Habang nasa loob ng opisina niya, abala si Benjamin sa paghahanap ng mga dokumento sa loob ng drawer niya nang mapansin niya ang isang asul na folder na napailalim sa ibang mga papeles. Inilabas niya iyon, at pagkatapos ay ipinatong sa mesa niya.
Sa unang pahina nakalagay ang mga katagang 'Project Peculiar', at sa baba nito nakasulat ang pangalan ni Dr. Anthony Ledesma. As he went through the pages, he started to recall how the file became the reason for his success and his stay at the top of the pyramid, earning good favors from the higher ups of the Paramount Laboratories.
Mahigit isang dekada na rin ang dumaan nang madiskubre niya na may ginagawang proyektoang isa sa mga colleague niya sa Paramount Laboratories. Noong panahon na iyon, isa rin siya sa mga siyentipiko na nagtatrabaho sa organisasyon kasama ng iba pang mga magagaling na propesyunal sa iba't-ibang larangan. It immediately piqued his interest, and he knew that if the project reaches the higher ups, they would definitely be thrilled to do support it.
"Maybe we can propose it to them..." suhestiyon ni Benjamin kay Anthony nang bisitahin niya ang huli sa laboratory nito, "Siguradong susuportahan ka nila kung itutuloy mo 'yan. They'll like it for sure."
"Huwag muna ngayon, Benjamin..." tugon ni Anthony habang inaayos ang glass slides na gagamitin niya sa mesa, katabi ng microscope na kanina niya pa inaadjust, "At isa pa, hindi pa naman ako tapos eh."
"It's as good as complete, you know. Anyways, what's your goal with it?"
Lumayo muna si Anthony mula sa microscope at pinagmasdan ang kasama. "Naisip ko lang kasi na baka pwede nating matulungan ang ibang mga batang metahumans sa mga kakayahan nila. Kasi 'di ba, madalas sa mga metahumans na katulad natin, nagsisimula ang pag-manifest ng mga kakayahan kapag dumating na tayo sa age ng puberty. Siguradong mahihirapan sila. I mean, dati nang stressful ang pagdadalaga at pagbibinata, tapos dadagdagan pa ng paglitaw ng kung anong weird na abilities. And we both know that the world doesn't know about metahumans, and if they do... They think they're a threat to the society. But that isn't true. Just like them, metahumans want to exist in the society the same way as normal humans without being prejudiced or feared.
"Sa pamamagitan ng project na 'to," ani Anthony, "Naisip ko na baka pwede nating i-integrate ang efforts ng Paramount Labs sa mga schools, o kaya sa mismong gobyerno... Through combined efforts, we can find young people who possess abilities ... Through that, we can teach these youngsters to understand their kind, to control their abilities, and to accept what they are and their peculiarity...
"And then slowly, we can finally reveal the metahumankind to the world, by showing them metahumans can be functional members of the society - highly functional in fact, because of their abilities. Gusto ko ngang mawala ang prejudice sa mga katulad natin, gusto kong huwag nila tayong katakutan. We may be different, but we're still human just like everyone else. I want our kind to enjoy their youth and have fun... Become adults who become part of the workforce... Become parents to their own children.
Napahinga nang malalim si Anthony bago napabuntong-hininga, "Pero kailangan ko pang gumawa ng ibang revisions at adjustments sa Project Peculiar. "If I could improve Project Peculiar, I want to be able to take metahumans who are in hiding, living in the outskirts, or are still running away for their safety... Kung magiging consistent ang pag-develop natin nito, then maybe... Maybe we could make a world where metahumans and normal human beings could become a community that lives in harmony."
Tumango si Benjamin habang pinagmamasdan ang folder sa mesa ng scientist na kasama niya. "Okay naman 'yun, pero sa tingin ko... Yung vision mo na tanggapin tayo ng mga normal na tao, parang mahirap 'yun. Hindi ko 'to sinasabi para maging KJ ha... Idealist ka kasi kaya hindi ko naman mapipigilan 'yan. Ako, realist lang ha... Mahihirapan tayong mag-blend sa society kapag nalaman na ng mga tao kung ano tayo. Hindi lahat sila kaya tayong tanggapin. They think of us as monsters that will cause them harm."
Anthony sighed and grinned slightly. "But we're not monsters, Benjamin."
"Pero ganoon ang tingin nila sa atin. Maging normal man o hindi ang itsura natin, halimaw pa rin tayo. People are afraid of what they don't understand. They don't understand what we are, so they're scared of us," Benjamin said firmly, "Meron nga tayong mga kapangyarihan, pero hindi naman tayo basta pwedeng lumaban dahil tayo ang minority sa mundong 'to. And as the minority, we only take a small portion of the society... The normal humans own the society, and we're the abominations they'll try to avoid and remove."
Napangiti na lamang si Anthony at bahagyang pinagtawanan siya. "Pero gaya nga ng sinabi mo, hindi lahat sila kaya tayong tanggapin. Ibig sabihin, merong maliit na porsyento na kaya tayong tanggapin, 'di ba?"
Napahinga na lamang nang malalim si Benjamin. "Ewan ko sa'yo. Ang hirap makipagtalo sa kagaya mong toverly optimistic..." tapos ay bahagya siyang natawa.
"Hindi naman ako overly optimistic. Sa'yo naman kasi talaga nanggaling 'yun," Anthony replied while chuckling.
"But you know... I like your project," ani Benjamin, "But if I have it my way, I would make it a little different."
Anthony sat down on his swivel chair. "And what changes would you make?"
"I'd tweak it a little... Because I'd want to the population of the metahumans to increase. I want a balance between the normal ones and people of our kind," paliwanag ni Benjamin bago kinuha ang Rubik's cube sa ibabaw ng mesa ni Antthony, "Mas kailangan ng mundo ang mga katulad natin. We're supposed to be on top of the pyramid. We're the complex ones, the humans who just keep on evolving towards perfection."
Tumango-tango si Anthony, "That's a nice idea too... But dangerous. I mean, you said it already. People are already afraid of us. They might try to fight us of, you know... And if the metahumans start defending themselves... You know that we're the ones with power, Benjamin. We'd end up -"
"Killing them?"
Natigilan si Anthony, na halatang nagulat sa sinabi ni Benjamin. Pero pagkatapos ng ilang segundo, lumitaw ang isang alanganing ngiti sa mukha niya.
"Yes, and that's too violent."
"Violence has always been a part of civilization. Some of the most important parts of history are written in blood," Benjamin responded as he looked around the laboratory.
Anthony just sighed, unable to respond as he nodded in agreement.
Habang nakatuon sa ibang bagay ang atensyon ng kasama, itinuon ni Benjamin ang mga mata sa asul na folder sa ibabaw ng mesa ni Anthony. His expression darkened as he looked at it, before a small smirk appeared on his face.
Pagkatapos ng halos dalawang dekada, muli niyang tiningnan ang folder na iyon sa parehong paraan. Pagkatapos noon ay sinara niya na ito, at itinago sa loob ng secret drawer sa bandang ibaba ng mesa niya.
Huminga nang malalim si Benjamin pagkatapos noon, at itinuon ang mga mata sa glass plate na nakapatong sa ibabaw ng mesa niya kung saan nakaukit ang buong pangalan niya sa ibabaw ng mga katagang 'school director'.
His years of hard work finally paid off. There were a lot of sacrifices along the way, some even fatal, but in the end, his plans went through. All he wanted was to show the world that the metahumans are the multifaceted beings the world needs for progress, and that they should be feared, not because they are different but because they are powerful.
Sigurado si Benjamin na darating din ang panahon nila. Darating din ang panahon na dadami ang mga katulad nilang metahumans, at hindi na sila magiging maliit na grupo ng mga kakaibang tao.
From integrating it with a chosen school all over the world, he started to find metahumans, moulding them until they become acquainted with their abilities, and utilizing them in different areas of research and activities of the Paramount Laboratories.
Gamit ang tulong nila, ang Project Peculiar, na tinawag nang Paramount Program, ay nagsimula nang maghanap at mag-ipon ng mga metahumans mula sa iba't-ibang lugar. Itinago nila ang mga ito sa mga laboratoryo, at hinayaan ang mga tauhan nila na mag-conduct ng research sa mga ito para makahanap sila ng epektibong paraan para mas maparami pa ang uri nila. It's either by turning normal humans into their kind, or waking up dormant metahuman genes on certain carriers who do not possess manifested abilities.
He sacrificed lives - normal humans and metahumans alike - to find out the way to increase their numbers. From students, to vagrants... to old and young metahumans... Benjamin took them and used them all, only to find out that he would find the answer ten years later.
"I had it my way, so I made it a little different. And now, I'm almost there... After more than a decade, I'm almost there," bulong ni Benjamin sa sarili habang nakangisi at pinagmamasdan ang glass plate sa mesa niya.
********
"Ikaw pala 'yung naglagay ng yearbook sa library... At sinigurado mo talagang makikita ko iyon, tama ba?' tanong ni Jacob sa kaharap na si Gwen.
Weekend noon at wala sila sa campus, kaya napag-usapan ng dalawa na magkita para makapag-usap. Pinili nilang magkita sa isang café, at sa pumwesto sila sa isang mesa na may kalayuan sa ibang mga customers na naroon.
Tumango si Gwen. "Oo... Magmula pa man noong una tayong magkita, alam ko na kung sino ka. Matagal nang nakabantay sa'yo ang mga miyembro ng Sanctum. Pero nang mamatay ang lola mo, alam nilang hindi magtatagal, mapapalapit ka rin sa Paramount Laboratories. You will know about the fact that you are a metahuman, and that your family is connected with all of this. After all, you needed to know the truth.
"Kung hindi ko ginawa 'yun, baka mauna pa ang Paramount Laboratories sa'yo. Masigasig sila sa paghahanap ng mga metahumans eh. He has the ability to distinguish metahumans from other people, and he also has a telepath with him, Janus... Aside from that, he has a lot of metahumans under him, including some former students of the Paramount Class.
"Ang Paramount Laboratories, sila ang gustong magpapatay sa 'kin... Sila rin ang dahilan kung bakit namatay ang tatay mo. At ngayon, gusto ka nilang makuha para gamitin. Ikaw ang kailangan nila..." pagpapatuloy ni Gwen.
Napabuntong-hininga si Jacob. "Nag-aral ako sa Faircastle na walang kaalam-alam na ganito pala ang aabutin ko dito... Who knew that in the end, I'd be fighting the system to save my kind and to ensure my safety?"
"Wala naman tayong choice, Jacob. Tayo ang may kakayahan para gawin 'to. A lot of lives have been sacrificed... And if we don't put a stop to this, a lot more will be compromised. It might even include our own lives, if ever we don't succeed... Para kay Benjamin at sa Paramount Labs, hindi tayo mga metahumans, pero mga specimen na pwede nilang magamit sa mga eksperimento nila."
"Kung ganoon ang gagawin natin, kailangan natin ng matinong plano. We're going to need information, and intricate plan, and cooperation from each other. It's just us, alongside the other metahumans working with Sir Daniel."
"Shareholder sa Paramount Laboratories ang tatay ni Vladimir, 'di ba?" ani Gwen, "Malaki ang maitutulong niya sa 'tin."
"Sigurado ka?"
"Jacob naman... Alam kong hindi maganda ang trato sa inyo noon ni Vladimir pero -"
"Hindi iyon ang ibig kong sabihin," umiiling-iling na tugon ni Jacob sa kanya, "Don't you think Vladimir might become uncomfortable with this? I mean, our goal is to destroy the Paramount Program... which meant he has to go against his own father."
Bahagyang natigilan si Gwen sa sinabi ng kaharap, at napagtantong may punto nga si Jacob sa sinabi nito. She then heaved a deep breath, and nodded in agreement.
She then looked down on the table as she tapped the wood with her fingers. "Then we'd have to make him decide if he wants to help us or not..."
"At paano kung piliin niyang hindi tumulong sa 'tin?" tanong ni Jacob sa dalaga, "Alam kong close kayong dalawa ... But if he chooses to be loyal to his family, then you'll be fighting against him."
Gwen looked up to him. She then heaved a deep breath, as she sat up straight. "Wala naman akong magagawa kung pipiliin niya ang pamilya niya. But just so you know, hindi ako lalaban para lang sirain si Benjamin at ang Paramount Program. I'm fighting for my life."
Jacob sighed and grinned. He does not know what to say, since he will never understand what Gwen went through. He may feel what she felt, but how it shaped her as a person is something Jacob will never understand.