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On the day after the first snow fell,
I parked my car in the lot and carried my things inside.
It felt like the first day of school.
I was anxious, sure, but also full of hope.
I could view the world as something ominous, looming,
or I could choose to see the light.
I chose to see the light.
The woman in reception smiled.
There was something about her.
I knew then that I'd come to the right place.
Elevator's to the right.
I had gotten used to being one of the leaders in my last job.
Not a manager or even a team leader,
but someone who could sometimes show other people what to do.
I was determined to build up the same position at my new place of work
as soon as I could.
Finally, I would be able to blossom to my full potential...
become the person I've always wanted to be.
A person to be reckoned with.
I knew I had to make a platform for myself
and show the boss what I was capable of from day one.
I shared my desk with Rakesh,
who helped me with various practical details.
That's how the coffee machine works.
I guess it was a welcome break from work,
because he was always coming up with new things
I ought to know about.
Rubber bands.
In here are paper clips.
And this is where the pencils go.
This is how the blinds work.
I arrived 15 minutes early every morning,
then followed my own timetable for the rest of the day.
Fifty-five minutes of concentrated work,
followed by a five-minute break.
I was confident I'd adapt quickly
and soon be on the way to success.
Slowly but surely, I built up a profile
of my closest neighbors,
their character, and place in the hierarchy.
Shannon had been at the company longer than Rakesh,
- though not as long as Carol.
Carol seemed knowledgeable,
but also the sort of person who thought she knew everything
and liked being right.
Shannon, look,
you do see what it says right here, don't you?
Shannon was the kind of person who laughs at everything,
even when whatever's just been said...
- Right. Right, right. - ...isn't funny at all.
Because it says that. I get it.
Can you explain it to me, though?
Everyone turned to Carol when they didn't dare approach the boss.
Opposite Carol sat Mitchell.
- Open the door. - He'd been there longer
- than the rest combined... - Carefully, yes.
- ...but how he had managed that feat... - Carefully open the door,
- and to your right you will find... - ...wasn't immediately clear.
Yes, the umbrella.
Carol had a framed child's drawing near her computer.
It showed a sun sinking into the sea,
but the drawing was wrong.
On the horizon, there were land masses
sticking up on both sides of the sun,
which, of course, is impossible.
I wondered if she was aware of its flagrant inaccuracy.
Can I help you?
Maybe she was blinded by her emotional involvement.
No matter what the circumstances,
the child deserved to be made aware of their mistake,
so that the error could be avoided next time.
You, uh, want a cup of coffee?
Okay.
Mitchell's lengthy tenure
had, unfortunately, not made him secure.
He seemed constantly in mortal fear.
Did you hear about the layoffs?
I stuck to my schedule and did not allow myself
to be disturbed in the middle of a period
with small talk or coffee breaks.
Sometimes I felt like taking a leak after five minutes
but always made sure I sat out the whole period.
It was character-building,
and, obviously, the relief of finally easing the pressure
was that much greater.
I was heading that way when I first discovered the room.
A musty smell hit my nose,
but I don't remember thinking much about it.
Oh...
a room.
By the end of the day, I had almost forgotten
ever having looked through the door leading to that extra space.
A few days later, I found myself looking for copy paper.
Despite all the exhortations to ask about things,
I was unwilling to expose myself to humiliation and derision
by displaying gaps in my knowledge of the setup.
The last place I'd worked, there was a strictly enforced policy
regarding the use of office supplies.
It occurred to me that hiding the paper in an unlikely place
might be a strategy to avoid waste.
At first, I couldn't find the light.
I felt along the walls on either side of the door, then gave up.
What an odd place to put a light switch.
I was quickly able to ascertain that there was no paper there,
but, even so, I got an immediate sense
that there was something special about this place.
I went out,
closed the door...
and switched off the light.
I opened the door again,
just to make sure the light wasn't still on in there.
You know, everyone else has a little wall,
or divider, between the desks...
and we don't.
I think I asked for one a while back, but cutbacks.
Doesn't matter.
We got nothing to hide.
We try to think about the floor.
Of course.
- Naturally. - Hm.
I was annoyed I hadn't thought about the shoe covers myself.
Obviously, I would have, if I'd had time.
Andrew had managed to make me feel both stupid and insecure,
when, in actuality, I was one of the smartest there.
Don't people usually try to smooth over that sort of remark with a joke
or a little smile?
Besides, it was just rude to walk off like that.
I reasoned that this 55-minute period was already ruined.
I would just have to sit it out
and start again with the next one.
It would be a simple task to unscrew the broken one
and replace it with a new one.
I couldn't believe no one had done anything
about such a simple problem.
When combined with his long sideburns
and the rings under his eyes,
Rakesh's jacket made an unusually scruffy impression.
To be honest, his jacket had been bothering me
since first thing that morning,
even before that nonsense with the shoe covers.
I seriously disliked that jacket.
I had to do something to clear my mind.
That's when I went into the room for the third time.
My suit fit better than I thought it did,
and there was something about the way it hung
that made my body look virile.
I looked incredibly relaxed,
simultaneously confident and aware.
I had never thought of myself as attractive,
but I realized it was time to start doing so...
because the best thing was the look in the eyes.
This was a new asset--
a pair of eyes that could demand anything
and get it.
Rakesh carried out his duties
with the same devil-may-care attitude
as everyone else.
He used the phone whenever he liked,
took breaks whenever he felt like it.
He would spend eons gazing off into the distance
without it apparently having anything to do with work.
Now and then, he would even try to talk to me.
- What's happening? - I would rebuff him,
gently but firmly,
usually with a simple gesture of the hand.
It worked.
Rakesh had an irritating habit of shoving his papers across his desk
every time he started something new,
which meant that eventually,
maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow,
but someday soon,
Rakesh's desktop would overflow.
Rakesh.
- Yeah? - Do you have a minute?
- Yeah. Yeah, sure. - Take a look around you.
Uh...
What do you see?
Uh...
- Yeah, I don't know. - We should deal with this right away.
- W-with what? - Before this gets out of hand,
I want you to hear me out. I think you'll see what I'm saying.
Let's take a walk.
Okay.
- Yeah. All right. - Yeah. Let's take a walk.
It would be best to deal with this in private.
There's something I've noticed.
What?
You don't put your old files back
whenever you take out new files.
- Wait, what did you say? - Well, what I'm saying is
that you're letting all of your papers
spread out all over your desk.
Now, soon, they're gonna be on my side,
and then they'll be encroaching in my space.
Now, I am, as I'm sure you can understand,
very eager to utilize the full space of my desk.
Yeah.
I mean, it's inconvenient enough that we have to work
without even a modicum of privacy.
I mean, how hard is it to put up a simple divider?
- Right.
But don't worry about that. That's not your problem.
All I'm asking is that you adopt some new habits
that don't run the risk of disturbing my work.
Do you understand?
Great.
Great. Great.
Well, then, I suggest we get back to our duties.
If it all goes smoothly,
we needn't ever mention this again.
Rakesh sat and looked at me for a long while
after we had returned to our places,
without doing anything about his papers.
I let him. Presumably, he wasn't used to being corrected
in such a clear and effective way.
Don't think of it as a reprimand...
more as an observation.
Inside the room, there was a calm.
A concentration that felt like early mornings at school.
It contained the same relaxed feeling and limited freedom.
The whole room breathed tradition.
There was an air of old-fashioned quality to it.
Each line seemed perfectly connected to the next.
Everything messy and unsettling vanished.
Precision returned.
Is this what monks feel like
as they walk the corridors of their monasteries?
Rakesh hadn't yet found a better solution for his papers,
but I felt fine about it.
He probably didn't want to change his behavior just like that
- after being ordered to.
I couldn't deny him a degree of pride.
If it turned out that he was consciously being obstructive,
and if things hadn't improved within a week,
I would have to raise the matter again.
Can I ask you something?
Yes, go ahead.
What are you doing?
What do you mean?
What are you doing when you stand like that?
What are you talking about?
All right, man. We can talk about it--
No, please. What-- what...
What do I do?
You stand out there, completely still.
Do I?
Yeah. It's like you're just not there.
Do I say anything?
No.
I mean, you're, like completely gone.
Like, completely out of reach.
You didn't move an inch.
It was like you couldn't hear me,
like you were somewhere else.
And...
when do I do this?
This morning.
And the other day, you made me come out there with you,
and then you just stood there like that.
How long do I stand there like that?
I don't know, it varies. Like, last time it was, like, five minutes.
Anybody else see me like that?
Everyone.
Mitchell.
I need you to be honest with me now.
Think you can do that?
- Uh... okay. - I'm being very serious.
Now, this might sound strange, but I need you to answer me truthfully.
What?
What is this room for?
What room?
- This room right here.
Oh, well...
there's the elevator and there's the john.
No, I'm talking about this room.
Uh...
That's a wall.
Is that all you have to say?
Why are you so interested in this wall?
Don't drag me into this.
I realized in that moment that Mitchell was only a poor subordinate.
He didn't want trouble.
No. Whoever was responsible for this deception
was on a different level of the hierarchy.
The higher level.
Do you have any idea what that's about?
- I think it's very strange. - He doesn't make any sense.
I saw him do it last Thursday.
I lost patience and decided to gather the staff together.
I had the whole division with me, except Andrew,
who was stuck in some meeting all day.
Well, I'd like to thank you all for joining me in here today.
So now I've seen through your little joke.
I don't know who the brains behind it is, but, uh...
I've figured out enough
to let you know that out there
you can pretend all you want that there is no room,
but in here, you can't pretend.
There is a room.
This is it. We're in it.
So it's pointless to continue this little game.
And I expect, now that we've had this chat,
that all the bullying can stop
and we can all get back to business.
All right?
Great.
The next thing I knew, the whole division was called to Andrew's office.
It was quite a squeeze.
- Come in. - Rakesh was wearing a darker jacket,
and I was much happier with it.
It had a decent, classic cut.
It made him fit in better with the rest of us.
You know, it's not every day that we have a...
a division-wide meeting on such short notice, but, um...
Carol here has something she'd like to discuss.
Not just me. I think I can speak for the whole division.
We all think this is getting to be too much.
- What is? - No, let Carol finish.
Obviously, I was going to let her finish, but all of a sudden,
it was as if his supposition that I had interrupted her...
- Thank you. - ...were true.
The truth is, we're all getting worried about you.
Why would you be getting worried?
It's the standing.
Didn't I tell you it was pointless to try and conduct
psychological warfare against me?
You can't bully me.
What are you talking about, Orson?
I have a feeling that this has its origins in the fact
that some of you may have noticed that I have, on two or three occasions,
taken myself aside to garner my strength alone,
having a short rest in that little room next to the elevator.
I can understand that to some of you, this may seem annoying.
Obviously, we all have work to do,
and we can't just take breaks whenever we feel like it.
But I want to assure you that I will always take care
to make up any concomitant loss of efficiency...
Hmm.
And if any of you have any secrets hidden in there
that for whatever reason you don't want me to see,
you're welcome to tell me right here.
Anyone?
Otherwise, you may go.
Orson and I will handle this.
- What the hell was that? - Weird, is what it was.
Are you not feeling well, Orson?
You appreciate you simply can't behave like this?
It's unacceptable.
Unacceptable. Do you understand me?
You simply can't dismiss people from my office.
This room...
in the hall?
Past the elevators, across the hall and right next to the bathrooms.
What sort of room is it?
As far as I can tell, it isn't being used, or hasn't been in a long time.
I haven't taken anything or made a mess, or anything like that.
If there's anything shady going on, I don't know about it.
I just...
go in there a few times, and that's it.
And what do you do there?
- In the room? - Mm-hmm.
Spend time in there.
But what exactly do you do?
Well, nothing, but I can understand
why others are jealous and freaked out.
Don't worry about anybody else.
Why, Orson, do you want to spend time there?
Well, it makes me feel good.
Okay.
There is no room, Orson.
Yes, there is. It's right behind the--
Listen to me carefully now, Orson.
There is no room next to the elevator.
There's never been a room there.
You've possibly... created it in your head.
Maybe it's there for you. I don't know how this sort of thing--
Fine. Look, if you're gonna start with--
Listen to me now, Orson.
I must insist that you stop going to it.
You can't go into the room anymore.
You telling me that the room isn't there
is as strange to me as me telling you
that that chair isn't there.
That chair is there.
I'm glad we can agree on that.
Evidently, things have changed dramatically.
We knew you were a complex character,
but no one ever said you were so...
peculiar.
You'll just have to stop going to that room.
Otherwise, we'll come up with a different solution.
Do you understand me?
It doesn't see very fair, if you ask me.
Why does Andrew get a room, and I don't?
And I have to ask you to see a psychiatrist.
And that's how I met you.
So this... room...
What sort of room is it?
An office.
And where is it?
Between the bathroom and the elevator.
And you go in there?
Yes, but they're saying that I can't.
You wanna go on sick leave?
- No. - Oh.
Explain to me why he doesn't want you to go in the room.
Because he says it doesn't exist.
So does it?
Yes.
Can you describe it to me?
Everything is exactly in the right place.
It's nice, but it's not showy.
It's comfortable, but it's not worn out.
The upholstery is soft and springy.
The designs, the details, the patterns are...
unique and tasteful.
The light is soft and warm
and it hits your face just the right way,
never glinting into your eyes.
Even the records on the shelves and the books...
perfectly chosen by someone who, I can only assume, cares very much.
It sounds lovely. But, this perfect room...
does it exist for anyone else?
I don't know. They tell me it doesn't.
But you know it exists.
Yes.
Are we done here?
Is there anything going on that you need to talk about?
Something stressing you out?
I don't see how that's relevant.
Well, we're here to talk about Orson.
Do you know who that is?
That settles it.
Orson and I have agreed to get rid of the room.
You mean... he's going to stay?
It's a health-and-safety issue.
No, it's not.
If he's allowed to stand there like that,
then I should be allowed to practice Reiki in the break area.
- Hmm. - Don't we need to be functioning at full capacity?
Seriously, he's fucking crazy. You have to admit that.
She said there was nothing wrong with me,
and that I'm perfectly capable of continuing to work,
and Andrew knows it.
He's perfectly capable of working.
Hm, I've seen the report.
I'm inclined to agree.
But he's mental. Anyone can see that.
Surely we can't have a moron who goes and stares at the wall
the minute things get busy.
Although I do think we all should be allowed
to do what we like during our breaks.
I'm not so sure about that.
I say fire him.
Orson has been carrying out his duties faultlessly.
Really, we oughta feel sorry for him.
- Andrew's right.
There's no justification for firing him.
Listen, I don't give a shit what he does,
but he keeps dragging the rest of us over there as well.
Exactly.
I think it's creepy
seeing him stand there like that.
It's like he's just not there.
Why don't we say...
it's okay, as long as Orson doesn't go into the room?
- I could say that. - Are you serious?
It's okay.
- It's okay. - It's okay.
Yeah, it's good.
I did my best to imitate the others
and pretend the room didn't exist.
It felt ridiculous.
When they were all at lunch, I couldn't see any reason
not to go in there for a short while.
I saw what you did.
Don't act all innocent, I saw you.
If I see you again...
I'll tell.
Whenever anyone looked at me,
I fired off a broad smile.
A smile disarms your opponent
and makes them doubt their own enmity.
Hmm. How's it going, Rakesh?
- Good. Yeah, good. - Great.
No problems then, huh?
No, everything's fine.
Excellent.
How are things with you, then?
What sort of things?
Well, what have you spent the last few days doing?
Why do you need to know?
- Because I'm your boss.
I'm working on an improved metric
for customer service here in the division.
What is this?
I plan to use it to measure
the benefits I'm providing my customers.
Uh, to that purpose, I've created a questionnaire
that's meant to find out what you customers think of my services.
"Us customers"?
I usually think of you as customers.
What for, huh?
Are you really asking me that?
Yes.
I am really asking you that.
You maximize your potential better if you imagine a customer on the other end.
Huh.
Hmm.
So I would be grateful if you could fill out this questionnaire
which you can find by clicking this link here.
There are five questions in the survey relating to the quality of our services,
and one question asking if there are any other services
you can think of that we should provide.
Home number, cell number, although, of course, that's voluntary,
but I'd be grateful if you could fill out the questionnaire
as fully as possible.
But, Orson, I asked you to compile a list of phone numbers,
didn't I?
All my energy drained away.
I suddenly had difficulty concentrating,
and a stiffness spread across my shoulders.
After three days without the room,
I started to feel unsettled.
I became irritable and noticed I was sweating more than usual.
The most acute abstinence anxiety was starting to subside,
but it was as if the habit was still in my body.
I constantly had to stop myself
when I realized my body was on its way there of its own accord,
like an ex-smoker fumbling for a pack of cigarettes.
I tried to think about something else,
and every time I felt the urge, I counted down from 20.
I didn't go in.
I'm sure of that.
The next morning, I woke up thinking about the room.
...then a left, and then another right,
- and then a left door... - I tried to distract myself
by indulging in some light small talk
with that engaging woman in reception.
Good morning.
I bet you say that to all the guys.
Yeah, I do.
Uh, you don't have any floor plans back there,
do you?
Floor plans?
Uh, blueprints, like, maps of the building.
No. I can help you find anywhere you're trying to go.
No, that's okay. I'll-- I'll-- I'll figure it out.
Okay. Are you sure? It's kind of my job.
No. No, I'll... I'll be okay.
I went up to the fourth floor, got out,
and was almost at the door.
I crept toward the forbidden place
like a child on Christmas morning,
stopped right next to it,
stood there feeling what it was like to be so close.
No. No, no, it's not what you think.
- He was there again. - I wasn't.
- I saw you. - No.
I-- I saw you. You were standing like that again.
No, I was just standing.
He was just standing.
- That's what I'm saying. - Yeah, well,
people are allowed to stand still.
No one can stop you just standing there for a moment.
Orson, how long are we talking about here?
Minutes? Seconds?
I didn't go inside.
He didn't go inside.
Word spread from Carol like a group email.
During the day, practically everyone passed her desk,
and before they walked on, they managed to glance in my direction.
I decided to go home slightly early that day.
I wasn't feeling very well.
I had forgotten how difficult it was to locate my car
in the parking lot at that time,
used, as I was, to leaving later than everyone else
when the lot was mostly empty.
For the first time, I realized how weird I'd been.
Thinking about all the stupid things I had done
and what they had led to gave me a headache.
If I was to get where I wanted,
I would need to adopt an entirely new tactical approach.
How high can I get?
If I carry on like this, who could stop me?
- Why are you late? - I overslept.
I'm very sorry. I-- I had trouble falling asleep.
I lay there thinking...
thinking about recent events,
things that I've said, and done, and so on, and...
I can see I've been behaving strangely,
and I'd like to do what I can to...
well, to make right any problems I may have caused.
Orson. Orson, Orson.
But, I know I've caused problems for you too,
and I'd like to ask for your forgiveness.
It was never my intention to cause any trouble.
I can promise you, from here on out, there will be no more of that.
Sit down.
You're an unusual person.
I'm glad you've taken the time to think things through.
Maybe it was worth getting a late start.
Obviously, I'll make up for any time I've lost.
Don't worry about that. If we can get you back on track,
this little break will have been entirely justified. So,
we're agreed on the rules now?
- Yes. - And we can forget all about the...?
Of course.
No one will be happier than I...
if we can find a solution to this.
Oh, and I've, uh, finished that list of phone numbers you asked for.
Oh, excellent. Do you know what? Tomorrow...
could you put together a list of which projects have gone through QA
and which ones haven't? It'd be good to have that on paper.
And you can tell where they come from by--
Oh, yeah. I know.
Look to see if there are two signatures at the bottom of the report.
I can-- I can do it.
Great.
Owing to my late start,
I thought I may as well stay a bit late.
An hour or so later, I took the elevator straight to the lobby,
without passing the room.
The threat of closure hung like an evil spirit over the whole division.
Rakesh and Andrew had endless heated discussions,
which always ended with talk about the possibility of the entire company
- being closed down.
I assumed this was management keeping us on our toes
and not letting anyone think they were safe.
- If this works... - I don't understand what you're...
Okay, I'm telling you, I can't produce a clearer text
- from this-- - Of course, you can.
Just before lunch, another printout
was delivered to Andrew's office.
Uh, what shall I do now?
Hmm?
If there's perhaps, any messaging
or clarity issues in any of the texts?
What are you thinking?
I was just wondering if I could help.
No, thanks.
I don't think so. It'll be fine.
Oh, but you could...
check all the printers. Make sure there's enough paper, and so on.
I realized that my humiliation had to be dragged
right down to the very bottom.
I didn't mind.
It was all part of the plan.
...shuffled up or shuffled down?
What the hell does "shuffled" mean?
I don't think I'm comfortable with people knowing about my shuffling.
It's probably just when they put you in a position
- that is basically the equivalent of-- - Mm-hmm.
I took care to participate in all the group coffee breaks.
I was taking part.
I was there as a physical presence among them.
So, like I was saying, these cutbacks are killing us.
They got used to me.
I assumed the role of passive participant,
the person no one really notices,
but whose presence is a precondition
for the general character of social interaction.
You have excellent productivity.
It really was astonishing
that still, no one had fixed the light.
I thought your numbers were down a bit.
How many office workers does it take
- to screw in a light bulb? - She's got excellent--
No sooner had I returned to my place
when I saw that the inevitable, dreaded moment was finally upon me.
Rakesh's papers had finally overflowed onto my desk.
I shoved the whole pile back onto his side,
causing some of the files to fall on the floor.
When Rakesh came back, I felt a pang of my old intolerance,
a gust of my old self who had been far too excitable,
too guileless, in purely tactical terms.
My initial impulse was to repeat the procedure
and this time push everything a bit further,
but then it dawned on me...
this was the opportunity I had been waiting for.
Without even asking for it,
I had been given a helping hand.
An almost meditative calm spread through me.
Rakesh spent a large part of the afternoon
trying in vain to find the missing case file.
He didn't say anything, but I know that's what he was doing.
And that's when I slipped inside the room for the eighth time.
Formulations that would usually take a long time to grasp
flowed into my consciousness in a perfectly natural way.
I understood at once.
Most of it seemed obvious,
like I'd been asked to fill in the answers
in a second-grade math book.
I formulated a couple simple phrases in my head,
simple and clear.
It was as if I had cleaned the document
in order to reveal its pure lines.
That's exactly what I meant. It's brilliant, Rakesh.
Fopdoodlin' genius, factual and concise,
no room for misunderstanding.
- That isn't mine. - What?
Boss, I didn't write it.
What do you mean you didn't write it?
Someone else must have written it.
Carol!
Mitchie?
If one of them had falsely taken credit for my work,
the situation would have been even better.
We would've been able to increase the bounce of my trampoline, so to speak.
But, evidently, neither of them was brazen enough.
When the working day was over and everyone had gone home,
I felt my heart begin to pound.
It felt like I was robbing Fort Knox.
I started work on case 1842.
The whole process went much quicker this time.
It was like I'd learned something about the way things fit together,
something about the way time and space interact.
At last, I'd found a structure that suited me.
Shannon, is this your 1842?
Do you recognize this form? No?
The next day, I repeated the process with case 1199.
I felt her eyes on me the moment I entered the little glass cube.
And just after Andrew arrived,
sure enough, there she was, telling tales.
I couldn't have arranged it better.
I understand you're the one who left this on my desk.
Who wrote it?
I did.
Who... Who asked you to write it?
I just took it for granted it was my responsibility,
seeing as how the files were on my desk.
Who put it there?
I have no idea.
- Please. - I just assume--
Follow me.
Close the door, please.
What's going on, Orson?
Oh, I-- I didn't mean to cause any trouble.
I-- I wasn't trying to take someone else's work.
I just assumed that...
I was supposed to do it because the case files were on my desk.
Can you tell me who wrote cases 1834 and 1636?
I did.
The truth now, Orson.
That is the truth.
The EVP...
- is very pleased. - Oh?
He says we've finally found the right tone. Hm.
These texts ought to be the template for all future decisions.
I, I... I...
I didn't know.
I could've exploited my lowly status
and made the turnaround even greater,
even more of a shock, but this was where we were.
At last, he had realized,
and maybe I should be happy that he was at least intelligent enough
to recognize talent when he saw it.
You surprise.
I think it would be best...
...if you felt you could handle some more.
I'd be happy to help in any way that I can,
but bearing in mind my other duties,
I just think finding the time to look after the printers is-- is...
Obviously, you wouldn't have to do any more of that.
Quality assurance is...
I'm sorry, Orson, if I underestimated you.
It isn't always easy to see the skills of your fellow colleagues,
especially not... Ah.
I apologize.
Knowing when to keep your mouth shut is an art.
Had a lot going on recently.
I could've easily drawn this out a bit longer.
Apology accepted.
Thank you.
A short time later, I was able to run my fingers slowly over the numbers
on the cover of a brand-new edition
of our company's gold standard reference.
Good morning. How can I help you?
Uh, I'd like to see revision 16-C.
One moment, please.
From the way she looked at me, I could tell she'd caught a glimpse
of the author's name on the spine.
She seemed suitably impressed.
Excuse me.
It's none of my business, but did you write that?
It's mine.
Congratulations.
I hear it's now the standard framework
being used for case decisions company-wide.
That's very gratifying.
I only started working here recently.
It's taken me a while to get the swing of things, but, uh...
Yes, I've seen you come in.
You're always a little early.
I like to keep to a specific schedule.
Well, seems to be working out for you.
What's your secret?
I actually do have a small secret.
- Oh? - Would you like to know what it is?
Yeah.
I don't know.
Come on. You have to tell me.
You can't tease a girl like that.
You promise not to tell anyone?
All right, fine. I promise.
I found a secret room, and when I work in there, I'm able to do anything.
A secret room.
- Here, in the building? - On the fourth floor.
Is it like a bookshelf you push away, or...?
Nothing like that. It's just a regular door.
It's just that most people aren't able to see it.
Yeah.
People are like that sometimes.
Yeah.
What's the room like inside?
I mean, comfortable.
Maybe a little old-fashioned.
Sounds nice.
Rumors of my success
swept through the whole division like a wave.
How can he be so good at this?
So you're telling me he could do this all along?
Maybe he's some kind of savant.
Hey.
So, um, how come you can suddenly--
I mean, we had no idea.
Hard work. As Aristotle said, "Excellence is a habit."
Huh. But, um, how do you go about it, exactly?
Obviously, each individual has different ways
of reaching a decision.
Some people find it hard or they can feel strange.
I find it very easy to make decisions, it comes very naturally to me.
And I think you'll understand that, uh, I can't reveal my reasoning.
That would be both impossible and undesirable.
The best thing for the company, and for you yourself,
would be for you to work out your way of reasoning on your own.
- Um...
Mm...
So how long were you planning on keeping your talent hidden, then?
Do you think it's funny going around pretending you're unstable
just so you can show everyone your tightrope routine later on?
When did you steal those files?
Don't you think you should go and change your shirt?
Soon, the open-floor-plan office around me
was full of protracted and unstructured discussion
about the coming Christmas party.
Is Shannon gonna make that awful tropical punch again?
I did my best to stay out of the whole fractured debate.
Why don't you make the punch this year, hmm?
- I can really use the help. - Oh, sure, love to.
Orson, haven't heard back from you about the Christmas party.
You coming?
I used Carol's trick of completely ignoring her
and carrying on with my work.
With all the commotion, it would be impossible to get into the room
- without being detected.
So I did the sensible thing and left.
♪ Are pulling on the reins ♪
♪ Bells are ringing, children singing ♪
♪ All is merry and bright ♪
♪ Hang your stockings and say your prayers ♪
♪ 'Cause Santa Claus comes tonight ♪
♪ Here comes Santa Claus Here comes Santa Claus ♪
♪ Right down Santa Claus Lane ♪
♪ He's got a bag that is filled... ♪
It didn't look like the other guests
were paying much attention to the shoe code that evening.
Look who decided to come after all.
Well, I can probably find you a plate.
It was obvious that they were all more relaxed than usual.
Just a heads up. It's gonna take about six of these
to equal one shot of liquor, so drink up.
How's that punch? It's got guava in it.
I don't taste guava.
It's in there.
I don't taste guava.
I had to agree with Rakesh
that it was hard to taste the guava.
I resolved to drink my cup slowly,
so as not to lose my composure.
This was a work party, after all.
Oh. Congratulations.
It's great that things are going so well for you.
- Thanks, Mitchell.
Sorry about what I said before.
You know how things get in a stressful workplace.
But I'm really pleased that you're back on track again.
I just wanted you to know. I mean, even the EVP is pleased.
People made various excruciating attempts to engage me in conversation.
You might manage to save all our jobs.
As you might imagine, it was a pointless task.
Outside, the snow was still falling.
I'd just made up my mind to leave when...
Oh, uh...
I didn't expect to see you here.
I get invited to all the parties.
I guess everyone thinks I don't have my own division.
Oh. Oh, let's see, there must be, what...
- Twenty-eight divisions. - Twenty-nine, actually.
Maintenance has their own division.
A lot of people forget.
They invite me to their party as well.
Well, that's not fair.
You really do have a firm grasp of details.
That's very admirable.
Do you know how many employees we have here in the building?
- Well, there's you and me-- - Sixteen hundred forty-seven.
Wow, that is-- that is something.
My name's Alyssa, by the way.
She looked like she was expecting a reply,
but what could I possibly have to say about her name?
Her name was Alyssa.
"Okay"? "Good"?
"Nice name"?
I-- I don't-- I don't care much for the Christmas lights.
No. I think Shannon put them up.
Wow, you sure do know a lot.
Would you like a glass?
I recalled a man from out of town
who took me on a bar crawl once,
and insisted on us drinking until the last bar closed.
I felt sick for a week afterwards.
All right, I'm dying of curiosity.
You-- You are?
The room.
The famous room.
Oh, um...
Wouldn't you like to show it to me?
Um...
There it is. Do you see?
No.
But I want to.
Oh, well...
Um...
Okay, this is the... door frame.
- Yeah? - Okay.
Put my hand on the doorknob.
Am I holding it?
Yes.
Go ahead and open the door.
Oh, Orson.
It's perfect.
Do you like it?
Yes.
It's...
Well...
It's you.
What do you mean?
You're different from the other people here.
I can tell.
They just want to succeed.
I want to succeed.
Yeah, I know, but you aren't only in it to make money.
Well, I want to make money, of course, but...
- Money isn't everything. - Money isn't everything.
You know, the way I see it...
everyone needs this, right?
A place that's only theirs.
And this is yours.
Don't you think this is a place where you can be yourself?
A private space that you share only with someone close...
someone just like you.
I think that I know everything there is to know about you.
What do you think about that?
Yeah.
You know, it sounds crazy,
but all day long,
I'm just smiling at people,
trying to make them feel welcome.
I like that I don't have to do that with you.
I have to be nice all the time,
but I'd rather be honest.
You might not be the nicest person,
but I can tell...
you're the most honest.
She stood there looking at me for a long time,
charged, changed,
as if I'd shown her something she hadn't quite been prepared for.
As far as I'm aware, she went straight home.
Jesus. You startled me.
Oh, did I? I didn't mean to.
I wondered whether I should say anything
about the events in the room the previous evening...
- Early. - Yeah.
...but decided that it would be best
to simply ride the wave of impressions
I had been given.
Eventually, I said...
You too, huh?
- Uh, legal department? - Oh, yes. You can take the elevator...
I could see she didn't know how to broach the topic
of our life-altering encounter.
I decided to give her a moment to gather her thoughts.
- Got it, thank you. - Alyssa.
- Hi. Um... - How can I help you?
Can I, uh, borrow a quarter for the coffee machine?
I have an appointment with Mr. Goring.
J-Just-- just one quarter.
Just a quarter for the coffee machine.
Yes, one sec.
All right, you can have a seat right over there.
- I'll let him know you're here. - Thank you.
Hello. Yes, Meredith is here to see you, Mr. Goring.
Yes, thank you.
I decided to counter her irritation
with a forgiving, worldly attitude.
"Money isn't everything."
Mm. You know, I actually think the coffee's better down here.
I have to ask you something personal. Is that okay?
Yeah.
Last night...
were you on drugs?
Why would she ask me that?
Was she a drug user?
What a shame.
I really liked her.
I felt my whole body ache.
What do you-- what do you mean?
I-- I just mean...
Well...
what are you doing down here now, for instance?
It's work time.
Without knowing how it had happened...
- Oh!
...I felt something warm and wet on my legs.
I'd walked straight into the trap.
All that smiling, that optimistic outlook,
clearly, it was a chemically-produced friendliness.
You can head right on up.
Being taken in by the surface appearance of a drug user
was one of the dangers of being an open, honest person.
Something about the room didn't make sense,
so I figured I may as well investigate.
Hello!
I went down to the third floor.
The layout was the same, but no room.
I was forced to admire the elegant artistry
of whoever had constructed the secret space.
What had the architect done to conceal a room
when it was right in front of the noses of everyone working here.
I know you've only ever done four,
or the occasional three-figure cases, but...
how would you feel about taking on number 97?
It's a direct request from the EVP.
I'd be happy to.
Your first double-digit case.
Come on. I'll help you pick out the material.
As Andrew walked next to me
along the halls of the fifth floor
with the heavy burden in his arms,
it felt like he was my assistant.
Orson, we should've brought a cart.
He had started to rely on me.
As the days passed, I grew irritated,
having to keep quiet about my real workplace.
Besides, I was tired of having to wait
until all the others had left each day
before I could get anything done.
I was thinking about it as I passed Alyssa in reception,
who hadn't looked at me for several days now,
and thus, hadn't given me an appropriate opportunity
to show that I was keeping my distance.
I've taken the liberty of purchasing, at company expense,
a small gift...
to emphasize how you've adjusted to the new protocols
and to show how proud I am of you.
Thank you very much, Andrew. I appreciate the gesture,
uh, but there's something more important to discuss.
Uh...
Obviously, I'm not making any kind of demand,
but, uh...
you would be making it easier for me to choose you here
if there were ever any chance of me considering anything else.
Are you thinking of leaving us?
I can't get into that.
Hmm...
What would you like to talk about?
Well, I don't wanna mention anyone by name, but...
I could think of at least one person at the company
who is a drug user.
But that's not my main concern.
I think we can take for granted that of everyone here,
I contribute the most in terms of work,
and I find it reasonable that I should have a space of my own,
an office, if you will, in which to do that work.
I would like to propose that...
the room is a place I could work.
- You mean "the room"? - Mm-hmm.
No. No, no, no, no, no.
I thought we were done with that.
Well, not exactly.
Okay, it is very important that we do the right thing in a situation like this.
It's important for the whole company.
We're not going to make any hasty decisions.
Well, obviously, I can't decide what happens to anyone else...
- No, exactly. - ...apart from myself.
So just give me free access to the room.
I could understand where he was coming from.
Creative people have always encountered resistance.
It's perfectly natural for more straightforward individuals
to feel alarmed by someone of talent.
But I was done playing nice.
Thank you for the slippers.
Maybe we've reached the point now
where the room has a certain significance,
and on those terms, then, it does exist.
How crazy do I have to be to get the free slippers?
What's going on?
Andrew went upstairs to the EVP.
What for?
Well, he's gonna ask him.
About what?
About the room. That's what we agreed.
This is a matter for the executive vice president.
That's probably right.
What exactly is it that you want?
I just want to do my job.
What do you think we're doing?
I can't say with total certainty.
Now, this is such a grandiose and detailed project...
...and it's so ingeniously malicious.
I have to admit, I'm kinda fascinated by it.
But it will be exciting to see what the EVP says
when Andrew comes back down.
Yeah.
And with that, I put on my coat and went off to lunch early.
Orson! They asked me to grab you the second you came in.
Andrew needs to see you in his office.
He said you could go right in and wait for him.
Any minute, Andrew would be here begging for my forgiveness,
and with, I hope, some reasonable explanation
for what's really been going on.
I would admit to him I have made use of the room for all manner of activities.
I have done most of my-- and he will have to forgive me for putting it like this--
"singularly-successful" work in there
during the evenings and at night.
And, yes, I intend to keep on doing so.
But Andrew's betrayals would not be forgiven.
I would only stay on the condition that he goes.
Five, six, maybe seven minutes of intense silence passed.
Hello, Orson.
I've come straight from the EVP.
Finally.
We, uh... we spent a long time talking.
So, um...
Well, I informed him about everything, about you,
and your extraordinary accomplishments,
your peculiar way of working,
and your request for the, uh...
the room.
He very seriously considered the situation.
He showed me
the floor plans.
Orson, we looked at them together.
He was in no doubt, very...
How can I put it...
Persuasive in his argument.
On this, the fourth floor, between the elevators and the bathrooms,
there is absolutely no other space.
And I'm sorry, Orson, but his decision is final.
I have to let you go.
- Andrew was threatened by me. - Come on.
He'd set out to hire an invalid, a drone
who could never approach his modest level of competence.
Let's clear out your desk.
When he realized I was more capable than he was,
I naturally became his enemy.
You're making a terrible mistake.
I am sorry, Orson. I did try to warn you.
Please, Andrew, I don't blame you.
You know, little people can't be held accountable
for striving to undermine their betters.
But you people, you all should be very, very proud.
I'm impressed.
You wanna tell me how far in advance
all of this got, uh, got worked out?
Was-- was it before I even arrived?
Was I even one of the original intended victims?
Huh?
I mean, you can tell me, you won.
No?
No one?
Fine, have it your way.
You can go back to your sagging trolleys
of imprecise wording,
and your banal, meteorological obsessions,
- and your absurd rituals.
And because, because, because-- because the EVPs,
and then the CEOs, and the-- and the VIPs, and all the other acronyms
are gonna-- are gonna go on with their collateralized debts,
and their short stocks, and their long options,
and you can't even see it.
- You can't even see it! - Orson...
They don't care about you.
They don't. You're, you're-- you're a number in a column on a spreadsheet.
This is a corral and you're all livestock,
but instead of slaughtering you,
they just show you the efficiency metrics
and then encourage you to slit your own throat.
And you? You...
If you think you're gonna get the same kind of work
you got out of me out of these-- these people
that can't even see a door right in front of their face,
then you got another thing coming.
That's impossible, by the way.
It's easy to let yourself be taken in by new acquaintances.
You ascribe to them all manner of noble qualities,
simply because you don't know them well enough.
But you will almost always end up disappointed.
Sooner or later, you always reach a certain point,
an occasion where their true self breaks through.
One way of dealing with that is simply to assume the worst of people.
It's good to realize that we aren't as remarkable as we might imagine.
We wanna make a lot of money, eat good food,
and generally have a nice time.
We are all relatively simple creatures.
Deep down, we just want peace and quiet.
The problem with ordinary people
is they don't see the world as it really is.
They don't see the nuances, the little differences.
You have to show people like that
what their shortcomings are.
Stop!
Follow him!
- Orson? - Orson?
Finally, I could breathe again,
and think more or less clearly.
Orson?
- Orson?
It smelled like the sea...
and lilacs...
and Lindenwood Park at five in the morning at the end of May.
You'll never find me here.