Note: Hello. It is my first time doing a Science Fiction story. I haven't read a lot of stories, nor watched movies, so I could tell I have limited access in this genre. Another thing, I am writing in a guy's point of view. I hope you bear with me. It is somewhat inspired with this pandemic.
I know, most of us want to have a cure with the virus. But here's the thing, SKL, before we can come up with the cure, dadaan muna tayo sa napakahaba at napakatagal ng proseso ng researches. Yes, researches, not just one but a lot of researches. It would need funding. So if we don't have funds, then, probably, it won't meet our expectation. Cure can't be created in just a month. Iyong process pa lang para ma-approve for human consumption would take a lot of time. Hindi lang buwan bibilangin, mostly, it would take years. There's a process. Kaya basahin muna natin 'to hahaha. Yes, I will still update my on-going stories (just in case, you're also reading that). Thank you.
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CHAPTER ONE
His eyes narrowed as he focused on the night sky. He welcomed the mellifluous night with that sight. Parang hinihila siya ng kumukislap na bituin sa madilim na kalangitan. He's been fascinated with stars. Madalas kasi iyong kuwento sa kanya ng kanyang ina --- that stars are our loved ones who passed away. How true is that in the world ruled by Science?
Ibinaba niya ang baso na may lamang alak sa mesa. Hinayaan niyang ilapat ang kanyang katawan sa recliner chair na kanyang inuupuan. He pushed a button to make the chair more cozy. Agad na kumapal ang foam nito at naging mas malambot at mas relaxing. He wanted to stay a little bit longer and admired the stars above.
"Kuya," a little voice called him from behind. "Kuya Xavier, anong ginagawa mo r'yan? Hindi ka pa ba matutulog?"
Sinundan ito nang maliit na yapak palapit sa kinaroroonan niya. Napoleon Exequiel Tiago --- his little brother. Ang kahuli - hulihang remembrance ng kanyang ama sa kanila. Agad siyang napangiti nang makita ang matabang mukha nito.
"You should sleep now, Leon." masuyo niyang sabi habang pinagmamasdan ang nakababatang kapatid. Sumilip ito sa mesa kung saan nakalagay ang alak na iniinom niya. Napangiwi ang kanyang kapatid nang makita ang alak.
Kung mayroon man siyang pinaka-iniingatan --- dalawang tao lang iyon. It is his mom and his little brother. Sila na lang ang natitira sa pamilya niya. And he would kill for their safety. He promised the old man, and his father that he would take care of them no matter what.
"Do you still have nightmares?" Napoleon asked softly. "Kaya ka ba umiinom ngayon? Hindi ka ba makatulog? Gusto mo bang samahan kita, kuya?"
Kumandong ito sa kanya at humilig sa kanyang balikat. Inalalayan niya ang kapatid. His fluffy hands enveloped him with a hug. "That's sweet of you, Leon. Kuya is fine. Kailangan lang niya nang pampa-antok." sagot niya habang ginugulo ang buhok nang nakababatang Tiago.
"Okay. Sasamahan na lang kita rito." hirit pa nito. Hindi na siya tumanggi o nagreklamo. Because maybe, in his depth, he needed someone right now. Whoever that someone is, he needed company.
Pareho silang nagpatihulog sa pagtitig sa mga bituin sa langit. Pakiramdam niya sinsamahan siya ng mga ito.
Itinuro ni Napoleon ang malaking flying saucer sa itaas. The luminescence of Heaven is clearly visible and it is bright as the stars combined. "Kuya, kapag lumaki ako. Gusto ko ring maging katulad mo. I want to be a legionnaire. Gusto ko ring makapunta sa Heaven." his little brother said enthusiastically. Unti - unting nawala ang ngiti ni Xavier.
Gusto niyang umangal sa sinabi ng kapatid. Wala itong kaalam - alam sa papasukin. Pero wala rin siyang magagawa. It's inevitable. At the age of ten, every boy in the State must comply to the training given by Heaven. Masinsinang training hanggang sila ay tuluyang maging legal. Isa rin siya sa umisip na pribilehiyo ang naturang aktibidad. They have to live by the word of Minda. Blood of a Warrior. Never a Coward.
At the age of eighteen, they are allowed to choose whatever path they want to take. Ayaw niya iyon para kay Napoleon. Ayaw niyang maging katulad niya ang kapatid.
"You're too young to decide." sinabi niya lang. "Marami ka pang pagpipilian,"
Hindi na ito nagtanong pa sa sinabi niya. Muling bumalik ang tingin nito sa kalawakan. "Ang ganda talaga ng stars. Siguro sila Lolo at Papa iyan, ano? Pinagmamasdan nila tayo mula sa itaas."
Just like him, iyon din ang naging kuwento ng ina sa mga bituin sa langit. They are the dead loved ones and they are in the night sky to guide their beloved.
"Siguro," he whispered. Ayaw naman niyang baliin ang paniniwalang iyon ng kanyang kapatid. Sa panahon ngayon, isang kahangalan na ang paniniwala sa isang bagay na walang siyentipikong pagkilala.
"Kuya," tawag ng kapatid sa atensyon niya. Binalingan niya ito. " Bakit nasa itaas iyong Heaven? Bakit hindi sila nahuhulog sa ibaba? Magic ba iyon?"
They both looked at Heaven above --- House of Estados Against Violence and Enemies in the New era. It was built above the three States. At habang nakatayo ito sa matayog na parte, patuloy ang alaala ng nakaraan at ang natapos na giyera. Ang giyerang kumitil ng milyong buhay at pagkawasak ng tuluyan ng ibang Estados. It is the Symbol of a new era. It is the System.
Umiling siya. "No, it's not magic. It is better than magic." sagot ni Xavier sa kapatid na nakatingin pa rin sa Heaven.
Lumingon ito sa kanya na mayroong pagtataka. "Ano?" he asked curiously.
What could be the greatest weapon of the human race to survive the Great War? To build such buildings as high as the clouds above? Magic, perhaps? No, it is better than that. Much powerful. Much realistic. From the transparent computers, genetic-engineered species as food, scientific treatments for different diseases, to produce fossil fuels synthetically, hanggang sa pagbuo ng iba't ibang sasakyang pang-teknolohiya, identification systems at pagbuo ng isang siyudad sa taas ng alapaap. It is definitely better than magic. It is Science, Technology and Engineering. The foundation. The core of things. The backbone of the year 2050.
"Teknolohiya at engineering, Leon. They are more powerful than magic. They make things possible." he answered.
Nanlaki ang mata nito. Bumaba siya sa pagkakaupo kay Xavier. Inililis nito ang mahabang padyama ni Xavier. Lumantad sa kanila ang artificial electronic leg niya. He earned it as a Legionnaire.
"Kagaya nito, kuya?" his brother asked.
He nodded. "Yes," mapakla niyang sagot.
"I want to have that as well!" masaya nitong wika. Napailing siya sa sinabi ng kapatid. He'll never want him to have it. Because everyone who has that artificial electronic leg had felt unimaginable pain. The war had stopped, but every day is a battle that you have to survive.
"Malalim na ang gabi," he said out of words. "Let's go inside."
Pinindot niya ang isang button ng recliner chair. It returned into its original size and shape. Itinayo niya rin si Leon na pinaglalaruan na ang kanyang artificial leg. He could see the over-looking view of the State --- the Minda. He could see everything as one of the perks living in a high area.
Minda is the smallest State among the three States that survived in the Great War. It was twenty years ago, yet the damages are still recognizable. Mula sa ruins, the untouchable buildings bombed by radioactive chemicals na hindi na binalak isaayos ng pamahalaan ng State and the built of the Heaven that symbolizes a new era. Ito rin ang pinakamahirap na Estado. He can see all of that from where he is standing.
"Halika na. We're going to sleep." aya niya sa kapatid.
Humakbang sila papalapit sa pinto. He pushed the button to enter. Lumabas doon ang finger print scanner. Itinapat niya ang kanyang hinlalaki sa scanner. Agad itong umilaw, sinundan nitong analisahin ang kanyang mata. The world changed. Technology took over and it should be for the better.
"You may enter."
Kusa itong nagsara nang makapasok sila. Pinauna na niyang paakyatin si Napoleon sa kaniyang kuwarto. Something caught his attention in the kitchen. It was connected to the basement. Iyon ang daan papunta sa basement. He looked at it again, the blue ray of light was nowhere to be seen. Hindi niya alam kong namamalik-mata ba siya.
He grabbed a luminescence. Tinungo niya ang makitid na daan na konektado sa basement pababa. It was too narrow. Kontrolado ang bawat paggalaw niya.
"Shit!" he cursed as he stepped into a number of toys. Muling umilaw ang bughaw na kulay. It was a dinosaur toy owned by his little brother. Ang mata nito ay umiilaw ng kulay asul. Pinulot niya iyon. Realization hit him.
The toy will not light itself unless acted upon. In his case, naapakan niya ang laruan kaya ito umilaw. Mabilis pa sa alas kwatrong tumakbo siya pabalik ng kusina. Mabilis ang bawat galaw niya. His reflexes are fast, kahit ang electronic leg niya, hindi siya nagawang bumagal. Kumuha siya ng kitchen knife at tinungo ang kwarto ng kapatid. Napoleon was already asleep. No one suspicious was there.
Sunod niyang tinungo ang kwarto ng kanyang ina. Wala ito sa kanyang kama. Agad siyang nakaramdam ng kakaibang kaba at nilukob nang malamig na hangin. Bumilis ang tahip ng dibidib niya.
"Mom?" he called.
No one answered.
"Mom, where are you?" he whispered calmly.
Hindi siya gumawa ng ingay nang makapasok sa kwarto. He controlled his every move. He was once a Legionnaire. He has a capability of a soldier. He is a citizen of Minda.
"Xavier," boses iyon ng kanyang ina. "What are you doing here? May kailangan ka ba, anak?"
Nakahinga siya nang maluwag. Agad niyang itinago ang patalim sa mata ng kanyang ina.
"None. I was just wondering about this toy, umilaw kasi mag-isa. Were you in the kitchen earlier?" he asked. Ipinakita niya ang dinosaur toy na natagpuan niya sa tapat ng pinto ng basement.
She looked at him apologetic. "Kasalanan ko yata at nasipa ko." his mom answered.
Tumango siya. But a part of him was not convinced. He worked for the Legion and he was instructed not to trust anything. He doesn't trust the situation. Pakiramdam niya ay mayroong mali but he shrugged. He kissed her goodnight. Ayaw na niya itong pag-alalahanin pa. Her mom is a soldier veteran as well. Mabilis niyang malalaman kung mayroong mali.
Hindi siya agarang pinatahimik ng pangyayari. He went back to the basement. This time, for him to check the inside. It was too long ago when he went there. It was during the war. Ang lolo lang niya ang kasama niya roon. Because both of his parents fought valiantly in the war.
He opened the secret button. Tumambad sa kanya ang maliit na computer screen. The basement has a password built by his grandfather.
"Please enter the passcode." the female automated voice said and started to recite verses. His grandfather was fascinated with riddles.
"It will burn in pure nitrogen gas.
Found on the moon, some types of stars,
and meteorites,
Soft, white, lustrous metal...ity
It has been known since antiquity
with highest electrical conductivity...
Combines with a colorless,
odorless and tasteless
abundant in the body.
While the first two,
improves alloy corrosion resistance.
But more powerful when it comes in three."
He typed the answer on the computer screen. Maingat at mabilis. Within seconds, it could blow up the person trying to enter the basement.
Ti-Ag-O.
Agad na bumukas ang basement. Tumambad sa kanya ang parehong ayos noon. Walang nabago. Walang naiba. It was just the same. He found nothing suspicious but the computer on the side. It was his grandfather's. Hindi niya sigurado kung gumagana pa iyon.
He wouldn't know unless he tried.
Now, he's face to face with a woman with no identity. Claiming, she's from the future. And that future is about to unfold.