The stairwell was empty now, <strong>the</strong> lower floors all cleared. Those who had lacked <strong>the</strong> foresight andtaken <strong>the</strong> lift found <strong>the</strong>mselves stopping on every floor, only to be met with people who wanted to get inbut could not for lack of space, whereupon <strong>the</strong> doors shut and <strong>the</strong> lift proceeded to <strong>the</strong> next floor for <strong>the</strong>same procedure to be repeated."Let's go," not-Tim said, and <strong>the</strong>y left, slowly at first, <strong>the</strong>n faster as <strong>the</strong>y real<strong>is</strong>ed that <strong>the</strong>y would haveover sixty floors to cover by foot.Jack, Neo and not-Tim brought up <strong>the</strong> rear; Jack and not-Tim because <strong>the</strong>y were responsible that way,and Neo because it had taken a while for him to fin<strong>is</strong>h saying goodbye to h<strong>is</strong> computer. The One wipedaway a tear as he closed <strong>the</strong> door of h<strong>is</strong> room for good; walking past a d<strong>is</strong>mantled table, a sofa, and aroom whose two beds were soaked in blood as he ran up to join <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>rs.The journey upwards was unexpectedly easy. Those in Kenselton Hotel endowed with magical powersor special abilities had done what <strong>the</strong>y could to speed up <strong>the</strong> escape; a burst of energy here and <strong>the</strong>re,<strong>the</strong> occasional escalator replacing several flights of stairs, a helpful tailwind, lowered gravity, or evenjust cheerful banners of encouragement that assaulted <strong>the</strong>m at various landings and occasionallysuffocated someone.The KH rep and <strong>the</strong> architect's private argument continued to sound throughout <strong>the</strong> place."IT'S BECOMING A STAMPEDE OUT THERE! SEE WHAT YOUR FIRE EXITS LED TO?""Mmm-hmm. ...Hey, Spiderman just swung past my window! Cooool...""MAKE THEM STOP GETTING OUT, YOU FUCKING ASSHOLE! ISN'T THERE ANY WAY YOUCOULD DO THAT?""What? Oh. That. Er, yeah... possibly. I guess I could just sever <strong>the</strong> connection between <strong>the</strong> twoportal... door thingys. Might be a little tricky, though...""JUST DO IT!""That's not very polite of you, <strong>is</strong> it? Say 'please'.""PLEASE!""And apolog<strong>is</strong>e about what you did with my wife.""YOU TWO WERE ON A BREAK!"They reached <strong>the</strong> top floor behind <strong>the</strong> last of <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r Block F escapees, where <strong>the</strong> crude stack ofboxes that John had initially piled up had since been increased in size and charmed to stay completelystill and firm and as steady as regular steps, leading up to an enlarged hole that looked out into <strong>the</strong>blackness of <strong>the</strong> void.People streamed up out onto <strong>the</strong> roof and along <strong>the</strong> barely-v<strong>is</strong>ible flight of free-floating black stepsleading up to <strong>the</strong> patch of rectangular light that was <strong>the</strong> fire exit and <strong>the</strong> real world and freedom.All over, in <strong>the</strong> d<strong>is</strong>tance, <strong>the</strong>y could see similar sights happening on <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r ten blocks of KenseltonHotel. Some had already been completely evacuated of its couple of thousand residents; o<strong>the</strong>rs weredown to <strong>the</strong> last few.It was eerie out here; or would have been if not for <strong>the</strong> constantly moving and pushing crowd. Therewas no sound in th<strong>is</strong> <strong>is</strong>olated bubble of hyperspace o<strong>the</strong>r than that <strong>the</strong>y made <strong>the</strong>mselves. Thebroadcast conversation faded away, held captive by <strong>the</strong> light and warmth that was Kenselton Hotel.The void stretched on forever, an infinity of unending blackness up down left right all around surrounding<strong>the</strong> impossible <strong>is</strong>lands that were <strong>the</strong> several blocks of Kenselton Hotel and <strong>the</strong>ir queer, flimsyconnections to that o<strong>the</strong>r world beyond.And now <strong>the</strong>y were <strong>the</strong> only ones left, as <strong>the</strong> last of those on <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r blocks exited through <strong>the</strong> doors.Kevin was <strong>the</strong> first of Block F's fourth floor to make it through into <strong>the</strong> sunlight, <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>rs followingclosely behind into <strong>the</strong> alley and out into <strong>the</strong> main street where already Los Angeles had turned to chaosunder <strong>the</strong> pressure of thousands exiting through doors all over <strong>the</strong> city.
At <strong>the</strong> rear, not-Tim turned to face Neo. "You first," he offered, and <strong>the</strong>n felt <strong>the</strong> sudden jerk on h<strong>is</strong> legas Jack grabbed him in panic, <strong>the</strong> black connecting steps suddenly gone and <strong>the</strong> rectangles of lightwinking out all over and he was falling off <strong>the</strong> roof when Neo grabbed h<strong>is</strong> shoulder, grasp slipping downh<strong>is</strong> arm to h<strong>is</strong> wr<strong>is</strong>t before it tightened securely, Neo yelling as he tried to brace himself flat against <strong>the</strong>roof, right hand clawing desperately for purchase, something to grab onto as he too started slidinginexorably towards <strong>the</strong> edge, pulled down by more than twice h<strong>is</strong> body weight-<strong>Not</strong>-Tim's foot found <strong>the</strong> top of a ledge – a pa<strong>the</strong>tic lip no more than an inch wide, but it took someweight for <strong>the</strong> moment; until h<strong>is</strong> foot slipped off again and tried once more to regain its footing on <strong>the</strong> tinyarea-"Jack, climb up. Climb up-"Jack's gaze was fixed upwards to <strong>the</strong> roof, where Neo was still sliding towards <strong>the</strong> edge, bodydesperately scraping <strong>the</strong> coarse cement-"Jack-"A sudden flash of dec<strong>is</strong>iveness crossed Jack's face.He let go of Keanu's leg and fell into <strong>the</strong> void."JACK!"Sixty floors of white concrete whooshed past in a blur, still-lighted windows into deserted corridorsseeming to beckon him towards firm footing and safety-And now Block F was far above h<strong>is</strong> head, <strong>the</strong> far-off shouts as d<strong>is</strong>tant as in a dream-And Jack fell into <strong>the</strong> void, and <strong>the</strong> void took him.Jack opened h<strong>is</strong> eyes. He was lying face-down on a floor; a fairly nice floor with pol<strong>is</strong>hed tiles, albeitone that felt slightly damp.There was a sign just in front of him with words on it. Slowly, he ra<strong>is</strong>ed h<strong>is</strong> head to read what it said:'Caution: Wet Floor'.Jack blinked and got slowly to h<strong>is</strong> feet. There was music playing softly from somewhere, <strong>the</strong> words justaudible:"Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down..."**Jack looked around. There was someone sitting behind a desk, feet propped up on it, face partly hiddenbeneath a baseball cap and partly hidden behind a book entitled 'The Five People You Meet On Earth'.Jack walked cautiously up to <strong>the</strong> desk. He opened h<strong>is</strong> mouth to say something, <strong>the</strong>n noticed <strong>the</strong> shortFAQ tacked on <strong>the</strong> desk:"FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS -Q: Am I dead?A: Yes.Q: Really?A: Yes."Th<strong>is</strong> put h<strong>is</strong> brain off-track for a while."Uh, hi," he said instead."Mmm.""Am I supposed to go somewhere?"A sigh. The person behind <strong>the</strong> desk put down her book and took her feet off <strong>the</strong> desk. A nametagidentified her as Fhille.
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"Your behaviour these past few mont
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Neo sank down on the sofa.He looked
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"By a friend of one of the others w
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Next morning62nd Floor. Arrival Lob
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It is in fact at the cafeteria that
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'There is no exit here', read the h
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Back from his breakfast, Griffin sa
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Griffin glanced back at the three p
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Alex looked up."...That's Paul, tha
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The floor hackers stared at their l
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"Okay," Conor continued. "Situation
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- Page 43 and 44: New guy gave a start. "Uh," he said
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- Page 49 and 50: It is after a day or two living at
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- Reeves clears throat.- Utah shuts
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Griffin isn't the only one in the r
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He realised that he was not standin
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Ludlow smirked. "Thank you. Now I k
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Seventeen suspicious-looking, mostl
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Scott emerged from the alley he had
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Julian finished the stitches, close
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Stuck in House: Chris Townsend, Mat
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Loose in Kenselton Holding Facility
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Paul and the kids stared back at hi
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"Arctor, Robert," Dem said. "Get on
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With measured reluctance he tries t
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0704270/006/GRA"There are two kinds