The gentle hum of whirling fans coming from machines entered my head as I drifted weightlessly into another world.
A world of blue.
The room was large and cramped, machines lined up on tables. A light blue light filtered through the large windows.
My gaze was immediately drawn to a man that sat at right in front of me. He continued to stare at the blue screen in front of him. Sighing occasionally, he continued to look through lines of upon lines of squiggles in front of him.
'Whats he looking at?' It thought as I continued to watch the man type away on his keyboard.
He wasn't alone. There were more humans around him. They stared at their own screens and typed away just like him.
But as I glanced around... my gaze was drawn back to the man. 'Why? Why him?' I questioned as I couldn't help but stare at him. His hunched back, his thick glasses, his dishevelled hair... there was something about him that I recognized, but I didn't know what it was.
Occasionally he would look at his watch... the clock that continued to tick on the wall... anything that told time.
I knew that something was awry... but what... what was it?
As time passed, he would look away from his screen and stretch. Sometimes he would rub his eyes instead as he looked away from the artificial light producing box called a monitor, that was in front of him, the dark blue circles around his eyes gradually got darker as time passed.
He was growing tired and weary, but still there seemed to be a determination that remained in his eyes.
All I could think of were questions... 'Why am I watching this creature... and why do I feel like I know him?' Of course, at that time, I didn't know what a human was... but now I do.
Anyways...
He continued to type away as the light that shone through the windows began to dim.
"**** **** *** **** ** ***" one of the other humans around seemed to call out.
"*** * * * ***** * ** ***" another replied.
Their language complicated... their tones... I didn't understand them. But soon, the other humans seemed to get up stretch before they turned to leave.
The man who was working diligently shifted in his seat and stood up. Putting one head forward in front of him, he waved his hand towards the humans that were leaving.
"****!" he shouted at them as he pointed back at their desks. "** **** ** ***** **** ***!" He yelled. But the other humans didn't seem to even bat an eye and ignored him. One by one they left him alone without even recognizing him, without even saying goodbye they left the room.
'I wonder what that was about.' I thought as I watched the man sit back down in his seat. With a sigh, he returned back to his glowing screen and continued to type away.
Like the metallic system heard my confusion, it chimed out loudly as the blue world seemed to shake. [Analyzing language.... translating...]
'Good.' I thought as I looked even more closely at the man. For some reason, I felt a sense of sadness when I looked at the man.
'Why did they leave him alone?'
'Why is he still here?'
...
More time passed and the blue light that flooded the room seemed to dim more and more. But the man continued to work by his lonesome.
Boom.
The door to the office was slammed open and another man entered the room. His face furious, veins popping out of his forehead it was clear he was about to unleash his anger onto the single person in the room.
"***** *** **** *** ****? *** *** *** **** *****!?" the second man exclaimed in a language that I couldn't understand boomed through the room as he yelled at the man still sitting at this screen.
[Translate?] the sound of the metallic voice entered my head at just the right moment as more and more questions popped into my head.
'Yes.' I thought and it complied with my answer just in time for me to hear a response.
"T*** ... They left, sir."
"ARE YOU SERIOUS? WHY DIDN'T YOU STOP THEM?"
"They didn't listen to me, sir."
"ARE THEY THAT STUPID?"
"It's a nine to five job, sir."
The man clicked his teeth in response. "What am I going to do with you...?" he asked rhetorically as he began to pace back and forth while he began to bite one of his nails.
"Sir..." the man who was sitting began. "I need to leave too... my daughter..."
"No." the angered man who had just entered the room replied. "You're staying. We need to make this deadline even if I have to bar the doors and lock you in."
"But you know sir, I work hard. Harder than anyone. Just... just let me... just this one time."
"ONE TIME?" the man yelled at the first as he paced back and forth. "WE'RE GOING TO MISS THE DEADLINE. Tell me how we are going to make it if you leave."
"Sir, I'm sorry. I'm trying as hard as..."
"Hard? YOU... TRYING HARD? IF YOU'RE TRYING HARD THEN WHY ARE YOU STILL THINKING ABOUT YOUR DAUGHTER?" the man questioned rhetorically while he slammed his hand against the hard desk right next to him. "TRYING HARD ISN'T GOOD ENOUGH. GET THIS DONE BY TOMORROW MORNING."
...
"Yes, sir." the man replied begrudgingly as he returned to his work.
The person who seemed like his leader sighed deeply before turned and left the room.
The sound of a loud motor boomed just minutes later, as a vehicle sped off.
...