VII #2
The presence of people bothered him, but he'd decided to put an end to that feeling.
Especially now that he was locked in a cramped space with hundreds of people, contact with them was unavoidable.
He wiped some sweat off his face and took several deep breaths to calm himself as he passed the drowsing guard who watched the entrance to his kingdom.
The elevator ride didn't take long. The doors opened and the murmur of the hallway, through which a mass of people passed, could be heard.
Some carried rubber and plastic hoses, some walked with piles of paper, and some climbed the stairs with pained expressions, and it was obvious they were coming from the clinic.
Tomi didn't check in with Vlasta at the clinic; he couldn't stand a stranger driving needles into his body, and he was also afraid of needles.
He didn't care about insulin or the people who needed it.
He was only interested in where Nika was, because he craved her company.
So he entered the laboratory and looked for the object of his fantasy.
He spotted her doing something around some machine and checking through the microscope along the way.
She looked incredibly desirable as she leaned over the microscope, and her little peach threatened to burst the tight pants that restrained it.
Tomi felt life in his groin and forced himself to turn his gaze away from Nika.
The laboratory was filled with life. People either worked around various machines or talked in the passages.
Just yesterday that laboratory had been empty, lifeless, but now the atmosphere of the place had changed.
Now it was filled with life, the room had finally found its purpose.
Tomi didn't even glance at the young girl who turned away chance visitors at the entrance and headed down the passage toward Nika, who was typing something on a machine's screen.
He approached the girl and stood quietly and patiently waiting.
He didn't want to interrupt her, because she looked charming as she worked with the vials of seasoning mushrooms.
He spent a few minutes that way in silence until she turned and noticed him.
Her eyes widened and, instead of the discomfort Tomi was used to, her face stretched into a smile.
"Look, Tomi. Look what Nick brought." She excitedly showed him the jars of dried mushrooms.
She came within reach and held out a jar.
He took it and, not understanding, looked at its contents.
The dried mushrooms inside were unchanged.
He knew the contents of those jars well, because he'd used mushrooms in his sandwiches countless times.
Then he looked at Nika, whose smile wouldn't leave her face. That was all she'd been waiting for.
"This is the first thing that will bring new life into our shelter. I've just isolated the first spores and put them into cultures."
She nodded toward the machine she'd just been working around.
"With a little luck, in a month we'll have the first mushrooms in cultivation. Isn't that wonderful?" she asked him, with joy in her eyes.
"Oh yeah? Too good — then I can finally make a proper mushroom sandwich," Tomi replied.
Nika laughed and suddenly hugged him tightly, resting her head on his shoulder. Tomi froze while his arms hung idle, still gripping the jar tightly with a sweaty palm. Nika shook on his shoulder as she laughed.
"Both the sandwich and the sides. We'll grow everything. You'll see," she assured him as she pressed against his body.
Tomi was astonished. He enjoyed the feeling of her embrace incredibly.
Not even her head on his shoulder was heavy.
He felt her breath on his neck and it made him shiver.
He wanted that moment to last forever, for her to hold him like that forever.
Finally, he brought a little life into his numb arms and returned her embrace.
Feeling that, she pressed even closer against him, and they stayed like that for a while.
Finally, she pulled back a little and looked him in the eyes.
He saw a mist in her gaze and didn't know how to interpret it, so he abruptly pulled away, breaking the embrace. He handed her back the jar.
"Let's hope so. Will it be a lot of work?" he asked her, so as not to look strange in her eyes, from which that strange haziness was now retreating.
She moved back as if searching for words, then replied:
"Of course, we have to make cultures, grow the mycelium, and finally provide the conditions for cultivation. It's all delicate, and I can only hope we succeed without too many problems."
"That's good." Tomi's gaze wandered around the surroundings, avoiding hers.
Then the radio, which until that moment had lain forgotten on the table, spoke up.
"Hello, everyone." Tomi recognized Ana's voice and pricked up his ears. "If it's no problem, we need the whole council on the fourth floor. And someone tell Nick, because he doesn't have a radio."
The radio went quiet, and Nika tucked it into her belt. She looked at Tomi, who stood idly to the side.
"Shall we go?" she asked him.
Tomi just nodded silently and followed the girl toward the staircase.
After a short climb, they reached the oval foyer where the elevator platform sat idle.
The council people were slowly gathering, and Nika greeted a few acquaintances from the laboratory.
Tomi held off to the side, avoiding the crowd, but his gaze was fixed on Nika.
He'd give anything in the world to be able to talk like her, to join a conversation and set the topic.
Nika did all that unconsciously and was received with delight on the faces of her interlocutors.
He always got lost in communication; it was easier for him to write an email or a memo than to say something to someone's face.
He'd had such problems ever since he was a child and had gotten used to it.
But still, as he watched the girl's supple back, he craved her company and closeness.
His aversion to people kept him at a distance, so he contented himself with merely being able to watch the girl from afar and enjoy her slender figure.
The foyer meanwhile filled up. Nick appeared with two people who were laughing loudly at some joke of his as they entered the foyer.
Many people greeted the newcomers, while Nika waved cheerfully.
Only Tomi remained indifferent, and Nick, noticing him leaning against the wall, greeted his friend.
"Hey, Tomi, how's it going, I haven't seen you all day?" Nick approached him.
"I'm good, Nick," Tomi replied reservedly. His gaze wandered around the room.
Nick noticed his discomfort. "The crowd irritating you?" he asked.
"Oh yeah, you know I don't do well in company," Tomi replied.
"Yes, but I believe this won't last long." Nick reassured him and stood beside his friend to ease his discomfort.
Tomi didn't answer, but he was grateful to his friend for the company.
The room and the people around him no longer choked him so much, and he began to calm a little.
Again he returned his gaze to Nika, who was chatting cheerfully in the crowd.
He hungrily drank in her figure, the curves of her body, and that incredible smile that always made his heart beat harder.
Nick noticed the object of his friend's gaze.
He saw that Tomi wouldn't take his eyes off the girl and that on his usually expressionless face was an expression of bliss.
Nick looked at his friend a little more closely.
Oh no! Impossible! He looked at Tomi again, then at Nika.
Nika turned just then and directed a radiant smile in his direction.
Looking at Tomi, who had blushed, Nick realized who that smile and gaze were meant for.
Nick smiled. A real little romance was unfolding before his eyes.
Tomi had obviously fallen head over heels, and, as far as Nick could tell, the girl wasn't indifferent either.
Then Nick laughed — knowing his friend, the communication would be very strained.
Let them work it out themselves, and he'd watch how it all developed.
At that moment, Ana came out of the room where the bar and rest rooms were stationed. She'd changed into light jeans and a cotton T-shirt. She raised her slender arms, demanding attention and silence.
"Hello, everyone." She kept waving her arms as the conversation in the room quieted.
When she felt she had their attention, she continued: "Before we head to dinner and finish this first day, I'd like to draw attention to the things that were done today."
Ana began pacing the room while people moved out of her way.
She somehow managed to give everyone a warm smile as she spoke.
"Let's start with the first and most basic. Food and supplies. Irena?"
Ana stopped by Irena, who cleared her throat and began reading from a large sheet of paper.
"Hmm… Here goes. By initial estimates, we have food for about 40 days, which can be stretched to 70 days with rationing and, say, a maximum daily intake of about 1,100 calories."
Irena looked at the faces around the room and noticed many didn't understand.
"To clarify, 1,100 calories is one hamburger and a small pack of fries with one medium soda from the nearest restaurant."
People stirred and conversation spread through the room.
Irena clapped her hands to return attention to herself.
"Yes, the numbers don't lie, and we did a complete inventory in all the warehouses. The point is that 2,120 people have to be fed, and, my dears, in case you didn't know, that's a big number."
Irena withdrew back to the people of her guild while Ana took the floor:
"We thank our economic guild for the hard work of inventorying the three warehouses."
She nodded toward Irena and her people. Then she addressed the people in the room, who still looked uneasy after Irena's words: "That about the food isn't bad news, we have to know what we have. That's now known.
We know roughly how much time we have to prepare accordingly and to act before it's too late."
Ana stopped by Mirela, who was raising her hand, seeking the floor. Ana nodded to her.
"With respect, from the economists you can get a cold calculation, but from practice I know that portions can be stretched and that by adding spices and sauces the economists didn't count on, additional nutritional value can be gotten from each meal.
The kitchen and kitchen staff guarantee an additional ten days on the food!"