Control

Having gotten this statement out with some semblance of dignity, Kyle proceeded to hold his breath. The Director looked at him. Or rather, the Director's eyes rolled over Kyle's person like a large truck with no brakes rolls over a bump in the road, continuing their ponderous course over the door, the desk, and finally slowing to a top looking out the window.

Kyle waited.

The Director continued to stare out the window at nothing in particular.

Kyle started to fidget, twitching his right knee back and forth inside his trouser leg, and touching each fingertip of his left hand to his left thumb in turn -- index, middle, ring, pinkie, ring, middle index -- over and over. He went over the protocols in his head to see if there was an additional prompt he was supposed to give to the Director, some additional magic words. That was a dead end. "If an atypical observation within the atmosphere is made, report IMMEDIATELY to the Director." The Director was supposed to take it from here. Was there a chance he had not heard? Was there a chance Kyle had been unclear? What had he said, exactly? "There's a cloud over LA." Seemed clear enough. Middle, ring, pinkie, index, middle. Shit, shit, shit.

Kyle wondered if there was any chance he could just go back to his post now. He had completed the duties immediately required of him, and whatever the next phase was here, the Director could just let him know through the usual channels. He was about to turn and quietly walk out when the Director spoke.

"Haven't you always wondered what it would be like?"

Kyle's fingers stopped tapping. "Sir?"

"Haven't you always wondered? Just once - to see something uncontrolled. To just let it go."

Kyle was 24 years old and had never really questioned authority. You did not come to work here if you were the kind of person who liked to question authority. You came to work here if rules made you feel secure, knowing who was in control made you feel safe, and be able to follow protocols made you feel like you were doing a good job. This was a dream job for Kyle. But now, just at this moment, he suddenly did not feel safe nor secure. And he was feeling mightily uncertain about his job performance, too.