Disclaimer: I do not own the characters to "The Office", they are owned by NBC cooperation. When sentences appear in italics, the characters are speaking in their solo interviews with the documentary team.
Dunder Mifflin Paper Products
Staggering into the elevator at the lobby Michael Scott sighed in defeat as the door closed and began to ascend. His eyes watched as the number ticked higher and higher. "This is going to be a long day" he sighed to himself as the doors opened to his floor. Entering his department, the first person that he sees, as well as every other day prior, was Pam, his receptionist.
"Hi, Michael" she smiled at his entrance. Pam was a young fiancée to Roy that worked in shipping down below and somehow always bubbly. Answering back with a mumble, Pam handed him the morning's mail and calls. "This is from corporate." Pam said, passing him a couple of sealed envelopes and on top was a purple post-it.
Pausing to read her writing he asked, "What is it?"
"It says that there will be a convention in South Carolina and you are to attend," filling in the blank.
"Why me? What's in South Carolina?" Michael asked as he tried to read the cursive writing.
"Not sure" Pam explained, "They just said you are supposed to leave tomorrow. They're going to fax us the informa…." She began but gritting his teeth Michael walked into his office, carrying with him the concerned eyes of Dwight, his assistant. Sitting next to him was Jim, another salesman whom has been there for a few years. Looking right, Jim gave Pam a raised eyebrow of; what is going on? Pam merely smirked and shrugged her shoulders.
Inside his office, Michael closed the slats to his blinds and closed his door, leaving Dwight even more agitated. As assistant regional manager, it was his duty as XO to Michael to know all events that were to occur within the branch and staff. A few minutes elapsed then Dwight forced himself up from his desk and into Michaels' office. Unannounced, his entrance startled the boss whom was half asleep behind his desk.
"Alright, Michael, what's going on? It's from corporate, isn't it? Is it about the downsizing? Is Jim being fired?"
"No, Dwight" Michael replied, arms crossed on his desk and head resting on them. Each question was being answered this way, despite what was being said, even when Dwight asked if he could enter the ladies' rest room to find out what was written about Michael on the wall. Five minutes later, a furious and defeated Dwight reemerged from Michael's office and sat down at his desk. Jim had moved from his desk over to Pamela's. Leaning on her desk and Jim leaning on the lip of the high, curved desk they were whispering to one another. They had been doing that for years. To what was exchanged between them was private. Not even the camera crew's sensitive microphones were able to pick up their whispers. After a few more minutes, Jim returned to his desk where the phone began to ring. Picking it up, he began his sale of paper products. Living on commission, each sale was vital not only to him, but to his company whom was constantly threatened with downsizing. It was a toss-up between Scranton and Stamford over who was going to be closed. In order to spunk gains to overtake the other, Michael was constantly trying to come up with ways to entice new costumers and also reward his workers, however each one was a flop thus each failure was weighing on the minds of the employees, a fear that they would be next to get pink slips.
Two weeks prior to this Michael remembers when, in New York City, all members of corporate had thrown together a celebration after Michael's branch had won a large contract to supply the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania with its paper. It was a major win thus Michael was invited to New York City to celebrate. It was a memorable event with nice music and dancing. Jan could move her feet well on the floor alone. He tried to dance with her however he had two left feet then he tried his hand at karaoke after pushing away a man with a golden voice and did an off key rendition with, "Hero."
Next week after that there was a drastic change. A motion picture, "Land of the Dead" the latest installment from George Romero was released on DVD and Jim was one of the first to pick it up. He invited Pam over to his house that night as a sort of "popcorn film" to help ease the tension from work, that and Roy and his brother went to another hockey game and forgot to invite her. All throughout the film Pam huddled next to Jim on the couch in the dark living room. She had always been afraid of horror and gore and this was the appropriate time to be with someone for protection and Jim chalked it as one of the best nights of his life.
Dwight, however, also bought the movie and spent the entire night becoming far too involved in it plotting defensive plans and analyzing the zombies instead of just enjoying it. A few days later as Jim was typing on his keyboard he was interrupted by Dwight with a question, "Hey, Jim."
Jim sighed slightly then looked up at the moon faced salesman.
"What if, one day, we were all turned into blood thirsty cannibals?" Dwight asked his face showing no emotion.
"You mean, all of us, here, at the office?" Jim asked.
"Yes," Dwight continued, "But, what if, you were one of them. Who would you eat first?"
Instead of answering, Jim merely stared at Dwight for a moment and curtailed a sinister smile that made his questioning come to an uncomfortable end.
(interview) Jim: Dwight is now heavily involved with the undead. Cannibals. I am a horror fan, but he went way overboard. For the past few days, he's been weird. Even by his standards.
Michael has also been in the dumps as of late. An iron shell formed around his persona turning him into a quiet, mundane boss that did little to nothing including not coming out of his office. Without his interruptions more work actually got done without Michael until the time dwindled to his departure. He summoned Dwight into his office. "There's a meeting South Carolina that we are to attend." Michael sighed as he twisted side to side in his chair.
"What do you mean "we"?" Dwight asked.
""We" meaning as in you, me, Jim, and Pam," Michael said reading the post it that Pam gave him. In a moment Jim was also summoned to Michael's office and he immediately asked, "Why me?" Saying to himself at the say time, "What the hell did I do to deserve this?"
"Yes, why him?" Dwight stepped in.
"Because he brings in money, and I need Pam as my receptionist to…receipt…stuff," Michael said, his voice low almost as though he was about to fall asleep.
"As assistant regional manager…" Dwight began to say.
"To the" Jim added.
Dwight shrugged him off, "Shouldn't you have your second in command remain here to rule in your stead?" Every time Dwight spoke his title, he neglected to instill that he was, in fact, assistant to the regional manager, merely an assistant, not a real second in command.
Taking in a long, heavy breath, Michael leaned in his seat and stared at the ceiling for a moment then looked back, "I am taking you with me, Dwight. As much as I don't want to. But Jan insisted that you come as well."
A few minutes later Michael emerged from his office and called for the attention of everyone in the office. He announced the departure of himself, Dwight, Pam, and Jim, effectively taking the head of the department. "Who will be in charge of the place, then?" Angela asked from her nook behind Pam's desk. Angela was a short blonde haired, middle aged manager of accounting. She was uptight and at odds with Pam on many occasions.
Having never appointed a third in command Michael quickly thought in his mind and said, "You will be, Angela." A moment of silence hovered over the room as eyes looked back and forth uncomfortably.
Kevin: If Angela is my boss, I would stick my head into a shredder….very slowly.
Michael added one more note to his three compatriots, "We leave tomorrow morning. Pack your bags for the weekend. We'll meet here and then carpool to the airport." Finished, he turned and reentered his office, shutting the door behind. In his wake, there were many perplexed faces. Pam looked at Jim with an upturned eyebrow. Just as confused, Jim looked at Dwight with a blank expression.
Jim: I have to spend a whole weekend with Dwight? That includes a plane flight to and back, plus a hotel? One of us will not return alive.
The blinds in his office closed, Pam tried to raise her boss via phone with no success. Corporate forwarded all the information to Pam in regards to travel information, hotel conformation, and the lot however because Michael refused to answer to her hails the information accumulated on her desk. She then called Roy, her fiancée, that she will be gone.
Pam: For the last few days, Michael as sort of, unattached himself from the rest of life. He is quiet, dull, and unremarkable. I miss him.
The remainder of the day passed without mishap. Struggling to make his day bright, Jim continued to make accurate and hilarious impressions of his colleagues for Pam's laughter. It was upbeat to see her smile and laugh while leaving Dwight unable to catch him in the act.
The next morning, just as Dunder Mifflin was opening for business Pam greeted Jim at her desk, her bags behind her desk. "Are you all set?" she asked as Jim set his bags on the couch.
"Yep. I have my suit, shoes, and a heavy set of earplugs." Jim answered.
"Did you bring me anything?" she teased.
"Novocain"
While they laughed, Dwight stepped in bringing a much larger bag in his left hand and dry cleaned suit draped on the opposite shoulder. Jim looked at him, baffled. Why so much?
"I never leave home without being properly prepared for emergencies," Dwight responded with a firm tone. "Inside here is a complete survival pack. Flares, flashlight, space blanket, matches, batteries…."
Interrupting him midway, Pam informed that he could not bring flares or matches onboard the plane. "Besides, we are only going to be there for the weekend" Jim added.
"Doesn't matter." Dwight concluded, "I'll take my chances. And when we are floating on a raft in the ocean, you will be shivering and going hungry while I will be warm and fat on fish." The last to arrive was Michael carrying one small bag and a suit. His attitude had not improved and when he entered the office he flicked a look at the three and turned around sharply, "Alright, let's get moving." His feet were swift to the elevator perhaps thinking that the faster he moved the faster all of this will be over. Catching up, the four stood silently for a moment as the doors opened and entered at once. When they closed, sealing them in, Dwight nudged Jim, "Hey, Jim, did you bring your portable DVD player?"
"Yes. Why?"
"I brought with me the Dead series so now; we can watch it in our room, in the dark."
"Better keep your hands to yourself" Jim joked while Pam giggled.
"Girl" Dwight spat, rolling his eyes.
Taking a taxi to the airport their first flight was onboard a puddle jumper to Philadelphia and from there hop a connection, a non-stop flight all the way to South Carolina. It was here in Philadelphia, while waiting in the terminal in the last half hour to boarding that the group began to learn more and more of themselves. "Sorry, Pam, about your blouse. I had a rough evening…last night…" Michael said with a reddish face. Emerging from one of the gift shops with a newly bough shirt on Pam was upset that she had to be rid of her best button up blouses after Michael vomited all over her. She said nothing, remaining stern faced with arms crossed as they sat side by side until they began to board.
Jim: It was a fountain. It just came out and continued for at least a minute. Good lord, how much did that guy eat?
As they sat in the terminal Michael felt his stomach beginning to tighten. His body leaned forward, coughing, and throat squeezing together, the sign he was about to vomit. Dwight realized this and swung into action. Restraining Michael, he tried to clear his airway by forcing his mouth open and that failedin large part to Michael's resistance and as they quarreled he vomited. His head pivoted freely trying to get out of Dwight's grasp the green and yellow liquid mass that left his body spewed around with no aim. No one was spared from the deadly and noxious weapon. Pushing his obnoxious coworker away Michael finished it off by running to a garbage can then to the bathroom as Pam and Jim slowly inched themsleves away from the mess and from Michael throwing away their connection with him. Coming back with Pepto and somewhat settled Michael finally asked if corporate faxed Pam the information about their lodging, which they did. However, there was one serious flaw. The people in New York City booked only two rooms with two beds each. Though she tried to talk to the people in charge they ignored her because she was low on the totem pole. Only Michael could have done this and he refused to answer her calls.
Upon hearing this, Michael became ill again and everyone scrambled away. It was rapidly becoming a disaster for him. This trip could mean the life and death of his branch, not to mention his career. He hoped that he would have peace to clear his head and think about what he would say and do to those in the South to give him a solid foundation. Stepping onboard the plane and finding his seat by himself Michael sat down, his face showing worry. A flight attendant came by and noticed his perdictament, "Sir, is this your first time flying?" she asked him.
Consumed by his problems thus unable to answer Dwight stepped up, "Yes." The seat next to Michael was vacant because of his spewing but that did not stop Dwight from wanting to sit next to him. Dwight stuffed his bags in the overhead bin and sat down much to Michael's dismay.
"This will be great, Michael," Dwight smiled. "I hear they will be serving chicken on this flight." It did not matter. Passengers began to orient themselves as the flight attendant came back and he asked her, "Excuse me. How long is flight?"
"Five and a half hours, sir"
His eyes wide the boss slumped in his seat, "Oh, joy."