In a future where humanity survives inside towering Projects sealed from a poisoned world, punctuality is more than polite—it’s survival. When Edmund Rice’s day collapses into a cascade of small disasters, a broken elevator becomes the final catastrophe, threatening his most important moment and exposing the building to a terrifying danger.
As panic spreads, rumors surface of a spy trapped inside the elevator shaft, turning a routine inconvenience into a military emergency. What begins as a personal crisis grows into a confrontation with fear, authority, and deeply buried truths about life inside the Project. Taut, witty, and unsettling, this story blends suspense with sharp social insight.
Donald E. Westlake was one of the most versatile voices in twentieth-century fiction. Known for his razor-sharp humor and mastery of crime fiction, he also brought a distinctive human touch to science fiction, blending irony with thoughtful speculation.
Across dozens of novels and hundreds of short stories, Westlake explored how ordinary people react under extraordinary pressure. His work remains influential for its intelligence, pace, and ability to reveal unsettling truths beneath everyday situations.
