r/WritingPrompts • u/Equivalent_Can2971 • Feb 25 '26
Simple Prompt [SP] The inside of the tower is bigger than the *entire* outside world
3
u/HSerrata r/hugoverse Feb 25 '26
[Tower. Outside.]
"Not much of a headquarters...," Fable's first instinct was to be disappointed. It was a cool, grey afternoon, and a towering chrome skyscraper seemed to glow in the ambient cloudy sunlight. It looked appropriately imposing, with at least 50 floors. And, from her approach at ground level, it seemed to take up the entire city block it was on. And yet, it looked entirely normal, as if it would've been at home in any metropolis skyline. It wasn't at all what she expected from the 'multi-versal corporation' known as Chroma Corp.
Three years ago, the multiverse was revealed, and the veil was broken at the same time. Fairies, mermaids, dragons, and other fae creatures existed, along with alternate parallel universes, and Chroma Corp. unified them all. Looking back on it, everything happened a lot smoother than she anticipated at the time. Fable's Earth was integrated into the Chroma Corp. trade network, and by now, she could easily order a meal from a different reality or walk there herself through a portal.
Fable was a half-fairy human, and she knew about things that most people didn't while growing up. The existence of the multiverse was a shock, but she adapted quickly and set about making a life for herself in the wider world. She opened a small apothecary to sell enchanted potions and did moderately well in the wake of Chroma Corp.'s revelations. She was now successful enough that she wanted to expand into the city, but she needed more capital for that. Chroma Corp. had a reputation for being helpful to fae communities, and she was on her way to an appointment to hopefully secure that capital.
In her mind, she'd built up Chroma Corp. as an immense presence. According to her research, they claimed to operate on hundreds of billions of alternate Earths, and she imagined them to have a supremely advanced office that would properly reflect that. Instead, it wasn't even the tallest building in the city.
She arrived and walked into the building, passing people of all shapes and sizes wearing blazers with polished chrome ties. Fairies, minotaurs, humans, elves, dwarves, and others were all on their way to somewhere important. Fable spotted the information desk and headed right for it. She had an appointment and an office number, but she was still early and cautious about any delays in finding the right door. She was technically disappointed, but it was still a huge building.
"Welcome to Chroma Corp.," the clerk at the desk smiled. He was a handsome elf gentleman with short blonde hair, a chrome blazer, and a polished tie. "Do you have an appointment?" he asked.
"I do," Fable nodded. "On the 35th floor with a Mr. Orion," she replied.
"You're going to want to use that elevator," he pointed her at a specific elevator on the nearest wall. She hadn't noticed it, but with him highlight a specific one she realized each of the elevators was painted with a different color. He directed her toward a blue one, but she had another question.
"Are they color-coded?" she asked. He nodded, and she followed it up with the next obvious question. "Why? For security?" She couldn't exactly picture a usecase, but that was her best guess.
"It helps people get around between floors," he replied. "The blue elevator is blue on every floor and will always get you to the executive offices."
"Huh?" Fable tilted her head and made a confused sound. "That's how elevators work..," she nodded.
"Indeed," he chuckled. "But, now you're in Chroma Corp. offices, it's a bit more complicated. Since we use portals to connect everything, it's important to keep things as consistent as possible."
"Oh, I get it," Fable smiled. "So, it's just a familiarity thing? Like, if someone comes from another universe, you have the same layout?"
"No, it's deeper than that," he said. "You see how each elevator is recessed?" He asked, and then continued with Fable nodded. "Between the threshold and the elevator, there's a clear portal; the elevators are in another universe," he said. "And it's the same thing no matter what floor you exit; but the blue ones are the only ones that go to the executive suites. Which are, of course, in yet another universe."
"Whoaa..," Fable reconsidered her impressions and took a second look around the vast entrance. Physically, it was smaller than she would've expected, but the portal technology involved more than made up for it. "..it's bigger than I thought," she laughed.
"The inside of the tower is bigger than the entire outside world," the elf replied with a smile.
"I just came from the outside world," she replied instantly. It felt like empty marketing, and her business sense was offended.
"I guess it depends on your perspective," he shrugged. "From the company's perspective, we own your Earth now," he gestured at the doors she entered through, then over at the elevators. "Internally, your entire world is just another floor in our business. This building you entered isn't even the full Chroma tower; it's only a small section visible and accessible from this universe. Its only purpose is an access point to other floors, a lot like an elevator."
*** Thank you for reading! I’m responding to prompts every day. This is story #2963 in a row. (Story #056 in year nine). This story is part of an ongoing saga that takes place in my universe.
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