< RIRI >
"Okay, so for your culminating activity, you will be grouped and your task is to create a unique game."
Lahat ay tahimik na nakikinig kay Sir Jace, our professor in Advanced Software Technologies.
"Of course you'll be the one programming it, and the group that garnered the highest number of users within a time period, they will be introduced to the school administrators, and you guys will be entitled for a job security. This is really a high-paying one. You will also earn lot of connections. I am saying this for once and for all, brace yourselves and do your best. You can build your desired future by starting here."
Nag-dismiss na pagkatapos mag-discuss ng project. Lumabas na lang agad ako ng room at gutom na ako. Ako lang mag-isa dahil lowbat ang social battery ko ngayon.
1 New Notification
Zildjian added you and 3 others to the group.
[ 2 new messages ]
Emman:
Sup guys swerte team
Riri:
Hiiii :)
Iori:
Hi guys, so what's the plan?
Zildjian:
Nothing yet, any suggestions
@everyone
Iori:
What if set nalang tayo
f2f meeting? Laters, 6PM?
Free ba lahat?
You reacted 👍🏻 to this message.
Zildjian:
G ako.
Emman:
(2)
Zildjian:
@Owen ?
Hays baka offline.
Isabay ko nalang sya mamaya.
Teka saan pala tayo?
Iori:
Hmm, pwede naman sa
apartment ko
May space tayo here
Dala nalang kayo laptop
And I also have an idea!
You reacted ❤️ to this message.
Emman:
Ano?
Iori:
Laters! :p
Zildjian:
Haha k. Kitakits nalang gtg
You reacted ❤️ to this message.
Seen by everyone
***
Habang naglalakad pauwi nang makasalubong ko si Owen, kasama mga tropa niyang may suot na ID ng Marketing.
"Oy Owen, may meeting mamaya kila Iori. Nakita mo ba yung gc, 6pm. G ka?"
Napahinto silang magtotropa sa biglaan kong bati.
"Oh Riri, ganun ba? Later na ko reply kamo ha deadbatt kasi ako, pero g naman ako maya. Dala rin ako makukukot," aniya sabay tawa kaya nangiti nalang din ako dahil may sasagot na ng chibog. Galante rin ang isang 'to e.
"Sige sige uwi na muna ako, kita kits nalang!"
"Okay, ingat ka Riri, bye!"
He said his phone's deadbatt. Pero paano niya na-seen yung gc? Afaik, seen by everyone huli kong nakita. Anyway, baka lang may ibang may gamit ng acc niya.
Pagkauwi ko sa apartment ay agad akong nagpalit ng damit at namahinga saglit. Binuksan ko ang laptop pagkatapos nang ilang minuto.
Chineck ko ang ilang codes na sinave ko noon magmula nung nag-umpisa ang term na ito.
Baka mayroon kaming magamit dito mamaya sa meeting. Dapat man lang atleast ay prepared ako dahil magagaling din mga kagrupo ko, ayokong ma-OP.
Lumipas ang ilang oras at malapit na mag-alas sais. Nagligpit na ako ng gamit at inayos ang mga dadalhin ko kila Iori.
At dahil napaka-traffic sa dinaanan ng Grab, I arrived by 6:30 PM. Kumatok ako pero parang walang tao.
Kumatok pa ulit ako nang ilang beses, but I didn't receive any response from anyone. Weird, it's already past 6.
They should've been here by now. Late nga ako kaya akala ko ako na huling dadating. I immediately checked the gc kung may update ba, pero 'yung message pa rin ni Zild ang huling chat.
Did they ditch me?
Hey guys, san kayo?
| Sent
Walang naka-online. I waited 20 minutes more, baka late lang sila. Pero walang nag-update ni isa. Medyo naiinis ako na kinakabahan na ewan.
I also called their numbers, but no one even answered.
Hindi na ba ako nila sinama sa grupo dahil babae ako? WTF kung ganoon. Napakawalang kwentang rason. Pero ayoko naman din kasing mag-conclude agad lalo't di ko naman alam kung anong totoo.
May nangyari kaya?
Nagulantang ako nang biglang mag-ring nang malakas ang phone ko.
Someone's calling but unknown ang number. I answered pero pinatay din agad ng caller. Huh?
[ 4 new messages ]
Unknown Number:
RIRI! THIS IS OWEN. LEAVE IORI'S PLACE NOW IF YOU'RE STILL THERE.
COFFEE CODE AT 7PM WE'LL BE THERE
Unknown Number:
BE CAREFUL! WATCH EVERYONE AROUND YOU. PLS BE SAFE
WE'LL EXPLAIN LATER BYE FOR NOW
Reply | Delete
Wtf is happening?!
Where are they?
Agad akong umalis sa kinatatayuan at akmang tatakbo nang may biglang sasakyang humaharurot na huminto sa tapat ko.
"Riri sakay bilis!"
ZILDJIAN!
"A-ano bang nangyayari?" Tanong ko pagkasakay sa kotse niya.
Hindi pa s'ya sumagot. Mukhang may humahabol sa amin at napakabilis nya magpatakbo.
"Zild, hindi ko maintindihan."
Nang makarating na kami sa Coffee Code, isang cafe dito sa Pampanga, siniguro muna ni Zild na walang nakasunod sakanya sa paligid at saka siya nagsalita—sa wakas.
"Riri, the game we created backfired to us," mahinahong sabi ni Zild, malayo ang tingin.
"Ctrl Z has garnered the most number of players and we won the competition, but bad news, our competitors won't let us win. They installed it and used it for their own benefit. Tangina! They were able to rewind the time Sir Jace was first discussing the culminating activity. This time, they put trackers to each of us and spy on us to sabotage our work.
Wala agad akong nasagot kay Zild. Tila pino-process pa ng utak ko ang nangyayari.
Paanong nagkatotoo ang isang laro lamang?
"Pero bakit di n'yo sinabi sakin? May gc tayo ah pero walang kayong update," pagtatanong ko sa pag-aakalang tinanggal na nila ako sa grupo.
"Our devices are hacked, too. We can't send messages to anyone. Sabay-sabay kaming dumating kanina kaya nagkataon ding sabay-sabay namin narealize na may nakasunod sa amin. Kung napaaga ka ng kaunti, baka naabutan ka ng mga taga-ibang grupo. Pumunta sila sa apartment ni Iori, buti nalang ay nakatunog kami at nakaalis agad. Hinabol nila kami. Nag-aalala kami sa'yo kaya nakagawa ng paraan si Owen para ma-contact ka, using his burner phone."
Sa dami ng sinabi niya ay parang walang nag-sink in sa'kin.
That just simply means, we're now living in the past that was rewinded because of that fucking game?
YOU ARE READING
Ctrl Z
Science FictionA group of outstanding IT students led by Zild prepare for their culminating activity where every group is tasked to build a game they will program themselves-with whose winning projects that piques the admin's interest, its creators will secure a h...
