- Quarantine Day 115
- Livermore cases: 256
- Alameda County cases: 7,193; deaths: 145
- U.S. cases: 3,047,000+; deaths: 132,000+
This XKCD comic came out this week. I feel it.
I actually went to work on site today for the first time since March 6. It was weird.
A lot of post-apocalyptic vibes. Guards with their rifles and side arms, now wearing masks. Signs on every building saying you must have pre-authorization before entering. Signs at every door reminding you that you must wear a mask and to wash your hands immediately after touching shared surfaces. Signs on every conference room declaring the reduced occupancy limits. The place is a ghost town because they’re only allowing ~25% of employees on site on any given day. Everyone you do see is wearing masks. The cafeterias are still closed.
I got to my office and there was a thin layer of dust on everything and my calendar still says March.
Just so weird.
There was one huge bright spot in my day though. To understand why requires some context. In 2007 a videogame was released called “Portal.” In this game your character is stuck in a quirky science lab and has to solve various puzzles involving a “portal gun” (a device which lets you open a portal from one location to another). At the entrance to each puzzle room is a sign indicating which hazards or components are present. Here are some examples:
Additionally, in the game you’ll see various corporate posters like these:
So with that context in mind, I was greatly amused to see this sign posted on one of the security booths (or “portal”) that I pass by between the parking lot and my office:
Whether it was intentional or not it looks like something very much inspired by the game. The apparent energy rays, the person appearing to levitate–it all just comes together nicely.
I contacted the Facilities department to ask if I could get one of the signs or the artwork at least and they provided it to me, which is why I have it here to share. I also ordered a metal sign of it for my own personal amusement.
I hope that the graphic artist tasked with designing the signs is a Portal fan and saw this as their opportunity to have a little fun. It made me happy at least.