Day One: The Shutdown - BX

You’re at home. You realize that the Internet is out. You have no cell phone service. If you check, you notice nothing is broadcasting on TV or radio. Even though the electricity is working, it’s as if all telecommunications have suddenly stopped.

• What actions do you take in the first five minutes after discovering this?
  I look out of the window. I check to see if there's a riot, a fire, an explosion - some visible reason why nothing seems to work. If I'm in Bangalore, I go downstairs to my Aunt's house to see what's happening there (I have to double check the locks before I leave, of course). If I'm in Hyderabad, I go outside to check on my parents. Basically, I'd want to know whether it's only happening to *me.* 
  
  
• How do you feel?
  Annoyed. Insecure. Worried. Having my comms blanked out would make me feel incredibly vulnerable and alone (even though I'd definitely be with people in both scenarios). I wouldn't be able to call the folks I'd want to call, or Google what the heck was going on.
  
  
• What possible explanations do you come up with for what’s going on?
  Like I said, I'd probably assume it was some kind of riot, but I'd assume it was organised by the police state that's trying to quash communications and "anti-national" activities. I mean, they did it in Kashmir. I wouldn't be surprised if they did it in Bangalore or Hyderabad next. 
  
  
• What do you predict other people might do when they discover the same thing?
  I think some folks (like my Aunt or my Mum) might be fine with it - they'd go out in the garden or do a jigsaw. My Dad would freak out because he wouldn't be able to call my sister. I think folks like Mandara, Varsha, Ani, and Anand would be worried because they wouldn't be able to get in touch. Everyone would gravitate towards being with whomever they could in person.
  
  BONUS
• What’s one real action you could take in the new few days or weeks to feel more prepared for the first five minutes of this scenario, if it were really to happen?
  A stockpile of provisions for a week's worth of Survival, for the inevitable fallout of the communications blockade. A penknife, food, and cash that I can grab and throw in a bag if I need to relocate. If it sounds like doomsday, it might just be.