Joshua has a file that has been open for months. His boss wants to close the case but its just not that simple...

The File

Diana waved the file at Joshua with mock rage. “Why do you persist in holding onto this case?” she asked. Joshua smiled with genuine amusement, his young features lending easily to his boyish charm and yet it was impossible not to notice the first signs of grey hair. Diana was younger, but his boss none the less, and she had every right to scrutinise his work. In fact Joshua would have been surprised if she didn’t. Diana looked after her staff as if they were family, so it was not unusual to see her fussing someone at least twice a day. When it came to files, on the other hand, she could be ruthless. This particular case had been on his desk for months now and this was not the first time Diana had pressed him to make a decision.

“I’m still not sure”, he said. “Planets with people on it are different to lifeless chunks of rock. My conclusions remain uncertain so it remains unclear as to whether we should consider inviting them into our little group or leave them to squabble themselves to death”.

There was nothing new to the argument. Joshua had taken several months to gather evidence about the planet. Diana concluded that it really wasn’t worth the scrutiny and that Joshua should have moved on to more productive work weeks ago. “It’s just another superstition riddled hostile world”, she said in a more serious tone. “Let it go, Josh, and stop agonising over it. Whatever potential you thought it might have had is opposed by dysfunctional behaviour”.

They had been through this argument a hundred times but if one more round was needed for him to hold the file for one more week Joshua felt justified in his reasoning. “You’re right”, he said in a bid to fight the debate from Diana’s point of view. “The people are frightened, irrational at times and even hostile. But beneath it all there is an underlying potential and I cannot ignore it”.

Diana sighed heavily. Her shoulders sagged visibly, allowing her dark hair to scuff the shoulders of her navy jacket. She knew that Joshua had a point but they had targets to meet. “All right”, she said. “Tell me about this ‘potential’. What is your best reason for holding this file any longer than today?”

It was nothing less than Joshua had expected. Most files were opened and closed in a week; less than a day if it was straight forward. This file had been open for nearly six months. As it stood he would have to classify the planet as hostile and doomed to destroy itself in a few generations. No amount of interplanetary involvement could save it. The people believed in irrational things and, it appeared, would rather blame some ineffable deity or other for their shortcomings instead of accepting responsibility for their actions. Diana was only doing her job and right now she had a strong argument for him to close the file as a hopeless cause.

“Have a look at the artwork”, Joshua countered. “The literature, the poetry. Love is  strong in all cultures”.

Diana almost snorted at the last point. “Love? Where is the cohesion within societies? Even the family units are tentative at best. What kind of love is it that allows certain sections of their community to starve to death?”

It was a good point, thought Joshua. Almost too good in fact and was high among the reasons that Diana believed she was right in closing the file. If they were to make planetary contact it would be to the people of the whole planet as equals, and they could not do that unless societies treated each other as equals.

“They have many cultures”, Joshua explained. “OK, so they haven’t yet reached a stage where the planet operates from a co-operative and under one law. Given a bit more time and they may yet see the advantages of sharing and playing nicely together”. Diana smiled at the notion of a planet as one enormous crèche, with young children learning how to form positive and meaningful relations through play and education. Joshua often employed the use of juvenile development to describe emerging societies. For this case it somehow seemed appropriate. Joshua continued, “You are right to point out that they can be thoughtless, cruel and petty minded. But that is not how they behave all the time. If it were I would have closed the file months ago.”

It was a very hard case, Diana knew this, but targets were targets and tough decisions had to be made or the work would never get done. Joshua had some valid points though, which was why she had allowed him to keep the file open for so long.

“OK”, said Diana. “Let’s suppose that you are right and that this planet has the potential to join us. What would stop you from making a positive decision?”

Joshua winced. Diana might have been a softy at times but she still knew how to turn the screw. “Well”, he said with a long emphasis on the vowel, “Right now they still kill each other for land or resources. That would have to stop. They’re a bit of a mucky lot too, especially since they are still using fossil fuel. If they don’t kill each other with weapons they still might manage to poison themselves out of existence. Developing better energy sources would not only benefit their atmosphere but might also stop some of the silly arguments from happening in the first place.”

Diana listened impassively. Joshua had done his homework on this planet and knew more about it than anyone else in the department. She observed how he animated his argument. He was as good as any advocate should be, particularly as he had met none of his charges. His enthusiasm was admirable and yet his description of this planet was predominantly one of hostility, arrogance and selfishness.

Joshua settled back in his chair. “They have some planetary laws”, he added. “It isn’t such a big leap from that to having one set of laws for all and before you know it there will be true equality and an abolition of social discrimination.”

Diana did not respond. The file was bulging with evidence and she knew that Joshua would have made a comprehensive report, including everything he had just said to her. Time was precious, though, so if it was possible to make a decision with just an executive summary it was worth the exploration.

“You really think that they will make it?” The challenge in her voice was unmistakeable. There was so much to doubt that it was the easiest of paths to dismiss the case. Joshua knew it too and Diana’s tone did not go unnoticed. “To be perfectly honest with you”, he said, “I just don’t know”. To emphasise the point he shrugged his shoulders and raised his arms with palms upward. “Then again”, he added, “They have the potential to make it in spite of themselves”.

And there was the dilemma. Diana weighed the file in her hands. The wealth of information demonstrated the considerable time that had gone into the investigation. Was it worth more or was it an exercise in futility? It was a common complaint among the office staff that five percent of the work took ninety-five percent of their time. And yet without their conscientious dedication many deserving causes, possibly this file, would disappear into the anonymous abyss of bureaucratic procedure. This was one of those cases that seemed to fall between the cracks of their system. To allow it would be irresponsible and yet to deny it would be inconsiderate.

“You want to keep it open still?” Diana already knew the answer.

“You know I do”, replied Joshua. “This planet may yet suddenly find its feet”.

Diana thought for a moment and then shook her head. “Look Joshua”, she said. “I can’t let you keep this file open but what I’ll do is defer it. Will that satisfy you?”

Joshua considered the proposal. “OK”, he said, “but defer it for quite a while and then review it”.

“How long is quite a while?” she asked.

“I think about fifty years should be long enough”, he replied.

Diana wrote a note on the file’s control sheet and closed it. “You know what Josh?” she said, “I shall be so happy to see the back of this planet ‘ZXSOL3’”. Joshua laughed appreciatively. “You never know. In fifty years time they might surprise you and learn how to walk”.

Diana laughed back. “We’ll see”. She said as she walked to the door. Diana reached the doorway and stopped. “I can never remember the name of this planet”, she said. “What was it again?”

Joshua shook his head in mock disbelief. “How long have we talked about that file? Its easier to say than ‘ZXSOL3’. The people of the planet call it ‘Earth’”.