Social Ladder Scheme

It was a bittersweet moment to take a look around the area since it gave a glimpse back into the times when the sky would still very much be blue without all the unnatural phenomena going around it. When people could all still laugh together and not be bounded by the new social ladder scheme.

But that would have been centuries ago and judging by the random technology sprinkled around, it was still updated despite the ancient look.

This office was likely untouched for a century or two which in the real world look of things, it wasn't even that long ago. It made her wonder what life was like in the outer rings during that time.

It must have been freeing instead of the punishment that it looks to be on the outside today. There were hidden gems everywhere, so Charlotte couldn't exactly say that those on the outer ring were miserable since people who were stuck were everywhere, even if they weren't hidden in the darkness.

A white square object grabbed her attention just as she was walking past a desk, and Charlotte rubbed the dust that was piling on top to reveal the object hidden below. She couldn't read it well in the dark, but she was able to tell that it was a map. A map like the one she had on her phone that was hard to read.

Perhaps, it was just hard to read for outsiders of the outer ring. Feeling the material in between her fingers, she knew that it was an official from the heavy-duty material used to make the map. She glanced up to try and find Lucia, but she was off to find the staircase hallway that was bound to be near somewhere.

Taking the map from the desk where she found it underneath the other papers, Charlotte walked over to the window to find a square where the dim light was able to find its way through.

Putting the map up, so that she could inspect it closer, tilting it left and right, hoping it would expose a secret code like it was in the movies, but it certainly was never that easy since it was as she had thought. She still couldn't read it.

Lucia clicked her tongue lightly to get her attention. She swung her gaze from the random map that she found that didn't tell her anything since it was a weird one just like the one on her phone, but she figured it was just how the people in the outer ring made maps for some reason. She would have to ask Lucia more about it.

"I found the staircase doorway," Lucia whispered.

"Way to go, little Miss Detective."

Lucia ignored her sarcastic words and came over to peer over Charlotte's shoulder. Charlotte moved the map under the light of her cell phone, and Lucia shook her head. "It's not even a finished map."

"How can you tell?"

"The maps in the outer ring are like puzzle pieces that all fit together. There are little symbols in the corner that symbolizes that it's still continuing. The three dots here and here. This map is of the area when it wasn't quite finished yet," Lucia said.

Charlotte nodded. "To outsiders, it all just looks like a white blob."

"Well, we grew up with it since we didn't have any color. It was either white or black for us."

Charlotte placed the map down. "Where did you say the staircase way was?"

"I didn't yet," Lucia replied dryly. "Go down that way first."

Charlotte took the phone from Lucia's hand to lead the way, careful to not make any noise since Lucia had already gone over their threshold limit and more.

Walking slowly to not make the heels of her boots click the titles, they walked into another corridor that was much smaller which was a feeder hallway for other rooms within the building.

Lucia fell into Charlotte's fast pace. "Didn't you say that we should walk together?"

Lucia grabbed a random pot that was on a cart in the hallway full of old files, and it crumbled in her hands from the old age and weak stature of the material with the small chunks falling to the ground. Charlotte eyed the broken shards. "I'm starting to regret that."

"The staircase is down the far hallway, and it has a small sign."

Charlotte's brows came together. "How did you see it?"

"It was glowing."

She let out a tiny breath. "Everything in here is so suspicious. How could that still have power after all this time?"

"I agree with you, but it could have been wired well compared to everything else in this building," Lucia said before pausing. "Did your friend pick up yet?"

"I mean, you had my phone earlier, and there were no changes. But to answer your question, not yet, but he has to be in here somewhere."

"You could have just said no."