The Pixies – Dig For Fire

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Given the responsibilities that come with owning and running an oil company, Baron Von Burgh should be used to travel, but isn’t; though he owns a limousine in every state, riding in them leaves him claustrophobic. 

His stomach flips, he jumps out the moment things stop and is greeted by a cool mountain breeze – the contrast to his hot, sweaty, and sticky skin is too much – the caviar in Baron’s stomach comes up.

To him, the outside is just as disagreeable as the inside of vehicles; board-rooms and penthouses are his environments of choice. Baron wipes his mouth, straightens up, and ignores the concerned eyes of an underling in a cheap suit and hardhat to walk toward the center of the site.

“Mr. Von Burgh, no one told me you personally -”

“I’m a busy man but this location is important to us, it’s necessary for the operation to run smoothly – where am I going?”

“Right.”

“And what’s the problem? Every memo I’ve read says it’s only 1 man holding things up? Some kind of protest?”

“Not exactly. He says he’s working.”

“One of ours then?” Baron asks and the underling shakes his head no.

Quiet doesn’t come to mind when thinking of construction but it’s all there is, abandoned machinery surrounds, their path is through a ghost-town. The workers stand in a ring at the center of it all; it’s a union job, so news of Baron’s arrival spreads fast, and the mass shifts to either side to allow the big boss through. 

Baron sees the issue and in two steps is standing above it; legs crossed on the ground, shovel in hand, wire stretching from pocket to both ears, eyes closed and head bobbing to what all others is a faint echo of discordant rhythm, the man sitting on the ground is tranquility.

Baron is not impressed. He addresses the crowd, “I make millions of dollars a month and I had to come out here for this? A crazy person? You’re all paid to move steel, you’re literal gorilla men – why didn’t one of you just throw him somewhere else?!”

“Didn’t seem right.” An anonymous voice says from the crowd and all their heads nod in agreement.

Baron ignores the ethics lesson and shakes the man’s shoulder – an earbud falls out – the trance is broken, man’s eyes open – he stands, is a bit taller than Baron and so smiles down. “Sup?”

Baron is taken aback. “Do you know you’re trespassing? That you’re causing hiccups in a multi-billion dollar operation?”

“Huh.”

“So why’re you here?”

The man shrugs. “I’m just the guy that is. Isn’t it beautiful?” He asks and looks around.

All Baron sees in the 360 of sky, mountains, forest, and clouds, is a panoramic desktop screensaver. “I suppose. Haven’t been here since breaking ground; won’t be back again after this.”

“You have better places to be?”

Baron rolls his eyes. “You’re not entirely crazy then. You do understand some things.”

“Yes.”

“Then leave so everyone can get back to work.” Baron personally oversees the man’s escortation off the premises, and is at the airport waiting for his private jet to be fueled before the man makes it a mile walking.

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