Saving Humanity

Chapter Seven: Settling

Chapter Seven: Settling

Holly

I don't like Jared's plan to stay here.

I don't hate it as well, though. I mean, he has a point. Nandito na rin naman kami. Bakit hindi na lang kami mag-observe habang nag-iisip ng paraan kung paano makakaalis dito?

I guess we don't have a choice.

Later that night, I was able to get out of my bed and dine with the others on the cafeteria. Wala akong ganang kumain at makipag-socialize sa mga tao dito, pero pinilit ako ni Jared na lumabas. Binigyan ako ng bagong damit ni Kenji: a pair of jeans and a white shirt. Ito ang isinuot ko bago magpunta sa cafeteria.

Jared seems to be at ease in this place. He told me that the President gave him a tour while I was unconscious. Mabuti na rin iyon para magkaroon kami ng insight kung paano tumatakbo ang lugar na ito.

Sa cafeteria, kasama namin sa table si Kenji, at dalawa pang residence ng Institute na sina Sandy at James. Kasama rin namin ang roommate ni Jared na si Kenneth.

Naging mainit ang pagtanggap sa amin ng grupo. Pinuno nila kami ng mga tanong. Nalaman ko na karamihan ng mga nandito ay mga pamilya ng scientists na nagtatrabaho para sa gobyerno. I wonder if they know that the president had conspired with the extra-terrestrial beings who are currently invading our world right now.

Si Kenneth ang pinakatahimik sa grupo. Hindi siya masyadong umiimik at nagsasalita lamang kapag may tinatanong sa kanya. Sabi ni Jared sakin, katulad daw namin si Kenneth na maagang nalabanan ang epekto ng syndrome.

Until now, I'm still confused as to what made us special. Kung bakit kami gising ngayon at mabilis na nalabanan ang epekto ng syndrome. I think, this has got to do with us being captured by aliens, just like what our memory tells us.

Lahat ng naaalala ni Jared nu'ng gabing iyon ay naaalala ko na rin. Maybe it's because of the trauma that my head received when we were captured by the soldiers.

Thinking about it now, I realized that the strange vehicle that we were in that day is an actual spaceship. I mean, who else would kidnap us but the extra-terrestrial beings, right?

I just don't get it why our brains stopped remembering at the exact same moment. Posible kayang may ginawa 'yung mga aliens sa mga utak namin? Did they somehow rigged our brains to only remember parts of what happened that day? I may never know the answer for that question. I might have to talk to the extra-terrestrial beings myself to find out why they captured us. Which, in all honesty, is impossible.

Or is it?

Based on the documents that we retrieved from the Malacañan Palace, the President was the one who let the invaders in. If I can just conjure up a plan to trick him into letting me talk to one of the extra-terrestrial beings, it might change everything. Imagine the amount of information that I will get.

However, it's a plan that is doomed to fail. I don't even know what those extra-terrestrial beings look like.

What I need to do now is to help Jared formulate a plan to escape. We decided to stay here for a week and observe how the President runs this institute. Then we'll find Felicity and the others.

I hope that they're safe, wherever they are.

"—with friends, families and survivors?" James asks, interrupting my trail of thoughts. Nakatingin siya kay Jared habang nag-iisip. After a few moments ay muli siyang nagsalita.

"Maybe, a hundred and fifty? I have no way of knowing the exact number, though. It's just an estimation."

Mahigit isang daang tao rin pala ang nakatira dito sa Institute. I wonder how the President managed to hide that many citizens.

Oh, right. Siya nga pala ang nagdala ng mga extra-terrestrial beings dito. For as long as his alliance with the aliens stands, this place will remain protected.

I remain deep in my thoughts until the dinner is over. Right as I'm about to stand up and follow Jared to his room, Sandy grabs my wrist and gives me a wide smile.

"What?" I ask flatly. Napatigil din sa paglalakad si Jared at tumingin kay Sandy.

Her smile remains. "Hindi ka pwedeng sumama sa kwarto nina Jared at Kenneth, Holly."

"Why not?"

"Hindi pwedeng magsama sa iisang kwarto ang mga lalaki at babae," she answers.

Oh.

Sandy's smile widens upon seeing the realization on my face. "You can sleep with me, if you want. Mag-isa lang ako sa kwarto ko."

My gaze darts to Jared. He nods, giving me a timid smile. Tumingin ako kay Sandy.

"Sure," I say. Ngumiti naman siya at isinabit ang kamay niya sa kaliwang braso ko.

"Finally! May makakasama na rin ako sa kwarto," masayang sambit ni Sandy habang nakatingin sakin.

Nagsimula kaming maglakad papunta sa kwarto niya. Iisang building lang ang kinalalagyan ng mga kwarto dito. Nasa ikaapat na palapag ang para sa mga lalaki, at nasa ikalima naman ang para sa mga babae.

Nasa pinakadulo ng pasilyo ang kwarto namin ni Sandy. The room is ordinary, much like the room I've been in before I gained consciousness. Minus the medical equipments and the hospital bed, of course.

"You may take this side," Sandy says, gesturing to the left side of the room. There's a sleeping bag there, along with a set of clothes. Sandy must have read the question on my mind because she answers before I even ask.

"Lahat ng kwarto dito, para talaga sa dalawang tao," she says, sitting on her own sleeping bag. "Kaya may nakahanda ng mga gamit diyan kahit mag-isa lang ako dito."

Naupo rin ako sa sleeping bag ko. "Gaano ka na katagal dito?" tanong ko.

"I'm already here since this place started," Sandy answers, sighing. "My Dad used to work for the President, but he was not able to make it here."

"What happened?"

Sumandal si Sandy sa pader, at nagsimulang magkuwento. "I don't really know what kind of job my Dad did with the President. Basta sa gabi siya nagtatrabaho, at minsan hindi na siya nakakauwi dahil sa sobrang busy niya."

Her Dad must've been one of those scientists who worked for the President. Alam kaya ng mga scientists na ang Presidente ang dahilan kung bakit ganito ang kalagayan ng mundo ngayon? Pabor kaya sila sa pagdating ng mga extra-terrestrial beings? Kung oo, ano ang ipinangako sa kanila ng Presidente para pumayag sila?

I can't ask Sandy. It looks like she's more clueless than me about the conspiracy between our President and the extra-terrestrial beings. She won't be here otherwise.

"That night," Sandy continues. "My Dad told me to go to this place immediately. Ang dami kong gustong itanong sa kanya nu'ng mga panahon na iyon, pero hindi niya ako binigyan ng pagkakataon. I went here all by myself. He was not able to make it here."

Her eyes are full of sadness, the pain etched in her every word. I know how she feels, losing her Dad like that. At least I know what happened to him, unlike Sandy. She has no clue to her Dad's whereabouts.

"What happened?" I ask, willing my voice to stay strong. "Bakit hindi nakarating dito ang Papa mo?"

A tear falls down from Sandy's left eye. Mabilis niya itong pinunasan. "Sabi niya, pupuntahan niya si Mama at dadalhin dito. Wala akong idea kung anong nangyayari nu'ng mga oras na iyon, kung bakit ako pinapapunta ni Papa sa lugar na 'to. Ang sabi niya lang ay mas magiging ligtas ako dito."

Another tear falls down from her eye. This time, hinayaan niya na lang itong tumulo. "Naghiwalay sina Mama at Papa three years ago. I don't know the exact details, pero ang sabi lang sakin ni Papa, na-fall out of love daw si Mama at naghanap ng iba. Pero alam ko na mahal na mahal niya pa si Mama. Hanggang sa huli, ginusto niya na mailayo din si Mama sa panganib."

Sandy takes a shuddering breath, struggling to continue her story. Ibinuka niya ang kanyang bibig upang magsalita, pero nagsimula na siyang humagulgol. She buries her face in her hands, her body shaking uncontrollably.

"It's okay," is the only thing that comes out of my mouth.

There's nothing else that I can say. I know, deep down, that there's no comforting word that can ease the pain in her heart.