The Stand, Part I: The Plague

Major Len Carsleigh:
We found him; we located Campion. He crash-landed on a one-stoplight town in East Texas.

Lieutenant General William "Billy" Starkey:
He made it halfway across the country. How'd he do that?

MAJ Carsleigh:
I don't know. But the important thing is, right now, we got a shot at containing this.

LTG Starkey:
Is he dead or alive?

MAJ Carsleigh:
He's dead.

LTG Starkey:
Denninger says this thing has a communicability rate of over 99%. You understand what that means? Any chance of containing this went by the window when Campion bought his first takeout burger.

MAJ Carsleigh:
We can't think that way, Billy.

LTG Starkey:
Yeah, you're right. Of course you are. What about the rest of his family?

MAJ Carsleigh:
They're dead, sir. Contact with the townspeople was minimal.

LTG Starkey:
That doesn't matter. We're gonna have to shut that town down, lock it up, dig a moat around it.

MAJ Carsleigh:
That operation's already on the launching pad, sir.

LTG Starkey:
What kinda coverage you come up with?

MAJ Carsleigh:
Anthrax. New strain.

LTG Starkey:
[Laughs grimly] Yeah, it's a new one, all right! It's real new! It's very good at its job, too! Too good.

MAJ Carsleigh:
Well, it's bad, General, but it could be worse.

LTG Starkey:
Ha! How's that? What's the name of this town?

MAJ Carsleigh:
Arnette. Arnette, Texas.