The Monolith - Part One

Chapter 1

Finally relaxed, I turn to my right and see the Communications Center resting atop the last grassy hill of the Facility. I look farther, past the hill and downward, and I see the real significance of today, the latest addition to the family, the teal-tinged Yoga Center. Some cleaning and some celebratory decorating are all that's left, then the opening celebration will begin, then...

I'm forgetting something...

From behind me comes the rare sound of a diesel engine, followed by a loud, guttural honk. Now I remember. I look at my fitness watch, and, yes, it's about time for the delivery. I turn and walk back toward the parking lot in front of the Welcome Center. A large flatbed truck is waiting, its bed full of adolescent trees, a generous gift from the local government for "contributions to city wellness." I'd been reluctantly expecting them for weeks, that's why I forgot about them until that honk. No matter. I'll just go introduce myself to the driver and—is he smirking at me?

"Are you Mr. Vance?" he asks, and it really does look like he's smirking at me from his seat in the cab of the truck.

"Yes," I say. "But you need the facility manager. He'll be down there by the teal—"

"I've never seen this many of these things," he says, one eyebrow raised ironically, and now I'm sure he's smirking. He tilts his head back towards the trees and asks, "You order em?"

"Technically, no," I say, effacing a humble smile. "The local government donated them."

"Figured. They're a government kinda tree. Impractical, lots of maintenance. They're a special breed of bonsai. Big bonsai. A bigger pain than the little ones, too." His smirk turns exaggerated, as does my smile in return. "You sure you want em? Maybe I take em back?"

"They weren't my choice, really," I say. I feel my impatience growing, so I politely assure the driver that I'll get the facility manager. As I walk away, I assure myself that Jasper will be better suited for this in more ways than one.

I head towards the Welcome Center, but couldn't I just call or message Jasper? I could even go directly to the Yoga Center, that's probably where he is, conferring with Tiffany about our plans for today. So why go to the Welcome Center? Am I procrastinating? Is it because of the delivery driver, did he throw me off that much? Sure, I don't feel like rushing to help him, not with that smirk and that tone of his. But... Maybe it's those trees, there is something about those trees...

No, that's not it. I'd intended to go to the Welcome Center. To check on my customer service people. As the face of our facility, they need to be extra focused today. I'll check on them, then check on Jasper's location. These are all just steps toward making today a victory.

I walk through the wide double-doors of the Welcome Center. A beautiful young woman in a sleek compression shirt sits behind the reception desk, while a young man rest his elbows on the desk, leaning towards her. They don't seem entirely focused, and I need them focused. I should get their attention subtly, then use this as a teaching lesson... but I can't help staring at the Fit for Life logo on the back of the young man's shirt. Something about it seems off. Not that it's different from any other instance of our logo, it's simply a rainbow of colors piercing through the lettering as always, but...

There's something about that rainbow of colors, something reminding me of white light as it passes through a piece of quartz, of white light turning into a rainbow, of refraction and dispersion. I don't know if I like those associations, but why would would I think of them now? What can I even do about it? Should I—no, of course not, I can't change the logo, not now, I don't have time for that right now, I need to focus, need to—

"Alex!" my two employees shout, almost in unison.

They've both turned towards me and stiffened, like military privates caught slipping. I feel stiff myself, but I'm simply trying to focus, while they seem unusually nervous. Probably because I've just seen them flirting. I try to put them at ease with a wink and a smile and a slightly sarcastic "good morning" before I get down to business.