this much, you're doing well. What's important is to move a little more every day if you can. Almost finished, runners. Just imagine how good using these muscles to sprint away from zombies will feel. Five, four, three, two, one [timer rings and stops ticking] and relax. Take a moment to stretch out those hard-working legs before we start to move again.

I was just thinking of that little wind-up radio and how important it was to all of us back then. We knew that as long as the BBC was still broadcasting, life as we knew it went on. I felt I could detect in Annabelle McKind’s tones the sound of hope, that if she could still speak so calmly, then the world could be rebuilt.

And then one night, we tuned in and there was only static. It was difficult not to despair then, when we realized that the world would never again be as it was. I didn't imagine then that there could be a good future ahead of us, but Abel Township has become a new community for so many of us and the radio still connects us. That voice in the dark that reminds us though we may be apart, we are not alone, not really.

We will bring you home, runners, just as soon as we can. Now I think it's time for some music. Continue with your squats, or do some jogging on the spot or star jumps or dance, or simply rest and let your muscles recover, and I shall return shortly.

[tape player button clicks]

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[tape player button clicks]

JANINE DE LUCA: Good work, runners. You've done very well. Just one final effort and you can rest. Our final exercise is the plank. Simple and rewarding. First lie on your front - again, please ensure the ground beneath you is solid - with your elbows pushed into your ribs, forearms on the floor, and your toes tucked under you. Lift up so that your weight is resting on your forearms and your toes and your body is perfectly horizontal. Now assume and hold that position for as long as you feel able to without straining yourself. If you need to, rest on your knees for a few seconds and then return to the plank position.

I believe it was Runner Eight who introduced me to the merits of this exercise for core strength. I remember she used to say, "Hope isn't some wishy-washy bluebird. It's an axe, something you can use to break down a door and stave in a zombie skull, but an axe is no use if you haven't got the strength to wield it." Oh, that's 30 seconds, runners. Well done. If you feel able, continue to hold the plank for as long as you can, or return to your star jumps, jogging, and dancing one final time.

[tape player button clicks]

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[tape player button clicks]

JANINE DE LUCA: Really, there must have been some mistake. I simply cannot believe that this music has been selected by the Ministry - wait just a moment. I shall check the cassette itself. [cassette rattles] What on earth? Hmm. Yes, it may have started life as a Ministry release, but I note with interest that sticky tape has been placed over the write-protect notch! Someone has recorded over the official Ministry tape. [paper rustles] And it would appear that the culprit left this slip of paper inside the case!

[paper rustles]

“To my disco bear, these are a few songs that remind me of our first unforgettable night in Abel. Yours always, Eugene.” Well, Mr. Holden, if you can hear this, I shall keep this tape until you come home to collect it. I suppose I should be chastising you for defacing official Ministry materials in a time of crisis, but when so much thought has gone into this musical selection, such evident care, I... well, I never was all that fond of Elgar anyway. Let's say no more about it, shall we?

And runners, it's time to cool down. Move your body gently to the music and gradually stretch out those tired muscles. And yes, I do believe that there's one more song on this tape. Mr. Woods, Mr. Holden, this song is for you. I hope you're listening.

[cassette clicks into tape player, button clicks]

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[tape player button clicks]

JANINE DE LUCA: Well done, runners. Take a well-deserved rest. You should be proud of your hard work today. Remember, this separation we must endure will one day come to an end and on that day, I will be waiting at the gates of Abel to shake every one of you by the hand.

You know, it is an odd thing, thinking back to those long nights in the basement listening to the World Service. I corresponded a few months ago with Annabelle McKind across Rofflenet. She runs a local radio station in the Lagos Enclave now. I was able to tell her what an inspiration her voice had been to me, and she was kind enough to say that she had read my preparedness papers and found them useful. Can there be higher praise?

She reminded me of the words of the writer Rebecca Solnit, to whose work I return again and again when the world seems a cruel and lightless place. "To hope is to give yourself to the future, and that commitment to the future is what makes the present inhabitable.” This is Janine De Luca broadcasting from Abel Township, signing off.

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