Saving Humanity

Chapter Thirty: End of the Line

Chapter Thirty: End of the Line

Ian

Our plan didn't change after knowing that the extra-terrestrial beings can track us down whenever they want to. They can track us all they want, but I'll make sure that we will outsmart them every step of the way.

Still, I have some doubts about going to the Sanctuary. Even if we managed to reach the place that Pauline is talking about, nothing can guarantee our safety. We will just be jeopardizing the lives of the other survivors who are currently living there. That is, if those extra-terrestrial beings can really track us down.

All of the speculations that we have are all just that, speculations. We can't confirm anything unless we test our theories. The only way to do that is to put all of our lives in danger, including those people that we haven't even met. Will the sacrifice of innocent lives be worth it?

I can't help but feel guilty about all of this.

"They're the only ones who can help us," Felicity tells me after I told her about my doubts. "They are a full-force of scientists and military personnels. Kung may makakasagot man sa mga katanungan natin tungkol sa extra-terrestrial beings, sila iyon."

I shake my head. "I know that. But... Don't you think we're jeopardizing the lives of everyone living there? I mean... Hindi lang naman mga scientists ang nakatira doon. They have their families with them, their children. I just don't think that it won't be worth it."

Felicity stares at me. Her eyes are blank, indicating that she's deep in her thoughts.

"But, we can't just give up," she says after a moment. "Ang layo na ng narating natin. Hindi pwede na basta na lang tayong sumuko, just because we found out that those aliens can track us down."

She looks down, and I can feel her sadness, even with the table between us. I know how much everything means to her. She has a family to search for, friends to be reunited with. She's not the kind of person who gives up easily after experiencing a slight inconvenience. No, she'll do everything in her power to make sure that everyone she loves will be safe.

"We won't give up," I assure her. I want to reach out and touch her hand, but I'm too afraid to move, lest she pulls away. "Giving up is the last thing we'll do. But, for now, we just have to think of a way to survive without the Sanctuary's help."

She slowly lifts her gaze towards me. "But... How?"

I smile, a way to assure her that no matter how messy our current situation is, everything will be okay eventually. "Just like what we always do. We stay together."

A tear escapes from her left eye. "But what about Jared and Holly?" she asks. "Paano natin sila mahahanap kung hindi tayo hihingi ng tulong mula sa Sanctuary?"

I was expecting her to ask that. Hindi ko alam kung anong isasagot ko, to be honest. I'm not like Jared who can conjure up a plan in mere seconds. I might be the smartest guy among us, but I'm too much of a control freak to formulate something in a matter of seconds. I am an intricate planner, something that makes me unfit to be a leader.

"Paano, Ian?" Felicity is crying now, her eyes producing tear after tear after tear. It hurts me to see her this way. If only I could do something to take some of her burden, I would. Alam ko kung gaano ka-importante si Jared sa kanya. I saw the way she looked at him.

Minsan, iniisip ko na sana ako na lang ang nawala, at hindi si Jared. Would things turn out a lot different?

Felicity lets out a strangled sob. "Tell me you have a plan to save them, and I'll go with you. Tell me, Ian. Unless you have a plan, the only thing that we can do now is to seek help from the Sanctuary."

She wipes her tears off, giving me a determined look. "We have to go to the Sanctuary and ask for their help. As I've said, sila lang ang makatutulong sa atin. Kung totoong nilagyan tayo ng mga aliens ng tracking device, they are the only ones who can free us from them."

Her eyes are alight with determination, and I'm sure she's feeling the same way. She's too desperate to save Jared and Holly that she can't accept any other plans from me. She would rather endanger a bunch of innocent lives than to let our friends perish.

Without thinking about it, I blurt out the words that I've been wanting to say all this time. Words that I know would break her heart.

"We're not even sure if Jared and Holly are still alive."

Felicity looks at me incredulously. Gone was the determination from her eyes a minute ago. Instead it was replaced by rage that's unmistakably directed at me. I fight the urge to recoil.

"What the fuck, Ian?" she says, her voice getting louder every word. "How can you say that?"

She stands up slowly, not taking her eyes off me. Sinundan ko rin siya ng tingin. She looks so angry that I won't be surprised if she ever decided to hurt me. I know I deserved it for being such a complete asshole.

"They're alive," she shouts, as if her loud voice could drill some sense in me. "Nararamdaman ko na buhay pa sila. They can't be dead. They can't..."

She trails off, and when I see the look in her face, I immediately realize what her next words could've been.

They can't end up like Jack's family.

Unti-unti ay napagtanto ko nang tuluyan kung ano ang nararamdaman niya. No one was there when Jack's entire family was murdered by Edward. No one but her. I can only imagine the horror she felt as she watched how that demon murdered the people who took us in, fed us and accepted us as if we're a part of their family.

She hasn't talked about the exact events that had transpired that night. She refused to, even when Jack asked her about it. It was too traumatizing for her to recall what happened.

I realize, with rising horror, how much of a complete asshole I am.

I stand up, and in an instant, I'm standing beside Felicity. As soon as my hand touches her shoulder, she crumbles. It's as if she was standing on a cliff of despair, and I was the one who pushed her in.

She collapses into my arms, her body shaking from the force of her sobs. I put my arms around her, because that's the only thing that I know I could do. I keep my mouth shut, lest I say something offensive. I don't trust my words anymore.

"Buhay pa sila, kailangan natin silang hanapin," she tells me over and over and over again. And everytime, I nod. Everytime, I assure her that we will find them no matter what.

"This won't be the end of the line for us," I tell her. "Nor will this be the end for them."

For the first time in a while, I'm surprised to find that I actually believe what I just said.