THE SURVIVORS' CALL
Static.
A broken frequency.
Then a trembling voice broke through:
"—hello? Is anyone receiving? We… we're stuck… ten of us… please… we shared the coordinates…"
Raj Singh, Supervisor of OG Supply & Transportation, leaned closer to the monitor.
The voice continued, shaky, desperate:
"We're on the sixth floor. Something is banging on the doors. We need—"
A loud crash.
A scream.
The line crackled and died.
The room around Raj was silent.
The other officers stared at him, waiting.
He finally exhaled.
"Mark the location. Tag it as Code-Red."
One officer whispered, "Sir… Code-Red means—"
"I know what it means," Raj snapped softly. "Just mark it."
His assistant leaned forward.
"Sir, should we prepare two buses? Maybe three?"
"No," Raj muttered. "For ten people? Absolutely not. It's too dangerous. That area already turned red-zone. I'm not sacrificing three full crews."
"But sir," the assistant hesitated, "we… we don't have anyone free enough for this rescue. Except…"
Raj narrowed his eyes.
"Don't say it."
"Malisha's team."
Raj sank into his chair.
"They just returned two days ago."
"Yes, sir. But still operational."
Another officer whispered, "But… her age… her—"
Raj cut him off sharply.
"Don't be stupid. Age and gender have nothing to do with how many times she's saved your life."
The room fell dead silent.
"And," Raj added quietly, "for your own dignity, do not repeat concerns like that outside this room. Ever. Trust me—you'll be humiliated."
The officer swallowed hard.
Raj rubbed his forehead.
"I can't send one bus into a red-zone unless the team is exceptional."
"They are," someone said. "Her team is the team."
Raj sighed.
"…Fine. Call it in. Prepare Malisha's crew."
He disconnected the line.
He hated this.
He hated that he needed her.
He hated that she was the only one good enough.
But most of all, he hated that deep down… he trusted her more than he trusted himself.
---
THE BUNKER
Raj opened the office door and stepped into Bunker-3.
From the inside it looked like a normal view school , children, people walking around, talking, shops and settlement .
But none of it was actually really, there was no sky above them but bunker walls , everyone roming around were survivors .
Once brought, now settled.
From the outside it was a fortress.
Triple-layered steel gates.
Five security checkpoints.
Armed guards.
Bio scanners.
Emergency sirens.
Concrete halls turned into living quarters.
Normal people weren't allowed out.
Only OGs and officers.
Raj walked through the corridors, badge flashing green at each gate.
Finally, he pushed open the last hatch and stepped onto the surface.
Sunlight burst over acres of farmland—wheat, rice, vegetables—cultivated to survive the apocalypse.
Beyond the fields, two giant iron borders towered like the ribs of a dying world.
Between them, thirty armored "buses" sat ready—huge caravans filled with weapons, medical kits, bikes, water tanks, beds, anything OGs needed to stay alive.
Raj headed toward one particular bus.
The grey one.
Malisha's.
---
MALISHA — ON THE ROOF
"Are you in Malisha's crew?" Raj asked a young mechanic near the bus.
"Yes, sir. She's on the roof."
Raj froze.
"On… the what?"
Before the mechanic could answer, a familiar voice floated down from above:
"Oh god, the supervisor is here. Why didn't anyone warn me? My work is made so easy, right?"
A tall girl in an oversized shirt and cargo pants leaned over the edge of the bus roof, brown eyes bright even under the sun.
She looked like she had woken up ten minutes ago and didn't care one bit.
Malisha.
Raj crossed his arms.
"I had to check on you. Your team returned two days ago. You should be resting."
She shrugged. "Crew changes every time. I thought you knew that."
"Not the captain. And you've been out for a while. You need rest."
"Not allowed to go into town to see my family for seven days anyway," she replied dryly. "So either way—I'm bored. And my bus bed is cozy."
Raj sighed.
"Malisha… that place is bad. News says it's horrible. Reality will be worse. You don't have to go."
"You're worried about me?" she asked, smirking.
"It's not about—" Raj stopped. "It's about your body needing rest."
She slid down effortlessly and stood in front of him.
"Raj. Even you know I'm your best shot in impossible situations. I don't like to exaggerate, but… I am, in fact, the best."
"Annoyingly," Raj muttered.
"Exactly," she said, patting his shoulder. "So we leave at noon?"
"No. At noon you rest."
"Well," she said, stepping onto the bus ladder, "then we leave in an hour. And remember—I take information from you, not orders."
She disappeared into the bus.
Raj groaned.
This girl would kill him long before the world outside did.
---
THE TEAM
A few minutes later, Malisha heard footsteps.
Without turning around, she pushed open the bus door and said:
"I hope none of you are afraid of dogs. I have three. Not much."
A nervous boy stuttered,
"But… miss… I mean… are they safe? The world outside is because of them and—"
Malisha turned sharply.
She scanned him up and down.
"Be serious," she said. "The world outside is a humanly mutated version of rabies. Human. Not canine. Don't be foolish."
He gulped.
"And yes, my dogs are more helpful than you are at this moment."
The boy nodded rapidly, ready to cry.
Before she could continue—
"Ah yes, classic Mal," a voice teased from behind.
Malisha froze.
"Don't tell me—" she whispered.
She turned.
Aditya Sharma.
Her childhood friend.
Her unofficial pain-in-the-neck.
Badge shining: First Mate.
"You," she said. "Your mission ended three days ago! Why are you here?"
"You don't get to question that," he replied cheerfully. "I'm free, trained, available, and dumb enough to come with you."
"I don't need you."
"You say that every time."
She groaned. He grinned
The nurse stepped forward.
"I'm trained, not afraid of dogs, and good with guns… ma'am."
"Don't call me ma'am," Malisha said instantly. "I'm clearly the youngest here. Call me Mal."
Everyone filed in.
Mal let her dogs out—one labrador, two German shepherds.
They sniffed everyone, approved or disapproved silently, then returned with treats.
The bus engine roared.
The gates opened.
First border passed.
Second border passed.
Then the real world appeared—broken, bloodstained, abandoned, dangerous.