"OKAY GUYS, STOP." Pagsingit ko dahil baka lumala pa ang usapan. Knowing that two, wala talagang magpapatalo sa dalawang 'yan. Hindi na 'ko magtataka kung sa susunod na araw ay maging sila na.
"So, ang mga mobile phones po natin ay iiwanan na lang natin dahil wala naman pong silbi 'yon. We can't search for information, at nakikita naman sigurong wala ng signal diba?" Dahil sa aking sinabi ay nagtinginan sila sa kanilang cellphones nila.
"Meron naman leader." Sagot ng isang babae mula sa grupo ni Zeon na dahilan ng pagtingin ko sa kanya. "Kaya lang sobrang hina. Feeling ko hindi tayo magkakaintindihan."
"Plus no load. Paano tayo magkakatawagan?" Dagdag pa ng isang lalaki na hindi ko rin alam ang pangalan.
"That's it. That's why we will just communicate using iridium. . . if that's what you call it," I awkwardly said because. . . I don't know what that phone is called.
"A satellite phone?" Said Warren which made me look at him. A smile broke from my lips as I looked at him as if my savior in this place because, yeah, I forgot that name even though it's what's on my mind.
"Paano? Satellite phone 'yon. Wala tayong satellite, at iyong military lang mayroon." Said Troy, and he's right.
We need to hack the military first and disconnect our group's radar, but it won't be easy.
Tumingin ako kay Zeon. "Is there a hacker in your group?" I looked at him in anticipation.
Bukod kay Warren na magaling mangalikot sa technology. . . well, sa pagconstruct sya talaga ng mga machines marunong, pero sa paghack? I don't know if he has some experience with that cheat, and if it's our Military that we're going to hack, our hackers should be more experienced and well-known the whole system, so they won't leave any lead that could point us being alive.
But Zeon shook his head. Bumagsak ang balikat ko dahil 'don. Paano kaya kami makakapag-usap sa isa't isa?
Communication is the key to survival like this. Ito 'yung hindi dapat mawala.
"I can recreate our Satphone."
Napatingin kaming lahat kay Warren nang magsalita ito. Bumaba ang aking tingin sa kanyang lapag at nakita ang phone ni Krysler na baklas-baklas na. Hindi ko napansing nagsisimula na sya kanina.
Lumipat ang paningin ko kay Krysler na nanlalaki ang mata habang nakatingin sa Iphone 30+ nyang hiwa-hiwalay at ngayo'y hindi makapaniwala.
Well, that simple phone costs thousands of dollars already, but the military gave it to us for free as a reward for nominating at the exploration. But right now, I think I know why they gave us an expensive phone.
To monitor our movements.
Muling ngawi ang aking atensyon kay Warren nang may inangat itong kulay blue na bagay mula sa loob ng cellphone. Isa itong pa-square na may mga guhit-guhit na kulay ginto sa gilid.
"This is the signal tracker and without it, we wouldn't get any signal from the satellite itself." Ngunit hindi lang ako ang nagulat nang putulin nya iyon.
"But right now, we don't need a signal, but a link with each other." Kumunot ang noo ko sa kaguluhan mula sa kanyang sinabi.
Nang makita ang aming itsura ay bumuntong hininga ito. A smirk appeared on my lips. Go, Warren, explain it even you hated explaining things.
"I mean, I will create something that will link us with each other." He looks constipated since he doesn't know how to explain it, and being a kind and responsible leader of them. . .
"I understand. Sometimes we need to trust someone's capabilities without them explaining everything. Let Warren do our communication." Sabay sabay silang tumango kahit na naguguluhan pa run.
As of now, all we have to do is to trust him and his creations, after all, I know he could do it.
Tumago ako sa kanya na ikinatango nyang muli bago humarap sa harapan. "And the batteries will be useless," wika nya at tsaka iyon tinanggal sa Satphone mismo.
"How will it gonna work?" Tanong ng isang babae mula sa grupo ni Zeon, na dahilan upang mapangisi si Warren.
He hates explaining but he loves talking towards his creations. Lalo na't teknolohiya ang pinag-uusapan.
At sa usapang ito ay sya ang panalo.
"It's just simple, because I've already created something that could make a machine work without its battery, and I've already tried it using our leader's phone," sagot nito at tsaka tumingin sa akin.
Tumango ako, nakangiti, kasabay ng pagtingin sa akin ni Faye gamit ang masama nitong titig.
"How long have you been hiding secrets from me?" Nakakunot ang noo at matalim ang titig nang isumbar nya ito.
Nagpanggap akong nag iisip, tumingin sa itaas at ngumuso nang kaunti. "Since last month ago?" Muli kong ibinalik ang aking tingin sa kanya at ngumisi.
Mas sumama ang tingin nya sa akin. "So that explained why your new phone is always at the full bar and I've never seen you charged it. Not even at once. Mga taksil," sumbat nya bago tumingin kay Warren at sinamaan rin ito ng tingin bago muling ibinalik ang tingin sa akin.
"All this time, nag-iisip ako kung paano mapapanatiling may charge 'tong cellphone ko, habang ikaw ay paeasy-easy lang?"
Ngumisi ako. "Sorry na. Mapapatawad mo paba 'ko?" Natatawa kong sabi sa kanya ngunit umirap lang ito at nagcrossed arms.
"Apology not accepted but 'kay," sagot nya sa akin ngunit may ngiti ang kanyang mga mata.
Napailing ako habang natatawa bago muling ibinalik ang tingin sa harapan. "So, one problem has been solved," I announced which made them nod their heads, amazement could be seen from their gaze while looking at us.
Zeon cleared his throat which made us look at him. Napaayos ako ng tayo at nagsisi sa pagiging easy-go-lucky kanina. Baka isipin nilang irresponsible akong leader!
"As of now, we need to plan how we'll proceed once we get out of here." He looks at everyone who's listening to him.
"We need to finalize so no one will oppose once it is confirmed. We need a clear plan, thus, we must carefully think of everything. Are we clear?" Zeon asserted with authority in his voice, something that we need to follow.
Sabay sabay kaming tumango. Muli syang tumango. "This is for us, and the other people. For humanity to be spared and become a peaceful place again. Let's uncover the secrets with this generation."
My heart started pounding as to when I heard him speaks. Those words. . . are exactly what I'm planning, and only my group knows that I'm aiming for it. Palihim akong napatingin sa aking kagrupo na nakatingin rin sa akin, bakas ang gulat sa kanilang mukha at paniguradong iisa lamang ang aming naiisip.
Zeon's plan and mine. . . are somehow similar.
Nang makabawi ay nagsalita ako.
"We can't just aim for cure finding, because time will come that we will fight those monsters." Humarap ako sakanila. "Are you ready to clean this country?" Biro ko, ngunit naniniwala ako sa kasabihang jokes are half meant, dahil iyon ang totoo.
Any minutes from now on, iiwan na namin ang eroplanong ito, at sa oras na gawin namin iyon, kahit anong oras ay magiging vulnerable kami sa mga zombies na nakapaligid sa amin.
Hindi tulad nang nandito lamang kami, kung saan hindi kami magagalaw ng mga zombies dahil gawa sa bakal itong eroplanong ito. Ngunit alam naming lahat na hindi iyon maaari. We need to get out, look for a new haven, gather food, survive, and the cycle will repeat until everything's better.
Isa pa, ang pagkaing nandito ay sakto lamang para sa ilang araw na paglalakbay namin.
"What are we going to do first once we get out of here? Where we will stay? If we got out of stock, where do we get our foods? I don't think there are remaining stocks of food left by people since it's been years. . ."
Napaisip ako sa sinabi ng isang tao mula sa grupo ni Zeon. He's right. Once we go out, where do we stay? Sa hotel? Pwede rin ngunit syempre, kailangan muna naming linisin ang mga iyon, what I mean in the word 'cleaning', is killing zombies.
It's been years since this pandemic occurred.
And believing that there are still survivors left is kind of absurd.
But I refused to give up my faith that the humanity outside those walls has been wiped out already.
Walang nakasagot dahil alam nilang may pagkaimpossible ang mabuhay sa labas ng mundo, ngunit isa lamang ang sagot.
I looked at them with a brave face, a woman who will conquer everything. "We'll do everything." For the sake of our survival.
And I think my answer is enough to put them at ease.
"Should we train first and get ready while we're here in this safe place?" Tanong ko na nakapagpatahimik sa kanila.
"We don't know until when we are safe."
"Let's take advantage of the time we have for today."
We need to get ready employing knowing how to aim at the real zombies.
Ang mga training lamang sa'min n'on ay tulad ng training na makikita sa militaries mula sa videos na aming napanood. Moving wood carved as a human person for our aims, punching bags to train our physical bodies. We once tried killing zombies outside but it only happened once.
Iba na kapag infected mismo ang nilalabanan namin. As what we've been taught, they're moving slow, sometimes, fast. Kung mabagal lamang silang maglakad, ayos lang dahil matatarget namin sila ng maayos, pero nakakakaba rin.
Napatingin ako sa aking mga kamay. I still remembered the pressure I felt yesterday when I shot the infected pilot. Nakakakaba at alam mong isang pagkakamali mo lang, maaaring mauwi sa kapahamakan nyong lahat.
I shook my head and sighed heavily. Wake up, Harper. It's already in the past. Ang mahalaga, ligtas kayo.
"I think, we should."
"Sugod na lang kaagad."
Hating desisyon mula sa mga taong nandito.
"We should practice. We need to be ready and we don't know what will happen once we're already facing them. Paano kung magpanic tayo?" Suhestuyon ng isang babae mula sa grupo ni Zeon.
"Well, I think we'll gonna be fine. We were trained by our awesome leader not to panic. We were prepared enough, maybe we can do it," ani Josh na ikinabaling ko sa kanya, handa itong pangaralan gamit ang aking mga mata ngunit ang atensyon nito ay nasa harapan.
At the time like this, hindi talaga maiiwasan ang pagpapataasan.
But he's wrong for triggering the other group. He looks boastful when he said it.
Maybe it was my fault.
"Said by someone with a leader who panicked yesterday from killing an infected." I could sense some touches of sarcasm from someone who just spoke at Zeon's group but I didn't comment to defend myself, even though I could feel their eyes on me.
I shook my head and mouthed, 'stop'.
But my group doesn't want me to look pity, even before.
"Malamang! Tignan natin kung hindi ka magpanic kung isang maling pagbaril mo lang ay maaaring maging dahilan ng pagbagsak ng sinasakyan natin. Tanga lang po?" Tinitigan ko si Chelsey upang patahimikin, ngunit ang atensyon nito'y nasa kabila pa rin at masama ang titig sa nagsalita.
Inilipat ko kay Faye ang aking tingin na pinakamalapit rito para sabihing patigilin ito ngunit sa talim ng kanyang tingin ay alam kong hindi ko ito mapapatahimik.
Huminga ako nang malalim. "Stop. We shouldn't-" fight.
Hindi ko natapos ang sinasabi na g tumayo ang babaeng nagsalita kanina at dinuro ako.
"Iyan! Iyang grupo mo ang nagsimula! Ikaw ang leader pero hindi mo sila mabawal! Ganyan ba ang gusto nyong maglead sa-" Hindi nito natapos ang kanyang sinasabi nang biglaang tumayo si Zeon na nasa gilid ko at biglang tumalikod sa aming lahat.
"We'll resume our meeting once you're all cooled down," aniya gamit ang napakalamig nyang boses.
Pumikit ako nang mariin. "Stop!" Malakas kong sabi na ikinatahimik ng buong paligid. Naramdaman ko rin silang natigilan at walang may balak kumilos. Idinilat ko ang aking mga mata at tumingin sa aking grupo, umiling bago humarap sa grupo ni Zeon at yumuko.
"My sincere apology-" I haven't finished what I was saying when my group called me in chorus and protest.
"Leader!" But I ignored them.
"For the ill behavior of my team. It's my fault that I didn't teach them enough to respect other people-"
"Harper, they were talking ill about you! How could you expect us to keep our mouth shut!" Alora shouted and tried to face me but I only looked at her and shook my head.
"Sometimes it's better to be this way," I whispered, yet is enough for them to hear. "We don't need to put the blame on each other's if one must apologize. I don't want to build misunderstanding with this group. We are one, we must respect each other's, learn to trust, and stop belittling other people."
"What we need is our hands being extended to help those who are in needed, not to use it to point a gun to our companion's heads." Huminga ako nang malalim pagkatapos itong sabihin.
Nagkaroon ng panandaliang katahimikan hanggang sa basagin iyon ni Zeon.
"I am sorry too." Zeon's voice echoed in this whole silent place. "I admit, my team consists of attitude people-"
"Captain!" Angal nila ngunit ngumisi lamang si Zeon.
Sabay noon ay ang pagyuko ng mga tao sa kanyang grupo.
"We, the District 26 under Sergeant Parkinson, are asking for an apology for our lack of respect and behavior." Sabay-sabay nilang sabi na ikinagulat ko.
Hindi pa man ako bakakabawi nang sumunod na yumuko ang aking mga kagrupo.
"Our leader has nothing to do with this. It's our fault, and please forgive us." I could sense their sincerity, which caused me to feel something warm that touched my heart.
Ayaw na ayaw talaga nila kapag ako na mismo ang naiipit sa sitwasyon, at kahit ayaw nila, ay gagawin nila para sa akin.
This group. . . I will fight for them.
"I hope you learned something about this," Zeon suddenly commented before he looks at me and nodded his head.
I sighed heavily and faced them with confidence because I know that this time, the misunderstanding and the doubt they have within themselves disappeared, and those could be seen from their eyes.
"Shall we continue our meeting?" I smiled at everyone, where from their eyes, the glint of humanity's strongest weapon seemed so intense.
The hope of humanity's survival in this hell called the zombie apocalypse.