Bell rings.
Lift doors open.
Step into the lift lobby.
It's empty.
Wine-coloured carpet.
Off-white wallpaper.
Three offices on this floor.
Recruitment agency.
Web design company.
& Church of Resonant Consciousness.
Walk over.
Time is moving very slow here.
Every movement distinct.
Conscious.
Taking place in the present.
Door's ajar.
Reception area.
Unattended. Very much like an office.
Shelves, files, paperwork.
Wall planners.
Voices in the next room.
Calm, pragmatic: Commit to deliver by Monday.
Reception desk has a security monitor.
B/w image of lift lobby.
Little figurine beside the computer.
One of those art models.
Wooden body, hinged joints
No face.
Voice next door says: If he gives you trouble, let me know.
& I'll sort him out.
Always used to frighten me.
When I was a kid, I mean.
These wooden figurines.
Look around the waiting area.
A couch. Magazines.
Not religious ones.
Just regular magazines.
But this is interesting:
Framed print on the wall.
A geometric pattern.
Concentric circles, transections.
& a word in the centre:
FEDIAR.
Voice says: He can say what he likes.
But the contract was for Monday.
End of story.
Think: What is it with religious people.
Always playing around with geometry.
Mathematics, diagrams.
Reminds me of HR.
Executive management, etc.
Harmony, harmonisation.
Always with the diagrams, code words.
Reaching for something intangible.
Enlightenment.
Improved, integrated systems.
You can't point to it.
Can't touch it.
Get worried that maybe it doesn't exist.
So out come the fucking diagrams.
Circles and boxes and lines.
Like you know what you're talking about.
Here: harmony.
Here: seven key principles.
Mutual respect, customer focus.
Here: seven chakras.
Twelve stations of the cross.
& over here, FEDIAR.
Whatever that's supposed to mean.
– Wait a minute.
Damn it. Damn it.
Check my pockets.
Jacket, slacks.
Hands and fabric shifting through slow-motion time.
Damn it. Yeah.
Left my phone at the office.
Voice says:
Excuse me.
I turn.
Middle aged man in the doorway.
Excuse me can I help you.
I say: Maybe.
Who's in charge here.
The office is closed, he says.
What do you want.
Tell him: I want to talk to whoever's in charge.
Spoke to one of your representatives.
Earlier today. Guy in the street.
Said you have a magic device that's going to save the world.
Man says nothing.
Just stands there.
Motionless in slowed-down time.
Staring at me.
I'm used to people staring at me.
When people stare at me, I stare back.
Tell him: I'm here to see the device.
Pull your thumb out.
Go get whoever's in charge.
No comments:
Post a Comment