50,000 Feet Up
Sybil stepped onto the elevator, leaning to one side due to the weight of her toolbox. She spotted two other people getting inside as well. There was a young tourist with a camera hanging around his neck. The other seemed more cryptic, and she didn’t know how to place them.
The elevator suddenly lurched and rose through the sky. The ribbon of the machinery shimmered against the twilight sky as they passed through the atmosphere.
She gazed quietly at the altimeter, which was in place of the usual sign telling you the current floor. It was accelerating, taking them higher and higher. The boy excitedly took photos, although the other person seemed to be deep in thought.
To her, it was just another day. She remembered when the space elevator first opened up. She was so excited to take her first ride up to the space stations orbiting the planet. What happened to her? How did she get so bored with such an amazing achievement?
Then, the elevator shook violently and a metallic groan roared through the cabin. The boy, still clutching his camera, was flung into the window. She heard multiple things shattering. The view of Earth turned into a dizzying blur.
Sybil gripped the railing tightly as the elevator plummeted. She waited ten seconds as the emergency brake activated. The boy slammed to the ground again and let out a wail.
Her heart pounded as her worst fears were confirmed. Red lights began flashing overhead and a siren let out an ominous blare.
“What’s going on?” the cryptic guest asked.
“Emergency evacuation,” she said, already removing the control panel from the wall.
“What are you talking about?”
“We can’t stay in here.”
“And where are we supposed to go?”
“Back to Earth.”
“Aren’t there supposed to be some sort of pods that can rescue us?”
“Not at this elevation. We’re halfway. Too close to Earth for a spacecraft and too close to space for an air rescue.”
“Hey kid, are you alright?” the cryptic person asked to the kid.
“My ankle. It hurts!”
“What’s your name kid?”
“Archie.”
“People call me Kestrel.”
“And I’m Sybil,” the engineer said, pulling several space suits out.
“Put these on,” she told them. “The air’s going to be pretty thin.”
“But my ankle…”
“You won’t need that to climb. We’ll be able to get you to a doctor when we’re back.”
Archie and Kestrel donned their suits, helping each other fit the various pieces together. The kid winced as he adjusted the straps around his feet. Sybil was reciting her training in her head, trying to remember every step.
She ran a quick diagnostic on each of their suits, checking that they were in good condition and had no leaks.
“Comms check. Archie?”
“I hear ya.”
“Kestrel?”
Kestrel just gave a short nod.
She grabbed a switch from inside the control panel and flipped it. That unlocked the emergency exit. She then grabbed the floor panel and unlocked that. They were 60,000 feet above the ground. All she could see were thick white clouds.
“It’s going to be a long climb down,” she asserted, her voice crackling through the comms.
She reached down and felt for the ladder rungs with her feet. Once she connected to them, she activated the magnetic connections in the boots. They weren’t strong enough to hold if she fell, but it would at least give them an advantage.
She looked up at the kid, who was leaning against the railing. He’d have to be the last to climb down. If he fell…
No. She couldn’t think about that. She had to focus on what she could control. That meant taking a step down. Then another. Then another.
Kestrel and Archie climbed down after her. It was quiet at this level of atmosphere. The only sounds were the hiss of her respirator. With every step, she knew the gravitational pull would grow. The climb would grow harder with each step.
She had no idea how much time was spent going down. She felt sweat dripping down her face, getting in her mouth and eyes. The shaft made her feel claustrophobic and her arms were growing tired.
Archie seemed to be doing worse. With only one foot, his climbing was erratic and he was swaying too much.
“Archie, are you alright?”
“How much further?”
“She looked at the HUD. 15,000 feet.”
“We’re almost there.”
Of course, it wasn’t going to get any easier. At this point, their oxygen was growing low. That wasn’t terrible, since they could start to filter in air. But losing that boost of pure oxygen was going to put further pressure on them.
Finally, they reached the base of the elevator. Sybil took off her helmet and fell into the grass knoll. She looked up at the silhouette of the space elevator towering over them. She couldn’t believe they had done it.
An ambulance was waiting for them at the sight. An EMT inspected Archie while Kestrel laid down in the grass next to her.
“The sun is going to rise soon,” Kestrel observed.
“Yeah, I can see it.”
“I imagine it’s more spectacular in space.”
“I guess we won’t know.”
“But we managed to survive. We now have a bond forged in the flames of stress.”
“I’d rather just sleep forever.”
“You’re stronger than you think.”
“Who are you exactly? Not a tourist. And you aren’t a member of the company.”
“Just an observer of the world.”
“And what have you observed today?”
“Perhaps there’s a lot more to humankind than I give them credit for.”
Every so often the idea of a space elevator comes up. I don’t think it’s practical, but it makes for a good story.