Still ok to dream

by Dan Rush

A work in progress, this is just a beta. Astro Boy is part of this fiction and actual account mix of September 11th 2001. Reviews and suggestions are very welcome at

1. Chapter 1

It's still ok to Dream.

An Astro Boy 9/11 fiction by Dan

(c) Tetsuwan Atom 1954 Osamu Tezuka (c) Astro Boy 1980 by Tezuka Productions (c) Astro Boy 2003 by Sony Pictures. All rights deeply respected.

Author's forewords:

I can't believe it's been almost ten years since the World Trade Center attack. This fiction comes from a short story I wrote days after September 11th and from some t-shirts I had designed for the San Diego Comic Con in 2002 that were sold for 9/11 connected charity.

The short story was centered around a character from Tezuka's 1980's Astro Boy series remake, one of three misfit robots Astro had saved from the scrappers. I re-named this little firefighter bot "Timber Tim" and made him a cultural exchange firefighter working with a New York engine company when September 11th happened.

Of course, like many of us, Astro had to deal with an overwhelming bombardment of emotions and information. Never before in human history had an event of this scope happened in real time, second by second to our senses. Imagine what it would have been like had Fox News or CNN been at Pearl Harbor when the Japanese attacked? Astro's dreams and thoughts about humans as good and promising creatures are ruined...or are they? He loses a close friend and deals with the concepts of grief, loss and the many changing facits of human emotion he really isn't ready to handle.

Like my other writings, this isn't "Astro-centric". Mixed in are both fictional and real people, a whirling goolash taken from accounts, radio transcripts and memories of a real day in hell.

Evening

July 17, 2001

4th FDNY Battalion Engine Company 9, Ladder 6 Firehouse "The Dragoons"

75th Cannal Street, Manhattan New York

Timber was leaning over with near giddish expectation..."Well?"

"It's getting all over my clothes!" Astro fussed as he tried to contain the hot molten mess of chesse and chili that rolled off his hot dog bun.

"I have to teach you everything don't I?" Timber replied as he re-positioned the hot dog and poured more chili on it from a small kettle. "Now you have to eat this quick! And don't "Rip" me by shutting off your taste sensors...hurry up!"

"Ok! Stop pushing me!" Astro replied with a snort as he took a good helpful chomp out of the messy dog. He sat chewing for a moment before he blew most of it out and sat fanning his mouth! "Ugh!...Ugh!...sensors off! Gnah...what are you trying to do, put all these guys in the hospital?"

"Bah!...You have no appreciation for good firehouse chow." Timber said crossing his arms. "Chili is an art form."

"Yeah? Well this is hazmat." Astro said with a smirk. He offered Timber the rest of the dog and as Astro did? So did Timber.

"Pfffft!" "Yuck! Way too much Cyane pepper...ugh...you're right, this will clog the drain pipes."

Timber had been with 9 Engine for a year now, one of seven firefighters from Japan doing cultural and technical exchanges with American fire companies. He was orriginally from Metro City, one of the first robots to work in fire houses after the Robot Rights Law was passed. It wasn't his orriginal vocation though, before that he'd been a field robot working in refineries and after a few years of getting beat up and bashed in he'd found himself on the scrap pile of abandoned robots...till Astro literally fell on his head.

Fortune was lucky, Astro came back and took Timber back to the Ministry of Science. New wires, a new power source, a fresh coat of synthetic skin and new limbs...

He found his new job quickly enough. Walked out of the Ministry, caught a joy ride on a passing fire engine, thought it was totally cool and came back wearing a bunker jacket. At first the human firefighters didn't take well to the idea of a robot getting into what had always been a fraternal order for humans only...

That was until they saw what this short stocky bot could do with a set of fire axes. Timber looked almost Astro class...same height, a little heavier, tan flesh skin but with no hair. A black racoon-like stripe ran all around his head, what he said was a nessessary "glare cutter" in his dangerous line of work. He was a "breacher", the firefighter you threw in front of everyone else to handle doors, walls, windows and if need be to "kiss one" for the team. Timber had kissed plenty of flying everything, as evidenced by the nice slice of skin glued haphazzardly above his right eye...

"Man hole cover." He said as he pointed it out to Astro. "Gas explosion, happens a lot in New York. I swear half the pizzas we get are man hole covers smothered in cheese. No wait...that's Deshirlio, that "menge" can't cook anything to save his life."

Astro tilted his head. "Menge? What's that?"

"I wish I had more time to teach you some Yorkeese. They have a crazy langugage here. My Japanese has gone to hell and my English is for smutz."

Astro looked bewildered.

"It's like...it's like Italian, Yiddish, Irish, Jewish, Arabic, Indian, English all mixed in a bowl and thrown in the toilet ok? Where else can a Cab driver from Yonkers insult a cab driver from Queens and make it sound like a compliment to cabby in Manhattan on the occasion of his daughter's wedding?"

Astro shook his head. "Now I'm all messed up."

"Giggles"..."Any way...whatcha think of New York?" Timber asked as he waved his hand around. "Like you dropped onto an alien world huh?"

"It's bigger than Metro City. Kinda crowded. I almost got sensory jiggle because the buildings being so close together make you feel clostraphobic. But there's so much cool stuff to do! I went to Rockerfeller Center, The Statue of Liberty, Central Park Zoo, Times Square...Met Hulk Hogan."

"Uh uh." Timber replied.

"Uh huh! Coffee shop. Bought a muffin and ran over him." Astro smiled as he pulled a torn up T-Shirt from his backpack. "Witness the trophy."

"That's cool." Tim replied as he snatched his bunker jacket from behind and showed off the liner. "Clint Eastwood." Then he pullled the arms inside out. "Here's Russell Crowe. Rescued his pit bull from a trash truck, that was an experiance. And this?...Madonna."

"Her cat right?" Astro asked.

"Uh uh...her stove. She can't cook to save her life." Timber said smiling. "But can she kiss? yeah!"

Timber offered Astro a bottle of soda. "So...what's going on back home? Atlas still peeing that humans suck to the four winds?"

Astro nodded. "He still talks about how cool fire fighting is. When I tell him he's a hipocrite because most of the firefighters are what he thinks are "useless humans", he goes bizerk."

Timber chuckled. "He'll grow up eventually. Not saying that he's a hundred percent wrong you know. I've run into my fair share of "Primatorial dingbats" in this job. Sometimes you just have to seperate the humans from the lighter fluids."

Astro nodded slightly. "Mauria-chan's been asking about you. She's still working at Takara Hospital."

"It's only six more months." Timber replied.

"I think she wants a ring." Astro said smiling.

"Well...I'm not ready." Timber said pursing his lips.

"I don't think she's going to take a no." Astro said crossing his arms. "She might come here and club you like a caveman if you keep blowing her off."

"I'll think about it." Timber said groaning.

" I can see the glaciers coming down Broadway." Astro joked.

"Hey?" Came a voice from the street below. "Timber? You gonna roost there you Putz or are the rest of us gonna go hungry?"

"Keep your head on! I'm coming right now you stupid Mook!" Timber replied. "Come on Astro, nothing stops the rotation of the world worse than a bunch of non-cooking mung on a watzel...or what ever the heck I just said."

"Not my fault you're a dingbat hanging from a munga cord in the middle of West Bumwood." Astro said as he followed.

"Now you're learning." Timber said waving a finger. "Of course don't go using that in Queens, you might get rolled."

Note: 08:46:00 a.m. Tuesday September 11, 2001 in US/Eastern converts to 05:46:00 in Washington State and 09:46:00 p.m. Wendsday September 12, 2001 in Asia/Tokyo

1 hour am New York is 1 hour ahead opposite am/pm day behind tokyo

September 12th 2001

7pm in Metro City

6am Manhattan

Ukitaki Street

Astro looked down the steep slopping hill with a little twitch in his face. "You're sure this thing is safe?"

"Absolutely!" Jetto replied with a broad smile. "I checked everything myself!"

"That's what I'm afraid of." Astro replied sarcasticly as he climbed in behind his taller brother and wiggled the go-cart with his butt. "It feels kinda flimsy Jetto."

"Aw...will you stop being such a total kill joy? I said I checked everything. You need to loosen up a little big bro and live a little." Jetto said as he pulled a pair of safety goggles over his eyes and wrapped a scarf around his neck. "This is going to be awesome!"

It didn't take much to get the cart flying down the hill as Jetto counted to three and with a few short steps he had the cart wizzing like a bullet!

"!" Jetto screamed as they whooshed down the hill and through an intersection where cars screeched to a stop just inches from crashing into them!

"NOW WE'RE IN BIG TROUBLE! STOP THIS THING JETTO!" Astro screamed.

"Stop?" Jetto replied. He looked about his seat and froze in shock.

"Uh oh!"

"Uh oh what?" Astro replied with his mouth dropping!

"I forgot the brake!"

"AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Both boy bots screamed as the cart wobbled uncontrolably, smashed into the sidewalk and sent both of them airborne!

Jetto bounced off the hood of a parked car and crashed into a line of trash cans while Astro tumbled like a bowling ball into the rose thickets of his next door neighbor Miss Akichan.

"Eeeeek! My roses! Astro Atom wait till I tell your father!" The old woman screamed with a broom in her hand.

Jetto lifted himself out of a trashcan and wobbled to where Astro was still laying in the rose bushes. "You gotta admit that was awesome?"

"If I wasn't laying here right now? I'd admit you were stupid." Astro snorted. "Who builds a go-cart with no brakes?"

"I was counting on your quick whit and those cool rocket boots." Jetto said as he pulled Astro up.

"A likely excuse Dad's not gonna buy." Astro said as he walked towards their house.

September 11, 2001

2am Washington state

6pm 12 sept Metro City

5am New York City

Oak Harbor, Washington

Dan came through the apartment door and placed his backpack by the small lamp table near the picture window. He found his wife Bibby at her computer in the second bedroom.

"Your dinner's in the microwave." She said as he kissed her on the head.

"Would have been home earlier but the work load was heavy." He said as she handed him a piece of paper.

"From Steven. He sent it to my MSN account." She said as she turned back to what she was doing. "We got five new members today, that's 159 now!"

"Awesome! Looks like the advertising at Sakura-con made a dent." Dan said as he went into the bedroom to take off his uniform. He'd been in the navy since 1985, his current post being an aircraft inspection technician at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island's AIMD. He stopped to read the piece of paper.

Danny,

We have a job coming in Tacoma in December. I'm here in New York doing a demo of an old apartment complex in Manhattan. Call you this weekend.

Steven

Dan smiled. "Some one back home must have given Steven our number."

"Who's he?" Bibby asked as Danny came back to the other room with his dinner.

"My brother. Well actually he's my Uncle but he's lived with the family most of his life. He's working with that famous demolition family? the Luazo's." Danny pointed to the plate. "Good steak."

Some howling came from the kitchen space. "Sock's needs a walk." Bibby said.

Dan brought the big tri-color Collie into the apartment where it thrashed around with wreckless giddiness till he leashed him up. "Ok! Sit!" Dan demanded. "He's really puffed out since we got him out of Florida babe!"

"Yeah...the furry tornado." Bibby said smiling as she walked up and smothered her dog in hugs. "Who's momma's big boy!"

"I'll be back in a half hour...run him crazy till he tires out." Dan said as he took Socks out the door and down the street to the huge elementary school play field near the apartment. He ran Socks and himself around till both were crashed out in the grass, Socks resting his head on Dan's chest as Dan looked at the clear night sky.

2005 wasn't far off. Where did the time go? Dan thought. One more duty station and he'd retire. They hadn't sat down to talk about anything yet, like where they wanted to finish things off. Would they go back to Boston, close to family? Both of them had gotten to enjoy Washington, especially the Islands far from Seattle and the bustle bother of the big cities. The earthquake a year ago though was still fresh in their minds and Bibby was still bothered by the possibility of the dreaded "big one" people talked about from time to time. Four years though seemed more than enough time to finalize their thoughts.

Dan pushed Socks off his chest and ran back up the street to the apartment.

September 11, 2001

5am New York City

2am Washington state

6pm 12 sept Metro City

4th FDNY Battalion Engine Company 9, Ladder 6 Firehouse "The Dragoons"

75th Cannal Street, Manhattan New York

Timber trudged sleepishly into the bathroom pulling on his t-shirt and rubbing his face with water, a quirk he'd picked up that really had no purpose. Eddy Shaffer, a tall stout man with an out of control "stash" flying from his nose, took the sink next to him and started lathering his face. "Morning tick tock."

Timber answered with a groan. Between the busy calls of the past six hours and the snoring of his bunk-mates upstairs, the small robot wasn't in the mood to converse. "I suppose everyone expects me to make beakfast?"

"I got it." Eddy replied. "Go back to bed?"

"Yeah..." Timber replied sarcasticlly. "To buzzsaw central station."

"You're a robot though, can't you just shut off?" Eddy asked.

"I'm not that sophisticated." Timber snorted. "I don't just "shut off" and turn myself back on. Besides...I kinda like to hear the background noises when I sleep, I react faster." Timber waved as he walked from the bathroom and caught the station Chief as he was walking through the office door. "Morning Chief." He said with a wave.

"Timber?" The Chief motioned. "Didn't you have hose duty yesterday?"

"Yeah." Timber replied. "But we had all those EMT calls and I didn't get enough time to drop em from the tower."

"Well right after the morning meeting, you'd better get hot. It's going to be a sun scorcher today and I need those fresh hoses on the rigs. The other one's are starting to smell like rotten toilets."

Timber replied with a nod and walked into the kitchen.

September 11, 2001

5am New York City

2am Washington state

6pm 12 sept Metro City

1st FDNY Battalion Engine Company 7, Ladder 1 Firehouse "Stanley Manor"

57 Duane Street, Manhattan New York

"Good morning." Jules said as he walked into the lounge and found his brother Gidian sitting on the couch reading the morning paper.

"Hey. Do you think you can do the running around for a change? I've been following the crew around for two weeks now and I haven't gotten much sleep."

Jules took a seat. "You're better at it though. It's not my fault you have more awards for camera work than me." He said waving his coffee cup.

Jules and Gidian Naudet were brothers from France who'd crossed the world doing documentaries for French television. Sometimes the places they went too were outright dangerous, others were absurdly mundane. So far their latest work was in the mundane catagory, following a rookie New York firefighter through his first year on the job. There had been no major challanges, no really big exciting fire calls but the brothers did get a free lesson in fine firehouse cooking.

"Alright...I'll do the runs for the next week so you can sit on your ass." Jules said as he took the sports section from Gidion and sighed. "Sheet, we lost to Holland in soccer?"

"We can lose to anyone with the coach we have." Gidion snorted. "Evremond is a disgrace to France, he shouldn't sweep horse stables let alone coach a team of kindergarden students."

"Hey guys!" Jim Hamlen, the Naudet's red haired New York host, waved with a smile as he walked into the study with boxes in his hands.

"What's that?" Jules asked as he stood up to take some of the boxes out of Mike's hands.

"World Famous doughnuts from Mortelli's bakery on Church. Fresh and hot." Jim said as he opened a box and took a cinnimon role for himself.

"Uh...Jules is going to ride with the crews for the next two weeks." Gidian said as he dipped a doughnut into his coffee."

"Oh? That should be interesting." Jim sarcastically replied as he motioned like he was holding an unsteady camera.

"Oh fuck you Jim." Jules snorted.

September 12th 2001

8pm in Metro City

7am September 11th Manhattan

4am Washington State

CDI Demolitions Job #01-13

215 Church Street Manhattan

10 blocks from the WTC

"Hey Zanie! Still hung over?" Steven asked as he came out of the connex box with his tool bag.

"You'd think?" Manny Sullivan replied as he walked up. "Ugh...I'll never do that again I swear."

"Yeah right. Who was that girl any way?" Steven said as he walked over to the company office trailer. "You know she actually started looking better the drunker I got?"

"Kiss my ah-ss." Sullivan replied in his Boston broge. "How's ya Sistah?"

"She's a little better." Steven said grabbing a coffee. "If she can hold off smokin long enough it'll be a devine intervention you know?"

"Morning guys. Mike's looken all over the place for Rigby, you seen him?" Laurie Luazo asked as she sat behind her desk.

"Last I saw of Rigby was in the toilet at the Mariot." Steven replied smirking. "You think he was getting married or somethin."

Laurie turned to click on her radio near the trailer window...

"Vince in the morning here on KT770, New York's favorite morning show with easy music and smart talk, it's 7:10 on a very warm September Tuesday here in Manhattan. Remember everybody, today is election day here in the state of New York so please take time out of your busy day to finish your mail-in ballots or get to a polling station before 8pm..."

Mike "Little Mikey" Luazo, well "little" was a counter statement given the 44 year old being so well fed by his loving wife, walked into the trailer with his clipboard. "Hey Steve? Can your crew finish off the main baces on the 10th floor by the end of the day? I'm hoping to drop the building by next Monday."

"If we can find Rigby sure." Steven replied. "Maybe yesterday was a bad day for a batchelor party. I think he's still out of it at the Mariot Mikey."

"Well go find Justice and have him drive down there and pull Rigbey off his toilet. Let him know I won't dock him for lost time, wouldn't want to take money from a doomed man you know."

Laurie snapped at Mike. "And what do you mean by that crack?"

"We're out of here." Steven gestured as he pushed Zanie out of the line of fire and walked out of the trailer. "Hey Justice!"

Justice Motambi was an immigrant from Ethiopia who wasn't called "Tree" for nothing. The East African native was six foot five and a walking truck who could scale stairs with heavy sacks of sand on his shoulders and never break a sweat doing so. "Yes?" He replied softly.

"Mikey wants you to go down to the Mariott and drag Rigbey out of his bed...or out of the toilet." Steven asked as he handed Justice the key to the company truck.

"Ok." Justice replied with a nod. "Had too much?"

"Yeah...we'll forgive him."

"If he throws up in the truck? He will clean it." Justice said with a hand wave as he climbed into the truck and drove down Church Street towards the World Trade Center.

September 12th 2001

8:30 pm in Metro City

7:30 am September 11th Manhattan

4:30 am Washington State

The Atom House

"Will you keep on, will you keep on lovin me...If I tell you, tell you how I feel..."

Sade softly played from the stereo player as Astro sat between scribbling on a piece of paper, digging through a small stack of books and nibbling on the eraser end of his pencil. He was playing last ditch catch up again with school work before bed time.

"You wouldn't be doing this if you'd do it when the time is right." Came Father Atom's voice from the bedroom doorway.

"I wouldn't be doing this if I wasn't getting called to rescue pets all the time." Astro snipped back.

"Or...crashing go-carts into people's flower beds." Father Atom said with a smiled as he walked up behind his son. "So what is it this time? Calculus? Trig? Chemestry?"

Astro raised a book. "Roman history. I "could" skip all this research and download it but then what good comes from that?"

"I'm sure your teacher would understand Astro but you are right not to do it. Then again the thoughts not in you. By the way...I had a talk with Doctor O'Shay about his request for you to go on that African expedition? I had to put my foot down."

"Why?" Astro asked. "Dad I was wanting to go on that..."

"Sorry but you've spent less than a month at home with us and even less of that in minutes having a proper rest. The Ministry has plenty of other capable robots who could do that expedition."

Astro pouted. "Gee...I don't even get a word in, that's not right Dad."

"Not having my son around or going to school like he should be isn't right. Astro...you have a family and spending time with that family is just as important as spending time taking care of the world. You're not the only powerful robot around here."

Father Atom raised Astro's pouting face. "Besides...you promised to teach me how to play catch? Uh...four months ago? I'm tired of being disapointed."

Astro nodded. "Ok Dad...I guess the lions can survive without me for once."

"That's my son." Father Atom said as he gave Astro a chin nudge. "Now don't stay up too late?"

"I promise." Astro replied as he turned around and went back to his home work.

September 12th 2001

8:45 pm in Metro City

7:45 am September 11th Manhattan

4:35 am Washington State

Japan's NHK news Office, New York

Sadoyoshi Miada sat reviewing material and news reports on his office lap top. Other than the election going on today in New York State, and the continued specullation involving a US Senator and his possible ties to the disapearance of his personal secretary, there wasn't much planned for the day's work.

Maybe he could cook up a reasonable excuse to go see a Yankees game? There was the latest Japanese tallent who'd be pitching today, a personal interview! He gathered up a few folders of work and headed for the Chief Editor's office to pitch his excuse.

September 12th 2001

8:45 pm in Metro City

7:45 am September 11th Manhattan

4:35 am Washington State

The Marriot Hotel

World Trade Center Complex

Room 916

"Bump, bump...Charles?...Bump, Bump, Bump...Charles? You are late for work!" Justice pounded on the door till Charlie opened it.

"Oh man...tell em I'm taking a sick day." The poor man said as he held a wet towel over his forehead.

"I would if I wasn't told to bing you back to work. Mister Michael will be most unhappy if you refuse and Steven told me that if you said no, I was to carry you back and force feed coffee to you. Now my friend...please don't make me do such harsh things?" Justice implored as he followed Charlie into the hotel room.

"Ugh...I don't know if I can work man...oh God...why did I drink sooooo much?" Charlie suddenly gasped and dove for the toilet just in time to vomit. "I just can't do it man..."

Justice sighed. "Well...I am very sorry my poor friend but when I am asked to do something...I do it." The tall African snatched up Charlie and threw him over his shoulders!

"Aw...come on! Don't do this Justice! I swear I'll kick your ass all over the hotel for this! Oh God...stop man!"

Justice skillfully aimed Charlie's head towards a trash can where he unloaded again with pin point puking accuracy. "Oh...my head! Oh I know this whole day is gonna suck!"

"That's a possibility." Justice said as he called Charlie into the elevator and calmly endured the poor man's insults and heaving.

September 12th 2001

9:00 pm in Metro City

8:00 am September 11th Manhattan

5:00 am Washington State

St. Francis Medical Clinic

Corner of Platt and Gold streets

Downtown Manhattan

Blackjack listened intently to the woman's shallow breathing. "Now are you sure that you're not strung out on something again Angie?"

The woman shook her head. "Honest I'm not! This started early yesterday Doctor."

"Well I can give you anti-biotic pills and some less active cough syrup." Blackjack said as he called a nurse and gave her the perscription. "Now you should go to the shelter at Saint Steven. I can call ahead and tell them you need a room for at least a week. That's a week of bed rest, you understand?"

Angie nodded. "Yes Doctor. Thank you." The woman slipped off the bed and walked out of the examination room as Blackjack pulled his rubber gloves off.

"Good thing you didn't give her anything stronger. She would have sold it." A small voice came from the bathroom. Blackjack's companion Pimoko walked out and helped prepare the examination room for the next patient.

"That's not nice Pimoko. Regardless of her situation, I have always told you sternly that all people are equal in the work of mercy."

"Mercy doesn't help us keep food on the table or enjoy the fruits of our labors. You're a master surgeon, you could do better than this."

Blackjack shook his head. "I could do better if I wasn't a rouge, is that what you're saying?"

Pimoko frowned. "You're the one who always tells me to be honest. But I know you'll never change."

Blackjack smiled. "And I am happy you keep my lessons true. But remember, we do enough on the side to live a comfortable life don't we?"

Pimoko snorted. "Should have charged that Bill Gates more money on the last job. At least we'd be able to have a better stocked clinic."

Blackjack took the clipboard off the hook outside the examination room door and read the papers on it. "Michele Phillips?" He called.

September 12th 2001

9:15 pm in Metro City

8:15 am September 11th Manhattan

5:15 am Washington State

Atom House

"Beeeeeeep!" Came the call tone in Astro's head as he lay quietly wrapped in his blankets. "Astro here."

"Hey!" Kenichi's voice replied. "You in bed?"

"Well it's 9:20pm, school tomorrow, yup." Astro replied.

"I just called to tell you we're all going to the Thunder's game on Saturday. You going to be free?"

Astro rolled onto his side. "I hope. I might have to skip it because I promised my Dad I'd play catch. You can take Jetto?"

Ken could be heard moaning. "I'd rather play chicken with the bullet trains. You should have Doctor O'Shay remove the ADHD program from his head."

"He doesn't have such a program." Astro smirked. "That's just his character."

"But you'll try to be there?" Kenichi asked.

"Yeah! Just be a little understanding if I don't." Astro replied. "See you at school tomorrow."

"Uh huh." Ken replied before he clicked off. Astro rolled around again, pulled one of his favorite teddy bears up close and drifted into stand-by mode.

September 11, 2001

8:30 am New York City

5:30 am Washington state

9:30 pm 12 sept Metro City

1st FDNY Battalion Engine Company 7, Ladder 1 Firehouse "Stanley Manor"

57 Duane Street, Manhattan New York

The house had just finished up shift change and the morning meeting when the call bell started to ping out...

"Engine...Ladder...Engine...Ladder. Report of gas odor at corner of Church and Lispinard, Church and Lispinard...Battallion One reply."

Chief Pfeifer grabbed the CD mic on his way out of his office. "Battalion One responding with Engine 7 Ladder 1, request additional support Engine and Ladder Company."

"Ten-four Kay. Meet with the civilian reporting the leak on scene advise Kay."

Jules Naudet came out of the lounge with his film camera in hand. "Chief! Can I ride with you?"

"Yeah." Pfeifer replied as he jumped into his car with his aide Eddy Fahee. "Church and Lispinard."

The two engines cleared the firehouse and raced North over Church Street towards Lispinard.

September 11, 2001

8:30 am New York City

5:30 am Washington state

9:30 pm 12 sept Metro City

4th FDNY Battalion Engine Company 9, Ladder 6 Firehouse "The Dragoons"

75th Cannal Street, Manhattan New York

It looked like a huge pile of Italian noodles walking around with a pair of small legs. At times Timber almost toppled over but he wasn't keen at all about spending the whole morning dragging hose lines one at a time into the side street.

Dropping the pile, He began to pull them apart and flake them out to their full lengths in the middle of the street. He'd have to check each one for damage, shine the brass ends and roll them for storage on the trucks after pulling the used one's off.

"Wow! Not even nine and it's warm?" He fussed as he pulled off his t-shirt and adjusted the straps on his bunker pants. "This is an all day event." Timber said to himself as he walked back into the fire house and got out the cleaning supplies for the brass ends. Outside he heard the sounds of an engine company cruising down Church street.

"Gas leak? Pheh...what's new?" He thought as he sat cross legged on the street and started scrubbing the hose ends with a brass bush and soap...

"Click!"..."Good morning New York! This is Wild Willie Smith on AM 330 bringing you the smooth soothing music of the 1970's for what's turning out to be a very nice sunny day in the Big Apple...it's 8:40am September 11th 2001 now let's turn back the clock to the music of the late Jim Croche...I got a Dream."

Timber swayed back and forth to the music as he scrubbed away. "Rollin me down the Highway, Rollin me down the highway, rollin ahead cause life won't pass me by!"

September 12th 2001

9:42 pm in Metro City

8:42 am September 11th Manhattan

5:42 am Washington State

CDI Demolitions Job #01-13

215 Church Street Manhattan

10 blocks from the WTC

Steven walked over to Charlie and handed him a botle of water. "You're not going to get over this hang over unless you take in some water."

Charlie wiped the sweat off his head and guzzled the bottle. "This warm weather's not helping me worth a damn. We're up on the tenth floor right?"

Steven nodded as he handed Charlie a pair of ear plugs. "Take these...unless you enjoy being further tortured? So did you and Beth finish the wedding plans yet?"

Charlie shook his head. "No. I told her I thought it would be cool to do it at one of our jobs and insted of a kiss we could press plungers and blow a building up with a big "We're Married" sign on the roof. Her parents just don't have any humor."

Steven patted Charlie on the back. "Why not parachute? Bungie Jump? Tell em you're going to charter a plane over the Grand Canyon then just leap out when you guys get to the Nups?"

Charlie laughed. "I don't feel like seeing my Mother-in-law's panties on the way down."

September 12th 2001

9:44 pm in Metro City

8:44 am September 11th Manhattan

5:44 am Washington State

Chambers Street A station stairs

NY Transit

"Simpler than I expected." Sadoyoshi Miada said to himself as he stood with his cell phone to his ear waiting for the connection to the Ticket Master 800 number. While he needed no tickets to obtain the interview he was using for his cover to slack off watching baseball, even the media wasn't immune from the ravinous nature of the Yankees. How else could they afford the best players in the Major Leagues if they didn't dime the whole country to death in some fashion.

September 12th 2001

9:45 pm in Metro City

8:45 am September 11th Manhattan

5:45 am Washington State

Oak Harbor, Washington

Like clock work. Dan sat up in bed and looked around sleepishly before nudging Chandler, the couple's long haired black cat, from his lap and slipping out of bed. It was an every day act drilled into the subconcious from 15 years of Naval service and no change in shift and times could stop it.

Dan trudged into the small kitchen, fumbled for the coffee can and started brewing a pot to suck down while he went into the bathroom to do the morning business.

September 11, 2001

8:46 am New York City

5:46 am Washington state

9:46 pm 12 sept Metro City

1st FDNY Battalion Engine Company 7, Ladder 1 Firehouse "Stanley Manor"

Corner of Church and Lispinard Streets. Gas Leak call.

"Can you still smell it?" The woman asked Chief Pheifer as he waved the gas detector across the sewer grate.

"Yeah...nothing on the detector here mam shows it's dangerous enough but I'll call Con Edison just to be safe." Pheifer said as he reached up for his radio mic. "Dispatch, Battalion One, request Con Edison technician at Church and Lispinard with Scott pack to dive the gas leak call Kay?"

"Ten-Four Battalion One." The dispatcher replied.

Jules stood moving his video camera up and down Church street. He stopped at one end catching the World Trade Center's monster towers in view before sweeping back up to zoom in on one of the firemen who was looking absolutely enthused by the lack of action around him.

"Smile Brain!" Jules said waving.

"Smile this!" Brian replied as he gave Jules the finger.

September 12th 2001

9:46:25 pm in Metro City

8:46:25 am September 11th Manhattan

5:46:00 am Washington State

Chambers Street A station stairs

NY Transit

Sadoyoshi was just about to go down into the metro tunnel when a loud sound built in his ears. He stopped walking and looked up to see a plane cruise over the top of the buildings around him. He watched it pass by and continue South over the city. Nothing came to though at the moment, it wasn't every day someone wasn't buzzing through New York on some sight seeing jaunt and yet the plane didn't look like the usual prop driven planes commonly seen over Manhattan, especially so early in the morning.

September 12th 2001

9:46:28 pm in Metro City

8:46:28 am September 11th Manhattan

5:46:28 am Washington State

CDI Demolitions Job #01-13

215 Church Street Manhattan

10 blocks from the WTC

Justice emerged from the staircase door atop the old apartment building carrying a heavy mechanical drill in his hands. He was going to bore holes in key points on the roof to rig carging sticks of explosives that would seperate the roof joints from the old building's steel skeleton.

What had just passed over Sadoyoshi now cruised over Justice's head and he covered his ears with his hands by reflex as the sound of the loud jets bounced into his brain. He gave the plane a quick look and turned back to carry his drill across the roof.

Steven was in front of the old building with Zanie Sullivan who caught the passing plane with an uninterested glance.

September 11, 2001

8:46:40 am New York City

5:46:40 am Washington state

9:46:40 pm 12 sept Metro City

4th FDNY Battalion Engine Company 9, Ladder 6 Firehouse "The Dragoons"

75th Cannal Street, Manhattan New York

Timber caught the noise as it started bouncing off the buildings around him and looked up from scrubbing a brass hose conection to see the plane fill his view...

"Kinda low there buddy." he said to himself as he followed the plane along when the tops of the World Trade Center towers that were sticking above the buildings at the end of Stedmark street entered his view...

The information cycling into his processors at light speed were telling him that something wasn't fitting right. The plane's estimated size, it's speed, the picture angles between him, it and the World Trade Center were all wrong!

September 12th 2001

9:46:42 pm in Metro City

8:46:42 am September 11th Manhattan

5:46:42 am Washington State

Oak Harbor, Washington

Dan poured milk into his cup of coffee then walked into the smaller bedroom to switch on the computer like he did every morning. He'd spend the next two hours surfing the web before going back to bed for the coming night shift at AIMD.

"It's almost time to upgrade. Damn this thing's anchient." He complained as he rubbed his eyes and looked at the clock on the wall.

September 11, 2001

8:46:43 am New York City

5:46:43 am Washington state

9:46:43 pm 12 sept Metro City

1st FDNY Battalion Engine Company 7, Ladder 1 Firehouse "Stanley Manor"

Corner of Church and Lispinard Streets. Gas Leak call.

Jules watched through his camera lense as Chief Pheifer swung the gas meter back and forth over the street vent in front of him. Behind him, Eddy Fahee stood holding a fire prod and adjusting his fire helmet when a loud screaming noise over their heads caused Fahee to look up.

Jules turned his camera skywards and caught the jet just over the roofs of the buildings across Church Street. He tracked it till the World Trade Center towers suddenly came into his viewer...

"Oh...Shee..."

September 12th 2001

9:46:43 pm in Metro City

8:46:43 am September 11th Manhattan

5:46:43 am Washington State

CDI Demolitions Job #01-13

215 Church Street Manhattan

10 blocks from the WTC

Justice turned just as the sound wave flew by his ears and caught a fireball rolling from one of the large World Trade Center towers ten blocks away!

For a moment he stood transfixed, watching the broiling ball of flame and smoke rool it's way up and over the roof of the skyscraper.

On the lot in front of the old building, Zanie Sullivan watched as a large ball of fire and smoke rolled above the World Trade Center. He stood gazing at it till Steven patted him on the shoulder. "What's up?"

"I just saw smoke come off one of the big towers." Zanie said pointing.

Steven looked and raise his eye brows. "Must be special effects for the new Spiderman movie they're making. They were filming down there a couple weeks ago."

September 11, 2001

8:46:48 am New York City

5:46:48 am Washington state

9:46:48 pm 12 sept Metro City

4th FDNY Battalion Engine Company 9, Ladder 6 Firehouse "The Dragoons"

75th Cannal Street, Manhattan New York

"BAAAROOM!"

The soundwave from the rushing ball of flame caught Timber in the face as he stood with his mouth gaping and his eyes wide in a horrific shock. He stumbled over his water bucket, struggled over his hands and feet and took off running for the side door of the firehouse!

September 11, 2001

8:46:51 am New York City

5:46:51 am Washington state

9:46:51 pm 12 sept Metro City

1st FDNY Battalion Engine Company 7, Ladder 1 Firehouse "Stanley Manor"

Corner of Church and Lispinard Streets. Gas Leak call.

"BAAAROOM!"

"OH...SHIT! HOLY...SHIT!" Firefighter Jack Collins repeated over and over again as the orange mass of flame and vapor smoke rolled up over the face of the North Tower.

Chief Pheifer dropped his gas meter and ran for his car, diving into the window and pulling the radio handset back out with him..."Battalion one to Manhattan!"

"Battalion one." Came the reply from the fire department's central dispatcher office.

"We just had a plane crash into the upper floors of the World Trade Center...transmit a second alarm and start locating companies into the area."

"Ten Four Batallion One."

"Battalion One is also bringing an aditional asignment on this box to that area Kay!"

Jules was still training his camera on the now burning tower when Chief Pheifer snatched him by his shirt and yanked him towards his car. "Get in!" He waved to the other firefighters still standing dumbfounded by the horror before them! "God damn it! Get going! Go Go Go!"

The two engines and the ladder trucks behind them jumped to life and roared onto Church Street towards the World Trade Center. Pheifer turned to his Aide Eddy Fakee as Jules started filming from the back seat of the squad car...

"Go! Go to the Trade Center!" Pheifer said as he pointed.

September 12th 2001

9:46:52 pm in Metro City

8:46:52 am September 11th Manhattan

5:46:52 am Washington State

Chambers Street A station stairs

NY Transit

Sadayoshi heard the loud noise down West Broadway and walked to the corner to see one of the World Trade Center towers belching black smoke over its highest floors. He quickly pulled out his cell phone and hit the flash dial as he began to walk briskly towards the Trade Center Complex down the street.

September 11, 2001

8:47:10 am New York City

5:47:10 am Washington state

9:47:10 pm 12 sept Metro City

4th FDNY Battalion Engine Company 9, Ladder 6 Firehouse "The Dragoons"

75th Cannal Street, Manhattan New York

Timber almost busted the screen door off its hinges as he slammed it open on the run! "CHIEF! CHIEF!" He screamed till he got caught in the arm by Lieutenant Jim Fody.

"Chief's not here. What's up?"

"You gotta see this! A plane just hit one of the towers!" Timber snatched Fody by his shirt and all but dragged him into the side street. "See it? It just...WHAM!"

"BING! BING! BING! ENGINE...LADDER...ENGINE...LADDER..

10-60 BOX 8087...10-60 BOX 8087..."

Fody pushed Timber aside. "Pick those hoses up and toss them on top of the truck now!" Fody ran into the fire station waving his arms frantically. "TURN TOO! TURN TOO! WORLD TRADE CENTER 1060!" He snatched up the station's call radio and clicked the dispatcher..."Engine 9, Ladder 6 10-8 to the 10-60 Kay time five-four-eight!"

September 11, 2001

8:47:30 am New York City

5:47:30 am Washington state

9:47:30 pm 12 sept Metro City

Chopper 880 of Wklz 880AM Radio

Over George Washington Bridge

"Son of a bitch, did you see that?" Chopper pilot Jeff Hovator said as he shook traffic reporter Tom Kominsky. "Something just hit the World Trade Center...call it in!"

Kominsky keyed his mic. "Break me onto the broadcast! I repeat...Emergency broadcast! This is Tom Kominsky, something has just happened to one of the towers of the World Trade Center, I can see a large ploom of smoke...and now flames on the face of one of the towers. About 3/4 of the way up the tower, this is the North Tower!"

September 11, 2001

8:48:51 am New York City

5:48:51 am Washington state

9:48:51 pm 12 sept Metro City

1st FDNY Battalion Engine Company 7, Ladder 1 en-route to WTC 1

"Battalion One to Manhattan. We have a number of floors on fire. It looked like the plane was aiming towards the building. Transmit a third alarm. We'll have the staging area at Vessey and West street." Chief Pheifer said into his mic as his two engine and ladder trucks closed on the North Tower down Church Street.

Eddy Fakee was shaking his head and cursing silently over and over to himself. "Mother fuckers, this was coming...this was coming for a long fucken time!"

Over the radio, companies were calling in their responses in rapid succession. Squad One's call made Pheifer, Fakee and Jules look at each other...

"Manhattan...if the first battalion transmitted that this was intentional, inform all units going into the box that this could be a terrorist attack."

September 12th 2001

9:49:00 pm in Metro City

8:49:00 am September 11th Manhattan

5:49:00 am Washington State

CDI Demolitions Job #01-13

215 Church Street Manhattan

10 blocks from the WTC

"That looks like real fire Steven." Tommy Bizaker said as he pointed to the burning tower. "I heard the thing explode man and that can't be no movie."

Zanie nodded his head. "Best special effects I ever saw. They must have rolled a color tarp down the face to make it look like it's got a hole in it."

Suddenly...Justice came running out of the open front door of the apartment building. "Did you see it? A plane hit the building!"

"No way." Steven said shaking his head. "It's a movie production for the new Spiderman, they've been shooting it for weeks around here."

Laurie Luazo suddenly thrw open the door to the office trailer and pointed to the tower. "Did any of you guys see a plane hit the World Trade Center? It's on TV!"

"I told you!" Justice said to Steven as the work crew began running for the trailer.

September 12th 2001

9:50:00 pm in Metro City

8:50:00 am September 11th Manhattan

5:50:00 am Washington State

Oak harbor, Washington

Finally, the old computer had brought up the internet explorer and Dan slowly took a drink of his coffee as the Yahoo search engine popped up on the monitor. He then froze for a moment with a tired, quizical look as he read the top of the Yahoo page...

ALERT: PLANE SLAMS INTO WORLD TRADE CENTER!

He squinted at the small picture below and mumbled to himself..."What the fuck?"

Rising from his computer desk, Dan walked into the living room and flipped on the television to NBC/Komo4...

"This is Brian Gumble in New York, we're looking at something that has happened at the World Trade Center moments ago..."

Dan backed up and walked into the bedroom where his wife was sleeping and shook her awake. "Babe? Babe? A plane crashed into the World Trade Center."

Bibby stirred and pushed him back. "Will you go back to bed?" She said sleepishly.

"I'm serious Babe! It's on the tv now!" Dan went back into the living room, snatched a VCR tape from the video rack next to the entertainment center and pushed it into the player.

"Some one really fucked this up." He said to himself as he heard his wife cussing in the bedroom.

"If this is a movie Danny, I'm so going to kill you for waking me up."

September 12th 2001

9:51:00 pm in Metro City

8:51:00 am September 11th Manhattan

5:51:00 am Washington State

St. Francis Medical Clinic

Corner of Platt and Gold streets

Downtown Manhattan

Blackjack had just finished another patient when a man stumbled through the front door of the clinic gasping for breath. "Doc! Doc!" He screamed between gasping breaths.

"Fred! What are you doing?" Blackjack asked as he came out into the lobby and caught the man as he dropped to the floor. "I warn you all the time about your Asthma, you can't exert yourself..."

"Gasp!...The Tower!...Gasp...The Tower's on fire!" Fred tried to get out. "The tower's burning!"

Blackjack motioned to one of his nurses and ran out the front door and into the street! He had to back away quickly as a screaming line of police cars and fire trucks raced past him!

September 11, 2001

8:51:10 am New York City

5:51:10 am Washington state

9:51:10 pm 12 sept Metro City

4th FDNY Battalion Engine Company 9, Ladder 6 Firehouse "The Dragoons"

Responding down Church Street to Albany and West, WTC 1

"Did you see it?" Mike Riccapedo asked Timber as he adjusted the straps on his bunker jacket.

"Are you kidding me?" Timber replied tapping his head. "It's playing in my head like a stuck CD!"

"What kind of plane was it?" Arron Williams asked as he stuck his head out of the engine cab.

"Big!" Timber said holding his hands up. "A 737 I'm not sure. I'm still looking at it from my memory."

For a moment the firefighters looked at each other. "This day's gona suck." Williams said clenching his fists.

September 11, 2001

8:51:10 am New York City

5:51:10 am Washington state

9:51:10 pm 12 sept Metro City

West Broadway

"I told you! Patch me through to Tokyo and cut into the broadcast!" Sadoyoshi demanded as he ran down the sidewalk trying to dodge the throngs of people now looking towards the burning tower. "Cut in now damn you! There's a fire in one of the World Trade buildings in Manhattan! Huge! The whole top of the building's on fire!"

September 11, 2001

8:51:37 am New York City

5:51:37 am Washington state

9:51:37 pm 12 sept Metro City

Atom House

With the children sleeping, Father and Mother Atom enjoyed a peaceful evening on the couch watching a hillarious game show where contestants were almost killing themselves over an obsticle course...

"I swear mother, I'll never understand the human fascination with pysical torture." Father Atom said as he sipped a glass of oil.

"Reminds me of your job." She replied smiling. Just then the television went to black with the NHK logo blazed in bright white across the screen...

"This is an NHK special report. We now go to our New York Bureau and Sadoyoshi Miada in Manhattan..."

Sadoyoshi's picture appeared on the television screen. "This is reporter Sadoyoshia Miada in Manhattan! There is a horrific event now underway in new York. I am approaching the World Trade Center and one of the two large skyscrappers is on fire! Eyewittnesses are telling me that a plane has hit the building!"

The image of the burning North Tower came up on the screen. "My word." Mother Atom said touching her brest.

"Hey Ma?" Came Jetto's voice from behind. "Can I get some oil?...what's that all about?"

September 11, 2001

8:52:11 am New York City

5:52:11 am Washington state

9:52:11 pm 12 sept Metro City

1st FDNY Battalion Engine Company 7, Ladder 1

Arriving under the front awning of WTC 1

Chief Pheifer jumped from his car, threw open the trunk and started pulling his bunker gear out while Jules filmed the company running from their trucks on Vessey Street. The whole front of the tower was a shambles of shattered glass, broken plaster, bags, clothes, airline seats. He cringed as parts of the building were crashing into the awning above and on the concrete around him.

"Son of a beetch this isn't safe!" He said as he truned his camera back to Joe Pheifer. "Chief? Can I come in with you?" He asked.

Pheifer pulled up his bunker pants and adjusted his helmet. "Yeah! You stay with me and don't leave my sight you got that?"

"Yes!" Jules answered as he followed the Chief through the doors. Suddenly there was a horrible scream coming from the right. A hysterical woman was violently shaking her arms and screaming as a body fell into the lobby from one of the elevators...on fire. Jules kept his camera on the Chief as he walked past the cracked and plaster shattered wall of the central core collumn and towards the operations desk in the main concourse lobby.

"Thank God!" A large man with the Port Authority said as he walked up and slapped Pheifer's back. "People are coming down saying they heard a plane. We have fires above the 73rd floor. Things are really hell in the handbasket."

"Battalion One calling Manhattan...Transmit a 5th alarm box 8087. Have the 1st Division Chief meet me at the operations desk of Tower One as soon as he arrives."

September 11, 2001

8:53:14 am New York City

5:53:14 am Washington state

9:55:14 pm 12 sept Metro City

4th FDNY Battalion Engine Company 9, Ladder 6 Firehouse "The Dragoons"

Arriving at Vessy and West Streets WTC1

Timber jumped from the engine cab and grabbed his treasured breaching ax off its carry clips, drapping it over his back as he looked up at the flame and smoke broiling face of the North Tower. By this time fire companies were stacking up on Vessy and Broadway, their crews grabbing hoses, breathing bottles, first aid bags and tools on the fly as they covered the paper and debris strewn ground under their feet.

Lieutenant Fody drapped a set of hoses over his shoulders and led his crew towards the shattered front of the North Tower. "LOOK OUT!" He screamed as a piece of steel and alluminum smashed inches from the running company!

"Damn! We're going to be killed before we even get inside!" Riccapedo shouted as he snatched Timber by his jacket and dragged him behind to get into the lobby and out of the hellish rain coming down on their heads!

Fody entered through a broken window and found 6th Engine's Captain, Jay Jonus, marshalling firefighters as they entered. "Jimmy! Is everybody with you?" Jonus asked.

"All except Chief Allen Sir. He was out of place whent he alarm went off, probably sitting in traffic trying to get here."

Jonus pointed to the Operations desk. "You give me number Six, I'll take em up. You take Nine, see Chief Pheifer, he'll pair you up with a larger company then you'll all go up."

Fody walked his small company up to the Operations desk where Chief Pheifer stood with the Chiefs of the First Fire Division, The One scene City Commander and the Department Chief Frank Barber "Aka Bah Bah" for the way he talked, his bleach white but still thick hair for his age and his short stature.

"Chief!" Fody called. "Nine engine. Got another unit you can throw us with?"

Pheifer looked around and saw his brother's company, 15 engine, coming through the broken glass. "Hook up with Lieutenant Pheifer's unit." He then looked at the men behind Fody. "Is your unit the one with the Japanese robot? Bring him here."

Fody called for Timber. "This is Timber Chief. He's our breatcher."

Pheifer pointed upwards. "If you can live without him, I need somebody who can't get tired to go up the tower fast and report the situation from as high as they can go."

Timber nodded. "Yes Chief. I'll go."

Pheifer pulled a cell phone from his pocket. "Hopefully it'll work. So far radio traffic inside has been for shit. Take some water, a fast aid pack, don't burden yourself down. Get up there fast and report back."

Timber threw a quick salute and ran back to the Company..."Hook me up guys! I'm going to sprint up ahead of everybody!"

8:54:05 am New York City

5:54:05 am Washington state

9:54:05 pm 12 sept Metro City

Atom House

Astro groaned as he was shaken awake by Jetto..."What? Ugh...I'm trying to sleep dufus!"

"You gotta see this big bro!" Jetto said as he pulled Astro out of bed. "Something messed up is happening in New York City!"

Astro scatched his eyes and trudged into the living room where the family had gathered around the television. "What's going on?"

Father Atom pointed as Astro flopped onto the couch. "It's a disaster son! A plane hit the World Trade Center in New York, one of the big buildings..."

Astro slowly focused on the image of the burning North Tower and gasped. "When did this happen?"

"Ten minutes ago." Mother Atom said.

"Uh...why didn't anyone get me up sooner? Has Doctor O'Shay called?" Astro asked rubbing his head. "Look at the hole! Dad..."

"I called Doctor O'Shay son. He says he's calling to get permission for you to go."

Astro nodded and got up, slowly moving backwards till he had slipped into the bathroom. "Click"..."Beeep"..."Beeep"..."Beeeep"..." The sound repeated over and over as Astro sent a signal out of his hair bangs, up to a pair of sattilites and back down through the massive radio antenna of the North Tower.

8:57:30 am New York City

5:57:30 am Washington state

9:57:30 pm 12 sept Metro City

Stairwell B, 15th floor, North Tower

"MAKE WAY! MAKE WAY! FIREFIGHTER COMING UP!" Timber snarled as he struggled up the left side of the narrow stairway while civilians were coming down the right side, his fire ax in hand, the first aid backpack slung over his right shoulder.

"Beeeeeep!...beeeeeep!" Came the call tone over his head reciever. "You picked a great time for a prank call." Timber said as he bounded up the flights taking bunches of steps at a leap.

"What happened?" Astro asked. "What floor are you on?"

"19th...20th...passing 21st...You don't know by now?"

Astro played a finger over his lips. "It looks bad...I'm waiting for Doctor O'Shay to let me go."

Timber stopped on the 25th. "Ohhhhh no! Things are crazy enough without somebody else to worry over. Stay home!"

A sudden shreak of horror came from the living room and Uran sought the protection of Mother Atom as the shaking words of Sadoyoshi accompanied a horrific image on the television...

"People are jumping!...people are leaping from the building!..."

"What?" Timber called. "Astro? Hey! "MOVE ASIDE! FIREFIGHTER COMING UP!" Astro?"

"I have to call Doctor O'Shay!" Astro said as he shook his head.

"I told you to stay home!" Timber replied sternly. "We'll have this over and done with before you even get here so let us handle it!"

"Click!"

Timber groaned in frustration and continued pushing people aside. "MAKE WAY! FIREFIGHTER COMING UP! GET OUT OF THE WAY!"

September 12th 2001

9:59:00 pm in Metro City

8:59:00 am September 11th Manhattan

5:59:00 am Washington State

Oak harbor, Washington

"If you're just joining us here on Good Morning America, we are covering an incredable scene in New York City. It appears an airplane, possibly a commuter plane of considerable size, has impacted one of the 110 story towers of the World Trade Center..."

Bibby poured herself a cup of coffee and returned to stand in front of the television. "Jesus Christ, it's a clear day! How the hell could someone miss a building that big?"

Dan shook his head. "I got a bad feeling about this."

"You don't think it's terrorists do you?" Bibby asked as she went to sit on the couch.

"Like you said babe, it's a clear day. The building's like a thousand feet or more, the outside's polished steel and glass. Unless the guy had a heart attack or was one dumb bastard who shouldn't have had a license to fly...I don't know."

September 12th 2001

9:59:00 pm in Metro City

8:59:00 am September 11th Manhattan

5:59:00 am Washington State

Vessey Street

Blackjack walked as fast as he could with a bag of medical gear slung over his right shoulder while Pimoko clung to his left. "I really should have left you back at the clinic."

"And I would have hot-wired a car." She replied snorting.

"Right now is not the best time for any jokes." Blackjack said as he stopped to watch the sickening rain of paper falling through the air around him from the burning tower. He then looked ahead to see a man collapse on the sidewalk holding his blood covered head!

"Move aside! Doctor!" Blackjack shouted as he ran up to the man and tore open his medical bag. "Can you hear me Sir?

The man nodded back. "I got smacked in the head by something."

Blackjack elevated the man's feet, bandaged his head and hailed a police car as it came down the steet. "Officer! This man needs to get to a hospital fast, he has a concussion and possible serious head trauma."

Helping the officer load the man into his back seat, Blackjack snatched up his medical bag and started running towards the North Tower again.

September 12th 2001

10:00:00 pm in Metro City

9:00:00 am September 11th Manhattan

6:00:00 am Washington State

Church and Trinity Streets

The filming meant nothing. Again and again Guidian tried to get closer and every time the police pushed him away. Where was Jules? By now he was probably following Engine 7 up the tower and everything Guidian was seeing so far told him that idea was madness! He was left to wander the crowded streets, filming the faces and emotions of the people who were flocking around the Trade Center Plaza. They all had the same looks but different emotions, different reactions, different speech but they all conveyed the same horrific astonishment to the scene before them...

He stopped to film a back and forth between a short black haired college kid and a taller carribian man, his hair done up in long dreadlocks...

"How will the people higher up get out! The crash must have taken out the elevators. They still have the stairs right?"

" I dunno man. There must be hundreds of them trapped." The caribian man started to sob..."There goes another one! They must have no other choice, my God help them!"

September 12th 2001

9:00:00 pm in Metro City

9:00:00 am September 11th Manhattan

6:00:00 am Washington State

CDI Demolitions Job #01-13

215 Church Street Manhattan

10 blocks from the WTC

Little Mikey stood by his desk holding his cell phone while pointing out orders to his lead foremen. "Steven...stock the trucks with cutting gear, portable bottles, torches, arc cutters. Zanie, take my card, we'll need batteries, botled water, flashlights, extra first aid kits. Take Andy with you.

"Right boss!" Zanie turned and bolted out the door.

September 12th 2001

9:00:30 pm in Metro City

9:00:30 am September 11th Manhattan

6:00:30 am Washington State

International Brotherhood of Ironworkers Local 1062

Tammany Hall Street, North Manhattan

"Luther? Are you watching this?" Little Mikey asked over the phone as Luther Swan, the Local president, watched the news coverage. "How many people do you have registered that are open?"

"About 163. What are you planning?"

Mike pulled a piece of paper from a printer and set the map on his desk. "The parking lot of Saint Paul's chapel on Broadway. I'm packing my crew to go there, I need welders, cutters and riggers. My dad will pick up the cost. Notify the city, we'll be on standby for emergency services once the fires are out."

Laurie motioned from her desk. "Michael, it's your father!"

"Yes Dad?" Mikey said as he gabbed the reciever.

"Michael...this looks real bad. If the inside looks anything like the side of the tower, the building's been structurally compromised. The whole top could collapse at any moment."

Mike looked at the others. "I'll be careful Dad. Tell Mom not to worry."

Mike hung up the phone. "Alright. As soon as Zanie's back we'll go."

September 12th 2001

9:01:20 pm in Metro City

9:01:20 am September 11th Manhattan

6:01:20 am Washington State

The Atom House

Astro stomped a foot. "What do you mean no? Doctor?"

"That's from the Ministry of State." Doctor O'Shay said as he watched the television. "Right now they want all robots to stay in country in case something happens here."

"I can stand here and crunch the numbers all day and I don't see it happening here!" Astro said with worry in his voice. "What good is having a million horsepower if all I can do is stand here and watch this?"

"It's out of my authority Astro and that's it. Till they say otherwise, you'll just have to be patient."

Astro clicked off the video phone and returned to the living room. Mother Atom wrapped an arm around her worried son as he sat rubbing his lips against a clenched fist.

September 12th 2001

9:01:20 pm in Metro City

9:01:20 am September 11th Manhattan

6:01:20 am Washington State

WTC 1, North Tower lobby

Blackjack followed a police officer into the North Tower lobby. "You can set up with those other doctors and nurses near the sky bridge staircase Doc. They're handling all the injured coming down."

"Thank you." Blackjack replied as he walked across the chaos filled lobby to the rescue workers and others aiding those limping down from the bridge. "Who's in charge here?"

A black woman dressed in a firefighting uniform raised her hand. "Yulonda Shone, FDNY rescue. You're a doctor?"

"Blackjack. My assistant Pimoko." Blackjack said as he shook Yulonda's hand.

"Surgeon is more accurate." Pimoko said as she slipped off Blackjack's back. "A lot of blunt trauma injuries."

"Excuse me Doctor but bringing your daughter into this mess..." Yulonda suddenly felt a tug on her shirt.

"I'm not his daughter and you better not throw any short jokes, baby jokes or toddler stuff or we'll tangle." Pimoko snorted as she started going from patient to patient as they were brought off the stairs.

Meanwhile at the tower command post, Chief Pheifer was between waving both his cell phone and his department radio in the air as he walked about trying to get reception. "Field Com to Fireman Timber? Fireman Timber acknoledge...Field Com to Fireman Timber acknowledge. Chief Barber, is your radio working?"

Barber pointed to his radio. "Sporatic at best. All these different hand sets going at once is screwing up coms. My cell isn't working, I bet the plane knocked out the tower on the roof and everyone's mother's trying to call at once."

September 12th 2001

9:01:20 pm in Metro City

9:01:20 am September 11th Manhattan

6:01:20 am Washington State

WTC 1, North Tower , 44th floor

"Fireman Timber to Field Com? Fireman Timber to Chief Pheifer? Fire Battalion do you read? Fireman calling Manhattan urgent!" Timber stopped on a stair landing and growled at his radio. "What genius ever though hand sets would work in a skyscrapper?"

Timber set his own internal radio to Chief Pheifer's cell phone and sent a dirrect shot tone down to the lobby..."beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep!...Chief Pheifer."

"Chief! This is Timber, I'm on the 45th and still climbing. The number of evacuating civilians is getting less land less. So far I haven't come across anyone from above the 68th floor."

"Affirmative." Chief Pheifer replied. "Keep going. When you can, do a sweep of floors above the 55th and report status and condition."

"Also Chief? The department radios? Well they suck."

"Affirmative with a big D.P.O.S.!" Pheifer replied. Timber stopped to check a man who'd collapsed on the stairs above him. "Here...take this water and keep going. What floor did you come from?"

"Gasp...64th." The man replied. "Upper Sky Lobby."...gasp...My God it's hell...burnt people...we're all gonna die...sob..."

Timber grasped the man by his shoulders. "Not on my watch. Now get yourself together mister and get out of here." He helped him up and pushed him into a group of people coming down the stairs. "Take this man and get him out of here."

September 12th 2001

10:03:00 pm in Metro City

9:03:00 am September 11th Manhattan

6:03:00 am Washington State

Church and Trinity Streets

Gidion was still filming people's reactions on the steets below the Trade Center when he brought his camera up to film the side of the burning North Tower. Suddenly there came a loud thunderous scream from his left side, the whole street began to shudder and shake as the sound verberated off the concrete...

Then the South Tower exploded!

"CHRIST!" Gidion screamed as he took off in a sea of horrified and screaming people as they ran over and knocked over each other to flee the raining hell coming from above!

September 12th 2001

10:03:00 pm in Metro City

9:03:00 am September 11th Manhattan

6:03:00 am Washington State

Broadway near Saint Paul's Chapel

"FUCK!" Little Mikey screamed as he almost rolled the lead truck over turning onto Vessey street to escape the flying debris slamming into the concrete!

Steven watched as a woman running for her life was erased. One second she was running, the next she was simply destroyed by a chunk of flying debris.

"SON OF A BITCH!" Zanie screamed as he lay flattened out in the bed of the second truck. "THIS IS NO DAMN ACCIDENT! THEY'RE FUCKEN KAMAKAZES!"

Charlie shook his head over and over again. "I knew it man! I knew this day would God damn suck!"

September 12th 2001

10:03:00 pm in Metro City

9:03:00 am September 11th Manhattan

6:03:00 am Washington State

West Broadway

"Gasp!...Another plane! Another plane has hit! I am running...Gasp!...I am running for my life! There are things falling all around me!"

Sadoyoshi dove into the alcove of a coffee shop door just as one of the engines from the crashed plane came bouncing down the sidewalk and decapitated a man as he ran past!

September 12th 2001

10:03:00 pm in Metro City

9:03:00 am September 11th Manhattan

6:03:00 am Washington State

Oak Harbor

Bibby threw her hands to her face and screeched. "Oh my God! Another one!"

Dan stood biting and cursing, the apartment growing silent for a few seconds before he ran to the phone and started dialing.

"What are you doing?" Bibby asked worried.

"We're under attack, what does it look like I'm doing?" He replied as he heard the reciever at AIMD pick up.

"AIMD NDI Shop...Joe..." Replied Dan's Leading Petty Officer.

"Joe?" Dan asked. "Do you want me to come in? I'm getting my uniform."

Joe looked at his phone with a questionable expression. "Dan? What the hell are you talking about? It's six in the morning..."

"Joe? We are under attack! Turn on the TV, do you want me to come in?" Dan motioned for his wife to get his uniform. "We're being atacked God damn it!"

Joe stood shaking his head. "What the hell were you drinking last night? I just came through the main gate, what the fuck are you talking about?"

Just then, Joe's secondary came running through the shop door. "Joe! We're under attack, turn on the TV! Who's that on the phone?"

"Dan! Has everyone gone fucken nuts? What the hell are you guys..." Joe looked at the TV and froze..."What the fuck?"

"The word of the day." Pat replied as he took the reciever. "Hey Dan? Got that bomb shelter finished yet?"

"Do you want me in?" Dan asked. "I'll bring a sleeping bag and sleep in the photo dark room..."

Just then...from the base...across the city of Oak Harbor...the air station's air alert sirens, which hadn't since the Cuban Missile Crisis, went off with a terrifying worble.

"Stay where you are." Pat said. "And call my wife Dan? I can't get a hold of her and right now she's probably hysterical."

"Always." Damn replied with a nod. "This day's gonna suck."

Pat replied. "With Joe here? Suck is a never ending mental condition."

September 12th 2001

9:03:20 pm in Metro City

9:03:20 am September 11th Manhattan

6:03:20 am Washington State

WTC 1, North Tower , 52nd floor

Timber felt the tower shudder under his feet and froze. "Oh...kay...something tells me that wasn't a good thing."

September 12th 2001

9:03:20 pm in Metro City

9:03:20 am September 11th Manhattan

6:03:20 am Washington State

Atom House

There was a collective gasp and scream then Astro jumped up from his mother's embrace, ran to his bedroom and started throwing things from his dresser draws into a backpack he ripped out of his closet.

"Big Bro?" Jetto asked as he watched Astro. "You're not thinking of..."

Astro stopped and shook his head. "I can't sit here. This has just past the point of needing any permission."

Astro stormed for the front door when his father snatched him by his arm. "No you don't! You can't!"

Astro pulled his arm away and snapped back. "Ground me Dad! Lock me in the house for the rest of my life but I'm not sitting on that couch while people are being killed like this!" He almost tore the front door off getting out and escaped getting snatched again by his screaming father as he blasted into the air!

"Timber? Timber?" He called over and over again.

"You're still home right?" Timber replied.

"No...I'm coming. Without authorization." Astro replied. "Tim?...The other building just got hit by a plane."

There was silence for a moment..."Please tell me you're kidding?"

"This is going to be a bad day." Astro replied pursing his lips.

"This day is gonna suck, who are you trying to kid?" Timber replied as he stopped on the 55th floor and kicked the emergency door open.

September 12th 2001

9:03:50 pm in Metro City

9:03:50 am September 11th Manhattan

6:03:50 am Washington State

WTC 1, North Tower lobby

Jules turned his camera as the shock from the collision in the other tower raced over the lobby and caught flaming debris, chunks of steel, a rain of hell falling beyond the sky staircase as people from the upper floors raced before it with screams of horror.

"They hit the other building! Another plane just flew into the other building! Those God damned mother fuckers!" A burley Port Authority worker in a hard hat snarled as he walked by. Jules turned his camera back to the Command Post where the Chiefs and the firemen around them stood shocked and horrified.

Chief Barber broke the stunned silence of the group. "Field Com calling Manhattan...transmit a fifth alarm for World Trade Center tower two...initiate city wide recall...all off duty firefighters, all off duty officers to their respective stations forth width. We have a second plane into the South Tower Kay. Inform all units responding, this is a mass casualty event...terrorist attack with follow on incidents pending...confirm compliance."

"Affirmative Kay!" Manhattan dispatch replied.

Barber turned to the other Chiefs. "Gentlemen...today's not going to be a good day. I don't know if any of us will get home tonight."

He turned to Chief Pheifer. "Joe...you, Chief Scott, Chief Lomell and Mister Jimenez will handle operations here. I'll take Chief Prundy, Chief Sampson, Chief Brice and set up command for Tower Two."

Barber then turned to see the Fire Department Chaplain, Michael Judge, standing alone amid the madness. "Father?" He called. The white haired priest came over.

"Father? We can use a blessing right now." Barber asked as he removed his helmet. The other Chiefs and firemen bowed their heads as Father Judge spoke in his Irish broge...

"All mighty fahtha. Hell is upon us this day. We ask for your divine aid on our brothers and sisters. Give them courage to stand and do their duty. This we ask in the name of the Fahtha, the son and the holy goast...Amen."

Barber turned to Chief Pheifer and the rest, putting his hand out to each and shaking their hands in turn. "Joe? Do your best. Save as many as you can." He said mournfully before joining the Chiefs and firemen who ran from the lobby towards the South Tower.

September 12th 2001

9:04:30 pm in Metro City

9:04:30 am September 11th Manhattan

6:04:30 am Washington State

WTC 1 North Tower, 17th floor

Engine 15, Lieutenant Kevin Pheifer in command

Ladder 6, Captain Jay Jonus in command

"Boss?" Evander Carlisle said as he tapped Captain Jonus on the shoulder. "I just heard on my radio that the South Tower's been hit."

Jay Jonus looked upwards at Lieutenant Pheifer. "Kevin?"

"We got our orders don't we Captain?" Kevin asked back. He watched Jonus climb past his men and met him on a landing. "Sir...we haven't got time to debate this."

Jonus shook Kevin's hand. "Thought you'd say that." He looked back at his Company. "Let's keep moving boys. Pace yourselves, don't try to make it all in five minutes. Drink your water."

September 12th 2001

10:05:00 pm in Metro City

9:05:00 am September 11th Manhattan

6:05:00 am Washington State

Parking lot of Saint Paul's Chapel

Vessey Street

The CDI trucks came to a screetching stop amidst the rain of falling paper from the blazing South Tower. Mikey rolled out of his, cell phone stuck to his head while he threw orders around with his waving hand. "Yes! Another plane! Both of the towers are burning now. It would help, does anyone know how many planes these bastards have? Well let me know as soon as you do Frank." Mikey stuffed the cell phone in his shirt pocket and helped his crew unload their equipment from the trucks. "We got 50 guys coming from Vought Construction in Queens, 170 from the Union hall in Tammany and 60 more from Eddy Shaffer's crew in the Bronx."

Steven looked up at the two buildings rubbing his hair and pursing his lips. "Mikey? These buildings don't look good at all. You don't think they could collapse do you?"

Mikey shook his head. "Hell no. They weren't built cheep. They had planes in mind when they went up in the 70's, the things are friggen bunkers. If they can take a hundred mile hour winds they can certainly survive this crap."

September 12th 2001

10:05:00 pm in Metro City

9:05:00 am September 11th Manhattan

6:05:00 am Washington State

1000 feet over the Pacific

Astro in flight

time to New York 2 hours, 30 minutes, 32 seconds

Doctor O'Shay's voice boomed in Astro's head. "Astro! What on Earth have you done! You're defying the law! Get back here right now!"

Insted of turning, Astro put his arms back by his sides, brought his hands in and lit off the arm rockets, pushing him to Mach 5. "Sorry Doctor! Sitting on my butt was just illogical."

"This is serious!" Doctor O'shay snapped. "Don't make me have to over-ride your systems Astro."

"And you're going to do it? Go ahead Doctor...how many more people are going to die if you do? All I know is I have a friend over there and I can't sit watching the TV while he's risking his neck, how right is that?"

Astro waited then smiled. "I knew you couldn't do it."

"You're going to be in big trouble when you come home. That's if you don't run out of power before you get to New York."

"I have plenty of energy cells in my backpack so don't worry about the core." Astro said as he scanned the skies ahead.

"Well they're grounding all the commercial flights over the United States right now so you'll have a clear way by the time you reach California. Good luck my boy."

September 12th 2001

9:06:10 pm in Metro City

9:06:10 am September 11th Manhattan

6:06:10 am Washington State

WTC 1, North Tower lobby

Blackjack motioned to the people carrying a woman through the lobby door. "Put her here!." He said as he pulled bandages from his bag to work on her broken and bloody arm.

"Stuff falling from the buildings above, there's people lying all over the place!" One man said as he ran to help some firemen carrying a comrade down the sky stairs.

"Doc! We have a cardiac here!" One of the firemen said as he lowered his friend to the floor. "I'm hearing guys on my radio with the same problems all up and down the stairways."

"I'm not surprised." Blackjack said as he ripped the fireman's jacket and shirt open. "No elevators working, no ladders above the tenth floor, you're carrying what? 110 pounds of gear up ninty stories? It's insane."

"Doc?" Yulonda said as she pulled another pair of blood covered rubber gloves from her hands. "We can't bring the ambullances close enough...to..."

"WHAM!" The sickening sound of something slamming into the skybridge above the nearby lobby door made people cringe...

"I know." Blackjack replied as he continued looking at more people being brought in. "My God... it must be so horrible up there for people to want to..."

"WHAM!"

Chief Pheifer cringed for a moment then returned to his cell phone. "What floor are you on now?"

September 12th 2001

9:07:32 pm in Metro City

9:07:32 am September 11th Manhattan

6:07:32 am Washington State

WTC 1, North Tower, 65th floor

The emergency door flew off the hinges when Timber smashed it with his ax. "Six five...so far the floors below me have cleared out." Timber said as he kicked in door after door and flushed each room out. "Here I got furnature thrown about, walls cracked, cieling tiles down but no fire or smoke yet so the follow on's will be clear to this floor."

Suddenly...Timber thought he heard a noise coming from a nearby office and when he opened the door, he found a man behind a desk fingering a book with one hand while talking on a phone with the other...

"Well...I can make an appointment for you next Friday at 7pm at our office in Queens? I'm sure this problem we're having right now will be fixed by then..."

Timber was dumbstruck. He cocked his head as the guy continue to work like he didn't have a firefighter in full gear standing at his door. "Excuse me Sir?" Timber asked. The man raised a finger and kept on talking. "Excuse me?" Timber asked again as he walked up to the desk.

"Do you mind?" The man ruefully replied. "I think you can wait a second can't you?"

Timber snorted as he snatched the phone, ripped it off the desk and chucked it out the door behind him. "Didn't you hear the evacuation notice? In case it's not obvious to you mister, this building is suffering a pretty big fire over your head so would you kindly get up and leave?"

"Now look here Smokey the Bear!" The man snarled back. "How dare you! I'm sure you firemen will have the situation fixed so there's no need for me to interupt my important work! I have accounts to handle and..."

Timber shook. "What are you? A complete dumb ass! Ok...fine! We'll have to do it my way I guess!" Timber jumped behind the desk, snatched the man kicking and screaming over his head and carried him to the staircase.

(Note: Some workers escaping the North Tower actually encountered a woman still working!)

"STOP! YOU CAN'T DO THIS!" The man snapped as Timber stopped at the doorway.

"Obviously you're mistaken!" Timber said as he launched the man out the door. "Get moving before I really get upset and drag you down those stairs!...ya crazy Mootch!" Timber looked above him and flipped the cell phone open. "Six five floor NOW cleared...sheesh...some humans."

September 12th 2001

9:10:00 pm in Metro City

9:10:00 am September 11th Manhattan

6:10:00 am Washington State

Oak Harbor, Washington

Bibby watched as her husband hung up the phone. "Can't get through?" She asked as he sat on the couch and pulled his boots over his feet.

"No." Dan said as he gazed at the television. There came a knock at the door and Bibby's friend Sheriah met her as she opened it.

"Danny, can I use your car? Lamell's stuck at the base and I need to get my son from school."

Bibby could tell the worry in her voice. "Is he ok?"

"No..." Sheriah replied almost sobbing. "I got to go and get him...I want him home."

Danny walked over and handed her his keys. "Go ahead." He said as he looked beyond her, past the apartment parking lot to a pair of women quickly carrying their kids down the street. He watched as Sheriah walked quickly to the blue Ford Tempo.

"Reminds me of what my Mother told me about the Cuban Missile Crisis." He said to Bibby. "Grandma ran to Saint Mary's Catholic to pull her and my Uncle Dann out when everyone thought the Russians were going to nuke the U.S."

Bibby looked at the television and ran a hand through her hair as Dan tied his boots. "You...don't think this is the end of it do you?" There was a silence between them. "You should try and get some sleep, you might have a long night."

Dan shook his head. "Sleep? That's impossible."

September 12th 2001

9:13:40 pm in Metro City

9:13:40 am September 11th Manhattan

6:13:40 am Washington State

WTC 1 North Tower, 23rd floor

Engine 15, Lieutenant Kevin Pheifer in command

Ladder 6, Captain Jay Jonus in command

"CAP!" Came a shout from below. Jonus hopped backwards down the stairs to find one of his men sitting on the landing trying to catch his breath. " Harrison? You alright?"

"Sure Cap." Harrison replied as he rubbed his chest. "Just short of breath...all this damn gear.. the damn stairs...Gimme a sec...I'll make it."

Jonus looked up at Kevin Pheifer. "Kevin? You keep going! We'll be behind you in a few minutes."

"Damn it Cap! I can make it!" Harrison tried to get up but Jonus pushed him back. "I'm not carrying your ass back down the stairs with a cardiac, just wait a minute...Deveko?"

Carnie Deveko, the 6ths EMT, came up the steps. "Yo Cap?"

"Give him a quick screen. If he fails it, he goes back down with you...Harry? Shut it?" Jonus turned to the rest of his men. "Keep going guys, we have to catch up with Pheifer."

September 12th 2001

9:16:40 pm in Metro City

9:16:40 am September 11th Manhattan

6:16:40 am Washington State

Astro, 1000 feet over the pacific at Mach 5

arrival time in New York 11:36 am NYT

"You didn't shut off your reciever...that's good." Reno's voice came over Astro's radio. "You're causing serious heart burn back here."

"Yeah..." Astro replied pursing his lips. "Right now it's not big on my mind."

"Well..." Reno said with concern in his voice. "By the time you get to the United States? You might be dodging missiles and fighter jets."

"I'll worry about that when I get there." Astro replied. "What's the latest news?"

"So far? Both the towers in Manhattan are burning. Both planes may have been hijacked, there may be more of them. I can't get you to come home can I?"

Astro snorted. "Doubt it..."

Reno sighed. "I'll keep you up to date, try my best to help you get there in one piece...good luck buddy bot."

September 12th 2001

9:23:14 pm in Metro City

9:23:14 am September 11th Manhattan

6:23:14 am Washington State

Vessy Street

"The fire in the South Tower seems more intense." Sadoyoshi said, not realizing that his cell phone had dropped the call and would never have it again. The system stopped functioning as frantic calls overwhelmed the capacity of service. "I am...on Vessy Street now...people...people are..."

September 12th 2001

9:23:14 pm in Metro City

9:23:14 am September 11th Manhattan

6:23:14 am Washington State

WTC 1, North Tower Lobby

"WHAM!" Pimoko jumped and cringed behind Blackjack as he loaded another victim onto a stretcher. "MAKE THEM STOP!" She screamed.

Blackjack turned about and held her by the shoulders. "Pimoko? I need you to keep calm and help me with these people..." He said point to the injured under the stairs. "These people, we can help them right now, the firemen are doing what they can..."

"WHAM!" "Son of a bitch!" A fireman snarled as he leaned against the Command Post. "Hey Chief? Some of the guys are getting confused." He said to Chief Pheifer. "What tower is this?"

"Can't they see the signs out side?" Joe asked.

"What signs?" The fireman replied.

Joe shook his head. "Ok...write on the counter here...Tower I. This is North Tower, Number 1. The other tower is South Tower, Number 2." Joe sent the man on his way and shook his cell phone near his ear. "Fireman Timber? Timber? Damn phones. Internal coms are for shit today, how are we supposed to coordinate?"

A Port Authority foreman came running up. "Chief? It's gettin worse. I got reports on the radios of more planes, maybe ten or more all over the country. Three military bases got bombed, I think we should haul ass outa here."

Pheifer gave the man a cold look. "I'm not going to pull our people out of here while we still have civilians in these buildings! I'm not going to send our guys into the streets to get killed by falling debris and...desperate people. No damn it, we stay here and we fight this damn thing. And stop panic mongering! There hasn't been any bombings! Christ this whole world's going ape shit."

Pheifer tried his cell phone again. "Timber? Battalion One to Fireman Timber respond? Damn it."

September 12th 2001

9:29:24 pm in Metro City

9:29:24 am September 11th Manhattan

6:29:24 am Washington State

Saint Paul's Church Parking Lot

Gidian Naudet came across the group of construction workers as he tried to gain access through the police cordon around the Trade Center Complex. "Excuse me? Excuse me, I'm filming a documentary for the New York Fire Department." He said to Mike Luazo as he stood taking the names of arriving Ironworkers jumping off a transit bus.

"Sure picked a wild day to film didn't you?" Mike replied.

"So...what are you doing here?" Gidion asked as he walked around with Mike.

"We're getting set up to go in when the city calls us. See...the fire and rescue don't have the heavy salvage and cutting gear for a job like this so they ask for the Ironworkers to back them up."

Gidion looked back at the towers and thought for a moment. "When you go, can I stay with you guys? My brother's with Engine 7 inside the North Tower I think and..."

Mike turned to Zanie. "Hey...get this guy a hard hat, glasses and a pair of gloves. You'll probably have to shoulder that camera till we're going up the stairs."

"GOD DAMN IT!" Charlie screamed. "DON'T JUMP!"

Steven snatched Charlie before he ran out into the street. "get a grip man! There's nothing we can do!"

"We gotta get in there man...we gotta stop this..."

Steven shook Charlie by the shoulders. "Our turn's coming alright? Suck it up Chuck...suck it up..."

September 12th 2001

9:32:16 pm in Metro City

9:32:16 am September 11th Manhattan

6:32:16 am Washington State

WTC 1, North Tower, 76th floor

Timber kicked in the emergency door and rolled back as flame shot over his head. "Battalion One? Timber to Battalion One...sporatic fires on the 76th floor, over." Timber snorted at the cell phone then tried his radio. "Any station, any station recieving, Manhattan dispatcher?" He ran to a fire standpipe and threw open the hand valve...

"Any station? Weak main pressure on seven six over...Any station?" Timber ran to a window and clicked on his internal radio. "Hey Astro? If you can hear me, I need some help. All the radio and phone reception is crud."

"I'm getting you fine here." Astro replied.

"Hey...if I give you a call phone number, do you think you could connect?"

"Uh...well not you to it but I could try and relay what you want to say."

Timber flashed the number to Astro. "That's Battalion One, Chief Joe Pheifer's number. Tell him I'm on Seven Six...sporatic fires...low main pressure."

"Got it!" Astro replied. "I can't promise you anything but I'll try."

Timber raced out of the floor and back into the stairwell. "Any news I should know about?"

"ABC says there's more planes out there but they don't have an idea how many. Looks like hijackings all over the United States but there may be some from overseas on their way in too."

Timber groaned. "Like I said...this whole day is going to suck."

September 12th 2001

9:40:16 pm in Metro City

9:40:16 am September 11th Manhattan

6:40:16 am Washington State

Oak Harbor, Washington

ABC NEWS..."Ladies and Gentlemen...we've just been informed that there has been an explosion...at the Pentagon. Repeat...the Pentagon is on fire. We take you to John McQuethy now at the Pentagon..."

"I'm now leaving the South Wing of the Pentagon...there's a huge collumn on black smoke rising over my head...we heard a loud explosion, the building shook volently and we are now evacuating. It could have been a truck bomb...a suicide plane...a missle...we're leaving."

Dan looked around to find his wife wasn't sitting on the couch. he found her in the bedroom holding one of the stuffed animals she had sent him years back during his deployment to Somalia. "Babe?..."

"What next?" She said sobbing. "We only had four years to your retirement and this? If I know you, you'll catch the first aircraft carrier into combat and where will I be?"

Dan hugged her tight. "You knew this was part of the life. This isn't something we can just walk away from."

"You're almost retired!" She snapped. "They have plenty of younger guys who can go."

Dan frowned. "And they might end up being my nephews and nieces? No thanks. I didn't chose to wear this uniform as a runway prop. It'll be ice in hell before my "neets" go before I do."

The phone rang and Dan picked it up. "Yes?"

"It's Joe. The two front gates might be open by ten thirty but don't count on it. Everything's a mess right now so be patient."

Dan rubbed his wife's cheek. "I'm coming in. I'll leave my house around ten." He placed the phone back down and grabbed his jacket and uniform hat from the bedroom closet. "Can you make me a big bag to eat? It's going to be a long night."

September 12th 2001

9:42:16 pm in Metro City

9:42:16 am September 11th Manhattan

6:42:16 am Washington State

WTC 1, North Tower Lobby

"The Pentagon! The son's a bitches just hit the Pentagon!" A police officer screamed as he walked through the lobby. Joe Pheifer wasn't listening more than he was watching. The sky bidge was mercifully empty now, only a few stragglers were showing up out of the core collumn.

"Looks like we cleared everyone out from above." He said to Jules as the man continued to film the activity around the command post. He spent a few minutes of tape catching Father Judge walking slowly back and forth, his lips moving in non-stop continuous prayer.

"That's good. Hopefully the men won't be stopped on their way up now." Jules replied. "How old's your brother by the way?"

"Kevin?" Joe replied. "We're twins. I'm older by two hours."

Jules smiled. "He's much like you."

"He's nothing like me." Joe replied smirking. "He hasn't been able to kick my ass and he's not good in bed...or so his wife tells me."

"I'm sure he says the same about you too." Jules said as he trailed off to do more filming around the lobby.

"Brrrrriiiiing!" Joe's cell phone chimed over and over till he snapped it open. "Battalion One, go Timber."

"Uh?...not quite him." Astro replied.

"Who is this?" Joe asked.

"Astro, from Japan? We met a few months ago when I got a tour of the station houses?"

"Oh...Timber's friend? How the hell did you get my number?"

"That's not important." Astro replied. "Timber asked me to piggy back his reports to you since the cell phone system's messed up. Fire on the Seventy Six, weak main pressure, clear traffic, few civilians but injured in stairwells increasing."

"Got it." Pheifer replied. "Tell him to keep going as long as he has a clear way, companies are following but it's going to take some time."

"Yes Sir." Astro replied.

September 12th 2001

9:44:00 pm in Metro City

9:44:00 am September 11th Manhattan

6:44:00 am Washington State

WTC 1 North Tower, 31st floor

Engine 15, Lieutenant Kevin Pheifer in command

Ladder 6, Captain Jay Jonus in command

Mark Westerbrook, Ladder 6's stoker, came up behind Jonus as they turned onto another stair landing. "Hey Cap? I got my IPOD radio on and they just said the Pentagon got hit. They also said there's ten more planes out there...so they think."

"Kevin!" Jonus yelled up the stairs. "The Pentagon got hit!"

Kevin Pheifer came down the steps. "You're sure?"

"Yeah El Tee." Westerbrook replied. "It's on the radio."

Kevin looked back up the stairs. "Cap? You're call. If they have more planes then they may be on their way here now."

Jonus gritted his teeth. "We have to take the chance...we keep climbing."

Pheifer grimly nodded. "Alright Cap. Keep going! Don't stop!"

September 12th 2001

9:47:20 pm in Metro City

9:47:20 am September 11th Manhattan

6:47:20 am Washington State

Trinity Street

"I am now looking at both sides of the World Trade Center towers. The fires seem to be growing in ferocity, the darkness of the smoke is growing deeper. I can see...I can see people above the floors where the aircraft have crashed...waving anything in their hands..." Sadoyoshi paused, closing his eyes as he saw more people falling through the air before him. "The firemen must be close. I am witnessing a horror more devistating than any event in my life! The great Kobe quake itself does not begin to close on what I am seeing..."

September 12th 2001

9:49:50 pm in Metro City

9:49:50 am September 11th Manhattan

6:49:50 am Washington State

Atom House

Mother Atom sat on Uran's bed gently brushing a hand through her daughter's hair as she all but cringed under her covers. "Mom? Will Astro be alright? Will they drop planes on us? Why are they doing this?"

Mother Atom skillfully deflected the questions till Uran gave up and finally, mercifully fell into sleep mode. How she wished it was that simple with Jetto, who remained defiantly fixed to the floor before the television even after Father threatened to give him the belt.

"No way Pop! As long as big bro's putting his neck out, I'm gonna sit here and back him up!"

"And just how do you plan to do that?" Father Atom snorted. "Young man...get to bed before you wish you had!"

"Father please...if Jetto's going to be that stuborn, you might as well be patient."

"You're not helping Mother!" Father Atom cried. "It's not enough I already have to deal with one very disobediant child..."

"I'm very sure you'll happily go to bed then? Since you also have things to do tomorrow?" Mother Atom warned. Soon Jetto found his Dad faithfully parked next to him.

"Like I can win anything with your Mother huh son?"

September 12th 2001

9:52:27 pm in Metro City

9:52:27 am September 11th Manhattan

6:52:27 am Washington State

WTC 1, North Tower, 89th floor

"Eight Nine floor! Smoke...sporatic fire across the whole floor...carrying single burn victim down to the seven nine floor...no water pressure above the seven nine...got that?" Timber asked as he laid the badly burned women down on a stair landing and ripped open his fast aid pack.

"Yes!" Astro replied. "How far up will you get?"

"Don't know." Timber said as he checked the woman's vitals. "Ask Chief Pheifer what the status is of the units behind me. There's more injured the farther I go and I was told coming up that the ninty first floor is covered with fallen debris from the floors above it so getting higher up might be blocked."

"Sure." Astro replied calmly.

"One more thing?" Timber asked. "I keep hearing things falling farther up the building? Sounds like heavy stuff...I'm worried about the stability of the upper section of the building. I wish I could fly like you do...things would be alot easier."

September 12th 2001

9:54:00 pm in Metro City

9:54:00 am September 11th Manhattan

6:54:00 am Washington State

Parking Lot, Saint Paul's Church

Mike gathered the Iron workers into a group around him. "I just talked to a runner from the Emergency Mobile Command on Vessey. They want everyone around the buildings to get farther back. The smoke's getting worse, which means the fires up there are burning super hot."

For a moment there was a silence...

"There's a risk that if they can't get the fires out soon...the floors above the fires may topple off the buildings. We're going to restage our equipment at Park Row Plaza on Beckman Drive so let's get everything on the pick-ups and start huffing it."

Justice turned to Steven and pointed up. "You think that will happen?"

"They might lose a few floors." Steven replied. "But that's a lot of weight above where all that damage is and if the steel up there grows soft from all that fire? Probably better if we get back."

September 12th 2001

9:55:40 pm in Metro City

9:55:40 am September 11th Manhattan

6:55:40 am Washington State

WTC 1, 25th Floor

9 Engine, Lieutenant Jim Fody Commanding

"Screech...scratch...Manhattan...Fireman Timber...any station..."

"Tim? This is Fody, can you hear me?"

"Barely...Reached the 91st floor...heavy debris...trapped..."

Fody switched his radio through other channels. "Manhattan, Engine 9...Engine 9 to any station...Son of a bitch."

Suddenly the surrounding walls and floors felt as if a fist or something was hitting the side of the tower..."Now what?" Fody yelled as he watched his firemen dive for the stairs.

September 12th 2001

9:56:00 pm in Metro City

9:56:00 am September 11th Manhattan

6:56:00 am Washington State

Reno's Appartment

Ministry of Science

"Oh no...Oh no...NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Reno screamed as the upper half the South Tower suddenly started to heal over.

September 12th 2001

9:56:03 pm in Metro City

9:56:03 am September 11th Manhattan

6:56:03 am Washington State

Astro over the Pacific

"Astro! Astro the...one of the towers is...one of the towers is coming down!" Reno was screaming in his head...

"Coming down? What?" Astro screamed back.

September 12th 2001

9:56:00 pm in Metro City

9:56:00 am September 11th Manhattan

6:56:00 am Washington State

WTC 1, North Tower Lobby

Jules was following Chief Pheifer's movements behind the Command Desk till he heard an aweful noise coming from over his head. Another plane? No...something worse! He took off with the rest of the gathered firemen and civilians, filling as they ran through the lobby, out a side passage and towards the escallators as the sound seemed to explode around them!

Blackjack was grabbing his medical pack when the floor, the walls, the glass around him and Pimoko started shaking violently. He snatched her by her arm and pulled her to him, rolling under the sky stairs and wrapping himself around her as a volcanic explosion of dust, dirt and hell swept over and around them!

September 12th 2001

9:56:00 pm in Metro City

9:56:00 am September 11th Manhattan

6:56:00 am Washington State

Church Street

Sadoyoshi looked up and watched as the top of the South Tower seemed to heal over then roll down into the vulcan explosion of dust and fire that flew out like a horrific mushroom. He took flight in a wave of horrified people down John Street, the noise, the growing creshendo of vaporized concrete, twisted steel and hellish flame chased him on his heals. He felt himself lifted from the earth by a terrific gale and slammed to the street, his last sight being the rolling malstrum of grey hell blasting into his face!

September 12th 2001

9:56:00 pm in Metro City

9:56:00 am September 11th Manhattan

6:56:00 am Washington State

Saint Paul's Church Parking Lot

"Holy Jesus...FUCKING RUN!" Mike Luazo bolted from the truck, the horrified group of Iron Workers dropping their gear and taking flight as the South Tower all but exploded above their heads! Justice caught the corner of a low wall around the parking lot and tumbled end over end..."Help me!" He screamed as the volcano of death rained in from above. He felt hands grip his arms and in one jerk he was pulled off the ground, carried through the air and thrown into a garbage dumpster! He felt some one land on top of him just as the grey wave slammed into the dumpster, rolled it along on its wheels and tipped it over!

September 12th 2001

9:56:00 pm in Metro City

9:56:00 am September 11th Manhattan

6:56:00 am Washington State

WTC 1 North Tower, 91st Floor

Tim felt the floor, the whole tower shaking and shuddering but not the sound of the violence occuring outside the windows. "Another plane?" He thought. He waited to feel the whole building drop under his feet before he went back to climbing through the debris with his fire ax..."Can anyone hear me? Firefighter here! If you can hear me? Make a noise and I'll come get you!"

September 12th 2001

9:56:00 pm in Metro City

9:56:00 am September 11th Manhattan

6:56:00 am Washington State

Park Row Plaza

Gidion stopped running, it was coming on too fast behind him so he stopped. He wasn't sure if Jules was still alive but he would defy the oncoming violence before him. It was his life to document, he'd been in dangerous spots before and if he were to die then let them find his monument. He stood as people raced by him, as the hell spawn demon of grey murder boiled towards him. He had a dust mask on him so he wouldn't choke to death. Would it be swift and merciful? He stood fighting his urge to preseve himself as the blast of dust and debris raced into and around him.

September 12th 2001

9:56:00 pm in Metro City

9:56:00 am September 11th Manhattan

6:56:00 am Washington State

WTC 1, North Tower, 38th floor

Engine 15, Lieutenant Kevin Pheifer in command

Ladder 6, Captain Jay Jonus in command

The building was shaking violently and the men gripped the banisters and floor around them as the sound seemed to run right through and by them like a train on the subway.

"What the hell?" Kevin screamed down to Jay Jonus. "Captain?"

"I don't know?" Jonus shouted back. "What ever just happened? I think staying here any longer's going to sound rather stupid."

September 12th 2001

9:57:20 pm in Metro City

9:57:20 am September 11th Manhattan

6:57:20 am Washington State

WTC 1 North Tower, 91st Floor

"Timber? Timber you ok?" Came Astro's voice as Timber stopped to wipe his face shield clear of the dust and soot that suddenly drifted in through the broken windows around him.

"Yeah...I think parts of the building just collapsed or something."

There was a silence before Astro spoke again. "That wasn't your building...Tim...the other towers gone."

Timber stopped. "What? Say that again?"

"The other buildings gone...completely gone...it collapsed."

Timber stopped cold, nodding in grim agreement. "Affirmative..." Timber continued walking around the floor calling for victims.

"Tim?" Astro asked again.

"Just step on it." Timber replied. "Don't take too long and don't stop for ice cream."

September 12th 2001

9:58:00 pm in Metro City

9:58:00 am September 11th Manhattan

6:58:00 am Washington State

Oak Harbor Washington

Did he just watch Steven die? Was Steven there? No time to dwell. Dan hugged his wife and walked to meet Sheretah as she pulled her little boy from the car. "Did you see?" She asked as Dan gave her a hug. "I'll tell Tyrell that you got Lamar home." He said as he grimly climbed into the car and drove off towards the base.

September 12th 2001

9:59:00 pm in Metro City

9:59:00 am September 11th Manhattan

6:59:00 am Washington State

WTC 1, North Tower, ground floor

Blackjack struggled to his feet and felt franticlly for Pimoko. She gasped and cried as he pulled a surgical mask over her face. "Thank God!" He said as he tried to look around but could only wince and blink painfully at the pale of dust in his face.

"What happened?" Pimoko asked. "Where'd this smoke come from?"

Blackjack hesitated to move. He could hear things falling all over the place and still the sickening tell tale slamming of human lives being ended all around him. He fumbled through his coat for a pen light and found that to be worthless...at least for the moment.

September 12th 2001

9:59:00 pm in Metro City

9:59:00 am September 11th Manhattan

6:59:00 am Washington State

WTC 1, North Tower, 2nd floor landing near North Pedestrian Bridge

For the moment there was a sickening dead sillence until Chief Pheifer's hand gripped Jule's shirt. "Cough! Cough! You ok?" Joe asked Jules.

"Yes...what...what happened?" Jules said as he started his camera back up and flipped on the LCD light taped to the handle.

Other firemen and people around him began to stir and move about the thick dust cloud flowing over them. The air was sickening with a combine collective of spawned hell...burning steel..burning plastics...burning bodies?

One fireman called to the Chief. "Chief! Help me! Father Judge!"

Joe fumbled through the dust till he found Fireman Peter Chang holding Father Judge in his arms. "Oh God...father..." he said as he sobbed. Joe felt and nodded with grim realization.

"He's gone." Joe said grimly as he stopped cold for a moment then looked around. "There's nothing more we can do..."click"...Battalion One to all commands...evacuate the North Tower..I repeat.. evacuate the North Tower at once...discard all equipment and egres smartly...out."

Joe then turned to grab his aide Eddy Fakey. "Ed? Let's find a way out of here."

September 12th 2001

9:59:40 pm in Metro City

9:59:40 am September 11th Manhattan

6:59:40 am Washington State

Saint Paul's Church

Steven coughed and felt around for his resperator, pulling a rag insted and tying it around his mouth as he fumbled through the trash bin looking for Justice.

"Justice? Justice?" Steven called until he felt a hand grab at his pants.

"I am dead. I have died in a trash bin...how shameful." Justice said as Steven pulled him out.

"Nope. Still alive." Steven said as he got Justice to his feet. "I can't see a thing."

"Cough...Cough...Where do we go?" Justice asked. Steven pulled him behind till they got through the side door of Saint Paul's. "This might not be a good place."

"Maybe but right now I'd rather be in a church then in the street." Steven said as he looked back out the door. The dust cloud was just clearing up to where he could see the towers again...at least, a tower. "Where's the other building?" He asked.

September 12th 2001

10:00:00 pm in Metro City

10:00:00 am September 11th Manhattan

7:00:00 am Washington State

Church Street

Sadoyoshi felt a pair of hands wrap under his armpits and pull him off the street over to a mail box on a corner. "Take it easy buddy, I got you."

He felt cool water roll over his face and coughed as the man gave him a drink. "Thank you... Thank you..." he said over and over as he watched the man run across the street to gather a woman in his arms. Sadoyoshi didn't get a chance to know his savior. He looked back down the dust and debris covered street towards the Trade Center and tried to use his cell phone only to find it broken and worthless in his hand.

September 12th 2001

10:01:00 pm in Metro City

10:01:00 am September 11th Manhattan

7:01:00 am Washington State

Park Row Plaza

Gidian was still standing as the dust began to disapate around him and now he was thinking of how stupid and foolhardy his act was, especially when he bent down to pick up one of the countless pieces of paper that were flying around him amidst the gray dust and debris...

Morgan Stanley invoice # 2184

Signed by lesley Davis

A piece of paper? Once it had been an orderly part of a 110 story building and now this was it? Gudian coughed and spit as he stumbled back towards the North Tower. He had to find Jules, he had to hope he wasn't like that slip of paper or worse.

"This must be what Hiroshima was like?" Gudian said to himself as he filmed the ghostly images walking blankly or falling out of the malstrum around him. A police officer holding a bloody head, A firefighter heaving grey and black crap from his lungs, A woman standing alone screaming incoherently at no one...

September 12th 2001

10:01:00 pm in Metro City

10:01:00 am September 11th Manhattan

7:01:00 am Washington State

WTC 1, North Tower, 91st floor

Timber stumbled apon a man trapped in the debris from above where it was obvious the first plane had crashed. "Hang in there Mister." He said as he wiped the man's face clean with a wet rag. "Help's on the way up. I'll do what I can to get the pressure off but I can't get you out yet."

The man reached for Timber's Bunker jacket and smiled. "Thank God...do me a favor? If...If I don't make it? Call my wife..."

"You can forget about that Mister." Timber said frowning. "You're going home, trust me."

Tim was drawn away by the sounds of crashing debris above his head and when he turned back around to the man...

"Mister?...Mister?...hey come on mister don't..." Timber felt for a pulse then punched a fist into the debris before snatching up his ax and searching for a way above the floor. "Hey! Firefighter! If you can hear me, yell or bang something!"

September 12th 2001

10:01:00 pm in Metro City

10:01:00 am September 11th Manhattan

7:01:00 am Washington State

WTC 1, North Tower, 38th floor

Engine 15, Lieutenant Kevin Pheifer in command

Ladder 6, Captain Jay Jonus in command

"Hold it!" Jay Jonus shouted as he stopped to listen to his radio. After the thunderous shaking a few minutes back, the radio reception had suddenly cleared.

"Evacuate North Tower! Drop equipment in place and evacuate forthwidth! Evacuate North Tower!"

Jonus looked up at Pheifer then at his men. "We've done what we could boys. Drop your gear and go!"

September 12th 2001

10:01:00 pm in Metro City

10:01:00 am September 11th Manhattan

7:01:00 am Washington State

WTC 1, North Tower, 79th floor

Timber lowered a woman he'd found onto the floor when his radio crackled. "Evacuate North Tower forthwidth! Expedite! The South Tower has had a total collapse, danger imminant!"

Timber looked at the people he had laying on the floor. "Fireman calling Manhattan Urgent! Any station, fireman on the seventy ninth floor urgent! I can't evacuate, numerous injured civilians on the seventy ninth, I can't evacuate!"

September 12th 2001

10:02:00 pm in Metro City

10:02:00 am September 11th Manhattan

7:02:00 am Washington State

WTC 1, North Tower, 34th floor

Engine 15, Lieutenant Kevin Pheifer in command

Ladder 6, Captain Jay Jonus in command

"Hold it!" Kevin Pheifer said as he reached for his hand mic. "Firefighter calling urgent this is Engine 15 repeat message."

"This is Timber on the seventy ninth floor. I have numerous civilians too injured to get down on their own, I can't evacute, I need assistance!"

Jonus shook his head. "Kevin...we can't get up that high in time and God knows if we stay here like this we may all end up dead."

Kevin clicked his mic again. "Timber...we've been ordered to evacuate. We don't know how long the North Tower has."

"I CAN'T!" Timber screamed back in frustration. "I can't abandon them! Please!"

Kevin looked at the others. "God damn it Jonus...some one has to try. I'm going up, anyone coming?"

Four Engine 15 firemen stepped forwards and as Kevin turned to go up, Jonus caught him by the jacket. "Kevin? What about Joe? Your mother?"

"If I don't make it, they'll understand. Good luck Jay." Kevin shook Jay's hand.

"Don't be too long." Jonus replied as the groups seperated towards their different directions.

"Timber? Engine 15 responding. Hold tight buddy, we're on our way up."

September 12th 2001

10:03:00 pm in Metro City

10:03:00 am September 11th Manhattan

7:03:00 am Washington State

WTC 1, North Tower, 79th floor

Timber smiled a little as he sank to the floor. "Thanks Fifteen. I'll be here next to stairwell A." He sat silent for a moment before clicking on his internal radio. "Hey...Astro? You must be gushing flames and boiling water huh?"

"Almost to the coast of Oregon!" Astro replied. "Where are you?"

"The Seventy Ninth floor of the North Tower. I've got some banged up humans here and I can't leave them. Everyone else except for an engine company is leaving. This tower's going to go sooner or later."

"Just hang in there." Astro replied. "I'll be there in an hour, I promise."

Timber sighed. "You might not make it in time. I really wanted to see Mauria-chan again. Walk the beach in Kamakura. Pal around and get in trouble like always."

"Oh shut up." Astro replied. "Don't turn this into one of those grand movie exits, I'll be there soon!"

"Crunch the numbers Astro." Timber said as he heard things crashing over his head. "Any way... I'm not worried about Mauria-chan, she'll understand. Now Atlas? Oh boy he'll be hard to handle..."

"I said shut up!" Astro snapped back. "I'll be there soon now cut it out!"

"You know...I never honestly thanked you for saving me off that scrap heap? When this is over buddy, I'm gonna splurge my whole paycheck on you. We'll run wild all over New York, how about that?"

"Yes! Cool! I should decline but..."

Timber smiled warmly. "Hurry up ok?"

Astro clenched his teeth, replaced a worn out energy battery with a new one and tried to put on more speed, taxing his engines to their limits as he screamed over the Oregon coast.

September 12th 2001

10:03:00 pm in Metro City

10:03:00 am September 11th Manhattan

7:03:00 am Washington State

Liberty Street

Blackjack and Pimoko emerged from the dust and smoke pall still surrounding the World Trade Center and looked back to see only the North Tower standing above the hanging grey cloak around it's base.

"The other building's...gone?" Pimoko asked as she hugged Blackjack's neck tighter. "There were..people..."

Blackjack grimly nodded back. "I know. Right now the best thing we can do is find another place to set up."

"You think the other building's gonna?" She asked.

"We can't stay around here and hope it won't." Blackjack said as he flagged a truck coming down the soot covered street.

September 12th 2001

10:03:00 pm in Metro City

10:03:00 am September 11th Manhattan

7:03:00 am Washington State

Park Row Drive, across from Saint Paul's Church

Charlie came out of a store full of people to see Steven supporting Justice as they walked down the street towards him. "Guys! Holy shit, I didn't see anyone behind me. Where's Mikey? Zannie?"

Steven helped Justice to sit on a low side wall. "Don't know...I threw Justice into a trash dumpster and dove in just as we got hit. I'm not paying for that fricken E ticket again."

"The tower man!" Charlie gasped. "The whole damn thing's gone. I saw the whole top come off and I fricken ran my ass off. My girl's probably shitting bricks right now."

Justice shook a hand back and forth. "Well I think we better find the rest and get out of here. The other building's gonna go sometime and if it falls over, no one in a thousand feet of here will make it."

"Hey!" Mike's voice came from across the street. "Head for One Place Plaza! I found Zanie and we're going back to get the trucks out of the parking lot!"

Steven waved his hands. "Mikey! You're nuts! The other tower's unsafe! We have to get out of here and off Manhattan now! Where's Laurie?"

"Still back at the trailer! And forget the idea of going anywhere! We'll wait at One Place till it's declared safe or till the damn building's down! One way or another, we're the only ones who can help anyone in that damn mess now get your butts in gear!"

They watched Mike run for the church. "Man...I never knew that guy could run." Charlie said shaking his head.

"He's pissed that's why." Steven said as he helped Justice back up. "But when the boss says move, we move."

September 12th 2001

10:03:00 pm in Metro City

10:03:00 am September 11th Manhattan

7:03:00 am Washington State

West Street

Chief Pheifer emerged from the end of the North Pedestrian Bridge with Eddy Fakie and Jules Naudet to find streams of firemen making their way north.

"Have you seen Chief Prundy? Chief Barber? Chief Gancy?" He asked a fireman who was limping and using a pipe as a makeshift crutch.

"I was heading towards the tower chief when it came down...if they were in there? They're all gone." The man said shaking his head. "I wasn't even on duty today Chief. My Chief, My Lieutenant, most of our guys were in the South Tower." The man almost collapsed in grief as Pheifer caught him.

"It's ok brother. You've done your best." The Chief said as he patted the man's back and sent him along. "I've lost my cell phone...my radio...Eddy?"

Eddy looked back and shook his head. "Mine's dead Chief." Just then Eddy could hear beeping behind his back. Not just "a" beep but a multitude of beeps...hundreds?..."Chief? Do you hear that?"

Jules gasped then gulped his spit. The chirping beepers were firefighter distress locators and they were pinging off like mad from what was left of the South Tower. To others though, like the fireman who ran up and grabbed Joe Pheifer by his jacket, they were oblivious to the terrible significance...

"We're re-establishing command on upper West and Vessey Chief. I was sent to gather what officers I could...I think we just lost about 50 percent of the department."

Joe nodded and followed the man North with Jules and Eddy.

September 12th 2001

10:03:00 pm in Metro City

10:03:00 am September 11th Manhattan

7:03:00 am Washington State

Airborne Early Warning Station, Sector Northwest U.S.

"Nee Wads"

To say the day wasn't all "Foxed Uniform" was an understatement to Major Lee Helms. So far it looked as if all the trouble was in the Northeast and East Coast but that didn't lessen the tension now flowing through the crew manning the radars around him. At the moment there were up to four thousand aircraft in, around and inbound to the United States and every one was a potential flying bomb. And five minutes ago, the Joint Chiefs issued "Cocked Pistol" or "Def Con 3". One more step would be war and after that who knew what would happen.

Suddenly one of his operators called for him on her head set. "Major? I have an intermitant contact over Oregon. Speed beyond conventional aircraft. Altitude one, zero, zero, zero feet, course 270 steady."

Major Helms picked up a reciever at his station and pressed the button for NORAD. "Christal Palce, This is Nee Wads sector chief Helms. We've picked up a low flying vampire of non-conventional speed at one, zero, zero, zero heading 270 steady over Oregon."

"Sir! No signature on I.F.F. or transponder." The operator said.

"The object flashes no signature on I.F.F. or transponder." Helms said into his phone. He then turned to a woman sitting in the seat next to his. "Notify Warren AFB...Battlestations scramble."

September 12th 2001

10:03:00 pm in Metro City

10:03:00 am September 11th Manhattan

7:03:00 am Washington State

Oak Harbor Washington

The base main gates were only five miles from Dan's house but at the moment they felt like fifty with all the traffic he'd just run into. Apparently everyone and their mother was trying to get on. Most had parked their cars along the side of the road and clustered with others around their cars and radios listening to the news and shaking their heads in dismay.

"Hey?" Dan shouted to the cars ahead. "Any word when the gates will open up?"

A sailor answered back. "It's all messed up! They told us ten...then eleven...then noon...they were going to switch the shifts out, then they won't...who knows? Sounds like we're bombing Afghanistan from what the news just reported."

Dan slipped onto the hood of his car and laid back against the windshield, what more could he do? Steven entered his mind again, Mom must be losing her mind. Knowing his Dad, he was running to a Navy recruiter to re-enlist. WKVI 570 radio was repeating the same message again...

"All active and reserve duty members of the armed forces in Washington State are ordered to report to their commands. We've been told that the armed forces have gone to DEFCON 3. Once again, all active and reserve members of the Armed Forces station in Washington State are ordered to report..."

September 12th 2001

10:03:00 pm in Metro City

10:03:00 am September 11th Manhattan

7:03:00 am Washington State

Church Street

Sadoyoshi found the pay phones along the street worthless, obviously the collapse killed all the power and electrical lines in Manhattan. His throat was sore and breathing was labor intensive. He must have sucked in a ton of dust from the cloud. He stopped to remove his business jacket, tear up his shirt and wrap a strip of it around his nose and mouth as an improvised filter. He then decided to try and make it back to the office if anything, at least to offer his first hand experiance of the tragedy.

September 12th 2001

10:04:10 pm in Metro City

10:04:10 am September 11th Manhattan

7:04:10 am Washington State

Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming

445TH Fighter Wing

34th Fighter Squadron

Colonel Harold Brice, Commanding

Major Christopher Knight, Executive Officer

The klaxon air horn was blasting as the double doors to the squadron's administration building flew open and four pilots came running out in their green flight suits with their carry bags swinging wildly at their sides.

From a nearby row of quansett huts, humvees loaded with technicians and launch personnel came screaming across the flight line and screeched to a hault before the parked row of four armed F-16 Falcons. Their crew chiefs plugged their head sets into the ground communication panels at the base of the boarding ladders as the pilots threw on their G-suits and quickly walked about their planes checking every surface, panel, nut, bolt and screw for defects.

Technical Sargent Amy Townson followed Major Knight to the cockpit and helped him strap into his ejection seat. "What do you have Sir?" She asked.

"Don't know yet." Knight replied as he started his avionics and began running through his flight checklist. "NORAD thinks it's faster than a commercial, Cruise Missile or a mach bandit."

"Well you got a full load of fuel, four AIM-9 Sidewinders and 2000 rounds of gun ammo. Good luck." She said as she climbed down the boarding ladder, pushed it up into the plane and began giving the signals to start the engine and get the fighters on their way up.

September 12th 2001

10:03:00 pm in Metro City

10:03:00 am September 11th Manhattan

7:03:00 am Washington State

WTC 1, North Tower, 24th floor

Ladder 6, Captain Jay Jonus in command

"Cap!" A Fireman called to Jonus as the crew turned on a stair landing. The leadman had found a woman sitting on the stairs in obvious distress.

"What's your name mam?" Jonus asked.

"Joesephene...gasp...Joesephine Harris. I'm just too tired right now."

Jonus looked at the other firemen, one of them obviously scared out of his mind. "Cap? We gotta move." He pleaded.

Jonus looked back at Joesephine and pursed his lips. "Pick her up."

Two of the firemen stepped forwards and helped Joesephine to her feet. "Now Joesephine...you have to move, I don't care if you cuss us out till you turn blue but you have to walk and you have to walk now...understand?"

September 12th 2001

10:04:00 pm in Metro City

10:04:00 am September 11th Manhattan

7:04:00 am Washington State

WTC 1, North Tower, 79th floor

Timber came through the emergency door and checked over the injured humans he'd found on the floors above again. He stopped to sit by a woman who's legs he'd splinted and offered her a drink of water from his aid pack.

"What a mess..." She said calmly. "And I just got a raise too." She gave Timber a pat on the arm. "Are they coming?"

"You bet." He replied. "New York's finest." It was probably a white lie at best. By now Timber was hoping they'd all turned around. The noises above his head were growing way to frequent, the sounds of falling and moaning steel. He clicked on his radio..."Fireman Timber to Fifteen, what's your code twenty?"

"Thirty Nineth kid! You alright?" Kevin Pheifer asked.

"Oh yeah." Timber replied. "I'm sitting next to this hot date."

The woman slapped Timber's arm. "I have a boyfriend!"

"She says she has a boyfriend but I think if she saw me on a firefighter calander? She's quickly reconsider you know? What's your name toots?"

They all laughed before Timber waved a hand in the air. "I dunno...after she sees the rest of you, I might lose out. Hurry it up."

Timber snatched his ax up and stood up. "I'm going back upstairs to keep looking. You hang in there and keep talking to the rest of these people ok?"

"Sure...as if I'm going anywhere soon." The woman replied. Timber walked out of the floor and closed the door behind him.

"Click"..."Uh...Kevin?...I think you should get out of here as fast as possible." Timber asked.

"And you know what I'm thinking right now?" Kevin replied.

"Yeah...all kinds of swear words but I'm serious...we don't have much time." Timber said as he leaned against a wall and tapped his ax.

"Shut up." Kevin replied. "Not another word out of your mouth, you hear me fireman?"

Timber smiled a little. "I sure like to hear that word. Better step on it."

September 12th 2001

10:05:50 pm in Metro City

10:05:50 am September 11th Manhattan

7:05:50 am Washington State

Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming

445TH Fighter Wing

34th Fighter Squadron

Major Knight didn't stop as he swung his F-16 onto the runway, the burner shooting a long blue trail of flame as the flighter jumped into after burner and hurtled down the concrete strip into a near vertical climb with his other three "Ships" following close behind!

"Chrystal Palace, Tallon Lead...give initial closure vector on vampire target." Major Knight requested as his F-16 went from ground to ten thousand feet in a matter of seconds.

"Tallon lead, Chrystal Palace...course 270. Vampire heading zero niner zero, altitude one zero zero zero, speed eight zero zero knots."

Major Knight's wingman, Lieutenant John Christ, called as his F-16 pulled up to his leadman. "Did they get that right? 800 knots?"

"Rediculous speed." Knight replied. "It's gonna have to be a head on shot if our missiles are going to hit it that fast. Keep a sharp eye on your radars, if you see it? Speak out."

September 12th 2001

10:06:00 pm in Metro City

10:06:00 am September 11th Manhattan

7:06:00 am Washington State

One Place Plaza

The CDI trucks screetched to a stop as those construction workers who scattered after the fall of the South Tower began to arrive in singles and small groups through the layers of dust and debris now covering everything in site.

"Well the trucks got messed up but they still run." Mike came out of one and slapped the hood. "Just like a Chevy...beat it to a shit box and it'll still run."

Steven turned from wrapping Justice's foot in a bandage. "So what's the plan now boss? We're obviously not going in that one are we?"

Mike frowned. "We'll have to wait...unfortunatly...for that one to go."

Charlie shook his head. "How about the people up there? I mean they just can't..."

The others seemed to share the grim reality. "There's nothing more anyone can do." Mike said moanfully. "Let's hope for mercy sake that...that most of them were killed by the smoke."

Mike started patting shoulders and grasping hands. "Come on boys...buck up. Our time's coming soon. We'll do what we can...save as many as we can. Just be ready to go."

September 12th 2001

10:08:00 pm in Metro City

10:08:00 am September 11th Manhattan

7:08:00 am Washington State

Engine 15, WTC 1 North Tower, 40th floor

Lieutenant Kevin Pheifer commanding

"Timber? How many people do you have on the seventy ninth?" Kevin asked as he rounded a landing and kept going. He looked back to find his men were starting to slow. "Come on guys, keep going!"

"Twelve now." Timber replied. "Severe injuries...broken limbs...2nd degree burns...crushing injuries."

"Gasp...we need a break Lieutenant...these stairs are a bitch." One of the men replied.

"We haven't got time to break." Kevin replied. "Keep moving...even if it's one at a time, we have to keep going up. They don't have the luxury of waiting."

"How long do you think this building has Lieutenant?" Another fireman asked.

"Less time than a few minutes before now let's move." Pheifer extolled his men into action again and up they continued to climb.

September 12th 2001

10:08:00 pm in Metro City

10:08:00 am September 11th Manhattan

7:08:00 am Washington State

Pumphouse Park, Lower Manhattan waterfront

Old NY fireboat S.S. Healey

Blackjack looked back towards the towers with ghast astonishment. For the first time he had a clear view of the World Trade Center and only the North Tower remained. He couldn't imagine how many people had instantly been killed the moment the South Tower fell apart.

He looked back at the dock to find an old fire boat tying up and what appeared to be its Master hopping off the bow. "I need doctors! Doctors! We're going to shuttle injured to Brooklin, are there doctors here?"

Blackjack waved his hand as he walked up. "I have a clinic a few blocks from here. I just came from the World Trade Center."

The Healey's Master, Bill Blunt, helped Blackjack onboard. "Were you there when the tower came down?"

"We were in the North Tower lobby." Blackjack said as he found a place on the bow to set up his medical bag. "I...don't think anyone there got out. We were lucky ourselves." He said as he pointed to Pimoko.

"Well...I imagine things are going to get busy here in a second." Blunt said as he pointed to a line of ambulances starting to pull up along the pier. "We'll also be evacuating people but I'll try to keep the bow cleared off for you and see if I can get you some help."

September 12th 2001

10:08:00 pm in Metro City

10:08:00 am September 11th Manhattan

7:08:00 am Washington State

1000 Feet over Idaho

"Reno wasn't kidding." Astro said to himself as he scanned the skies ahead of him. Planes seemed to be dropping all at once all over the place. "They're making all the planes land. At least it might stop more attacks..."

Suddenly a warning flashed on Astro's eyes...MILITARY RADAR SCAN...AIRBORNE THREATS!

"What did Reno say about fighters and missiles?" Astro said to himself as he re-set his internal radar to range farther ahead...

IDENTIFIED AIRCRAFT...F-16 FALCONS...CONTACT IN 2 MINUTES...

Astro pursed his lips. "I don't think they're going to have time to listen to an explaination."

September 12th 2001

10:10:20 pm in Metro City

10:10:20 am September 11th Manhattan

7:10:20 am Washington State

Tallon Lead, Major Knight Commanding

"Chrystal Palace...Tallon Lead...we have possitive radar track on the Vampire. Request authorization to arm and engage."

"Tallon Lead, you have authority...engage the Vampire." NORAD replied.

"Affirmative." Knight replied. "Lieutenant Christ, stick to my side. Lieutenant Eberly, Lieutenant Clawson climb to 8,000 feet and take the roof in case the target tries to go vertical on us. Arm sidewinders...Tally Ho."

The four F-16's seperated with two of them climbing up and over the other two as they set up their attack formation.

September 12th 2001

10:10:50 pm in Metro City

10:10:50 am September 11th Manhattan

7:10:50 am Washington State

1000 feet over Idaho

WARNING! MISSILE RADAR TONE ALERT!

Astro gasped, cut his engines and dropped like a rock till he slid to a stop on a dirt farming road below and watched the F-16's streak over his head. "Phewww...might be just a little late." He said as he started to run then jumped back into the air. This time he flew lower...

"Timber?" He called over his internal radio. "You still there?"

"Where else could I be?" Came the thankfull reply.

"I might be a few minutes off. The military has their planes all over the place and I don't feel like playing with them."

Timber chuckled a little. "But you're still coming?"

"I'll still be there...just hang on." Astro scanned ahead once more then hit all his motors once more, becomming a multi-colored low flying streak. "I'll be there soon."

September 12th 2001

10:11:00 pm in Metro City

10:11:00 am September 11th Manhattan

7:11:00 am Washington State

Tallon Lead, Major Knight Commanding

"Christ? You have it?" Knight asked as he turned his F-16 in the air. "Anyone still have the Vampire?"

"No Sir!" Lieutenant Clawson replied. "It just went...poof!"

"Chrystal Palace...the Vampire has dropped off our radar, any station reporting the contact has changed course?"

"Tallon Lead...Vampire has vanished." NORAD replied. "No further reports."

Knight looked around at the sky and ground under his fighter and cursed. "Chrystal Palace, Tallon flight will take up patrol alltitude at 32,000 feet."

"Tallon Lead...Chrystal Palace has notfication from FAA Civilian authority of a commercial heavy out of California squawking hyjacking signal and not giving proper respose. You are the closest armed formation for closure. Target vector One Niner Five."

Knight looked at Christ as his F-16 sailed into view. "Affirmative...Target One Niner Five, Tallon to close."

September 12th 2001

10:12:00 pm in Metro City

10:12:00 am September 11th Manhattan

7:12:00 am Washington State

WTC 1, North Tower, 15th floor

Ladder 6, Captain Jay Jonus in command

Josephine stopped on the stairs and dropped in the arms of the firemen carrying her. "I'm so tired...I'm just an old woman for God sakes leave me and go!"

Fireman Pichiado took her by the shoulders. Joesephine? How many kids do you have? How many Grandkids?"

"Gasp...that doesn't matter..."

"No it does matter!" Pichiado said as he pulled her back up. "They're waiting for you at home, they need you home and it's our job to get you there now don't make us do something embarrassing, you have to move!"

Joesephine started to sob..."I can't! Please just go on..."

Fireman Tony Berado bounded up the steps and took Joesephine's legs in his hands. "Let's get out of here!"

"I'm sorry to be such a burden." She cried. "Oh Lord..."

"Burden mam? I press your size in weights every day." Berado said smiling. "No sweat here."

Joesephine started laughing. "I might slap you any other time...I'm just too tired right now to do it."

So another firemen slapped Berado off the helmet. "Wise ass."

September 12th 2001

10:13:00 pm in Metro City

10:13:00 am September 11th Manhattan

7:13:00 am Washington State

WTC 1, North Tower, 79th floor

The noises above were getting more disturbing...louder...something heavy crashed down and shook the whole floor around Timber. He checked the pulse of one of the badly burnt humans in the hallway and found he'd mercifully passed away.

"15? Where are you now?" He asked into his radio.

"47th floor and still coming. You alright?" Kevin replied.

Timber closed his eyes. "Turn around. I can hear the stuff above me falling apart...just turn around and get out of here."

"Cut the bull!" Kevin replied. "15 is coming brother!"

"We don't have enough time!" Timber gasped. "There's not enough time, get out while you can! Kevin, this is suicide!"

"15 is coming...that's the end of it. Pheifer out!"

The woman lying next to Timber patted his hand softly. "I changed my mind...you are kinda cute. For a robot that is"

Timber smiled back. "And you're hot...for a human that is."

She closed her eyes. "We're...not getting out of here are we?"

"I wish I could lie." Timber replied.

"It's alright." She said back. "Just don't leave me please? I don't want to be alone."

September 12th 2001

10:13:00 pm in Metro City

10:13:00 am September 11th Manhattan

7:13:00 am Washington State

West Street

Joe Pheifer found 2nd Division Chief Geiger standing with several firemen. A radio in one hand, a pad of paper ballanced on his knee as he scribbled haphazardly what came across his hand set. "Rodger...you have the 37th, full compliment. 3 Engine unknown, 2 Ladder Unknown, 5 Squad 50 percent, 9 Ladder 40 percent. I can't find the mobile command unit, I tried raising Chief Gancy." He saw Joe standing by and waved a finger. "Hold on...Joe, what you got?"

"I just came from the North Tower. I think Manhattan lost 50 maybe 60 percent strength. Our people are all hell and gone and I still have people leaving North Tower. Chief Gancy, Chief Prundy and Bah Bah...were in South Tower."

Geiger swore under his breath. "I just called for assist from Brooklin, their units are rolling through Battery Tunnel now. Whatever we can find here that's still useable, I'll need you to gather officers and firemen to recover. If they can pull working units from that mess, expedite it. I don't know what the water main condition is, most of the power is gone for this area of the Island."

Joe nodded. "We may have a bigger problem. The South Tower may have damaged the plaza subsection. If it starts falling apart? The North Tower will come over like a tree." Joe pointed to the ground. "Anywhere within a thousand feet of the base is hazardous standing room. I suggest we pull out of here and relocate North."

Jules meanwhile was still filming the madness around him. The South Tower gone, the North Tower fire seemed to be increasing. People were walking, stumbling, crawling their way out of the plaza like Zombies in a horro film. One New York Police Woman all bull fell on Jules as she tripped over her feet and vomited a sickening sludge from her mouth.

"Oh god...help! Help me please!" Jules cried out as he lowered the officer to the ground and ripped a water bottle form his camera bag. "Here...please drink!"

She gasped after taking in a sip and ran her hand through her hair. "My precinct...all our guys...my friends were in that tower! Why! Why did they do this to us?"

Jules carefully handed her to a fireman before joining Chief Pheifer. "Chief? My brother might be down here someplace..."

"Don't try leaving." Joe replied sternly. "You my responsibility. If I know Gidian, he'll know better to stay back, I need you here with me."

September 12th 2001

10:13:00 pm in Metro City

10:13:00 am September 11th Manhattan

7:13:00 am Washington State

Broadway

Gidian had ducked into a coffee house where a number of people were sitting in the chairs or on the floor or anyplace they could find refuge. The three girls manning the place were going back and forth between the coffee machines and the freezer handing out water and hot drinks.

"Do we? Do we keep track of all this?" One asked another. "You know...some sort of tab?"

Her friend huffed. "Are you kiddin? They just mowed down a building and killed hundreds of people and we're gonna worry about a stupid bar tab? Oh get real girl! I think the boss will kinda understand?"

Suddenly..Gidian noticed a familliar face. "Lieutenant Fody?"

Fody looked back. he was covered in dust and cut on the cheek but gave Gidian a dirty smile back. "Welcome to the party? You guys were looking to film a fire? Holy shit."

"What happened? Where's the rest of 9 Engine? 6 Ladder?" Gidian asked as he handed Fody a wet towel.

"We had a couple of cardiacs drive us back down. We were hooked to 15 and Kevin Pheifer. 6 Ladder went with Jay up the North Tower. Right now I hope they dropped their gear and shagged ass out."

Gidian moaned. "My brother? Did you see Jules?"

"Yeah...I saw him two minutes before the South Tower fell...he was with Joe Pheifer. If I know Joe, your brother's alright so don't be stupid and go chasing after him." Fody sat back against the wall. "You know what this might mean right?"

Gidian gave Fody a questioning look.

"World War god damned 3. No one knows right now where the President or anyone in Congress is. They might be getting ready to shoot ICBM's off for all we know."

September 12th 2001

10:13:00 pm in Metro City

10:13:00 am September 11th Manhattan

7:13:00 am Washington State

Alt Field Road outside Naval Air Station Whidbey Island

The news on the radio just seemed to get worse. The Pentagon, The Towers, another plane, another, another, bombings, unconfirmed rumors...

Dan looked at the line of cars stacking up behind his and saw a sailor get out from his car, open his truck, pull out a 12 gauge shotgun and started pushing cartridges into the magazine?

The kid had to be 19 or 20 but he was terror stricken, his face showed it! A chief came running from behind and ripped the weapon out of the kid's hands. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU GOD DAMNED DOING!" He screamed.

"Look around Chief!" The young sailor cried. "We're sitting ducks! They could drive right by and kill all of us!"

"You stupid moron!" The Chief countered as he emptied the shotgun. "Do you want to get your fool head blown off? The cops see this or security see it and your head will pop like a fricken mellon, get a hold of yourself you stupid bastard!" The Chief pushed the kid back into his car. "Sit there and keep quiet! All we need now is a damn riot started by some dumb ass bastard like you!"

The Chief walked up to Dan's car. "Hey First Class? Keep these shells in your trunk and turn them over to security when you get to the gate? I'll let em know we have these and the gun as confiscated items."

Dan nodded. "This day's totally FUBAR."

"This day?" The Chief replied. "All life on the planet's become FUBAR after this B.S." He then started walking down the line of cars. "If you have a gun, a knife, a hand grenade or a god damned flame thrower? You better get out of the line and go the hell home or you will be kissing concrete with a gun shoved up your ass!"

Another sailor walked up to Dan with a radio in his hand. "The President just left Florida. He might be thinking of pushing the button."

Dan shook his head. "And I had five years to retirement."

"Oh yeah? I was going to be out in 60 days...oh joy."

September 12th 2001

10:14:00 pm in Metro City

10:14:00 am September 11th Manhattan

7:14:00 am Washington State

Tallon Lead, Major Knight Commanding

Closing on Contact Heavy designate FO31

"Chrystal Palace this is Tallon Lead closing on FO31. Target identified as 747 Oceanic 31 out of Hawaii, request updated status?"

"Tallon lead...FO31 continues to transmit possitive hyjack signal. No response to notification verbal or message. You are to atain visual contact and force immediate compliance. Deviation and noncompliance to be regarded as hostile intent...engage and destroy target authorization order by command authority."

There was silence for a moment until Eberly keyed his mic. "Major? Did they just tell us to...are we to shoot it down?"

"If they are non-compliant." Knight replied.

"Sir? Shoot down a civilian passenger plane?" Eberly asked again. "I think we should ask for a confirmation don't you? I mean...son of a bitch they're asking us to kill our own people! An unarmed plane for God sakes Sir!"

Knight pursed his lips. "Gentlemen? Let me clarify the current world situation so the meaning isn't ambiguitous. So far some people, who's attitude at the moment seems to clearly suck, have hyjacked or are in the process of hyjacking numerous civlian aircraft for the explicit purpose of crashing these aircraft into places of significance in order to main, kill, slaughter and destroy vast numbers of human beings, the number of which is clearly catastrophic."

"They seem clearly intent on continuing their plan. If we fail to prevent the use of these planes as flying bombs, more people will die, this is certain. If you feel you can not in good faith and conscience prevent these people from carrying their plans to their end, I will use my fighter as a kamikaze to spare you and myself the pain of having to live with the grave place we will take in history. Otherwise, you can join with me in silently asking the assistance of divine province that we will be spared the moment of such a terrible decision."

Knight paused..."Do we dig?"

There was another pause...Then Eberly answered. "Yes Sir." Christ answered. "Yes Sir." Finally Clawson answered. "God help us."

"Alright then." Knight answered. "Lieutenant Christ, you will take position to the left of the heavy off her nose, I will take the right. Clawson and Eberly will take up the tail. You will lock on the target and if it so much as dips...sigh...well holy shit."

September 12th 2001

10:16:30 pm in Metro City

10:16:30 am September 11th Manhattan

7:16:30 am Washington State

WTC 1, North Tower, 9th floor

Ladder 6, Captain Jay Jonus in command

"Almost there Joesephine." Captain Jonus said as he poured water on a hand towel and dabbed her forehead. "You can do it...just nine more to go and we'll carry you the rest of the way home."

Joesephine tried to catch her breath. "So tired...so tired...you're all younger than me...it's not fair."

"Leaving you in here so we can go back to the firehouse and not have you for dinner would be really unfair mam." Pichiado said smiling. "I bet you're one heck of a cook. What's your favorite food?"

Joesephine smiled a little. "Chicken alfredo caserole...my mother could make it a food group all by itself..."

"Well then? Tonight we'll cook it for you. We'll have that? A little wine? Some home made Italian bread and gravy pinto beans, how about that?"

The group continued to slowly go down the stairs till they suddenly ran into another group of firefighters. "Who are you guys?"

"113 Engine out of Queens." The lead fireman said. "We just got here."

Jonus shook his head. 'What the hell? Didn't you guys get the word?"

"No Sir. We just came in off the street, couldn't find anyone in the lobby and..."

Jonus waved his hand in frustration. "Turn your butts around and get the hell out of here! We're all evacuating or did you miss seeing the South Tower collapse?"

"Uh?" The fireman replied. "The South Tower collapsed?"

September 12th 2001

10:17:30 pm in Metro City

10:17:30 am September 11th Manhattan

7:17:30 am Washington State

Engine 15, WTC 1 North Tower, 50th floor

Lieutenant Kevin Pheifer commanding

"Timber? We're 29 floors below you. Give me a fire status report from your floor?" Kevin asked on his radio

"Still clear." Timber replied. "I'm going to repeat...turn around and get out of here."

"And I'm going to repeat...shut up and sit tight. We're still coming for you."

Timber sighed. "You humans can be so stubborn and so crazy."

Kevin replied. "And you robots can be complete a-holes but a fireman is a fireman. Damn this climbing stairs sucks."

"Hey Kevin?" Timber asked softly. "This girl here? She's from Yonkers. She fits a firefighters wife and since you've been looking for someone? How about I hook you two up tonight?"

"Sure." Kevin replied. "If she likes sleeping with a Great Dane."

"I think she can deal with that." Timber replied. "You sure you won't change your mind and turn around?"

"You told the woman about me, I didn't." Kevin said as he stopped to catch his breath. "It's your fault now you little shit."

September 12th 2001

10:19:10 pm in Metro City

10:19:10 am September 11th Manhattan

7:19:10 am Washington State

Atom House

Father Atom walked to the front door to answer the bell and found Doctor O'Shay standing with Inspector Towashi behind him.

"I can calculate this isn't going to be a pleasent visit." Father Atom said as he showed them inside.

"I just came along to tell you not to worry." Towashi replied as he slipped his feet off. "Astro's the least of the government's concern right now. I'm tasked with securing the airports and trust me juggling my current manpower to guard everything with a wing isn't easy."

Mother Atom felt relieved. "Then my son isn't in trouble?"

"Not with the government." O'Shay replied. "But this is the first time he's been disobediant with me and I assure you I don't like disobediance. Ask Reno about that."

"You know Astro, Doctor. He couldn't be expected to just sit by and watch. It's in his programming."

O'Shay took a seat in the living room. Jetto gave him a quizical look. "You gonna switch him? I doubt that will do any good."

"I can't for the life of me wonder why I should? But I wish he'd talk to me. I've tried calling him a dozen times and no answer."

Towashi frowned. "That's what happens when you give robots the ability to have emotions. Something like this must be weighing down Astro's thinking. I hope he doesn't do something absolutely stupid."

"I can assure you Inspector that Astro can handle this. There's nothing dangerous about his emotional capacity." Father Atom said frowning.

"I'm sure..." Towashi replied. "After all...Atlas is a perfect example of robot emotions isn't he? I bet that little criminal is glowing over this disaster. It makes everything he sees in us humans logically perfect." Towashi pulled out his smoking pipe and lipped over the filter. "I will keep my assumptions true and my readiness sharp with regards to robots if I may?"

September 12th 2001

10:19:10 pm in Metro City

10:19:10 am September 11th Manhattan

7:19:10 am Washington State

Tallon Flight, Major Knight Commanding

Contacting Heavy designate FO31

Idaho Utah Boarder

The four F-16 Falcons closed behind the Oceanic Boeing 747 as it cruised along seemingly plain as any commercial flight would. Knight gave his signal and the pack of Falcons split apart. Knight and his wingman Christ eased along the sides of the airliner while the other two planes gently floated farther back behind the 747's tail.

Knight suddenly heard the aural tones of the other planes weapons as they became a solid signal over his headset. Their Sidewinder missiles were "hot", ready to fly off the rails on his orders. He eased up until his fighter was side by side with the 747's "back hump" and he could clearly see into the cockpit.

Inside Oceanic 31, Co-pilot Gene Lensmen looked to his right to see an armed F-16 buncing in the air across from him. "Hey?...Pete?" He asked as he turned to his left and saw the other F-16. "Holy shoot mate...look."

Pete Cavenaugh saw the fighter out his window and shook his head. "What the heck is this?"

Both Christ and Knight repeated the same hand gestures from their cockpits. Pointing to their helmets and flashing "V" signs with their fingers. "Radio channel 2, Radio channel 2, Radio channel 2..."

Gene reached for the radio controls on his console and pressed his throat mic. "This is Oceanic flight 31? Air Force aircraft what's the reason for your flying so close to us?"

Knight mashed his radio button. "Oceanic 31...you are to do exactly as we say without deviation. We will escort you to Hill Air Force Base in Utah where you will land immediately. Federal Authority has ordered the closure of all airspace. There are two armed aircraft on your tail and you are "locked on", repeat you are "locked on". Our orders should you not comply is to fire on you...do you understand?"

Pete Cavenaugh's mouth dropped. "Sweet mother of..."

"Oceanic 31! Do you comply! Respond now damn it!" Knight screamed.

"Yes! Yes!" Cavenaugh replied shaking his head. "I just pissed my damn pants."

"You? I got you beat by 30 seconds." Gene replied. He reached up and clicked the overhead button to speak to the passengers. "Ladies and Gentlemen this is your second officer. If you've looked out the windows of the aircraft and seen some airforce fighters flying next to us well...we've been directed to change our flight plans a little on their direction. I assure you nothing is wrong with our aircraft or our flight. Please remain calm and quiet until we touch down at Hill Air Force Base. Thank you for your co-operation."

September 12th 2001

10:20:40 pm in Metro City

10:20:40 am September 11th Manhattan

7:20:40 am Washington State

500 feet over Nebraska

"You all right Timber? I'm over Nebraska now, just an hour away." Astro asked as he dropped a few feet to avoid more military radar signals bouncing through the sky around him. "It's like a hornet's nest around here."

"We're ok so far." Timber replied. "There's me and ten humans with various injuries. You can take them all at one time right?"

"Yeah...I just need a basket or something like a big bucket or scoop. If you can get a bulldozer with a scoop bucket set up and afford to get it trashed? I can rip the scoop off and come get you."

Timber replied. "I'll try to get a call for it."

"BANG!" A noise filled Astro's ears and he winced. "What was that?"

"That?...was part of the building up top. I think. It's getting worse too. Are you really going as fast as you can?" Timber asked.

"Trust me. I'm skinning cows, pulling up trees and ripping off dresses at my altitude." Astro replied smirking.

"That would be fun to see." Timber replied. "Uh?...can you try to speed up a little more?"

"I'll fudge it." Astro replied. He only put on another mile's worth of jump but at least he didn't lie.

September 12th 2001

10:21:00 pm in Metro City

10:21:00 am September 11th Manhattan

7:21:00 am Washington State

One Place Plaza

Steven walked up to Mike as he continued to get the names of the construction workers who were filtering their way in from the South Tower collapse. "They got another one they think. South of Pittsburg. It just crashed."

Mike closed his eyes. "Where did it go down?"

"Shanksville.." Steven replied. "Farmland, wood lots...didn't hit anything major." He leaned against the side of the truck and shook his head. "My Nephew Dan's stationed with the Navy in Washington. Wonder what's going on over there right now?"

"They're all probably as confused and pissed off as the rest of us." Mike stopped to look at the North Tower. "This is damn morbid. Sitting here waiting for that thing to fall or whatever. Sigh...I hope they bomb the living hell out of the Middle East for this. This crap? Deserves a game of nuclear football and the visitors have elected to recieve."

"Whatever good that might produce." Steven snorted as he pulled himself up over the lip of the truck. "We're ready when you are Mike."

"Mmm..." Mike replied moanfully. "I don't think I'm ready for it...but we're still going to do it."

September 12th 2001

10:22:00 pm in Metro City

10:22:00 am September 11th Manhattan

7:22:00 am Washington State

NHK Manhattan Office

Sadako was sitting at the reception desk quietly as Sadoyoshi, covered in dust and making his own cloud, calmly entered and threw his broken cell phone on the counter.

"My word!" She exclaimed as she got up and helped him to a chair. "Where you there? What happened?" She asked as she ran to a water fountain and got him a glass of water. "Sadoyoshi-san?" She asked quietly.

For a moment he sat blankly staring ahead at the wall. "Hell...I have seen hell." He wiped his hand through his hair, looked at the dust covering his whole body...and freaked out! "AAAAAH! AAAAAAH!..."

Sadako wrapped her arms around Sadayoshi as he slowly slipped onto the floor crying and screaming.

September 12th 2001

10:24:30 pm in Metro City

10:24:30 am September 11th Manhattan

7:24:30 am Washington State

Engine 15, WTC 1 North Tower, 60th floor

Lieutenant Kevin Pheifer commanding

"Almost there Timber! Give me a report, what do you hear? Any fires near your floor?" Kevin asked as he rounded a landing.

"No fires still. The noises above us are getting worse. I don't know how long this building has Kevin." Timber said as he pulled the woman he'd been chatting with closer to his side. "I got a friend on his way who can get us out but the odds aren't good."

Kevin kept going. He had lost his men farther back but he was still coming, stripped of his equipment, his helmet and now his bunker jacket he was still charging forward. "Hang on brother, keep the faith."

"Why didn't you get out when I asked you?" Timber closed his eyes and started to feel tears well up.

"No one gets left behind kid." Kevin said. "Robot or otherwise, you're not a piece of metal to me. We don't abandon our own."

September 12th 2001

10:25:30 pm in Metro City

10:25:30 am September 11th Manhattan

7:25:30 am Washington State

WTC 1, North Tower, 6th floor

Ladder 6, Captain Jay Jonus in command

All of a sudden, Joesephine stumbled like a dead weight to the landing, taking the firemen who were helping her down with her. "Gasp...it's over...Gasp...no more! I can't keep going, leave me!"

Pichiado tried to pull Joesephine up. "Come on! Only 5 more! You can do it...Cap!"

Jonus ran up to her side. "Joesephine for God's sake get up...come on...for your kids, get up!"

"I'm done, can't you see that! Please you guys go...get out of here!" She pleaded in tears but but Jonus shook his head.

"I'm going to find a chair to put her in boys, stay here." He said as he opened the door to the 6th floor and ran inside.

September 12th 2001

10:25:20 pm in Metro City

10:25:20 am September 11th Manhattan

7:25:20 am Washington State

Engine 15, WTC 1 North Tower, 69th floor

Lieutenant Kevin Pheifer commanding

"Ten floors more Timber! Are you alright?" Kevin asked as he exerted himself. His legs were on fire, his heart slamming against his chest.

"The noises are getting worse..." Timber replied. Something caused the whole floor to shudder. "That wasn't good!"

"Still coming kid!" Kevin replied.

September 12th 2001

10:26:40 pm in Metro City

10:26:40 am September 11th Manhattan

7:26:40 am Washington State

WTC 1, North Tower, 6th floor

Ladder 6, Captain Jay Jonus in command

"What the hell?" Jonus said to himself as he ran through the wide open floor space only to find he'd been in a machinery room...with no office furnature. "So much for this damned idea!" He said as he started back towards the stairwell.

September 12th 2001

10:27:00 pm in Metro City

10:27:00 am September 11th Manhattan

7:27:00 am Washington State

Engine 15, WTC 1 North Tower, 75th floor

Lieutenant Kevin Pheifer commanding

"Can you find a place to put the civilians? Get them into the core stairwell as fast as you can, I'm almost there!"

September 12th 2001

10:27:50 pm in Metro City

10:27:50 am September 11th Manhattan

7:27:50 am Washington State

WTC 1, North Tower, 79th floor

Timber gently tried to move the woman he'd been talking to towards the stairs but he stopped when she all but tried to rip his jacket off screaming from the pain of her broken legs. He went to help another of the victims into the stairwell when an exhausted Kevin Pheifer came through the stairway doors. "Told you I'd get here!"

Kevin collapsed for a moment against a wall as Timber caught him on the fall. "You kinda pushed a little too much don't you think?"

"I told you I'd get here." Kevin replied. "Not bad for a 42 year old guy huh?"

Suddenly above their heads the sounds of crashing debris, shattering glass and the horrificly building noise of screeching, twisting, failing metal resounded around the whole floor...

Timber looked at Kevin with a face of dread..."Our times run out." He turned and dove for the woman as she lay screaming and covering her terrified face with her hands.

September 12th 2001

10:27:59 pm in Metro City

10:27:59 am September 11th Manhattan

7:27:59 am Washington State

WTC 1, North Tower, 6th floor

Ladder 6, Captain Jay Jonus in command

Jonus suddenly stopped running as the whole building seemed to lurch under his feet. He looked up at the cieling as a jet engine like sound began to build somewhere farther up the tower...

"Son of a bitch!" He screamed as he took off running for the stairwell door, covering his head and screaming as the sound got louder and louder...

10:28:00 NYT

September 12th 2001

10:28:00 pm in Metro City

10:28:00 am September 11th Manhattan

7:28:00 am Washington State

West Street

Jules was filming Chief Pheifer as he stood in confrence with the surviving fire officers when the sound of a screaming freight engine came from above his head. He swung his camera up just as the radio antena of the North Tower vanished into the roof and the side of the upper section of the Tower simply exploded in dust and fire...

"HOLY FUCK RUN!" He screamed as he pointed and took off.

September 12th 2001

10:28:00 pm in Metro City

10:28:00 am September 11th Manhattan

7:28:00 am Washington State

One Place Plaza

Mike Luazo watched the antenna drop then he started throwing men into flight down One Place, "God damn it! RUN!"

September 12th 2001

10:28:00 pm in Metro City

10:28:00 am September 11th Manhattan

7:28:00 am Washington State

Hudson River

Old NY fireboat S.S. Healey

Blackjack was on the bow with some nurses from Brooklin's Mercy Hospital when he saw the top of the North Tower seem to explode in a cloud of flaming dust then the building began to simply disintergrate as the mushroom like cloud raced down the sides of those floors still intact...

"My...God..." One nurse said silently.

September 12th 2001

10:28:00 pm in Metro City

10:28:00 am September 11th Manhattan

7:28:00 am Washington State

Broadway

Gidion and Fody ran out of the coffee shop and into the street just in time to see the tower vanish in a falling, swirling mass of hell that before consumed her twin.

Gidion shook his head. He knew he had just watched his brother die. "Non...non...Aahhhh!..." He collapsed in agony as Fody caught him and helped him hobble away from the terrible scene before his eyes.

September 12th 2001

10:28:00 pm in Metro City

10:28:00 am September 11th Manhattan

7:28:00 am Washington State

Atom House

Reno had just come through the front door when he saw the North Tower start to fall and saw everyone's reaction. Uran jumped into Mother Atom's arms and sobbed, thinking Astro had been caught inside. Father Atom and Jetto stood looking plain faced, their electronic brains were probably analysing the mathamatical and logical consequences of the event.

Doctor O'Shay was shaking, his cell phone open but not ringing. Obviously he was going to call Astro but couldn't bring himself to do it.

Inspector Gumshoe was...well he was pissed even through the tears coming down his eyes so it wouldn't be a good time to bother him.

Reno backed out of the house and pulled his phone from his pocket.

September 12th 2001

10:28:40 pm in Metro City

10:28:40 am September 11th Manhattan

7:28:40 am Washington State

500 feet over Iowa

"Beeeeep!...beeeep!...beep!"

"Yeah! Reno I'm over Iowa now, it shouldn't take much longer!"

There was a pause. "Astro? The...the other tower just fell."

Astro was silent for a moment. "Are you sure?"

"I just saw it...it's gone."

Astro screwed his eyes shut. "I'll be there soon..."

Nothing mattered now. Astro rocketed up to 5 thousand feet and poured what he could from his leg and arm rockets. He hesitated to try and call Timber for a moment, perhaps fearing what might not come back...

"Timber?..." There was silence.

"Tim?..." There was silence.

"Timber? I'm coming. I'll be there soon ok?"

Nothing but static came back.

September 12th 2001

10:28:50 pm in Metro City

10:28:50 am September 11th Manhattan

7:28:50 am Washington State

Oak Harbor Washington

Bibby watched the other tower come crashing to the streets of Manhattan and she threw things around the apartment, cursing and screaming up a storm of hateful, death wishing vengence. "You bastards! You God damned bastards!"

"Hey! The other tower's coming down!" Dan heard as he sat by his car. He ran to the car in front as people gathered around it.

"They're going to hell for this." One sailor snarled. "When we're done going through the Middle East? The only language that will be spoken in hell will be Arabic."

Another sailor nodded grimly. "We'll nuke the God damned bastards."

September 12th 2001

10:28:50 pm in Metro City

10:28:50 am September 11th Manhattan

7:28:50 am Washington State

West Street

Jules ran till his heart was about to leap from his mouth as the sound of the collapsing North Tower chased at his heals. He could see the light around him rapidly vanishing and he knew he was going to be caught in the back! At the last moment, he felt a weight fall upon his shoulders and drive him towards the street, someone had tackled him!

He came to a stop under the front of a parked car with someone above covering him from the impending doom sweeping over and around him till all was black and in the silence of death itself.

September 12th 2001

10:28:50 pm in Metro City

10:28:50 am September 11th Manhattan

7:28:50 am Washington State

6th Floor, stairway B, WTC 1 North Tower

Jay Jonus had just come flying through the door and slid onto the stairwell landing when everything went ears were filled with the sounds of hell and the feeling of a hurricane wind blast sent debris into his face like a million angry hornets!

He heard his men above and below screaming amidst the terrible noise and he knew he'd lost them all or that he was joining them somewhere in the after life. The stairs shook so violently that he felt himself thrown into the air and slammed back down several times before it all finally ended.

September 12th 2001

10:29:00 pm in Metro City

10:29:00 am September 11th Manhattan

7:29:00 am Washington State

NBC Headquarters, Rockerfeller Center Manhattan

In all his years of reporting news events across the world, Tom Brokaw stood transfixed, speechless, bitter, angry, almost beyond the point of control. He turned to his cameraman and gave him a simple finger to stay put even as the cloud of thick grey smoke was advancing it's way down Broadway towards them...

"Ladies and Gentlemen...both towers of the World Trade Center...both of them...are gone. At this moment...thousands upon thousands of human beings may have just died before our eyes. All I can do...all anyone can do at this terrible moment is to ask for prayers. Prayers of humanity to defeat the inhumanity that will surely live in the minds of all people who lived through this day."

As the camera switched off, Brokaw dropped his head and wept.

CHAPTER II

September 12th 2001

10:30:00 pm in Metro City

10:30:00 am September 11th Manhattan

7:30:00 am Washington State

West Street

The sun was starting to pierce through the thick dust that hung in the air like a smothering blanket as Jules struggled to his feet and turned to see who it was that had risked their life to cover him from the rocky debris that had smashed the car next to him.

It was Chief Pheifer! His helmet was festooned with concrete bits and he took on a grey ghost like image with all the dust covering his body but he stood absolutely calm as he straitened Jule's shirt and slapped his shoulder..."Get out of here." Was all he said as he pushed Jules away.

September 12th 2001

10:30:00 pm in Metro City

10:30:00 am September 11th Manhattan

7:30:00 am Washington State

stairway B, WTC 1 North Tower

The first thought that came to Jonu's mind was...mom. His poor mother, she wouldn't survive this. Not a phone call and certainly not a visit from the Chaplain. He was still curled up in a ball, afraid to open his eyes until a sound broke the haunting, absolute silence that had come after the hell spawn around him disapated...

"CAP!...CAPTAIN!..." Came a scream from someplace. "CAPTAIN JONUS!...CAPTAIN!"

One voice...then another...then another...Jonus opened his eyes to blackness and felt the sting of smoke and foul dusty air fill his nostrals...Suddenly something...or someone...grabbed his jacket.

"Cap? Cap it's Shanahan..." Jonus looked back through the dim smoky haze to see a face looking back at him. "Oh God...Cap?"

Jonus took a moment before getting his limbs to move and started to sit up. "Shanny?" He looked about as Shanahan shone his light under his face. "Yeah Cap...I think...I think...son of a bitch."

Jonus wiped his face and called out. "Ladder Six! Talk to me boys!"

One by one the replies came..."Here Cap!" "Yo!" "Here!" "Living Cap!"

Jonus shook..."Sweet mother of God...Joesephine?...Where's Joesephine?"

Pichiado called up from below. "She's with me Cap! A little scratched up but she's in one piece!"

Jonus closed his eyes and fought the tears..."Sweet mother of God...we're all here? Where ever that is but..."

Shannahan took Jonus in his arms. "We made it Cap! I think the whole damn building fell on us but we made it!"

Jonus got to his knees and pulled out his own flashlight. There were no walls left...no doors...no rungs...nothing you could reference as a building or what was a building. "Who's above us?"

"McSwain Captain!" Came the reply. "I'm with Quint!"

"Can you see anything?" Jonus asked. "What's it like above?"

"Can't see anything!" Quint replied. Suddenly there was a shudder, sounds of shifting debris and a few muffled explosions. "Fantastic! We're still alive and yet we'll be killed before we get out, what fucken luck!"

"Hey shut up!" Jonus screamed back as he fumbled for his radio and found it wasn't damaged. "Click"..."Mayday Mayday...Manhattan urgent! Ladder Six to any station! Firefighters down, North Tower, expedite!"

September 12th 2001

10:31:00 pm in Metro City

10:31:00 am September 11th Manhattan

7:31:00 am Washington State

One Place Plaza

Mike, Steven and Zanie were stuffed into the cab of the pick up as the cloud rolled around them and the light began to return.

"Once this garbage settles and we get our guys back? We're going in there God damned police or nothing. I'm not waiting for them to tell us." Mike said as he fumbled with his cell phone then threw it on the dashboard. "Phones are for shit."

Steven shook his head slowly. "We're not going to find anyone alive in there boss."

"We have to try." Mike replied. "There's cops and firemen in that crap who stayed in there when the buildings came down. We're not leaving anything to chance. What did they used to say in the Marines? We never leave our brothers behind?"

Steven cluched his hard hat. "Semper Fi."

"Semper God damned Fi." Zanie said as he climbed from the truck with Mike's bull horn. "Iron Workers! Iron workers muster up!"

September 12th 2001

10:32:00 pm in Metro City

10:32:00 am September 11th Manhattan

7:32:00 am Washington State

Broadway

"I told you, I'm with Engine 7 Ladder 1 from Stanley Mannor. I'm doing a documentary with my brother Jules, he was with Chief Pheifer of Battalion One. I have to get back down there and see if I can contact them." Gidion was in a standoff with two plain clothes New York cops with Fody right behind him.

"And I'm telling you, I don't give a rats ass what you're doing or who you're with! No civilians past this point. The Lieutenant here can go but you have to stay back."

Fody stepped up and pointed to himself. "He's with me, I've told you how many damn times now?"

One of the cops suddenly pulled his pistol. "How many times does no mean no damn it!"

"Hey!" Fody snapped as he threw his hands up. "Are you nuts?"

"Can you be lucky?" The cop snapped back.

Fody grabbed Gidion by his shoulders and pulled him backwards. "It's not worth it Gidion. You just go back to Stanley. I'll call you when I find out anything."

Gidion tried to press forward but threw his finger at the cop. "When the film from this camera hits the television? Kiss your fucken job goodbye."

Fody caught the cop as he tried to charge. "HEY! THAT'S ENOUGH DAMN IT!" He snapped as he pushed the cop back. "YOU SEE THAT?" Fody screamed as he pointed to the rubble behind them. "THAT'S THE BAD GUYS DAMN IT! SON OF A BITCH HAS THE WHOLE DAMN WORLD GONE MAD? OUR FRIENDS ARE IN THAT SHIT!"

The cop lowered his pistol and sank to the ground. Fody and Gidion seemed to have no further resistance as they walked by and towards the hell that awaited them.

September 12th 2001

10:33:00 pm in Metro City

10:33:00 am September 11th Manhattan

7:33:00 am Washington State

Battery Mooring, Manhattan

Old NY fireboat S.S. Healey

The master came up to the bow as Blackjack and the nurses prepaired to take on more injured. "Doc? Looks like we'll have to transfer you to another boat on the docks. The fire department wants our pumps to cycle water into the Trade Center...or...what was the trade center."

Blackjack turned to the nurses. "Go find a boat that can handle us quick." He then turned to the Master and shook his hand. "Thanks."

"Yeah." The old man replied. "Did you know I was about to lose this old girl? Yeah...I was supposed to turn her in for good at the end of the week. Too costly to keep up and I thought her days were over."

Blackjack looked around. "What's the name again?"

"The S.S. Edward Healey. Named for the city's first department chief. She can still give as good as she's got left. I hate to say it but this is one last gift to an old fighting gal."

Blackjack threw a hand into his pocket, pulled out a crimpled ball of money and placed it in the Master's hand..."Consider this a good investment. If this old fire boat's still got one ounce of fight left in her? Then you save her. God knows this city needs heros."

September 12th 2001

10:34:20 pm in Metro City

10:34:20 am September 11th Manhattan

7:34:20 am Washington State

West Street

Jules had no idea what to do now. He was walking in a fog just pointing the camera where he could. The streets around him were bare, not a single person around and for the occasional passing truck or emergency vehicle it seemed all of Manhattan was lifeless, void of any humanity.

"And...this is it for September 11th 2001. Jules Naudet signing off." He said. Jules took one more look at the remains of the towers down the street before slowly walking back towards Stanley Manor.

September 12th 2001

10:36:00 pm in Metro City

10:36:00 am September 11th Manhattan

7:36:00 am Washington State

West Street

FDNY Reconstituted Command Post

Fire Chief Stanley Westergard, Brooklin's lead Battalion officer, stood atop a fire truck with a bull horn in his hand. "Guys! We're assembling new battalions! Please give your name and current unit to the men at the table below me and stand by for immediate re-asignment to re-equip and go back in! Those with serious injuries, report to the aid station with the big red cross flags over there!"

Joe Pheifer walked up to the table and looked down at Chief Barry Wardren as he scribbled on an improvised ledger. "Hey Barry...Battalion One reporting."

"Jesus Joe." Barry replied. "You ok?"

"For then trying to kill me twice? I've been better." Joe said as he looked around him. "Barry? You seen anyone from Manhattan engine 15? My brother Kevin?"

Barry looked through his ledger. "No one from 15 yet but obviously everything's AFU and we might have missed them. I'll let you know though once I confirm?"

"Appreciate it. I'm available if you need officers, don't know who from Battalion One is still around."

Barry grabbed Joe's arm for a moment. "We know that Gancy's dead...Prundy...Bah Bah... Oreo Palmer...My God Joe this is a..."

"I know..." Joe replied nodding. "This is one fucked up day."

September 12th 2001

10:40:10 pm in Metro City

10:40:10 am September 11th Manhattan

7:40:10 am Washington State

Tallon Flight, Major Knight Commanding

Covering Hill AFB Utah

Major Knight watched from above as the 747 touched down on the runway at March with a trail of security vehicles right behind it...

"Chrystal Palace, Tallon lead...our flight's available for further tasking. Request tanker vector if you wish us to remain on station over?"

"Tallon lead, Chrystal Palace...vector 050 to awaiting KC-10 at 32 thousand feet, flight time seven minutes. Upon refuel maintain orbital station within 25 mile wheel spoke around Warren for further tasking as required. F.A.A. has dirrected complete closure of U.S. air space, estimated time for total clearance of all commercial and private aircraft within CONUSAS ("Ko-no-sas" continental United States Air Space) is fourty five minutes."

"Rodger Chrystal Palace." Knight replied. "Does the engagement order still stand?"

"Affirmative." NORAD replied. "After the clearance of CONUSAS is confirmed. All civil aircraft found to be in the air shall be considered hostile. Deviation from contact, engagement to destroy is authorized as per order of the Commander in Chief."

Knight looked across at Christ. "Welcome to war buddy. If you wanted to know what Pearl Harbor was like? You now have a good idea. Gentlemen, let's turn to 050 and get our horses a drink shall we?"

The four F-16's rolled to the side and climbed to meet their tanker.

September 12th 2001

10:43:50 pm in Metro City

10:43:50 am September 11th Manhattan

7:43:50 am Washington State

Oak Harbor Washington

Dan was sitting again on the hood of his car when he watched a humvee come up the road ahead. The turret on top had a 50 caliber machine gun mounted on the turning spindle with it's gunner sitting up through the hatch in the roof looking at the cars as the humvee slowed to a stop.

An officer, a lieutenant, came out of the passengers side with a bull horn in his hand. "The main gate will open in five minutes to squadron personnel only! Night shifts, those of you on leave and all civilians shall clear the street and go home. We will give information to the local televison and radio stations when we are ready for you to report for duty!"

The officer paused. "We will be searching all cars and occupants coming in and going out, 100 percent material search! Do not! I repeat...Do not bring any weapons, knives, clubs, pipes, bats or any other form of blunt instrument in your car! No portable radios, walkie talkies, head sets, binocullars or surveilance gear of any kind! Do not take off this base any classified data, manuals or Government owned materials! Trust me shipmates...you will not like what will happen to you if you violate any of these orders! That is all!"

As Dan watched the humvee drive off, one of his shift workers walked up to him. "Who's the terrorists here? I hope they at least ask the jerks if they want coffee and doughnuts when they car bomb the gate."

"Better watch the jokes Andy." Dan replied as he slid off the hood and got into his car.

"Hey? Me, Marvin and Sandy are going to get breakfast at Cliff's? Kinda eat up the clock. Want to meet us there?"

Dan nodded. "Might as well. What else can we do?"

September 12th 2001

10:54:30 pm in Metro City

10:54:30 am September 11th Manhattan

7:54:30 am Washington State

Hudson River south of Manhattan

"They are gone." Astro though to himself as he sat on a rock wall near the bank of the Hudson where he got an eyefull of the smoke covered Manhattan skyline.

"Tim?...Timber?...Tim? I'm almost there." He called over and over but no answer came back. There were always possibilities. Equasions ran through Astro's head as he sat rubbing his foot over a rock. "He could be buried and no radio signals were coming out, it might not be as bad as he thought, Timber was a stout robot so there was a chance...perhaps.

Astro stood up, steeled himself and took off towards the island.

The closer he got, the worse it looked. Once he cleared the tip of Battery Park...his eyes took in the utter magnitiude of what he faced...

The first thing that hit him as he landed on the roof of the downtown Marriott hotel on Liberty Street was the putrid stench that made his head turn. There was no use trying to analyse what it was made of. There were fires all over the plaza, muffled explosions and sounds of debris shifting and crashing and the veil of smoke obscured much of the horror to eventually show itself.

Astro heard the beeping noises rising from the destruction. At first a mere few...then tens...then hundreds. He adjusted his scanners and found them worthless. The sounds bounced off the buildings, off the wreckage and caused false targets to pop up all over his eyes. His mouth started to quiver and he bit hip lip to keep from getting upset.

"Tim?" He called again before he jumped off the Marriott and sailed into the smoke. "I'm here now..." He said as he slowly came through the smoke and landed amidst a hell spawn of destruction. He found himself standing next to the large spherical structure that was once the artistic centerpiece of the Plaza between the towers...

Of anything else...there was little to recognize. He kicked something at his feet and looked down to see one of the distress beepers the firefighters wore on their bunker jackets. Astro gasped and rubbed his knuckles against his lips. Now was not the time to lose it...

"TIMBER!" He called out. Where was the North Tower? Astro looked about, brought up pictures from the internet in his mind and for a moment sat bewildered. The wreckage was confusing him. He looked at the artistic sphere, pointed a finger around the debris and and slowly started walking again. "Guess that's it?" he said to himself as he carefully negotiated what looked like a side of one of the tower's outer walls that was now laying flat on the ! He slipped and found himself hanging by his gripping hand over an underground cassum filled with fire and smoke!

"Woe!" Astro yelped as he pulled himself up and laid on his stomach. He took a moment to calm himself before he started walking again towards the still standing remains of the North Tower facade.

September 12th 2001

11:00:00 pm in Metro City

11:00:00 am September 11th Manhattan

8:00:00 am Washington State

Vessey Street

Corner of 5 World Trade Center

Mike Luazo climbed onto the back of his truck as his own workers and 70 others clustered around with what they had in hand. From shovels and picks to gas torches, ropes and tackles.

"Ok guys...I want us to stay together as a group. Obviously everything's not where it should be. Watch the back of the guy next to you."

Mike turned to look at the debris through the smoke. "Let's keep our minds on work. If you hear something? Call out. If it's someone alive? You keep talking to em, let em know we're here and we're coming! No doubt when we get in there? We're not going to forget what we see."

Mike jumped off the truck and grabbed an ax, slinging it over his shoulder. "Now let's go and get these people out!"

Steven crossed himself as he clenched his sledge hammer till his hands went numb. "Oh my Lord...forgive me for I have offended thee. I detest my sins oh my Lord..."

Zanie looked at him sideways. "What are you saying that for?"

"Insurance." Steven replied as the group followed Mike between the burning remains of buildings 5 and 6 and into the hellish remains beyond them.

"HELLO?" Mike cried into his bull horn. "IRON WORKERS! WE'RE HERE TO GET YOU OUT! MAKE A NOISE OR SAY SOMETHING!"

Steven stopped to swing his sledge against a steel beam. "HEY! IF YOU CAN HEAR US, SAY SOMETHING!"

The calls were repeated over and over as the group of men stepped carefully across the debris.

September 12th 2001

11:03:00 pm in Metro City

11:03:00 am September 11th Manhattan

8:03:00 am Washington State

stairway B, WTC 1 North Tower

Pichiado removed his bunker jacket and wrapped Joesephine in it tightly. "That should keep you warm."

"You're a darling." She replied. "You have any children?"

"Not yet." He said as he sat back against the remains of a wall on the stair landing. "I was...well I'm going to get married in November. Might have to postpone that though, my mother will be angry as hell. She rented the church hall for the reception."

Joesephine laughed. "I have a grandson. I swear the boy is such a player?...mmm mmm...he might not make it to the alter the way he's acting up. I swear...what's wrong with children now a days? Wearing their pants around their knees? They call that the latest fashion sense."

Suddenly the stairwell shook violently and Pichiado dove at Joesephine to hand on to her till it stopped...

"Does my husband know about us?" She joked.

"Hey?" Jonus called down from above. "Everyone still here?"

"Yeah Cap!" Pichiado replied. "I think Joesephine just ask me to marry her!"

"Honey! You ain't ugly enough!" Joesephine joshed. Pichiado broke out laughing till he realized that his surroundings had suddenly grown lighter.

"Cap? Do you see light?" Pchiado asked as he explored around the dim surroundings and passed his hand across a thin beam of yellow light.

"Yes!" Jonus replied as he too saw the beam cutting through the dust cloaked air around him. "Hey?" He called out. "Is there...is that light up there?"

The firefighters on the landing above were shocked. "Sweet Jesus! It's a hole Cap! I'm seein sunlight!"

"Can you climb up?" Jonus asked as he grabbed his radio. "Mayday! Mayday! Urgent! Firefighters down in the North Tower...URGENT!"

"The hole looks too small...One of the men said as he tried to climb..."Son of a bitch!...HELP! HELP US!" He turned to his partner. "Well don't just sit there man! GOD HELP US!"

September 12th 2001

11:07:00 pm in Metro City

11:07:00 am September 11th Manhattan

8:07:00 am Washington State

Ground Zero, Remains of the North Tower

Astro turned on top of a mound of rubble to see a large group of hard hat wearing men slowly crossing the devistation towards the South Tower...

"Timber?...Tim?..." He kept silently calling over and over as he poked and peered into any opening he came across. Finally he reached one of the still standing lower walls of the North Tower and couldn't hold back the building wash of emotions...his lips quivered and his fists clenched and shook...

"TIMBER! PLEASE ANSWER ME! TIMBER!"

September 12th 2001

11:10:20 pm in Metro City

11:10:20 am September 11th Manhattan

8:10:20 am Washington State

stairway B, WTC 1 North Tower

"Hey? Did you hear that?" One of the firemen asked his partner...he could hear a faint scream coming from somewhere. "There' someone out there! HEY! HELP US! HELP US FOR GOD'S SAKE PLEASE!"

September 12th 2001

11:11:00 pm in Metro City

11:11:00 am September 11th Manhattan

8:11:00 am Washington State

Ground Zero, Remains of the North Tower

Astro suddenly snapped his head around and crained an ear into the air...

"HELP US!...HEY!...WE'RE HERE!"

"Some one's alive!" Astro said as he quickly scrambled over the wreckage and lifted into the air. The screaming was faint but he saw amidst the ruins inside the lower outer walls a huge mound of steel and concrete. He flew up to it and landed on the top where the voices were suddenly sharp and clear!

"HELLO?" Astro called out as he lay on a beam and poked his head into a hole.

September 12th 2001

11:12:20 pm in Metro City

11:12:20 am September 11th Manhattan

8:12:20 am Washington State

stairway B, WTC 1 North Tower

"Oh God..." One of the firemen shuddered as he rubbed his forehead. "CAPTAIN! THEY FOUND US! HEY! DOWN HERE!"

"Who are you?" Astro asked.

Jay Jonus wiped the tears from his eyes. "Captain Jay Jonus Commanding and Ladder 6! Who are you?"

"Captain Jonus?" Astro replied. "It's Astro Atom...Timber's friend from Japan. Are you guys alright?"

"That's the most wonderful voice we've heard all day kid! We're alright for now, all of Ladder 6 is down here."

Astro started pulling pieces of metal apart. "Hang on ok! I'll have you guys out in a minute!"

Jonus suddenly waved his arms. "NO! NO, NO, NO! This whole thing's unstable kid! Just get us some help!"

Astro pursed his lips. "Got a radio?"

Jonus clicked the send button. "Mayday...mayday...firemen down...repeat...firemen down urgent!"

"Manhattan to the man calling the urgent...who are you kay?"

Jonus shook the radio in his hands..."Captain Jay Jonus, Ladder Six commanding and crew! We're in Stairwell B, North Tower."

"Manhattan calling Ladder 6, squalk channel 3, moble command center urgent! Sit tight, we're on our way!" Came the reply.

Jonus switched his channel. "Moble Command Center, Ladder 6, Captain Jonus...Urgent!"

September 12th 2001

11:14:00 pm in Metro City

11:14:00 am September 11th Manhattan

8:14:00 am Washington State

West Street

FDNY Reconstituted Command Post

Chief Westerguard's eyes bugged as he reached for his radio. "Jay? Jonus...is that you?"

"I'm still talking." Jonus replied.

"Where the hell are you? Last I heard you were still in the North Tower."

"Oh we're here alright...at least whatever's left of "here". We're in stairwell B, 6th floor, the whole ladder company and one civilian."

Westergard waved for another chief. "Don't you worry! You sit tight...we're coming for you brother!"

Jonus smiled as he looked up to see Astro waving back. "If you have any trouble looking for us? Look for this spikey haired kid standing on a pile of trash. Shouldn't be too hard to notice him trust me."

Westerguard took off running. "I need vollunteers! We got survivors in the North Tower! North Tower!"

September 12th 2001

11:15:20 pm in Metro City

11:15:20 am September 11th Manhattan

8:15:20 am Washington State

stairway B, WTC 1 North Tower

Astro poked his head into the hole at the top of the pile of rubble. "Captain Jonus? Where's Timber? He was on the 79th floor and I haven't heard from him."

"I don't know." Jonus replied. "We split off from Engine 15, they kept going up. Honest kid, I don't know if they made it."

One of the firemen on the highest stair landing suddenly started to climb up through the debris. "Andy! I told everyone to sit still!"

"It's only a few feet up Cap!" Andy replied as he reached out for Astro.

"Gotcha!" Astro yelped as he snatched the fireman by his arm and lifted him up through the hole and into the open sunlight.

The fireman sat with his eyes squinting to adjust..."Where?...Where's the buildings?"

"Gone." Astro replied as he patted the man on his back. "Both of them are gone."

"Son of a bitch." The fireman said as he slapped a hand on a steel beam. He then shook his head as he heard all the distress beacons going off..."God damn it!"

September 12th 2001

11:15:10 pm in Metro City

11:15:10 am September 11th Manhattan

8:15:10 am Washington State

Clifford's Resturaunt, Oak Harbor Wa.

Dan, Marvin Long, Sandra Pierce and Andy Magkasi sat around a table with coffee and watched the television mounted on the wall...

"In what has been the most devistating terrorist attack ever made, the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York are gone. The Pentagon in Washington D.C. continues to burn fiercely and fourth hijacked air liner has crashed in Pennsylvania. The President has..."

"So what happens now?" Andy wondered as he poured Sugar into his cup.

"We declare war." Marvin replied. "They bring back the draft, we don't get out." Marvin looked at Dan. "You wrote that article in the Oak Chronicle didn't you? Damn ironic."

Dan wished he hadn't. "I was just glancing at CSPAN and they were talking about that stupid Star Wars space program. My Uncle Dan Used to talk about Nostradamus alot when I was kid and he kept saying that one day New York would be nuked by terrorists so I thought using cruise missiles would be a smart idea because it made Star Wars a waste of money."

"You were real close." Sandra said pursing her lips. "Yeah...the planes made all that space nonsense worthless."

Andy scratched his head. "Ok? So who do we declare war on? The whole Middle East?"

"Seems pretty obvious the bastards just declared war on us." Marvin said. "Let's see what they think after we take two nukes and blast Mecha and Teheran off the God damned map. Maybe they'll wake up and go..."Holy shit, we screwed up big time!"

Dan leaned on the table..."Then the Russians get pissed because we just nuked an oil rich country, then they start shooting. Then China sees an opening and they nuke Japan. Then Egypt, Syria, Jordan and Iraq see an opening and they attack Israel. Then Israel pops off a few nukes. Not a good outcome for anybody."

Marvin scowled. "You don't think we should nuke the bastards?"

"Marvin...you, me and Andy served in Japan together and we all went to Hiroshima and Nagasaki remember? What did you say? Right or wrong, once was enough? I don't want to see a fireball over Seattle because we went crazy. There's other ways to deal with the crazies over there that don't involve scorching a hundred miles of innocent people."

Cliff came up and started serving the breakfast plates. "Shipmates...your money is no good today, the foods on me."

Andy pulled out his wallet. "We can't Cliff..."

Cliff motioned to Andy. "Your money's no good here I said. You know...my father was at Pearl Harbor? USS Oklahoma. I don't think I need to go further. You guys deserve all the love in the world right now. Eat up and go make this right?"

Dan nodded. "We won't forget this Cliff...you're the man of the hour."

Cliff shook his head. "No...you all are the men of the hour. Just go make it right."

September 12th 2001

11:19:12 pm in Metro City

11:19:12 am September 11th Manhattan

8:19:12 am Washington State

Atom House

Mother Atom heard the phone ring in the kitchen and jumped to answer it while the others were still huddled in the living room around the television.

"Mom?" Astro asked.

Mother Atom put her hand to her mouth. "Astro? Did you? Are you alright?"

"Yeah...I'm here." Astro replied moanfully.

"Honey? Is it as bad as..." She asked.

September 12th 2001

11:20:00 pm in Metro City

11:20:00 am September 11th Manhattan

8:20:00 am Washington State

Ground Zero, Remains of North Tower Stairwell B

"Yes..." Astro replied, trying not to get upset as a fireman helped put a harness on him. "Mom?...I can't...I don't know where Timber is. I bet Dad's furious."

"Don't worry about your father. We've been worried about you. Now you listen to me good ok? You do what you can, with all the power you have. We all love you very much so you do everything you can and make us proud of you like always."

Astro nodded as he wiggled the harness around his body and looked into the hole where Ladder Six was still trapped.

"And Astro?..."Mother Atom said smiling. "I love you."

Astro perked and waved his arms around his body to psych himself up. "I love you Mom." He turned to one of the firemen next to him and nodded. "Let's do this."

Slowly...Astro slipped through the hole and worked his way down the thin walled shaft created by the debris around him, testing hand holds, fusing some of the ruins with welds from his finger laser or cutting and removing dangerous juts and lose fragments.

"Hey Captain Jonus?" Astro called. "Be patient ok, this...might take a little bit." Astro suddenly grabbed and held onto a beam as the whole pile shook around him..."Everything's still falling apart!"

"It's the sub-basement kid!" Jonus replied. "The whole site's built inside a sunken box, what they call the "Bath Tub"! It's all unstable as hell right now!"

Astro kept climbing down, turning on his eye lights as he made the first landing. "You alright?" He asked the first firemen he met.

"You don't know what a sight you are to me." The man was about to ball when Astro pointed up. "Insted of wasting time crying? How about you get out of here?"

Climbing down carefully to the next landing. Astro patted Captain Jonus on the shoulder and passed a bottle of water to him and the two firemen with him. "You guys ok?"

"Not a scratch." Jonus replied. "What happened to the building? How much is left?"

Astro shook his head. "Nothing...you guys are in what's left." Astro handed Jonus the rope he brought down with him. "Now be careful and follow this rope up."

Finally, Astro made it to the lower landing where Joesephine and the remaining firemen were waiting. "hey guys! Sorry it took a little bit."

Joesephine shook her head. "They send a child down here? Lord have mercy."

"Don't worry Joesephine." Pichiado said as he helped Joesephine up. "This kid's your elevator out of here."

"Did you have a rock fall on your head sugar?" Joesephine said as she watched Astro throw his arms out.

"We'll have to get a little close...hope you don't mind?" he said as he powered up his rocket boots and floated behind her back.

"You won't let me go will you?" She asked Astro as he wrapped his arms under hers.

"It'll be the smoothest elevator ride you ever had, trust me." Astro slowly started up, passing the others as they were making their way up towards the hole above them. Joesephine had to shield her eyes from the sudden blinding sunlight but she emerged to screaming cheers, joy amidst the dust, ruin and desivation as firemen and other rescue workers flooded the small mound of wreckage. Astro handed her to a pair of EMT's then dove back into the hole to pull the rest of the trapped firemen from their temporary tomb.

September 12th 2001

11:27:19 pm in Metro City

11:27:19 am September 11th Manhattan

8:27:19 am Washington State

Mike Luazo's crew

Ground Zero, The South Tower

Mike Luazo stood atop a twisted mound of steel Lattice work and looked to the North Tower remains and the excited cheers that flowed across the scape of destruction before him. "My God...they found some one alive." He turned to the others around him. "If they could find some one alive in this hell, we can too!" He screamed into his bull horn..."IRON WORKERS! WE'RE COMING FOR YOU! IF YOU CAN HEAR US...YELL OR TAP!"

Steven and Zanie slowly negotiated the twisted steel and debris around them, stopping to bang sledge hammers in hopes of rousing life from those trapped below their feet. Every few moments they threw their hands up as a replying noise brought hope...then frustration...then the process started again.

"BANG! BANG! HEY! UNITED STATES MARINES! IF YOU CAN HEAR ME...YELL OR BANG SOMETHING!" Steven screamed into a hole, which caught Zanie with a cocked head.

"US Marines?" He asked.

"Force of habit." Steven replied. "I should have never got out."

Zanie gritted his teeth..."Anything's worth trying...HEY! IRON WORKERS AND UNITED STATES MARINES! WE'RE LOOKING FOR YOU! WE WON'T GIVE UP SO DON'T YOU! YELL OR BANG SOMETHING!"

September 12th 2001

11:30:00 pm in Metro City

11:30:00 am September 11th Manhattan

8:30:00 am Washington State

100 Firefighters

Reformed 1st Battalion, Chief Joeseph Pheipher Commanding

Passing WTC 6 into Ground Zero

Joe gripped the fire ax tightly in his hand, ripped it off one of the destroyed trucks he passed as he and Eddy Fakey led a line of firemen into the smoking hell ahead. Some were cut up, a few had bandaged heads or bandaged wrapped hands and arms. Most wore the same "Hell with it all" look on their faces. Some were still covered from head to toe in gray dust and black ash. Their friends were still in there...Fathers, brothers, sons, cousins...and right now anyone who tried to stop them were going to get a face full of fist so insted of trying...people stood back and cheered.

"You men with the hose bundles, start hooking them together and laying them out between those buildings behind us. They're rigging lines from Battery to here so we should have some water in about 30 minutes." Joe said as he pushed men at random to help get the hose lines out. "I want twenty of you just to go through what ever equipment you come across. Scavange what you can, especially first aid gear."

Eddy Fakey pointed out the destroyed remains of the Marriott hotel. "The rest of the buildings Chief, what do we do? Do we go through them or what?"

Joe shook his head. "We've lost too many guys and some of these are so screwed up I wouldn't want to be walking around in them. Keep everyone out unless someone's calling for help, we're not risking more lives for empty real estate."

Suddenly there was scream from above their heads. "Hey! Help me please!"

Eddy looked up to see a man sitting atop the lower roof of Trade Center Building 6. "You alright Pal?" Ed screamed up.

"I broke my leg!" The man replied as he waved his hand. Ed carefully walked over the debris field and crawled into a window to get inside the damaged building. After a few minutes, most spent thinking he was crazy, Ed climbed out another window onto the debris strewn and damaged rooftop.

"Ed Fakey." Ed said as he knelt down to look at the man's leg.

"Frank Caglostrano." The man replied.

"Where were you? How did you get up here?"

Frank looked around and shook his head. "You tell me? I was in the 23rd floor of the North Tower and here I am."

Ed rubbed his helmet. "Pal...the North Tower's...well they're both gone."

"Tell me something I don't know." Frank said as he patted the roof. "You think I should go buy a lottery ticket? I haven't been to church since 1st communion so don't ask me what the big guy up there saw in me."

Frank went silent for a moment. "I think I...I shit my pants."

Ed pulled Frank up and took an arm around the shoulder. "I really don't think anyone's going to care."

September 12th 2001

11:30:00 pm in Metro City

11:30:00 am September 11th Manhattan

8:30:00 am Washington State

Oak Harbor

Bibby heard the front door open and watched as Dan walked in and flooped on the couch. "So much for getting on base." He said as he opened his shirt and watched the television.

"They're evacuating every building in Seattle right now." Bibby said as she made a sandwitch and sat in the rocker across from the couch. "They were saying we had planes heading for the Space Needle, the terrorists bombed SeaTac airport it's been something new every minute."

Dan looked at the phone for a moment, tried to dial it and hung up. "Well, can't call home, can't go on base yet, it's too hot to sit in a traffic jam so all that's left is a nap."

Bibby gave him a smirk. "A nap? The country's under attack, the president might start shooting nukes, we don't know when this might stop and you're talking about a nap?"

"Well?" Dan answered as he walked into the bed room. "At least I'll be well rested when the warheads start flying."

"But what about the base?" Bibby asked as Dan sat on the bed.

"Get me up if they call. Right now with all the mess and confusion it's better to stay at home and off the street." Dan reached for the bedside phone and tried to dial. "Still busy on the East Coast. I hope everyone's not worried."

"If it's Steven, they're probably scared shitless." Bibby said as she turned off the bedroom light. "I'll get you up around 2pm or if we get calls from home."

September 12th 2001

11:39:30 pm in Metro City

11:39:30 am September 11th Manhattan

8:39:30 am Washington State

U.S. Navy Sea Cadet Training vessel USNSCC Falcon

Hudson River

Blackjack went from group to group of teenagers tending to the lightly injured escaping lower Manhattan. "Remember...this is a head laceration, it's important you keep talking to the person while you tend to the wound. If the speech starts getting slurry, if they can't remember simple answers to questions, if the eyes start drooping or become glazed...it's a sign of concussion or the onset of serious brain injury."

He moved to another patient, a woman with a broken leg and fractured arm that Pinoko had finished setting. "May I have your name?" He asked.

"Emma Scott." She replied. "How many times have you gone across?"

"This is the 6th now." Blackjack replied.

"Have you?...have you seen my brother?" She asked. "His name's Edward...he worked at Canter Fitzgerald in the North Tower?"

Blackjack shook his head. "No...I'm sorry but I've seen so many people that I don't remember."

She closed her eyes for a moment. "Can you remember his name? Edward Pentagilo. He has black hair, about 5 foot 7...tell him that "Phobie" is ok?"

Blackjack held the woman's hand. "Of course...I'll look for him, I promise."

September 12th 2001

11:39:30 pm in Metro City

11:39:30 am September 11th Manhattan

8:39:30 am Washington State

Ground Zero. Remains of the North Tower

Astro poked his head through a gap in the smoking hot wreckage and tried his radio again. "Tim? I'm here...if you catch my signal, tell me ok?"

Was it useless? hopeless? worthless?...the pats on the back, the encouragement behind his feet as he slipped into the gap and down through the twisted puzzle of wreckage told him never. He was built for this, to go where humans couldn't, to put his "life" before theirs...to get them out. It's what Tim would want, it's what friends do.

The smell was awefull, it's hot sting was driving his sensors nuts. Astro crawled a few feet, stopped, tried to analyse what he was hearing, then continued downwards. The whole mass was an erie glowing, smoke filled pile of metal pick-up sticks. Nothing he saw could have told anyone it had once been a large skyscraper, he didn't come across a single chair, a desk, a file cabinet, a phone, nothing that was still in any recognized shape.

He looked to his left and his face almost touched something...what had been some one. He tugged on the line that had been hooked to his harness..."I found one." He said moanfully. "Not alive."

"Confirmed." Came the return. "Don't push yourself alright?"

"There was a parking garage under the towers right?" Astro asked as he felt a grill of some kind through a nearby hole. "I don't think I'm that far down. I found a car but it probably got tossed out when the building collapsed."

Carefully...Astro cut around the hole with his finger laser till he sized it big enough to get a look. "No one's inside...well...I can't really tell because it's flat as a pizza."

Once again Astro called for Timber and once again he got static back. Suddenly the whole pile around him shook and shifted! Astro rolled onto his back just in time to have a steel beam fall within an inch of his face! "uhhhh...can anyone still hear me?"

"Yeah kid...you alright?" Came the fireman's voice back.

"Well...I might be a little trapped." Astro replied neviously as he pushed himself away from the beam and looked around. "Yeah...things kinda settled the wrong way...I'm boxed in."

"Hang on...we'll start cutting you out of there."

Astro looked at his arm and thought about the cannon. "I can make my own way out fellas...you just have to clear everybody out about...oh...200 feet? I tend to make a mess."

Then the smell of gasoline wafted into Astro's nose. "On...second thought? I'll just dig my way out of here."

September 12th 2001

11:46:24 pm in Metro City

11:46:24 am September 11th Manhattan

8:46:24 am Washington State

Mike Luazo's crew

Ground Zero, The South Tower

Zanie tapped Mike on the shoulder. Even with the air and dust resperators, the environment around the crew was becoming too harsh, perhaps too dangerous.

"Boss? The fires around here are getting worse. If this smoke keeps up, it's going to be too dangerous to work."

Luazo looked around and said nothing.

"Boss? What's the point of risking our necks? If one of our guys gets killed or gets trapped in this mess, we're not going to help anyone." Zanie suddenly backed off when Mike gave him a long cold stare. He could tell by the tight fists, the quickening breath that the man was on the verge of loosing his emotions...

"God damn it." Mike said as he nodded. He pulled his bullhorn to his face. "Guys! We...we have to pull back...it's too dangerous."

Mike paused for a moment to rub his eyes. "We'll wait a few hours but we're going back in. Anyone who doesn't feel they can do it? You're free to go home."

"To hell with that!" One man replied. "I'm staying!"

"Let's keep trying!" Another yelled.

"We leave...they're doomed!" Another man yelled. "Come on Mike! We can find a better place to search but we can't just go!"

Zanie looked at Mike. "Guess I got voted down boss."

Mike nodded. "Alright! We'll keep looking! Just watch each other's backs! But I make the final call you guys! If this smoke gets too bad, if things get too dangerous we have to go, no arguments!"

Suddenly, Steve and Chuck waved off to Mike's left. "We...we got a...we got a fireman here!"

"Is he...dead?" Mike asked soberly. Steven nodded.

Mike turned to Zanie. "Get a stretcher...and get a flag."

"A flag?" Zanie asked.

"An American flag...don't care where you get it...just get one." Mike said as he started walking through the wreckage again, pointing his bullhorn to the ground. "Iron workers! We're here to get you out! If you hear me...yell or bang something!"

September 12th 2001

11:56:10 pm in Metro City

11:56:10 am September 11th Manhattan

8:56:10 am Washington State

Tallon Flight, Major Knight Commanding

Patrol ring at 32,000 feet over Idaho

"Tallon Lead, this is Chrystal Palace. CONUSAS achieved secure clearance at 11:55 EST. Your orders are to engage any unauthorized aircraft. Till resindication of orders...all targets are to be considered hostile. Chrystal Palace out."

Knight clicked off his radio. "Considered hostile...did that mean engage them to force them to land or blow them up? A wayward Cessna perhaps? A sidewinder missile to a Cessna, that was a little overkill.

"Hey Major?" Christ called from his plane as it cruised nearby. "Major?"

Knight was shaken from his fog. "Uh...yeah?"

"You alright?" Christ asked. "So how long do we hang up here?"

Christ looked at his watch and his gauges. "I would guess till they send some planes to replace us. Warren's probably recalling people so it's going to be a while."

"I was thinking about that airliner." Christ said with a slight moanfull sound. "I don't think I could have shot at it."

"I know the feeling." Knight said as he undid his oxygen mask. "I was hoping to just finish out my tour at Warren and go home, thought the Gulf War and Bosnia was enough excitement."

"So where do you think we'll go?" Christ asked. His plane climbed a bit, drifted over the top of Knight's cockpit and drifted down on the other side of Knight's F-16.

"Probably Afghanistan. That's where Osama Bin Laden's hanging around. We should just turn the whole place to glass, it's not a place I want to fight."

Eberly suddenly interupted the conversation. "Major? They did say the skies were clear right?"

"That's what Palace said...why?"

"Sir...I have a low flying target on my screen. It's not showing the triple seven military code, there's no transponder and from the looks of it, it's a slow burner."

Knight looked at his own radar screen and sure enough there was a target slowly flying around in circles. "There always has to be some one not getting the message...tally ho on the mark, Mister Christ will stay with me while you other guys hold top on our 12. Let's hope we don't have to dust this guy."

The F-16's broke apart with Knight and Christ dropping towards the target. "He's going so slow that we'll overshoot him Major!" Christ said as he cut the throttle on his engine. It was quite a surprise as Christ got closer to the suspect target..."Hey? This guy's on an ultralight!"

Knight almost started laughing at the hillarity of the moment. "Oh this will make a good front page..."F-16's shoot down dangerous ultralight aircraft. Pilot flashed us the finger."

Christ chuckled in reply. "How about I just low slow him so he gets the message?"

Before Knight could say otherwise, Christ had lowered his landing gear, his flaps and his speed and slowly cruised by the drifting ultralight with his thumb pointing down as he flew by...

The shocked girl at the controls quickly got the message as she turned her ultralight around and coasted to a landing in the open field below her.

"Christ? I was going to tell you to leave her alone?" Knight said as Christ's F-16 joined back up with him.

"Sorry Major...She looked kinda cute up close you know?"

Knight smirked as he clicked his face piece mic. "Allright...let's get back up to 32,000 feet and go back to our routine."

September 13th 2001

12:02:00 am in Metro City

12:02:00 pm September 11th Manhattan

9:02:00 am Washington State

NHK Manhattan Office

Sadoyoshi sat quietly behind his desk still dressed in his dirt and dust covered suit. He took a sip from a water bottle and sat back against his chair with his eyes closed. He didn't notice Chief Editor Minasori till she tapped his shoulder.

"I am so happy that you're alright." She said as she handed him a cup of coffee.

"Thank you." He replied. "I apologize for my outburst Chief Editor...the display was shamefull."

Minasori took a seat next to the desk. "Are you able to go on camera? Do you need more time?"

"I just don't know what words to use." Sadoyoshi said moanfully. "I just watched thousands of people die...it's a nightmare."

"Such a thing has no width or scale." Minasori said. "My mother was four years old during the great fire bombing of Osaka. I think I was 8 or 9 when she first described it to me. I couldn't find the words to say to her."

Minasori reached for Sadoyoshi's hand. "But she told me these stories so that they would go on, so that people would never forget in the hopes that we would never see these things again. The people need to hear you so they will not forget. It's what you do best. If there was no confidence in you Sadoyoshi? You would not be here."

Sadoyoshi nodded. "I need more time Chief Editor...please?"

Minasori nodded. "Of course...when you're ready just let us know." She looked into his face. "Are you sure you're alright?"

Sadoyoshi nodded back. "Another hour or so to calm down and I should be ready."

September 13th 2001

12:07:30 am in Metro City

12:07:30 pm September 11th Manhattan

9:07:30 am Washington State

Ground Zero. Remains of the North Tower

Astro finally crawled up out of the twisted steel and laid on a beam with firemen crowding around him. "Hey! Give the kid a break!" A chief said as he tapped Astro on the head. "You alright?"

Astro sort of smiled. "That took some work."

"What did you see? Did you hear anything?" Another fireman asked.

Astro didn't really want to tell the bold truth. "It's...well it's..."

"You...saw...people didn't you?" Another asked as the Chief passed Astro a flask of energy charge.

Astro nodded sadly..."Yes..." He then looked around at the firemen and rescue workers. It was obvious some wanted to know. Did he see a friend? A brother? A father? A daughter?...what did he see?"

"If you can't tell us...we understand." The chief said as Astro stood up.

"I'm ready to go back." Astro said as he looked around.

"You just escaped getting trapped Astro, I don't..."

Astro gave the Chief a serious frown back. "Don't worry about me alright? I'm a robot, it's what I'm here for."

One of the firemen caught Astro by the arm. "Timber wasn't just a robot kid, not to us. He's family...he's got just as much worth as the rest of us...so find him...please?"

Astro nodded back and climbed back under the pile. "Hey Timber? If you heard that, keep thinking about it! Your brothers want you home so if you can hear me...give me a signal because I won't quit till I got you back, you hear me?"

September 13th 2001

12:17:00 am in Metro City

12:17:00 pm September 11th Manhattan

9:17:00 am Washington State

Ground Zero, South Tower

Zanie came back to the gathered Iron workers after rumaging through the surrounding debris. How he found it in one piece was by luck, now he and Steven carefully tucked the edges of the American flag around the body of the fireman they'd found.

Mike Luazo gritted his teeth, fought to keep himself from turning into a wreck as he touched the flag and removed his hard hat. Around him his fellows did the same as they all bowed their heads.

"Father...we of the brotherhood of Iron and Steel pledge our lives to return all your lost children of this day to those who love them. Shine and give grace unto this faithful servant oh Lord, he who gave his life so that others may live and go home tonight. In this we pray...Amen."

The gathered workers replied then they moved as a single mass, interlocked by hands touching shoulders or reaching to get a grip on the stretcher as they walked out of the destruction and towards a group of firemen gathering to go into that smoking hell beyond them.

Mike stopped and parted his crew to reveal the stretcher. "Make sure he gets home?" He said as the Ironworkers passed the stretcher among them into the awaiting arms of the firemen. They stood for a moment...some crying, some not. Others simply turned about and started back towards "The Pile"...

The name stuck.

September 13th 2001

12:20:00 am in Metro City

12:20:00 pm September 11th Manhattan

9:20:00 am Washington State

St. Francis Medical Clinic

Corner of Platt and Gold streets

Downtown Manhattan

Nurse Mizumi met Blackjack as he walked into the packed clinic lobby. "My God doctor!" She said as she saw his suit was covered in dust and dirt stains. "You're a mess...were you down at the Trade Center?"

"We were in the North Tower till the South one came down." Blackjack stepped aside as Pimoko carried, or rather draged, Blackjack's medical bag across the floor. "What do we have here right now?"

Nurse Mizumi followed Blackjack to the bathroom. "Mostly blunt injuries, cuts, gashes and minor fractures. We've been made a spill over from the main hospitals...mostly walking wounded. Nothing serious coming from the Trade Center and so far no survivors have been pulled out as far as I know."

Blackjack washed himself and pulled a pair of surgical cotton clothes from a nearby draw. "I'm going to shower and I'll be out in a minute." He stopped to think. "I'm not sure we'll see any survivors from here on out. If anyone lived through that, they're extreamly lucky."

Mizumi was silent for a moment. "They said on the news that the President flew to Offett Air Base in Nebraska. That's where the Strategic Air Command is based."

Blackjack nodded silently.

"That's where...that's where they control...nuclear weapons."

"Believe me Mizumi." Blackjack replied as he removed his shirt. "If they wanted to start throwing nukes? It would have happened by now. Besides...there's nothing that could justify a full scale nuclear attack. These are terrorists...not Russia. But right now that's not our concern so let's keep our minds on our present work ok?"

September 11, 2001

12:32:43 pm New York City

9:32:43 am Washington state

12:32:43 am 13 sept Metro City

1st FDNY Battalion Engine Company 7, Ladder 1 Firehouse "Stanley Manor"

Gidion Naudet finally made it back to Stanley Manor and found the station house full of wives, mothers and fathers greeting joyfully with the firemen as they stumbled back through the truck doors. Their equipment was gone but so far they were making it back. Gidion found James Hamlin standing with others as they told of their lucky escapes from the North Tower before it came down.

"Oh yeah! I was just crossing Vessey and holy shit! The damn thing starts coming down, I'm hauling ass and flame's shooting right on my butt!"

James saw Gidion and walked over to him. "Hey! You made it back...where did you go?" He asked as he handed Gidion a bottle of water.

"Have you seen Jules? They told me he was in the North Tower James...I haven't seen him, I can't find him...please..." Gidion was starting to shake when Jim held him by the shoulders...

"Take it easy buddy...He beat you back here." Jim pointed to Jules as he leaned against a wall smoking a cigarette. he looked more tired than worried at the moment but it changed as he caught Gidion in his eyes.

Jules dropped the cigarette and brought his hands up to his head, his emotions welling forth as he stumbled across the floor...

"My brother!" Gidion said in French. "My older brother! God has blessed us!"

They came together in tears while the firehouse looked on. "Blessed be he that saves us!" Jules said as he pushed himself back and played with his brother's hair. "Thank you for your mercy..."

They hugged tighter till Jim had to be a wise ass..."GET A DAMN ROOM YOU TWO!"

The house broke out in laughter despite all that had just happened and Jules and Gidion slackened, wiping their eyes and each other's faces. "You're alright?" Gidion asked his brother.

"I was with Chief Pheifer when the South Tower collapsed, we thought we were dead for sure. The film I shot is a monument. Where were you?"

Gidion found a place to sit. "I stayed here till after the first plane then I tried to get down to see you and I was right under the South Tower when it got struck by the second jet. After that everything went to absolute shit."

Jules wiped his hair. "Chaplain Judge...was killed."

"No!" Gidion replied.

"Debris hit him I think." Jules sighed. "Many of the chief's we know are dead...poor Bah Bah."

"He had...oh his poor Grand daughters." Gidion asked for a cigarette.

"You don't smoke?" Jules said as Gidion lit a match.

"I almost got killed twice today...like this stupid thing's going to make a difference?"

Suddenly...Jim Hamlin stood up on an equipment box. "HEY! HEY EVERYONE! Our probie Benetadoes just came through the door. Everyone from our house is home safe and sound. We all survived...I think we should have a moment of silence to thank God for protecting our family here and for our brothers and sisters still trapped down at the World Trade Center..."

The house grew silent as everyone bowed their heads. Outside the sounds of still arriving emergency equipment were the only thing heard above the quiet thankfullness.

September 13th 2001

12:45:00 am in Metro City

12:45:00 pm September 11th Manhattan

9:45:00 am Washington State

West Street

FDNY Reconstituted Command Post

Emmy Blankenship showed her identification badge to the rifle bearing National Guardsman and found the command post under a hastefully strung tarp between two emergency vehicles. Chief Westerguard stood over a table covered in sheets of paper, building and ground plans, a laptop and a telephone radio set giving orders to arriving officers and chiefs and taking written dispatches from runners coming in and out of the destroyed Trade Plaza.

"Emmy Blankenship, City engineer?" The woman announced as she squeezed a place through the wall of firemen crowding the table. "Chief Westerguard? Mayor Gulianni sent me."

"Yeah." Westerguard replied as he cleared a space on the table for her documents. "I'll give you the 30 second blow down...you know the towers are gone so that's enough on that. We have uncontrolled fires blowing through WTC 5 and WTC 7. I can't stop them. We have fires all over the plaza, I can't stop those. I don't know what the situation is with the MART tunnels under the buildings but I assume they're screwed. Now...I bet you don't have good things to tell me?"

Emmily spread a ground print on the table. "Remember the 1993 bombing when the terrorists blew up a truck bomb in the underground parking garage under the Marriott? Back then our biggest worry was the bath tub around the Trade Center, the site excavation where we dredged out the Hudson and built a retaining wall for the tower foundations and the MART system. This time, we may not be lucky."

Westerguard looked at the men around the table. "You think the collapse of the towers has weakened the wall?"

Emmy nodded. "I fear fatally. If the Western flank fails? This whole site will make a dam break look tame. It'll collapse everything from Vessy to Liberty. The Hudson will race through the MART shafts, we're talking about instant ground instability, poisoned water supplies..."

Westerguard bit his lip. "What do we do?"

"We have to try and find out if the wall's still intact. Send some people into the MART, find some way to get into the underground parking lot if it's still intact, send a camera or something but we must know the condition of the bath tub or this is going to get worse by the minute."

Westerguard shook his head. "You can tell Rudolph I have no one left to give. Our department's given up too many and right now I'm not sending nor will I ask anyone to go under all that flaming crap just to add to the God damned hell that's already happened!"

Emmy pounded a hand on the table. "Then we risk even more lives should that bath tub fall apart! We don't have time to sit and argue the point Chief!"

Lieutenant Fody was close to the table and heard the back and forth scream fight between Westerguard and Blankenship. He looked over at the smoking plaza then back to the table before walking off with a radio up to his mouth. "Chief Pheifer? Lieutenant Fody come in?"

"Fody?" Joe replied. "Where are you? Glad you got out. Have you seen my brother?"

"No Chief. Last I saw Kevin he was still in the North Tower. Is that kid from Japan with you? That robot?"

"Not with my crew." Pheifer replied. "He's crawling around with Lieutenant Evander's Company around the North Tower...what's left of it anyway."

"I need to find him soon Chief. Seems we have a bit of a problem coming on and we need him bad. If you find him first before I do? Send him to the Command Post."

September 13th 2001

1:00:00 am in Metro City

1:00:00 pm September 11th Manhattan

10:00:00 am Washington State

Atom House

Mother Atom came out of the bedroom to find Father had turned on the television and was sitting in his easy chair watching NHK.

"Come back to bed Father..." She asked as she rubbed his shoulders. "You have work tomorrow."

"Our son's in that and you think I can power down? You're not worried?" He asked her as she sat next to him.

"Astro's been through many tough spots before this and he's always come back the same good boy when he left...have faith?"

Father Atom smiled a little. "Faith? Isn' t that a human concept? I'm worried about Astro's cocoro. The facts are obvious...thousands of humans. The barbaric way they did this? This could destroy everything Astro dreams of. I'm afraid his mind won't accept this without some terrible damage."

Mother Atom smiled. "Then you need a boost of knowledge. Come to bed?"

Father finally relented. "Alright...I'll try to sleep. Let me call him first..."

"No..." Mother said as she grabbed his arm. "Leave him alone, he's got enough to worry about."

September 13th 2001

1:10:00 am in Metro City

1:10:00 pm September 11th Manhattan

10:00:00 am Washington State

Ground Zero, South Tower

Mike Luazo Led his crew out of the smokey hell and onto Liberty street where his wife and some vollunteers from the Ironworker's union hall had set up tables of water and food. "We'll take a 30 then go back in boys." He said as he grabbed a water bottle.

"What's it like in there?" Laurie asked Mike. "You alright?"

"It's...Jesus Christ." Mike said as he took a swig.

Zanie Sullivan was leaning against a street sign lighting up a cigarette, not noticing the woman slowly walking over to him. "Excuse me?" She asked. "Are you? Are you going in there?" She asked as she pointed to the burning rubble.

"Yeah..." Zanie replied. "In a few minutes."

Slowly she pulled a picture from her pocket. "This is my...this is my husband James...I just need to know if he's there...if you see him please..."

The woman collapsed against Zani..."I didn't see him leave for work this morning!...I wanted to tell him how much I loved him!"

Zanie nodded. "Yes...yes...we'll look for him...we will...I promise you..."

Zanie looked up to see more people. Their faces giving him the same sorrowfilled, questioning look. "This is my son...my wife...my brother...will you find him? will you find her? I just need to know...I got a call from him before the tower fell...Please...please...will you look for him?"

Mike watched as his men one after another came up to the ever growing group. A printed picture, a photo, a slip of paper with a name, phone numbers, addresses...feeling a sudden urge of importance, he reached for Laurie's hand and gripped it like steel till she ushered him forward. "Go and do it...I love you." She said to him softly. Mike nodded, grabbed his bull horn and turned to his crew.

"Iron workers! Back at it!" Mike screamed before he led his crew back towards the pile. Behind them those who were waiting in agony for their friends, their loved one's, their sweethearts clapped. First one...then another...then the whole street behind them opened up and kept it up till the group vanished in the smoking haze before them.

September 13th 2001

1:20:30 am in Metro City

1:20:30 pm September 11th Manhattan

10:20:30 am Washington State

Ground Zero, South Tower

Astro broke the surface and stood dusting himself off as a fire chief opened his chest panel and checked his energy level. "So far it's still green."

"Good. Let's find another spot and go again." Astro said as he started walking back over the rubble. "Is it me or are the fires getting worse?"

"Worse." The chief said as he pointed about. "We don't have enough water. Building 5's blowtorching, the Marriott...or what's left of it...is burning. Looks like Building 7 across Vessy is burning too. I don't know about these other buildings, most of them got rained on by the towers. We may have to pull out of here all together."

Astro found a spot and started to slip through an opening. "If you have to go Chief? Don't worry about me, I can work in this mess on my own trust me."

Just then, Lieutenant Fody screamed from somewhere below. "Hey Astro? What are you doing?"

"Uh?...looking through here. Any news on Timber yet?"

"Still no kid." Fody replied. "But we might have a job you can do that's a priority."

Astro climbed back out. "Yes sir! Just give me a few minutes to do a scan or two around here and I'll go with you."

September 13th 2001

1:23:50 am in Metro City

1:23:50 pm September 11th Manhattan

10:23:50 am Washington State

NHK New York Office