They Breathe

Chapter 4

I was with three other representatives in the lift. I could see Mr. Aman in his office. He was the head of eastern zone. He was in the office smoking cigarette. He had a rather big office. May be bigger than the office he used to have before everything went to scraps. He could see the gas station outside the office, pumping gases into the atmosphere keeping the environs at the right temperature. The outside environs was rather precarious where sprouts can grow anywhere.

The sun was setting down with the sky in an orange hue. The birds were now extinct; either eaten by a walker or a sprout grown onto him.

With the ding in the lift, I knew we reached his office. Aman got up and welcomed. We all took our place which already had a glass of water along with some snacks.

"So, I think; it's the first time all representative have been called at same time" Aman started

"We are" said a guy. He had a long scar on his head. Wearing a blue jacket with a red bow-tie made him look like a joker. Who would wear such a thing in a meeting? I thought to myself.

"I know, Mr. Sharma" Aman said. "So, why don't we start with the introduction?" He looked at him and said "Mr. Sharma, why don't you start first"

"Fine I am Mr. Sharma, out in the woods for five months, all alone. I was the medical head of Ranbaxy. Right now I am representing the medical units of eastern unit. One of my team is researching on walkers and is there any hope for us?"He said in a accent which seemed foreign.

"Thank You, Mr. Sharma. Why don't you go next, Mr. Vinod?" Aman said

"Thank You Aman. Well, I am Vinod Sinha. I was a professor in AIIMS and luckily I had group of three other professors with me during the entire duration. I am heading the education department in this region. My other three colleagues are in different zones."

It was the time of the third one other than me. He was Mr. Shobhit. Also an average guy worked in an IT company in Hyderabad. He was designated the post of maintenance for the entire base camp.

"So, what is this all about" asked Sharma. He already got three phone calls about how a gas station was malfunction and required his immediate attention. He gave the necessary details regarding the emergency backup, and told them that he would be back in few minutes.

"So, the Government issued a new order" Aman said

"What is it?"

"They want that every representative to document their experience"

"What do you mean by that?"

"You have to document everything. How everything began on your end? How you survived. How you became a representative in this base camp. Everything"

"Why?"

"For survival, simple"

"How that's related to survival"

"I don't know brother; ask the people who asked for it. Not me"

"How we have to do that?"

"I don't know. Take time of your schedule, arrange a meeting with other guys and give me a manuscript till next week"

"Can't we make some new representative for it" asked Vinod. "It will be a lot time saving"

"Those are strict instructions, dude" Aman said. I can't do anything regarding it.

"Anything else" I said. I was rather pissed by the agenda of meeting. He could have sent us a mail regarding. I was wondering the agenda of meeting to be the blowing up of stadiums and other.