It was a quiet day at the ad agency. And Tom was ready for the pitch meeting that was about to start. The men and women sat at the conference table. Each looking down at their phones that lay before them. No one making small talk not even subtle glances from one to another. All of them consumed in themselves. All but Tom, he never kept his phone on him. He thought the phone was a hand held prison. It was solidarity confinement that people seemed to not notice. Tom sat upright in his chair looking at the prisoners in front of him. Tom smiled. He turned to the woman to his left, 'beautiful morning, huh Jan?'
The woman didn't even look up from her device and with an irritated tone to her voice said, 'sure is Bob'
'It's Tom.'
'Right, Don. Morning.' The woman said her eyes still glued to her screen.
Where most might have been bothered by the woman not knowing their name, Tom found it amusing.
A man in an expensive suit walked through the open doorway and took a seat at the head of the conference table. 'Good morning everyone.' He said surly. You could have heard a pin drop. No one seemed to not notice. No one looked up from their phones. 'It's come to my attention that our numbers are at an all time low! You know what that means?! You are making me look bad! You report to me and I report to those above me.'
The room quiet. No one moved. Still heads down focused on their phones. The only one present...Tom.
'I need ideas! Good ones. The ones at our last meeting were mediocre at best.'
No one said a word. A few raised heads with blank stares were all the boss got.
Tom raised his hand as he spoke to try and gather everyone's attention, 'sir the higher ups are wanting something new, something different?'
'That's what I said isn't'
'It seems like the more and more arcades and theaters we are making the less they are in demand. I understand they are at full capacity and are way above budget...'
'Do you have an idea or are you just boring me with what I already know.'
'What I'm trying to say, the people will pretty much do whatever we throw at them. We've become a society where we do as we are told. We get distracted easily. Look at this group of men and women for example they can barely resist the urge to not look at their phones!' He surveyed the room where most of the men and women had once again regained focus on the phones in their hands, mesmerized by the screen. Not aware of the current conversation at hand. 'What is happening to our society? Do we really want to create another form of entertainment or device to create more zombies?!'
'what do you suggest?'
'More projects developing parks, interactive libraries where you can go and learn! To move physically and be challenged mentally.'
'Is that so.' The boss said coolly, raising an eyebrow.
'Yes!' Tom sighed. He hadn't realized he had bottled all that in for all these years.
The boss picked up the phone and pressed only three numbers then said into the phone, 'we have another one...yes unfortunately...he doesn't even have his phone or any other device on his persons...yes I saw him even reading a book the other day...he tried to make small talk earlier with a coworker we caught it on the security camera right before I entered the room. Yes immediate extraction would be great. '
Tom looked startled. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. 'Can you believe this?' He said while looking from one co- worker to another? No one budged. 'Hello?! Are you guys hearing this?' He was about to stand up placing his weight on his hands as he was about to push himself up from the chair. But as he began doing so he saw hand restraints coming from the chair and closing tightly around his wrists as another restraint came from the back of the chair around his waist. He was now confined to the chair. 'HELP!' He shouted to the men and women. 'Do something! Help me! Can't you see and hear what's happening?' He pleaded.
Just then two well dressed men rushed in.
'Thank God! You heard me. Help. I don't know what I've done. Please help me.'
'Is that him?' Asked one of the men. The boss nodded. 'He's a talkative one.'
'Yes. He never stopped trying to get the others attention. Sad really. Thinking another human could be worth another humans time.' The boss lifted his hand and gave a 'take him away' gesture. The two large well dressed men approached Tom. One man pulled out handcuffs, placed one on Tom's wrist then pressing a button that released the restraints holding him down. Tom immediately began to struggle and yell knocking his chair to the floor. 'What is wrong with you people!' The man placed the other handcuff on Tom's other wrist. The other man kicked Tom in the back of the knee making it impossible for Tom to run away, he could barely walk now. He continued to yell and put up a fight. The two men dragged him out of the room and closed the door behind them. Soon distant screams could be heard...then silence.
The boss turned to the group, 'so any ideas'
A man still staring at his screen said nonchalantly, 'how about we make the movie screen even bigger at the theater and place additional screens on the surrounding walls. And make the sound louder.'
'That's an excellent idea. The men upstairs will be pleased to hear it. This meeting is over, go back to your cubicles.'
The men and women. Got up from their chairs, heads still down, not aware of the empty chair that now lay lifeless on the floor.
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