As I said, where the story gets deep. Been warned part 1 of 2 pretty emotional stuff least I think so. Im also not really good at science so if you think whats written is to hard to believe ill remind you this is a story about talking animals who can drive cars. let me know you think. I just ask that you be gentle.
Sincerely yours, Olyolyoxenfree.
Forward,
The following transcript is the a recount of the series of events on July 14 2020. It has taken a total of hundreds of dedicated hours to fully compile the events down to the minute of the events regarding that day. Many of the testimonies are from eye witness accounts or taken from CC TV recordings.
July 14 2020 is commonly referred to by those who witnessed it as 'Star Fall's '.
-
July 14 2020 mark 0600….
The day was starting off rather poorly.
Weather reports had called for clear sky's an overall balming temperature of seventy degrees with very little to no humidity. As the sun crept over the horizon all those who woke that day were greeted with murky gray sky's.
News anchor Angaloa Stern, a Siberian tiger in her late thirties. Was home dressing her daughter in a bright yellow jacket rain. Sam, her daughter the age of six, fussed of having to wear such a gaudy article declaring boldly.
"I look like a qwak qwak!"
She couldn't remember what a duck was.
Angaloa, would in what would become perhaps the most devastating moment in her life. Recall every nuance of that early gray morning. How Sam spilled her cereal, and an entire carton of milk all over the kitchen floor. How she hid for a better part of thirty minutes and was given a firm scolding of trying to cover up the mess with a pillow of all things.
Angaloa remembered the song playing on the radio as they approached Sam's preschool.
'Hows it gonna be.' by Third eye Blind, Sam's favourite song. Even if she couldn't pronounce half the words.
Angaloa dropped her daughter off at the steps, along with about a baker's dozen worth of other raincoat clad children. Today they were all going on a field trip on the underwater metro line that went across the harbor. Sam was jumping up and down, hardly able to contain herself at possibly seeing a wally (a whale). She gave her a hug, told her to have fun, and would have said more if her phone had not gone off.
It was her new intern asking what to bring for breakfast.
Angaloa couldn't recall what she replied with but it wasn't the kindest of words. By the time she got off, Sam was running up the steps. The kit turned and waved before excitedly being dragged along by her friends. Angaloa smiled heading back to her car.
It would be the last time she ever saw her.
Angaloa would regret taking that phone call for the many years that followed.
—
Zootopia Metro Hub- 0830
Dalton Fisher had worked the rails longer than any conductor currently attached to the ZMD. The pine marten was seventy five years old that day. He had begun his career setting the first rail spikes in Zootopia, almost two decades prior. From rail man, operator, even forman for fashion. Sitting behind a desk never suited him. As was told by his wife and those who knew him.
He worked the tourist line, a mile long stretch of rail that ran forty meters below the softly churning waters of the harbor. It was a slow run, one he'd done hundreds of times. Age had finally caught up to him, no longer able to keep the tempo of express lines. Rather than retire he took the position despite being extremely overqualified for it.
Today would be a slow day, a preschool class was scheduled to be in one of six cars. Not that anyone was ever in a rush when it came to this ride.
Alongside him would be an engineer in training Dallas Hopper, a jack rabbit who was all nerves on his first run under such an experienced conductor.
Dalton Fisher's wife recalled that her husband actually mentioned how he looked forward to teaching that day. He left home with a smile, and a kiss on her cheek.
Dallas Hopper's younger siblings, who lived with him a total of six sisters after their parents passed away a year prior. Told that their brother had done every job imaginable to support them. This was the first that hadn't seen him crawling through sewer pipes or scaling the sides of a skyscraper.
Both their final hours would be recorded and later recognised by both the city and ZMD as testament to courage of working men.
–
Institute of meteorology and Seismic activity.
1 mile from Zootopia 0900….
Professor Zander is on a roll.
His colleagues watch with baited breath as the armadillo gently taps his club against the ball. It rolls almost like a glacier in it's slowness across the carpet, down a set of sets bouncing twice ricocheting of a set chair and into a standing cup.
The room goes ballistic.
Praise is heaped upon him as he smugly lays the putter on his shoulder. It was just professors today along with an intern or two. With nothing better to do a game of putts had been called for. Known for his legendary skills he'd taken every challenge they threw at him. So far he hadn't missed a shot.
"One day yer armory bastard!" Groused Professor Simons a Tasmanian devil coming at him from behind a playful cuffing his back. Zander barks out a laugh stumbling forward.
Everyone stumbles.
Shock hits like a thunderbolt.
The entire room is in movement.
Glass shatters, portraits fall off walls, some of the proffers hit the floor covering their heads. Zooptia was no stranger to earthquakes the entire reason this place existed. Zander is held up Simons both have steeled themselves against the shaking earth.
Across the room, an intern named Jacob is hit over the head by a scale . The occolot collapsed in a heap out cold. Both professors ignore him.
Their eyes are on the seismograph.
Over the many years since its inception Zootopia had three known major seismic events. Two were around three or four causing some minor damage, the last two and had barely registered. Both men are watching in horror as the needle dances back and forth in broad strokes.
In its first recorded history Zootopia was experiencing a rank of seven on the Richter scale.
–
Downtown Zootopia
0901…
Some are lucky to hit the ground seconds before the ground starts to shake. Evolution saw that they were capable of being beyond feral creatures. But some things are never forgotten.
Cars swerve, pipes burst, skyscrapers sway like pendulums. Glass rains down like bullets striking those unfortunate enough not to be undercover. The entire city is brought to a standstill as the earth threatens to swallow it whole…
For a minute.
Just as fast as it started, it's over.
Many of the buildings downtown groan in protest, some even have massive cracks forming in their supporting structures. But they weather the storm much to the relief of those still inside as the evacuate.
One structure has not stopped moving.
-
Star Bridge-halfways toll
0902
Officer Kibble is on suspension.
So he ruffed up that jaguar a little more than he should have.
"Son of bitch had it coming." Was the wolf's official say on the matter. He was stationed as security for the toll operators pending the investigation. It sucked worse than being a meter maid. At least they got to actually do something.
The most he did was hold a radar gun or glare angrily at people in their cars.
Officer Kibble hit the ground the moment the bridge started to sway. People screamed as the entire structure started to contort. Above all of them is the 'Star', a massive hundred meter tall steel pillar. It was meant to represent how Zootopia was a beacon for equality. Anyone who really lived in the city thought it looked like a war mace ready to fall and crush those ignorant to how the world really works.
Kibble is on his feet looking up as that very thing is happening.
The 'Star' had been constructed after the bridge had been built. While the bridge had been made to withstand an earthquake. Its attachment had been constructed by bright eyes and up and coming architects who doubted such an event would ever occur.
Kibble is seeing rivets the size of his torso exploded from their housing. The 'Star' is in a death spiral. It has too much mass and momentum to be stopped. Parts of the structure are falling slamming like meteors into cars still idling at the toll. He made eye contact with a female elephant, her name was Amora Scott. She was on her way to work ,a mother of two.
Kibble finds this out later.
Her car is flattened like a pancake by one of the white painted steel plating as the 'Star' rips free from its housing and falls with the grace of a killing blow into the bay.
–
Line 4312 40 meters below the surface near the halfway mark.
0903
Dalton feels the entire engine car shake, beside him Dallas almost goes headfirst into the electrical compartment Dalton had been teaching him. A series of warning alarms go off, Dallas is quick to console his hands trembling. Despite this after a few deft touches the alarms were silent .Nothing major had occurred in any of the cars behind them. The jacket rabbit turns to see the pine marten staring upward one paw on the accelerator.
He then joins in looking skyward.
The 'Star' is falling towards them.
It looks slow, predatory, its intent is assured.
Dalton slams the accelerator forward , the entire train lurches forward. Startled yells could be heard through the closed doors separating them and the passengers.
It was a race.
The pine marten kneels down ripping off a panel ,Dallas is beside him. Dalton starts to rip out the limiters, knowing what to look for the jack rabbit joins him. The car gains speed alarms are blaring. Both men stand together, it's coming for them, they've done what they could.
They will not outpace the inevitable.
The 'Star' is close.
Dalton looks up to the CC camera and makes the effort to smile. His wife is later shown the footage, in his final moment she knew he was thinking of her. Dallas lips quiver as he waves tears streaming down his face. His sister would name each of their first born after him, his selflessness would never be forgotten.
Both men close their eyes as several hundred tons of steel shears the line ahead of them.
They die instantly on impact with the water.
–
Zootopia Metro Department-Command Center.
1000…
Forman Patterson is running damage control as best he can. A grizzly bear of sizable bulk he moved between stations with the deft of a ballerina. The entire rail network work was lit up with malfunctions and damage caused by the quake. Reports of injuries from cars coming to abrupt halts, derailments and other problems. Even they had taken a hit overhead lights flickering, ceiling tiles littering the floor.
"All right people! This is what we live for!" He roared, picking those still shaking on the floor and promptly putting them back into their stations.
"I want stations cleared! Only emergency personnel in! If it's nothing short of the Creator himself knocking I want all lines cleared!"
From start to now, they moved like a well oiled,if not shaken machine. Across the room a massive screen that took up the entire wall showed the extensive rail system going through Zootopia. Standing in the rooms center paws on his hips Patterson watched with satisfaction as yellow warnings turned to stable greens.
It was perfection in motion.
One line was red.
He saw it only at a glance, one leading out of the city though the harbor.
"Who's got eyes on 4312?" The bear snapped, heads turned back and forth. A single arm shot up. He moved quickly to the station where a stressed sheep tapped at her console. She grit her teeth banging a hoof on the keyboard as an ERROR flashed across her screen.
"What do you have?" He's over her shoulder glancing up to the main screen.
"It's gone just. GONE."
"I don't follow."
With a huff the sheep brings up status of 4312 from the start of its day. From leaving the station to making a final stop at the sea gate. All the information showed that at 0902 it began an abrupt acceleration safety designators removed…
Manually.
Then it stopped.
Dead.
She looks up to Patterson wringing her hooves.
"I'm getting telemetry, it still has power, and life signs to but…"
"But what?"
She taps a single command.
4312 is still feeding the system its system coordinates. It's unique in that it's the one measured in depth.
Currently it's depth is a hundred and fifty meters.
The room collectively gasps.
Patterson looks away from the console to the main screen. Someone in the room had pulled up a live feed of the news. From a helicopter's perspective it showed the collapsed section of the 'Star'. From the still bubbling water Patterson didn't have to guess what happened.
"Lock down the room." His words are hollow security is watching the screen. He has to say again louder, snapping them to their senses.
–
Over the next several hours, one of the largest rescue operations the city had ever seen would occur in Zootopia's harbor. It would be remembered for the personnel involved, resources used and the steps that were used to take them.
It would all end in disaster.
—
Rail 4312 Car 3- 150 meters
1100 EST.
He is wet.
Were dreams supposed to be wet? Had he just pissed himself? Last thing he honestly needed right now. Sleeping on the train was a learned habit, no one messed with a sleeping guy. Not that anyone really messed with him in the first place.
Except now.
He is wet, someone is nudging his arm.
A groan escaped him as his head tried move to get more comfortable. It was restricted, everything suddenly felt too close. With effort his eyes snapped open to near total darkness. He's no longer in his seat instead wedged between it and the seat that had been in front him. Everything was tilted, salty water dropped on his head.
Another nudge.
He finally sees who had disturbed his sleep. It's a kid, literally a goat, and not the only one. It's a venery of assorted children: bears, lions, tigers oh my. They all huddled around him wiping away tears some were bleeding.
"Mister?" The kid asked, shaking his arm. It took some effort but he managed to pry himself from between the seats. He had the mother of all migraines as his feet made contact with the tilted floor.
"Mister. Our teacher won't wake up." This came from a sniffy white tiger in a yellow parka.
It was then that everything came back to him in flashes. The shaking, abrupt acceleration, then coming to a blinding stop. He stumbled forward vomiting in the opposite seat. Several of the children gaged covering their faces as he pulled himself together.
"Mister were sc-"
"Pine. My name is Pine." The wolverine said, wiping his mouth with a paw. He looked around the compartment overheating light as murky red parts of the ceiling were leaking steadily.
"Fuck."
They all gasped, Pine quickly cleared his throat.
"Where's your teacher at?"
–
She was dead.
The gazelle's neck was bent awkwardly, eyes bulged, tongue hanging out, legs splayed at odd angles. Pine shrugged off his jacket gently placing it over her prone form. They were all gathered around him and some had started crying again.
"We tried to wake her up." It was the white tiger again clutching a male wolf pup. His eyes were fixed on the teacher features set. Pine guessed he knew that detail better than the rest of them but couldn't find himself to tell the younger ones. There were about twenty of them between the ages of six and ten. Pine stood up slowly bracing himself so as to not fall over with how tilted the floor was. Around them the car moaned water leaked from a dozen places it was pooling at the bottom most section where he'd been.
It's going to keep filling up
Pine took in a shallow breath, air tasted coily. Did these trains have an oxygen supply for things like this? How deep were they? Was someone coming-
The tiger is beside him clutching his pants leg. They all suddenly are at his side doing the same looks of expectancy in their fear filled eyes. Pine swallowed gently patting the closests one's head.
"Why don't we move up? Eh? Can all tell me your names while we…wait."
Fear is replaced by blind hope, only the wolf isn't fooled. He fixes Pine with a piercing stare as the other children move up the slanted floor. The tiger gently grabs them both urging them forward.
"My name's Sam! Grumpy is David, he's always like that! Do you think we will still see a wally?"