This first thing people noticed (or, more accurately, failed to notice) about Mr. Aldridge was that he was completely and utterly normal. He lived quite comfortably in a small suburban home, about 30 years old, as inoffensive as it is possible to be in a modern age. No one really took the time to get to know Mr. Aldridge. Everyone had known someone like Mr. Aldridge, or at least everyone thought they did. While some people would take offense at such a treatment, Mr. Aldridge never did; he found it normal, he had been used to such a treatment all his life.

Mr. Aldridge's life was similarly normal and generally uninteresting: nothing ever unusual ever happened to him or around him. Mr. Aldridge worked for a large company, and it suited him. He blended in well there, doing the boring sort of paperwork and filing that no one really thought about but that had to be done in any event. His did his job in a satisfactory manner, but never did it extremely well. He was known for coming to work punctually, leaving the same time every day, and never really attracting any attention. One day at work, however, Mr. Aldridge noticed something rather interesting: half the other people who were supposed to be in the office with him were apparently not there.

This did not particularly worry Mr. Aldridge (as nothing ever really worried Mr. Aldridge). However, as he had some papers to give to one of his colleagues, a man named Mr. Anderson who had never missed a day of work in the five years Mr. Aldridge had known him, he decided to ask the office manager if anything in particular had happened.
"Mr. Johnson, I've noticed that Mr. Anderson hasn't shown up today, and that no one else in his department is here. I was told to give Mr. Anderson these papers today, but is something wrong? Did I perhaps misread the report, or-"
"Mr. Anderson's department was cut entirely. I think that you will find that report unnecessary".
"But it has taken me two months to repair that report, and if you look at it, I think you may find that-"
"As I have told you, that will not be at all necessary. In the mean time, I suggest you look over these papers. Compile them for me by next Tuesday".

Mr. Aldridge found himself becoming unusually emotional. The report he had prepared had indicated that Mr. Anderson's department, which had always been considered vital to the success of the company, was doing quite well. Further, the papers that Mr. Johnson had given him were extremely long-about 500 pages,he estimated-and it would take far more than a couple days for them to be compiled. As he sat back down at his desk, he noticed that the papers did not make any sense either. Most of the products that the company manufactured were simple consumer goods, while the papers seemed to be related to some sort complex computer system.

Mr Johnson must have made some sort of mistake, he thought. But that would be out of the question. Mr. Johnson was one of the most reliable managers in the entire company, known for never making mistakes on anything, certainly not any mistake this big or this abnormal. Mr. Aldridge decided to confirm what had just happened with his manager. However, as he got up from his desk to talk to him, he noticed that Mr. Johnson was now also missing.

Now rather annoyed, Mr. Aldridge walked over to one of his few remaining coworkers left in the office.
"Did you see where Mr. Johnson just went?"
"He was even here today? Last time I heard, he resigned last week and hasn't been here since."
"As I recall, we met with him just a couple of days ago, about that report on Mr. Anderson's department-"
"What report? I don't seem to remember doing a report on his department. Thought it was going to be cut anyway."

By now, Mr. Aldridge was annoyed, confused, and extremely upset. He never had had any problems with his memory or his coworkers before, but today something just seemed to be wrong.

He stomped back to his desk, and, unusually furiously for a man of his generally calm manner, got out his telephone and called the section manager who he reported to. The section manager had always been punctual, and even if he had not shown up today (which was unlikely, given his rather consistent attendance), than his secretary, whom Mr. Aldridge was sure he had seen on his way to work that morning , would pick up the phone and give some sort of explanation of what was going on. The phone rang, and he sat there impatiently, waiting for something to go as it normally would. The phone, however, for the first time in his career at the office, was not answered.

Mr. Aldridge slammed the phone down on his desk. His remaining coworkers, never having seen such a dramatic reaction out of a normally passive man, spun around rapidly in surprise. Ignoring their attempts to talk to him, he ran straight up the stairs to the office of his boss, something that he never would have done in any other circumstances.

To his complete surprise, he found the office entirely empty.

As he began to take in his bizarre surroundings, he started to calm down and try to piece together what had happened to him. He also began to realize how strange his reactions had been. What is wrong with me today? Why have I been so angry, and uptight, and just so-

He turned around suddenly as the door opened behind him. A calm looking man, dressed in a neat dark suit, walked up to him.

"Mr. Aldridge, I presume? My name is Dr. Barclay, and I would like to talk to you about your day today".
"But doctor, I'm afraid that my day has been so completely strange and abnormal. I assure you, I am as normal of a man as you could ever meet in your life and-"
"So this is the first day of your life that is different from your existence of pure normalcy?"
"Of course."
"Then I must congratulate you, Mr. Aldridge. Today, you finally became like every single other human being on this planet."