Elevators Through Time - Book 1

Part 23: Day Out

Part 23: Day Out

Year: 1990

Time: 9:14am

Location: "Sydney's Tower", Sydney CBD, NSW, Australia.

Level: 72nd Floor

"Oh, I'm so excited! What will I wear? Alex, can I check my clothes that I packed?" Kate asked me.

I toggled the atomic-reducing field around the Gyro-linium device and released Kate's luggage and some of mine onto an area on the floor. Kate, keenly more interested in the trip to come than in this wonder of technology, grabbed the closest bag and opened it and straight away blushed red.

"Excuse me, but could you two leave the room for a while?"

I was curious "Why? Aren't you okay with-?"

Jed cleared his throat and then I understood. That was probably her underwear bag.

Jed and I waited outside while Kate got changed.

"That is some amazing tech you've got on your back there, Alex."

"Thank you, well the Que'nesians made it controllable and added many fancy features, like this wrist control and perception field."

"Ah yes, Dr. Julian and the Que'nesians. A chapter in history where we finally meet someone who is generous enough to help us with your technological deficiencies. What a wonderful time in history that was."

        While waiting I related to Jed about one Que'nesian of whom I befriended who wanted to try out our 'canned cat food' and has since been addicted to the stuff.

Jed and I laughed. Most races have their curiosities of other races and will on occasion take a liking to things we feel as not interesting or digestible.

Jed had apparently gotten the opposite experience himself when he had visited his home time, which was 2042, and was offered a tour of a kitchen. He had sampled a few delicacies and then mistakenly took a small pellet from a pile on a plate. He said it tasted sweet and was gummy, but the chef told him to enjoy the flavour but spit it out. It was apparently the droppings of a new breed of genetically modified bat/monkey that he had bought. It was safe to eat and grind into powder for drugs... but it was still bird/monkey poo.

"Ah, boys... talking about poo again," came Kate's comment from the door as it opened and she came out.

She wore a bright cream-white blouse with new dark-blue jeans. Both Jed and I stared. It was a simple combination but with her black hair with red streaks falling over her shoulders... it looked phenomenal on her.

"What?" she said with her hands on her hips. "Oh, Alex I borrowed these blue pants I found in one of your bags. I hope you don't mind. They fit me so nicely." Kate said, spinning around on the spot.

Jed coughed and I said, "That's okay, you can use those jeans. I don't use them much anyway. They don't fit me, at least not anymore." I elbowed Jed in the side.

After putting the luggage back in a null space compartment on the side of my Gyro-linium device, locking the door to our room and reengaging the atomic-reduction field and perception filters, I took Kate's hand as we followed Jed into the elevator.

I felt Jed touch my back then I realised he was just testing the fact that the device was no longer materialised. Heh, even he is curious.

        We headed out of the reception area and out back towards a taxi stand along George Street. We then took a taxi and arrived at a street near Centrepoint Tower.

I stepped out first and held open the door for Kate, extending my hand to her.

"Why, thank you, kind sir," she said in a mock-Victorian way.

Jed quietly followed behind us as we stopped to look up to the tower.

Kate gasped as she could barely see the top, "It's so high! How high does this go?"

"Well if you count the antenna spire it is... 324.8 metres (1,065 feet) tall."

"How do you know that, Alex?" Jed asked.

"Google and Wikipedia still exist in my time," I said, busting out laughing and was accompanied by Jed's echo of laughter.

Kate unfortunately did not get the joke and felt a little left out when I told her, "There is much to tell you but for now I will have to leave the explanation for later. Please remind me to explain it to you when we have time."

Kate wasn't entirely satisfied but she left it alone and we continued to the tower.

We asked a guard that was standing around if we could take a look at the elevator shafts and the top of a working one. He said no, but we could speak to the head of staff about this.

We followed him into the elevator and went to the management office floors.

I explained to them that we were just curious and were just seeing the sites. I was about to show my ID but Jed stopped me and showed his ID and said that we were telling the truth.

Jed later told me that it was best that I not show my ID for now in case we are being followed.

After some discussion as to our purpose we were only permitted to look at specs and ask questions about the lifts and not see them.

Apparently, the lifts here have more than one cart in the shaft at a time. Kate and I were amazed to find out that there were 3 high-speed double-decker lifts that were capable of carrying passengers to and from the various decks and restaurants.

"Wow, they have more than one carriage in the shaft? How is that possible?" Kate said in genuine curiosity.

"A strong reinforced concrete base, galvanised steel ropes to keep tension on the shaft, and an elaborate steel frame to keep the whole thing light but strong," came the summarised answer from the desk.

"They must have amazingly strong cables to hold up two carriages inside the shaft," I commented.

"Oh, they are. Not to mention what power it takes to haul all of that up and down the shaft."

"Why are those ropes crossing over each other in that way?" Kate asked, pointing to the ropes on the tower on a depiction nearby.

Surprised at the simplicity of the question, and that it had not been asked as frequently as others, the person at the desk actually got up and took the illustrated depiction and brought it close to her. It was clear to Jed and I that the lady wasn't ready with an answer to the question.

She looked at the picture for a moment and was about to say something but then didn't.

I turned to Jed and then to Kate and said, "You know the spokes on a bike or what you used to see in the wheels of a car? It works the same way. The ropes are anchored all around the turret at the top and are fixed to the base below. This stops the tower from leaning in any direction. But now we also want to stop the building from twisting in the winds, so we anchor the ropes in a rotational pattern, meaning not straight down. When the tower tries to twist in a certain way, due to winds or the ground shifting, one or more ropes fight that pull in every direction."

Everyone was looking at me now. My explanation was good and I knew it. Jed started a slow clap. I felt a tiny bit annoyed but it was still okay.

"Yes, that's basically what the pattern is for and how it works. Thank Donald Crone and Associates for their amazing design and construction efforts," the lady said.

There was a moment of silence as we compiled all that information in our heads and then the lady said.

"Well, since you know a lot about the place, would you still like to look around? You'll have to pay the to get up top."

"Oh yes, let's go!" Kate enthusiastically said, "It's so high up!"

"I'm sure I can see my house from here," Jed joked.

I grinned. "Should'a saved that for when were in the elevator."

"Oops"