Max parked his car, got out, and walked to the CONTROL entrance. How took out his wallet and fumbled for his ID card.
Meanwhile, 99 also arrived. She got out of her car and met him.
"Hi, max."
"Oh, hi, 99."
"Here, let me get my card."
"No, that's OK." He continued fumbling. "I'll tell you what:" he finally said. "Why don't YOU get your card!"
She fished through her pocketbook and pulled out her card. She held it against the reader, and the door opened. They walked in.
"By the way, I heard that they've changed the entranceway, a week ago," said Max, as they walked through the security doors.
"I heard that, too. I hope they make it easier. I hurt my arm going down that chute, once."
"Yes. I once hurt my re-er, another part of my body, going down it!"
They finally got to the room with the phone booth. To the left of it was a special compartment. It had a sign on it:
PLEASE PUT YOUR SHOES, SOCKS, WALLETS, AND POCKETBOOKS IN HERE.
They looked at each other incredulously Then they opened the compartment door and put their stuff inside it.
They then got into the booth together. Max picked up the phone and dialed a special code number. He hung up the phone, and the two of them fell. . .
. . . Into a large tank of water!
"So, this is the new entrance!," said Max.
"You mean we're going to have to get wet, every time we report to work? I don't like that!"
"Yes. I'll have to start wearing a bathing suit, rather than a three-piece suit!"
They waded to the side. Soon afterwards, another person fell into the tank-the Chief!
"Nice of you to drop in!," said Max.
"Hi, Max, 99."
"I don't like this. I'll have to dry clean all my clothes!"
"I know, 99! We got a lot of complaints about the chute, so CONTROL came up with this. But the next room should make up for it."
A ladder was on the side of the tank. The three of them got out. A door led out of this room. They took it into the next room. It was small and had benches on two of its sides. The Chief sat, and Max and 99 joined him.
Hot air blew on them from vents in the walls.
"This is nice!," said 99.
"Yes," said the Chief. "It will dry us off fairly quickly.
It continued for about three minutes. By then, they were pretty dry. They got up and went into the next room.
Their stuff was strewn about the floor. They put their shoes and socks back on, and they collected their other stuff.
"Max pull something out of his pocket-his wallet!
"Sorry about that-I forgot to take this out!"
Another door led to the main hallway.
…...
After less than a month, the tank was replace with another chute!