Gary, Row Nine

Gary is stuck at the office late after his partner Mike agreed to do extra tasks but abandoned him for a vacation in the Himalayas. But not all is calm on this Christmas Eve night at Jack Pine Tower...


transcript

It’s Christmas eve night and Gary is stuck at the office doing work...

GARY:
(typing on computer, mocking, muttering to self) ‘We’ll take it,’ he said. ‘Extra work is nothing,’ he said. ‘It’ll be done in no time,’ he said. (sighs in frustration) And where is he now?? (thinks, realizes, asks sincerely) ...where IS he now? (pulls out phone, reads while texting) Hey, Mike...where...are...you? (inhales through teeth, backspaces) No no no. (tries again) Hey, Mike. Merry Christmas Eve...where are you? (smiles) Send.

(sighs, places down phone, returns to computer) Reports, reports, reports. Reports other agents were supposed to have done. Why are we reviewing this footage and writing reports? Isn’t that a Base Op’s job?? (gasps, notices phone ping) Oh. It’s Mike. (opens text, reads) ‘I’m...on vacation in the Himalayas. (slight annoyed and outraged, still reading) Where are YOU?’ (grunts, texts) I’m still at the office you-- (sighs, calms, backspaces, texts again while reading) I’m at the office...doing the overtime work YOU--(sighs, backspaces) WE. Agreed to do. (sends, waits, phone pings, reads) ‘Oh, that. Sorry. I thought we did it all. You’d better leave the office soon and enjoy your Christmas, Gary! Break won’t last for long.’ (exhales, exasperated, mutters to self) Of course it won’t. (returns to typing on the computer...hears a noise, looks up, calls nervously) Hello? Is anyone there!? (mumbles to self) I thought I was the only one on this entire floor. They even turned the lights off on me. What on earth is that noise? (hesitates, stands up from cubicle, walks cautiously) All the desks are empty...is it...coming from the break room? (peers into the break room, gasps) What on earth is that!? A little robot!?

ROBOT:
(beeps and boops, turning its head curiously at the man)

GARY:
(scrunches nose, inches closer) It’s...like a little Rumble--Rhombus---whatever those things are called. But it has a head and a face. And it rolls around on a little ball thing. And it’s looking at me.

ROBOT:
(blinks, making another series of sounds as it takes in Gary’s appearance. Then, it rolls away)

GARY:
(eyes widen, calls after it) Hey! Wait, little guy! What the heck!? Where are you going?! (runs off to follow, looks around, panting, confused noises) Where on earth did it go!? (looks around, calms) That...that was...weird. I’ve never seen anything like that just wandering the office before. (slowly backs up, tries to return to desk) Oh no. I left my computer screen unlocked! (rushes) No one else is here, though. Shouldn’t get in trouble for it. (thinks) Wait. Another person WAS here...or thing. Whatever that thing was. Wait. Was that a WILLOWISP thing?! Or could it have been sent by some kind of opposing org to distract me!? (grimaces, rushing back to desk) Oh heck no. No no no. That’s horrible if...(sighs in relief) Looks like my desk was left unharmed. Hopefully. Unless they took something without me being able to notice. But I left my chair just like this, I’m sure. And the screen hasn’t shifted a bit. And my mouse is just where I had it last. And my document is still in the same spot--(facepalms) I don’t know that. I don’t know any of it. I wasn’t paying attention before. Should I...stay here...with that thing rolling about? Or should I pack it up like Mike advised? I could do half of this work remotely, right? (thinks) No...a lot of it is on company systems. (sighs, sits down) I can’t be scared of some little robot. It’s probably just a...a...I don’t know. I’m almost done with this report. I’ll finish it and leave...(continues typing, paranoid sounds, stops and picks up phone to text, read) Mike? Have you ever seen little robots around the office? (sends text, resumes typing)

(finishes work, sighs in relief) Okay. Done with all the reports. (looks at phone) Hmmm...Mike still hasn’t texted back? I guess it’s fine--wait. My message wasn’t sent. That’s...strange...the signal in here is fine. Retry...(waits, phone makes discontent beep) Huh. It just won’t send. I guess I’ll have to ask him about it when he returns. (powers off computer) Merry Christmas, little robot. I’m heading out...(gathers coat and things, hums as he walks down the hall)