SmackDown: Back to Our Roots

Round 1: Lullaby - @jinnis

Lullaby

by jinnis

We are many. We are one. We have seen what has become of this world, and who is responsible. We demand punishment. We demand repayment. We do not forget.

Alice stares at the message, a deep frown etched on her face. The pop-up window shows intricate writing on a pale green background. She'd call it pretty if it didn't hide the calculation table she should finish, the bane of a long and exhausting work week. Her boss is waiting for her stats, and she recognises the first signs of a building headache. The last thing she needs to top off the day is a colleague playing stupid pranks. In vain she searches for a tiny box marked by an X to close the unwanted window.

Cursing under her breath, Alice stands up. It's late, most of her teammates already left. If it weren't for the international conference next week, she would be home too, ignoring her estranged husband in front of the tv. But with a PhD in biology, Alice calls herself lucky to be working for an environmental protection organisation. Even if this means she has to go extra steps like assuring Vanessa's presentation for Monday is perfect, the facts are solid and the numbers triple checked. So she has to get rid of that annoying pop-up and wrap up her task, otherwise, she'll be stuck here all night.

A quick glance around tells her most of the cubicles are empty. Only Marc's workplace is still occupied, an eerie, blueish sheen illuminating the Darth Vader figurine atop his screen. As the editor in charge, he is bound to struggle with the same presentation. Determined, Alice walks over to his cluttered desk.

"Marc, stop fooling around. I need to finish the Kyoto analysis and..."

She interrupts herself, taking in her coworker's screen, filled by the same message as her own. Marc sets his empty coffee mug down on a stack of prints and lifts his head. Alice's gaze lingers on the red letters on the black cup: don't panic. This might be sound advice.

Dark circles beneath Marc's eyes betray his exhaustion. His voice is hoarse.

"Any idea what this means, Al? I can't shut it down, and I must finish the last edit before Vanessa bites off my head."

"Sorry, Marc, I received that same shit and thought you were pulling my leg."

Now, Alice feels bad for suspecting her geeky coworker. The bloke is a dozen years her senior and has a cheeky streak, but he's always ready to help in a crisis or support a colleague. If not he, who's the culprit behind this hack? She is about to voice the question when the clicking of heels calls for her attention. Vanessa is her immaculate, efficient self despite the late hour. Only a slight worry line creasing her forehead betrays her concern.

"Alice, Marc, if you are messing with the server ... oh."

The public relations manager stops short and studies Marc's screen, her frown deepening.

"Seems we have a real problem. And of course, the tech guys won't be back until Monday."

If the management is affected too, this might be serious. Alice wonders if someone hacked into the network. The NGO gets its fair share of trolls, as all environmental organisation do. Glad her boss isn't one to put unjustified blame on her employees, Alice shrugs.

"Perhaps try a restart, see if the message disappears."

"Already done."

Marc doesn't bother to look up for replying. His fingers dance over the keyboard, trying different key combinations to gain control of his screen — to no avail. Content to let her superior decide on a solution for the problem, Alice crosses her arms. Vanessa drums a finger against her lower lip, a gesture signalling she's thinking hard, and glowers at the screen.

"This message sounds like straight from a Hollywood movie. An enormous ant army announcing take over of the world."

Marc's weary eyes light up with a mischievous spark. He takes the PR manager's remark in stride.

"I say it's the Borg. Their cubes probably penetrate earth's atmosphere this moment. We'll all be assimilated before midnight."

Alice frowns. "Who are the Borg? You're talking science fiction lingo again."

Vanessa chuckles.

"A hive mind. But they'd hardly bother to announce their plans on our network of all places."

She leans over Marc's desk and shuts down his computer the brutal way, pulling the plug to cut the power supply. After reconnecting, the trio waits for the reboot in silence. The damned message flickers into existence before anything else, sending a shiver of premonition down Alice's spine. Vanessa sighs.

"We're clearly not meant to finish this presentation tonight. Let's call it a day and hope this gets solved first thing Monday morning. My flight is scheduled at noon, in the worst case, you can transmit the file to my phone. Unless the Borg get the better of us, enjoy your weekend!"

Alice stares at Vanessa's retreating back until Marc nudges her elbow.

"Stop dreaming, girl, we both got suspended of the late shift. Collect your stuff and make the best of it. Want to join me for a drink? I could give you an introduction into Borg lore."

For a moment, she's tempted to give in to his genuine smile and accept the offer. She might drown her mental loneliness in a few hard drinks with her working buddy. But no, this won't solve her relationship problems. With an apologetic smile, Alice excuses herself.

While she shrugs into her coat, one last glance at the message dominating her screen confirms her spreadsheet will remain unfinished tonight. She shuts down her workstation without bothering to log out.

~ ~ ~

On her way home, Alice mulls over her decision to decline Marc's spontaneous invitation. How boring and predictable she has become! In hindsight, the option to spend the evening in his kind, whacky company would be preferable to returning to her broken home. She wonders how much longer she can keep up the facade and pretend she is fine with Philippe's silent treatment.

The dark and empty streets reflect her mood. Not that this part of the city is usually lively. But it's Friday evening, and while the cool kids prefer to hang out in more attractive neighbourhoods, the area feels unusually deserted. Perhaps the bout of cold weather is to blame, keeping people indoors.

She passes shops closed for the night. Suddenly, she can't shake the impression to be observed. But the windows of the office buildings are dark and the street is empty. It must be well beyond her usual time to walk home. While she hurries on, Alice considers searching her purse for her phone but decides it isn't worth the effort. Why call a man that might not even be back from his lover's apartment yet? Philippe stopped caring when she comes home the day he started the cursed relationship with his dentist.

Disgusted by the tide of longing and betrayal threatening to drown her, Alice lets her thoughts wander back to the unsolved puzzle of the mysterious message. Was it aimed specifically at their office or did others receive it too? Could it be something big, a virus, or a major conspiracy?

At the corner by the bakery, she turns left. The shortcut through the park allows her to enjoy the magical moment when the city lights fall back, camouflaged by surrounding bushes. This green island in the heart of civilisation has a calming effect, and she takes a deep breath, savouring the smell of moist earth and rotting leaves. For a moment, she imagines wandering through a real forest, genuine wilderness, enjoying a pristine nature she only knows from books and documentaries. It is soothing and her mundane problems lose importance.

Above her, the leaves of the giant trees rustle in a light breeze, singing a soft song. The melody starts in the tall fir to her right, is taken over by the mighty oak across the path, and passed on to the big maple tree dominating the park's centre. Amazing how the trees seem to communicate with each other! Soon, the reeds surrounding a tiny pond join the concert with their rustling voices, giving an eerie counterpoint. Alice stops, mesmerised, and while she listens, the message of the tree's song becomes crystal clear.

"We are many. We are one. We have seen what has become of this world..."

Torn between excitement and fear, Alice listens to the lullaby for humanity.