Page 26 of Last Chance to Save the World

“I can’t wait to go up there,” a man says, sidling up to us. Rian nods at him, but before he can introduce us, the man holds out his hand and gives me his name: Haoyu Long. “I’ve been working here a decade, and I’ve never been up to the real office.”

“Oh, you should have just done what I did,” I say, looping my arm through Rian’s. “Sleep with someone with an invite.”

Haoyu laughs, then sobers, considering.

“Anyway,” Rian says awkwardly, “I’m going to introduce Ada around before I have to go into my office for a bit.”

I wave at Haoyu as Rian pulls me toward a nearby woman who says her name is Dante. I’m not sure if that’s her given or her family name, but then I get distracted by the way Rian introduces me: “My date, Ada.” Has a nice ring to it.

The woman’s eyes widen a little in surprise, but she embraces me warmly.

“We wondered if he’d bring someone,” she says, winking. “It’s rare enough to get to visit the boss’s office, but only a handful were given guest invites.”

Then she turns to Rian. “Bev is going to be so disappointed!”

“Bev?” I ask, because it’s painfully obvious that Rian doesn’t want to continue the conversation.

“Bev’s not exactly been subtle about—” Dante starts.

“I really need to talk to Ngabo,” Rian says, cutting her off. “I should introduce Ada to him. Then I have to make a quick stop in my office.”

“I wanna hear about Bev and all the people trying to date you!” I protest as Rian drags me off to meet Ngabo Gatwa, a communications director getting coffee on the other side of the room.

Soon after I shake hands with Ngabo, Rian tells me has to introduce me to someone named Melissa Nguyen, whose office is down the hall. We make our way through handshakes and small talk until we reach a corner. Rian strides confidently down the interior hallway, most of the doors shut and the lights off. Everyone’s finding excuses to not be doing their jobs. I’m glad I didn’t pull the fire alarm; this area is deserted enough.

“So, I’m your date?” I say coyly as we go farther and farther from the pleasantly smiling people who have no idea what we’re doing.

Rian rolls his eyes.

“Should I be worried about this Bev person?” I add.

“No.” Rian grits the word out through clenched teeth.

“I could fight her for your affection.”

“That is unnecessary.”

“Because you adore me and cannot even contemplate being with someone else?” I ask, beaming and putting a literal skip in my step.

“Because— Ugh.” Rian opens a door, motioning for me to hurry inside.

On the other side of the door is a plain stairwell.

“One flight up,” I say, my tone low but serious. Rian nods and shuts the door in my face.

I sprint to the steps.

Rian is going to use his clearance to go up one more level—he was given an office on the floor below Fetor’s. That’s our loophole. He’s spent all this time ensuring that we’re seen and friendly and peppering in reminders that he has to go into his office. Sometimes, the best way to hide is to announce to everyone exactly where you plan to be.

The security guard downstairs got me clearance to the floor where the reception is—all the menial workers whoactuallydo the work, even if Fetor’s going to get all the credit. The employees get snacks and a chance to go up the golden elevators for all their hard labor, and I guess they think that’s enough.

Either way, I’ve got to get up there before everyone else.

The golden elevator? Out of the question. Right now, as I bound up the steps in this emergency stairwell, Rian is showing his badge to the security guards, and then he has an eye scan and another fingerprint press before he can go up to his own office. But he’s going to walk right past his office and instead let me in through the stairwell door.

I rush up the steps. There are cam drones here in the emergency stairwell, but when they buzz by, I pin myself to the wall, trusting that my altered sun shield is enough to register as a weird flare, not even a person. They don’t even pause when they pass me.

Tech can be easier to fool than people.

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