At 12:00pm noon eastern standard time, all major media outlets supplement their coverage of the four year anniversary of the nuclear explosion in Midtown Manhattan with live coverage of President Nathan Petrelli giving a speech to the nation from the front lawn of the White House. This broadcast is covered by radio and internet media outlets as well and it watched by millions across America.
The broadcast begins with a preface from Vice-President Andrew Mitchell.
"Our country is a strong one. We've weathered crisis' before that have become the foundations of our culture and our strength. From this country's break from the British Empire, a civil war, two world wars, the civil rights movement, the bomb. These are examples of how our nation has struggled and persevered. Even in our darkest times, we have managed to pull through and become a nation of leaders, a nation of progressives, a nation of the strong, the free, and the brave."
"Our world is changing, each and every day that we struggle against the difficulties presented to us. Our brothers and sisters of the SLC-Expressive, they are a change the whole world is struggling to adjust to. While we make efforts to keep the citizens of this country safe, there are others out there who seek to continue the chaos, who seek to make mockery of the lives we lost on November 8th four years ago."
"But we will not allow them to shame the sacrifices that we have all gone through. We will not allow the selfish, the misled or the evil to cloud out judgement and make us doubt that our nation and its people are strong, proud, and heroic. I now cede the floor to President Nathan Petrelli."
As applause rises and falls for the Vice President, Nathan Petrelli moves up to the podium that Vice President Mitchell steps away from, and as applause fades, he begins his speech.
"My fellow Americans, I come to you today in the face of a country in crisis. Never has our sovereign nation faced such trials as it has seen over the last four years. — "
Unfortunately, the speech never finishes.
Across most of Manhattan and portions of outlying boroughs, the broadcast on radio and television is cut out. Certain satellite providers are unaffected and most internet providers continue to show the broadcast as well. However, following the signal jamming both television and radio feeds are interrupted. Video goes black, radio broadcasts garble, and a new voice, distant and hollow, reverberates over the airwaves.
The voice of Rupert Carmichael.
"If you vilify us, we will become your villains. If you demonize us, we will become your demons. If you martyr us, we will rise up. Every prophet in his house."
Immediately thereafter the broadcast returns to normal showing Secret Service issuing the President and Vice President away from the meeting in a hurry while the press core audience is dispersed. All across the city in regions that were able to receive the broadcast, sudden unspeakable violence begins to spring up. There is no clear line connecting the people who break into violence, from all walks of life and affluence, Evolved and Non-Evolved.
The riots begin with not a gunshot, but with words.
Much of Manhattan is spared from the initial rioting, allowing the local broadcasting media to begin displaying the Emergency Broadcast System once the signal jamming ends 3 minutes later. Citizens are urged to stay in their homes, do not go outside for any reasons and barricade their doors.
Unfortunately, some internet sites and news outlets continue to play the broadcast over their coverage of the mysterious events, and secondary exposure to the trigger begins to take effect.
All of this, covered in minute-by-minute detail by all local news outlets.