She interrupted my thoughts.
"You know, this is probably the most accurate and well presented report that I have come across in the last twenty-seven years! Your conclusions seem to be accurate, simple and effective. Well done Kate, really well done."
I almost exploded with joy at her words. She regarded me with those deep sincere eyes. I could hardly believe it!
A moment before I was sinking into the abyss and now ....
I left the office flying, light and drunk on compliments. I went to the coffee machine and took one, satisfied and smiling. I felt an odd heat on my chest, keeping me warm.
Alice was moving into the office next door. She looked me over and said with a smile that I looked like I’d been in a mud fight with a puma. This sounded a little odd but nothing would affect my current state of semi-ecstasy that lasted through the day. I headed back to my office.
Valdes came in to greet me. I was so excited that he did not even answer him. Instead I planted a large and loud kiss on his cheek. I saw his eyes lose that strange patina of melancholy and I was happy. He finally cracked a smile wider than usual.
And then in my mind I saw again the image of that red-haired slut with Sammy’s voice and I swore to myself that if she dared to touch my man or my friends I would slaughter her with my own hands.
I headed home, driving almost casually, so much so that I did not notice I had arrived. I heard Serena’s boisterous laugh when she saw me, but nothing could upset me.
Entering the bathroom I immediately noticed the coffee streaks on my white blouse. The coffee had cooled on my chin, forming an odd looking sticky stain. Alice’s comment suddenly made sense.
My smile in the mirror looked idiotic, like someone semi paralysed; I was still up there with the stars.
I jumped in the shower removing only my shoes. The jet of hot water flowing over my body drenched my clothes and sobered me a little. When I felt my clothing becoming heavier I finally took them off.
I stayed a long time in the shower, feeling radiant.
I also remembered I had not said goodbye to anyone when I left the building.
The memory of the kiss on the cheek I had given to Valdes sobered me a little more. I must have looked rather stupid and insignificant to him.
But I remembered his eyes, black as the night, showing no compassion or mercy. The sadness I saw on his face the first day I had met him was gone, but maybe it was just because I had cheered him up with my silliness.
But, Oh God ... that filthy red-haired slut ... my man! Was I really thinking these thoughts? What was going on? I was feeling a little dazed and I was falling in love! No, not now, I had a job to do, a precise timetable of tasks to follow.
I could think about it tomorrow, I felt too good to spoil the day with useless thoughts. I composed myself and went off to find the others.
My mood was still smiley - maybe too much so, but that was fine. I went up to the huge oak tree where I stopped for a moment to watch the sun hiding behind the hill. I re-entered the building through the entrance door that Matt held open. He gestured for me to enter.
He looked into my eyes, I managed to hold his gaze this time and I took the opportunity to observe his eyes carefully. They had always seemed green and they were, but I noticed hazelnut flecks in the centre that turned green as they ran outwards. I had noticed this before but only vaguely and it made me pause. I turned and looked at Sonia. She had the same characteristics in her eyes. It was difficult to describe, but they appeared almost to shine from within.
I looked again at Matt. I had no doubts now, the eyes really were shining.
He said,
“Well done Kate, you’re an attentive observer. I read the report you left on Sonia’s desk.”He handed me the file of comments and continued,
“I agree completely with Sonia, in fact I could say that you took only half the time expected to finish phase one. Great work!”
I truly believed I had never felt better - it had really happened!
I still couldn’t wipe the silly smile off my face as I sat at the table. I did not eat much but it didn’t matter. I felt an important understanding had been established with Matt and Sonia.
I thought of my foolishnesswith Valdes and sighed. Nothing escaped Sonia however.
"She’s sighing to herself," said Sonia calling the attention of her companion to me.
"Well if she’s breathing she’s alive and that’s good," Matt replied rather superficially.
Sonia gave him a tap on the shoulder and said,
"No, idiot, sighing, not breathing!"
"How can you sigh without breathing. This is not good!"
Sonia laughed and said, "The girl is in love!"
"I'm not in love with Valdes," I said aloud, and stopped short.
The affirmation spilled out stupidly and it made us all laugh.
Serena did not show herself that night. I thought maybe she had the night off. No one disturbed us with interruptions. I still had my head in the clouds and I felt I sincerely loved those two strange people. Even more strange was that it seemed mutual. They regarded me silently and I felt myself melting.
It seemed almost a sort of telepathic understanding, a "Yes, it's exactly like that," where I joined with them mentally. For the first time I felt truly and wholly a part of that strange family. I slept peacefully that night
STRATEGIES
A new day and a new goal.
I picked up my dossier and decided to start with the sector that required the least changes.
An easy choice, the production department functioned like a Swiss watch. Mario was the boss, a pleasant man and a clever engineer who looked like Santa Claus.
He was always smiling and willing to answer any questions. Under his careful supervision everything was in perfect order, the spare parts and maintenance of equipment was always on time and very little production time was lost or wasted. A good situation indeed - according to him it would be possible to effortlessly increase production of the various departments by a good twenty five percent at no additional cost, and indeed
I saw for myself that this was true.
So I drafted a strategic plan for the production departments. The result was pleasing, it was all amazingly simple and it ran like this;
’Production departments’
Strategic Plan for immediate implementation:
Nothing to be implemented outside of the normal routine!
End of the strategic plan.
It was almost idiotic that solution, but it goes without saying that if you don’t have a problem it is useless to seek a solution. Something that works well should be left running as it is.‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!’
Matt came in and seated himself at my desk with a curious air. He read my plan for the production departments.
“Good,”he said,“You’ve already completed about a third of the work. Bravo! I’ll take care personally of the situation, fear not. I’m a real ace at doing nothing!”
I was already used to him making fun of me and simply smiled without saying a word.
Sonia came in and asked what we were up to. His reply was immediate and jubilant.
“Well my love, a third of the strategy is being implemented efficiently and exactly as we speak.”
Sonia was just as happy too, making little dance steps across the office. It was always Matt who started these strange little scenes but when Sonia joined in too they worked together with an almost lethal symphony.
Valdes walked in. My office was becoming something of a meeting place.
Sonia and Matt froze immediately and remained motionless as statues. It seemed to me they didn’t move a muscle. How did they do that, I wondered? They looked almost artificial.
Valdes looked at them, amused. Evidently he had known those two a lot longer than me.
Matt moved slowly and whispered to Sonia,
"Let's run away love, it's the boyfriend!"
"Idiot!," I joked, trying not t
o blush.
Sonia smiled and said,
"Yes, but when you join in it gets really stupid."
They left and I heard them bickering in their usual way.
"He’s not her boyfriend yet," said Sonia giving him a nudge.
"Come on love, let’s have an argument!"
“Yes baby, come on then, you start!"
"Oh no honey this time it's your turn!"
"No my pretty, you argue first!"
"But, oh my beautiful little beast! why do I always start first? "
"Because my mom is prettier than yours!"
They laughed like two imbeciles. I followed them with my eyes until they reached their respective offices, I had never met two people with a bond so deep and with such a great love for each other.
Valdes looked at me with a smile brighter than usual.
"Good girl," he said with a hint of a smile.
I was hoping it was not anything related to the previous day.
"Come on," he added with a gentle and firm tone. I got up and followed him with pleasure, not daring to ask where he was going. In truth I did not care really, I was delighted to be able to spend time with him.
There was a dark wall separating my office from that of Sonia - Valdes and I skirted it, with me almost holding my breath for the thirty metres stretch that passed in front of the offices of my friends and up to the door marked‘Archives.’
I froze, petrified by the real possibility of crossing that threshold.
It was there in front of me, as red as the blood gushing from a new wound. The famous red door, inaccessible and in my mind concealing mysteries beyond the human imagination, torture chambers, places of perverse fantasy, unknown military secrets.
He opened the door and motioned for me to follow him.
THE ARCHIVE
Yes, I was curious to discover the hidden mysteries even if, at that precise moment, I felt little interest in what I would find. The important thing was to stay with him, breathe his presence and feel his magnetic eyes on my skin. You’re gone Kate, face it! You meet a stranger and in no time find yourself constantly thinking about him.
But the man gave me a sense of security like I had never experienced before even if I was not sure why.
So I went with him over the threshold of the Archives. The door closed silently behind us and in front of us stretched a long corridor. I could not see the end, it appeared to curve slightly to one side, as if it were ring - shaped. It was two metres wide and perfectly lit.
We walked along the strange path flooded with white light and with my peripheral vision I saw rooms to the side, like dark caverns to stay away from. They seemed to be offices, but there were no occupants.
In one of them I noticed some strange equipment, but I was careful not to ask questions, I didn’t want to interrupt the magic of that moment.
I watched Valdes from the corner of one eye, occasionally giving him a full and fleeting look.
He looked at me for a moment, seeming to read my thoughts and I held my breath for fear of being discovered.
Occasionally he explained something but I couldn’t make any sense of it, I just wanted to hear his voice. I was in deep head over heels for that strange man, cooked, overcooked and possibly boiled over!
I looked more and more absent-mindedly at the surroundings. I just wanted to be near him.
A slight sound broke the magic of that moment. My shoulder almost touched his and that wonderful closeness gave me a pleasant vibration, a lightness of spirit that I almost made me turn my head.
"Just one moment Kate, it’s Sammy," he said with such a sweet air that I wanted to kiss him on the cheek again.
He pulled out a cell phone from his pocket. Or was it another type of handheld device?
It didn’t matter much to me. He placed his thumb on the central silver section as if accepting a call. The strange device extended itself to the size of an A3 sheet with a frame of about five centimeters pointing slightly internally.
The device became transparent. It appeared very light and symbols and writing appeared on it. It occurred to me that I should ask to have a contraption like that once I had finished my work.
Valdes told me that Sammy was updating him on the progress of a particular project and that he was preparing a good joke for Sven.
"Who is Sven? 'I asked him.
"Sven is our lunatic software engineer, the best. He and Sammy are always playing jokes, and they sometimes become a little too much," he said, looking at me with a mischievous smile, "I'm afraid I’m going to give Sammy a hard time!"
I imagined big man Sammy playing around - that mountain of muscles would have smashed a child’s playthings with just one hand. I smiled at the thought.
But it didn’t matter, that was a moment just for the two of us.
We walked for a long time and I wondered if they didn’t perhaps have an easier way of moving around - maybe a golf cart, a bike or a scooter would be fine.
I was a little taken aback by the length of the corridor. It was so long that my legs were already beginning to show some small signs of distress.
But Valdes continued at the same pace without showing any signs of tiredness.
Occasionally we met others who greeted us with a nod of the head.
I only found out later that the long walk along the corridor that I called‘The infinite corridor’was meant for me. Walking around with no distractions and always the same monotonous walls with eyes fixed on nothing was slightly hypnotic.
There was a strong light that caught my attention in one of the rooms we passed. I remembered vaguely that Valdes had told me when I was ready I would receive some theoretical instruction in that room; a little further on he pointed out the infirmary .
I’d had enough of school desks and I hated hospitals, so I left it like that.
I beamed as I finally saw a door at the end of the corridor that indicated the end of our journey. At last! But crossing the threshold I found myself in the hallway leading to my office. So, without me realising we had gone round in a circle. And the Archives?
I couldn’t resist it - I gave my cavalier a shy kiss on the cheek.
Valdes just smiled and I returned to my office, overhearing a conversation with Matt who in the meantime had come out into the corridor.
"Everything all right Valdes?" asked Matt in a tone that indicated a need for confirmation rather than a real question.
"Better than I thought, we’re on the right track," said Valdes.
"I bet Sgrunfy is anxious," Matt added, smiling.
"As impatient as any father in the waiting room of the maternity ward expecting a son."
"Good for you my friend!" Matt concluded with his sly fake smile.
A son? I thought. Who is expecting a baby? Should I be thinking about getting a gift? And when was the baby due?
I literally lay down in my chair and stared out of the window admiring my car. I continued to listen to the other two whose conversation was now a little too technical for my taste. I isolated myself and I found myself just watching him until he disappeared behind the Archives door.
I was mesmerized. I watched his lips move but the sounds seemed muffled as If they were from a dozen metres away. I admired the look in his eyes that passed from humorous to extremely focused while he conversed. Yes, I was having a good time.
My feet hurt and I started to massage them. I was so absorbed by this man that I could not get anything done for the rest of the day.
Eventually I recovered from that strange stupor and realized that in fact I could not see or hear Matt and Valdes from my office, as I was surrounded by dividing walls. I just had to be in love or in a slight hallucinatory state, perhaps brought on by my extended hypnotic walk. Tomorrow I have several things to do, I thought to myself. I wanted to go over my plans again.
"Val ..." I sighed loudly but then I rapidly recovered and thought to myself okay Kate, review your plans and wake up! With this I threw myself into my analysis aga
in, making strategies.
First I was going to find Mario, the engineer who I had seen in production, then move on to ask a couple of questions in the Purchasing Office; I had to check something, so I started to do a quick search on the web.
But that day I left work early, wrapped in a sweet state of torpor after that visit the Archiveswith Valdes. I even forgot to visit Mario.
My reasoning was not very lucid. I simply could not get the man out of my head and did not know if what I had seen during this period was just a figment of my imagination.
Did I just dream? I asked myself worriedly, afraid of not being able to distinguish reality from imagination or dreams. Thinking about dreams brought him back to mind and I sighed.
I drove home with my head bouncing through the clouds and my mind was in another place for the rest of the day, wrapped in a timeless bubble. I woke up the next day without remembering drifting off to sleep.
THE SECOND PHASE
The new work day that lay ahead promised to be positive. Not that anything special had gone wrong during the previous days but I was getting used to constant surprises.
I said cheerio to Alice and took my notes down to the Production department. Mario was already intently leafing through some papers as he addressed two men in work uniforms who were taking notes from. He was planning maintenance shifts for the robots.
I waited a few moments until he had finished and then I joined him.
I handed him my simple strategic plan, saying,
"Tell me honestly what you think, I understand how it may seem ....."
He didn’t let me finish the phrase. In effect there wasn’t much to read and he said,
“Let me tell you what I think. I’m an engineer not a lawyer…. not that I have anything against these delightfully sly people but….”
Planet-H: The End of the Beginning Page 8
