The Collapsing Tower

Judging from his behavior, one can only say that George Stacy truly lives up to his reputation as a retired soldier turned policeman. He treats everyone like rookie recruits, reprimanding them one by one over the walkie-talkie, almost without stopping.

Some of the men who stormed the Twin Towers and only briefly entered the building received orders to retreat. These men immediately went to the Police Station's on-site command headquarters, surrounded the civilian staff, and questioned the order to evacuate.

George Stacy did more than just order officers and firefighters to leave the damaged World Trade Center Twin Towers. He also ordered police helicopters to circle the two buildings from the outside and broadcast instructions for people inside to evacuate as quickly as possible.

Especially for police officers and firefighters who are experiencing radio malfunctions or do not have a radio at hand, it was emphasized that evacuation is a mandatory order. They must bring out anyone they see along the way, rather than continuing to penetrate deeper into the World Trade Center Twin Towers.

The building's evacuation and dispersal operations were designed according to fire safety regulations. The internal security personnel knew this better than anyone else, so there was no need for police officers and firefighters to handle it. The latter two entered the building primarily to provide assistance.

Especially since the fire occurred on a high floor, it might require climbing stairs on foot, which is no easy task for firefighters. The longer they are delayed in getting there, the slimmer their chances of rescuing people become, so they are quite anxious.

George Stacy then instructed her secretary to explain to these frontline personnel using the same line of reasoning Henry had just used.

However, most people disagreed, believing that they should have stayed inside the World Trade Center Twin Towers to save people until the very last moment!

Especially after a temporary command center was set up in the lobby of the World Trade Center, New York City Fire Department Chief Joseph Pfeiffer was particularly dissatisfied with the Police Station's overreach of authority, even though his rank was lower than that of the assistant fire chief or the Police Station.

However, because the evacuation order was issued quite early, and all the firefighters and police officers who received the radio order also notified everyone who saw it.

Therefore, many firefighters who volunteered to participate in the rescue without reporting to the command center were evacuated from the World Trade Center Twin Towers earlier, even if there were radio communication failures or they did not have radios with them.

After assessing the situation, the firefighters' shared thought was to turn back and continue their interrupted rescue mission into the Twin Towers. However, another group of police officers, who believed the buildings might collapse, blocked the firefighters, resulting in a stalemate.

The commotion here attracted another big name: the current New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani.

A former federal prosecutor, he prosecuted many high-profile crime bosses and used that star power to enter politics. He has served as mayor of New York City since 1994, and this year is the final year of his term.

When the World Trade Center Twin Towers were struck by a plane, this politician, who was considered by outsiders to be stubborn, self-righteous and ambitious, did not shirk his duties as mayor, but came to the scene immediately.

He saw that the person surrounded at the center was the Police Station chief he had appointed. Rudy Giuliani had the crowd pushed through and squeezed to the center.

"George, what's going on? Why are so many firefighters gathered here instead of being allowed to go in and rescue people?"

Of course, George Stacy couldn't treat the person who had promoted him the same way he treated his other subordinates, demanding their cooperation through harsh reprimands.

He explained earnestly, "Mayor, I received a reasonable assessment from the technicians. They believe the World Trade Center Twin Towers are at risk of collapse, which is why I withdrew the rescue personnel. They will only be allowed to enter for rescue operations once it is confirmed that there is no safety concern."

Rudy Giuliani was no muddle-headed politician, nor a coward who only knew how to play the peacemaker and avoided trouble. Especially since there were no media reporters present, he cautiously inquired:

"George, what are you talking about regarding the risk of collapse? Who told you that? And all of you, can anyone tell me if such a crisis actually exists?"

The next sentence was Rudy Giuliani asking his staff.

George Stacy took the blame himself and stood before the mayor of New York City to explain. This was partly because Henry's explanation had been very simple and easy to understand, not involving any overly technical details. The fact that he relayed it meant that he believed Henry's version of events.

After explaining, he called Henry to his side. "This is Henry Brown, the one who judged the World Trade Center Twin Towers to be at risk of collapse. He's the former CEO of Hollywood Stark Studios, a researcher in film-level digital imaging technology. A top-notch technical talent."

George Stacy omits Henry's lack of formal education and expertise in civil engineering, attempting to bolster his credibility with achievements in other fields.

Unfortunately, those unrelated achievements couldn't convince others to believe him.

Not to mention Mayor Rudy Giuliani looking at this bearded, long-haired young man who resembled a hippie with suspicion, even the firefighters who had been called out, once they learned who the culprit was, all wanted to go up and argue with him.

One of the mayor's staff members couldn't help but jump out and criticize, "So, a moviemaker can use inexplicable reasons to delay rescue efforts? Do you think this is a disaster movie?"

No sooner had the words been spoken than at 9:59 a. m., a rumbling sound came from the World Trade Center South Tower. The black smoke that had been billowing out suddenly turned into gray smoke, which was rising from the top in layers.

Those drawn to the loud noise saw one of the twin towers, just as Chief George Stacy had explained, its immense load crushing the lower levels of the building. Cement blocks continued to crumble outwards, and dust billowed everywhere.

Ultimately, the once towering skyscrapers vanished amidst a terrifying wall of smoke. The spreading smoke further fueled panic, turning New York had been leisurely strolling into a frenzy of running.

Before the smoke and dust got too close, Henry quietly took out a piece of cloth and tied it over his mouth and nose. Although it wasn't a professional mask, it was better than nothing. The Kryptonian relied on his physical strength to hold his breath and avoid inhaling the toxic smoke and dust from the collapsing building.

Firefighters have considerable experience in dealing with this; some wear face masks, while others turn up the collars of their fireproof suits to cover their mouths and noses for protection.

The police officers, on the other hand, were in a much more disheveled state. Some crouched down and covered their heads, while others ran in the opposite direction from which the smoke and dust were coming.

Mayor Rudy Giuliani was surprisingly bold; unlike the other citizens who ran around, he was pulled away by Police Station George Stacy and hid in a command post tent that had been erected nearby.