The City
By J.F. Slade
The bell chimed along the hollow walls of the metal corridor, echoing out a familiar message. Morning was here, inviting Lynn to open her eyes and greet the day. The gray interior of her apartment matched the gray exterior of the city, but Lynn knew no different. Color was a mild part of her existence.
She showered and dressed, moving through a pulsing wall of light between her room and the bathroom. No one knew what it did, but it had a purpose. Her creators meant it for her: a symbol of their wisdom and authority. Lynn had never known illness, and any pain was always a temporary ailment. A broken bone could be cured in an instant. Death was chosen, never forced, and as a result, any new life was carefully monitored and restricted.
Frank was waiting outside her building. He had that look on his face that never led to any good. She wished he had better self-restraint.
“I was searching through the files again last night.”
“I don’t know what you expect to find.”
“Aren’t you at all curious? I’ve cataloged over a hundred texts referenced that don’t exist. Lynn, that’s impossible.”
Frank was one of those who was perpetually dissatisfied, a staunch unwillingness to be happy in his life as is. They were happy together. Why wasn't that enough?
She responded in silence as they walked together to morning service. Far above their heads, they could see buildings from the other sectors of the sphere, as every resident gathered to pay thanks to their Creators.
She showered and dressed, moving through a pulsing wall of light between her room and the bathroom. No one knew what it did, but it had a purpose. Her creators meant it for her: a symbol of their wisdom and authority. Lynn had never known illness, and any pain was always a temporary ailment. A broken bone could be cured in an instant. Death was chosen, never forced, and as a result, any new life was carefully monitored and restricted.
Frank was waiting outside her building. He had that look on his face that never led to any good. She wished he had better self-restraint.
“I was searching through the files again last night.”
“I don’t know what you expect to find.”
“Aren’t you at all curious? I’ve cataloged over a hundred texts referenced that don’t exist. Lynn, that’s impossible.”
Frank was one of those who was perpetually dissatisfied, a staunch unwillingness to be happy in his life as is. They were happy together. Why wasn't that enough?
She responded in silence as they walked together to morning service. Far above their heads, they could see buildings from the other sectors of the sphere, as every resident gathered to pay thanks to their Creators.
“I don’t know why you’re making this decision,” her father had said the day she told him she wanted to be a historian.
“The temple isn’t for me. I wouldn’t be right for it.” Of course she would have been perfect for the job, but she didn’t want to follow the same path as her parents, bearing the responsibility of the spiritual health of the community.
Her father loved her, but he struggled to reconcile her choice. Lynn had loved the temple since before she could talk. It brought her great comfort knowing her purpose, as it did for all of them in their society. The Creators took care of them, providing for their every need, and the people existed to serve it by bettering themselves.
No one had ever anticipated Lynn doing anything else. There was plenty of choice within the sphere, but the city offered few surprises. She wanted to know more, to expand her knowledge. Documenting and tracking their history could provide that in a way that temple service never could. Perhaps it was selfish, but she craved such enlightenment.
“The temple isn’t for me. I wouldn’t be right for it.” Of course she would have been perfect for the job, but she didn’t want to follow the same path as her parents, bearing the responsibility of the spiritual health of the community.
Her father loved her, but he struggled to reconcile her choice. Lynn had loved the temple since before she could talk. It brought her great comfort knowing her purpose, as it did for all of them in their society. The Creators took care of them, providing for their every need, and the people existed to serve it by bettering themselves.
No one had ever anticipated Lynn doing anything else. There was plenty of choice within the sphere, but the city offered few surprises. She wanted to know more, to expand her knowledge. Documenting and tracking their history could provide that in a way that temple service never could. Perhaps it was selfish, but she craved such enlightenment.
“You seemed exceptionally engaged with the service this morning.”
She looked up from her work to see Frank. “I don’t know. I guess I’ve been thinking a lot about it lately. Feeling like I need to be more involved, more of a contributor.”
Frank sat down across from her at her desk with a telling smile on his face.
“I get that. That's why you need to come look at those files, Lynn.”
“I’m not interested in fabricating a purpose, Frank.”
“I’m not imagining this. Give me a chance.”
She rolled her eyes realizing he was not going to drop this. Reluctantly, she agreed to join him in the library, despite her misgivings. There were few tenants of their faith, but doubting their history and path was one of them. Questioning the work of the Creators and the infallibility of the computer was another. Errors could not happen. He was wrong: nothing had been deleted from the system.
“Take a look,” he said, ushering her to the main terminal. Lynn looked around hesitantly, ensuring that they were alone before clicking through the screen. He had highlighted a lot: unlinked references to texts she hadn’t seen before. She pulled up a search and started filling in the parameters to identify the references.
“This might take a while.”
Frank nodded and started working at a different station. The last thing either of them wanted to do was draw questioning about their activities. Frank's questions bordered on heresy, and when heresy was exposed, the public shaming was ruthless. As a young child, Lynn distinctly remembered a man shouting about the “outside” before they forcefully removed him from the Commons. She never saw that man again, and not long after, permission was given for a new baby to be born into their sector.
Frank wasn't wrong about the files being hard to find. Lynn used every search technique she knew but couldn't isolate them. She started reading through the articles that referenced them, and all of them were old, some of the earliest files in the server. Most were about medicine and scientific basics. Had something accidentally wiped the server years before? Was that even possible?
“You see it, don’t you?”
She looked over at Frank and then back at the server.
"Maybe it's on purpose, and the older items are deleted as new stuff is entered."
“Are you suggesting that our makers had limitations?” He almost had a smile on his face as he asked her.
“Of course not,” she answered. “But do we need these files?”
“The basis of all of our science seems to be referencing them.”
“Maybe it’s too much for us to grasp. Maybe they knew we couldn’t handle it.”
“Do you really believe that?”
Lynn emphatically answered "yes" and went back to her studies, doing her best to push the discovery to the very back of her mind, but it festered. It snuck back into her brain with surprising resilience. The rest of the day, she spent batting it out of her thoughts, trying to focus on anything else, anything consistent with what she knew to be correct.
Her whole life, and everyone else’s lives, were in that sphere. It was all there was, all there ever was.
She looked up from her work to see Frank. “I don’t know. I guess I’ve been thinking a lot about it lately. Feeling like I need to be more involved, more of a contributor.”
Frank sat down across from her at her desk with a telling smile on his face.
“I get that. That's why you need to come look at those files, Lynn.”
“I’m not interested in fabricating a purpose, Frank.”
“I’m not imagining this. Give me a chance.”
She rolled her eyes realizing he was not going to drop this. Reluctantly, she agreed to join him in the library, despite her misgivings. There were few tenants of their faith, but doubting their history and path was one of them. Questioning the work of the Creators and the infallibility of the computer was another. Errors could not happen. He was wrong: nothing had been deleted from the system.
“Take a look,” he said, ushering her to the main terminal. Lynn looked around hesitantly, ensuring that they were alone before clicking through the screen. He had highlighted a lot: unlinked references to texts she hadn’t seen before. She pulled up a search and started filling in the parameters to identify the references.
“This might take a while.”
Frank nodded and started working at a different station. The last thing either of them wanted to do was draw questioning about their activities. Frank's questions bordered on heresy, and when heresy was exposed, the public shaming was ruthless. As a young child, Lynn distinctly remembered a man shouting about the “outside” before they forcefully removed him from the Commons. She never saw that man again, and not long after, permission was given for a new baby to be born into their sector.
Frank wasn't wrong about the files being hard to find. Lynn used every search technique she knew but couldn't isolate them. She started reading through the articles that referenced them, and all of them were old, some of the earliest files in the server. Most were about medicine and scientific basics. Had something accidentally wiped the server years before? Was that even possible?
“You see it, don’t you?”
She looked over at Frank and then back at the server.
"Maybe it's on purpose, and the older items are deleted as new stuff is entered."
“Are you suggesting that our makers had limitations?” He almost had a smile on his face as he asked her.
“Of course not,” she answered. “But do we need these files?”
“The basis of all of our science seems to be referencing them.”
“Maybe it’s too much for us to grasp. Maybe they knew we couldn’t handle it.”
“Do you really believe that?”
Lynn emphatically answered "yes" and went back to her studies, doing her best to push the discovery to the very back of her mind, but it festered. It snuck back into her brain with surprising resilience. The rest of the day, she spent batting it out of her thoughts, trying to focus on anything else, anything consistent with what she knew to be correct.
Her whole life, and everyone else’s lives, were in that sphere. It was all there was, all there ever was.
“Mommy!” she called out one night when she was only four.
Her mother ran into the room to find Lynn shivering in her bed, terrified from a nightmare.
“You’re safe,” her mother assured her. “You’re here, my sweet child, with me.”
“There was something here. Something bad.”
“There’s nothing here that could hurt you. Lynn, do you see that light on that wall?”
Lynn looked over to glowing orange light, her guide to the door, and nodded.
“That light is from the Creators, Lynn. They watch us always and take care of us always. You never need to doubt your safety. They are here with you now.”
Her mother ran into the room to find Lynn shivering in her bed, terrified from a nightmare.
“You’re safe,” her mother assured her. “You’re here, my sweet child, with me.”
“There was something here. Something bad.”
“There’s nothing here that could hurt you. Lynn, do you see that light on that wall?”
Lynn looked over to glowing orange light, her guide to the door, and nodded.
“That light is from the Creators, Lynn. They watch us always and take care of us always. You never need to doubt your safety. They are here with you now.”
Lynn couldn’t sleep. She was angry with herself, and Frank, for wondering and doubting, but the library was supposed to be infallible. Nothing was supposed to be missing. It was a complete documentation of the history of humankind. Why would so many files be deleted?
Could she really question this, to question everything her parents had devoted their lives to teaching?
At around two in the morning, she knocked on Frank’s door, finding him also very much awake. He quickly registered her face.
“You can’t let it go, can you?”
She nodded her head. “I’m worried what people will say.”
“No one has to know what we know. If we eventually think it’s worth bringing up, we can discuss it.”
“So how do we find out more? The backup server is in Sector 5. It’s not like you and I have access.”
“I might have a way in, but it’s going to take a bit. I’ll let you know when I know.”
She wanted to ask more, but she held herself back. Whatever Frank was planning had to be highly suspect. The less she knew, the more she could deny any involvement.
She stayed at his place that night, and they avoided discussing the missing files. Communication with Frank was usually so natural and easy, but now it felt tense and forced. Why did he have to ask so many questions? And why did he have to drag her into it?
A week went by without Frank mentioning the files, and Lynn had mostly succeeded in forgetting it. She went to service in the mornings, thanked the Creators, and spent time with her parents. Now and then though, she'd remember those files, and the idea of them would eat at her.
Then Frank showed up at her door after service one day, and she knew it wasn’t over.
“Are you free this to go to an appointment in Sector 3?”
Sector 3? What could possibly be in Sector 3?
Lynn cautiously agreed, and they set out not long after. None of the sectors in the sphere were difficult to reach, except for Sector 5. The rest weren't all that different, except that each had their own temple, food distribution areas, and residential villages. People occasionally did move between the sectors, but only if there was a professional reason to do so. High-speed trains looped throughout the sphere, connecting their citizens, aiding collaboration and collegial responsibility. Lynn would visit Sectors 1 and 7 frequently, as several of her professors worked in those regions, but Sector 3 was hardly known for its scholarly tendencies.
Frank didn’t take her to any of the libraries or professional centers. Instead, they headed into the residential district, stopping at a nondescript apartment building. She followed him up three floors before they stopped at a door and pressed the bell. A woman answered and ushered them inside.
“Did anyone give you a difficult time for taking the morning off?”
“We’re historians,” answered Frank. “We hardly have time sensitive work.”
The woman nodded, leading them into a small living room where three other people sat on a couch. Frank and Lynn pulled up chairs to close the circle.
“So you must be Lynn,” said the woman. “Frank’s told us a lot about you. I’m Sari, and the others are Jens, Omar, and Katya.”
Lynn looked to Frank and then back to the others.
“I’m sorry, but Frank has never mentioned you.”
“We know. He never wanted you to know before, considering your family and all.”
Lynn sat still for a minute, resisting connecting the dots that were so apparent in front of her, but eventually she spoke: “You’re… Outer Theorists?”
Frank gave her an apologetic look, but his face betrayed no shame. Lynn stood up and started walking to the door.
“Lynn, wait,” he said, walking after her. “I’m sorry; I’ve never known how to talk to you about this, but now that we might actually have evidence, I had to.”
“Evidence? Frank, you have a few missing files! There are a million reasons why those might be gone. It doesn’t mean that the Creators don’t exist or that there’s anything outside of this city!”
She could feel their eyes on her, piercing through her skin. They were scared that she would report them, and they probably should have been. How could Frank think she wanted to have anything to do with this?
“They can get us into Sector 5. Lynn, I know you’re not happy about this, so prove me wrong. Come with me tomorrow. I’ve got us a spot on the train after service. You can find the files and show me I’m a fool.”
Lynn stared at him, unsure of what to say. She was so angry and so horrified.
“Please come with me,” he said again.
She took a deep breath. “I’ll think about it.” Then she walked out the door.
Could she really question this, to question everything her parents had devoted their lives to teaching?
At around two in the morning, she knocked on Frank’s door, finding him also very much awake. He quickly registered her face.
“You can’t let it go, can you?”
She nodded her head. “I’m worried what people will say.”
“No one has to know what we know. If we eventually think it’s worth bringing up, we can discuss it.”
“So how do we find out more? The backup server is in Sector 5. It’s not like you and I have access.”
“I might have a way in, but it’s going to take a bit. I’ll let you know when I know.”
She wanted to ask more, but she held herself back. Whatever Frank was planning had to be highly suspect. The less she knew, the more she could deny any involvement.
She stayed at his place that night, and they avoided discussing the missing files. Communication with Frank was usually so natural and easy, but now it felt tense and forced. Why did he have to ask so many questions? And why did he have to drag her into it?
A week went by without Frank mentioning the files, and Lynn had mostly succeeded in forgetting it. She went to service in the mornings, thanked the Creators, and spent time with her parents. Now and then though, she'd remember those files, and the idea of them would eat at her.
Then Frank showed up at her door after service one day, and she knew it wasn’t over.
“Are you free this to go to an appointment in Sector 3?”
Sector 3? What could possibly be in Sector 3?
Lynn cautiously agreed, and they set out not long after. None of the sectors in the sphere were difficult to reach, except for Sector 5. The rest weren't all that different, except that each had their own temple, food distribution areas, and residential villages. People occasionally did move between the sectors, but only if there was a professional reason to do so. High-speed trains looped throughout the sphere, connecting their citizens, aiding collaboration and collegial responsibility. Lynn would visit Sectors 1 and 7 frequently, as several of her professors worked in those regions, but Sector 3 was hardly known for its scholarly tendencies.
Frank didn’t take her to any of the libraries or professional centers. Instead, they headed into the residential district, stopping at a nondescript apartment building. She followed him up three floors before they stopped at a door and pressed the bell. A woman answered and ushered them inside.
“Did anyone give you a difficult time for taking the morning off?”
“We’re historians,” answered Frank. “We hardly have time sensitive work.”
The woman nodded, leading them into a small living room where three other people sat on a couch. Frank and Lynn pulled up chairs to close the circle.
“So you must be Lynn,” said the woman. “Frank’s told us a lot about you. I’m Sari, and the others are Jens, Omar, and Katya.”
Lynn looked to Frank and then back to the others.
“I’m sorry, but Frank has never mentioned you.”
“We know. He never wanted you to know before, considering your family and all.”
Lynn sat still for a minute, resisting connecting the dots that were so apparent in front of her, but eventually she spoke: “You’re… Outer Theorists?”
Frank gave her an apologetic look, but his face betrayed no shame. Lynn stood up and started walking to the door.
“Lynn, wait,” he said, walking after her. “I’m sorry; I’ve never known how to talk to you about this, but now that we might actually have evidence, I had to.”
“Evidence? Frank, you have a few missing files! There are a million reasons why those might be gone. It doesn’t mean that the Creators don’t exist or that there’s anything outside of this city!”
She could feel their eyes on her, piercing through her skin. They were scared that she would report them, and they probably should have been. How could Frank think she wanted to have anything to do with this?
“They can get us into Sector 5. Lynn, I know you’re not happy about this, so prove me wrong. Come with me tomorrow. I’ve got us a spot on the train after service. You can find the files and show me I’m a fool.”
Lynn stared at him, unsure of what to say. She was so angry and so horrified.
“Please come with me,” he said again.
She took a deep breath. “I’ll think about it.” Then she walked out the door.
“The Creators gave us everything. This city, our food, the air that we breathe. We owe our lives to them.”
“But why?” she had asked her father when she was first beginning her studies, still just a child. “What did we do?”
“We haven’t always deserved their love, Lynn. Human beings aren’t good by default. They provided us guidance and structure, order to counter our natural chaotic ways.”
“They made us flawed?”
“They made us individuals. It was one of their greatest gifts.”
“But why?” she had asked her father when she was first beginning her studies, still just a child. “What did we do?”
“We haven’t always deserved their love, Lynn. Human beings aren’t good by default. They provided us guidance and structure, order to counter our natural chaotic ways.”
“They made us flawed?”
“They made us individuals. It was one of their greatest gifts.”
That night was rough. Lynn paced throughout her room, unable to decide what to do. She lay in her bed, staring at her wristband, wrestling with her choices. By morning, she examined her exhausted eyes in the mirror, before showering and heading out. Doubt didn’t suit her.
She couldn't pay attention during service, and when it was over, she skipped any pleasantries before walking to the train station. Frank was already there waiting for her, with two passes to Sector 5 in hand.
He looked at her face trying to make eye contact when she wouldn’t give it. “Are you going to be okay with this?”
“I don’t know. It doesn’t feel right.”
He came in close and took her hands in his.
“We’re not doing anything wrong, Lynn. We’re just trying to find some files. Maybe you’re right, and the Creators planned it this way.”
She nodded her head but still couldn’t look at him. She’d never be able to look at him the same way again.
They boarded the train to Sector 5 with little interference. Lynn looked out the window as they traveled, wondering if what she was doing was right. She loved this city and everything about it. She had no reason to question the system or their Creators. Frank was different: he wanted to find something wrong. He craved the adventure and conspiracy. They really had nothing in common.
Only the highest ranking city officials and those within security had access to Sector 5. No one she knew had ever been there, but she did hear of people occasionally getting visitor access. Nothing she was working on warranted such a privilege.
Yet, they scanned their passes as they reached the gates of Sector 5, and no one questioned their motives.
It was less decadent in its structures than the other sectors, and only people in uniform moved about. Lynn was nervous, but everyone seemed friendly and welcoming. Why would anyone doubt the system?
One of the security officers led them to the backup server, before leaving them be. The two immediately went to work, searching for the files. At first, Lynn thought she was going to run into the same problem as before, but soon enough one of her searches yielded a result. She stared at it for a while before saying anything to Frank. She didn’t want to say anything. She didn’t want to give him anything else.
But he saw her face, so she had to speak: "This is talking about other life."
“Other humans?”
“No, other life that’s not human. They call them ‘species.’”
Frank immediately walked over and scanned through the record. He used her search as a template to pull up file after file, each more incredible than the one before. They spoke of a place called Earth that the city is above. Millions of species of varying abilities and intelligence lived there, but humans were the rulers.
Lynn struggled to breathe as her eyes filled with tears. Her hands wouldn’t stop shaking.
Those people built the city and placed it in the sky. They weren't divine creators — just regular humans.
She forced herself to keep reading, horrified by every passing word. Frank was excited, exhilarated by the discovery, which Lynn couldn’t understand how. These humans of Earth were awful, and she wanted nothing to do with them. They waged war on each other and murdered each other, spending their entire existence fighting and destroying everything else around them. There was nothing good about these people. She refused to believe that they were her Creators, the ones she had been so devoted to for her whole life.
If other people knew that there was more than this city, what would they do? Would they leave? Would they become like the humans on Earth? It could destroy their very way of life. She glanced at her wristband, her hands still shaking, with a decision weighing heavily upon her.
“There’s a window.”
“What?” Lynn looked up at Frank confused.
“It’s here in Sector 5, not far from this room.” He was excited, oblivious of her devastation. He signed out of the terminal and walked towards the elevator, confident in his steps. What kind of man was he that he could throw away everything about their society so quickly? Lynn stood there for a moment, unsure if she wanted to know any more, but eventually, she stood up and followed. On her way to the elevator, she tapped her wristband.
They took the elevator to the bottom floor. She followed Frank down a hall to a small door. Then they made their way down a spiral staircase to a dimly lit room that was completely abandoned. No one had been in this area for a long time. It was a far cry from the elegant cities above.
Frank found a keypad on the wall and typed in a code. She heard the rumble of a mechanism, and the floor moved from under her feet, revealing a glass pane. She knelt down, staring out at the image below: a round ball of blue, white, green, and brown. Blackness surrounded it, with scattered sparkles of light. Frank knelt beside her and clutched her hand. She looked at him aghast.
“Something called the sun is behind us,” he said eventually. “It powers this whole place, our whole city. We came from that ball below us.”
“Frank, no one can ever know.” Her voice was faint, but the words were spoken clearly.
He looked at her stunned.
“What do you mean? Lynn, this changes everything. People have to know.”
She fought the tears in her eyes. "No, they can't. Frank, I read those files too, and I read what the people down on Earth are like. They kill each other and fight all of the time. If people find out the truth, we will become like them."
He stood up to his feet, more passionate than she had ever seen him.
“Lynn, you’re wrong. We have to do this.”
She shook her head.
“I’m sorry, Frank.”
Behind her, two security officers entered the room.
“Thank you, Lynn,” said one of the officers. “We appreciate your devotion to the city, and please tell your father I say ‘hello.’ You may go now.”
Her eyes met Frank’s as they both comprehended her betrayal. She nodded, stood up, and climbed the stairs back up out of the room.
Not long after, a new baby was born.
She couldn't pay attention during service, and when it was over, she skipped any pleasantries before walking to the train station. Frank was already there waiting for her, with two passes to Sector 5 in hand.
He looked at her face trying to make eye contact when she wouldn’t give it. “Are you going to be okay with this?”
“I don’t know. It doesn’t feel right.”
He came in close and took her hands in his.
“We’re not doing anything wrong, Lynn. We’re just trying to find some files. Maybe you’re right, and the Creators planned it this way.”
She nodded her head but still couldn’t look at him. She’d never be able to look at him the same way again.
They boarded the train to Sector 5 with little interference. Lynn looked out the window as they traveled, wondering if what she was doing was right. She loved this city and everything about it. She had no reason to question the system or their Creators. Frank was different: he wanted to find something wrong. He craved the adventure and conspiracy. They really had nothing in common.
Only the highest ranking city officials and those within security had access to Sector 5. No one she knew had ever been there, but she did hear of people occasionally getting visitor access. Nothing she was working on warranted such a privilege.
Yet, they scanned their passes as they reached the gates of Sector 5, and no one questioned their motives.
It was less decadent in its structures than the other sectors, and only people in uniform moved about. Lynn was nervous, but everyone seemed friendly and welcoming. Why would anyone doubt the system?
One of the security officers led them to the backup server, before leaving them be. The two immediately went to work, searching for the files. At first, Lynn thought she was going to run into the same problem as before, but soon enough one of her searches yielded a result. She stared at it for a while before saying anything to Frank. She didn’t want to say anything. She didn’t want to give him anything else.
But he saw her face, so she had to speak: "This is talking about other life."
“Other humans?”
“No, other life that’s not human. They call them ‘species.’”
Frank immediately walked over and scanned through the record. He used her search as a template to pull up file after file, each more incredible than the one before. They spoke of a place called Earth that the city is above. Millions of species of varying abilities and intelligence lived there, but humans were the rulers.
Lynn struggled to breathe as her eyes filled with tears. Her hands wouldn’t stop shaking.
Those people built the city and placed it in the sky. They weren't divine creators — just regular humans.
She forced herself to keep reading, horrified by every passing word. Frank was excited, exhilarated by the discovery, which Lynn couldn’t understand how. These humans of Earth were awful, and she wanted nothing to do with them. They waged war on each other and murdered each other, spending their entire existence fighting and destroying everything else around them. There was nothing good about these people. She refused to believe that they were her Creators, the ones she had been so devoted to for her whole life.
If other people knew that there was more than this city, what would they do? Would they leave? Would they become like the humans on Earth? It could destroy their very way of life. She glanced at her wristband, her hands still shaking, with a decision weighing heavily upon her.
“There’s a window.”
“What?” Lynn looked up at Frank confused.
“It’s here in Sector 5, not far from this room.” He was excited, oblivious of her devastation. He signed out of the terminal and walked towards the elevator, confident in his steps. What kind of man was he that he could throw away everything about their society so quickly? Lynn stood there for a moment, unsure if she wanted to know any more, but eventually, she stood up and followed. On her way to the elevator, she tapped her wristband.
They took the elevator to the bottom floor. She followed Frank down a hall to a small door. Then they made their way down a spiral staircase to a dimly lit room that was completely abandoned. No one had been in this area for a long time. It was a far cry from the elegant cities above.
Frank found a keypad on the wall and typed in a code. She heard the rumble of a mechanism, and the floor moved from under her feet, revealing a glass pane. She knelt down, staring out at the image below: a round ball of blue, white, green, and brown. Blackness surrounded it, with scattered sparkles of light. Frank knelt beside her and clutched her hand. She looked at him aghast.
“Something called the sun is behind us,” he said eventually. “It powers this whole place, our whole city. We came from that ball below us.”
“Frank, no one can ever know.” Her voice was faint, but the words were spoken clearly.
He looked at her stunned.
“What do you mean? Lynn, this changes everything. People have to know.”
She fought the tears in her eyes. "No, they can't. Frank, I read those files too, and I read what the people down on Earth are like. They kill each other and fight all of the time. If people find out the truth, we will become like them."
He stood up to his feet, more passionate than she had ever seen him.
“Lynn, you’re wrong. We have to do this.”
She shook her head.
“I’m sorry, Frank.”
Behind her, two security officers entered the room.
“Thank you, Lynn,” said one of the officers. “We appreciate your devotion to the city, and please tell your father I say ‘hello.’ You may go now.”
Her eyes met Frank’s as they both comprehended her betrayal. She nodded, stood up, and climbed the stairs back up out of the room.
Not long after, a new baby was born.