Thank you, Bara, for gifting two ice colas yesterday! Comment here to share my appreciation and gratitude!

———

As the UN and NATO heavily sanctioned Syria, while allied nations banned travelers from entering the hostile country, the opposite was true for Afghanistan.

The US Travel Advisory lifted restrictions on civilian flights entering Kandahar and Kabul, allowing foreign citizens to visit limited areas of the rapidly transforming nation.

A young Indian man in his early 20s disembarked from an Air India A320 that recently added Kandahar on its service route.

Ranjit Nayar had recently graduated from the Indian Institute of Science in Civil Engineering and chose the discipline to improve India’s public infrastructure for the benefit of ordinary people.

Though he spent most of his time studying to pass the board exams, he’d also performed side research regarding advancements in his chosen engineering field.

Ranjit found information about Future Tech’s many successful public and private works projects on the internet through news articles and tech content creators.

He’d been offered decent salaries at the numerous construction conglomerates in New Delhi and Mumbai. Still, He decided to try his luck joining Future Tech and flew to its closest corporate branch in Afghanistan.

His parents were worried about the safety of their son, but Ranjit was adamant about attempting to land the job after passing the online screening test.

A polite airport employee spoke in basic English and said, “Good day. Is it your first time in Afghanistan? If so, I suggest visiting the BitCash kiosks or tellers if you don’t already own an account. Most stores accept US Dollars but now primarily take BitCash. They also sell pre-paid cards if you’re not staying for long.”

Ranjit owned an Infinity Phone, so he didn’t need to exchange Rupees for Bitcash and amicably replied, “Thank you for the help, but I already have some. Would you know the best way to travel to Future Tech’s local branch? I’m staying at a hotel nearby before my job interview with them.”

The airport employee perked up as she heard the most prominent corporation in the city and gladly said, “You won’t have to worry about transportation. I’ll let my manager know, and he’ll call the Future Tech offices to dispatch a CAV.”

Ranjit was surprised about the special accommodations he was presented with and inquired, “Isn’t that too much to ask? I’m only here for a simple job interview.”

The employee explained, “We’ve already had a few foreigners arrive at the airport for Future Tech appointments, so it’s no big deal.”

Though many local Afghan citizens were willing to work for decent pay, most required further basic training at Future Education facilities, which were subsidized by the Karzai administration.

Many of the professionals the Kandahar branch employed, aside from ones dispatched from Austin, were people like Ranjit who’d traveled from a different country to fill the higher-requirement job openings, unlike the Seoul branch that could recruit from a well-educated South Korean talent pool.

Ranjit boarded a CAV after a fifteen-minute wait and flew towards the heart of Kandahar as he admired the massive solar arrays and biospheres that surrounded the city.

———————–

A Caucasian-American woman in her late 20s had recently arrived in Afghanistan after the US military personnel training sessions Future Education hosted stateside.

Alexis and her team educated the different US boot camps and military bases on the proper use and maintenance of Future Tech products like the mil-spec Hypervisor Helmets and AV vehicles.

She’d done well on her primary assignments and auxiliary jobs, such as the successful E3 Demo Booth and the Crystal Palace, so Vince decided to promote her to Future Education’s Executive Director earlier than the annual directors meeting in December.

The Brooklyn native felt comfort for her brother and mother’s financial security after fortune blessed her with an opportunity to become a high-ranking corporate executive.

It had only been seven months ago, in January 2013, when she’d taken the apparent risk and applied to a fledgling sub-division, known as Future Education, in a random place like Afghanistan.

Her latest assignment contract from the corporate office was to modernize President Karzai’s military camps based on information and operation processes her department observed while working at US military facilities.

Naturally, the US government kept most of its secrets away from prying eyes, but the basic concepts such as fitness standards, discipline, live-fire exercises, and unit cohesion were evident.

She also reviewed job applications from local Afghans seeking full-time maintenance employment at the biospheres, solar arrays, and the Black Gold refinery. At the same time, Director Price was responsible for applicants pursuing positions for the AV fleet and operator platoons.

Alexis received a reminder from her Infinity Watch regarding an appointment in five minutes.

She procured the necessary documents from a locked drawer, left her office, and walked towards the conference room on the ground floor.

Alexis met with a prim and proper young Indian man who she remembered acing the online engineering screening test as she said, “Thank you for the punctuality, Ranjit. I only have a few questions, so this meeting won’t take too long.”

Ranjit was enamored with Alexis’ western beauty but recollected himself and replied, “I’ll do my best, Ma’am!”

They discussed Ranjit’s credentials and the available positions in different departments that required a person of his qualifications.

Alexis was content with the interview and said, “Hwang Ryung, the lead field engineer from Hyundai C&E, has been requesting more manpower from Future Tech, so I’ll assign you to his Boxable Home Installation team. My department will provide you with one-week training and an assessment before you’re deployed in the field. Your starting annual salary will be $50,000 Bitcash, our standard pay for newly graduated professionals, while promotions and salary raises will be deliberated after one year of continuous service. Is that acceptable for you, Mr. Nayar?”

Ranjit couldn’t believe his ears after hearing about such a high starting salary. Future Tech paid employees similar rates to the USA, plenty more than most Indian construction firms would offer, even to experienced engineers.

The most significant expense any business incurred was almost always employee salaries, but Vince cared more about maintaining productivity through proper treatment of all Future Tech staff than saving money.

Ranjit thought it was the correct decision to fly to Afghanistan and find work instead of settling for worse jobs in India and maybe learn techniques he could apply in his home country before he respectfully replied, “Very acceptable, Ma’am. When do I begin training?

Alexis had more interviews, so she quickly explained, “You have two days to settle in a corporate apartment complex owned by Future Tech located near the branch offices. The fresh food and lodgings will also be provided free of charge, though you can opt to purchase more food at the grocery stores like Walmart and Kefayat Supermarket. My secretary can answer more of your questions if required. Future Tech doesn’t expect you to only live for work, but it does demand consistent results.”

Ranjit excitedly pondered, [Free food and quarters?! I’ll get to save most of my money if that’s the case. Working for Future Tech is the best gig! I should tell more of my university friends to take the same chance I took.]

Ranjit thanked Alexis before bidding farewell, then her secretary guided him towards the corporate shuttle bus station.

The young Indian man observed the other employees taking the shuttle home and noticed most were of various nationalities.

The bus consisted of Americans, South Koreans, Pakistani, Germans, British, and many other foreign people involved in Future Tech’s Kandahar workforce.

The bus passed by a government building with a long line of people waiting for their turn outside, and Ranjit asked the American beside him, “Good day. Would you know why there are so many people lining up out there?”

The American man understood that everyone in the shuttle worked for Future Tech in some capacity. Hence, he respectfully answered his colleague, “That’s the line for subsidized work positions in the new Afghanistan government agencies. They get sorted by skill level and aptitude, then assigned to whichever department needs them. I heard the minimum wage is even higher than back home, at $15 Bitcash an hour. Most southern states where I’m from only pay half the hourly wage, so it’s not a surprise why people are patiently waiting in line for a spot.”

Ranjit was amazed at the social programs Afghanistan provided to ordinary citizens. However, most of the funds used by Karzai were loaned from Future Tech, with an affixed 7% annual interest fee.

The shuttle bus arrived at the housing complex, one designed by Future Tech and built with the assistance of Hyundai C&E. It was the most advanced and aesthetically-pleasing apartment district where almost all employees lived.

The land was quite affordable in the region, so Director Price negotiated favorable deals with the Popalzai Tribe, allowing Future Tech to purchase properties for their daily operations.

Ranjit found his apartment after a few minutes of speaking with the concierge and found it more than satisfactory.

The living space was fully furnished and included every utility one needed, such as electricity, natural gas, high-speed internet, and purified water.

Ranjit jumped on his comfortable mattress, relaxed for a few seconds, and happily thought, [I can get used to this.]

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