Evergreen

IV

I looked up at the building towering before me. White in colour it was without a doubt, undeniably the Government building. Centre of the city and in strict contrast of the rest of the varying shades of beige and grey surrounding it, it was a prominent feature.

Words from yesterday continued to play on my mind; Too many eyes in the city.

Men in white guarded each entrance to the building. I walked to the main one, revealed an ID card and the door opened. Today would be my first day.

A woman was there to greet me upon arrival. 'My name is Delphine Franks, I will be your supervisor. Please follow.'

She led me to a glass elevator, we stepped in, and she pressed the thirty fourth button. 'You will be stationed on the Thirty Fourth floor; each floor works with a different aspect of the government. Floors 1 – 20 works with Civilian Affairs. Floors 21-30 works with the economy. Floors 31-40 Are criminal affairs and Floors 41-50 being Military. Any floor above 50 is highly prohibited.' The doors slid open.

The elevator became routine to my life. I would walk to the unnerving white building. Raise my ID to a man in white. Walk into the building and too the glass elevator. Click the thirty fourth button and nothing but the thirty fourth button for no other floor was my business. No other floor but mine.

I worked in Criminal affairs. Each day I'd sit at a desk facing the glass elevator. A computer in front of me. Sometimes a police officer would walk through the door. More often than not it was a man in white. On the rare occasion criminals and lawyers were brought through our floor, when the court rooms on the remaining nine floors that dealt with such were occupied.

And with all of these people came rumours.

My life became a blur of routine. I met with the other two men, neither intriguing me more than that of Fred Read. I'd accepted my future much to my dismay. I am a receptionist from floor Thirty-Four. I work in Criminal affairs and my life will be no more than that.