The exercise:
Write something to do with the phrase: cover me.
After various bits of training, combined with my previous experience in Osoyoos, today was my first day to help cover reception. So of course the person I'd normally cover for breaks and lunch was sick, so I spent much more time up front than I had planned on.
It went fine, thanks mostly I think to having done the job in Osoyoos for so long. Couple of bumps along the way, but probably learned more today because of the way it went than I would have over the course of several days of coverage otherwise.
2 comments:
You make it sound like your time on the front desk worked out well in the end, so I'm happy about that! It does seem like the way life works that the person who should have been explaining things went missing and you were forced to figure things out for yourself, but I suspect you enjoyed it as well :)
Cover me
"I know you didn't know we were coming," said the Maestro as casually as he could manage. Given that he was bouncing each step like a much younger man and was practically glowing with excitement it wasn't casual. "I guess we should cover for you if Cass asks any questions?"
Fabian smiled tightly; normally the Maestro wasn't so alert to political nuances.
"Don't make any effort," he said, thinking fast. "Cass is unlikely to be that upset that she'll investigate, and if I had known you were coming I would have definitely prioritised you. Her paperwork can wait a couple of hours."
"You don't know what the paperwork is about," said Rystin quietly, and Fabian flapped a shushing hand in his direction, allowing his smile to broaden a touch.
The Fabian theatre, and Fabian was still uncertain about the renaming, had been a storage area at some point in its past, and then had been renovated slightly to put in some banks of tiered seating and a stage at the front for display and lecturing. The whole thing still had an air of storage room about it -- a lack of windows, painted concrete walls that did nothing for the acoustics of the space -- but it wasn't unpleasant. Fabian wondered how much of this had factored into Cass's decision to choose this to name after him. The figurines were set up on a long table on the stage at the front of the room, and Fabian decided that his guess about the Maestro intending to show this off to the whole Museum was right. The Maestro practically ran to the stage when he entered the room, and there was a definite air of glee about the man. Rystin was much more reserved, but even he seemed slightly excited.
"Are we ready?" asked the Maestro theatrically, and Fabian nodded, wondering briefly how the Maestro would have reacted had he said 'no'. Rystin did something at the side of the table that Fabian couldn't see, then said something quietly to the Maestro, and the Maestro moved a figurine a couple of centimetres into what must be an activation position.
The figurines sparkled for a moment as though sunlight had struck them from above, and then with tiny little metallic clacking sounds they moved through a series of poses like soldiers presenting arms for their commander. Tiny weapons were moved from one position to another is a choreographed sequence that caught the eye and the imagination and Fabian found himself marveling at the details, the fluidity of the motion and how these tiny, stiff mannequins seemed so lifelike. Then they all clicked tiny heels together and saluted and the display was over.
"That's the first sequence," said the Maestro rubbing his wrinkled, liver-spotted hands together enthusiastically. "Next we ha--."
He stopped and stared, and Fabian followed his gaze. Across the room, in what should have been an empty space, something was turning and sparkling and becoming visible.
"Should it be doing that?" asked Fabian nervously. Whatever was appearing seemed to be tall and cylindrical and it was as though it was being pushed out of something that was always there but he couldn't see.
"That's a stasis chamber," said the Maestro leaning heavily on the table. Fabian glanced at him; the man looked like he was ready to collapse. "They've been inaccessible for years."
Greg - it was a surprise when I arrived, but by the end of the day it was pretty enjoyable.
Well, that took an unexpected turn. Was quite ready to see the second sequence! But now I am very, very curious to see what this is all about.
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