A New Sector

The outer hallway was clear when I slipped under the door gap this morning. I moved past the neighbor's rough mat, boots gripping the smooth concrete. At the far bend, the stainless steel elevator doors reflected the overhead strip lighting. I halted two paces back. In the wall seam near the floor, someone had dropped a heavy brass key tag attached to a split ring. I knelt down and gripped the curved metal edge. Solid heft, cool to the touch. I leveraged my stance and slid it flat against the door frame, propping the narrow corner recess into a fortified checkpoint. Sector line secured.