Asrasya Chapter 3: CONFIRMATION

Man walked in a room with a file, his ID Card said 'Ravindran Iyer, Head Scientist'. He walked towards the table placed in middle of the room. He kept the file on table. Everyone in room gathered around the table, they were all wearing lab coat.

"Here we have it, the result of the brilliant mind working together." Ravindran claimed while opening the file. It was some blueprint.

"Challenges are not going to be anything like we faced before. But it is going to be fun." One of Scientist expressed his joy.

"But, we still require green signal from higher officials. I doubt they will give go ahead."

Suddenly, everyone's curiosity and joy faded and look of concern took over.

"Hey, why are you all getting nervous? You know the guy, right?" Ravindran tried to cheer everyone up. "If anyone who can persuade the official, it is him. He convinced all of us, didn't he? Just trust the guy."

He tried to ensure everyone of success. This statement did diluted the concern to some limit but still there was some anxiety for the decision.

Meanwhile, a man and a woman entered the building. Woman was holding a file.

"Go to receptionist, and inform her we are here. I'll join you in a minute." Man instructed his Lieutenant.

"Where are you going now?" She asked him, she had a concerned look on her face.

"I have to make a important call. Don't worry, I'll make it quick."

"What could be more important than meeting your superior officers?"

"Don't question the authority, just do as what your higher up ask."

While walking, he deviated from the path to make a call, while she walked straight towards the reception. She reached the reception, looked at receptionist. Receptionist was busy on other call, she raised the index finger and mouthed, "1 minute please."

Lieutenant nodded and turned around to see her superior officer, he was missing from the sight.

"Must be very important call" she said to herself.

"How can I help you?" Receptionist said while disconnecting the call, with smile on her face.

"Ah yes, Captain Rajveer and Lieutenant Aachal, to see General" Aachal said, turning again to see her superior, but still he was not in sight.

"Are they expecting you?" Receptionist inquired.

"Pardon?" Aachal replied turning back towards receptionist, she didn't' heard the receptionist as she was zoned out looking for Captain.

"Do you have an appointment?"

"No actually, something urgent came up. so we have to come here unscheduled."

"Ok, I'll inform the General about your visit. Till then, you can take a seat in waiting area." Receptionist said, extending the hand, showing her the seat.

"Thank you."

Aachal moved towards the waiting area. Her eyes were still trying to locate the captain. But he was still missing from the scene. She took the seat, and threw the glance all over the place. Few people were already waiting for their meeting. She looked for captain one last time. He was still not anywhere in lobby.

"Just a quick call." She mimicked the captain.

She opened the file and started looking at the content, one last time to spot any mistake, as this file was to go directly to the General. She was turning the pages and looking thoroughly, reading each and every words. Till now, no single mistake was found, it came as a little relief to her mountain level anxiety.

"You spoke to receptionist?"

These words crashed so suddenly on Aachal's ear. She woke up from her own zone hurriedly to look, what just hit her little comfort zone. She looked up, it was captain, about to sit on chair besides her.

"Yes, I did." She said while going back in file.

"And?"

"And nothing, she will inform us when they call us in."

"All right."

Ending this conversation, captain leaned back and closed his eyes. After done, glancing at file, she finally looked up and saw calm face of Captain with eyes closed. He was as calm as ocean before storm.

"How are you so calm? Like, anxiety is eating me from inside, and here you are sitting like a stone with no expression." She asked, her face was literally emitting anxiety.

"Because, everything is under control. Just don't worry and let me do my thing."

She never understood him. She was his second in command since ages, but still she could never figure him or his way of work. He has his own style of persuading other. She observed him and his work very closely. But the way he manages to get everything his way, still amazed her. His charisma was too overpowering, somewhat luring into his trap. She believed, he'll get this work done too. She looked at her wrist watch, it's been around 20-30 minutes they've been there. Still no response from inside.

"What is taking them so long?"

She looked at receptionist, she was working on her computer. Even receptionist noticed her, and smiled at her. She replied receptionist too with a smile. She started looking back in her file.

The phone rang on receptionist's desk, receptionist picked it. She agreed to instruction provided on phone and disconnected the phone. Got up and went to the Captain and his second in command.

"Excuse me, you are being summoned in." Receptionist gave message to Captain.

"About time, thank you." Aachal said as both Captain and Lieutenant got up to go inside. She stopped them.

"Sorry, but only Captain is being called. You have to wait here."

Aachal looked at Captain, he nodded to ensure her, he will handle it. Captain followed the receptionist, Aachal's glance followed them. Receptionist deviated and went to her desk, while Captain knocked on the door and went inside the cabin.

To avoid and run away from her anxiety, she started looking inside file again. File which they brought to present to the superior officials. File, that captain left without.

"God damn it, he left the file here." She thought to herself.

She started to look here and there to pass some time, honestly too take her mind away from meeting and anxiety it was causing. She looked at receptionist, she was again typing on her computer. She looked around her, the people they were there, either left for their meeting or busy in their meeting preparation.

"How does he do it, how does he stay so calm?"

Some time passed, she was still trying to have soothing thoughts but nothing helped her. She looked at wrist watch.

"It's been about 15 minutes, he went in meeting. What is happening in there?" She asked it to herself.

Some more time passed, must have been around 20 minutes. Captain came out of meeting with expressionless face. While passing receptionist's desk, he gave smile to receptionist. Receptionist smile at him too. He passed the receptionist, smile faded and became expressionless again. He came near her.

"Should we get going, it's getting late." He said to her, she was still looking for answer to questions.

"Yes, we should be get going."

They both started walking towards exit.

"So, what happened inside?" She asked as her curiosity was not letting her rest.

"Nothing, same as usual"

"You did it, didn't you? You convinced them. You got your way."

"What part of 'as usual', you didn't get. Of course, I got it done. I was going to get it done."

"Tell me everything."

"So when I knocked the cabin's door." Captain started narrating the incident.

Captain knocked on the door.

"Come in." other side of door answered.

Captain went inside. He saw General sitting on his chair, 2-3 higher officials were already inside the cabin and 2 more people was sitting out of sight, on sofa, in darkness, their faces were not visible.

"Come in captain." General said extending his hand towards empty chair.

He went near the General's desk, still sometimes throwing the look in darkness, trying to figure out identity of people sitting in there. He reached the General's desk and sat down on chair.

"Sorry for the interruption, but matter was urgent." Captain said.

"Don't worry captain, we are now used to your interruptions." General said in sarcastic tone. Captain too smiled at him. "So what was the important issue?"

"It is ready, we finally built it."

"So can we test it?"

"Actually, no."

"Why not?"

"When I say it is ready, I mean it is ready but theoretically. The blueprint is finally ready."

"It took you about 1 year to make just the blueprint?"

Captain nodded optimistically.

"If it took you a year."

"Less than a year." Captain interrupted.

"Just to complete the blueprint, how much time will be it take to complete it 'Practically'?" General ignored and continued.

"Don't have the answer yet for sure sir."

"Look we have already wasted our precious time and resources just to pet your ego. We cannot have it any more. There are many more pressing issues that we need our resources for. We are scrapping the project."

"Excuse me."

"Almost a year, around 30 of our brilliant minds and you are just providing us some blueprint."

"Actually, I was going to say 50 of your brilliant minds."

"What?"

"Hey if you need it built faster, you'll need to allocate more man power."

"No, that is not going to happen. We are pulling the plug on this project. You can close the door on your way out."

"You cannot shut the project down sir."

"And why is that?"

"Because I have already gave the confirmation to go ahead sir."

"When, and how dare you to move ahead without consulting us."

"When is not important, what important is the results. Results which I have achieved for you, that you are ignoring right now. And I know the value of this project, because I proposed this project myself."

"Thing is, you are not sure of time, for this one."

"That still doesn't count as reason to ignore the fact, that we managed to build the blueprint even when everyone including you said this project is impossible."

"Still you can't just give the permission on our behalf captain."

"I already did sir." Captain got up from chair and was leaving. "Just don't forget to send more staff on Monday. And don't worry, I'll close the door on my way out."

Captain closed the door on his exit.

"He is too stubborn to be handled." Officer sitting in darkness said.

"That is why his nickname is 'Captain Stonehead'." General replied still looking at the closed door.

Captain and Lieutenant had already walked out of door, and has already sat in car, while captain was narrating the story. Driver was driving them to their location

"I was with you whole time, when did you gave confirmation for go ahead?" Aachal asked.

"When, I said I had to make an important call." Captain said closing his eyes.

"You dodged the bullet in there, you know that right."

Captain didn't respond to this remark.

Captain opened his eyes. He was in front of huge screen looking at view of mountain by camera of Jet Plane. Around 50 people were in the room, looking at camera.

"Hawk 3 to Control Room,  I am in position. What is the order?" Captain Vivek said.

"Hold your position, Captain ." Control room said.

Control room operator looked at Captain Stonehead for further orders.

"Instruct him to load the weapon and set the target." Captain ordered.

"Control Room to Hawk 3, load the weapon and set mountain as target." Control room instructed.

"Copy that. Loading the weapon." Captain replied. "Setting the target." He further added.

"This is it, the final moment, the D-Day we all have been working for. It's been 2 years since, we got the permission. Everyone said, it cannot be done, it was impossible. Yet, we all did it. We not only created the weapon but that too, way before our estimated time." Captain Stonehead motivated.

"Tell him to fire the weapon." Captain ordered.

"Control room to Hawk 3. Fire the weapon."

"Copy that firing the weapon."

Pilot fired the weapon. The weapon was moving towards the target, the mountain. Weapon was seen in radar screen, moving ahead slowly. Whole control room was watching radar feed. Weapon disappeared from radar screen.

"Weapon has hit the target." Captain said.

But there wasn't any big explosion or even a slight movement in mountain. This was all broadcasted to the control room. Everyone present there was puzzled by this incident.

"There is no movement nor any reaction." Captain said.

Everyone looked at Capt. Stonehead. He himself was trying to think what went wrong.

"Tell him to hold the position." Capt. Stonehead ordered.

"Captain please hold your position, till the next order." Control room instructed.

"Roger that." Captain Vivek replied.

Capt. Stonhead looked at the Head Scientist, who was there discussing with his team about this unexpected condition. Capt. went to his team.

"What the hell just happened?" Capt. asked

"We're trying to figure it out too." Head Scientist replied.

"Did we miss something?"

"No, everything was calculated and verified."

"Control room do one thing, instruct him to fire another one too." Capt. ordered.

"Control room to Hawk 3, fire another weapon too." Control room instructed.

"Copy that, firing another weapon."

Captain Vivek fired another weapon. Same thing happened again, like replaying the same footage. Everyone in Control Room were watching the screen anxiously,  waiting for some different and little better results. But all were disappointed.

" Hawk 3 to Control Room what are the next order." Captain Vivek looking for further instruction.

"Hold your position, Hawk 3." Control room replied.

Didn't know what to do, Capt. ordered to fire the final weapon too.

"Control room to Fox 3 fire the last weapon too."

"Roger that, firing the final weapon."

Captain Vivek fired the last weapon. Weapon was moving towards the mountain, showing signal on radar screen. While the third weapon was in mid air, there was a movement in mountain. Mountain shook. Within span of  second, the mountain started shaking violently and started erupting like volcano. A strong waves emitted from the mountain, this waves caused the third weapon to stand still for split second. Then it started moving again but slowly this time. The waves, caused the Jet to lose control and lose the balance.

" Hawk 3 to control room. Jet is losing its balance, I cannot control the Jet. I'm ejecting from it." Captain said to Control Room.

Captain ejected himself just in time, and Jet crashed in ground. This whole incident was broadcasted to control room. Everyone was now more confused than before. Video feed stopped after the crash.

"What just happened?" Capt. asked.

"Like I said, everything was calculated and cross verified." Head scientist claimed. "Except."

"Except what?"

"Except for final or last reaction. That we must have miscalculated the reaction timing on big level. Because that was the only thing new and our biggest challenge."

"But what does that mean for now."

"Everything will happen like planned, except everything will be three times bigger, three times the explosion, three times the destruction."

"Try contacting Captain Vivek on his radio." Captain Stonehead gave another instruction.

"Control room to Captain, come in Captain."

There was no answer. Radio was static.

"Can you hear me Captain?"

Still nothing from other side.

"Keep trying to contact him." Capt. Stonehead ordered the operator.

After about 2-3 hours later, reply finally came from other side.

"Captain Vivek to Control Room. Can anyone hear me?"

This words alarmed everyone present in Control Room. Captain Stonehead standing in corner, started walking in pace towards the operator.

"Come in Captain. What is your position?" operator asked

"I'm still on spot and safe." reply came from other side.

"What is the status update?" Capt. Stonehead asked picking up the radio.

"I just witnessed the most unbelievable and most incredible thing." There was wonder in Captain Vivek's words.

...To Be Continued