Yes, we were on our way …… BUT, unbeknown to the innocent travellers ……. in a control centre far far away their immediate futures were being decided. A malevolent digit hovered momentarily over a large, dull, worn, red button with the letters F.U. scratched into it’s surface. With a snort of amusement the finger moved decisively downwards and the button was pressed …… immediately the train slowed and came to a standstill – there was silence.
The weary passengers looked around at each other for someone to blame – the temporary sense of camaraderie engendered by the earlier common trauma no longer evident. After bouts of tutting, expletives and rolling eyes, we took to exploring the view outside our cocoon. The other tracks – empty, the rear gardens of the terraced houses – unkempt, and, of most interest, the windows of those dwellings – unyielding. What mysteries did those curtains hide? What secrets did those dust covered windows protect? Why couldn’t we be a bit closer so that we could see inside?
It wasn’t long before my attention wandered back to my fellow travellers. No longer making any pretence to communicate with each other, they had each withdrawn to an ‘inner place’ and had clearly broken off all relations with the rest of the universe. Yet, as if responding to a species need, they all reached into their clothing and brought forth their ‘precious’ (apologies to Tolkien) – mp3 players and mobile phones. Like tiny, digital creatures that had just woken from hibernation, they began to nose their way out into the open before extending feeding tendrils into the ears of their hosts.
I pondered the seeming incongruity – each person isolated and yet linked through the ether – a wireless community. I was reminded of ‘the Borg’ – individual work units but part of a common collective – not required to understand their purpose only that they had a program which had to be followed. Plugged into and fully at one with their devices but oblivious to all around them – hurtling through space. At this point, of course, the analogy breaks down as we weren’t hurtling anywhere.
Eventually, the train, whilst not hurtling, did lurch into life and start to worm it’s way grudgingly along the track, screeching and protesting towards London – so Brussels became just a little bit closer. I relaxed and watched the world slip by – is that a metaphor for something?