"Where does it go?" said the little blonde-girl to to the equally blonde boy as he tugged her up the pristine glass hallway they had discovered near their district.

The boy shrugged as he led her farther up the winding softly lit hallway. "I'm not sure but it must go someplace cool, maybe even all the way up to the surface," teased the boy before he continued, "Otherwise, why would the teaching hologram been so reluctant to tell us anything about it, after we found it?"

"Your such a liar," the girl giggled back. " It's been centuries since any of the tunnels went anywhere near the surface, if they ever really did. The computer's just being stubborn. You know the Dults have it programmed to downplay anything we find interesting. Remember last summer when Ricky swore he found that cave that he swore led to one of the ancients missile silos and it turned out to be nothing but a forgotten access tunnel to an old waste storage cylinder?"she finished as the both continued up the increasingly dingy and aging tunnel for what seemed like hours, past discarded containers, trash and even a few nonfunctional cleaning units."

"This is different, Ricky's a total space-oid and besides everyone knows the silos never existed, people have always lived underground."

"Different says you," she giggled.

Finally looping up a final embankment the two children found themselves before a large rusted metal door with a circular handle. Beside it was a sign worn with age whose remaining words read "Gr__ lev__ ac__."

"Ladies first," said the boy.

"No you go first," she gulped back

"Fine, baby," he retorted as his voice cracked ever so slightly.

Then he turned the handle which moved surprisingly well for it's dilapidated appearance and the door opened into an even larger tunnel overgrown with vines and moss.

"Oh my god, I think we did it. We made it to the surface," he said taking a deep breath of fresh air as he rushed forward. "Come on."

"But I thought the surface was supposed to be dead and lifeless?" she replied as they both exited the tunnel into what a bright sunlight forest.

" District Twelve Children? Just what in the Sam Hell do you think your doing? Shouldn't you be at your lessons back home? replied a surly janitor eyeing the numbers on their matching white jumpsuits as the two children burst into the open cavern of the district Seven's Central Zoo and Aborium from the old transit tunnel. " You two shouldn't be playing in the old greenhouse..."

"Greenhouse? This isn't the surface?"

"Surface?" laughed the old man." Why in the gods' names would you think that? The surface is inhabitable and still miles above us. What you guys were following, that tunnel, it's just an old pedestrian walkway. You kids and your games, I swear I'll never understand them," he chortled again, putting down his mop.

"But we walked for hours it couldn't, we had to have gone farther..." replied the boy, crestfallen.

"I swear son. I'll prove it. What time did you leave home?"

"Right before lunch at 1130 central time." said the boy.

"Look it's only 1245," replied the man tapping his wrist to project a hologram of the time. " Now come with me will get you cleaned up and I promise if your teacher asks I'll vouch for you guys. The Zoo has got some of the best food around. We'll get some Ice-cream before you go back," he finished ushering them into a nearby tube.

"Okay," the boy and the girl chorused in unison, the disapointment of their failed adventure already forgotten.

"See dummy I told you. You and Ricky as so funny always thinking every old tunnel leads someplace impossible," teased the girl as the Janitor left them in the capable hands of the Concession- bot.

"Well it didn't lead anywhere fun but at least it led to Ice-cream." he smiled back.

"That was close, said the Janitor into his wrist when he was safely away. "I actually didn't apprehend them until they had reached the surface, luckily I was able to convince them they were just in an old part of the zoo and to come back before they got a good look around at things."

"You guards need to be more careful. This is the second time in as many years. First missile silos and now trips to the surface."

"Kids are just curious" said the guard.

"Which is why the Comps educate them not to be. No more slip ups, the people aren't ready to hear the truth yet."

"Yes sir," he replied firmly, knowing that they never would be.