Based on the TV series rather than the movie. What if Raimy and Frank weren't the only ones using the ham radio? Spoilers up to "The Edison Effect." All characters belong to Jeremy Carver and the CW, not me.

Call Signs

Chapter 1

October 21, 2016, Detective Raimy Sullivan looked out of the kitchen window and into the garage, where her boyfriend Daniel had set up her father's old ham radio. It had somehow come on by itself after the thunderstorm that night. (The glow of the tubes was easy to spot because the set had lost its cover years ago, when her friend Gordo had accidentally dropped it. Gordo had helped her move it to the corner of the garage when she didn't want to look at it any more. It was a reminder of her father, a crooked cop who died in a drug deal gone bad.)

On October 21, 1996, Detective Frank Sullivan was listening to the World Series on the radio, smoking a cigar, and using his ham radio in his garage. It was a bit dangerous to be visiting home like this, when he was supposed to be in a deep undercover narcotics operation, but he needed a break from the stress. His wife, Julie, and his just-turned-eight daughter, Raimy were asleep, and not likely to catch him here,

"CQ, CQ, this is WQ2YV," he repeated.

"Hello?" said a woman's voice.

"Hey," said Frank. "Where are you from?"

"Queens, New York."

"Get out! Bayside, born and bred, right here."

Frank paused for an instant. Maybe this woman was a baseball fan who would root with him for the Yankees. "Maddux is ridiculous tonight."

"As in Greg Maddux, Atlanta Braves Greg Maddux?"

"As in game two, World Series. C'mon Queens, you're breaking my heart here."

"No, I get it. 1996."

"There you go," said Frank. "Strange character," he thought.

"Game three, Bernie Williams jacks a two-run shot in the bottom of the eighth."

"I'm good for a twenty on that."

"It's not a prediction."

"Right, because you're Nostradamus from Queens."

"It happened twenty years ago."

"You're weirding me out here, Queens."

"What's your name?"

"Frank Sullivan."

"Are you screwing with me?"

Frank chuckled at the craziness. "Are you serious?"

"My name is Raimy Elizabeth Sullivan. My father's name was Francis Joseph Sullivan."

A bolt of fear went through Frank. Was this someone from the gang? Had he blown his cover, and now they were threatening his family? "Who is this?"

In his shock, he left his cigar burning on the wooden top of the radio.

(The future radio, with no cover, revealed nothing to Raimy.)

Raimy shouted, "How dare you prank call me, you sick stalker? It's almost the 20th anniversary of his death!"

"Who is this really?' Frank repeated.

There was no answer. The radio shut off by itself.

A little careful nosing around the next day convinced Frank that his cover wasn't blown. He went back into his role, being extra cautious, worrying about the crazy woman who knew his daughter's name.

That night, he listened on the radio to the third game of the Series. Bernie Williams batted in two runners in the bottom of the eighth inning. Exactly as predicted.

Author's note: This chapter is inspired by an early pilot preview that had a major continuity error (the missing lid). This will be corrected by timeline changes in subsequent chapters.