Johnny turns the dial back twelve degrees so that the video on the screen rewinds to exactly one hour and forty-seven minutes. After getting the position perfect he jots down his final observation and snaps his log book shut. He leans back in his chair and sighs at the thought of having to file this week’s books away. The most tiring part of his job was without question visiting the library. At least once he finishes, then it’ll finally be his day off. He clicks off all eighteen of the screens and piles up the set of log books in his arms before snapping off the lights for the monitor room.

His boots click on the tile floor as he journeys down the maze of hallways. He comes to a stop in front of a keypad, letting the scanner light up his face in neon blue grid lines. It beeps with approval and three metal walls, one after another, rumble open. On the other side is another seemingly endless hallway with doors scattered along it, numbers beside each one.

He usually doesn’t give much thought to the pods, but he hesitates in front of number 010. The strange pink glow that escapes through its window is getting brighter. He already submitted a report to headquarters about it, but they never responded. If they don’t think it’s an issue, then it probably isn’t.

Still, he’d never seen any of them give off light before.

After what seems like an eternity Johnny finally reaches the last door with the bold red word LIBRARY painted across it. He struggles to open it while trying not dropping any of the files but once inside the lights slowly start flickering on.

 It was less of a library and more of a warehouse stretching hundreds of feet long and wide, with shelves spanning that entire distance. Bulky servers blink from the bottom rows and boxes of files fill the rest of the shelf space. His shoulders fall. The folder for 018’s glares at him from the top of the pile in his arms. Shelf 287 row 74 he murmurs.

Just think of sleeping in tomorrow Johnny. You can do this.

He shakes his head and with a groan, goes off to file.