Writing Prompt: It was clear something needed to be done.

Morning all, ready for the morning prompt? Excellent, then let’s dive in. Timers at the ready and off we go!

I suspect something is about to explode. I also think that this may end up being how a super hero/villain is created. We shall see.

Wednesday, November 27^th: It was clear something needed to be done.

It was clear something needed to be done.  Ivan just didn’t have any idea of what that would be.  This was not his area of expertise.  ‘Just let someone else figure it out,’ he told himself. 

He nodded to himself and stayed quiet in his seat.  All around him others offered suggestions.  To him each sounded more preposterous than the last.  ‘Nothing to do with me,’ he told himself especially when the urge to offer a sarcastic comment arose.

It was an urge he was familiar with but even he recognized this as a dire situation.  As he had nothing to offer, he knew to keep his mouth shut and let those who were capable of coming up with something handle it.  ‘Even if they do sound utterly insane.’

He made sure he looked interested and nodded thoughtfully every now and again.  Half of the time he wasn’t entirely sure what the words meant.

‘Well I understand the words,’ he mentally corrected, the words were just words, but they were used in such an unfamiliar concept that his native tongue sounded alien.

‘Another reason to keep my mouth shut.’

Gradually most of the crazy knee jerk scenarios and responses were made and the room grew quieter as people grew thoughtful.  It seemed to Ivan that everyone just had to get the crazy out before they could sit down and actually think things through.  While he made sure his expression remained the same he had to admit to a feeling of relief.  With thought and calm came the possibility of an actual solution.

‘And one where we don’t all die.’

Above all, that was the item he was most interested in.  The not dying part.  He recognized it as a natural part of human existence.  One was born, grew, lived and then died.  He was however not quite ready for that last phase.

“What we really need,” Stephan said.  “Is someone to go down and take a look directly and report back the readings.” There were sage nods and Ivan vaguely remembered that the reports sent back by the electronic sensors placed in the area were damaged and responding in unpredictable ways.

There was more talk and it was decided that a team would be sent.  Three people.  There was a call for volunteers.  No one raised their hand or stepped forward.  Instead slips of paper were added to a knitted winter cap.  There was one slip of paper for every one in the room.  Three slips had a dot marked on them and the rest were blank.  The slips were folded and  placed inside the cap.  The opening for the cap was held closed and the cap shaken to jumble the slips and Ivan watched the pom pom on the end bounce with the shaking.

The pom pom was yellow and white and seemed far to bright and joyous for such an occasion. The hat was walked around and in his turn Ivan chose his slip.  He got one of the dots.  He was going. Somehow he had been expecting it.  His luck always seemed to run that way. Still he stood.

“This isn’t my field so you will have to tell me what to look for,” he told the others.  After a brief conference he was given the meter and shown how to report the readings.  He nodded.  That he could do.  As long as someone else was interpreting, he could report them.