The Job: Into the Repository of Normal-Sized Things

So... I already wrote my blog post about Universal Studios, but I want to talk about this first.

Today I got to have lunch with Tim and Rachel again. That was nice, because Tadashi, as I've mentioned, has been my insistent companion some time now. Not surprisingly, the topic of the day was why the hell Tadashi's been keeping me to himself.

"Are you getting promoted or something?" said Rachel.

"After a matter of weeks?" I said, raising an eyebrow. "What could I possibly have done to merit that?"

"Yeah, nothing really," she said. "But Tim wanted to suggest that Tadashi was gay for you and I thought I'd class up the conversation by saying something else first."

"And thank God that's over with," said Tim. He inhaled, then deeply intoned, "GAAAAAAAAAAAAA-" he paused to take a sip of CC Lemon, "-AAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYY."

"I'm not ruling that out," I said evenly. "Oh, wait, I mean..."

I leaned across the table, raised my eyebrows, and smiled seductively. "I'm not ruling that out."

I leaned back. "But even still, I can't see why it's just me he'd want to hang out with. He'd love you guys. What did you two do in that interview to make him hate you so much?"

Tim: "I made unambiguous reference to my heterosexuality."

Rachel: "I laid down a fart of annihilating potency."

I crossed my arms sternly. "That's disgusting, Tim. Anyway, Tadashi just picks my brain about philosophy and science fiction and talks about the incredible potential of the holograms."

"And it doesn't occur to him that you might learn more about them if you actually did some work with them?" asked Tim.

I shrugged. From the cafeteria's front entryway, Tadashi strolled into view behind Tim and Rachel and approached our table. I casually urged Tim and Rachel to immediately say the nastiest things they could think of about Tadashi. That didn't work.

Tadashi waved me up from the table. I slumped, perhaps visibly; Tadashi's an okay guy and all, but I feel like our conversations aren't going anywhere. And yet it wasn't but a moment before I was walking behind Tadashi through a familiar hallway. Am I already an unquestioning cog in a corporate machine?

"Hey, Tadashi, we just passed the office. Where are we going?"

Oh, apparently not. Cool.

"Ah," said Tadashi. "I am showing you something different today. I think we are in agreement on the future of Hyperreal, and I want you to see how we are making it real."

We stopped in front of a solid-looking white door labeled... well, my kanji's not real good, so I actually have no idea what it said. All I really know is the kanji for "big," which is damn near ubiquitous. Whatever's behind the door is normal-sized or smaller, that's all I can tell you.

He swiped his card in front of a panel by the door and laboriously pulled the heavy door open. "I realize I have been talking at great length this week," he said, "but when you see what's in here, I don't think you will regret talking with Tadashi... ma.. tta."

Something inside the door had stopped Tadashi in his tracks. Before I could sidestep over to look, he pushed the door closed and smiled at me. "I am very sorry," he said. "Perhaps tomorrow would be a better day to show this to you. You may return to lunch."

So... Huh? I didn't see Tadashi for the rest of the day.