“So, basically, we have to go to Area 3 next if we want to search for more survivors or find another way out,” I conclude.
“No, we can’t do that yet.”
“Why not?”
“All the passageways connecting the different areas have security gates. Do you remember how there was a gate blocking the way here?”
Now that she mentioned it, there was something like that. Tachibana had opened the large iron door in the middle of the passageway.
“I do. Is there a problem with that?”
“All the gates are locked and need security cards to open them,” she says, pulling a card out of her pocket.
It’s a plastic card the size of a credit card. “Level 2” is written on the front of it.
“LABO has different security levels that correspond to each area’s confidentiality level. Only corresponding levels can open their areas. You need the Level 3 card to access Area 3, the Level 4 card to access Area 4, and so on.”
Tachibana points to the gate marked within the connecting passageway. “There are two kinds of gates: those that connect the inner and outer rings and those that connect the different areas. We picked up this Level 2 card during our search, which gives us access to Area 2, but…”
“We can’t advance into Area 3,” I supply. “Is there anywhere we can get our hands on a Level 3 or higher card?”
“We’ve searched high and low, and this is the only card we’ve come across. About the only place we haven’t checked yet is your pockets,” Moribe says half-jokingly.
“My pockets, huh?” Things can’t be as easy as having a Level 3 card conveniently stashed away in my pocket, but I’ll check for the heck of it. “…I-I have two!” Surprisingly, I had two cards tucked in my chest pocket.
“What?! Are you kidding me?!” Moribe cries. I hold the cards out for her to see.
Each one has a different name on it: Keiji Ukita and Kyouka Nanami. Better yet, they’re both Level 4.