Blackout

“… The relentless heatwave continues. The heat index today, 126, has already broken the previous record, 125, which was only set two days ago. That record broke the previous record, 123, set only the day before that. New York State power companies are doing their best to keep the power flowing, but they warn that there may be brownouts or rolling blackouts. Please try to find alternative ways of keeping cool, not just by turning on fans and air conditioners. Go swimming. Sit in the shade. Anything that helps reduce the load on the power grid.”

The TV news anchor looked across the studio to the TV cameras. She saw the director nodding and then making a quick left-to-right horizontal motion across his neck with his right hand.

She barely nodded. “We'll be back with the rest of Democracy Now's 'Daily Report' after this brief break.”

As if on cue, everyone in the studio relaxed. The first song from Miles Davis' album, “Kind of Blue”, played as the director walked over to the desk in front of the news anchor. The latter looked tired and unhappy.

“It probably won't do any good, Terry,” the news anchor said. “Hundreds of people are dying every day from the heat. Nursing homes and assisted living places are experiencing the worst of it. The people who are still alive need something to cool them down. I checked the historical records last night and temperatures like these used to be more typical for Death Valley. And Death Valley is even worse now than it used to be. Good God, don't even ask about what it's like in Kuwait City or New Delhi.” She shook her head in sympathy for the sufferers.

Terry nodded. “I know, Jules. The only people that don't seem to be affected by the increasing load on the power grid are the ones who already have their power delivered via windmill turbines or solar panels. Even the few remaining hydroelectric dams are suffering. They've managed to survive so far, but they could be shutdown at any moment.”

“And yet there are people who still insist that global warming is a myth, a hoax,” she said.

“Never underestimate the power of human stupidity and ignorance,” he said, and changed the subject. “Need anything?”

“Maybe a cup of coffee after I finish the rest of the Daily Report,” Jules said.

“I'll make sure there's one on your office desk,” Terry said.

“Thanks,” she said.

He nodded and backed off until he was standing next to one of the studio cameras again. He gestured to her that she was live again.

She managed to make it through the rest of the Daily Report and signed off.

When Terry returned to Jules' broadcast desk, the latter sighed and said, “Would it be possible to take the rest of the day off?”

“Not feeling well?” Terry asked.

“Just tired,” she said. “This must be how Amy Goodman felt. I've only been doing it for a few years since she retired. How in the world did she manage to do it for so long?”

“Inner strength,” Terry said.

“Wish I had half as much as she has,” she said.

He gave her an encouraging smile. “You have more than you think you do. By the way, your reports on growing civil unrest across America are top-notch.”

“And exhausting,” she said.

“The price of a job well done,” he said. “And yes, you can take the rest of the day off. Just make sure you're back here tomorrow morning at the usual time.”

Jules nodded. “See you then.”

She went to her office and found the cup of coffee. The caffeine and sugar felt good as she drank it. She looked up at the clock on the wall. Almost 10 a.m. One hour on TV these days felt like it was all day instead. She finished the coffee and dropped the empty cup in the recycling bin next to her desk.

A quick check of her email inbox didn't reveal anything that needed to be urgently replied to. She put her personal laptop back in its bag, zipped it shut. Then she picked up the bag and her purse, and headed out of her office.

Her co-workers waved to her as she passed. She waved back.

Jules reached the elevators, pressed the “down” button and waited.

“Maybe I should just take the stairs,” she muttered. “I would if I weren't so tired.”

The elevators seemed to keep passing her floor.

“Oh, come on,” she said. “Just one available elevator going down, okay?”

Soon after, one of the elevators' doors opened and she stepped inside.

She pressed the “Lobby” button on the panel near the door. Hopefully she'd be by herself the entire way down. And then to the parking garage. She could almost feel her car's a/c turning on and blowing at her face.

The elevator stopped a few floors below hers and a man stepped inside. He nodded to her, glanced at the panel near the door. Even though it felt more crowded now, at least he was quiet.

Seconds later the elevator suddenly stopped. The panel with the floor buttons on it went dark. A moment later, the overhead lights went dark. There wasn't any sound of air conditioning. The air inside the elevator quickly began to feel like the hot and humid August weather outside the building.

Jules glanced at the man, but in the dark it was hard to tell if he glanced back at her.

“Probably just a brief outage,” he said. His voice sounded louder than normal in the enclosed space.

“We need to get help,” she said as she pulled open the panel door under the grid of floor buttons. She took the emergency phone out, listened, but there wasn't a dial tone. She put it back in place and shut the panel door.

“Let's try our cell phones,” the man suggested.

She checked her purse and made a face. It was tempting to cuss, but she resisted the temptation. Control your temper, Jules. This emergency won't last forever.

“It's not here,” she said, “I must have left it back on my office desk. Is yours working?”

He checked his cell phone. “Thankfully, yes." He dialed a number. "I'm calling the receptionist in the suite where I work.” He waited. “Helen? It's Zack. I'm stuck in the left-most elevator car. There's a woman in here with me.” He waited. “No, I don't know her name.” He waited. “Oh good. You've already dialed 911. Maybe we won't be stuck in here for that long, then.” He waited. “No, no. We're fine. It's just really dark and warm, is all. I think we're between the 15^th and 16^th floors.” He waited. “I guess all we can do for now is wait, then. Thanks for all your help.” He ended the call.

She tried not to laugh. “This is ironic.”

“Why would it be ironic?” he asked.

“I was just giving report on possible power outages as part of the daily news report at Democracy Now,” she said.

“Oh!” he said. “So that's why you looked and sounded familiar. You're Julia Saunders.”

“That's right,” she said. “You can call me Jules. Most people do.”

“I watch your news report every weekday morning,” he went on. “You're really good.”

“Thanks,” she said. “It's not easy.”

“I can imagine,” he said. “I'm Zack.”

“I know,” she said. “I heard you say your name when you were using your cell phone.”

“Oh, that's right,” he said. “I guess I'm more absent-minded than usual when things get stressful.”

“This isn't that stressful,” Jules said. “Reporting in the middle of a protest or a riot. Now that's stressful. Especially when the police don't notice that you're one of the Press and try to arrest you.”

“Good point,” Zack said.

She looked up at the elevator's ceiling. She could just barely make out the open hatch at its center. If one of them could open it, it would probably feel less stifling in here.

“Do you think you could lift me so that I could reach the emergency hatch in the ceiling?” she asked. “That would at least bring in some fresh air.”

He lifted her upward until she could feel the hatch just above her. There was a lever on one side and she pulled at it. At first it wouldn't budge, and then it moved. As it did so, the hatch lowered, showing that emergency lights were on in the elevator shaft. Not as bright as regular lights, but definitely better than nothing.

“Do you want to come back down?” Zack asked.

“Not yet,” Jules said. “There should be a ladder against one of the walls for both emergencies and maintenance. But I can't reach it from here. Can you lift me a little higher?”

He did so, and she was able to climb through the hatch and onto the top of the elevator. She stood up and felt around. Nothing on three walls, but the fourth wall felt as if there were rungs attached to it.

“Find anything?” he called up to her.

“Yes,” she called down to him. “I'm not sure how far up we'd have to climb, though, before we find some way out of this elevator shaft.”

“Wouldn't it make more sense just to wait until help arrives?” he called up to her.

“I don't know about you, but I'm not going to wait inside an overheated elevator,” Jules called down to him. “Especially since it feels a little bit cooler up here. Maybe some air coming down from a vent at the top of the elevator shaft.”

“I guess I might as well join you, then,” Zack called up to her. “Do you want your purse and laptop bag?”

“Give me my purse,” she called back. “The laptop bag can stay in the elevator.”

She watched as he jumped up to the hatch opening and pulled himself up most of the way. With her help, he made it the rest of the way.

“You're pretty strong,” he said as he handed her purse to her.

“Runs in the family,” she said.

She showed him where the ladder was, more by touch than by sight.

“I hope you aren't scared of heights,” she went on.

Zack shook his head.

“Good,” Jules said, wishing she also wasn't scared of heights. But she wasn't going to admit that to a man. “Do you want to go first?”

“Isn't it ladies first?” he asked, with a smile.

“Didn't know you were so old-fashioned,” she said. She held onto her purse with one hand and began climbing upward. As long as she didn't look down below her, she should be all right.

The doors at the first elevator landing were closed. How many more were there above them? Two or three dozen? Would they have to try them all? Hopefully not.

They climbed the ladder further up the shaft. Which was when Jules saw another elevator in an adjacent shaft. It was dark and didn't move. She pointed it out to Zack.

"They're probably okay," he said.

“Onward and upwards, then,” Jules said.

They continued their ascent.

At the next elevator landing – also with closed doors – they paused for a short break.

“After this, I'll think nothing of rock-climbing,” she said.

He softly laughed. “Same here.”

“And here I thought I was going to take the rest of the day off and enjoy a quiet time at home,” she went on.

“You could've taken the stairs,” he said.

“Then you would've been stuck in the elevator by yourself,” Jules pointed out.

“Good point,” Zack said. “I probably would've just stayed inside it until help came.”

“But what if it suddenly fell, crashing at the bottom of the shaft?” she wondered.

He sighed. “Thanks for the oh-so-pleasant imagery. Maybe we should start climbing again.”

The next elevator landing also had closed doors.

“I guess three times isn't always the charm,” she said. “I was rather hoping it would be.”

“Likewise,” he said. “Up, up, and away.”

“You and Superman,” she said.

There was a sound in the shaft, as if power were being partly restored, and then turned off again. The elevator in the adjacent shaft barely moved. She could only wonder what it was like for the occupants of that elevator, standing or sitting, waiting, and hoping.

No thanks, Jules thought. Not me. I'd rather do the best I can, than just wait and see what will happen.

The fourth elevator landing had partially open doors. Not more than an inch or two, but she tried to see through the crack. There didn't seem to be anywhere there at first, and then she saw people pass by the elevator door. She pounded on the doors, but no one seemed to hear it.

“Go up and see what the next one is like, or stay here and pound away?” Zack asked.

“I guess go up to the next one and try our luck there,” she said.

They climbed up to the fifth elevator landing. This time she could hear voices and metallic sounds. Almost like silverware being jostled around. Were the people on this floor having lunch while the power was out? Or were the metallic sounds coming from something else?

Jules pounded on the doors, harder than she had on the landing below. This time the footsteps didn't just pass by, but stopped. She pounded again and yelled.

“Anything?” Zack asked.

“Maybe,” she said. “I don't know.”

“Keep trying,” he said.

“I am,” she said, trying not to get cross with him. He was only try to be encouraging.

She pounded again, as hard as she could.

The elevator doors opened slightly, maybe a few inches.

A voice called from the other side of it, “Is there anyone there?”

“Yes!” Jules called back. “Two people! We were trapped in one of the elevators!”

There was commotion and a quick discussion on the other side of the elevator door.

“Some of the repairmen are here,” the voice called. “They're going to try to get the elevator doors to separate so that you can get out of the elevator shaft.”

There was a wait, which felt much longer than it actually was. But gradually, the elevator doors parted enough that Jules and Zack could see a small group of people on the other side. Then soon after the doors were far enough part that they could squeeze through, Jules first, followed by Zack.

Then they heard a cheer from their rescuers. Nothing wrong with celebrating something going right after the power outage started. Unfortunately, there wasn't any power restored on this floor.

Can't have everything, Jules thought. At least we're safe and out of that blasted elevator shaft.

Then she realized that she was back on her floor. She even recognized some of the faces around her. They seemed very happy to see her again, instead of trapped inside the elevator.

Someone said, “Go tell Terry that she's all right! That they both are!”

Someone else brought cups of coffee for Jules and Zack to drink. The crowd around the open elevator doors was growing. The repairmen accepted Jules' and Zack's heartfelt thanks, and went back to trying to help restore power to the elevators.

“There's at least one other elevator stuck in its shaft,” Jules told the repairmen. “We saw it during our climb up to here.”

One of the repairmen nodded. “We'll get to them next. Glad you're both okay.”

Terry made his way through the crowd and looked relieved to see Jules safe and sound.

“Thank God you're all right,” he said. “One of the elevators' emergency brakes failed and the elevator plummeted to the bottom of the shaft. We don't know yet if there was anyone inside it. Hopefully it was empty.”

Jules hoped it wasn't the elevator they'd seen in the adjacent shaft, in case there had been anyone inside it.

“Does this mean you still want the rest of the day off?” Terry asked. “Or would you rather go back to work instead?”

She made a face. “I think I've had enough excitement for today.”

“When you get home, would it be possible to write down what you remember of this power outage?” he asked. “You could add it to your Daily Report tomorrow morning. It would let our viewers hear firsthand what it was like to be trapped in an elevator and escape to safety.”

“As long as I get the rest of the day off first,” she said.

Terry nodded. “You've earned it.”

The power came back on as he spoke. There was a collective feeling of relief. Jules' co-workers dispersed and went back to their desks.

Moments later, one of the elevators arrived on this floor and its doors opened. A group of repairmen stepped out of it.

One of them was holding Jules' laptop bag above his head. “Does this belong to anyone?” he asked.

She nodded. “It's mine.”

He came over and handed it to her. “Maybe next time you should take the stairs.”

“Not a bad idea,” she said. “I think I will. Thank you.”

The repairmen nodded and rejoined his group.

“If you don't have any definite plans for the rest of the day, I'd like to make a suggestion,” Zack said to Jules.

“I'm all ears,” she said.

“How about lunch at a Chinese restaurant?” he suggested. “If you're hungry, that is.”

“Starved,” she said. “Let me get my cell phone first."