“Get out now!” Zoe’s yell rattles through my head. I grabbed the small data chip from the computer  and wrapped it in a cloth. Climbing a few stacked boxes to the vent above crawling forward I fall out onto who knows how many mops piled in a small storage room. Seriously you're one of the most high tech organizations in the world and you have mops, just get a thousand rumbas. For Hades sake it's not like rumbas are an investment they can’t afford. 

“Peter, what happened?” Zoe shouts again, “Keep moving. They know you're there.” I snap out of my thoughts and stand rubbing my back slightly groaning in pain.

“Clam down, Z, you worry too much,” I grab the data chip off the ground tucking it in my back pocket. “We made it this far.”

Black smoke flows under the door. Pooling across the floor and climbing up the walls. I lose sight but stay frozen in my place facing the door pulling my shirt up over the lower half of my face blocking out the smoak.

“Oh Styx.” I whisper.

The door to the storage room fly's open, cracking at the hinges. 

I stare up at where the building disappears into the clouds. A car speeds by bringing me down to earth again. The crossing light flashes for me to walk. Crossing the building's shadow presses on me, urging me through the doors. It’s loud and busy here, as it’s the only place in the world you could move up in the world. Away from the disease stricken and life sucking world down here. Up to the paradise in the clouds, Elysium, the city of the elite, city of the gods. 

Most aren't even allowed within 100 feet of the building, but today I get to go in. I have a chance to move up. Only the extraordinary get a chance like this. I never tried much in school but when my teacher told me that if I tried on those government assessment tests I may actually have a chance, well I was going to give it my all. I spent weeks studying and taking extra classes trying to soak up anything I thought could help my chances. If I moved up I could help people. I could make a difference in their lives, make them better than the hellish way of the world now. 

After all that work the tests were simple. I got my chance. I can’t waste it.

I gather my thoughts and make my way to the front desk. “Name,” a high-pitched squeaky voice speaks from behind the computer screen. 

“Uh, Peter Provisa.” I say slowly leaning forward trying to see who I was talking to. I quickly realized that was a bad choice as a hand flings out, hitting my face and sending me back to standing up straight, staring at the back of the computer. 

“Oh My Gods! Sorry sir!” The voice behind the desk squeaks out, stumbling over words, “I was just trying to give you your pass! See!” The hand flings out again holding a small identification pass attached to a lanyard. I cautiously grab the pass, hanging it around my neck.

“Thanks,” I look around and people start to stare. “Um, where am I supposed to go exactly?”

“There's an electronic map on the back of your pass!” The voice is still loud and squeaky, the person obviously embarrassed. I mumble another thanks before heading for open space. I look down at my pass and turn it in my fingers studying it. Sure enough there's a map on the back, I walk following the map, only looking up in quick flashes to ensure my eyes are not being deceived. 

The small screen on the back of my pass is lit up with not just a map of the floor I’m on but everyone around me is resembled by small moving dots on the screen. The  amount of technology needed to create something this exact is insane. I know Titan corp is one of the most advanced places out there but this, this is unfathomable. I enter the elevator, there’s no button for me to pick a floor but once the doors close I hear the shift of gears and feel it moving up. 

As there's really nothing for me to do I fidget with the pass discovering that I can zoom in and out on the map to see more of the building and even click on certain rooms. I click to the room it is leading me to only for the screen to light up red with access denied bleeding across it before the screen goes black and the elevator stops. Styx, was the pass connected to the elevator? If it was I need to find a way to get it back on before someone notices and thinks I broke it.

The elevator doors open.

I look around before cautiously stepping out into the oddly bare hallway with one door at the end. 

I can hear people yelling inside. Their voices are muffled so I move closer, my curiosity getting the better of me. 

“It could save thousands….greedy and selfish…only want to keep power…”

“...have no right……I have done everything…..wanted to help…never meant for..” 

I walk into a mop bucket that I somehow missed before. Why do they have a mop just sitting in the hallway!

“Who’s there?” Voice 1 bellows. I stay frozen, eyes darting around, looking for a way out.

The door opens.

I am now under one of the men's desks while out searching the hallway. They didn’t see me, they couldn’t have, otherwise they would have called security by now. Their footsteps grow louder and the door closes with a click. My pass lights up again, not as bright as before and a message types onto the screen. 

Classified documents: Code #895155

Authorized personnel only

“Open the code.” Voice 2 demands. The screen changes.

Identification  ____________________

It fills itself in while I assume Voice 1 types on their device. My screen changes again when a program loads in. The crack of wood and what sounds like hundreds of heavy footsteps fill the room. Shouts and the small click of handcuffs follow. 

Sweat breaks out across my neck. What if they find me? What happened to voice 2? The light under the desk is too little, it’s too dark. It’s so tight I can’t breathe.

My eyes make out black boots then black pants then the end of a gun barrel. The owner of them has yet to see me, his eyes straight ahead. Watching the eyes of the stranger, my body frozen and tense, not breathing. The world goes fuzzy at the edges 

The eyes find mine. Silence. I am going to die. I am already dead.

He looks ahead again. He walks away. He doesn't kill me. 

The world goes dark.

“Hey…wake up… you there, hellooooo”

The world focuses slowly. I am still under the desk. I am at Titan corp. Headquarters. The elevator malfunctioned. There was a stupid mop. There was a code. There was a man. He didn’t kill me. There was a voice. A voice?

“Hello, good to see you finally woke up.” I jolt and pain erupts in my head. The feminine voice continues to speak, now freaking me out as there’s no one in the room but me. “Down here. On the desk. The little robot. Helloooo. Are you blind or something?” Following the sound of the voice I find a small bundle of metal, almost in a spider like shape, staring back at me with a singular small camera eye. 

“Who are you?” My voice comes out weak despite my best efforts to sound strong.

“I’m Zoe. You are going to help me, because I saved your life and you owe me.” I can practically hear the smirk on Zoe’s face. 

I crouch to be eye level with Robo-Spider. “What do you mean you saved my life?”

“Seriously? I thought you were supposed to be smart? The guard who saw you and yet didn’t kill you, he’s a friend of mine. And he would have definitely killed you if it weren't for me. So, you're welcome.” I think back to my near death experience, why would he not kill me? Is Zoe telling the truth? She has to be otherwise I would be dead there’s no other reason why he wouldn’t kill me. 

“What do you need my help with?” I ask, still skeptical.

“That depends, do you remember the identification number for the code file?”

Do I? It showed up while I was having my little moment of panic, but do I remember it? I slowly lift my pass, turning it to see the dark screen. I picture the words as they were typed in.  

“Open the code.” Voice 2 demands. The screen changes.

Identification  952 7452 56

“Yes,” My voice is stronger than moments before, determined and unwavering. “I remember the code. But why do you need it? Why is that file so important that you're the second person today trying to gain access to it? I don’t know what happened to the first person but can’t imagine it was anything good.” I have been lost all day. I want answers. I need answers. 

“I’ll answer your questions after you accept my deal.” Zoe’s voice has now changed to a more serious tone. “You help me get that file in exchange for me saving your life and answering your questions. Deal?”

Silence.

I accept her deal, I break the law, I become a criminal, I throw my chance away. I betray everyone who helped me get here. But isn’t this what I wanted? I can help. But at what cost? Can it compare to all I sacrificed to get here? 

I turn down her deal, I go to my interview, I take my chance. I make those who help proud. But is that what I want? I can help, that's all I ever wanted. I just never thought there would be another choice in what I do to help. It’s only ever been this. Make it into Titian Corp. Then what? Did I ever actually have a plan after that? 

I have a choice. 

“Deal?” She says again. I think I heard a little fear in her voice.

“Deal.”

She sighs, “Good, now take the earpiece from the robot and let's get you out of that office.”

“So, you're telling me that this file contains everything to help balance education, healthcare, essential resource distribution and everything else. That sounds like communism, which if you have ever read a history book, that might not be the best outcome.” I talk to Zoe while walking through hallways, Robo-Spider scutters ahead checking for unexpected obstacles.

“No no no, the goal of the Promethean code is for more of a democratic society like ancient Athens or the Roman empire. That’s why it’s named after a titan from Greek mythology duh.” She groans annoyance clearly in her voice. Everytime she answers one of my questions I have about a billion more ‘stupid questions’. According to her, my intelligence is not worth all the attention I get for it.

“Okay, point made, but why doesn't Titan corp release the file themselves? And why can’t I just tell you the identification number and you use it to get the file instead of me running around like your own personal criminal assistant?” I accuse, beginning to hum to myself after not receiving an answer. I continue to follow Robo-Spider through empty winding hallways and stairwells. “Hey, how much longer am I going to be walking? I did not pick the right shoes to walk a marathon.”

Robo-Spider stops outside a red door painted like fire in stark contrast to the rest of the off-white theme of the rest of the building. I step up to the number lock on the door. No door handle.

“8-5-3-4-7” I jump at Zoes voice, nevertheless I type in the numbers she gave me. There's a click then the door swings open. 

“Holy Hephaestus,” I step back a bit, the smell of chemicals and cleaning supplies hitting me like a truck. “What is this place, and why does it smell like that?”

“Doesn't matter, get in, someones coming down the hall.” That jolts me forward into the room, the door shutting behind me just missing my heel. “Okay the person passed, do you see a computer?” 

“You mean the ancient one next to some crates? Why do they even have a computer this old? It’s practically useless.” I brush some dust off the top, coughing up the dust cloud that followed. 

“Just turn it on and log in under: A3135, password 8462” My fingers run along the outside of the computer stopping over an indent. Pushing down on the button I step back as it slowly comes to life the login screen appearing. Once in the computer starts to open and close tabs on its own till it stops, turns black, lights up with words filling the screen.

Classified documents: Code #895155

Authorized personnel only

The words hold for a minute before changing again.

Identification  ____________________

This is it. I type in the code, load the file to a data chip, take the chip and Zoe will direct me from there. But why won’t my fingers move? Why is it so hard to do this simple task? I have come this far, this is what I want. Just type the number, it's not that hard. No, more second guessing this was your choice. You want to help and this is how you do that. 

Identification  952 7452 56

‘Promethean code’ loading

I quickly go through the process of downloading the file to the chip.

“Good, you got the file now, get out of there.” Zoe demands her voice hard and not like the joking one she used while I was walking through the halls. Something changed in her voice.

I try messing with her like before, laughing. “Come on, Z. I made it this far and only come close to another human being once it can’t be that hard to get back out.” 

“Clam down, Z, you worry too much,” I grab the data chip off the ground tucking it in my back pocket. “We made it this far.”

Black smoke flows under the door. Pooling across the floor and climbing up the walls. I lose sight but stay frozen in my place facing the door pulling my shirt up over the lower half of my face blocking out the smoak.

“Oh Styx.” I whisper.

The door to the storage room fly's open cracking at the hinges. 

I do something either stupid or crazy, most likely both.

I run right at the door, startling those in the doorway enough that I am able to push through and take off down the hallway. “Zoe, where do I go?” My out of breath shouts receive no answer, “Zoe, help me. Z”. The hallway ended with no way out. I am pleading at this point. I can hear the heavy footsteps behind me growing louder.

 “Z” I whisper, almost crying. The guards catch up. There's 4 total, 2 point their guns at me and two grab my arms. The one with a tight grip on my left arm is familiar, he’s the one who saw me in the office, he’s Zoe’s friend.

“Give Atlas the chip, Peter.” Zoe’s back. I want to be mad. I want to yell at her for abandoning me, but I don’t. I slip the chip from my back pocket holding it behind my back hoping that Atlas is the name of Zoe’s friend. Atlas takes the chip from my hand quickly slipping it in his pocket. “Thank you for your help, Peter. I promise the code will be sent out to the world. I like you Peter and I really hope you find your way out.”

She sounds sad, like she's saying goodbye. But why would she- 

“No!” I shout and yell, kicking and making my body as heavy as possible till I’m being dragged across the floor. The heavyweight hits the back of my head, the world going dark.

Zoe’s Point of View 

 The day Atlas brought me the code, I hacked the Titan Corp satellite and sent it to all tech servers across the world. The machines that control all human necessities have been re-coded to help improve conditions of living in the lower world rather than keep everything unchanging. The upper world ‘gods’ are having hissy fits about Lower world ‘mortals’ improving their lives even though the code has yet to change anything about the way they live.

It’s been 5 days since I got the code. 5 days since Peter was captured. 5 days since Atlas told me the plan didn’t work like it was supposed to. 5 days since I was told Atlas couldn’t get Peter out. 5 days Peter has spent bearing an unknown punishment. 1 more eternity Peter will spend with his punishment. 1 more eternity I will spend regretting everything and nothing at the same time. I did the right thing. I helped the world, an overall good, but I can’t forget Peter's pleading for help and his yell when he realized my betrayal.

I’ll find a way to free you, Peter. Even if it takes an eternity. 

I swear it on the river Styx.

THE END