Inspiration: https://www.deviantart.com/razorb/art/Server-Room-149685572
Inspiration 2: https://www.desktopbackground.org/wallpaper/computer-serial-experiments-lain-wallpapers-hd-desktop-and-1024310
Inspiration 3: "Cluttered Server Room" Google Image Results
~~~~
"First day on the job
right?" The fellow in the elevator asked me.
"Yeah," I admitted,
"I'm starting in server room 888, although today I'm only here to get my
bearings."
"888?" The fellow raised
an eyebrow, "Oh right, you're Jake's replacement aren't you? Poor guy got
tossed out the door like yesterday's garbage, and now you're stuck cleaning up
his mess."
"Was there a problem with
Jake?" I asked. I knew the guy before me had already left, but I had no
idea he left under such sour term.
"Nah, Jake was great," he
chuckled, "he knew every inch of 888 like the back of his hand. The
problem was he and his boss didn't get along too well."
"Well that's unfortunate,"
I commented, "but what do you mean by his mess?"
"You don't know yet?" The
fellow gasped, "Poor boy, they're throwing you in the deep end."
"W-what?" I stumbled. What
with all this secrecy? Before I could even ask the elevator dinged and the
fellow began to step off.
"You'll know it when you see
it," he said as the doors closed behind him.
~--~
A few minutes later I finally
arrived at the door server room 888, there to greet me was my new boss. The
same man who butted heads with my predecessor.
"Nice to see you again
kid," my new boss welcomed me with a handshake and motioned me inside of
the room.
"Likewise," I returned his
handshake and then stepped inside the server room. "So, any problems or
concerns with the server room I should know about before I start?"
"I'm sure you'll figure it
out," he brushed off my question and directed me towards the server
proper. As I finally observed the room itself I immediately understood what the
fellow in the elevator had tried to warn me about. The room was a disaster, to
put it mildly.
It was a labyrinth of cables and
disorganized machines. Cables as thick as my arm were dropped on the floor
haphazardly. In addition to a general disorganized mass of cardboard boxes,
spare parts and tools spread across the entire room. At least 85% of the floor
space was covered. Which was exacerbated by the sheer compactness of the room's
layout. The noisy hum of machinery permeated the entire room. The area was
blanketed by a subtle blue light from a holographic sign that read "Server
Room - 888." There was only one soul on the planet that understands
this mess, and he was booted out the door.
"Are there any written
documentation or protocols?" I inquired.
"Certainly," the boss
answered, "It was the final thing I had the last guy do before he left, it
should be in here somewhere."
"Somewhere?" I muttered.
"Well I'll leave you to get
situated," my boss ignored me. "Oh, I'll need a systems report on my
desk before I leave today, consider it your first assignment. If you have any
questions ask Shelly." With that, he turned and began to walk away.
"Wait," I sputtered,
"Who's-?" The boss shut the door behind himself before I could finish
my question. So this is what he meant by deep end. Also, what's this about a
system report? I was only supposed to get myself situated today. How am I
supposed to write the report when I don't even know which way is up yet?
"Here we go," I sighed. I
can vent later, right now I need that documentation, then I can find out who
Shelly is. I maneuvered through the room with care, being certain not to touch
anything. I don't know how many of these bundles of cables are held up by only
string and prayer. After half an hour of my search, I managed to find a
half-foot thick bundle of documents signed "Jacobs Reilly."
Hopefully, they're what I want.
After I sat myself down on the far
end of the room, away from most of the equipment, I cracked open the documents
and my heart fluttered. It was documentation, written in great detail, of every
nook and cranny of the server room. It explained how the server room was
organized, the function of each machine. It even had a few helpful
troubleshooting tips. At least for the first few dozen pages.
As I plowed deeper into the bundle
the documentation was less extensive. It became more poorly written and was filled
to the brim with little notes that made no sense. These notes were scrawled
into the margins and were usually only a few words long. Usually saying
something like, "A2 to 4" or "Tighten the 5th" or
"Don't forget on the 8th." Eventually, the documentations descended
into incomprehensibility, from a mixture of poor handwriting and the confusing
shorthand. I had to give up and place it to the side before I gave myself a
headache. Just as I gave up on that there was a knock at the door.
"Jacobs we're getting some
slowdown on our side could you make sure port-" A sharply dressed woman
peeked into the room. "Who the hell are you?"
"I'm the new guy I just started
working here," I checked my watch, "two hours ago. I've barely begun
to understand this place yet, sorry."
"Ugh, don't tell me that idiot
canned Jacobs too," the woman groaned. "Sorry you had to see that
kid, but things just got ten times more complicated for me," she rubbed
her head in frustration.
"Hey, do you know who Shelly
is?" I asked her, "I'm supposed to talk to them if I have any
questions."
"Why?" the woman tilted
her head, "Shelly's on vacation for the rest of the week, starting
yesterday."
It took everything in my power to
not slam my head into the desk, "Great now how am I going to write that
systems report for the boss before he leaves."
"Better get started then,"
the woman informed me. "He likes to leave early, usually around four, but
sometimes three." I checked my watch, it was 11:08, I had less than five hours
at best. "Looks like I'm not the only one who's going to have a lousy
day," the woman commented, "good luck kid you'll need it." Then
she left me alone in the noisy hum of the server room. This was going to be a
long day.
~~~~
This story's unofficial fourth inspiration are tech support workplace horror stories. I've heard hundreds of those, so I decided to channel some of those into a story of my own. If tech support can be a pain in the behind now, what would it be like in a sci-fi future?
Although, if this story's sci-fi element was any lighter I could put it in the low-fat isle of a grocery store. Corny jokes aside, I've been wanting to write a story like this for a long time, and I finally buckled down and did it.
The story is mainly inspired by a combination of the first two linked images, both of science-fiction server rooms. While the google image search was there to fill in the gaps.
Look forward to my rework of the blog coming eventually. I want to put my best foot forward, so I've been piecing together several long, high quality stories to welcome the change. So, sometime after those are done, I'll implement the rework.
The story is mainly inspired by a combination of the first two linked images, both of science-fiction server rooms. While the google image search was there to fill in the gaps.
Look forward to my rework of the blog coming eventually. I want to put my best foot forward, so I've been piecing together several long, high quality stories to welcome the change. So, sometime after those are done, I'll implement the rework.
Until then Read, Comment and Enjoy.
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