"And that would be all for the tour of the facility. Now, you may head over to the atrium over there where a buffet lunch has been provided. The dialogue session will commence in two hours' time at the west auditorium, at 1 p.m. Thank you and enjoy your lunch!" the bespectacled intern cheerfully said as she gave a slight bow, before heading toward the lift lobby. The small crowd of guests soon began to disperse, with some heading to have their meal while others stayed behind, splitting into small groups of two to three and starting their conversations.
A figure stood alone, his brows furrowed with concentration as if he was making a life-changing decision, or one that will change the fate of the world. His eyes were locked on the two small pieces of paper directly in front of him. On them were written these words - Chicken Fried Rice and Whole Wheat Pasta.
"Rice… or pasta?" he muttered to himself, before answering, "Or both." Reaching for the serving ladle, he quickly scooped two equal portions of rice and pasta, before contentedly walking off with his plate. Finding an empty cocktail table, he was about to tuck in when a voice called out.
"Barnes? Jay Barnes?" A voice called out from behind. Sighing as his meal was interrupted, Jay put down his spoon, turning around to face the owner of the voice, a tall young man with brown hair.
"Tommy? I didn't expect to see you here! Since when did you return?" Jay spoke, surprise all over his face. The dialogue session was the last place he expected to meet his long-time friend.
"The boss decided to call me back for these few months to settle my wedding. Also wanted me to take part in this event," Tommy said as he set his plate on the table opposite Jay.
"It has been such a long time since we last spoke. I think it was ever since you took that job attachment to Japan last month? I have been trying to contact you on your phone, but the messages never seem to get through. Why did you not reply?" Jay asked.
"Uhh well… I sort of dropped my phone into a fountain at the airport when I first arrived. Had to get another number there. Anyways, how was the tour just now? Liking my job environment?" Tommy sheepishly admitted, absentmindedly rubbing the back of his neck before quickly changing the topic.
"It was quite interesting. The workshop activity was rather engaging. Looks like I will be borrowing some ideas from here to bring back," Jay said with a laugh.
"Oh right. I heard you joined a new company. How's life there? On your way to being CEO?" Tommy laughed as he bit down on another piece of meat.
"Nah. I'm only the head of a small team. Still a long way to go," Jay joked, only to be interrupted by Tommy's phone.
"I need to head to the admin desk for a short while, I'll be back soon," Tommy said as he placed his phone down on the table while reaching for his bag. Grabbing his drink, he went off, leaving Jay alone. "Wait Tommy, your phone," Jay called after him, but the young man was simply too fast. 'What an idiot,' Jay thought to himself as he placed the phone back on the table.
Shrugging, Jay nonchalantly went back to eating his meal, thinking through what he had experienced that morning. This learning course was certainly interesting, and there were many good ideas that he could certainly bring back to his workplace. Jay worked in a technological company where the limits of technology were being pushed daily. Smaller, faster, smarter, better - all these were some of the goals of the many brilliant young minds that worked there.
Jay was just about done with his meal when suddenly, a loud siren pierced the air. "The fire alarm has been activated, please remain calm and follow procedures." An eerily calm voice spoke over the speakers. Immediately, the atrium was a flurry of movement, as people rushed for the exits.
He had barely managed to reach for his bag when a loud explosion rocked the building. Darkness momentarily covered the entire place as the lights went out before the emergency lighting kicked in once again. A low rumble was heard, as chunks of the false ceilings began to rain down upon the now near-stampeding crowd.
Grabbing his bag, Jay was about to head to the exit when he felt a tug, he suddenly felt a tug on his arm. He spun around and saw the same bespectacled intern from before. "Come quick!" she shouted, "Someone is pinned down under some debris and he can't escape!"
Dropping his bag, Jay immediately sprinted off with the intern. As they ran deeper and deeper into the now almost pitch-black building, chunks of debris began falling around them. Light fixtures smashed to the ground while angry cracks ran up the walls, shattering any windows in its path. The intern brought Jay over to the side of a large room, where a figure lay pinned under a section of a collapsed pillar.
"Tommy?" Jay almost shouted as he rushed over to the figure. There laid Tommy, blood dripping down his face from a large gash on his head, while his once brown hair was almost white due to the dust in the air.
"Help me, Jay, I'm stuck. I think my right leg is broken," Tommy half croaked as he stretched out his blood-soaked hand towards Jay. "Hang on buddy, I will get you out in no time!" Jay reassured as he made his way towards the head of the pillar. Placing his hands in position, he lifted the pillar with all his strength, but unfortunately, due to the heavy weight, it only moved an inch.
Jay tried to lift the pillar again, managing to move it even more, but still not enough for the intern to pull Tommy free. As he was about to try the third time, something caught Jay's eye. From the corner of his eye, he saw a door collapse, revealing the fiery flames that lay behind. The flames wasted no time in rushing through the opening and began to lick the walls of the room.
With a renewed drive, Jay heaved the pillar once more and managed to lift it high enough for the intern to drag Tommy to safety. However, as he was about to drop it and escape with Tommy and the intern, another loud explosion rocked the building. The remaining segment of pillar previously still standing collapsed as well, this time right on Jay.
The remaining pillar segment, as well as the one Jay was originally holding, fell onto him, pinning him down. By now, the flames had already almost engulfed the room, leaving only the entrance where Jay and the intern had originally entered. Jay looked down at his legs, only to find them heavily pinned under the two pillar segments.
"Oh shit," Jay thought to himself, as he struggled once more to free his legs. He had to do it himself. Tommy was too injured to even stand on his own, and the intern - she was simply not strong enough. It had taken Jay almost all his strength to lift the pillar segment off Tommy. Factor in the fact that Jay was a healthy and fit young man, the intern being a young girl that was still studying and the fact that the pillar segment Jay lifted was only half the size of the other one, and you would reach the conclusion that Jay was truly stuck.
The room was now unbearably hot, and the flames were getting dangerously close to the trio. The air was also now thick with smoke, and although they were rising and gathering near the ceiling, more and more smoke was being created, and the entire room would be filled in no time.
"Don't worry Jay, I can call for help," Tommy shouted, only to find out his phone was missing. "Shit, my phone is not with me. You hang in here, we will go get help," Tommy said, hobbling towards the exit as fast as he could, with the intern struggling to support him.
"No Tommy, there is no time," Jay called out, still pinned under the rubble. "Get him out of here," Jay instructed, looking towards the intern. "But…" Tommy tried to argue, only to be interrupted by Jay, "Hurry! There is no more time!"
With a heavy heart, Tommy, supported by the intern, made their way towards the exit. Turning back his head for the last time, Tommy shouted over the noise, "Hang in there a little while more. The firemen would be here soon!" Upon hearing that, Jay gave his friend a thumbs-up sign, but deep down, he knew that he was a goner.
The smoke had finally reached Jay's level. He struggled to catch his breath, and each breath he took only made it worse. The smoke and toxic gases seared his lungs each time he took a breath, causing him to gasp for air, which only leads to more smoke being inhaled. As he lay there breathing the gases, Jay became more and more light headed. The sensation to close his eyes was almost unbearable, yet for some reason, his mind still tells him to push on and fight the urge.
However, eventually even the urge to fight on was lost. At this point, Jay was dazed. The smoke burned his eyes, causing them to water, while with the ringing of his ears left him spinning around trying to gain his bearings. Part of his face and arm were now covered in small lacerations and he felt a small amount of blood leave each of the wounded areas. Jay tried to gather his strength to heave the rubble off him, but his muscles that were now lacking in oxygen. 'So, this is it, I always thought the end would be more pleasant,' the dying man thought to himself.
Large cracks appeared in the ceiling on top of him. Jay slowly looked back up to see large cracks running all over the ceiling and knew that it was inevitable - the collapse of the ceiling, onto his helpless body stuck underneath. He barely noticed the cracking sound and pieces of debris fall around him as the weight of the ceiling caused it to cave towards the centre.
Jay's mind was filled with what possibly was his last thoughts. His family, his friends - all would be gone forever from his life and he would never get to spend time with them again. Like a newsreel, his entire life played back in front of him. "I guess this is the end," he muttered to himself as the ceiling above him finally gave way.
The last thing he saw was the ceiling approaching him at breakneck speed. Squeezing his eyes shut, Jay waited for the impact, praying that it would be swift and painless. His entire world plunged into darkness.