Glitching.

The Deadline.

A Glitch in the Matrix.

Do we live in a simulated reality? Scientists can neither prove it nor disprove it.

But what happens if a bug gets into the program?

Fictional stories based on real accounts...

The Deadline.

STORY 4

Geraldine Marshall, the site manager for Higgins Construction Company was known by her peers and her work colleagues as a 'pocket rocket'. Geraldine had no patience for time wasters nor for what she considered 'slackers'. She had deadlines to meet and she prided herself for having never missed one yet. The large bonuses for getting contracts finished on time weren't as important as what it meant to her reputation for being known as one of the few who could be relied upon to pull off almost impossible construction demands. Whenever Geraldine wanted anything done, it had to be “done by yesterday.” in her own words. Even if it meant cutting a few small corners here and there to achieve her aims.

The retaining wall to keep the hill at bay was put up in record time. Now they could start work on the building site itself. Under her constant pressure, the building started to rise from the ground in a very reasonable time frame. Geraldine was here there and everywhere checking on work progress, belting out orders, demanding answers and when she wasn't doing that, she was on her cell phone getting to the bottom of outside delays to her project. To add to the pressure, the rainy season was on its way. A lot needed to be done before it arrived or it could seriously hamper the pace of the work. As soon as the safety checks were signed off by the inspectors the next stage of construction went immediately into action. Inquiries and communications with the public were considered by her to be more of a time-wasting nuisance than a Public Relation opportunity.

“Your building looks like a very ambitious undertaking, considering the height and its top-heavy design?”

The reporter had even compared the building to a sky restaurant.

“The local residents and businesses are wondering how the building will stand up against the strong gale force winds that regularly blow in from off the ocean?”

“Do you think that a construction company with our reputation would have taken on such a project if we had deemed it to be unsafe in any way?” Geraldine replied, before letting him know that, “we have one of the best health and safety records in the country.”

Then she added, “the building has been inspected by safety engineers throughout every step of its construction. I assure you there is no danger of the building falling down. Now if you will excuse me, I have work to do.”

Geraldine was pleased with how progress was coming along on the office tower so far, as she pulled her vehicle out of the parking space to head home for the night. A glance at her rearview mirror showed the building standing tall and proud, dwarfing any of the buildings around it. The only other things that came close to its height were the two cranes being used in its construction.

The long hours and the constant stress that came with the job had Geraldine falling to sleep as soon as she hit the pillow. She dreamt that she was wading through a river of mud that was pushing her backward one step for every two that she slogged to make through it. Her progress was very slow and arduous. She felt a desperation to get to someplace in her dream but wasn't too sure exactly where she needed to be? Then she realized that she was trying to get to their recent construction site as the building slowly loomed in the distance. Looking down she noticed that it wasn't just the mud holding her back but people caught in the mud trying to save themselves from flowing away by grabbing at her legs as the river of mud dragged them past her.

The constant buzzing of her cell phone dragged her out of that dream.

“Geraldine, get down to the worksite immediately. There's a big problem.” It was her site foreman Terry on the phone.

“What kind of problem?”

“I haven't got time to explain, just get here as quick as you can.” he then hung up.

The rains had come and it was pouring down in heavy sheets outside. Driving towards the work site Geraldine could make out the construction lights on the office tower in the distance through the haze of the wind-driven rain.

“Well, the building is still standing?” She thought to herself.

As she drew closer she was appalled to see that the retaining wall had given way and a sea of mud, rocks and large boulders had flowed through the work site covering those unfortunate enough to be down there and worst of all it had knocked over one of the tall cranes which had then crashed through some of the surrounding buildings including a gas station which was now ablaze and setting other buildings alight.

Red, blue and orange lights were flashing everywhere as rescue crews and emergency services were doing their best to contain the situation when she arrived. The other crane was now leaning precariously against the building itself scraping back and forth in the strong winds, putting in jeopardy the integrity of that structure.

Terry came running up to the door of her vehicle.

“The retaining wall, was it signed off by the safety inspectors as well?”

“I'm sure that it had been?”

But she wasn't really that sure. Had she forgotten to get it checked over properly in her haste to get started on the construction of the building?

“People have died tonight. Think Geraldine think!” her site foreman was yelling.

“Yes! No? I don't know?” Panic and confusion had clouded her thoughts. Geraldine just wanted to cry as she pulled herself from the vehicle to see if she could be of any help. She slogged through a river of mud towards an emergency vehicle as the bodies of two of her workers were dragged past her by the flow.

“Think Geraldine Think.” they both seemed to say before they disappeared below the porridge-like substance. Everyone she looked at seemed to be telling her “Think Geraldine Think.”

The words became an accusation that kept repeating in her head over and over again.

“ Think Geraldine Think.”

“I don't know!?” she screamed.

Buzz Buzz Buzz! The alarm on her bedside clock dragged her back to reality, she sat bolt upright in her bed looking around in confusion. She let out a big sigh of relief to find that she had been dreaming. The morning was how it had been the past few days a beautiful sunlit day. She reached for her cell phone.

“Hello, Terry? How're things going down at the worksite today?”

“Everything's going just fine Geraldine. Why? What's up?”

“I want you to get an engineer and get him to inspect the state of that retaining wall, especially since the rains are on their way. Drop everything else, take your time and make sure that it is up to standard. If it isn't, then bring it up to standard, even if it takes a whole month.”

“Take your time? That's a phrase that I thought that I would never hear coming from you Geraldine?” Terry laughed.

Hitting the snooze button on her alarm clock, while still half asleep, caused a glitch in the matrix that enabled Geraldine Marshall to avert an impending disaster. A glitch that caused her to learn how high the cost of impatience can be and how quickly pride can devalue reputation.

Next story here.

Hidden Regrets. Story 5

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Humble Beginnings. Story 3