zac smith Archives - Farewell Transmission

By Zac Smith

Yeah, I mean, I’m pretty sure it was over here somewhere. Like, I mean, we just follow the tracks, right? It’s not like it would have gone very far. Ha. But you know what I mean. right? Because, like… well, wait, how do trains move? Wheels, right? No, I know, I just mean, like. They’re not wheels wheels. They have, uh, like, those things on them. No, I know, they’re still wheels. I just meant, like, off the track, is all, they’re not, like…They don’t have tires, I guess. Is that better? They’re not just long cars. Although I’m tellin’ you, man, they should absolutely make long cars. Trucks. Like, long trucks, long, uh… long trains of trucks, is what I mean. Remember I was telling you about that? Like trains, but on the highway. Hitch up a bunch of trucks and, I mean, then you got a train that can go anywhere. That’s all I’m saying. Because normal trains, like, they probably don’t go very far off the track, because they don’t have like car, uh… car wheels, right? They’re metal or whatever. So, like, when they go off the track, I mean, they can’t go far. That’s what I’m thinking is all. It’s not like that movie. Did I ever show you that movie trailer? Fuckin’… oh, man, remind me to show you that when we get back to the car. It’s crazy. This train, like, well… I don’t want to spoil it. But believe me, man, it’s funny as shit. It’s like the train version of that Housu trailer. With the fuckin’, like… house… the piano… Is housu just Japanese for “house?” Gotta be, right? Point is, the train’s not gonna go off and, like, run down a highway and, like – shit, okay, I don’t want to spoil the trailer. you just gotta watch it, man. Not know what to expect going in. That’s the best way. Point is, we go along the track, we’re bound to see it. Can you imagine, though? Like, fuckin’, a train just goes off the tracks but keeps going? You’re gonna love this fuckin’, uh… this trailer is good, man. But for real, I mean, like, it would definitely fall over, is the thing. Trains don’t, like, stand up right on their own. Think about it, okay? Like, why else would they have the tracks like that? So I bet it didn’t go very far. And, like, I heard the thing, is what I’m saying. Definitely heard the chugga chugga shit. And then just this loud, crazy-ass shit. Like… fuckin’… metal scraping noises, you know? Pshcrrrreeeesssh! Shit like that. And broken glass and shit, pshaw, crishhh, fuckin’… I dunno, like, thumping sounds. trees or some shit. Poles or whatever, like it was a fuckin’ candlepin alley, boom, boom, boom, motherfucker! And some screaming, too. I mean… I definitely heard that. I’m pretty sure. It was, like, actually kinda fucked up. Like – okay, yeah, see? There. Look! Look at that! Damn! Look at that! I fuckin’ told you, bro. Total fuckin’ carnage. Damn. Okay. I mean, I figured, but, like. Shit. This is pretty bad, right? Wait, hold on. Like… are we allowed to be here? There’s a lot of, like… okay, yeah, those are dead bodies. Ha. Damn! I mean. It’s not funny. But, like, shit. That’s so many dead bodies, bro. Fuck. Shit, look at that. That’s not good, right?

Zac Smith is riding the caboose.

By Zac Smith

The Plane

It was surprisingly easy to hijack the plane but I think it was mainly because I was the only passenger and all the flight attendants and pilots and guys had taken suicide pills during the flight. These pills were incredibly common at the time but I wasn’t sure how anyone got them. They were technically illegal. But everyone had a few and most people I knew took one after a while. It was an incredibly lonely and isolating experience, being the only person in my life who was still alive. And any time I met someone new, they took a suicide pill after a little while, so I stopped trying to meet people. Eventually I got so depressed I decided to take one, too, but no one would give me one. “These are illegal,” they would say, then secretly take one and die. It felt somehow intentional and directed at me, how everyone was taking the pills and not giving them to me. Maybe it was. I don’t know. Does that sound conceited?

The Song

The kids had improvised a song that went like this: “I want my blood to fall out / I want my lungs to fall out / I want my brain to go dead / I want my heart to be dead / I want my blood to bleed out / I want my brain to shut off / I want my head to explode / I want my heart to explode.” The parents there, at the playground, each, privately, acknowledged the song as catchy, and, shamefully, considered it relatable, comforting, even, and went on, each, to hum it to themselves thereafter, frequently, privately, some for many years, even, even decades, the song forever pulsing in the back of their heads, every day, every year — every new, terrible year, every horrible, unyielding year, each new year an avalanche of misery, on and on and on.

The Rain

Oh shit, hey, hey. It’s starting to rain. Shit. Hey. Can you help with this? What? No man, it’s raining. I don’t… no we shouldn’t let this stuff get wet. Yeah, hey. Is there anything you can do? What? Oh, okay. Yeah, no, sure. Okay, yeah. You can’t do anything. Alright, man. Okay. Of course. Not your responsibility. Can’t help with the rain. I got you. Yeah. Thanks, man. No, no, it’s okay. You can’t make the rain stop. For sure, man. I don’t know why I even asked. You can’t do anything about it, obviously. Not your job. Yeah, yeah, sure. Not anyone’s job, really, if you think about it. It’s rain, you know. The wet stuff, you know… No one can do anything about it. It just happens, you know. What are ya gonna do. Would be great if someone could, though. Not you, though, no, I’m not gonna ask you, you know, seeing as how you can’t do anything about it. We’ll just deal with it, I guess. No problem. We’ve dealt with worse. It’s just some rain. I don’t want you feeling put out, having to come up with any solutions or anything. Don’t want you getting off your chair. Yeah, no, it’s fine. We’re just a little wet. Just a little damp. But that’s fine. No wires or electronics or anything around here. It’s all good, man. It’ll be fine if it all gets a little wet. So yeah, no. You should just keep sitting there and hanging out. Hey, hey, you wanna borrow my umbrella? No? Oh, okay, yeah. Move your chair under the thing. That’ll work. That works. That’s cool, man. Good idea. Don’t want to get too wet out here. That’s a good idea, moving under the thing. Yeah, no, we’re good. What? What? Yeah, no. Don’t worry about it.

zac smith, baby