Free Nine-Tenths by Meira Pentermann Page A

guard station. Even though the van presumably entered the same gate every weekday, they waited for several minutes. One guard peeked in and inspected the passengers before giving the driver an okay to proceed.
    Along a circular drive, vans pulled up to the entrance of the main building. The queue operated like a series of taxis dropping guests off at a hotel. Three revolving doors greeted the employees as they disembarked. Leonard followed McGinnis closely, hoping not to slip into the throngs of people. When they emerged on the other side of the revolving door, they immediately encountered a security area. McGinnis walked up to a station, swiped his pass through a card reader, and leaned over a six-inch circular device. Presently, Leonard caught a faint beep and the gate flipped open. Retina scan? he wondered as he neared the gate and repeated the steps. Beep. The arm of the gate popped up.
    McGinnis was nearing the end of the security corral. What came next looked like a typical airport metal detector. Leonard proceeded to pass through.
    “Briefcase,” a large woman with a nasal voice muttered in monotone.
    Leonard looked down and noticed that he was clutching his briefcase, knuckles white. “Oh, sorry,” he stammered as he placed the briefcase on the conveyer belt. When he passed through the metal detector, a red light popped on, causing him to hesitate. A puff of air assailed Leonard and it took him a moment to regain his composure. Then a green light flashed and he continued, grabbing his briefcase on the other side. His new friend was waiting for him.
    The inside of the main building had a large, open lobby; spacious but currently overrun with newly arriving DID employees anonymously bumping into one another, each trying to navigate the drowsy maze of humans. The ceiling rose thirty feet above them, and two floors overlooked the atrium. On the left, lushly carpeted stairs led to the second and third floors. On the right, a three-story portrait covered an entire wall.
    Leonard took a step back in alarm. A woman cursed and shoved him aside. He struggled through the crowd, never taking his eyes off the absurd display.
    The striking man in the portrait seemed to be studying the DID employees as they made their way through the lobby. His haughty expression and dark gray goatee reminded Leonard of someone, but he could not place him. Goose bumps darted up Leonard’s arm. Never, not even in the alternate reality thus far, had the world seemed this surreal.
    Looking forward, he searched for McGinnis. He found him standing in front of three crowded hallways that contained six elevators each.
    “Get a hold of yourself, for Christ’s sake,” McGinnis said. “You should’ve stayed home.”
    “Sorry. I’m a little dizzy.”
    “Let’s go.” The redhead turned and rushed to the bank of elevators on the right.
    “McGinnis,” a man called as they approached. A couple dozen people mingled in the hallway. “Tramer,” the new man said, nodding at Leonard. Leonard inclined his head in greeting.
    “Hey, Wilson,” McGinnis cried. “Did you see the game?”
    “It was awesome.”
    “Guess who was there?”
    Much to Leonard’s relief, McGinnis dominated the rest of the conversation, bragging about his football tickets. This gave Leonard a chance to compose himself and observe the behavior of his coworkers.
    Several elevators opened simultaneously. Leonard, Wilson, and McGinnis entered the closest one, along with five others. Leonard made his way to the back so he could follow McGinnis. Since his new friend had offered to usher him to the coffee pot, Leonard assumed they were headed to the same floor. If McGinnis could lead him off the elevator and past any security checks along the way, it would make Leonard’s journey a lot easier.
    A woman near the front pressed nine and swiped her card. The man next to her pressed three. He also swiped his card. McGinnis chose floor five and did the same. Leonard stood back. Wilson did