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Unit1“We’veBeenHit!”Withthebuildinginflames,onemanneededhelp.Anothermanrefusedtoleavehim.AdamMayblumusedtoenjoywatchingasstormslashedthewindowsofhisoffice:Youthinkthat’spower?Mayblumwouldscoff.I’monthe87thflooroftheWorldTradeCenter.That’spower.Thedrawstringsonhiswindowshadeswouldappeartoswayslightly,butitwasanillusion.Althoughtheywere1,040feetinthesky,TheWTCwasquitesteady.WhenMayblumfeltadevastatingrumbleonthatSeptembermorning,heglancedatthedrawstrings.Theywerecareeningwildly,threefeetineitherdirection.Mayblumwouldbeoneofthousandscastintoanextraordinarypurgatorythatmorning1.Whileasmanyas25,000wouldfindtheirwaytosafety,5,000wouldnot.Forsome,itwasamatterofgeography2—notjustwhichtowertheyworkedinoronwhichfloor,butinwhichcornerofthebuilding.Forsome,thechoiceswereasbasicaswhichstaircasetouse.Othersfacedtheultimatemoraldilemma:Saveyourself,orsaveanother.TheconfusioninsideAdamMayblum’sofficeatMayDavis,afinancialservicesfirm,lastedjustseconds.Heknewheneededtogetout.HerippedhisT-shirtintopieces,soakedthepiecesinwaterandgavethemtocolleaguestocovertheirfaces.Amongthem:HarryRamos,headtraderatMayDavis.MayblumhadworkedwithRamosoffandonfor14years.3SparksbitatMayblum’sanklesasheracedforthestairs.Hebolteddowntwoflightsbeforerealizingthathistradingpartner,HongZhu,hadbeenleftbehind.Hewentbackupstairs,thewholeareanowfilledwithsmokeandburningjetfuel.TherewasnosignofHong.Mayblumhurrieddownagainandmadeittothe78thfloor,atransferlobbywhereonesetofelevatorsandstairsendedandanotherbegan.Hesawareassuringsight;Ramoshadwadedintothepandemoniumtohelppanickedworkersintoastairwell.Mayblumcontinuedhisdescent,themusclesinhiscalvescontractinginspasms.Onthe53rdfloor,hecameacrossaheavysetmanwhoselegsjustwouldn’tmoveanymore.4“Doyouwanttocome,ordoyouwantustosendhelp?”Mayblumshouted.Themanaskedhimtosendhelp.Adamsaidhewould.Inthenoise,smokeandsparks,Mayblumdidn’trealizethathisfriendHongZhuwasbehindhiminthestairwellthewholetime.WhenHonggottothe53rdfloor,hecameacrossHarryRamos.RamoshadstoopedtohelptheheavysetmanMayblumhadseenearlier.“I’llgiveyouahand,”Hongsaid.Together,RamosandHonghelpedthemandownonemoreflighttoanelevator.“Don’ttakeit,”aPortAuthorityofficialscreamed.HongandRamostriedtosendamagazinedownintheelevatortotestitssafety.Butwhentheypressedthe“down”button,thedoorswouldn’tclose.SoHongdecidedthathewouldbetheguineapiginstead.5Hesteppedinside,andthedoorsshutbehindhim.Hongtooktheelevatordowntothe44thfloor,thenexttransferlobby.Sofar,sogood.Hepressed“52,”wentbackupandcollectedRamosandtheheavysetman.On44HongandRamoshelpedthemantowardthelastbankofelevatorsthatwouldtakethemallthewaydown.Hongpressedthe“down”buttonagain.Nothing.Theywouldhavetotakethestairs.RamosandHongtriedtosupporttheman.“Onestepatatime,”Hongsaid.Theyhadbeentryingtogetoutforanhourandfiveminutes.Theywereon36whentheyfelttheSouthTowercollapse.“Wereallyhavetomove,”Hongsaid.Therumblesofthecollapsingtowernextdoorseemedtosaptheheavysetmanofhislastgaspsofenergy.“Ican’tdoitanymore,”hesaid,sittingdown.HongandRamostriedtopersuadehimtocontinue.“Youdon’thavetomoveyourlegs!”Hongshouted.“Justmoveyourbutt.Let’sgo!”Butthemancouldn’tgoon.Afiremanranuptothem.Hongexpectedthathewouldjoinintogettheheavymantomove.Instead,thefiremanturnedtoHong.“Whoareyou,screamingathimtogetout?”thefiremanshouted.“Yougetout!”HonglookedatRamos,whowasstillstandingwiththeheavysetman.“I’mcomingdownwithyou,”Ramostoldtheman.“I’mnotgoingtoleave.”“Ileft,”Hongsayssorrowfully.“Alone.”Thenextday,AdamMayblumsentane-maildescribinghisexperiencetofriendsandrelatives,whosentittostillothers.Thee-mailwasreadbysomeoneinSanFranciscowhoknewawomaninNewYorknamedRebecca.Herhusband,Victor,aheavysetman,wasmissing.OnSaturday,September15,MayDavis’schairmanhadagatheringathisNewJerseyhome.AdamMayblumwasthere.SowasHongZhu.Rebeccawasalsothere,learninghowherhusband,Victor,hadbeencomfortedinhislastmoments,howHarryRamoshadrefusedtoleavehimbehind.Ramos’swife,Micky,wastheretoo.ShekeptaskingMayblumandHongwhereherhusbandwas,convincedthatsomehow,Harry—theonlyMayDavisemployeestillmissing—wasalive.Piecebypiece,shedevelopedapictureofhisescape:Harrywason87whentheplanehit.Hestoppedtohelpon78.HemetupwithHongon53.Butashardasshetried,asmanyquestionsassheasked,thepicturebegantofadeonthe36thfloor.6“我们被撞了”亚当·梅布拉姆过去很享受看着暴风雨敲打他办公室窗户的场景：你认为这就是力量吗？梅布拉姆可能会讥笑。我在世界贸易中心的87楼。这就是力量。百叶窗上的拉绳看起来像在轻轻地摇晃，但它只是一种假象。虽然它是在距离地面1,040英尺的高空中，但是世贸中心还是相当稳固的。在9月的那个早上，当梅布拉姆感觉到毁灭性的隆隆声时，他瞥了一眼拉绳。他们被疯狂坠入3英尺的任一方向。那天早上，有数千人将被卷入一场惊心动魄的灾难，梅布拉姆也是其中的一员。尽管多达25,000人找到了他们安全逃生的方式，但另外的5,000人却没有逃脱得了这场灾难。对于有些人来说，生死攸关的是此时此刻他们所在的地理位置---不仅是哪幢楼，哪一层，更重要的是在大楼的哪个角落。对于有些人来说，选择使用哪一个楼梯是最基本的。其他人所面对的则是终极的道德困境：拯救自己，还是拯救他人。在名为戴维斯的金融服务公司里，亚当·梅布拉姆办公室内的混乱持续了几秒钟。他知道他需要逃离那里。他把T恤撕成碎片，浸泡在水中，并分发给同事，用来捂住他们的脸。其中：有一个是戴维斯的首席交易员---哈里·拉莫斯。梅布拉姆曾与拉莫斯断断续续一起工作了14年之久。当他在楼梯上急速奔跑时，火花溅在了他的脚踝上。当他冲下一段楼梯之后，他才意识到他的贸易伙伴，朱红还落在后面。他又跑上楼，此时这个地方充满了烟和燃烧的喷气燃料。看不到朱红的影子。梅布拉姆又冲下楼梯，成功到达了78楼，这里恰好是有一部电梯和一个楼梯的中转大厅。他看到了一个令人放心的景象，拉莫斯已经淌进混乱的场面中，协助恐慌的工人转到安全的楼梯间。梅布拉姆继续往下跑，他小腿的肌肉因抽筋而收缩。在53层。他碰见了一个身材粗壮的男人，他的腿无法移动了。“你想自己过来，还是你想要我们来帮助你？”梅布拉姆大声喊道。这个男的说自己需要帮助，亚当·梅布拉姆答应了。在噪声、烟气和火花中，梅布拉姆