Grace Reibold
Eco-Narratives
Encounter Narrative Transcript
Narrator: Hello, and good evening. In tonight’s show we follow Bill Stole as he investigates an explosion from a nuclear reactor in Seversk, Russia and the deadly aftereffects.
Announcer Alice: Good evening everyone. Here at 60 Minutes we recently sent Bill Stole to investigate a series of reports coming out of Seversk, Russia that the population there has depleted significantly, and is suffering from various form of radiation poisoning.
Announcer Michael: That’s right, Alice. Bill was sent to Seversk late last year and did some extraordinary investigative journalism for us here at 60 Minutes.
Announcer Alice: Yes, that’s correct – and Michael and I feel it necessary to inform our viewers that only months after concluding his investigation, Bill succumbed to the same symptoms he was investigating. Before he passed, 60 Minutes was granted permission to show you this footage by his family.
Announcer Michael: Everyone here at 60 Minutes wish to thank all who participated in this segment, and we send our deepest condolences to Bill’s family.
--TV fades to black, cuts to man in fluffy, down coat in the middle of a barren field filled with snow. Behind the man in the distance is the remains of a nuclear reactor. --
Bill: Hello all. I’m here in Seversk, Russia, coming to you all from about 800 feet away from a nuclear reactor that recently exploded – Siberskaya. In my investigation, you’ll see me interview three individuals all suffering from various symptoms related to this explosion. The Russian government has categorized the victims of Seversk into three levels: 1 being mild symptoms, 2 being moderate symptoms, and 3 being severe symptoms. I must warn viewers that some of what is broadcasted tonight will be disturbing.
-- Cuts to Bill walking up to a dilapidated log cabin, the trees around it are burnt. Bill knocks on door. Camera fades to black and reemerges to focus on a young woman holding a baby. --
Bill: Hello Natalia, it’s nice to meet you.
Natalia: Hello, Bill.
Bill: Now, Natalia the Russian government has categorized you and your baby as level 1s, correct?
Natalia: That is right. I think I and baby are worse than that – our symptoms are very bad.
Bill: How so?
Natalia: Baby was in stomach when explosion happened, and she and I are not normal.
My baby head, Anastasia, is small, very small for body. Her heart is small, and doctor say she has leukemia. Me, I suffer greatly. My mind is bad – I am nervous, and always sad. Sometime my skin is red and peels – so does my baby.
Bill: Goodness. I am sorry to hear that Natalia. Can we see baby Anastasia?
-- Natalia leaves room and returns with baby Anastasia. The baby’s head lolls to the side; she is tiny. Her head is much smaller than her body, making her eyes appear huge; giving an unsettling affect. She makes odd gurgling sounds. --
Bill: Hello baby Anastasia.
-- Camera zooms in to baby’s face. --
Bill: And what do you hope will happen in the future for you and baby Anastasia, Natalia?
Natalia: I hope we have cure. If not, I do not wish to live much longer. Bad health is not good life.
-- Camera zooms in all Bill’s face; he looks stricken and pale. He leaves Natalia’s cabin, and screen goes black. Camera focuses on another dilapidated building, this time a schoolhouse. The back half is missing; it has been blown away. --
Bill (voiceover): Alright, folks. The crew and I were highly distressed at what Natalia said, so we were filled with trepidation going into the next interview.
-- Camera focuses on Bill walking up to the school. He opens a rusted, burnt set of doors and walks into the ruined office of Adrian, a local schoolteacher from Seversk. --
-- Bill shakes hands with Adrian. --
Bill: It’s nice to meet you, Adrian.
Adrian: Thank you, Bill.
Announcer Alice Narrating: Adrian is an English teacher of middle school aged children in Seversk, Russia. Consequently, he is fluent in English.
Bill: So, Adrian, the Russian government has given you a Level 2 diagnosis of your symptoms?
Adrian: That’s correct Bill.
Bill: What are some of your symptoms, Adrian?
Adrian: Well, soon after the explosion, I started to throw up once every day.
Bill: I see. I completely sympathize with you – this must have been a tough thing to endure. What was the nature of this?
Adrian: Well, I would always get sick around the same time the explosion happened. So, around 2:00 in the afternoon. It was always a green color.
Bill: Green?
Adrian: Yes, sir.
-- The camera zooms in on Bill, who has a slightly concerned, puzzled expression on his face. --
Bill: What else can you tell me?
Adrian: Well, it’s like I passed this on to my wife and children.
Bill: In saying this, you mean your wife and children started throwing up as well? At exactly the same time too?
Adrian: Yes, this is correct.
Bill: That must have been alarming?
Adrian: Yes, it was – quite shocking. Also, I have been suffering from skin peeling.
Bill: Skin peeling?
Adrian: Yes.
-- The camera zooms in on Adrian’s right arm, covered by a thick sweater. He pulls up his sweater, and the camera zooms in on red, irritated skin that is peeling significantly. --
Bill: Oh my, Adrian. Is that painful?
Adrian: Oddly enough, no. I just feel a slight burning feeling – but this is not consistent.
Bill: Well, me and my crew wish to thank you for speaking to us, Adrian. We greatly appreciate it.
Adrian: Thank you, Bill.
-- Camera fades to black. It remerges on a dilapidated hospital. We see Bill walk in through the rusted double doors. The camera cuts to him walking under a sign that reads “Intensive Care Unit” in Russian. He approaches the bedside of a victim of the blast. --
-- As the camera focuses on the man on the bed, we see that he is wrapped up in bandages head-to-toe, as the camera zooms in on a pair of bright blue eyes. --
-- Bill speaks in an elevated voice. so that the victim will be able to hear him. --
Bill: Hello Dimitri, my name is Bill.
-- The man grunts painfully. --
Dimitri: Hello.
Bill: How is your situation today?
Dimitri: Painful.
Bill: I’m terribly sorry to hear that, Dimitri.
Dimitri: Yes, me too.
Bill: Now, I know that the government has categorized you as a Level 3 victim. Can you tell me happened?
-- Dimitri sighs deeply. The camera zooms in on his medical chart, and IV drip. --
Dimitri: I was close when blast happened. I was burned badly; 95% of body. Skin fell off.
-- Camera zooms in on Bill’s face. He has a stricken expression. --
Bill: Your skin fell off?
-- Camera zooms out and zooms back in on Bill’s face. He wears a confused expression. --
Dimitri: Yes. That is what I said.
Bill: I’m so sorry.
Bill (voiceover): At this point in our interview with Dimitri, we felt it best to leave him. His agitation was growing by the minute, and the crew and I felt guilty. Next, we decided to talk to Dr. Volkov of his opinions on the blast and its impact on the Seversk people.
-- The camera follows Bill as he walks into a stale office and sits across from a stern-looking doctor wearing thick glasses and a medical coat. --
Bill: Hello Dr. Volkov, thank you for giving us this chance to speak with you.
Dr. Volkov: Yes, anything that will get the word out.
Bill: What word would you like to get out?
Dr. Volkov: Well, that what is happening here in Seversk is not normal. The symptoms the people of Seversk are displaying are not normal.
Bill: How’s that?
Dr. Volkov: Well, poor Dimitri is a perfect example. One’s skin does not simply just fall off.
Bill: Well, I think that it’s acceptable, given the nuclear blast that has happened here.
--Dr. Volkov gives Bill an amused expression. --
Dr. Volkov: This was not a nuclear blast.
-- Bill glances at the camera and becomes nervous. --
Bill: When you say, “It was not a nuclear blast” you mean –
--Dr. Volkov cuts Bill off. --
Dr. Volkov: This was a result of something not of our world. This was a result of aliens ---
-- Bill jerks in his chair, turns to the camera, and motions the universal sign for ‘stop filming.’ --
-- Camera fades to black. That is the last of the tape. --
Announcer Alice: Well, Michael that was quite frightening, wasn’t it? Quite a sudden ending.
Announcer Michael: Yes, it was very frightening Alice. I wish we could have more information from that Dr. Volkov.
Announcer Alice: Yes, I’m sure it would be enlightening.
Announcer Michael: At this point in time in tonight’s program, we feel it necessary to read off a statement put out by the Russian government in regard to Bill’s investigation. It reads as follows:
“There is no validity to this investigation. The Russian citizens in the episode shown tonight were unfortunate victims of a horrible accident. Dr. Volkov has been discredited by Russian authorities as being misguided and misinformed – there is no truth to his words.”
--- Both hosts sigh deeply. ---
Announcer Alice: Well, this is certainly a mystery.
Announcer Michael: It is Alice.
Announcer Alice: Here at 60 Minutes, are thoughts and prayers are with the suffering people of Seversk, Russia. We offer are deepest condolences to Bill’s family.
Announcer Michael: Thanks to our viewers for tuning in to tonight’s show. Have a good night everyone.
--- End of episode. ---