The Portal Key
Copyright© 2025 by Duncan7
Chapter 1: A Wish for Freedom
David Edwards’ life was a drab existence—until the day everything changed.
He pulled into the parking lot at a few minutes to 8 am. He worked for Covenant Holdings Inc. (CHI), doing data entry work.
It was in a gray, 20-story building in the city’s ugliest district. He parked his beat-up Honda in an all-day parking lot a block away before walking to the building entrance.
He timed it so that he arrived at the security desk at exactly 8 am. Signing in earlier or later risked unwanted notice, which was a bad thing. Several coworkers had learned this approach, and so it was a rush to sign it. Gus, the grizzled old security guard, barely looked up from his newspaper. The CCTV would have an accurate record.
After security, the herd of employees headed to the elevators.
A faded plaque above the elevators boasted, “Committed to Stability”—words David amended to “Crushing Dreams” in his mind.
The bell dinged, and the elevator door opened. They all huddled inside the cramped elevator like cattle, but with grim or anxious faces. They ignored each other and watched the numbers as they ascended. David smelled the stale office air mixed with a hint of desperation.
Once the elevator reached the eleventh floor, the door opened with the usual ding. The coworkers herded out of the elevator and along aisles to their cubicles. It was like cows going into their stalls for milking.
David hurried to his cubicle, number G-47. On the outside, a sign read “David Edwards - Data Entry III”. This was where his soul withered and died daily. It died a little more with each mundane task. How he wished he’d learned anything other than computer skills at school!
David soon hung up his jacket and got his computer turned on. No sense in making himself an obvious target. Moments later, he sat facing a spreadsheet with hands on the keyboard. Computers were great if you needed to appear busy. If the boss visited, you were reviewing your work.
David checked his emails; they were mostly from the boss.
Subject: Urgent: Security Breach
We believe someone has compromised sensitive information. Investigations are underway. We expect all employees to cooperate fully.
Another one:
Subject: Company Policy Reminder
CHI expects all employees to adhere strictly to its policies and procedures. Failure to comply will lead to disciplinary action, up to and including termination.
David closed his email and got back to work.
David sat in his small cubicle, working on his current spreadsheet.
His boss was Mrs. Laura Ellis. She hovered around, looking for staff to criticize or berate.
Talking with co-workers was a clear sign of wasted time. She had drummed that behavior out of everyone. It was a dreary workplace and reeked of desperation.
A while later, David was busy typing in data. He was in the zone, and work flowed easily. Any faster, and he risked overachieving.
He suddenly heard a tapping sound from behind him. At once, he knew the source. Mrs. Ellis was tapping her pen on his cubicle wall. She was looking over his shoulder.
Looking over his shoulder was one of his hot buttons. He couldn’t stand it!
David dared not turn around and risk eye contact. However, her interruption broke his rhythm. Fear scrambled his brain, and he lost his place. He struggled to continue working and failed.
Her mere presence caused him to break into a cold sweat. She’d caught him. He awaited her words of micromanagement while keeping his eyes on the spreadsheet.
“Hmm,” said Mrs. Ellis. “And you were doing so well...”
She stomped off, looking for her next victim. David sighed. Not too loud, or she might hear him, and return.
It took a few moments before he could compose himself and resume his work. His stomach was acting up again. He stuffed a couple of antacids in his mouth and chewed them, hoping to stave off the problem.
Suddenly, David heard her yelling only a few cubicles away.
“No, you’re doing it all wrong! Come with me to my office.”
The level of keyboard clacking from nearby cubicles increased.
David slid his chair towards his cubicle opening and carefully peeked into the aisle. He’d seen this before far too often.
The coworker stood, all hope extinguished. They followed the boss down the dark corridor to her office, rather like the condemned walking to the gallows.
Rumor had it, few employees who crossed her threshold ever returned to their cubicles. It was the last step in your career at CHI.
David moved back to his computer and joined the throng of keyboard clacking.
That was so close. David could have been the one making their last walk. He felt his heart beating in his chest. It took much longer to compose himself and resume his work.
The rest of the day was uneventful. Once David regained his rhythm, he worked through his spreadsheets. In the back of his mind, he wondered about his coworker. Would he ever see them again?
David finished his last spreadsheet.
He quietly turned off his computer and grabbed his jacket from the cubicle hook.
He hurried to the elevator. The goal was to escape without getting caught by the boss.
He’d almost made it when he heard the familiar voice.
“Hey! Where do you think you’re sneaking off to?” she said.
“I finished my work, and it’s the end of the day. I’m going home,” said David.
“Are you certain? Did you submit all your TPS forms?”
“Yes, Mrs. Ellis.”
“You’re probably lying to me.”
“No, I’m not!”
“Very well then. Perhaps I’ll add more to your workload tomorrow, since you finished it all.”
David held back a groan as the elevator door opened.
“Good night, Mrs. Ellis.” He stepped into the elevator and pressed the button. The elevator door closed as Mrs. Ellis turned and walked away. Perhaps she’d find another victim.
As the elevator descended to the ground floor, David let out a breath.
At security, David signed out. He noticed his coworker, the one Mrs. Ellis had taken to her office, hadn’t signed out yet.
He walked back to his beat-up Honda in the parking lot. This routine was all too familiar.
He inhaled, exhaled, and imagined detoxing his soul from the day’s madness, but he needed a few more breaths before he could drive home.
David parked his Honda outside the apartment building where he lived. He couldn’t afford this without his late mother’s small inheritance.
The income from CHI wasn’t nearly enough. At least he had a roof over his head.
He walked through the main entrance and took the stairs up one level. David unlocked his door and entered his unit.
There were no family pictures on his walls. No plants or anything that consumed his valuable time. It was a typical bachelor apartment, of someone who rarely spent his days there.
The long workdays left David with scant opportunity for a social life. He had to sleep soon, or he’ll be tired tomorrow. David didn’t socialize at work; that was taboo.
He checked his answering machine; just one message from his brother asking about meeting up sometime. That was from last month. He left the message on the machine. It was a recurring reminder of his miserable life.
After a cup of tea, he binge-watched TV until it was time to sleep. Actually, he was unwinding from the day’s stress, much as usual. He had no energy left for extracurricular activities.
Finally, David went to bed. He needed his sleep.
The next day, David woke up in a panic. He thought he’d overslept, but he hadn’t.
He went through his morning ritual, including shower, shave, and dressing in his usual work attire. David had a cup of tea and was ready to leave.
David drove to work. He pulled into the parking lot before 8 am as usual.
He walked to the building entrance, looking up at the oppressive building. David signed in at security and entered the elevator. He felt numb as he stood in the cramped elevator next to his coworkers/victims.
The elevator reached the eleventh floor, and the door opened with a ding. The coworkers stumbled out and left for their cubicles/stalls.
“Nothing changes,” thought David.
David hung up his jacket and got his computer turned on. He checked his email. He had several messages from Mrs. Ellis. She’d rejected one of his TPS forms and increased his workload. Right then, he committed to working a little slower today.
It was mid-afternoon at CHI. David was in his small cubicle, working on his current spreadsheet, when he sensed a disturbance in the Force. Mrs. Ellis was out of her office again, on the prowl for more victims.
David made sure he was working — the best defense for when she passed by. Then he heard her a few cubicles away from his cubicle.
“I know you hate me. I remember how you looked at me a year ago!” Mrs. Ellis yelled at a female coworker/drone.
“I don’t know what you mean! I don’t remember looking at you last year.”
“You’re lying! Don’t deny it. You’re scheming against me.”
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