Asrasya Chapter 5: ATTENTION

A gentleman walking up the stairs of a building with his briefcase. It was too early in morning, even the sunrise was to happen. He opens the door of the office, which was packed by the night shift worker. While walking towards his cabin, he was passing the receptionist desk, he greeted 'Good Morning' to the receptionist. She reciprocated back with the same greetings. When he passed the desk, the phone rang on the receptionist desk. She picked up the call.

"Hello, 'Tazi Khabar'. How can I help you?" She stated her usual office call line. Someone just mumbled something from the other side of the phone.

"Yes, he just entered the office." There was again

"Can I ask your details and purpose of calling?"

"Can you please hold the call."

"Excuse me sir, there is a call for you." Receptionist said to the gentleman. He turned around and pointed towards his cabin, asking her to transfer the call to his phone.

"He'll be with you shortly, please hold on."

Meanwhile a gentleman opened the cabin's door which read, 'JaganMohan (Chief editor)'. He kept his bag on the ground near his chair. He picked up the phone while sitting on his chair.

"Hello." he said on the phone.

Person on the other side of the phone mumbled something.

"Yes this JaganMohan." the other side mumbled something again.

"Sounds like a ordinary earthquake."

"But why would the army seal the area?"

"Sounds a little bit fishy."

"I'll send a reporter and team right away."

Disconnecting the phone, he dialled another number.

"Yes, Imran please come to the office." saying this he disconnected the phone.

Imran stood outside the office, knocked on the door.

"May I come in Sir" Imran asked for permission.

"Yes, Imran come in."

Imran entered the office. Imran was an experienced journalist in the same news agency 'Tazi Khabar'. He was one of the most reliable journalists in office. He was always sent to cover the important news while crucial news was reserved for important. This news was little too unreal but the caller was confident and sound panicky, that made it sound real. So Imran was the perfect guy to cover this incident. He was smart and polite spoken for someone experienced in this field.

"Imran, I need you to go to the site to cover the incident."

"Sure, what happened?"

"There was some kind of earthquake in some remote area. We need you to report it."

"Okay I'll take the crew with me, but where am I going?"

"I'm waiting for details myself, once I get it I'll text you the address and all the details, till then gather the crew and pack your stuff to go."

Imran got out of the office in a hurry, started pacing towards his desk, he took out his cell phone. He started making calls to the crew to gather them near his desk. He told them about the assignment and asked them to pack their stuff and meet him at his desk while he was still walking. He reached his desk, kept his phone on desk. Started packing all required stuff in a bag, suddenly his phone beeped showing the message. JaganMohan had sent him the details.

"Where the hell is this place?" He thought to himself.

Following the details, he received pictures of the destruction that happened there last night. It was a whole town covered with rubbles and debris. Destruction caused by what officials claim as the earthquake of high magnitude. He called everyone while leaving his desk, they were ready with their stuff. He asked them to meet down near the gate instead and asked the driver to bring the van at the gate of the building.

Imran while walking towards the elevator met his colleagues who were going to be there on the trip. They reached the gate of the building where his other crew members were ready near the van with their gear. They stuffed all their gear and bags in the van, and started their journey to the location. It was almost 5-6 hours of travelling. They left their office at 6.00 am, they reached their destination around noon.

While entering the town, what they saw was pretty shocking, even though they had received the details. They had seen the pictures but the real scenario was different altogether. As described the infected mountains stood at entrance one of which was fully depleted while the other was half depleted. Half depleted mountain had dents on its steep foot and hollow on core. Other mountains that were connected to the infected mountain had half collapsed. Cracks in the ground stretched from the infected mountains till the halfway to the mountains on the other side. Whole area struck by the tragedy was sealed by the army. They all drove past the town, the road was carved for travelling through all the stones and boulders. They finally parked their van where other reporter's crew were parked. There was already a bunch of news outlets present there reporting or setting up their gear.

They walked a little towards the place where they were allowed to do reporting from. Set up their gear once they reached there with the mic in Imran's hand. Imran stood facing towards the camera while the camera person was getting his camera ready. Once the camera person was ready, he gave thumbs up to Imran.

"Ready in 3... 2... 1... Go" Camera person instructed.

Imran started reporting about the current scenario. The current situation of the town, the destruction by earthquake and the role of the army to clean up the mess happened. Reporters weren't allowed to interact with the civilians nearby. Civilians were placed in the tent on a temporary basis. Even civilians were restricted from talking to the reporters.

Two people came out of the official tent and started walking towards the reporters. Both were in army uniform accompanied by their colleagues. They came near the reporter, the reporter surrounded them with a camera and mic near them. Before they could give a statement, reporters started hounding them with questions.

"Sir what exactly happened here?" One reporter asked.

"What could be so dangerous that could cause this level of destruction?" Another reporter raised the question.

"What are the measures you are taking to help people?" Another reporter asked.

The Army head raised his both hands trying to calm everyone down.

"Please let's be civilized, let's go one by one." Head said.

This calmed the reporter little.

"My name is Capt. Rajveer, this is my deputy Lt. Aachal." Army head proceeded further. "These are my colleagues. Please ask questions one by one." He added.

Before anyone can ask anything, Irman raised his hand to ask a question.

"Yes." Capt. said while pointing finger at Imran.

"What actually happened here?" Imran asked his question.

"There was a natural calamity, an earthquake." Capt. answered.

"Earthquakes don't cause this much damage." Another reporter asked.

"They do, if they are of high magnitude" Capt. answered again.

Meanwhile citizens were getting restless on hearing all things the army was telling. One of the civilians got up and crossed the perimeter and walked up to the press. Watching him, many others followed him. They all came near where questions and answers were going on.

"How much magnitude does it require to cause this much destruction?"

Before Capt. could answer the question.

"It was not an earthquake, it was a missile that hit the mountains and destroyed everything." one civilian yelled.

"Weapon?" the reporter asked.

"No, there was not any weapon."

"We saw it with our own eyes."

"You also saw a person, a 'Saviour' that saved everyone of you with his superpowers."

"We all saw him, he destroyed the rocks and boulders that were going to crush all of us in the middle. He even held the ground stable so that we could run all to safety."

This was making every reporter present there more confused.

"I've interrogated many of those people who claimed the same things, and you know what we found? Nothing, not a single useful information."

"We know the person who saved us. Some of us worked with him."

"Okay then what is his name?"

There was silence in civilians.

"Where did he come from?"

No one had any answers.

"How can a normal human even with great build be able to crush big boulders or even stop the ground from shaking, whole freaking ground?"

Still no one could answer the question.

"But we know where he lives."

"We followed up to that too, there was a house but nothing in it, it was an empty half broken house. Looked like no one lived there for ages. Even if someone lived in that old house, it would have something there, the whole house was cleaned up. Nothing there to see."

"We had his dog with us."

"Where is it then?"

"He ran away in the jungle."

"We even checked the jungle, we are monitoring everything from the morning, not even a slight movement is noticed."

"Then why is the Captain. himself here on the ground that too for a natural calamity?" Imran asked Puzzled from all the discussion between Captain and the civilians.

"It's not just me, many head experts are present here. Like I said, it was natural calamity that caused this much damage and destruction. We had to evacuate others too in case any effects resurfaced again and diagnose its causes and analyse it that is why we brought experts with us. They are studying everything now, once they get something credible they will let us and you all know."

"But what about the eye witnesses' statement?" One of the reporters asked.

"You can ask them all the questions you want, and decide for yourself if they make any sense to you." Captain Replied

"Any more questions?"

There were many, but no one asked because the sources were not too credible to make it a basis for all the questions.

"I'll take this silence as no more queries and take your leave." Captain and his colleague ended the conference and started moving back to their tent.

Meanwhile each and every reporter started asking the civilians about the accident. Civilians started narration of their version of the story. They were all contradicting each other every other sentence. But they were on the same side when it came to that one creature who saved them all.

While walking back to their office tent, they saw one tent that was guarded by guards wearing black suits.

"Who are they?" Capt. asked his second in command.

"Some Intelligence agency." Aachal answered.

"If these shady people are involved, that means they know something interesting. Schedule a meeting with them."

"We'll do it."

Having dialogue, Aachal took another path towards the intelligence agency while remaining officials moved on their original path to their office tent. Once they reached their office, all scientists sat on the couch, while Capt. was still walking in his tent.

"What are you thinking?" Head scientist asked.

" We achieved what we wanted. The destruction we witnessed is proof of our achievement."

"Why do I think there is coming?"

"But we need to work on our timings."

"And?"

"And we need to get that super being creature to study."

"There you go."

Before Capt. can explain his point, Lt Aachal entered the tent, all of them looked at her waiting for some answer.

"They have scheduled the meeting right now." she said.

"So what are we waiting for, let's go." Capt instructed.

Aachal and the Head Scientist followed Captain out of the tent, and started walking towards the Intelligence agency's official tent. While walking towards the tent, they passed two people in black suits.

"He has lost his mind" One said.

"He is asking literally what we were warned about." Other person added

"Maybe we should tell his orders to the higher official. What are your thoughts?"

"For now we should hold on that thought and obey the orders."

Both of them were so engaged in their talk they didn't pay any attention to Capt and his subordinates. They reached the tent and were standing at the entrance.

"Should we come in?" Captain asked for permission.

"Captain, please come in."

Captain and his colleagues entered the tent.

"Took you long enough. Been waiting for you since morning. Heard a lot about you" Person in charge greeted them all and showed his hands towards the chair indicating them to sit.

"Thanks for the compliment." Captain replied while sitting.

"So what do you want to talk about?"

"Simple stuff, like who are you? What agency do you work for? Never heard about you."

"I am an mid level officer at Who-Cares-Organisation. And I'll take it as a compliment."

"Why are you guys here?"

"Same reason, you guys are here for."

"We are here for multiple reason"

"But We're here for the main reason you are here."

"Then you must know, who that creature is about whom these people won't stop talking about?"

"Yes, that creature is from our facility, he has been in our care since his birth. We build that creature into a powerful being that everybody witnessed yesterday."

"How did he end up here?"

"That's a long story, so we're just going to skip that part."

"So where is he now?"

"We are looking for him all over now."

"You know your answers are not believable. I seriously think you are taking us as a fool."

"Let's not get aggressive Captain, let's not forget we are on the same side."

"Doesn't feel like it."

"What do you want Captain to make it feel that we are on the same side?"

"This subject has piqued my interest. I want my people to study him."

"Given."

"All right then, it looks like we're finally on the same side." Saying that Captain stood up to get out and move back to his tent.

"Where are you going, Captain. I walked little to come to your side. Aren't you going to walk a little so that we can meet in between and finally be on the same side."

"What do you want?"

"You've heard how dangerous this creature is? We need muscles to tame this guy. That is where you and your muscles come into play."

Captain thought for a second about the whole deal trying to grasp the whole picture. Finally Captain gave him a nod.

"Then call your men as many as you can manage. We're sure going to need it."

"Will be done."

Discussing this Captain once again started moving towards the door. Two people that left passed them entered the tent in a hurry. Both of them looked a little scared and were grasping for oxygen.

"What is it?." That guy asked in his no expression tone.

They looked at him and the guests in his chamber. They were hesitating to speak up.

"Don't worry, we're on the same page, tell us what happened?" This sarcasm brought a smirk on the captain's face.

"We found him."

This line changed his wicked face into a little worrying face. He looked at Captain, who himself was looking at him for the next step.

"You should start calling for your men. Also please take care of the media, I don't want any more attention on this matter. He need to be dealt with secrecy, he should not be made public"

"Sure just don't forget about our deal."

"Trust me captain, it's going to be wild out there."

...To be continued