The office was a grid of white desks and grey partitions. The lighting was a constant, humming fluorescent white that erased the concept of time.

Leo had worked at the firm for twelve years. His job was to process "Efficiency Reports"—documents that measured the productivity of other employees. He was very good at it. He was the most efficient processor in the department.

Every year, the top processor was promised a "Promotion to the Upper Tier."

Leo had been the top processor for five years. He had spent every waking hour optimizing his workflow, eliminating every second of waste, turning his life into a series of perfectly executed tasks. He lived for the day he would finally leave the grey grid and enter the Upper Tier, which was described as a place of light, creativity, and true purpose.

The day finally came. The Director called him into the office.

"Congratulations, Leo. You've reached the threshold. You are being promoted."

Leo was led through a series of sterile corridors, through three sets of security doors, and finally into a lift. The lift rose for what felt like minutes. When the doors opened, Leo stepped out.

He found himself in a room.

It was a grid of white desks and grey partitions. The lighting was a constant, humming fluorescent white. He looked around and saw other people—men and women in grey suits—processing reports.

"Welcome to the Upper Tier," a voice said.

Leo looked at his desk. On it was a stack of "Efficiency Reports." But these weren't reports on the employees below. They were reports on the employees of the *Lower Tier*. His job was now to measure the productivity of the people he had just left behind.

"But... where is the light? Where is the purpose?" Leo asked.

The man next to him didn't look up from his screen. "This is the purpose, Leo. We ensure the Lower Tier remains efficient so that the Upper Tier can continue to exist."

"Then where is the *next* tier?"

The man finally looked at him, and Leo saw a look of profound, empty pity in his eyes.

"There is no next tier, Leo. There is only the grid. We just change the color of the reports."

Leo sat down. He looked at the report in front of him. It was a report on a young man in the Lower Tier who was currently the top processor. Leo picked up his pen and began to optimize the man's workflow, feeling the humming white light of the ceiling slowly erasing the last of his hope.

[OTMES: M3=7.0, M4=8.0, N2=0.9, K2=0.6, TI=42.1, Theta=270.0, Code=OTMES-V12-GLASS-CEILING]