“A search engine for data?” Carla said, stirring Splenda into her coffee. She and James were both on their morning break at the coffee kiosk in the lobby. “I don’t get it.”

James grinned, and set his coffee on the counter. “Think about it this way. We’ve got all this data, right? Billions of figures and numbers and statistics, just cooped up, and each dataset is created by a different application in a different format. Here we are, slogging through 10% of it crammed into our data warehouse.”

Carla rolled her eyes.

“We’ve been at it for over three years, Carla, and we’ve barely scratched the surface. But with search, raw data is posted online!”

“Pass me the whole milk, will you?”

He poured a splash of milk into his own coffee before passing it.

“Point is,” James said, “we spend all this time integrating data into the data warehouse and setting up views, but even before we finish, requirements change and we have to start over again. With raw data online, the data is linkable. And searching linked data works just like searching linked documents through Google on the web. Everything is real time.”

Carla sipped her coffee down from the rim, then added more milk. “You sound exactly like Lloyd before we implemented Gemstone Reports.”

“Gemstone has been an improvement, I’ll admit, but only an incremental improvement. We’re stuck in the same old cycle of: user needs, analysis, coding, testing, and then delivery, only to have the user request—oh-so-slightly—a different report. Then it starts again. What do we have, hundreds of reports? Thousands?”

“Gemstone is state-of-the-art.”

“Maybe state-of-the-industry, but it’s not art. It’s a grind, you have to agree.”

“Even if there is a better solution I’d caution against a love affair. Without Lloyd and Greg you’re setting yourself up for heartbreak. I can see it coming.”

“Things are changing, they have to change, and we have to do something. I really think search makes sense, Carla.”

“You’re passionate. It’s sweet. Do you have a product in mind?”

“Yes, simpler/gov. And it’s already well-installed in counties and cities. It’s developed by a company called Simpler Systems.”

Carla searched her wallet for a dollar and dropped it in the tip jar. Then she and James headed for the elevator.

“It’s not going to be easy,” Carla said. “You’ll need support from others, too.” She cleared her throat. “Like me. I am Account Division Manager.”

“And that’s exactly why I’m telling you,” James said, as they stepped inside the elevator.

“But if you pull this off,” Carla said, “we will have a problem...”

“What do you mean?”

“You’ll probably get promoted to CIO when Lloyd retires. Which means—”

“—my name will be above yours on the totem poll for once.”

Carla shook her head. “What time is your meeting?”

“In an hour.”

“And you’re going in with your hair looking like that?”

James stepped forward to look at himself in the reflection of the elevator doors and brushed his fingers through his hair. “What’s wrong with my hair?”

The elevator dinged and the doors opened.

“See you later, James,” Carla said, brushing past him.

“Carla! You can’t just leave me.”

“Your hair is fine, James. You’ll be fine.”

At 11:28 James and Lloyd strolled over to Greg’s office, talking idly of weekend plans.

“Go on in,” Elizabeth told them.

James smoothed the back of his hair as he followed Lloyd into the office.

At 11:44 James and Lloyd walked out of Greg’s office. James was smiling, and Lloyd picked up where he had left off about weekend plans.