I imagine a frazzled, overstressed executive bigwig from the 1980s pressing this to call his assistant, Alice, on the intercom.
Normally I might agree. Notice, though, that this is a 122-key
terminal board, which means the person operating it was most likely a geek.
Maybe ALICE stood for some special application that was—if the red legend is any indication—invoked in times of special need.
It always seemed hypocritical to me that churches would install lightning protection. Why would God zap one of Her own places of worship? Even if God
wanted to do that, who would the church people be to object?
So I'm guessing ALICE may have stood for Automatic Lightning-Inhibiting Cross Enhancement, a concealed lightning rod that, when violent weather threatened, could be extended from the uppermost crucifix.
BTW, if you don't think this is a hot issue, check out the
surprising number of online images of churches being struck by lightning.
