6.d.
“When these
doors open we need to be ready for anything,” Corporate Man said as the
elevator rose toward the twenty sixth floor.
“After what we went through downstairs we should assume that everyone is
hostile and expect extremely aggressive confrontations. Hostiles might be right outside the door and
swarm in on us like a bunch of brain-starved zombies.”
Though he made
a conscious effort to fight the urge, Franklin Buck edged away from the doors
to the back of the compartment. The
motion of the elevator slowed and then stopped.
Commander Credit cocked a lever on his square-barreled gun. A tone sounded and a small circular light
above the doors blinked on. Everyone
took defensive stances and held their breaths.
The doors whipped
open and the Union leapt from the elevator, snapping
into attentive corporate postures.
The reception
area was empty.
No one moved.
Then shoulders
slumped, karate-chop arms dropped to relaxing sides, and respiration
resumed. They looked around at each
other. Smiles eased on to tense
faces. Then everyone jumped back into
defensive postures, prompted by no sound or visual disturbance of any kind.
As muscles
eased once more, Business Woman said, “Can we just assume that attack is not
immanent and begin our? Let’s start by
looking for a washroom since we’re all soaked from that sharky mess.”
Supply went to the empty reception desk,
thumbed through a few files, and then moved to the computer, jostling the
mouse.
“What are you
trying to find?” Senior Executive said.
“I don’t
know. I was hoping there’d be some kind
of map or list of offices on this floor.
Maybe a cheat sheet the receptionist used to direct visitor to their
proper destinations. Or even one of
those fire-drill maps detailing the correct exit paths. So we wouldn’t have to make a random
search. Hey. Look.”
The Union
gathered around the computer. Supply was
pointing to the monitor’s wallpaper image.
“Yeah. Just a crappy snapshot of some office
workers,” said Franklin Buck.
“I know, but
look at the sign by the door. It’s a gym
facility. There might be towels and
things,” Supply said.
“How can you
be sure that this photo was taken on this floor?” Commander Credit asked.
“Well, look at
the décor,” she said, gesturing to the cold, grayish-white walls, the taupish
cubicles and the muted bluish floors. Then
she pointed at the image on the screen.
“That could be
any office in America ,”
said Business Woman.
“No, it’s this
one,” said Supply. She looked at
Corporate Man as though he might confirm her assertion. He shrugged and pointed out that it didn’t
matter, their needs were still the same.
Gym, bathroom, janitor’s closet, any of them would be better than
nothing.
They moved
out, searching the corridors for any sign of a doorway but finding only cubicle
walls or gaps in cubicle walls which led into cubicles or cubicle-lined
corridors.
“Umm… Maybe I’m being paranoid, but I’m beginning
to think that something’s not right about all of this,” Franklin Buck said
after they had wandered for nearly twenty minutes.
“Figured that
out did you?” said Business Woman.
“Well,
yeah. Every office has doors
somewhere. And I haven’t spotted a
single one. Or a window. And where are all the employees? I mean, someone’s gotta be work–”
He froze as
they turned a corner into a long corridor.
It seemed to span the width of the building. On the far side was a group of office
workers. They were rushing around the
corner at that end of the hallway and were out of sight so quickly that not
every member of the Union had a chance to see them.
“Hey! Wait up!” Franklin Buck yelled.
Commander
Credit slapped his hand over Franklin ’s
mouth.
“Quiet Dollar
Man.
“Hundred
Dollar,” said Franklin Buck.
“What?”
“It’s the One
Hundred Dollar Man, not Dollar Man.
“Yes. Impressive,” said Commander Credit. “But technically, shouldn’t that be the One
Hundred Dollars Man?”
After a few
moments of glare-off, the Union rushed down the long
hall, whisper quiet, and braced themselves as they turned the corner.
There was
nothing there.
Not only was
the corridor absent of people, but it was absent of corridor. Instead, there was a small alcove and a door
with a sign that read: Fitness Center
