A New Age Begins...

Without warning and apparently unnoticed by anyone, the sanctity of our conference room was invaded by the appearance of a mysterious and unworldly looking monolith. I was taken aback by this discovery and did not quite know what to make of it.

I was informed that this strange sentinel is a router for a new Local Area Network that is being established for our office. Apparently, the “old LAN” was not up to snuff and deemed to be primitive. This black box was brought in to evolve our system to the next level of artificial awareness.

Hmmm….I wonders if the new LAN will help me play Free Cell better.

What gets me is that this box has now taken up a place of prominence within our well establish meeting room. Even more to the point, it was left precisely right where I sit each Sunday and Wednesday morning; as if that part of the room is in the greatest need of injected high speed thinking capability. Perhaps I should feel lucky. For all I know, being situated so close to this monument may nurture me into being a more productive member of our inner office micro system.

There’s no avoiding the thing. Heck, even the 800 pound gorilla that occasionally sits in the corner of our conference room can’t help but notice this thing no matter how hard he tries to pretend its not there.

No longer will we be able to go about our status quo without having this seemingly superior sentinel over watching us in silence and requiring us to behave more systematically.

What really gets me is that the fact that “somebody” decided that we needed the upgrade in the first place. Who are these omnipotent people who brought in this monolith to “help” us? And why did they come in the middle of the night without showing themselves? Would their mere presence “confuse” and “scare” such primitive office drones such as ourselves? What was wrong with the computer network we have right now? Couldn’t we just stay at the collective cubical evolutionary state that we were comfortable with?

Apparently not.

Now with this obelisk in orbit around our conference table, we all feel compelled to strike against the norm and find new and better ways to interact.

Just yesterday, I saw a co-worker pick up a bone and use it as a tool for the first time. The guy was so overcome with euphoria that he tossed it up in the air in triumph.

But I fear that we may become too dependent on this new LAN. I would hate to see us fall victim to its every whim. (“Open the conference room doors, please”; “I am afraid that I can’t do that, Bill”)

As much as I don’t like this thing, I can’t help but look at it. Its smooth and glossy sides are solid but yet they are transparent enough to offer a hint to its true meaning. Behind the glass, I can see lights blinking on and off in a pattern that I can’t decipher, but I know they are serving a purpose.

As I found myself staring blankly at the cascade of infinitesimal light display, it suddenly dawned on me:

“My God, it’s full of stars!”


(Dedicated to the memory of Astronaut David Bowman)