"Pleasepleasepleaseplease."
The girl huddled in the corner of the basement, her face buried in her hands, her eyes tightly closed. Every child had gone through a phase when they actually believed if they closed their eyes and couldn't see someone, then no one could see them. That wasn't the case with this girl. She knew she was visible, highly visible, even hiding in a basement.
Around her the city cursed as every electrical device in a ten mile radius had suddenly ceased to function. Many would only find out about this blackout in the morning when their alarms didn't go off. They would scramble to get ready for work or call in but the entire city would be in the same straights.
Those awake found themselves in a black world denied even the light of stars by the thick overcast and torrential rain that had been washing the grime from the city for several hours. Why even car lights didn't work, was open to speculation and when many found even a flashlight would not function they quickly figured this was something far more than a simple blackout.
Darkness is a scary place even for those that make their living in the night, the thieves and muggers and burglars, when the darkness is near absolute. Many wandered around blindly hoping to find who knows what but just as many hunkered down to wait out the night in the hope of passing undiscovered during a time of maximum vulnerability.
The young girl was one of the latter but of all the millions of people in the area call New York, she was the most likely to be found.
**********
"Ghost Archer," computer said in my ear.
San Francisco in the late evening of a Friday was still a very lively place. I had taken a position atop the Trans Am Pyramid to wait for the night's first police call. It was cool, with winds from the east bringing the stench of the distant Oakland marine terminal across the bay. I had been running a list supplies I would need to check on for the morning's first trip to the world Gaia when Spock's voice reached me.
"What do you have, Spock?" I asked the computer.
"The governor of New York has called up the National Guard and sent them in to New York City," the computer reported. "The city has experienced a complete blackout including all electrical power and emergency power. According to reports, even the headlights of cars and flashlights have been rendered inoperable. Three passenger airliners have crashed already when all power failed as they passed into the area of the city. "
"Damn," I muttered. Without electricity people in the city's many hospitals would be dying as well. "I gather this is a localized effect?"
"Affirmative, the area affected it a ten mile radius centered on the Twin Towers site."
"Okay, send me to Philly; I'll fly in from there."
"Yes, sir."
Seconds later I was hurdling across the sky toward the Big Apple.
A black hole seemed to have swallowed up the world's greatest city. No hint of light or emission on any frequency breached that outer perimeter. I dropped to earth a few meters short of the line of demarcation and approached on foot. Not wanting to become involved with local authorities or the National Guard, I had chosen a vacant lot in New Jersey to attempt penetration. Without hesitation, I stepped across the dividing line and stopped.
"Spock? Can you hear me now?" My earpiece was silent. "Okay . . . "
Tentatively I lifted into the air and found my own powers unaffected. Drawing one of my arrows from the quiver slung across my back I tried to activate it to no avail.
