THE MOMENT
"Not talkative, huh?" Perry chuckled at his new partner. It was his first official day on the job and he was trying to make some light conversation, and maybe even a friend. Reaching that point took a lot of work, the security detail was the most top-secret unit in the world as far as Perry could tell. Of the ones he knew about, anyway. He'd been well into the career track when he first heard about it, and it still took some time to land him here. He wasn't a young man by any definition anymore, but he had all the right experience. It was a position that valued wisdom and quick thinking more than physicality. And, he was rather surprised at how lax everything was once he reached the highest level of secrecy.
Perry, and the other guard who hadn't formally introduced himself yet, stood in a white room guarding a large black, bank vault-style door. They were the 'inside' guards, there was another set just outside the white room; but, he had no idea what was beyond the black vault door.
"I'm plenty talkative, rookie," the other guard shook his head with a shrug. "Considering where we are, that's not a conversation we should be having," he said.
"What?" Perry asked. He was happy the man answered at all. He suddenly had a positive feeling about the night ahead. "C'mon, it's the perfect place for this conversation," he made the effort of gesturing at the vault with this thumb. "You've never wondered? Not even once?"
"No," the stern guard shook his head. "You seem nice, so I'll say this much... if you're asking, you obviously missed a very important part of training. I don't know if you dozed off or what, but, let's finish this shift in silence, and I recommend you go talk to a trainer as soon as possible," he said.
"Huh?" Perry wasn't sure what to make of it. But, his hope got the better of him as two key points jumped out. His new friend said he didn't wonder, that had to be a lie. It was human nature to be curious, it only made sense they would speculate. Unless, it was tied to his follow-up advice. Why did he need to talk to a trainer? Did he miss the explanation of what was in the vault? He did catch himself half-sleeping through a couple of late-night sessions, but they didn't seem that important and he aced all the tests along the way. "Wait, you know what's in there!??" he asked.
"Whoa, stop right there,' the other guard shook his head and put his palms up to try and calm Perry down. "This discussion is over now. I'm urging you to stay quiet for the rest of the shift," he said. He waited for a brief eternity and his features softened. "Please...," he said. He was younger than Perry, but not by much. It was part of the reason Perry thought they'd get along. But, he was starting to realize that maybe the guard didn't want to get along with him.
"You're right, I'm sorry. I'll keep quiet," Perry nodded. It was a shame; but, he was too old to worry about why someone decided they didn't like him. The next words out of his mouth were meant as a joke. Despite the situation, Perry always found it helpful to try and lighten the mood when facing a tense encounter.
"But, when I do find out what's behind the door, I'm not telling you," Perry chuckled. Then, an alarm blared in the room.
"MY FIRST NIGHT!? COME ON!!" Perry readied his weapon as he spun around looking for someone to aim at; and, he was surprised to see his unnamed partner walking toward one side of the room.
"Perry Clarkson...," a new, deeper voice spoke up as white dust gathered in the center of the room. He aimed his gun at it as the particles coalesced and took shape. In seconds the older guard found himself looking at a large CRT TV resting on a golden A/V cart. The TV was on displaying a golden, faceless mannequin in a red suit. "You have engaged in speculation regarding the contents of the vault. Your position is to be terminated, report to Human Resources to surrender your node."
"You're kidding.....," it was a weak reply, Perry was still coming to terms with what the TV said. "You can't fire me for speculation! It's normal human nature!" he said.
"It is normal human nature," the character nodded. "But, this is Sharp Development. We don't settle for 'normal' here, we have standards. Standards that you do not measure up to," the TV said. "And, we most certainly can dismiss you for speculation, it's a notable clause in the contract."
"This is a joke, right!? It's my first night, you guys are playing a trick!" Perry had worked too hard to get there and his mind refused to accept it.
"What difference does it make what we talk about?? I don't KNOW what's in there, it's all just guessing. None of us knows!"
"Guessing is precisely the danger," the mannequin replied. "For the sake of example, take the concept of something ethereal, like an idea. Let's pretend there's an idea locked behind that door. If you guess right, the idea is out and the door is useless. There is power in words, power in speculation. Now, please leave, or I'll have Jerry shoot you," the mannequin gestured at the only other person in the room, and his gun was already aimed at Perry."
"Sorry man, I tried to get you to shut up."