The Elevator

The silver-haired, handsome man woke to the sound of ringing. Reaching over he picked up the phone. “Hello,” he answered groggily.

“Mr. President, sir, we have a situation,” the firm voice on the other end of the line announced.

“A situation? What situation?” the President of the World Confederation asked.

“Someone is coming up the elevator,” the voice of the general of armed forces continued.

“Why is that a situation? I’ll talk to whoever comes to my office.” the president asked, sitting up in bed to more fully wake up his brain. He noticed the clock listed three in the morning.

“Not that elevator, sir,” the general replied, “the other elevator, the one that goes to level 00.”

“Wait,” the president paused, “You are saying that the only elevator that goes to the bottom level, where no one lives, is moving up?”

“Yes,” came the terse reply.

Fully awake now the president asked, “How much time do we have?”

“Based on the speed of the older elevators we have approximately 5 minutes.”

“Gather all essential personnel and family to safe quarters, and put a contingent of the armed forces at the read in front of the elevator. I will meet you there, General.” The president ordered.

Three minutes later, hastily dressed, the president made his way to the other side of the White House. This area of the house was usually guarded but unused. It contained artifacts from previous generations and housed the only elevator that extended to the earth below. No one had used it in over two generations. All humanity had moved to house in the sky as the people began to become one big city, with one president over them.

Striding up to the General, the President noticed twenty armed men, ready to shoot, if necessary, when the elevator. Off to another side, a group of scientists dressed in containment suits waited as well.

No one spoke while they watched the numbers on the top of the elevator flash closer and closer. The President was not the only one to jump when the elevator dinged its arrival.

The armed forces raised their weapons, ready to shoot. The scientists gawked at the door. The general raised his own weapon, while the president stood tensely. No one breathed as the doors slid open.