III #3
"Don't freeze whatever you're doing in the fridge, Nika. And don't forget we have to report everything at the next council meeting," Nick concluded the conversation and headed toward the distant exit.
"I will, don't worry. Bye," Nika chirped cheerfully, and then the radio went quiet.
Minutes later, reaching the elevator, they noticed the work had stopped, so Nick asked the supervisor:
"Problems?"
"Oh no, word came over the radio to suspend activity for now until further notice."
Nick nodded in confirmation to the supervisor and, with a goodbye, headed toward the staircase.
He believed Ana was the cause of the stoppage, but that was neither his concern nor his business now.
Soon the two of them found themselves on the third floor, where they spotted Irena at a small table, surrounded by papers, diligently recording data in a notebook. She nodded to greet them.
"How's it going?" Nick asked cheerfully.
"Apart from the short pause caused by our unexpected little animals, the inventory is going surprisingly well." Irena seemed pleased.
"And?" Nick asked curiously.
Irena looked at him, confused. "And what?"
"Do we have enough food?"
For a moment she looked at her records, then explained a little frustratedly:
"Nick, things haven't changed much in the half hour since you left this level. And we still had that incident with the kittens. The inventory work is only just resuming, and I still stand by my claim that we'll need at least three days for the job to be done properly.
The statement that it's going surprisingly well, which you" — she looked at Nick reproachfully — "misinterpreted, means that the warehouse is very well organized and that the work of listing things is thereby greatly eased, but not sped up."
Nick was embarrassed and looked to Erik for help, at which the man just stepped back in the typical gesture of "you brought this on yourself." Finally he replied:
"I'm just wondering whether we'll be able to feed all these people."
Irena looked at him for a moment. "That's a good question, and for now I can tell you we're working on it. By all appearances, people will have a warm meal tonight." Then Irena remembered. "By the way, did you organize any kitchen for preparing meals?"
Nick couldn't remember whether anyone had mentioned that topic at the council meeting earlier, so he replied: "I have to check that with Ana, I'm not sure."
Irena nodded in confirmation and returned to her papers and lists.
Nick realized he was of no more use here and decided to look for Ana and present her with yet another in the endless string of problems.
He descended with Erik to the fourth level and soon, at the table where they'd had the meeting that morning, found Ana heatedly arguing with Tina.
"How many times do I have to say there's time for that."
Ana gestured furiously. "I understand there isn't enough space in the residential block, but redoing the fourth level, though it was proposed, does NOT mean it's a priority. Besides, you're in charge of morale, and I don't see why you're meddling in something that isn't your responsibility."
"Ana, you know I'm good at decorating and that good decoration raises morale!" Tina protested.
"Tina…" Ana sighed, "morale is the least of our worries right now — people are still digesting the words Nika spoke yesterday anyway. And that'll hold the community together for a few more days, at least until everyone is settled and the priority matters are resolved."
"Well fine then!" Tina snapped. "So what am I supposed to do until then?"
Ana looked at her sadly. She wondered why she'd allowed herself to call Tina a friend. More and more she saw that Tina was, unfortunately, rather intellectually limited and loved to be at the center of attention and problems. Calmly, but with a dose of sarcasm, she answered her:
"Sit somewhere and plan future parties and decorations. When you're needed, they'll call you."
"How?" Tina asked furiously.
"What do you mean, how?" Ana looked at her.
"How will they call me? I don't have that gadget you walk around with." Tina pointed at Ana's radio.
Ana rolled her eyes. Then she calmed and answered quite coldly:
"If you had any worth, I'm sure the council would assign you one of the radios. But the council considered your current task not a priority. So my advice is to cool it with the demands. By the way, from today, every decoration and every plan for entertainment or a party has to go through me!"
Tina stepped back, shocked. Her mouth fell open in disbelief at what she'd just heard. It took her a while to collect herself, and after a whole minute she hissed:
"So, you're taking over the guild in charge of morale?"
"No, Tina, I'm not taking over the guild, because it doesn't interest me. I just want the guild to declare every planned activity to me personally. I'll then make the decision on whether the request is valid."
"That's a takeover," Tina wouldn't give up. "Because if you decide everything, then what am I?"
"Honestly, my dear," Ana looked at the blonde contemptuously, "I don't even know who elected you. As far as I know, the representative of the morale guild is that sociable young man who's been helping move people to the residential block all morning."
Tina retreated in shock, while Ana continued ruthlessly: "Yes, the very young man who replaced that layabout you dragged along to the meeting yesterday, the one Erik threw out. So my advice is to give up this useless work and go back to the people of your guild and check your shaky position in it."
Ana had uncompromisingly crushed all of Tina's protests in that statement, and it was clear she considered any further conversation on the subject superfluous.
Tina intended to protest, but then a plain, freckled red-haired girl pulled her aside, away from the meeting table.
After a short but heated discussion, the girls left the foyer and vanished on the staircase.
Ana breathed out. She hadn't wanted to come off so ruthless, but sometimes you have to be rough with such people.
She looked at Nick, who let her know he agreed with her action.
Dijana wasn't nearby, so Ana greatly valued Nick's presence and support. Finally he spoke up:
"You handled that well. I think it'll calm her down for a while."
"I agree, but I'm afraid she'll remember it. Tina is very vengeful and vicious when she wants to be."
"What do you mean?" Nick asked her as he looked over some papers on the table.
"I don't know if you remember Ludwig?"
Nick looked at her. "Ludwig? Never heard of him."
"Ludwig is an influencer from the gay community. He was pretty good. In one of his blogs he trashed her gym and staff. Tina went wild when she found out and saw that she was losing customers because of it."
Nick grew interested in the story and set the papers down on the table.