The President sat in his office, pondering. He knew what he needed to tell them, they all new. But he knew that if he told them he would be killed. President Richards got up out of his chair, and went outside. He saw the slums that the world had devolved into. He smelled the foul air. He felt heat from the lamps hanging from the decrepit buildings.

Everywhere there were buildings with boards over the windows, even his office had boarded windows.

Richards started walking down the street, debating in his head.

Tell them? Or don't? Telling them means freedom, a lost job, and possible death. Not telling means decades more of oppression, and injustice. Richards reached a junction, there was a sign that read "Wall Street" and pointed right, and a sign that had faded, unreadable, text.

Richards started singing to himself, kind of a low hum. It was to the tune of It's All Over by The Ink Spots.

He made his way to his house, and saw that it too had boarded windows. He opened the front door with a long creak. "I'm home...not like anyone would respond though..." He said.

He walked through his house, to a tube. It was an elevator, designed for only one person.

Richards entered the tube, closed the door, and pushed the up button. In mere minutes, he had reached the top. He opened the door, and there it was, lush green forest, large open planes, and plenty of animals.

Richards took a deep, long breath in. He smelled the pine and the pure oxygen, he then took a long exhale.

He went back in the tube, and pressed the down button.

In minutes, he was at the bottom, back underground.

Richards had made up his mind, he was going to tell the people what was happening, and what they needed to do.

He gathered as many people as possible, and told them.

"People...there is no apocalypse!" He said.

Several people gasped, a few chatted amongst each other, one person with a tinfoil hat said "I KNEW IT!!". "Well what were we hiding from?!" one person demanded. "Nothing!" said Richards.

"This has just been an overly elaborate scheme by the government to get more of a grip on you!" Richards continued.

"There's an elevator in my house that leads right up to the above ground!" Richards stated.

"You can see--" Richards was cut off. Someone had shot him in the head. Everyone rushed into Richards' house. Sure enough there it was, a tube. One by one, the people went up.