Chapter 65
As what the researchers have told us, we were still have our two hundred sixteen hours to prepare everything, which was exactly nine days in Earth.
The whole four days was an endless discussion and analyzing of the movement of the asteroid against the capability of our Marsian 7832.
Days of monitoring, days of studying, days of questioning and of course these were the days of heartily mind absorption.
Being a space pilot and astronaut, isn't just about the courage and toughness. It is also about the great minds applying in a worth fighting situation.
The intelligence team placed different approaches that we might possibly use when we're actually in front of the mission, as they landed the approaches they also provide us their ninety percent outcomes.
These were considered to be the most risky and highly sensitive data's that we should accept not just inside our mind but with our soul.
Inihiga ko na ang aking sarili sa maliit na higaan. I can't call this bed, but this good enough for us to have our good rest, atleast.
Simula nang makausap namin si chairman, hindi na kami muli nakapag-usap ni Pedro at kahit ni Graham Bell.
We're all pre-occupied with our upcoming mission. Masyado nang abala ang utak namin sa lahat ng kailangan naming malaman, para humanap ng oras para mag-usap.
Katatapos lamang namin paliwanagan ng mga researchers, bago kami hinayaan ng mga itong magpahinga.
Pedro and Graham Bell look tired, sinong hindi?
We're trained to manipulate the planes and yes, we also have our own knowledge about asteroids and planets, but we didn't expect that we should understand it deeper than we thought.
Well, except Peter. Hindi na bago sa kanya ang mga ganitong bagay. Hindi ko pwedeng tanggalin sa isipan ko na kahit nilalamig si Pedro sa Pilipinas kumpara sa America, marami itong nalalaman sa siyensiya.
I cursed inside my mind. I can't see the point from my reasoning this time. Hell, Pedro made me this silly.
Muli kong ibinalik ang pag-iisip ko sa sitwasyon na siyang dapat kong inaalala.
Yes, we almost drowned ourselves during those four days. Studying our mission. Hindi basta haharang sa direksyong patutunguhan ng asteroid at maglalabas ng malakas na bomba para wasakin ito.
There were always possibilities, lalo na at hindi namin hawak ang kakayahan ng batong ito. Maaaring sa paggising namin ay mas bumilis ang pagbulusok nito, maaaring sa sandaling umalis kami sa planetang ito ay biglang bumagal?
Maraming posibleng mangyari gaya ng mga ipinakita nila sa amin at siguradong sa isang iglap ay sasabog ang aming mundo dahil lamang hindi kami handa at wala kaming nalalaman sa sandaling biglang may pagbabagong hindi namin inaasahan.
Bahagya kong iginalaw ang katawan ko at nang sandaling itagilid ko ito at gawin kong unan ang aking braso, bigla na lamang akong napatitig sa magagandang asul na matang kasalukuyan nang nakatitig sa akin.
Hindi ko napansin na humiga na pala ito sa higaan na hindi nalalayo sa akin. We're lying in an opposite position.
"Can't sleep?" tanong niya sa akin.
Katulad ko rin ang kanyang posisyon.
"Yeah, where's Graham Bell?"
"Sleeping," tamad niyang itinuro ang isa pang higaan sa hindi kalayuan.
"Rest Behati, you need energy for tomorrow."
"Ikaw? Bakit hindi ka pa natutulog?"
"I am still looking at you." I rolled my eyes.
"Pedro,"
"I'm serious, asteroids, speed, nuclear intensity and too much science to intake. I need motivation, Monzanto."
"You're complaining? But you're used to this kind information Pedro. You're an astronaut." Ngumisi siya sa sinabi ko.
"Uhuh? Just let me look at you until I fall asleep."
"Then we look at each other," sagot ko sa kanya.
Tumagal siguro kami ng halos isang oras na nakatitig at ngumingiti sa isa't-isa hanggang naunang makatulog si Pedro.
"Hey commander," I tried to call him.
Hindi na ito sumasagot, pinili kong bumangon at marahan akong humakbang patungo sa kanya.
Naupo ako sa harapan niya at marahan kong hinaplos ang hibla ng kanyang buhok na bahagyang nakahara sa kanyang nakapikit na mga mata.
"Sleep well, Commander. I love you," tipid akong humalik sa ibabaw ng kanyang ulo bago ako bumalik sa aking higaan at nakangiting ipikit ang aking mga mata.
Kinabukasan ay dumating mula sa kanyang pag-iikot ang nag-iisang astronaut na kasama ng mga researchers dito.
All I thought was just the researchers, mayroon pa rin palang astronaut na nandito. Akala ko rin ay umabot sa sampu ang kasama ni Graham Bell sa kanyang eroplano, but it turned out that there were just four astronauts in mission including Pedro.
One was in courier plane, at ang natitirang dalawa ay katulong ni Pedro ngayon. Habang kami dalawa ni Graham Bell ang nakahandang mga piloto.
"Commander Cormac Sanders!" Pedro greeted him with salute.
Kahit hindi namin siya kilala ni Graham Bell ay sinabayan namin si Pedro bilang paggalang.
Why we're not aware of him? Hindi ko rin naririnig ang pangalan niya sa UASA. Kung sabagay, hindi ako nagkaroon ng interes noon pa man kilalanin ang mga astronaut.
I was pre-occupied by my own duty and responsibility.
Nakipagkamay sa amin si Commander Sanders, ngumiti ito sa akin nang sandaling magdaop ang aming mga kamay.
"I heard a lot about you, woman of hope." I awkwardly smile.
Hindi ko alam na umabot rin sa Mars ang tawag ng mga tao sa akin. Bumalik ang atensyon nito kay Peter at nagsimula silang mag-usap.
Nanatili kami ni Graham Bell sa likuran habang pinakikinggan sila. Si Pedro na mismo ang nagpaliwanag sa kanya ng sitwasyon ng mundo, dahil wala pa itong alam matapos maglibot ng ilang araw sa ilang bahagi ng Mars.
"Then I'll go with the mission, leave the two astronauts in this planet and let me help you with your mission Armstrong. I am a way better than those two, I got the experience, knowledge and all."
"But you are the ideal in Mars astronaut, you can't be replaced." Katwiran ni Pedro.
"No one is going to replace me Armstrong, I told you I just want to help in your mission and then I'll go back here. Your father will hate me if he found out that I didn't help you with your biggest mission."
Natahimik si Pedro sa sinabi ni Commander Sanders. Ibig sabihin, posibleng si Commander Sander ang isa sa mga astronaut na nakasama ng magulang ni Pedro sa pagpunta dito sa Mars.
"Let me talk to the UASA," Pedro was hesitant but he can't argue with Commander Sanders anymore.
Nakapasok na ito sa control room, I even heard his voice asking for an immediate meeting.
"Who is he?" tanong ni Graham Bell.
"He's the original Space Commander, my Dad's friend."
Hindi rin napigilan ni Pedro ang kanyang sarili, pumasok ito sa control room at pinakinggan ang kanilang pinag-uusapan. Nanatili lamang kami ni Graham Bell na walang salita.
There were few arguments, pero nanalo pa rin si Commander Sanders. And chairman gave an official Command that Commander Sanders will be joining our mission.
Kalalabas pa lamang namin sa control room nang magsalita si Pedro.
"Commander Sanders, can we talk?" tipid na sumulyap sa amin ni Graham Bell si Commander.
"Without them?"
"Just two of us, please excuse us." Nauna nang maglakad si Pedro at kibit balikat na sumunod sa kanya si Commander Sanders.
"Peter is quite weird today." Kumento ni Graham Bell.
"Yeah," sagot ko.
Parang may malalim na iniisip si Pedro na hindi ko maintindihan. Ilang beses ko rin siya nakikitang sumusulyap sa akin, pero sa sandaling tipid akong ngumigiti sa kanya ay nag-iiwas siya ng tingin sa akin.
"Did you two fight?"
"No, we're fine."
"He's weird, menopausal?" I rolled my eyes.
"Come on Graham Bell, you're not a good joker." He grinned.
"The last time I checked, you hate me so much. You even called me gangster. What's with the jokes now?" nagkibit-balikat siya.
"I just didn't expect that a gangster can even called as a woman of hope. That was really surprising, so it's fine if we're slightly friends." Muling umikot ang aking mga mata.
Hindi ko akalaing may ganitong karakter itong si Graham Bell, akala ko ay mas seryoso siya kay Jensen. Nagkamali ako, this damn pilot is quite playful.
But, Pedro is always better. Kahit nilalamig siya sa Pilipinas.
I grinned with my own thought.
Ang tagal nang pag-uusap ni Pedro at Commander, hindi ko na siya nagawang mahintay dahil ramdam ko na ang aking pagkapagod.
Natutulog na ako nang maalimpungatan ako, sa pagkakataong ito si Pedro naman ang humalik sa ibabaw ng aking ulo.
"Sorry, nagising kita. Continue sleeping baby." Hinahaplos ni Pedro ang buhok ko.
"I'm silently wishing that this place has a bigger bed for us, I miss you. I want to sleep with your arms." Mahinang sabi ko.
"I miss you more, Behati. Come on, sleep. We'll have a very long day for tomorrow."
"Yeah," tipid kong sagot.
Tomorrow will be the first day of our mission.
Kinabukasan ay nakahanda na ang lahat. Just like the previous planet take off, we'll be using another courier plane. This time, we're going to use Commander Sander's plane.
Pero hindi tulad ng courier plane ni Pedro na maaari itong makatagal sa labas ng planeta, ihahatid lamang kami nito hanggang sa ang mismong eroplano na namin ang gamitin sa misyon.
We're going to use the courier plane to lessen the use of the energy for our Marsian 7832.
Nakaposisyon na kaming lahat, habang nasa unahan si Peter at Commander Sanders.
"This is Commander Armstrong, courier plane Martican X456. We're about to exit the planet." Anunsyo nito.
When he nodded his head, agad naming nakuha ni Graham Bell ang gusto niyang mangyari.
Using our knowledge as pilots, we immediately manipulated the plane making it fly with its greatest speed.
It took just few minutes before we successfully had our exit and the pressure of the plane return to its normal state.
"Commander Armstrong speaking, we exited safely outside the planet Mars." Umalis na ito sa kanyang upuan at pansin ko na sumulyap si Pedro kay Graham Bell.
Tumikhim si Commander Sanders na tumayo na rin. Until I noticed that Graham Bell just turned off our communication with UASA.
They are acting weird.
"Hey, what's going on?" nagtatakang tanong ko.
Pansin ko na kapwa na nakatitig si Graham Bell at Commander Sanders kay Pedro na parang hinihintay na may sabihin ito.
"Armstrong!" iritadong tawag ni Graham Bell.
"Come on boy!" tipid na tinapik ni Commander Sanders ang braso ni Pedro.
Hanggang salubungin ako ng mga asul na mga mata ng lalaking mahal ko. May kinuha ito sa kanyang likuran.
I gasped when I saw a ring box a-and it's not an engagement ring anymore. Naluluha akong nag-angat ng tingin muli sa lalaking may asul na mga mata.
"Baby, marry me on space."
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VentreCanard