That picture was the last thing he saw before the copter crashed in a ball of flame right into the top of the skyscraper that Becky and William were standing on.
The helicopter hitting the building sounded like a clanging of church bells as it fell through the open steelwork. It turned and twisted as it fell, the rotors scraping the metal and sending off sparks. The most dramatic part of any helicopter crash is when the rotors strike an immovable force. Steel blades like long swords spinning at an incredible velocity hit an immovable object with tremendous force. Metal shrapnel goes flying in all directions and the surface being struck, whether it be water or dirt or concrete, goes flying through the air in an explosive cloud.
The first few floors the copter fell through were all exposed steel. As the sparks flew, the lightweight frame of the helicopter began to disintegrate, and added to the cloud of metal shrapnel flying from the impact. The steel structure vibrated and shuddered from the impact. Normally, the steel skeleton of a skyscraper would be strong enough to withstand a helicopter of this size, but this was not a completed building. The concrete wasn't all poured. The reinforcing rebar wasn't in place. The structural steel wasn't all fastened and bolted down. So, when the impact of a plummeting copter hit the partially finished building, it vibrated and moved in ways that the original engineers couldn't have foreseen.
The force of the impact had to go somewhere, and like many things in nature, it traveled along the path of least resistance, towards the edges of the building. Equipment and heavy machinery used by the construction workers went flying off the building and plummeted to the earth below. The cranes affixed to the side of the building shook as the forces moved through the frame. The single most important feature in a crane is its balance. It's meant to lift weights far heavier than itself at distances far from its center of gravity. As long as its core is balanced, a crane is a remarkable machine. Once that balance is gone, it becomes disastrous.
Three of the cranes were carrying heavy loads at the time of impact, suspended in the air far from their center of gravity. One of those cranes was older than the rest, and long overdue for inspection. It was slated for the scrap heap after the skyscraper was finished. Today, it would get there ahead of schedule. First, the load of steel I-beams it was carrying came loose, and followed the helicopter's path through the partially built steel, like a handful of toothpicks crashing to the floor. Chunks of concrete broke off and became flying hazards. Structural beams, not quite fully attached, broke off and added to the din of clanging metal. Some metal beams just sheared off where they were struck, leaving the ends attached, and the whole structure weakened.
The main section of the crane that dropped its load flew from its base attached to the side of the skyscraper. It struck another crane, which also had a heavy load at the end of its boom. The second crane lost its load, and went through the same gyrations as the first crane. Fortunately, the domino effect stopped there, and it didn't take out the next crane in line. The remaining four cranes shuddered and shook from the prolonged impact and were weakened by the uncontrolled forces. One remaining crane still carried a heavy load of I-beams at the end of its boom, but held secure. It wavered and groaned in defiance, metal scraping on metal, but it didn't fall.
Then without warning, the fuel in the resting helicopter ignited, sending a fireball up through the exposed steel of the building. The flames scorched the concrete and took the lives of all twelve workers trapped on that floor. The remaining cranes held their ground. The building settled down quietly as the odd sound of grinding steel and concrete simmered. For the moment, the building settled into its new position.
They didn't have much choice as to where to run, but William and Becky instinctively ran towards the center of the building. Unsure what the sound from above was, they didn't feel safe near the edge watching the chaos far below. Something was going on and the only place that seemed even remotely secure at the moment was the center of the floor they were on. They were momentarily safe from any physical damage as the semi-completed floors above them absorbed the impact of the helicopter and cranes. They weren't, however, protected from the sound and vibration of the chaos. It shook them to their bones as they huddled together, thinking they were about to die from unseen forces. They could see pieces of steel come flying through the open elevator shaft from above. In those few terrifying seconds, Becky's mind imagined that the entire structure was collapsing from above. Images of another famous New York structure collapsing on itself raced through her mind. William's mind played the same tricks on him.
As terrifying as those thoughts were for the both of them, this day would not end that way for them. Their building was still standing. They would however face other challenges. They were now trapped, alone, forty-five floors above the ground, while the city and people around them were thrust into a situation that very few were prepared for.
Chapter 6 ~ Trouble In Paradise
"That's strange," Garrett said. "My phone just died. It's never done that to me before in the middle of a conversation."
"Could have just been a dropped call. That still happens to me every once in a while," Holly said.
"Really? I thought that was a thing of the past. Maybe I don't spend as much time on the phone as some people, but this phone's been pretty good for making calls. It's done all kinds of other weird things. It hangs up, reboots on its own, and only about half the apps seem to work the way they're supposed to."
Holly smiled. "You mean they don't work the way you think they're supposed to. Let me remind you, you're not the most technically sophisticated member of this family."
Garrett didn't mind the jab when she actually referred to him as a member of the family at the same time. "Well, nice of you to still think of me as family. Even if you think of me as incapable of working a simple cell phone."
"Hey, I've always thought of you as a member of the family. Just because we're going through some difficulties here, doesn't mean everything has changed. I just needed some time. That's all. Lots of people go through this--"
Garrett looked around the restaurant. "Did it just get quiet all of a sudden?"
"Really?" Holly was perturbed. "Don't just changed the subject when I start to get serious about us. That's part of what got us into trouble before."
Garret shook his head. "No. I'm not. Listen."
Holly humored him, and closed her eyes briefly to focus on the sounds around them. "If anything, it sounds noisier to me. Everyone is talking louder."
"Not the voices, the sounds of the ship. It's gotten super quiet."
"Ship sounds?"
"The engines. That hum. I've noticed it ever since we got on board. You never noticed?"
"No, not really. Guess I've been too busy enjoying myself, and taking in the view."
None of the other passengers who were enjoying their late morning breakfasts and mimosas seemed to notice. They were all too busy enjoying the start of what promised to be a beautiful vacation. The water was calm, the sun was shining, and only a faint puff of clouds appeared overhead.
One of the ship officers walked by their table at a brisk pace, and Garrett tried to get her attention.
"Excuse me, ma'am. Excuse me ... is there a problem with the ship?"
The officer slowed briefly. "No, sir. Nothing at all. Enjoy your breakfast." She nodded her head affirmatively and smiled.
"It seems like the engines--"
"I'm sorry, sir, but I'm late for my shift, and the captain is a bit of a stickler for that sort of thing. I should get going. You should be sure to try the pastries. The ship bakers really outdid themselves this morning."
The officer rushed out of the restaurant, on the way to the upper decks. Garrett's eyes followed her through the large windowed doors, and saw her stop and talk to another officer.
"She doesn't appear to be in a hurry now. She's got plenty to say to the other officer," Garret said.
"Yes, and I'm sure if you were an officer on board, with paranoid passengers
constantly asking questions about imaginary problems with the ship, you'd be relieved to spend time talking with your fellow officers. She's probably complaining about you right now." Holly smiled as she put her hand on his arm to calm him. "Now, how about you start paying more attention to your lovely wife than the pretty young officer in uniform?"
Garrett kept his eye on the two officers conversing. "I don't think she's complaining about me. I think she barely even noticed me. They look like they're having a much more serious conversation."
Garrett started to get up, but Holly tugged his arm back down. "Garrett, hon, engines stop and start all the time. That's what they do. I'm sure the crew know exactly what they're doing. Let them worry about their jobs; you worry about me."
Garrett turned his eyes back to Holly as the two officers walked out of sight.
"You're probably right. I just haven't quite gotten into the vacation spirit yet, I suppose. How about we go for a walk around the deck. Might get my mind on other things."
"Now that sounds like a wonderful idea. Just let me get a couple of drinks for us from the bar to go."
"Little early for that now, isn't it?"
"Thought you wanted to get into the spirit of things. Who knows where a few drinks could take us?" She cast him a flirtatious wink.
Garrett smiled. "It has been a while," he agreed.
They spent the next half hour or so strolling around the boat deck. The two drinks turned into a couple more drinks, and it was truly beautiful. They were surrounded by nothing but water, sun, sky and a few clouds for as far as the eye could see. Garrett relaxed a little, but couldn't shake the feeling that something was up. They hadn't seen a ship's officer the entire time they were walking. They stopped by one of the deck bars that had swings instead of bar stools, which Holly got a big kick out of. Garrett couldn't help but notice that the bar was serving beer and wine only. A sign said the mix machines for frozen drinks were temporarily out of order, and he noticed the bartenders were getting down to the bottom of the ice machine.
"Do you think I could get a margarita from one of the other bars?" Garrett asked the bartender. He didn't even like margaritas.
"Um, probably. Not too sure. I've been working this bar all morning. You could check."
"That's a pretty non-committal response," Garret said to Holly as they resumed their walk.
Expecting to be chastised for bringing up his paranoia, Garrett was surprised when Holly didn't. Instead, she said, "I hate to admit it, but there is something strange going on. I keep listening for the engines to kick back in, but I haven't heard them yet. It is ominously quiet. At least we're still moving though."
"A boat this size has a lot of momentum. We could probably coast for a long time with the water being this calm. There are really no waves to slow us down."
Just then, one of the officers came by. He was talking to all the passengers he saw.
"Everyone needs to go to the main lido deck now. The captain has an announcement to make."
"An announcement about what?" Holly asked. "Why doesn't he just do it over the PA system?"
"Don't know, ma'am. Captain's orders, so I'm just doing what I'm told."
"That can't be good," Holly said to Garrett, looking to him for answers.
"No, it's not. I have a very bad feeling about this. Let's get to the lido deck."
Chapter 7 ~ Word From Above
Captain Strickland had learned, over the years, the importance of being a captain that appeared to enjoy being in the company of passengers. Passengers are the lifeblood of this cruise line, and their happiness is the cornerstone of our success. At least that's what they told him when he was hired, and at every annual performance review. Fifteen in total, and thankfully, he'd never have to do a sixteenth one. As much as he loved being out on the open water, he'd grown tired of crowded ships and captain's dinners, and stuffy starched white officers' uniforms.
It was time for him to sail off into the sunset, and that's exactly what he planned to do five months from now. None of his friends and family members questioned why a man who spent his entire working life out on the water would want to retire to a sailboat instead of a nice condo next to a golf course. Strickland had learned long ago that the key to a happy life was to stay close to people in life that understood him, and to keep his distance from those that didn't. That went a long way to explaining why it had taken him three marriages to find the love of his life. To him, she was the embodiment of the word soul-mate, and he longed for the time they'd spend cruising the Mediterranean in his retirement.
In his mind, a captain's place was on the bridge, and the regular captain's dinner when required by his job description. While some cruise ship captains enjoyed mingling with the passengers from time to time, Strickland preferred to tend to the ship rather than the paying passengers. There were plenty of junior officers and bartenders on board to deal with overly excited and/or inebriated passengers.
As the captain made his way to the lido deck, he knew this was going to be one of those days when he wished he'd decided to retire sooner. It was one thing to deal with passengers when he had things under control, but today he didn't. His state-of-the-art cruise ship was floating dead in the water. It still gave off the appearance of motion through the water, as its momentum continued to carry it forward, but he knew that wouldn't last. While the majority of the passengers on board were too busy enjoying themselves, there were plenty that were quite aware that something was up. His junior officers were getting a deluge of questions every time they left the bridge. The captain had to take charge.
There was a bigger crowd on the lido deck than Strickland had expected. It was packed to the rails with concerned passengers. The murmur of the crowd got louder as the captain approached the stage that looked out over the deck. It was big enough to hold a small trio, with instruments and microphones, which of course wouldn't do much good today. Strickland had a commanding voice, but still held his hands up, asking for silence. He waited till the crowd settled down before speaking.
Strickland took off his captain's hat and secured it between his arm and side. "Thank you for coming here on short notice. I'm sure you all have a lot of questions and concerns at the moment. While I'd like to answer all of them, I'm afraid that at this moment I won't be able to." A murmur started from the crowd, and Strickland stopped talking, holding his hand up. If they wanted to hear what he had to say, they'd have to quiet themselves down. The crowd quieted as the nervous passengers got the noisy passengers to stop talking.
"Trust me when I tell you that the staff and crew are working diligently to restore ships systems to normal operation parameters. At the moment, it would seem that the ship has been hit by some sort of electrical discharge that has disabled our engines and electronics." Before the murmurs of the crowd could start again, the captain raised his voice slightly. "I can promise you that this is a temporary situation, and something that the crew and I are well prepared to deal with," he lied. "There are electrical currents that can sometimes travel through the water from other ships, submerged wiring, or weather anomalies. This is not the first time something like this has happened. It will take us some time to get things back in order, but I can assure you that we are going through the steps now. While we can't communicate with emergency and rescue ships, I can assure you that they are well aware of our situation. All the time that we are at sea, we are being tracked by the Coast Guard, and our own corporate owners." The crowd seemed to be soothed by the explanation. Heads were nodding, people were smiling, and couples were hugging one another. You could feel the crowd relax. "As an extra precaution, I'm sure the authorities will be sending assistance as we speak. I am confident, however, that our own staff and crew will have things on board back in working order long before they arrive." More smiling from the crowd, and a few were even laughing now.
"I do have some requests to make of you in the meantime." Strickland paused. In his mind, these weren't requests, but orders. That was not a term, however,
that corporate wanted their captains to be using when they addressed the passengers
. "Until we can get the air ventilation systems working again, I'm going to ask that you stay out of the hallways and cabins below decks. It will be quite uncomfortable down there without the air conditioning working, and we don't want to stress any of our guests. Kindly remain above decks, where our staff will be available to help with any of your concerns. If there's anything you absolutely need from your rooms, like medication, then please approach one of the crew members and explain your situation to them. They will be happy to send qualified personnel to your rooms to retrieve any essential items." He could see some concern in the crowd with this last request. "There will be crews working in the various passages to restore systems as quickly as possible. The presence of guests down there will only slow down their work. I must insist that you respect this request." Smiling, Strickland said humorously, "Consider it an order from your captain." The crowd seemed unsure as to how to take that, as there was only a trickle of nervous laughter.
Corporate wouldn't be happy with that last comment, but they weren't here, and wouldn't be any time soon.
"Thank you for your cooperation with this matter, and we'll keep you updated with new developments as soon as we're aware. Kindly pass on this information to your fellow passengers that weren't here."
Holly and Garrett watched as Strickland left the stage and headed back towards the bridge with several other officers in tow.
"You believe all that?" Holly asked Garrett.
EMP Survivors (Book 1): Destination Lost Page 4
