Original subtitles

Approximately 12 hours ago, a few minutes past 5 in the afternoon Central Time,

the city of Chicago and its environs

suffered a sudden and massive loss of power.

Since then, there has been much chaos and confusion, as citizens were forced to

spend the night, literally and figuratively, in the dark.

We have received no official information on the cause of the blackout.

Authorities are continuing their investigation to determine whether it was

human error, computer error, or possibly even an act of terrorism.

We've been hearing eyewitness reports throughout the night that the blackout has

spread across several Midwestern states, but communication remains spotty at best.

She's good, isn't she?

In fact, most of Chicago isn't even seeing this broadcast, only those with

battery-operated TVs and emergency generators.

And now we have reports from the National

Weather Administration confirming another threat.

A major storm is making its way south on Lake Michigan.

The stress caused to the power plant by a second storm system blasting its way up

through the Tornado Alley region of the country has greatly complicated the

process of getting power back to Chicago so that

warnings and other information can go out to the public.

With me is Ben Welsh of the Chicago Fire Department.

Can you tell me, what kind of rescues has your department been making?

We've gotten people out of elevators, off rooftops, out of office buildings,

parking garages.

We've heard that emergency services have been stretched to their limit.

Supplies are down.

We're running short of gas for our generators.

Things were bad before the blackout, but now they're pretty tough.

We certainly appreciate your hard work and dedication.

We've also heard scattered reports of looting incidents and store owners

charging as much as $50 for a pack of batteries.

Unfortunately, looting and price gouging are something that

we've come to expect during public emergencies like these.

In Chicago, this is Amy Harkin, WNUW News.

What have you got, Dave?

University Hospital is on emergency systems only.

They're short-staffed.

What about police and fire, Bob?

The automatic relay failed.

They're still trying to reset.

Hyde Park and most of the Southside stations are still completely in the dark.

If we don't get power back soon... Has anybody heard from Dan London?

Half the workforce in the loop got stuck in traffic jams last night.

People had to walk 10, 20 miles to get home.

I haven't heard from my family yet in Cicero.

I haven't heard from mine either.

Mom?

Lindsay?

Emergency

workers are needed in the city.

A severe new storm is forecast to hit the city as early as mid-afternoon.

Hello?

Hey, is anyone in there?

Hello?

Annie?

Sit down.

Everyone shut up.

Don't say a word.

Annie!

Andy One!

Hey, Eric, man, why don't you just go talk to her?

I mean, maybe she'll change her mind.

Change your mind about what?

I broke up with him.

Not because you wanted me to.

You should trust me.

I hate being away from home this long.

I wish I could just hear her voice.

You will.

I don't know what I was thinking.

I should have just got them to change my schedule.

Don't beat yourself up, Jeff.

She'll be fine.

What was that?

A police siren?

Maybe they're coming to rescue us?

Maybe not.

What time is it?

It's almost 6 in the morning.

We've been in here for over 12 hours.

The owner is going to get an earful from me.

Or better, my lawyer.

How are we going to get out of here?

Well, somebody will realize that you're not where you're supposed to be, won't they?

Yes, except I didn't call my parents to tell them I was coming.

I was going to call in the car.

What about your sister-in-law, the reporter?

Amy, right.

She'll come check on me.

Or Jeff will call and... Because I don't know anyone who'd come looking for me.

It's not that I don't have any friends.

It's just that people are used to me not answering the phone when I'm working.

You do pottery, right?

Sculpture.

I'm an artist.

And I had my studio here long before this.

Before locks were cool.

I've seen you with your stuff.

My stuff is all natural mediums.

I prefer to make art from materials that the Earth provides.

It's my way of paying homage to a planet

that modern man is systematically destroying.

Well, I'd like to see your pottery or sculptures someday.

You know, when we get out of here.

The storm, continuing to move straight down Lake Michigan towards Chicago,

is now building to winds gusting over 155 miles per

hour, which would make it a Category 5 hurricane.

Chicago's emergency services and communications

are down due to the continuing blackouts.

And the power outage has now been further complicated by the record number of

tornadoes moving up through western Missouri.

We're lucky they haven't hit a major city yet.

Well, they've hit everything else.

Trailer parks, small towns, churches, farms.

One just touched down outside of Braxton.

It's heading right for St. Louis.

We'll have to issue a warning.

You all right?

Yeah, yeah.

You know, I've been staring at clouds since I was a kid.

Ever since I realized I might be able to make a living staring at clouds,

I've been a pretty happy guy.

That's a lot of responsibility.

Yeah, well, that's the downside.

God knows I made some bad calls.

Galveston in 98.

I got them to issue an alarm.

It was an evacuation order.

The storm never came ashore.

64 people died in the panic.

Now, just as I'm starting to trust my instincts again,

everything I ever learned about weather is out the window.

With your experience, you'll figure this out faster than anyone else.

Yeah.

Andy.

We just received the overnight temperature readings for Illinois and Missouri.

Now, instead of dying down at night, this thing is actually gaining strength.

Yeah, the sun is up.

It gets too hot too soon.

How much stronger can this get?

Well, it's a stupid law.

I mean, how can they force us to take all the

nuclear reactors offline when we need power most?

I understand it's the safety systems.

I thought we had that problem fixed.

Okay, look.

Just get back to me.

You know, I always made sure my office had a shower in it and a fresh change of

clothes on hand, because you never know when you're going to pull it all nighter.

Well, at least we can crisis-manage with a backup generator and air conditioning.

Yeah, and a fully-stocked kitchen.

Thanks, Dennis.

You're welcome.

So what do you think?

Are they going to charge us?

For what?

Price manipulation?

Collusion?

They're not going to have anything on us.

And let's keep in mind, folks, that we're still producing electricity.

They're the ones who can't distribute it.

Alexa.

Becca.

Hi.

You're calling Craig?

Yeah.

How are you?

Under the circumstances.

Not bad.

Hang on.

It's Mitch Benson.

The feds have ordered us to take our nuclear plants offline.

Because our safety systems are at risk in a blackout.

Which means we can't get you any power.

Great.

Listen, we've analyzed this thing upside down and sideways.

It's got to be a hacker.

You think it's a terrorist?

Yeah, apparently they're threats.

The FBI's looking into it.

I got my hands full trying to get the power back on before this next storm hits.

What are you going to say to the press?

I don't know, Schiltz.

Maybe something like a virus has infected our computers and we can't get rid of it.

And emergency services is running out of fuel for their backup generators.

Otherwise, everything's just great.

Sense of humor in the midst of a crisis.

I like that.

Like, I'll send Becca over to help out.

You keep me updated and I'll do the same.

Mitch?

Yeah.

Secretary Abbott is still on the phone.

I'll take it at my desk.

Thanks.

Well, I've met with the president.

He told me whatever you need, the federal government is ready to help.

The federal government just ordered Lexar to take their nuclear plants offline.

And I've been calling power companies east and west

trying to find some power and nobody's got any for us.

Has Greater Midwest ever gotten power coming across the Western Interconnect?

No, ma'am, but if we can map a route, we can get it.

Yes, but if you try to come through lines

without enough capacity, you could melt them.

Right now, my main problem is time.

This storm is set to hit by mid-afternoon.

Let me get to work on this.

I'll call you back as soon as I have more information.

Yes, ma'am.

I told him we'd take care of it.

You know the outside power companies are going to say they

have their hands full providing to their own customers.

Well, did L.A.

spend the night in the dark?

Does Denver have a major storm bearing down on them?

No, but they've got wildfires burning out of control in three states that have

knocked out the power in parts of Utah and Arizona.

What he's proposing is very risky.

If it doesn't go right, it not only melts the lines, it

could potentially disrupt other grids across the country.

But with three million lives at stake in Chicago alone,

I'm afraid we're going to have to take some risks.

Hey.

I thought I looked like hell.

Long night.

Longer for you than me.

Is your family okay?

Well, last time I talked to Jane, she was going

to go get the kids and wait to hear from me.

Of course, that was before the power went out and I haven't heard from them since.

I'm sure they're safe at home.

Listen about this press conference.

Do we know what we're saying?

Yeah.

We're working on the problem.

We'll let you know when it's fixed.

But do not ask me to defend this computer program that Lexer shoved down our throats.

I'll handle those questions.

Ready?

How are you holding up?

I'm running on adrenaline.

Yeah, me too.

What happens when it runs out?

We just take turns keeping each other awake.

Okay, we've all had a long night.

Yes, there's been a city-wide power outage, the

cause of which we're still trying to determine.

Now, the load at the time that the grid began to fail

was no different than it's been for the last three weeks.

But our primary concern is getting the power back

on so we can warn people about this big storm.

We didn't just lose power.

Backup systems across the city failed.

Was that caused by a computer program recently installed by Lexercorp?

Yes, the backup systems did fail.

And the program that you're referring to was approved by the

city council and was undergoing extensive testing, obviously.

The fact is we're looking at a broad spectrum of systems that failed here.

An exhaustive investigation... Has this

exhaustive investigation produced any leads?

We can't answer that and you know it.

You know, the important thing at the moment

is how we get the power back on to the city.

We have about four hours before we expect the storm to hit.

What's Dan London telling you?

Nothing.

Nobody's seen him since the power went out.

Jace, we gotta go.

Where to?

Find the man with the answers.

I'll take us in closer for a better wind reading.

It's stronger than it looks.

When the lights come back on, the cops will be spread way too thin.

It's gonna be easy to escape.

With this cache... We can go anywhere we want.

They still know who we are.

They'll tell the cops and they'll track us down.

And I'm not going to prison for this, man.

I could go to prison just for taking that dude's gun.

I say we ditch the guns and just split, alright?

They're gonna have to kill us first.

We're all witnesses.

Without this?

I should try to talk to them.

Absolutely not.

This whole thing started with Eric freaking out because I broke up with him.

If I'm nice to him, I can probably get him to calm down.

Maybe it's worth a try.

Try it with your own daughter.

No, I am not sending you out there to

bargain with a punk kid holding a loaded gun.

What if we rush them?

Lindsay!

Get back.

Mom, let me do this.

Step back.

Look, you can turn this whole thing around.

I didn't mean for this to get out of control.

I know that.

You're not a bad person.

I just really wanted to talk to you, Lindsay.

This was all an accident.

Then show me by putting down the gun and letting those people out of here.

Now's the time.

While he's distracted with the girl.

But there's two of them.

Yeah, the other kid won't do anything.

We'll still be in trouble.

But not as much trouble.

Just take the bullets out and put it away.

Then when we get out of here, I can tell him you did it voluntarily.

You'll stick up for me?

Yeah.

You got Panda being trapped in here.

Well, yeah, I mean, that's right.

Oh, Lindsay!

Lindsay!

She's been shot!

Help me!

Help me!

Help me!

Andy, Tommy's on line three.

Tommy, where are you?

I'm looking at the St. Louis Arch.

Where do you see some of this footage I've been getting, Andy?

I'm a little jealous.

Listen, Tommy, our readings are showing this thing spawning F4 and F5 tornadoes.

What are you seeing?

You know, I'm amazed.

I haven't heard you complain once.

The path to inner peace is the relinquishing of all

desire to affect things that are beyond one's control.

Is that Buddhism?

Stoicism.

It is similar to the Dallas philosophy of China.

You know that?

Applying ancient wisdoms to today's problems

really puts things into perspective.

You know, I've been thinking more about philosophy since I've been pregnant.

Maybe you could recommend some books.

Well, it boils down to two things.

Live in harmony with nature and take responsibility for how you live your life.

And always make sure there's enough granola on the shelf.

That was a joke.

I don't find anti-environmentalism very funny.

I'm not anti-environment.

You don't recycle half as much as you should.

Have you been going through our trash?

I don't have to.

Am I wrong?

Okay, we could recycle more, but I'm certainly not against recycling.

It's now confirmed that the tornado that touched down in St. Louis was an F5,

the highest on record.

Sources now privately fear that the deadly band of tornadoes which began several days

ago could actually slam all the way to Chicago, where that city is already

bracing for a massive storm with Category 5 hurricane force winds.

The more destruction this bastard causes, the stronger it gets.

You see the damage reports from St. Louis?

How could it knock down the arch?

I thought that thing was built to withstand 300 mile an hour winds.

I thought the highest winds ever recorded for an F5 tornado were 243 miles an hour.

Which makes this an F6.

And we've never seen an F6.

Has a system spawning these kinds of tornadoes

ever collided with a Category 5 hurricane?

Not that anybody's ever seen.

What'll happen if it does?

Hiroshima and Nagasaki times 50.

If these two storms do converge, you've got to help those people.

The system which caused such severe damage in St. Louis only an hour ago continues to

pick up steam as it hurls towards Chicago, where that city is already girding itself

with a hurricane which will hit the downtown area in just three hours.

Millions of people still don't know about the severity of the storm because of the

continuing power blackout, which is now the subject of an exhaustive internal

investigation by the Lexer Energy Corporation.

Dan Lennon was always harping on me about security.

Maybe we should have listened.

He's an idealist.

His ideas in this economy aren't remotely compatible.

We should fire him.

Now?

Announce it in a press release.

Lexercorp dismisses its head systems operator, Dan Lennon.

Lennon was responsible for installing the programs,

linking the city's backup generators, blah blah blah.

But everyone will assume he caused the problem.

Precisely.

After something like this, somebody always takes a fall.

Would you rather it be you?

I didn't think so.

This is exactly what he said was gonna happen.

So why does he up and disappear in the middle of it?

Well, that's what we gotta find out.

Just hope he's okay.

Yeah.

Hey, you know, a couple blocks up, will you take a ride on Hermitage?

Why?

I just want to check on my sister-in-law,

make sure she made out of her apartment okay.

When was the last time you talked to her?

Before the blackout.

What's wrong?

I think I just felt a pain.

Well, um...

Oh, I'm sure it's fine.

I'm sorry.

You must think I'm this, uh, cantankerous old lady.

No, you've been a complete joy to spend time with.

I-I'm sorry.

I, um... I should have been more, uh, sensitive to your condition.

I...

My condition?

I'm pregnant, okay?

Laura?

Hey, honey, you here?

She took us three years.

We spent all our money on fertility testing and artificial insemination.

And then we stopped trying, and, uh... It's funny how that works, isn't it?

Yes.

She went to her parents!

Are you sure?

Her suitcase is gone.

Jeff told her to go there.

I don't know, tell me not to worry.

I shouldn't worry, right?

Don't worry.

I always wanted to be a mom.

But the, uh, the pregnancy part turned out to be a little tougher than I expected.

The doctors told us she needs to stay in a real low-stress environment.

I'll tell you one thing.

I can't wait to be a dad.

Having a son's the greatest thing going.

Taking him to his first Cubs game.

Going up with him on his first chairlift.

You know, just getting down on the floor, doing a little wrestling.

I just pulled into Sangamon County.

And I'm looking at the total destruction of a farm compound.

I'm okay.

That was close.

All right.

Now listen up.

Something happens to me.

And these recordings fall into someone else's hands.

As God is my witness, I bequeath every bit of video, audio, to Andy Goodman.

The National Weather Administration.

It's not like we can just press a button and send power wherever you want us to.

No.

You'd have to press more than one button.

But I bet if there was a gun to your head, you could easily get enough votes from

your board within the next hour to get this process started.

Are you going to be the one holding the gun?

We don't use guns in this office, Mr. Gordon.

We have other, more effective weapons at our disposal.

Are you threatening me?

Please inform your chairman.

He has one hour to get those votes.

We have to map a transmission route that goes

over, under, and around the lines that are down.

And the main risk, obviously, is not to overload the lines that we've got.

But we've got to get power to emergency services and the

people who are trapped and don't know what's going on.

So, that's it.

Get to work.

No.

We're not asking for favors, Jerry.

We're inviting you to join a humanitarian effort.

One which the president endorses and which

many of your competitors have already joined.

All right.

We go through the Belmont corridor here and then here through Lincoln Park.

These lines don't have enough capacity.

Okay.

Well, then you try to reduce the load or take it around Lincoln Park.

Okay.

Okay?

Yes.

We're acutely aware of the strain on your plants,

but this would only be for a short period of time.

And since it's a group effort, we're not asking for a lot.

How are we doing with Calumet?

That route should be good.

Yeah, but not this one here.

So, all right.

Go back to the Humboldt Street substation and find a new route from there.

Okay.

Okay.

How's this for a perspective?

The companies who do help us will be publicly

noted and have our praise heaped upon them.

The companies that decline will also be publicly

noted with something different heaped upon them.

This is the emergency broadcast system.

Everyone's headed away from the lake.

Yeah, and we're heading straight for it.

Any time you want to go, just say the word.

Yeah, well, if you're sticking it out, so am I.

Jase, you don't have to.

If I take off, who's going to be around to keep you out of trouble?

Away from windows and doors and flying debris.

Dan, it's Amy!

Dan, I know you're in there or...

You know what's going on, right?

Why aren't you at Midwest?

It's big, isn't it?

The whole city is down.

It's spreading to other states.

This is exactly what you said was going to happen.

I did, didn't I?

Is there something wrong?

Besides the whole Midwestern grid failing?

What, were you planning on trying to help?

What do you think I've been doing?

I've been up all night.

I'm totally stressed.

My chest feels like there's a thousand pounds on it.

Was it you?

Dan?

What have you done?

I've been asking myself the same question.

I know the storm hits in a few hours, but if we move

too fast, we could blow every grid in the country.

I understand the risks, Bob, but we have to make

sure that these weather warnings get out, okay?

That's the plan.

If anybody's got a better one, please speak now.

All right, everybody work together.

Let's make it happen.

Hey, how are you?

How are you?

I can't believe the pressure you're under.

It keeps me from worrying about other stuff.

Your family?

Yeah, I just have to believe that everything's okay, you know?

I'm sure they are.

Your wife seems like someone you can count on in a crisis.

Yeah, she is.

She needs a doctor.

Is there no way to override the security doors?

Not without backup power.

What about shooting the glass out of the windows?

They're bulletproof.

You know I didn't mean to do this, right?

Threatening people with a loaded gun is no accident.

Mom?

It's okay, babies.

I'm gonna get you out of here.

Oh, I promise I'm gonna get you out of here.

Move immediately to low-rise buildings or pre-designated

public shelters before you are cut off by floodwaters.

So from the beginning, Wrigley Field, all those other incidents, that was all you.

It was my way of warning them.

You knew the system better than anyone else.

No one looking over your shoulder.

You could erase your fingerprints, point to an intruder from the outside.

And still, they wouldn't listen.

So you wrote a virus program that told the system it was overloaded.

That's the only way that they feel the full impact.

So now that you've proven your point, why haven't you turned the power back on?

First of all, I didn't know that a tornado was gonna take out 200 miles.

200 miles of transmission lines.

And after that, it...

It just got out of control.

You have to believe me.

It doesn't matter what I believe.

What matters is getting the power back on.

Can you do that?

No, I can't.

I can't log in from here.

I've tried everything.

The system won't allow remote access.

You are aware that there was another storm coming.

People have died.

We have to get power back to the police, the hospitals, the shelters.

I know all that, but I can't go back to Midwest.

They won't let me into the system.

They'll know it's me.

They'll call the police, the FBI.

You log in from somewhere else?

Dan, you have to try.

You don't.

It will only be worse for you down the line.

What do you care?

You don't care about me.

You got your story.

I care.

I care about those people, those families whose lives are at risk.

I didn't mean to crash the whole thing.

The only way to prove that is to get back in there and erase those viruses.

You do that, I will tell the entire world that

you are only trying to do the right thing.

I will tell your story on the air.

Like you did last time?

I will give it to a newspaper.

I'll do whatever it takes.

You just got to think there has got to be a site

other than Midwest that you can log on from.

Winds at 160 knots.

Waves in excess of 15 meters.

Precipitation extremely heavy.

This thing's off the charts.

Andy, we're going to get a 12 to 15 foot storm surge.

We need to move those people away from the shoreline now.

And send them where?

We tell the emergency people evacuate millions of

residents in southern Lake Michigan and send them inland.

Right into the path of oncoming tornadoes.

It's not much of a choice, is it?

I already know the question.

Then don't make me ask it, pal.

I bet you a two dollar bill, Andy, that this thing is going all the way to Chicago.

Yeah, that's what I was afraid of.

Yes?

Ah, put him through.

Ross!

You're five minutes late, but the offer's still open.

Wait.

Wait.

You're talking to me about regulatory concessions?

We're talking about lives at stake.

No, we're out of time.

Oh, my friend, the consequences will be so much more painful than a twisted arm.

I'm a very nice person.

But I'm not someone you want for your enemies.

Hurricane and tornado warnings are now in

effect for all counties bordering Lake Michigan.

Torrential rains and gale force winds over 150 knots are imminent.

Okay, I'm gonna have Jason start taping you so we can show you restoring the system.

I just want people to know the truth.

Wait, where do you think you're going?

Oh, they sent me from Midwest.

I need to log into the system.

Come on, this is an emergency.

I'm here to fix the problem.

I'll start uploading codes that reverse the first sequence.

And tell the system it's not overloaded.

What's the vacuum on the condenser?

Three inches of vacuum.

Start the auxiliary oil pumps.

Somebody give me the seal oil pressure.

Fifteen pounds.

Close the transformer disconnects.

Start the exciter.

Open the turbine outlets.

It's going to be a staggered transmission.

Our engineers will be contacting you with instructions.

Thank you.

You will not regret this.

You did it.

You mean I bullied, badgered, and sweet-talked a bunch of middle-aged power

company executives into helping a city in crisis.

And by the way, none of them are doing it for free.

Should we call Grainer Midwest?

Oh, I bet they could use some good news about now.

Thank you.

Bye.

Okay, the deal's in place.

Everybody knows the plan.

As each of your regions comes online, I want

you to confirm with your field contacts.

Okay, got it.

Good work, everyone.

The DOE came to a financial agreement with power companies in the West.

Only the government's not paying for it.

We are.

Can they do that?

No, we're not going down without a fight.

Tell everybody they can go home.

They've already gone.

We'll be on our way home in just a few minutes, okay?

Bye.

Did we get a relay override on 348 breaker?

Yes.

40% of the city has power now.

Well, let's still leave 60%.

Remember, synchronous speed.

Yeah.

Okay, okay, let's go.

Come on, come on, come on!

This piece is gonna be great.

What are you gonna do about Walt?

Look, I made a promise to Dan.

So once the piece is finished, if he says no, we're gonna go to 60 minutes.

Tornadoes in Chicago.

What did we ever do to piss off Mother Nature?

I wouldn't worry about this building.

It's built to withstand winds up to 300 miles an hour.

Now if the wind's stronger, it'll just blow away?

If the wind blows stronger than 300 miles an hour, the whole city will blow away.

Yeah.

Okay, come on, we're ready.

The chopper's here.

Let's go.

I considered having a natural childbirth.

And then the labor pains began, and I said, give me the drugs.

You had a child.

Oh, I have a child, yeah.

She lives in London.

Why so far away?

She's a currency trader, and she likes it there.

What happened to her father?

Died.

Heart attack two years ago.

And we hadn't even saved a dime, so that's why I moved into my studio here.

And now, now they're selling it out from under me.

Couldn't you go live with your daughter?

What, and give up my independence?

Hell no.

Do you have other family?

Nope, nope.

It's just me and my art.

Hmm.

You must get lonely.

Loneliness is a form of weakness.

I don't believe that.

People need people.

Ridiculous song.

You know, I could never imagine being separated from my child.

Or have your husband die on you, but it happens.

You know, I... I never talk to anyone about this stuff.

It's, uh...

It's too painful.

I understand painful.

You okay?

Breathe.

Breathe.

Hang in there, baby.

I'm sorry, Mom.

What?

Not trusting you?

Let's just get you out of here.

The city's well over 50% and most emergency facilities are coming back again, right?

Let's do it.

Got the power back.

You can get out of here now.

Well, you know, everybody here is missing their families.

I'm gonna stay to the end.

It began as a demonstration of our power system's vulnerabilities.

A wake-up call to the public that said, Do not take your electricity for granted.

Uh, I needed to let people know that computer technology cuts both ways.

Through this man's efforts, power is about to be restored to the city of Chicago.

What was intended as a warning got out of control.

But hopefully the end result will help change people's thinking about the

reliability of their power and force companies like Lexercorp to be more

accountable and make the system better instead of always seeking the cheap.

and easy solution.

The next part of your story is at Midwest when the lights come back on.

You, uh, you better get going.

Thanks, Dan.

Winds are at their highest yet.

Still heading for the south shore.

The storm is gonna be massive.

Before I left, my sister was giving me a hard time about flying weather recon.

Being too dangerous and all that.

Irony is, we're safer up here than they are down there.

You've got to keep your blood circulating.

What if the baby starts to come?

Mind over body.

You just keep telling yourself it is not gonna happen until you are ready.

God, I don't know if I'm gonna make it.

Laura, just listen to me.

You have somehow got to let go of all of your fears.

Easy for you to say.

Okay, well, um, you've seen Gone with the Wind?

Well, if Scarlett O'Hara can birth a baby, so can I.

I thought you had no sense of humor.

Hey, the power's coming back on.

You should try calling her again.

I'll take the controls.

I've got it, I've got it.

Yeah, yeah, right here.

Hello?

Laura?

Are you okay?

We... we've been stuck in the elevator.

We've been in here forever.

We have to get...

Laura?

Laura?

Laura?

Laura, what's wrong?

Uh, Jeff, hi.

Who's this?

Is Helen Travers your neighbor upstairs?

Everything is all right?

Laura is fine, she's just in a little pain.

Is she having the baby?

No, no, not yet.

Is she really okay?

I'm not sure.

We've been stuck in this elevator.

Since when?

Five o'clock yesterday afternoon.

But now that the phone's working, we'll dial 911.

So you don't know about the blackout?

Oh, it was a blackout.

Helen, I need you to listen to me very carefully.

And I need you to stay calm for Laura's sake.

There are two very big storms headed toward Chicago.

Two?

Either one would be destructive.

But together, they'll be deadly.

Hello?

Hello?

What did he say?

Uh, um, apparently there's a city-wide blackout.

It's not just our building.

I'm gonna call 911.

Yeah.

Hurry.

No, it's not working.

Oh, Maria.

Oh, sweetheart.

What am I gonna do?

No!

No!

No!

No!

No!

Lindsay?

Dad?

Garth?

Where are you?

At the North Avenue mall.

Mom and Lindsay didn't make it home last night.

What?

I was freaking.

I couldn't call out.

There were no lights.

I was all alone.

But when the power came back on, I had a message on voicemail.

She called from the bank at the mall just before the blackout.

Okay, well, call me whether you find them or not, and I'll come pick you up, okay?

I will, Dad.

I can open the door.

We're gonna get out of here.

Call 911.

Mom.

Garth.

Garth.

What happened to Lindsay?

She was shot.

Is she gonna be all right?

Just as soon as we get her to a hospital.

Ringing.

There's no answer.

The lines must be jammed.

I heard they were closing down all the hospitals near the shoreline.

There's a storm coming from the lake, and they've issued

tornado warnings for another storm coming up from the south.

You should go on home.

What about them?

What are we gonna do?

Just get them out of here.

Okay, go on.

Get outta here.

Just make sure you're on Mitch Benson's face when I tell him.

Sir,

are you sure you want to override the system controller?

No, I don't.

But I don't have another role.

This is our option and I think this is going to work.

If we come back online out of phase, you'll cook the generators.

Sir, we could melt down the entire grid.

Damn it, I know the risk!

Alright, get all your operators out of here.

I'm going to sink the units by myself.

Go!

Now!

Everybody out!

Out!

We're at 75%.

It shouldn't be long now.

Okay, I'm going to go get my family.

Alright, listen up everybody.

You're doing a great job.

When this storm hits, I want everybody down in the shelter.

This weather system is unlike anything we've

seen before and it's going to hit us hard.

So no heroics.

I want to see every one of your faces when this is over.

Good luck.

Thanks.

Listen, I just... Don't say it.

I...

I just feel badly that we hurt another person.

I'd like to leave it at that.

Mitch, you need to hear this.

We're in the middle of a crisis.

I will have a press conference when all this is over.

I don't have time to talk to you right now.

We just came from the Southside substation where Dan London is erasing the virus.

What?

He's been the hacker all along.

He did it to prove how vulnerable the system is.

What are you talking about?

Dan London created a virus to disable the system.

As we speak, he's erasing it and turning the power back on.

Shut down all the lines.

Tell Pacific to stop transmission.

Just trip the circuits manually if you have to.

What?

What is it?

They're already receiving emergency

transmissions from the Western Interconnect.

If he doesn't realize we're at full capacity, he brings up all these lines out

of sequence and he's going to blow the entire grid to Kingdom Come.

Mitch.

What?

It's your wife.

Jane?

The Northwest Artery just came online.

Mitch.

What is it?

I'm at the North Avenue Mall.

Garth and Lindsay are with me.

It's him.

The whole corridor is coming up.

What's wrong?

Garth is okay.

But Lindsay's been shot.

Shot?

By a gun?

She's lost some blood, but I think she's stable.

Listen, all the hospitals are closed and things are incredibly chaotic.

Where can we go?

Where can we go?

She needs help.

I'm going to come get you.

Stay where you are and I'll be right there.

I'm going to get you and bring you back here.

The shelter here is the safest place in the city.

I'll be right there.

Mitch, the Interconnect manager's flipping out.

The lines, the transformers, the substations, they're all overloading.

The stogan.

Good save.

Good save.

God, Jason, what have I done?

It's not your fault.

I talked him into it.

Because you thought you were doing the right thing.

Or was I just going after the great story?

Yeah, I'm sorry.

Thanks.

Mitch, the garage is locked down.

You can't get your car out.

Mitch, our van is out front.

We'll take you.

All right.

I'm going to make a phone call.

Getting started.

Well, Mr. President, I'm just glad we were on the same side for once.

But I'm still opposed to deregulation.

And even though I'm willing to agree to disagree,

I'm determined to keep this debate alive.

Yes, sir.

I'll keep you posted.

Something's happening with the transmissions to Chicago.

They just lost power again, and so did Detroit and Cleveland.

Some kind of chain reaction is going on.

My only regret is that you ain't here riding shotgun with me, old buddy.

Tommy, this is a lot bigger than anyone ever expected.

Just turn around and get out of there.

Oh, come on.

You're just jealous because it's me here, not you.

I got twins over Chicago, Andy.

Two giant beasts marching to the same drum.

Tommy, listen to me.

You've already got great stuff, all right?

It's not worth it anymore.

Get out of there.

I got triplets!

I got triplets!

Tommy, listen to me.

Tommy, nobody's ever seen three before.

What's happening, isn't it?

A nightmare scenario.

Two monster storms colliding right over the city of Chicago.

Faster in this city than Jason.

Her cell service is out again.

Lauren's a strong person.

She'll be making the right choices.

Well, what choices does she have when she's trapped in an elevator?

This thing's going to hit so hard, all those old buildings

are going to be ripped down to their foundations.

Jeff!

You know, I'm sure Jeff called Amy.

She'll call the Marines to get us out of here.

You know, she and I rode up in this elevator together.

She reminds me of my daughter.

I really do miss her.

There's no shame in that.

She keeps asking me to come live with her.

You should.

You know, you could still do your art in London.

Yeah, but, uh, I still have to stay independent.

Well, living with someone doesn't make you dependent on them.

It just means being closer to someone that you love.

What

are you not telling me?

How many customers without power?

Conservative estimate, 35 million.

Can they stop it from spreading further?

That could impact every grid in the country, except Texas.

It was a calculated risk.

Calculated or not, it happened on my watch.

Gareth, keep pressure on this, okay?

All right.

A lot of pressure.

I can't believe you made it here.

Don't talk.

You need your energy.

That's a new way to say shut up.

All right, then.

Shut up.

My husband's on his way here.

If you could help me move my daughter out

into the mall, you can go home to your family.

I want to help.

Let me help.

We could use some bandages.

It stood up to almost a century of big storms.

But I wonder how old those cables are.

I don't remember seeing them being replaced in the last 20 years.

Oh, my God, what if they gave way?

Okay, now you're freaking yourself out.

Between the first and second floor, that would be a 20-foot fall.

Okay, now you're freaking me out.

Okay, all right, what am I talking about?

This is a very, very sturdy old building.

Oh, get them coming, sweetie, get them coming.

I've seen a lot of storms, but I've never seen anything like this before.

We are not going to worry.

Amy is going to come, just like you said.

What if we die in here?

Laura, stop it!

Right here.

I'm sorry.

It's okay, it's okay.

We're fine.

Go home to your kids.

It's really starting to hurt.

I'm so sorry.

I'm so sorry, honey.

Dad should be here any minute.

Well, what if he doesn't make it?

He'll be here.

He'll be here.

Remember, there's a pharmacy over on the other side.

Okay.

All right.

Let's get you bandaged.

Where the hell's the bank?

I think it's upstairs.

Jane!

Jane!

Here.

Take two of these.

There.

Here.

We can't wait for your dad.

But we're safe here.

We've got this.

We've got to get it to a doctor.

Laura!

Jane!

Go.

Go.

It's okay.

It's okay.

Dad's here.

Dad!

Dad!

Where's your mom?

They're down by the bank.

Come on.

Hey, honey.

Dad's here now.

We're gonna get you some help, okay?

It's a little better now.

I'm so sorry.

Let's get her out of here.

Yeah, Jason.

Give me some help here.

Yeah, sure.

Just leave it, sweetie.

It's all right.

It's all right.

It's all right.

Let's go, honey.

I can't wait.

Just take anything.

Don't do the fastest.

We should try to hurry a little.

Okay, everybody.

I got you now.

I'll be right back.

Amy.

Thank God I got through to you.

Oh, my God.

Jack?

Where are you?

Not far from there.

Listen, Laura's stuck in the elevator in our building.

No!

Her suitcase was gone!

I was there!

She went to her parents!

No, she got stuck when the power went out.

I need you to go get her and take her to the hospital.

All the doctors and nurses have evacuated!

The hospitals are down!

What?

Is she having a baby?

She's feeling labor pains.

I mean, it could happen any minute now.

Okay.

Okay, listen to me.

I need you to go get her and then stay by your

phone and I'll call you back to coordinate, okay?

But we're day one!

I'm gonna land and try to pick you guys up.

I'll call you later.

This is getting worse.

It's turned into a category six.

I hope the ones who didn't get out made it into shelters.

Yeah, nuclear fallout shelters.

Come on, Tommy.

Come on, answer the phone.

Come on.

Come on, Tommy.

Pick it up.

Pick it up.

Pick it up.

Jeff, your sister will come through.

Yeah, but we'll be too late.

Look, I know this is crazy, but his plan is to fly

down through the eye of the storm and pick us up.

There's a medic on his crew.

We've got to do it, Mitch!

Look out!

Where's the building?

Out in three blocks!

Dad, look out!

What a story to tell your boy when he gets older.

Um, you thought of a name yet?

We were gonna call him Storm.

Seriously?

We wanted it to be unique.

Yes, Storm is unique.

And his dad is a storm chaser.

You know my husband?

His name was Lorenzo.

I always loved that name.

It's all, um...

Poetic?

Poetic, yeah.

Okay, that's it.

Time to leave now.

Everyone get down to the basement.

Let's go.

That means everyone.

Amy?

You out there?

Look, if you can hear me, everyone that's still

here has gone down to the basement to wait this out.

So you and Jason just get to safety.

I'll meet you inside.

But the garage is around the corner!

You know what?

They're stuck between this far and the next one.

Morris, hurry!

Jason, go see what you can find.

Okay.

You guys stay here.

I'm gonna go see if I can help.

I'll come too.

No, stay with your mom!

Hang in there, honey.

I'll be right back.

Are you okay?

I'm trying to be.

If we're gonna make it through this, I swear we will.

You'll be okay.

Okay.

I'll be right back.

Okay.

I couldn't find anything!

How long do you think it'll be?

Oh, it shouldn't be too much longer, sweetie.

What if they can't get her out?

Will we miss the plane?

It's okay.

It's okay.

Honey, your dad is gonna get us on that plane.

He's not working!

Behind the sixth floor!

There's something wrong with that door!

It might be easier to open!

Okay, go, go!

I'll be here.

Okay, everybody, listen up.

McCormick Field is a small abandoned military airport.

6,000 feet of continuous asphalt.

My calculation is we'd have between 16 and 18 minutes of calm air.

That's not much.

But it's your wife.

Okay, recheck the calculations.

I've only got one minute.

I've only got one shot at missing her.

All right, I'll climb down, and you meet me down... No, man.

Okay?

You got a family.

I'll climb down.

All right, I'll meet you downstairs.

Be careful!

I will.

Is he okay?

I think so!

I'm gonna go help Matt.

No!

Stay!

They'll be back soon!

Are you all right?

No!

I think I broke my leg!

Jason fell!

He's on top of the elevator!

He's hurt!

There's a door release switch on the wall over there!

Do you think you can make it over there?

I'll try!

You're almost there!

Take it.

I have control.

Hello?

Hello?

This is Jeff Harkin.

Okay listen.

Amy, Jason, and my husband, Mitchell You and your coach

have gone up to get your wife out of the elevator.

You don't know if they found her yet?

No, but they've been gone about 30 minutes.

You're okay.

Thank you.

Okay, we're preparing to dive through the eye.

We're going to be landing at a place called McCormick Field.

Okay, I know where that is.

How much time do we have?

Dad!

Mom talked to that pilot.

He said that we have to meet him in 27 minutes.

And that was two minutes ago.

Meet him where?

A small airport outside the city.

He said the timing has to be perfect.

Look, we're never going to get him out of there in 27 minutes.

You guys got to go.

What about you?

I can't leave him.

Hey, Laura, we got to go.

Come on.

Laura, I'm fine, okay?

You are going to be fine.

So is the baby.

I love you.

Tell Jeff I love him.

Go!

Helen, come.

No, I can help her get him out.

I've got tools in my studio.

You can't do it by yourself.

Please, Helen.

Please.

Please.

No, it's okay.

It's okay.

I'm going to be fine.

It's okay.

It's okay.

You're going to have your baby, all right?

I've opened the door.

Go for Lorenzo.

Don't forget.

Okay, go, go, go, go.

Okay, come on.

Let's go.

Hang on, James.

We're coming to get you.

Cover yourself up with these, okay?

Use them to protect yourself.

When the power was back on, thousands of people

that were trapped and stranded got rescued.

And a large part of that population got information

on the storm that gave them time to find shelter.

Thank you for trying to make me feel better.

Is it working?

No.

The outages have spread to the west.

California, Oregon, Washington.

They're going all over the country.

That's not your fault.

The press will need someone to focus blame on.

You oppose the energy bill.

You've been outspoken on condemning the

dismantling of the EPA and the Clean Air Act.

If I was so opposed to those policies, why didn't I just quit?

Because you thought you could do more good on the inside than the outside.

I can see it now.

During the Great American Blackout, Secretary of Energy

Abbott sat in her office and watched the lights go out.

This old bird's going to show us what she's made of.

She's never been through anything this intense.

What you're reading on the eye should be breaking through in the next few minutes.

Roger that.

Mitch!

We've got to hurry!

I can't see anything!

Okay.

How are we going to do this?

We're going to unscrew the bolt.

Open the grate and help him down.

Find something to pry it loose!

I'm not going to tell you to hurry, huh?

Yeah.

Hi.

I'm not going to tell you this.

This whole thing's about to come crashing down, either.

Yeah, I appreciate that.

We made it.

To the eye.

We still have to land, take off, and fly back through it all over again.

Ed.

Look.

We're in the eye.

We've only got 14 minutes.

Come on, let's go!

Listen.

Why didn't you go with them?

Think the best damn cameraman I ever had?

I don't think so.

You see the landing strip?

It's got to be down there somewhere.

And if I don't find it, we'll land on the Dan Ryan Expressway.

Dan, I don't see it.

It's not here.

It's okay.

Just get the gate.

There she is.

All right.

Prepare for landing.

Flaps 30?

Flaps 30.

Gear down?

Gear down.

And three in the green.

Dad, look!

It's coming!

It's coming!

Come on!

Almost there, you guys.

Hang on.

Let's get off.

Where's Amy?

Jason got trapped in the elevator.

What?

She wouldn't leave him.

Oh, God.

The back side of the storm's going to have the strongest winds yet.

You know your sister.

We tried.

30 seconds!

Damn it, Amy.

We're going to need you to slide off, and

we're going to help you down the ladder, okay?

Okay.

Here I go.

Here we go.

Yep.

See?

Okay, sweetie.

We're almost there.

Oh, take it easy.

All right.

Mitch?

It's all right.

Check on Laura.

You okay?

Yeah.

Okay.

Hang in there, sweetheart.

We're almost there.

Almost there.

How much time between them?

Not enough.

Here you go.

Thanks.

Deliver with your first.

At least you'll stay 12 hours or longer.

My aunt delivered her baby in a taxi on the way to hospital.

Oh!

Oh!

8,500 feet.

Wind velocity is 157 knots.

Okay.

All right?

Yeah.

You okay?

I

just got to pray this thing doesn't collapse on us.

I haven't prayed in a long while, but it is time to start again.

This is Dash 7.

53rd Weather Recon Squadron to Zachary Air Base.

Zachary, do you copy?

Copy.

We have two emergency medical cases on board.

Not crew.

I repeat, not crew.

One is my wife, and she is pregnant.

And we need a base obstetrician standing by.

The other is a teenage girl with a gunshot wound.

We left the camera in the car.

Yeah.

I know, Chase.

I know.

Well, how are we going to tell the story?

We'll get out of here.

We're just...

We're just going to have to find those tapes.

And if we don't...

find the tapes?

We're going to tell the story anyway.

The world needs to know.

And we owe it to Dan to let people know he was trying to do the right thing.

Everybody, Jeff says we're going to be there in just about five minutes.

So just hang on.

We're almost there.

It's okay.

He'll be there soon.

Keep thinking about Amy.

Yeah, well, if there's one thing I know about your sister-in-law, she's a survivor.

She's going to be all right.

When we first met in the elevator, sorry if I seemed a little angry.

Yeah, what was that about?

I was furious with the owner, making us buy our units.

I can't afford mine.

But I should have told you.

I really admire your work.

You ask the tough questions.

Well, I try.

I think you are right.

You're really brave.

Well, that's the best compliment I've gotten in a long time.

I don't think you need to worry about buying your unit.

Doesn't sound like there's going to be much of it left.

Well, it doesn't matter anymore.

I've come to a decision.

I'm going to move to London.

Guys, this is my daughter.

She's got a gunshot wound and she's lost a lot of blood.

It's all right.

It's going to be all right now.

It's going to be all right now.

Okay.

Can we go?

Let's grab that.

Let's grab that.

Up.

They're not going to have an accurate casualty figure for weeks.

You know, Andy, watching you these last few weeks,

I'm not sure I can do the job without you here.

Well, thanks.

I hope you pass that along to the brass up in D.C.

I intend to.

How do you feel about staying on as a consultant?

Oh, I appreciate that.

My first piece of advice would be to hire her.

Sabrina Rogers.

You want a full-time job?

When do I start?

Oh, look.

Mama's awake.

I think we should move to California.

They have earthquakes.

You can handle it?

Yeah.

I wonder what kind of world he's going to grow up in.

Hey, baby.

How you doing?

I'm feeling better.

You look great.

I'm so happy to see you two together.

Well, I think, uh...

I think we're all going to be okay.

Okay.

Hey, isn't it great to see me?

Yes, nerd boy.

It's even great to see you.

Hey.

Hey.

I'd like you all to meet Jeffrey Harkin, Jr.

He wouldn't be here if it weren't for you guys.

Neither would we if it weren't for you.

Hi.

Hello.

I met with the president.

What did he say?

Well, I think I finally got his attention.

Did he ask you to step down?

No.

Actually, he asked me to stand side by side

with him as we build the system back up again.

If I were a cynic, I'd say he knows how exposed he'd be if

you quit and then told the world about his lack of attention.

And thus we come to my fork in the road.

Path number one, I stay a team player.

Path number two, I become a former cabinet member turned outspoken critic.

But he has to listen to you now.

And if he doesn't, then you can always jump to path two.

You know, there'll be congressional hearings and reviews and investigations.

And I'll be trotting up to Capitol Hill to testify at least once a week.

Everyone will finally realize that you were the lone voice of reason.

I guess I knew the wake-up call was coming.

But did it have to come at such a high cost?

Yeah, Walt, I can hear you.

Come on now, you're not going to want me to do some soft aftermath piece, right?

No.

This is something that people need to hear.

This is your story.

So just run with it.

You ready?

Yeah.

I'm on Western Avenue, where we have blue skies, calm winds, and temperatures under

80 degrees for the first time in two months.

But Chicago's problems are far from over.

Municipal power plants have been destroyed.

City services decimated.

All around me, wreckage and devastation.

No one was prepared for destruction of this magnitude.

But I have to tell you that during the storm, I personally witnessed

extraordinary acts of bravery and sacrifice by ordinary people.

When the storm was at its worst, it brought out the best in the citizens of Chicago.

One man in particular deserves to have his story told.

Dan London was a systems operator employed by the Lexer Corporation.

He knew something was wrong.

That shortcuts taken by his company had put the entire power system at risk.

He was willing to sacrifice his own life.

Trying to reverse the damage he inadvertently caused.

I don't condone what he did.

But I dedicate this broadcast to him.

For now, the people of this wounded nation

need to pick themselves up and move forward.

We need to work together.

And this time, we can and must build it better.