“President Vic, Miss Stone, the car is ready downstairs. We should head out if we want to make it to the Samarahan conference center before the traffic picks up,” Hann suggested as he entered Victor’s office.
Victor and Kaylee looked up from his desk, where they were reviewing the latest set of reports on his sleek monitor. The office was bathed in the soft glow of late afternoon light filtering through floor-to-ceiling windows. He nodded appreciatively, “Thanks, Hann. Let’s get moving. We have a tight schedule,” he turned to tell Kaylee.
"Let’s go,” Kaylee nodded as she rose gracefully from her seat and started packing up the bundles of documents laid out orderly on the desk, her action swift and practiced.
“Let me help you with these,” Hann offered politely to help carry the huge bag filled with the bundles of documents and folders that Kaylee just packed.
“Mm... Alright then, thanks so much Mr. Hann,” hesitated for just a while, Kaylee gladly accepted the offered kindness after testing the weight of the huge bag.
“My pleasure,” Hann smiled and reached the bag then started walking towards the door. Kaylee picked up her pouch from Victor’s desk and followed suit, when Victor called out to her, “Kaylee, bring this with you. With the HVAC out of order, the temperature at the conference center might be low,” he said, handing over one of his overcoats from the coat rack stand to Kaylee while holding another one on his other arm.
Hann’s steps and entire body froze upon hearing that. Calling her name already? he asked in his heart.
He lightly turned his head, and his shocked eyes quickly peeked at the two people behind him. And sharing his overcoat... with a woman?
Hann couldn’t believe his eyes and ears! Oh my God, what happened between these two in the last few hours? His thoughts started racing with all kinds of intimate scenes that might have happened between his boss and this miss architect in the last many hours.
“Thanks, Victor,” Kaylee was surprised at Victor offering his overcoat to her, but she thought it made sense and openly accepted it from Victor’s hand. She then continued walking toward the door and her nearing presence pulled the frozen Hann back from his wild imagination. He hurriedly led the way to the lift.
The three of them stepped into the lift. Hann pressed the button for the parking level, and the elevator hummed softly as it descended. Victor glanced at Kaylee apologetically and said, “I want to thank you again for putting in extra hours on this ad-hoc troubleshooting. I never intend for you to work overtime on our first day of collaboration.”
Kaylee waved off his concern with a chuckle, “It’s really no problem. It’s a chance to learn more about Langford’s operations and meet the team on the ground. And I’m excited about it.”
Victor’s respect for Kaylee deepened with her positive attitude. He smiled; his eyes filled with adoration for Kaylee. He couldn’t even explain to himself if that was for her high-performing capability or, something much more personal.
Standing in front of them in the tiny space, Hann felt really uneasy like he totally shouldn’t be there. He felt suffocated with the love that was in the air!
As they reached the parking garage, the black Honda Accord was already waiting. He took the passenger seat while they slid into the back seats.
Once settled, the Accord glided smoothly out of the garage and into the city streets. The late afternoon sun cast long, golden shadows across the urban landscape. Inside the vehicle, Victor and Kaylee didn’t waste the 45-minute ride to their destination. They continued their discussion and picked up from where they left in the office.
Hann, listening to their exchange through the rearview mirror, was struck by the dynamic between Victor and Kaylee. There was a palpable ease in their conversation, a bond that seemed beyond mere professional respect. Hann noted the subtle warmth in their tones and how they seemed to complement each other’s thoughts naturally. He wondered if there was something more personal developing between them. He had never seen Victor this chatty with any woman in the last decade he had been with him.
He quietly observed their interaction, reassessed, and thought to himself, Maybe not yet a couple, but definitely like two old friends.
***
By nearly 5 o'clock in the evening, they arrived at the Samarahan conference center. The building stood tall and modern, its glass façade reflecting the fading sunlight. The sprawling grounds were meticulously maintained, with manicured lawns and elegant landscaping. Though it was scheduled for an official launch in two weeks, the premise was already all set and ready to be functional, except for the HVAC and fire safety issues that arose today.
Hann led the way as they approached the entrance. The lobby was a mix of contemporary design and functional elegance, with high ceilings and sleek furnishings.
They were greeted by a team of engineers and technicians who guided them to the control room. Kaylee’s eyes immediately went to the large display panels that dominated one wall. The room was filled with the hum of machinery and the soft click of keyboards.
Kaylee approached the control panel, examining the data with a critical eye.
The display screens on the control panel showed a series of graphs and data points, but Kaylee’s keen eyes quickly spotted something unusual. “This display is showing information that seems too uniform,” she said, frowning. “It’s almost like a dummy screen.”
Victor approached, peering over her shoulder. “A dummy screen?”
Kaylee nodded. “Yes. It looks like the real controls might be managed from somewhere else. The data here doesn’t match up with what I’d expect to see if the systems were fully operational.”
The technicians exchanged glances; their expressions puzzled. “We’ve been using these screens for monitoring,” one of them said. “If there’s an issue, we haven’t been able to pinpoint it.”
Kaylee tapped on the screen, scrolling through various menus and settings. “Let’s check the system diagnostics. There might be something off in how the data is being transmitted or displayed.”
As Kaylee worked, Victor took the opportunity to observe the control room. He noticed the organized chaos of the engineers, each engrossed in their tasks. “Thanks for stepping in while Haidy’s not around,” he remarked to one of the senior engineers. “I appreciate all your dedication and I’m impressed by the level of detail in your setup.”
The engineer nodded appreciatively, “Thank you, President Victor. We’ve been facing some challenges with the integration of the HVAC and fire safety systems. We thought the issues were isolated to the control panels, but Miss Stone’s observations suggest there might be more to it.”
Kaylee’s attention was focused on her task. She accessed a series of logs and error reports, her brow furrowing as she analyzed the data. “The logs confirmed irregularities in the data transmission. It’s possible that the real control interface is either malfunctioning or intentionally obscured.”
Victor turned to the technicians. “What’s the plan for addressing this?”
One of the technicians replied, “We were in the process of reprogramming some of the systems, but if there’s an issue with how the data is being routed, that might be contributing to the problem.”
Kaylee’s eyes lit up with a new idea. “We need to reprogram the system with an advanced HVAC control mapping. It’ll override any erroneous settings and give us a clearer picture of what’s happening.”
The engineers and technicians exchanged impressed looks. “That’s an excellent suggestion,” one of them said. “We’ll need to follow your lead on this.”
Kaylee worked closely with the team, guiding them through the reprogramming process. The technicians were attentive, taking notes and asking questions as Kaylee explained her approach. The room buzzed with activity as they implemented the new control mapping.
Victor watched with admiration as Kaylee demonstrated her expertise. “You’re doing a fantastic job,” he said. “It’s clear you’ve got a deep understanding of these systems.”
Kaylee smiled, her focus unwavering. “Thanks, Victor. I’ve worked on similar projects before, but this is a unique challenge. It’s exciting to see it all come together.”
The reprogramming process took some time, and while they waited for the system to reset, Kaylee suggested they check one of the manually controlled zones. “We need to ensure that the manual controls are not tampered with as well, it’s critical for our holistic assessment,” she said. “I would like to go there and have a look myself if that’s possible.”
Aware that the network jammer was activated throughout the conference center building for the HVAC and fire safety systems reset, Victor noticed the phone signal loss and said, “I will go with you.” He then turned to Hann and instructed, “If we don’t come back in two hours, come and find us just in case.“
Hann seemed a little concerned, he suggested, “Are you sure you don’t want to bring at least one of the HVAC engineers or technicians with you?” Victor turned to look at the busy HVAC team, he said, “I guess they are already short of hands. We will try our best to be quick.” “Alright, boss,” Hann answered.
***
Victor led the way to the designated zone; he was familiar with the building layout as he had been here for frequent site visits and personal supervision throughout the construction period. The area was designed to be manually operated to allow for flexibility in specific conditions, such as emergencies or system malfunctions.
As they entered the manually controlled zone, they both instantly felt a drop in the room temperature due to the malfunctioning HVAC system that had also affected this zone.
“Thanks for your coat, it’s indeed very cold here,” Kaylee said to Victor as she slit her arms into the sleeves of the overcoat Victor lent to her. Victor also covered himself with another overcoat, smiling as he saw Kaylee fitting her tiny frame into his oversized overcoat. Something so gentle tickled his heart seeing Kaylee in his clothes, like it’s meant to be.
Entering one random empty room, Kaylee walked over to the distribution board at one corner and began inspecting the switches and distribution. It didn’t take long for Kaylee to start shivering and her eyes glanced at the gauge indicating that the temperature was 2°C. She then realized that she hadn’t heard from Victor since they got into this room. She turned and spotted him already slumped against the wall halfway across the room, his breaths shallow and laboring. Noticing his distress, Kaylee immediately rushed to his side and tried to hold his body which was already sliding down the wall.
“Victor?” Kaylee panicked. She was shocked by the freezing coldness that transferred to her skin when her fingers touched Victor’s arms – freezing cold even with layers of clothes! Her petite body was dragged down along with Victor’s heavy frame, and they both flumped onto the carpeted floor.
What’s wrong with Victor? her mind racing to find answers. But one thing she was sure of now: Victor had a very much lower tolerance to cold temperatures than the average person, and she needed to keep him warm!
Victor, slightly awakened by the fall, fought his very best to slowly open his eyes and looked up at Kaylee. “…Cold, very cold…” he whispered weakly; his teeth chattered uncontrollably. His 76-kilogram weight was not easy for Kaylee to maneuver, she gathered all her strength to sit Victor up straighter, leaning against the wall. She then rushed to the door to turn its knob, but it was locked. Another obstructed emergency exit! she sighed heavily in her heart.
Kaylee knew that their survival depended on staying as warm as possible, especially for Victor. She also understood the necessity of utilizing their body heat as a last resort. She maintained a dignified focus on survival and acted quickly.
She remembered about the temporarily disconnected network. She returned to where Victor was, cupped his cold cheeks with her hands, and lifted his face toward hers gently. “I will have to search for your phone, yea? We need to tell Hann our location and once the signal is back, he will get our message and know where to find us,” she explained, her voice now calmer despite the dire situation.
She heard Victor’s weak whisper, “...ket.” She glanced at Victor’s thighs and spotted the slightly bulged pocket on the right side. “Sorry,” she said sincerely as her hand slid into it to pull his phone out. She turned on the screen and pressed Victor’s thumb on the fingerprint sensor to unlock his phone.
Still no signal. She quickly opened the Messages app, searched for Hann’s number in the recipient’s bar, and typed, “SOS. Locked in room H520, Block E. Temperature at 2°C, Victor is not okay. -Kaylee.” She tapped on the Send button and then copied the message, opened the WhatsApp app, searched for Hann’s message window, pasted the message, tapped on the Send button again, and then turned on the Power Saving Mode.
Having done all this, she placed Victor’s phone on the side. Looking at Victor’s pale face and intensified shivering, she studied his frame quickly to strategize a position for maximized body heat sharing and sprang into action.
She took off the oversized overcoat she was wearing and put it on the floor nearby, then pulled her knee-length dress up to her waist. With great effort, she managed to re-adjust Victor’s heavy body. Sliding one of her legs behind his back, she squeezed herself to sit behind his back, using her back to isolate Victor from the icy wall. Kaylee could feel the chill of the room seeping through her own clothes, but she remained focused on keeping Victor as warm as possible.
She pulled and arranged him so that his back was leaning heavily against her chest. Victor’s head lolled to the side, and she carefully guided it to rest on her shoulder. She then grabbed the oversized overcoat next to her and spread it to wrap around their combined bodies from Victor’s front, creating a cocoon to trap and conserve their combined body heat.
“I’m trying to keep us both as warm as possible. Stay with me, Victor. Our help will come,” she explained to Victor as she did all that.
She could feel the chill of his skin against her neck. She pulled him closer, wrapping her arms around his chest and under his arms, using her entire body to cover as much of him as possible. The muscular abs under her hands reminded her that it was a man she was touching.
Her endeavor paused for a while, she struggled but only for a very quick second, and she reminded herself, I have to help him stay alive. Determined, she resumed her actions.
With her legs spread out on both sides, she pushed her ankles close to cover the sides of his legs. She gently rubbed Victor’s arms and chest in slow, deliberate motions, trying to generate some warmth through friction. His teeth chattered intermittently, a harsh reminder of the intense cold.
***
An hour had passed. Kaylee was pressing her cheek against Victor’s temple and her hands continued moving rhythmically, rubbing his chest and arms, though her action slowed down, and her body shivering as well.
“Victor, you have to stay awake,” she whispered, her lips close to his ear, and her breath visible in the frigid air. “We’re going to get through this.” She moved her hands from his arms to his hands, pressing his fingers and palms, and rubbing his hands to stimulate circulation.
The hours seemed to stretch endlessly as the cold gnawed at them. Kaylee’s own strength was waning, her teeth chattering as she tried to maintain her focus. She could feel her energy was draining, but she refused to give up.
“Please stay with me, Victor,” she reminded Victor, hugging his chest closely from behind with rhythmic movements to keep creating friction and warmth. “Help is on the way.”
As she constantly looked for things to say to Victor to keep him awake, she remembered her favorite song.
“Victor, I haven’t told you my favorite song, right? Whenever I’m down or sad, hurt or disappointed, helpless or afraid, I would sing thing song to myself,” she shared with Victor in a weak whisper, soft and slow, phrases by phrases.
"Let me sing it to you.” Kaylee's lips trembled as she pressed her cheek against Victor’s temple and started singing, while her shivering fingers interlaced his, squeezing his hands softly to stimulate circulation.
Her voice was shaky, the cold making it difficult to maintain a steady pitch, her breath hitching with every shiver. Her words were punctuated by the clattering of her teeth, making her song sound fragile and broken.
“We have a big, big God,
Who cares to be our Father, our Shield, our Strength.
This is a big, big year,
We’ll pray like never before.
‘Cause when we pray the heaven moves,
Just by faith, we can move the mountain.
So when we’re weak, let’s pray.
When we are sick, let’s pray.
For God’s hand is so big nothing He cannot do.
When we need help, just pray.
When we’re afraid, just pray.
For that’s the power God has given us.”
The singing was almost a whisper, her voice breaking entirely at times, the words barely more than puffs of warm air against Victor's cold skin. But her voice was also a fragile thread of warmth and hope in the freezing darkness, a testament to her unyielding will to keep Victor alive.
That comforting and reassuring voice entered Victor's ears, a distant beacon in the darkness of his mind. Upon them entering that freezing room earlier this evening, his body began to betray him. The biting cold seeped into his bones, the trauma and fear from the haunting incident thirteen years ago flooded all his senses, numbing his extremities and clouding his mind.
Though barely conscious, he was aware of all Kaylee's actions from the start. He wanted to respond several times, to assure her he was still fighting, but his body refused to obey. His consciousness ebbed and flowed, caught between the urge to succumb to the cold and the will to survive.
But upon hearing this imperfectly sounding song, he was triggered and got tensed, Kaylee felt his fingers exuding some strength to squeeze hers in response, though it was very, very light.
How did you know this song? his heart trying hard to ask but nothing came out of his mouth.
“You like this song?” Kaylee asked, her depleting strength suddenly got a boost and rejuvenated a little to finally feel that she was not alone, that Victor was here with her. But she heard nothing after she waited for a while.
“When we get out of here, I will sing this song to you, I will share the story behind it with you. So please, hold on, Victor. Hann should be here soon,” she whispered weakly to encourage Victor. She was also telling that to herself to keep her spirit strong as she could sense that she was gradually losing her senses and her muscles could not really move much by now.
“Now... let us... pray... Our Father in... heaven... You are sovereign... We surrender our lives... unto Your hands...” she murmured.
They had been trapped for over three hours now. Kaylee felt her own eyelids growing heavy, the cold sapping her last reserves of energy. Suddenly, the screen of Victor’s phone that was on her side lit up. Almost immediately, the device began to buzz and chime incessantly, a cacophony of notifications flooding in.
At that, Kaylee’s strength gave out. She had pushed herself to the limit, driven by the need to keep Victor alive. A tear slipped down her cheek, freezing almost immediately in the icy air, and then she fainted from complete exhaustion.
#