Beyond the Boundary | ✓

Chapter 22

22 | Friend

NAPASIMANGOT AKO nang marahas na tinanggal ng isang humanoid ang suot kong mask. He didn't even glance at me and check if I was fine or not. Well, he's technically a robot so he has no feelings. Pati sina Zeig ay tinanggalan na rin nila. They confiscated all of our things. Nahiya pa silang alisin pati damit na suot namin.

We were brought inside a laboratory where people in white lab gowns were busy going to and fro. There were large screens and other devices like ultrasonic sensors and sonar.

There's a wide glass wall that's dividing us from the workers. Even though they were speaking, we couldn't hear them because of the wall and our distance. Napatitig na lang ako sa malaking screen na nasa harapan namin.

There were green waves flashing on the screen and everytime the waves appear,  red dots would also appear and it's moving forward every second. Napakurap ako nang nawala ang isang red dot at hindi na bumalik.

“Hello, kids!”

Napabaling kaagad ako sa tumawag sa amin. Tuluyan akong napaharap sa nagsalita nang makitang isa itong babae na naka-lab gown at may suot na salamin. Her straight her that was falling up to her waist was tied into a low ponytail, her bangs were brushed to the side. She smiled at us and inserted her hands inside the pockets of her gown.

“Nakakapanghinayang kayo,” aniya na hindi ko naintindihan agad. “Come with me.”

Nang tumalikod na siya at nagsimula nang lumakad, napasunod na rin kami sa kaniya.

The glass door automatically opened when she stepped on the red line and it changed into green after she crossed. Nang naklabas na kami sa pinto, agad naman iyong nagsara.

I bit my lower lip when Aveyron suddenly crossed my mind. I don't want to assume things, but her being here and her having those expressions after seeing us made me doubt her.

And first of all... what was she doing here?

As far as I could remember, she doesn't live here. Shes wasn't born here. So paano siya nakapasok dito? And that woman with her... malabong maging mama niya 'yon. Nakita ko na ang mama niya dati at malayong-malayo ang hitsura ng babaeng 'yon sa mama ni Ave.

I didn't want to assume things. I didn't want to doubt her... but the dots were starting to connect, and I didn't like where this was going.

Napabalik ako sa reyalidad nang huminto ang babae kaya napahinto na rin kamo sa paglalakad. She slid her card at the sensor beside the glass door, and when the color changed, the door opened.

Bumungad sa amin ang malawak na room na may nakahilerang mga pang-isahang kama. There were cards with numbers at the footboards of each bed, pero tinatanggal na ng mga humanoid ang mga cards ng mga bakanteng kama. I assumed the people who owned those beds were... gone.

“For the mean time, you'll be staying here.” Humarap sa amin ang babaeng nagdala sa amin dito. She smiled again before speaking, “You'll be monitored for a few days before we would consider sending you as Volunteers. You're not allowed to get out unless we say so. Understood?”

Hindi kami sumagot at nanatili lang na nakatitig sa kaniya. She took it as our response. “Good! I'll take my leave now. Be good! Bye!”

Lumakad na siya palabas ng room. Napabuga na lang ako ng hangin at mariing napapikit.

I wonder how's Mom and Maria? Did Mr. Siarez contact them? Ang tanging paalam namin ay mag-sleepover lang. I might be dead before Mom could even scold me for lying.

Napasunod na lang ako ng tingin nang dumaan sa gilid ko si Caes at dumiretso sa kama kung saan nakalagay ang kaniyang Citizen Code. Tahimik lang siyang umupo ro'n at humiga sabay pikit. Sumunod na rin sa kaniya sina Zeig at Reivohr.

“You should rest, too,” ani Zeigmund kaya napabaling ako ng tingin sa kaniya. “This will be the last time you can do it.”

I stared at him and he just stared back. Napaiwas na lang ako ng tingin at napabuga ng hangin. “I'm fine.”

Humakbang na ako at saktong pagkaikot ko at pagkabaling ko sa pinto, dumaan si Aveyron. Namilog ang mga mata ko at kaagad akong napatakbo papunta sa pinto.

“Ave!” I slammed both of my hands at the glass door.

Napaigtad siya at kaagad na napatingin sa direksyon ko. Ang gulat niyang ekspresyon ay napalitan ng inis nang makita ako.

“What the hell, Anzaria?!”

“Explain,” diretsong sabi ko. “Ikaw ba ang nagsumbong sa amin?”

Her brows furrowed. “Kahit naman hindi ako magsumbong, mahuhuli pa rin kayo.”

“Ikaw ba ang nagsumbong sa amin,” pag-ulit ko at diniinan ko ang bawat salita.

She rolled her eyeballs. “Yeah. So?”

Mas dumiin ang pagkakadiin ng mga daliri ko sa babasaging pinto. “Why? I thought... I thought we're friends?”

She raised one brow at me and snickered. “Friends? You really thought so?”

I gritted my teeth. Unti-unting dumilim ang paningin ko. “Tinuring kitang kaibigan, Ave. Tinuring ka naming kaibigan. Bakit mo 'to nagawa sa 'min?”

“I told you, kahit na hindi pa ako magsumbong, mahuhuli pa rin kayo. And really? You thought of me as your friend? How nice. Kahit sino sigurong magpapakita sa 'yo ng kaunting kabaitan, ituturing mo na kaagad na kaibigan. How naive and gullible.”

I gulped the lump in my throat. Seeing her mockingly smile at me, I wanted to explode. Gusto ko na lang maiyak dahil sa galit.

“I'm just being a good citizen and abiding by the rules. I will become part of the government years from now, magiging masama sa image ko kapag hahayaan ko kayong lalabag sa Golden Rule ng Grand Ships, hindi ba?”

Sumeryoso bigla ang kaniyang ekspresyon sa mukha. Humakbang siya papalapit sa pinto at bahagyang inilapit ang mukha para maka-level ang mukha ko. Tinapunan ko lang siya ng masamang tingin.

“I thought you were smart, but I think I overestimated you,” she said with disappointment in her tone. “And do you really think it's just me, Anza?”

Nagsalubong ang mga kilay ko. “What do you mean?”

She smirked. “You're too pure. With just one act of kindness, you treat everyone as a friend.”

“I don't understand what you're talking about!”

She chuckled. “It's not just me, Anza...”

“Anzaria.”

Hindi ako lumingon kahit tinawag ako ni Zeig. Nanatili akong nakatitig kay Ave. When Zeig called me, nalipat kaagad ang paningin ni Ave sa kaniya at nag-iba ulit ang ekspresyon ng kaniyang mukha.

Her brows furrowed and she eyed Zeig na para bang isa itong mababang uri ng nilalang. “Pathetic!”

Ave glanced at me before she stepped back, turned around, and walked away with large steps. Napasunod na lang ako ng tingin sa kaniya.

“Anzaria,” tawag ulit ni Zeig sa akin and this time, nilingon ko na siya. His eyebrows were also in one line and he looked worried.

I gave him a small smile. “I'm fine.”

May sasabihin pa sana siya pero mabilis akong humakbang paalis doon. Hinanap ko ang kama na may code ko at nang nahanap, kaagad akong humiga ro'n at pumikit.