Borderless (Analog #2)

by Eliot Peper

You were the center of gravity in a dance that you were observing but not participating in.

Airports were big when you were a pedestrian.

It’s about using technology with intention. It’s about recognizing and respecting the hidden powers of the tools we use and how we choose to use them.”

“How we do things shapes what we do.”

Logic was important, but people put rationality on a pedestal. You didn’t change someone’s mind with a frontal assault, lobbing facts at them with an intellectual trebuchet.

If you truly wanted to sway someone, you had to understand them first, figure out how they felt and why they felt it. Then you worked your way up from emotions and values to beliefs and points of view. The long route to decision-making was the only accurate one.

When you owned your own decisions, you owned your own sins.

Cadence was important. Bureaucracy had a certain rhythm to it, a steady drone punctuated by authoritative emphases not unlike a didgeridoo.

Body language was another piece of it. She had to emote confidence that everything was guaranteed to work out in her favor and that she was happy to wait as long as necessary for it to do so. Social dominance was key. No matter what their rank, they were lucky to be helping her. But the real trick was empathy. Being the agent of a massive bureaucracy was tough. The organization behind you gave you power, but it could also crush you for the smallest of mistakes. If you wanted folks to do something, you needed to offer them a path forward that appeared to minimize their chances of backlash from their bosses. If their ass was covered, they’d help you out.

Ragnarok. World peace. Rapture. Humans loved to dream of endgames. Nothing was more alluring than a decisive victory, a moment after which the world would be forever changed. Except the world was forever changing. Victory was always temporary.

Secrets shared could be more valuable than secrets held.