Ascension
By Joe Sudar
The
first thought that ran through George’s head as he woke up was why he wasn’t in
his bed. The next was why he had fallen asleep in an office building. Then he
remembered: he had just taken an accounting position through the merger of his old
company and a new firm. Admittedly, it was not the best form to fall asleep on
the first day at a new job.
Getting
up from the oddly comfortable apple red couch and rubbing sleep from his eyes
at the same time, George noticed another disturbing fact: he was not in the
right building, and he was definitely not on the right floor. Judging by the
view from the window, he had to be on at least the hundredth floor, and his
building didn’t go to half that.
“How
do I do this to myself?” He thought. “I need to get out of here before someone
realizes I don’t work here. But why am I here? I need a cup of coffee…”
Just
as he pondered this, he recognized the beautiful smell of freshly brewed French
Roast: hardly the fanciest coffee out there, but a favorite of his for years.
Turning
from the window, he saw a bubbling pot of hot coffee percolating as he stood
there. “Well, if I stand to be arrested for trespassing, then a cup of coffee
could only add another fifteen years at most.” Even in his own head, George’s sarcasm
and poor sense of humor abounded.
Pouring
himself a full cup, which he took black (more from haste than preference) the
wayward office worker searched around for anything that may have fallen from
his pockets in his complex camping. Satisfied that he had everything he came
with (his wallet and a pocket knife) he turned to the door from the break room.
Even as he reached for the gleaming silver handle, however, the door opened,
and a young man in a crisp suit with teeth like a fresh shoeshine entered and
regarded him with a smile.
“Ah,
you’re finally awake.” the man said. “Do you want another cup of coffee?”
“…Sure.”
George said. “What floor are we on?” It wasn’t the most pressing thought at the
moment, but keeping up the pretense that he belonged in the building could keep
him out of trouble for a little while at least.
“Two
hundred and sixty-three. You’ve done pretty well to get all the way up here,
definitely better than some.”
“Two
hundred and what!? What building am I in?” So much for his cover, but George
just couldn’t believe he was in a building that huge, unless he had somehow
sleepwalked all the way into another city. At this point, that possibility was
more believable than some.
“Definitely
where you want to be, I can tell you that.”
“What
does that mean?”
“Tell
me George, do you believe in God?”
“I
went to church as a kid, I was confirmed, so I guess you could say I believe.”
“Then
can you tell me what the Rapture is?”
“It’s kind of like
Judgment Day, when everyone who is meant to, goes to Heaven.”
“Well
done. Have you guessed where you are yet?”
“At
this point I’m starting to think I’m on Reality TV.”
“Hardly,
where you are is somewhere people actually want to be. George, you’re in Heaven.”
George
stood there for a full minute that could have been an hour for all he knew. Was
this a joke? If it was, then it made his sense of humor look like professional
standup. If not, then what was going on? The only thing he could do at this
point was to play along until he found out what was happening.
“Alright,”
George said. “What do we do now?”
“Well
for starters, can I interest you in a light brunch?” With that, the young man
began moving down the hall beyond the room.
George
caught up to him, determined to get more information as they walked down the
pristine white hallway. “How was it that you knew me as soon as you saw me?”
“I’ve
been briefed on everything about you ever since it was determined that you
would be on my floor. It wasn’t easy getting around to everyone I’m responsible
for, to be honest. We were told the Rapture would bring a large influx of
residents rather quickly though, so I was prepared.”
“We?”
“You
didn’t think I was the only angel, did you?”
“I
didn’t even know you were an angel.”
“Well
I am. My name is Gabe, and it’s my job to make sure you and the other residents
of level 263 have everything that you need and want.”
“Then
each floor here is a level of Heaven?”
“That’s
basically the gist of things.”
“How
many levels are there?”
“As
many as we need. Let’s just say that if you were able to climb as high as you
wanted, it would take you longer than your mortal lifespan to reach the top.”
“Have
you been to the top?”
“I
don’t want to go. I was made on this level to look after this level, and I
don’t want or need to go anywhere else. Everything I was made to appreciate is
right here, and to be honest, I don’t think I could be happier.”
“Hmm,
I don’t think I can argue with that then.”
“No,
you can’t.”
They
walked along in silence for a time, with George pondering how massive the level
they were on. They’d covered so much distance on the soft carpet that he was
sure they’d gone at least four city blocks. Everywhere they went, there were
more and more doors, with sounds of revelry, music, and a thousand varied
activities coming from behind each. The farther they went, the more he thought
that there couldn’t be a building on Earth this huge, and he began to wonder if
he actually was in the afterlife. Still, he wasn’t totally convinced.
“You
know” he said. “I never pictured Heaven looking like an office building. What
happened to all the clouds and the white marble columns?”
“An
office building is the most efficient way to make sure that everyone can find
what they want. Enter any one of these doors and I imagine you’d find something
that would appeal to you.”
“That
makes sense, I suppose, but I would’ve thought that you’d be concerned with
aesthetics.”
“Like
I said, enter a door and you’ll probably find what you’re looking for.”
“You
mean that I could find fluffy clouds and huge white pillars in one of these
offices?”
Gabe
paused to laugh out loud. It was like an entire studio audience laughing at a
sitcom punch-line. “Do you mean that you want to sit around on fluffy clouds
and walk around a huge marble forest?”
“No,
I guess I don’t.”
“Like
I’ve said twice now, you find what you want if you look for it.”
“So
can I give it a try?”
“Hold
on, you’ll have plenty of time to explore, and besides, we’re almost there.”
With
that, they emerged from the hallway into a wide forum. They had not changed
floors, and yet they were in an atrium large enough to be the entry hall of any
other building. The place was filled with people. Everyone circulated well and
the only sounds that could be heard were happy voices and light music over an
intercom.
Gabe
led George over to a table packed with everything he could’ve wanted to eat
then, or any time: fresh fruits both familiar and foreign, delicious cold cut
complete with baked goods hot from the oven, and an assortment of drinks he had
loved both as a child and an adult.
“Alright
George.” Gabe said. “If you need anything, just call and I’ll find you. For
now, enjoy the food. Anything else you want to eat will probably be on another
table.”
“There’s
more?”
“Of
course. It’s Heaven.”
From
there George began to dine and socialize. Everyone was amiable and open to
discussion on all sorts of topics (except for current events, as those hardly
applied any more). He found that everyone was happy to see him, even if they
didn’t know who he was. They all wanted to know his opinion of their
circumstance, what he thought of the brunch, and if he had found anyone else he
knew. It was all good and nice, but he wasn’t sure if it was Heaven or not.
That
was until he found someone who could only be in Heaven: his grandfather George,
whom he had been named after. He had died when George was still in grade
school, but that didn’t keep him from holding fond memories of the times they
spent together. Almost on cue, as soon as he found him, other people with whom
he had shared the best times of his life appeared: his mother and father, both
his brothers, one of whom had died overseas, his first girlfriend, every one of
his friends in high school and college. Everyone who had been dear to him as a
boy was here, in this bizarre building. There was only one explanation: he
really was in Heaven.
With
that knowledge firmly tucked in his pocket, he shed any disbelief of his
standing and began enjoying what he had earned. The first thing he did with the
people he loved was to visit a door. As it turned out, anything he could’ve
wanted to do was behind a door, if he knew where to find it. In one conference
room he heard an amateur artist giving a musical performance so beautiful that
the room was filled with tears. Just next door was a room set up as a full bar,
complete with an open microphone, which everyone took advantage of. Even
farther down the hall, it appeared as though you stepped out of the building
and into a forest, complete with the sun shining overhead. Every time George
thought he had seen it all, a new door was waiting with another challenge or
experience.
Something
was missing though, and he couldn’t decide what it was for the longest time.
Slowly though, he came to realize what it was that was gone from this place.
Every triumph of his mortal life, every experience and journey he had made had
been made with another, someone who was so close that he was almost another
brother: his best friend, John.
As
soon as he realized that John wasn’t with him, he began searching for him. He
combed the whole floor, asking around but finding nothing of him. No matter
where he went, no one had seen anyone who even looked like him.
He
asked the friends and family that had known John as long as he had, and though
they all remembered him, they had not seen him since their arrival in Heaven.
Some of them had been there far longer than George, and if they had not seen
him, then where could he possibly be?
George
sat down against the sheetrock wall, pondering where John could be and what he
would do if he couldn’t find him. John had been an integral part of his life up
until the end, and though he had been distracted by the wonders of Heaven for a
small while, everything seemed lessened without him now.
“Having
trouble George?” Gabe said, who had sidled up without notice.
“I
wouldn’t say that. Everything here is more or less exactly as I pictured it. I
can do anything I want, go anywhere I please. I have no pressing
responsibilities, and almost everyone I’ve ever known is here with me.”
“Almost
everyone?”
“To
be honest, I haven’t been able to find my best friend, John. It’s weird,
because everyone else that I’d like to associate with is here on this level.
Why wouldn’t he be here?”
“That
isn’t an easy question, George. The levels here are mostly grouped by how good
of a person you’ve been. After that, we try to place you together with everyone
that we think you’d like to be with, but if there’s a huge difference in where
two people are meant to be, then we can’t do it initially.”
“John
lived as good a life as I did. If I’m here on level 263, then why isn’t he here
too?”
“I
saw John’s credentials when it was determined where he would end up. Can’t you
think of any reason why he wouldn’t be on the top of the list for who could go
here? Anything about his beliefs or practices?”
“He
was a good person. He gave to charities, he helped his neighbors, he was loyal
to every one of his friends…”
“Did
he believe in God?”
“No,
he was an atheist.”
“Then
that’s why he isn’t on this level.”
“You
would actually hold that against someone? I hardly ever went to church and I’m
here!”
“But
you never bore false witness against God or claimed that you didn’t believe in
Him. That sort of thing, no matter how small, does matter.”
“So
now you’re telling me that I’m never going to see my best friend again?”
“I
didn’t say that. There are options to get him back, if you feel like you’re up
to it.
“There’s
a rule here called the Right of Ascension, and it may be just what you’re
looking for. Essentially, it says that if you care enough to go to a lower
level and bring up someone who willingly agreed to follow you, then you can
stay together on the higher level. Basically it’s allowed on the assumption
that if you care that much about the person, they must be good enough to reside
on your floor.”
“So
I just have to go get him?”
“It
isn’t that simple, George. If he really was an atheist, then he is below floor
twenty-five. Everything below that floor is Purgatory, which means you could
say that it isn’t as friendly as the levels up here are.”
“And
what does that mean? Is it like Hell?”
“Oh
no, nothing nearly so terrible. Everything outside of this building is Hell,
and for the love of God, you must not think to venture out there. If you did, then
you would never make it back in here, that I promise you. Purgatory is where
everyone who was just good enough to stay out of Hell is. That means soldiers
who lived good lives but followed cruel orders without question, those who
strayed from God without harming others in the process, and people who lived
lives just on the edge of right and wrong.”
“How
do I get down there?”
“You
mean you still want to go?”
“I
know he’d do the same for me. I’m not going to leave him down there with people
who lived ‘just on the edge.’ Now how do I find him?”
“Alright,
I’m not going to stop you, but I do want you to realize the danger you’re in by
going down there.” Gabe produced a small key from his pocket. “This key will
unlock the stairs that lead both up and down the building. It is your only link
to this floor, and without it, you’ll be stuck on whatever floor you end up
losing it on. What’s more, down in Purgatory there are surely people who
wouldn’t think twice about taking it from you. In fact, that could very well be
the reason that they’re trapped in Purgatory: unchecked ambition. If they get
their hands on the key, they’ll be free to travel to any floor they please, and
that could be troublesome. Some of them might even be willing to hurt you for
the key. Granted, physical hurt is hardly something you have to worry about any
more, but they could force you to stay on the lower level, and that’s more hurt
than any you’ve had in your life, I can promise you that.”
“So
the bottom line is that I need to keep that key hidden at all costs? John was a
bit of a blabbermouth, but I’ll see what I can do.”
“It’s
more than just a case of ‘seeing what you can do,’ George, this really is
important and you need to remember it. Now then, the next order of business is
finding where he is. For that, we need Peter.”
They
stood up and walked down the hall back towards the main forum. Things were
quieting down some, with people sitting together at great round tables and
talking quietly over coffee. Everyone seemed just as content as at the earlier
brunch, and George wondered if he was making a mistake. What if this was the
last he would see of this paradise? Was it worth the risk?
As
soon as that thought jumped into his head, he knew the answer: yes. John had
been there for him at every point of his life, and he wasn’t going to leave him
without the joy that he had now. Every bit of it was worth the risk.
At
the end of the forum was a large office, which they entered. It seemed that
this was Gabe’s office, as there was a roster completely covered with names, a
neat and ordered desk, and a telephone with hundreds of connection buttons.
Gabe moved to the phone and held down one of the buttons.
“Peter,
we need you on level two sixty-three. Peter, two sixty-three.”
He
no sooner let his finger off the button than the door opened and a man dressed
as Gabe (with a large beard and many years older) entered. “Hello Gabe, you
called?”
“Yes
I did Peter. We have someone here who wished to invoke the Right of Ascension.
Can you help him?”
“Of
course I can. You’re looking for John aren’t you George”
“How
did you know that?” George said, a little dumbfounded.
“I’m
Saint Peter, George. It’s my job to keep track of every one of you that enters
this building and ensure that you are placed on the right level. I knew there
would be problems in splitting you and John, but rules are rules. It’s a good
thing too, otherwise you wouldn’t be able to go get him, now would you? Anyway,
I digress. You’ll find him on floor number three.”
“Three?
He’s that far down?”
“Yes,
I’m afraid we aren’t very lenient when it comes to Purgatory. Not that it
matters too much, since you’re going to get him.”
“And
a dangerous and foolhardy a scheme it is,” a new voice said. They all turned to
see a hulking angel (for it seemed that the crisp suits denoted an angelic
status) at least seven feet tall and strong like a body builder.
“Michael!”
Gabe said. “What brings you here?”
“I
heard you calling for Peter,” Michael said. “and I can say I hardly approve of
the risks of travel to Purgatory.”
“I’m
going to go” George said. “I have to get John out of Purgatory.”
“You
see?” Peter said. “He’s quite determined. You’ve never approved of the Right of
Ascension, Michael, but it’s quite legal and he should be allowed.”
Michael
scowled as he looked around the office at each face. “Very well, it’s your
risk. I’ll let you take it. Gabe, has he been briefed on what he can expect?”
“Yes
he has, Michael.”
“And
he knows of the key?”
“Yes
he does.”
“And
he knows of the danger should he lose it?”
“Yes
I do.” George said. “I get it all, now please. Where do I go to find
Purgatory?”
Michael’s
scowl darkened. “Come with me, I’ll show you.” Gabe, Michael, and George all
left the office, with Peter mentioning ‘other calls’ and leaving on his own.
They marched down the winding halls, going farther and farther than George had
yet ventured. With every step, he felt his attachment to level 263 growing, as
well as his determination to let John enjoy it as well.
Finally,
they came to what looked like a fire door with a simple sign reading ‘stairs’
next to it. Michael pointed to it with his enormous, meaty arm. “There you go,
George.”
George
pushed the small key in the lock, opening the door and taking a look down the
stairwell; it disappeared into infinity. “I don’t suppose there’s an elevator,
is there?” He asked.
“Well
there is,” said Gabe. “But it hasn’t worked in what seems an eternity.”
“The
elevator doesn’t work in Heaven?”
“I
said it was Heaven, I never said it was perfect.”
“Well
then… wish me luck!”
“Good
luck!” Gabe said.
Michael
said nothing.
As
the door closed behind him, George felt the crushing silence of the stairwell
closing down upon him instantly. His every step echoed and rebounded off the
walls that surrounded him. He moved down and down, watching the signs on each
door gradually slipping into lower and lower numbers. It didn’t matter how far
he went, he never seemed to get any closer to his goal.
Then
another sound became apparent: the dripping of water, and the buzzing of
flickering lights. He looked at the floor he was on, and he saw that he was
only a few away from twenty-five. Looking down the stairwell, he saw that the
ground floor was within sight, but everything below him was in darkness. He
moved down farther, and saw that it seemed as though not as many of the
building’s basic functions worked down here: the walls were damp and moldy, the
lights did flicker as though they were about to go out. Spiders crawled and
built webs in the corners, and he nearly lost his footing several times in foul
smelling puddles on the stairs.
Finally
he reached level three, and worked his key into the lock. The door was so stuck
with a greasy buildup that he needed to dig out his pocket knife and work it
over the hinges. He finally forced it open and squeezed into the complex.
Everything
looked much the same as his level, except it seemed that upkeep had been long
forgotten. It also appeared that there were far fewer activities to occupy ones
time, as he saw residents huddling together on the floor and in seemingly
random places all over. No matter where he went on level 263, he could hear the
happy sounds of people enjoying each others company. Here, he heard only
grumbles and sighs of discontent. Every second here made him love his level all
the more, and he wanted to find John and return as quickly as possible. Floor
three seemed larger than his though. After he felt he had been wandering for
even longer than it had taken to traverse the stairs, he still hadn’t seen John
anywhere.
He
was meticulous throughout his search. He had no idea where or how to find John,
so he checked every room he came across. All he found were huddled people who
seemed less than willing to answer any questions or even look at him.
Finally,
as he thought all hope was lost, he wearily stuck his head into one last room,
and saw John, haggard and grumbling to himself, working away in front of a
flickering computer screen.
“John!”
He cried.
“Come
back later, I have work to do.” came John’s hasty reply.
“John,
it’s George.”
John’s
bloodshot eyes turned to face his friend. “George? No way! What are you doing
here? For that matter, where are we?”
“Haven’t
they told you?”
“Told
me what? I just woke up here days ago with a list of work to do on this filthy
computer. It’s just about the most annoying job ever though; no programs work,
every time I try to save a project, it restarts, the monitor cuts out at the
worst times, the internet is slow…”
“That’s
not important John. Listen carefully. You may not believe it, but don’t argue
and I’ll explain everything later in more detail. You’re in Purgatory, and I’ve
come down from Heaven to get you back. I know that sounds completely stupid
and…”
“No
it doesn’t. I’ve heard people here in this building talking about weird things
like Heaven and Purgatory and something about The Streets, but I didn’t know
what to make of it. I was actually starting to believe in something for once,
but I didn’t want to give in to something I’ve denied for so many years. Is it
really all true? Am I in Hell?”
“You
aren’t in Hell, You’re in Purgatory, and I’m getting you out of here. Come on,
I have a key to the upper levels of this building, where things are better.”
“Alright,
let’s get moving.”
They
carefully made their way into the halls outside John’s office. After that
George tried his best to work them back towards the stairs. This place was so
confusing and huge that everywhere they went seemed like the same as before. No
dripping ceilings or broken computers could dampen George’s spirits now though:
he had found John and he was taking him back to where he belonged as they
spoke. He had made it despite Michael’s harrowing warnings. They were going to
make it without even a second of real trouble!
“Yo,
Johnny boy!” came a voice from behind them.
“Oh
no,” John said under his breath. “That’s Tony, he’s a big shot down here. Just
keep quiet and we’ll get away safely.”
“Where
you think you’re going Johnny Boy?” Tony was a hulking man dressed like your
typical street punk with a band of cronies behind him. “You supposed to stay in
your office and mind your business! You want some of what I gave you before?
Maybe then you’ll learn to stay where you are and show me some respect!”
“I
don’t have to take this anymore, Tony!” John said, barely half Tony’s size.
“We’re leaving this place, and you get to stay here and rot.”
“John
no!” But it was too late. If Tony knew anything about the levels here, he
already knew that one of them had the key.
“Is
that so Johnny boy?” Tony’s vagabond followers had quieted from their
squabbling and now stared hungrily at George. “I been here longer than I care
to know, way longer than I planned on,
and if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that to leave, you need a key.
“So
is that it New Face?” Tony strode up to George. “You must’ve brought it, and
you were gonna keep the key all to yourself? That sure isn’t how we do things
down here. How we gonna handle that? Maybe if I take your key and show you the
love out there in The Streets!”
“John
run!” George shouted, pushing Tony over and charging through his crowd of
followers. Neither of them gave any heed to the cries of those that followed
them; they simply charged down the halls of Purgatory, knowing that their very
souls depended on it. No matter where they went though, George and John both
felt that they were just getting more and more lost. Tony and his crew was
following far too close for comfort, and as time wore on they began to gain
ground.
Then
George and John rounded one last corner, and after they had just passed the
point of no return, realized that they were trapped in a dead end. George
quickly looked for an escape, and realized that they were at the broken
elevator he had heard Gabe mention earlier. He tried his key in the lock, but
the great metal doors remained closed and still.
With
a cry from behind them, Tony and his men began to close the gap in that small
funnel. There was no way out, and nowhere they could go. They would be stripped
of the key and tossed into Hell, and all because George had forgotten to warn
John about what he had claimed to have such a keen grasp of to Michael only a
short time ago.
Then
George heard small whispers from his friend. “Oh God… please help us!”
From
behind them a blinding light issued, and the two of them felt strong hands
pulling them backwards. Tony and his men faltered and scrambled over each other
in fear, as a strong voice shouted “Deus
Ex Machina!”
When
George finally ventured to open his eyes, he saw that he was inside the elevator,
which was moving rapidly upwards. Gabe was staring down at him with a great
smile on his face. He looked over and saw that John was having little bits of
filth brushed off of him by Michael, who wore his usual scowl.
They
had made it. With help, they had made it out of Purgatory, and out of the jaws
of Hell. John was a willing traveler with George, and due to the Right of
Ascension, they could stay together as they had been in life. George didn’t care
anymore that he hadn’t been told that the elevator worked. He had done what he
needed to, and he and his friend were safe. Everything about Heaven had just
gotten a good deal brighter.
After
Michael had successful beaten John into a bit better shape, the former resident
of Purgatory turned to his friend. “So, now what happens?”
“We
go back to level 263.”
“And
what are we going to do there?”
“Whatever
we please. Everyone you and I have ever known is up there, and they’re going to
be that much happier when they see that you made it to. There are films,
there’s dancing, huge forums where we can eat or have a drink, places just to
socialize and take a break. Pretty much anything you could want.”
“All
that is up there?”
“Of
course. It’s Heaven.”
The End
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