Prologue

Year 31 – The Prologue to the Beginning (Jayden)

Just like any other day, Jayden walked into work and greeted his coworkers with a smile and a wave. Not because Jayden  was happy to be there, but because it was the mask everyone at work wore. Jayden internalized how easy it is to be friendly and admitted to himself that it can be a bit tiring. All the little pleasantries like, ‘How’s your day?’ and “Happy Monday”, “at least it’s Friday” feel lost on me. Honestly ‘human-ing’ is hard. The biggest facets of human civilization from economics, politics, religion, societal standards and etiquette, to Jayden , seem to miss the big picture, maybe even a purpose.

The Sacramento Archives4Self headquarters was a maze of bland gray cubicles. They were deliberately ordinary—businesslike, functional, and colorless. But the employees brought the color themselves. Julianne Hargrove, who sat behind me, decorated her desk with fake black-and-gold flowers and draped her chair with a red-and-gold 49ers blanket. Marquis Crestmere, Jayden’s buddy in the cubicle ahead, filled his space with pictures of his wife and twin children. Jayden would say they are some of his best, if-not, only true friends. Jayden noted he wasn’t really good at socializing and only actually spoke to 6-7 people.

As Jayden walked toward the room he passed by a few regular and traded pleasantries. Most days Jayden would stop to chat a bit longer but today everyone seemed to be out of the way. In passing Jayden noted how he somewhat knew that only certain people would even attempt to engage with him in the workplace. It was annoying but Jayden reminded himself that everyone is brought up differently and so you’re going to have people who will not be interested in you, let alone acknowledge your existence. Jayden knew from his personality that he would still will someone else  with respect as long as they do the same.  Normally when Jayden is here, he hides himself behind his case files at the desk so Jayden can avoid unexpected interactions. Jayden knew that, while he can interact with others regardless of how he is looked or felt, his social battery was quick to deplete after each engagement.

“Good morning, Jayden.” Marquis greeted, sliding into the chair near Jayden’s desk obviously buzzing with energy.

“How many cups of coffee have you had so far?” Jayden looked at Marquis’s face. 

“Two,” Marquis stated. “Well and a half.”

“I see. A half too many for this early.” Jayden waited for the conversation to turn and heard nothing.

Jayden gave Marquis his usual headnod of invitation and pictured an imaginary social meter above his head slightly lowering.

“Guess what Jaime and Lynn did yesterday?” he said, pulling out his phone. 

“Mhmmm,” Jayden mouthed, not truly irritated, but pretending to be. Marquis ignored Jayden’s facial expressions.

Jayden  felt a shiver run down his spine and quickly gazed upward.  Of course, it was just Julianne peeking over the cubicle wall. 

“Good morning, Julianne.”  

“Morning Marquis. Morning Jayden. Is he making you guess again?”

“Yes he is, “ Jayden answered, “Marquis. I’m not in the mood for guessing. Just show me.”

Julianne pouted dramatically. “Jayden, don’t be like that. Think of all the good times we’ve had here.”

“Good times? All we talk about is work and Marquis’s kids,” Jayden  muttered. “But I will admit there are few times where you all got me to go out to explore which weren’t bad. It was tiring but not bad.”

She laughed; Marquis looked slightly wounded and pouted, “no pictures for you.”

“Honestly, I don’t know many people with a personality like yours,” Marquis noted. “You aren’t old but you act old. You are outgoing but introverted to the point of not going out and logical to the point it is annoying.”

“Question. Are you secretly a robot?” Julianne asked. “Or an alien? If you’re an alien you have to tell me I think that is planetary law.” Jayden stared, caught by surprise. “ I’m just saying sometimes you can come off as a bit emotionless. The people have been wondering”

“Ha, no I’m human. At least as far as society is concerned and  I cannot help that I have a resting ‘I just woke up’ face’.  Also who has been wondering. Who are these said, “people.” I rarely talk to anyone and unless I’m out with you two or family I’m at home.”

Julianne and Marquis looked at each other before Julianne asked,” You know we talk about our hobbies and lives all the time but you’ve always been pretty private.  Now we’ve heard you talk about your life a bit but never about your interests or what you do when you are by yourself.”

“What are we doing here, filling out my dating profile?”Laughing, Jayden took a second to think before adding, “I don’t really like to do much. I like to train and exercise when I can, I write poetry. You both know I love a good game. Oh and I guess I’m a big fan of psychology too. Ah and you should know that I prefer shorter women.”

Marquis laughed.

“You went to school for psychology didn’t you?” Julianne asked. “Why aren’t you working in that field?”

“Well things never tend to go as planned for me. I wanted to become a researcher on human psychology. I wanted to study the ways in which people come to identify what it means to be and exist from a psychological standpoint.”

Marquis flipping through his phone said, “I can see that.”

“See what?”

“You being the book-y type.”

“Ah.”

Continuing the line of questioning Julianne asked, “Well out of curiosity  what made you consider that field?”

“Well honestly you could call it a nagging curiosity. Not necessarily a desire but an urge.”  

“That’s a little weird but not the weirdest thing I’ve heard.”

“Yea not even top 200. “ Marquis added.

Jayden  waved them both off. “Well enough of that. Let’s talk later. After I’ve had coffee, preferably.” They retreated, muttering to each other whilst Jayden  finally turned to the first case file. Opening his laptop a few windows auto populated the screen. The laptop whirred to life as if taking a breath and the subtle sounds of clacking keyboards and mice clicking filled the room. 

Work tends to roll into the next day. Nothing is ever truly done. One his desk was a box of files, a flash drive with some archived photos and pictures. The box belonged to a client who was planning a project with some of his family’s archival materials. In the box there was also a book that Jayden  had yet to check the condition of. Taking the book from the box and placing it on the desk Jayden  noted the worn brown color and its waxy appearance. In addition, the paper appeared to have begun to oxidize which could be seen in the yellowing paper. Inspecting it a little further, the name was embellished on the cover. The name on it reads Janus.

Janus. Weird name. But not the craziest thing that Jayden had seen before either. Everyone has got a unique name these days. It would not be weird to see even the simplest of names spelled in some unexpected way either. Still, why would you name your child Janus. Out of curiosity Jayden pulled out his cell phone and typed in the search bar, “Janus symbolism”. The screen lit up with sites and information related to the Roman god Janus. Interesting but technically not his job at the moment.

Inside the box was another manuscript titled, The Kingdom of Glass.  Jayden remembered his meeting with the client where the client had noted that he was unsure of the manuscript’s importance but advised his grandmother to tell stories from it. The client added he was unsure if his grandmother just made up the stories she would tell but added that she would always end the stories with a warning to beware the curtain that is the door to the snow. 

Picking up the manuscript out of curiosity Jayden opened the first few pages gently and noted that strangely, the pages were blank.though to himself, ‘Why would you store something like this?’ 

Opening a file the client had provided, Jayden began to sift through a catalog of the client’s records. Jayden noted that the manuscript had other information attached to it. 

A piercing ring cut through his thoughts. The tinnitus again. The ringing felt like it was getting higher and higher in pitch. Then suddenly the ringing stopped. Blinking his thoughts still Jayden listened to the quiet. It’s been decades and in all that time the ringing has never stopped.

Then came a large rumble. The cubicle  began to shake in all directions. “An earthquake?” Jayden, surprised quickly remembered the earthquake safety drills. He ducked under his desk, and listened but couldn’t tell if anyone else had reacted. 

‘Am I the only one who feels this?’ Jayden thought.

The shaking rattled Jayden to the bone. Then fatigue and sweat washed over him, heavy and sudden. Someone appeared to walk by and stopped upon seeing my face. 

Jayden tried to speak,

“Marq—”

Eeeeeeeeeeeeiiiiiiiiiiiing!

The ringing resurfaced prominent as even and a white flash swallowed everything.