want to stay. Fingers crossed.
‘Right. First on the list is the most important department in the building.’ They all sat up in expectation. ‘Where’s the kitchen crew?’
There was a gasp and then, thank God, someone laughed. Three or four people stood up. ‘Firstly, thank you for breakfast.’
They smiled.
‘Are we OK for lunch?’
They looked at each other, but a leader usually emerges.
‘Yes,’ she said. ‘I’m Christine.’
‘OK, Christine. And this evening?’
She looked around. ‘We can do soup and sandwiches for lunch. This evening …’ she paused. ‘Toad in the Hole. Vegetable Lasagne. Apple Crumble.’
Good to know the menu hadn’t changed much over the years. Except the introduction of a vegetarian option. They had vegetarians here?
‘Thank you, Christine. Put me down for a large portion of everything, please. Next …’ and they all sat up again. ‘Could the admin staff stand up please?’
This time there was a more than a murmur. I looked down my nose at them. ‘What? You don’t want to be paid?’
Silence.
There were a quite a few admin staff present. Obviously they weren’t considered important enough to kill. ‘Your priorities are the payroll and re-establishing contact with the outside world in such a way that no one knows we’ve been gone. Mrs Partridge, if you could liaise with me on that, please.’
I looked at them all and they all looked back at me. Rather in the manner of the abyss.
‘Could the security staff stand up, please?’
There were more than I thought there would be, but on the downside, they were all pretty battered. Two of them couldn’t stand straight.
‘I’d like you all to meet the current Head of Security. Ian, could you make yourself known, please.’
He stood slowly and turned so they could all see him, competence and confidence radiating from every orifice.
‘Ian will help you run through your systems and get your equipment working again. Never mind the grounds for the time being, just concentrate on these buildings and Hawking. One step at a time, people. I leave you in Ian’s capable hands.
‘OK. Technicians. I know you’re out there – I can hear you breathing.’
That got a laugh. The technical section was nearly intact. Of course, they’d keep them alive to service the pods.
‘I’ve seen your Chief this morning and she continues to recover. She’ll be back in a few days and God help you if not everything’s up and running for her to bring the pods back. Please check everything thoroughly. Report any problems to me and we’ll find the answer together. Let’s just give her a day or two, shall we?
‘IT, that goes for you too. Any difficulties, tell me, so I can stare at you, baffled and confused.
‘This leaves, yes, R&D. Where are you?’
A bunch of uncoordinated people shambled untidily to their feet.
‘Do we have a Librarian?’
No, was the answer to that one.
‘Deputy?’
Same answer.
‘Anyone?’
After some go on gestures, a young woman timidly raised her hand. ‘I’m Alicia.’
‘Good morning, Alicia. I’ve seen the library.’ I didn’t say how and I certainly didn’t tell them that I’d done some of the damage. ‘You have a huge task ahead of you, but it has to be done. People, the Archive is our heart and we have to restore it as quickly as possible. If anyone has finished in their own areas, or is unable to continue for some reason, please report to Alicia to see if she can use you.’
Some security and technical people stirred. To nip that in the bud, I said, ‘I’ll be along myself, later on, to do a bit.’
She nodded and said clearly, ‘Thank you, Director.’
That was when the responsibility and the enormity of what I was doing actually hit me. A moment when I seriously wondered what the hell I thought I was playing at. I took another deep breath and stared at the expectant faces in front of me.
‘And finally, historians and trainees. Where are you, guys?’
There were six
‘Right. First on the list is the most important department in the building.’ They all sat up in expectation. ‘Where’s the kitchen crew?’
There was a gasp and then, thank God, someone laughed. Three or four people stood up. ‘Firstly, thank you for breakfast.’
They smiled.
‘Are we OK for lunch?’
They looked at each other, but a leader usually emerges.
‘Yes,’ she said. ‘I’m Christine.’
‘OK, Christine. And this evening?’
She looked around. ‘We can do soup and sandwiches for lunch. This evening …’ she paused. ‘Toad in the Hole. Vegetable Lasagne. Apple Crumble.’
Good to know the menu hadn’t changed much over the years. Except the introduction of a vegetarian option. They had vegetarians here?
‘Thank you, Christine. Put me down for a large portion of everything, please. Next …’ and they all sat up again. ‘Could the admin staff stand up please?’
This time there was a more than a murmur. I looked down my nose at them. ‘What? You don’t want to be paid?’
Silence.
There were a quite a few admin staff present. Obviously they weren’t considered important enough to kill. ‘Your priorities are the payroll and re-establishing contact with the outside world in such a way that no one knows we’ve been gone. Mrs Partridge, if you could liaise with me on that, please.’
I looked at them all and they all looked back at me. Rather in the manner of the abyss.
‘Could the security staff stand up, please?’
There were more than I thought there would be, but on the downside, they were all pretty battered. Two of them couldn’t stand straight.
‘I’d like you all to meet the current Head of Security. Ian, could you make yourself known, please.’
He stood slowly and turned so they could all see him, competence and confidence radiating from every orifice.
‘Ian will help you run through your systems and get your equipment working again. Never mind the grounds for the time being, just concentrate on these buildings and Hawking. One step at a time, people. I leave you in Ian’s capable hands.
‘OK. Technicians. I know you’re out there – I can hear you breathing.’
That got a laugh. The technical section was nearly intact. Of course, they’d keep them alive to service the pods.
‘I’ve seen your Chief this morning and she continues to recover. She’ll be back in a few days and God help you if not everything’s up and running for her to bring the pods back. Please check everything thoroughly. Report any problems to me and we’ll find the answer together. Let’s just give her a day or two, shall we?
‘IT, that goes for you too. Any difficulties, tell me, so I can stare at you, baffled and confused.
‘This leaves, yes, R&D. Where are you?’
A bunch of uncoordinated people shambled untidily to their feet.
‘Do we have a Librarian?’
No, was the answer to that one.
‘Deputy?’
Same answer.
‘Anyone?’
After some go on gestures, a young woman timidly raised her hand. ‘I’m Alicia.’
‘Good morning, Alicia. I’ve seen the library.’ I didn’t say how and I certainly didn’t tell them that I’d done some of the damage. ‘You have a huge task ahead of you, but it has to be done. People, the Archive is our heart and we have to restore it as quickly as possible. If anyone has finished in their own areas, or is unable to continue for some reason, please report to Alicia to see if she can use you.’
Some security and technical people stirred. To nip that in the bud, I said, ‘I’ll be along myself, later on, to do a bit.’
She nodded and said clearly, ‘Thank you, Director.’
That was when the responsibility and the enormity of what I was doing actually hit me. A moment when I seriously wondered what the hell I thought I was playing at. I took another deep breath and stared at the expectant faces in front of me.
‘And finally, historians and trainees. Where are you, guys?’
There were six
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