GOODAY, MR. CUBE

--THE MINSTREL
Another day at the office. Type type type. Sit sit sit. Type type type. Sit sit sit. Type type type. Sit sit sit. Type. Sit. Ty-

"Sir you have a visitor"

Another day at the office.

Listen listen listen. Talk talk talk. Listen listen listen. Talk talk talk. Listen listen listen. Talk talk talk. Listen. Talk. "Alright sir I'll get back to you"

Another day at the office.

Read read read. Sign sign sign. Read read read. Sign sign sign. Read read read. Sign sign sign. Read. Sign. "Sir, you have your four o'clock"

Tell tell tell. Nod nod nod. Tell tell tell. Nod nod nod. Tell tell tell. Nod nod nod. Tell. Nod.

"Alright everybody, great job. Lets get it going tomorrow."

It was over. Another day was over. A new day had just begun, one with the energetic spouse. One in a world even more exhausting than the first. One which no one had taught him how to live.

"Honey, how was your day?" The typical question, followed by the typical response:

"It was fine salt-slicker" and of course the obligatory "What's cooking?".

His wife's eyes beamed energetically. "Not much" said she, but the grin of her face could not hold the weight of her lie.

"Well, what is it?"

"We have another one"

"Another?..." He was so tired of work that he couldn't bring for an ounce of concentration.

"From the sky" These three words should provide enough context.

"You don't say. Do we have room?" He began to get panicky "do we even have the resources? Are you sure you can manage it?"

"I can if you can, Mr. Cube" Her twinkling eyes would not go out.

"Alright daisy, but lets have a ball"

"A ball, but why? Cubes are what we've always had... the balls are such obnoxious folks" The twinkling had turned to a cold glare.

"Perhaps you are right…” Cube’s sudden desire gave way to his exhaustion.

“Of course I am cool guy, of course I am” Her eyes softened a little. A giggling laughter erupts like a torrent from her mouth.

Mr. Cube smiles, and sits down, “A ball, what was I thinking? This job must be getting to me”

“Its alright, you are doing fine. Now have some dinner and lets get you to bed.”

Cube, being a cube, complied and went to bed and then woke up many hours later.

“Have a great day at work!” She revealed her beautiful grin.

“I’ll try”. Cube slams the door shut, and makes his way to work.

“Hello, Mr. Cube. You have a meeting; it starts in a few minutes”.

“I almost forgot, Miss Drop, thanks for reminding me” Cube felt on top of the world. This day was going great. He was in perfect form (hardly any melting overnight) and he didn’t even have to start his day with type type type and sit sit sit. He presently made his way to the meeting room, where he was greeted by his colleagues.

Cube was not the main presenter. He was just listening. That was good. The piece of ice in front of everyone was just like him, really, but still not him. Currently he was talking about the using of certain materials to lower the temperature or shield the sun - think of the advances in the medical field! But Cube was largely distracted and uninterested.

… “and that’s why we need to implement these technologies. So that here, where it is safe, will continue to stay safe. Any questions?”

Almost before the presenter finished asking, Mr. Cube had stood up and to his colleagues was behaving rather sporadically. Mr. Cube had never stood up so quickly, and this was strange. Presently he asked a cryptic question:

"But haven't you ever wondered?"

"Wondered what?" The presenter rolled his eyes. Question like THIS was what lost the company money.

"You know, what’s down there" The associate on the right of Cube tapped his shoulder, but Cube ignored it.

"Down where?" A laugh.

"You know, towards the center of the earth" Now the whole office was terrified for Mr. Cube..

"No one goes that far down"  A smug smile.

"Why not?"  A scream. Cube’s face was in agony.

"Well, its dangerous" The boss cuts in.

"Why?" Cube asks in a sort of whine.

"Don't know, don't care" The final blow of the hammer is struck by the presenter. Cube’s face turned a steamy pale.

“Now Cube”, went on the very important boss “if you don’t stop this behavior right now, you’re going to be fired” This would be very unpleasant, considering the circumstances of Cube’s life.

But Cube just stood there. And stood there. And remained standing and staring.

“Ok” He said after a little while. He began to walk out the door.

“Cube, come back. Talk to us Cube” One of his friends implored. The boss was becoming visually frustrated. Cube kept walking.

A roar. “CUBE” The bossman, “ IF YOU WALK OUT THOSE DOUBLE DOORS, YOU’RE FINISHED” (He was referring to the double doors which separated the office from the outside world). Did Mr. Cube stop?

Copyright 2014 T. Hart