Day 3: The Time of Six Billion Tears
JASMINE: Our brave reporter Randy Gall is inside the Google headquarters in China as the Google/China War spills over into a third day filled with cyber violence. What is happening, Randy? Are you safe?
RANDY: The virus has spread! The China’s cyber attack has spread! We can now no longer open any photo documents. All photo documents have been eliminated. The size of this attack is staggering. Family photos, vacation photos, funny photo-shopped images…all lost. It's gone, Jasmine. All the photos are gone!
JASMINE: Randy, get to the shelter!
RANDY: I can't see through the fog, Jasmine. My gas mask has become foggy with my breath. We will try to….(FEED LOST)
JASMINE: Randy? Oh no. Randy? Are you there? Can you hear me?
RANDY: I'm here. I'm here. The cyber attack has spread. It has now deleted not only all photos and contact lists but has destroyed spread sheet files as well. It's…I can't put into words what is happening. Please, tell my wife I love her. Tell her to name our child Henry.
JASMINE: Randy, are you in the shelter?
RANDY: The protective denim clothing layers they gave me have done nothing. The shelter, I'm told, was built simply to help boost the spirits of the Google soldiers. The man next to me brought his laptop with him into the shelter, and now all of his photos on the laptop are gone! Even the sample photos that came with the laptop! He is now kneeling in the corner of the room, rocking back and forth silently. Other employees are trying to contact loved ones with hand-written letters. Some need help to write, as they have never used a pencil before. Others have no clue how to address an envelope. And trying to explain the concept of stamps to these young heroes is like trying to explain hunting and gathering to an astronaut.
JASMINE: Can you tell us anything about the cyber-attack--where it came from? How it spread so quickly?
RANDY: Dammit, Jasmine! There are people around whose lives have been destroyed. All of their photos are gone. All of them! And even…no….don't tell me. Jasmine, it appears as if the virus has also eliminated everyone's bookmarks and favorites lists.
JASMINE: We understand that some inside Google are already calling today “The Time of Six Billion Tears.” Is that right, Randy? Because three billion people times two eyes each is--
RANDY: (OFF CAMERA) No, the stamp goes on the OUTSIDE of the envelope. Here let me show you…
Dan Bergstein is taller than you might think he is.
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