Company - Max Barry [108]
“What's going on?” says Mona.
Jones says, “I don't know what you're talking about.”
“I'm relocating the meeting.”
“What?” Jones yelps. “You think he bugged the room or something?”
Eve says, “This is not a good start to our new working relationship, Jones.”
“What did I do?”
“Everybody out. And someone get this guy off level 13.”
On the way back to the elevators, Eve grips Jones's arm just above the elbow. She whispers, “You know I was looking forward to sitting in the big chair.”
Eve inspects two meeting rooms off the lobby before she finds one that satisfies her. She pulls the blind over the little window in the door, eyes the security camera in the corner of the room, then calls level 13 on her cell. “Just so we're clear,” she says, “until you hear back from me, nobody is to be in the monitoring room but you. Nobody.”
“This is nuts,” Jones says. “Klausman wouldn't have made us traipse down here. What if someone barges in?”
Eve hesitates. “Mona, can you wedge a chair against that door?”
Mona looks startled. “I'm not sure . . . okay, I'll see about that.”
“We have a perfectly good meeting room on level 13.”
“Jones,” Eve says, “shut up.”
Blake says, “Eve, as much as I hate to agree with Judas here—”
Eve slaps the table with the palm of her hand. Everyone jumps. “We're here. We have a meeting to get through. Let's go.”
Freddy is passing by his desk when he sees something weird on his computer screen. He detours into his cubicle to peer at it. For the last few months, Freddy's desktop taskbar has sported a little computer with a red cross through it. Now, there's a yellow balloon with the message: ZEPHYR INTRANET IS NOW CONNECTED. SPEED: 100.0 MBPS.
“Hey,” Holly says, coming in. “I thought you were getting me a coffee.”
“Check this out.” He reaches for his mouse. But before he can activate his e-mail, a new window pops up. First it says STREAMING UPDATES, then it says COMPLETE, then it disappears and something else comes up.
“What . . .” Holly says. She trails off. They stare at the screen.
“In terms of regular projects, well . . . do we still want to go through these?” Tom Mandrake looks at Eve, who doesn't react because she is watching Jones. Then she realizes and nods sharply. “Okay. Well, Project 442 is the study on how removing reminders of the outside world from the workplace affects worker productivity. You might remember, there were some interesting early results in this area.”
Mona nods. “They stay at work longer.”
“We're also seeing downtrends in personal calls. Unfortunately, I ran some of this by one of our psychologists, and he said it sounded like some of our subjects could be developing dissociative identity disorder.”
Blake says, “They're going schizo?”
“It's not schizophrenia. It's more like split personalities. One for work, one for home. We've had a few, well, slightly alarming incidents. People getting calls from their family and not recognizing their voices. That kind of thing.”
There's a moment's silence. Then an agent on Jones's left says, “Well, that could be anything. These people could be predisposed.”
“I'm not saying we should pull the study,” Tom says. “It's just, I think it could be a serious medical problem.”
Jones feels Eve's eyes crawling over him. And suddenly it's all he can do to keep from laughing.
“Step one, talk to our insurer,” Blake says. “We need to make sure we're covered if anyone goes postal because of this.”
“Stop,” Eve says. She's still looking at Jones. “Stop talking.”
A few minutes ago, Staff Services was filled with shouting and noise from the hockey game. Now it's silent. Throughout the department, as on the floors above and below, people cluster in cubicles and stare at computer screens.
Blake says, “What's the matter?”
Eve doesn't answer. But she's worked it out. Jones can see it in her eyes.
“Okay!” Jones says. “My turn?” He adjusts his tie. “First up, I'm pleased to report that the network is back.”
“What are they doing?” somebody says from behind Holly. She can't answer. She can't breathe.