Glory and Gore (Completed)

Chapter 52

PRESIDENT LEE

President Lee was ecstatic to know that the New World Order had been implemented the way he always dreamt it would. Oo, maraming nasayang nabuhay. Nasayang? He clearly didn't think so. Those citizens who died had two choices— they could live in his new nation or die in their old one. Hindi niya kasalanan iyon. President Lee only did what he ought to do to retain his beloved nation and followed the orders from the World Government.

But he was happy with the result nonetheless.

In just a few minutes, his small council will gather here in his own room. May malapad na mesa ang nakalatag sa gitna ng silid. May malaking screen na nakapaskil sa unahan. Ang pagdidiskusyonan nila ngayong umaga ay kung ano na ang mga update sa mga arenang itinayo sa loob ng nasyon. At kung ano na ang nangyari sa mga kampeon sa loob ng arena. He was eager to know who were the ones who managed to survive the challenges the Game Masters had put in every round.

Mayamaya pa ay isa-isa ng dumating ang mga miyembro ng kanyang konseho. Lahat ng mga taong ito ay lubos niyang pinagkakatiwalaan. President Lee chose these people himself, that was why he had so much trust in them.

"Shall we start?" he asked them.

Nakangiti lang silang sabay-sabay na tumango sa kanya. With just one click from the small device he was holding, the huge screen lit up. The screen had been split up into 12 boxed-shape—each showing a camera from the happenings inside the fourth round. From his spot, he could clearly see students tearing each other off. It somehow made him excited and happy.

Ang matandang lalaki na pinakamalapit sa kanya ang tumayo. He turned his head to look at him. Tipid itong ngumiti sa kanya saka nagsalita. "President Lee, the Paragons are quite happy with the Games' results. Ipinahahatid nila ang kanilang pasasalamat sa iyo."

Sumilay ang isang ngiti sa kanyang labi. He wanted to impress the Paragons ever since the day they came down to Earth. And from the message this old man had given him, he couldn't have been more glad to know that he made the Paragons happy. If not for them, they wouldn't have a planet to live on.

They first came here with their hovercrafts and extraterrestrial spaceships. Hindi pangkaraniwan ang teknolohiya na ginamit ng mga ito sa pagbuo ng mga sasakyang iyon. President Lee had never seen anything like it. Ang akala nila noong una ay mga alien iyon pero nagkamali sila. It was worst than the aliens. They called themselves the Paragons. They were the Engineers of the entirety of the universe and of the human race. They had created everything. Every single thing. Every single human living here on Earth and on other planets.

To put it simply, isa lang ang earth sa milyon-milyon nilang eksperimento.

Nagawang magmakaawa ng mga opisyal ng World Government na bigyan sila ng tsansa na maitama ang kanilang mali. Nitong nakaraang taon lang ay bumilis ang pagdami ng populasyon sa pangkalahatan ng planeta. Nagbabadya ang pagkasira ng planeta dahil baka hindi na nito makaya ang bilang ng mga tao. Noon bumaba ang mga Paragons. Their only goal was to wipe out the human race here on Earth. They already considered this Earth as a huge failure for their strive of perfection. But the World Government offered a plan that will help them renew everything—to sort out the predators among the preys.

Noon ipinatupad ang New World Order. The first order was to kill all the poor ones, the lowest part of the food chains. Second order was to eliminate those who will oppose to the new law. Third order, the Game of Survival—this simply means that children from ages 14 to 20 are to be taken by the government and they will be placed inside the arena to fight for their survival. Only 1 of them will make it out alive.

From his peripheral vision, a woman stood up and looked at him. "President Lee, I would also like to inform you that our champions are too far away from each other. We have to make a way for them to be near each other. Para muling dumaloy ng maayos ang proseso ng laro."

Ang tinutukoy nitong Kampeon o Champions ay ang mga estudyanteng lumalaban para sa buhay ng mga ito sa loob ng arena. President Lee was the one who chose the name. It seemed perfect for the game he had created.

"Or maybe they are not taking the game seriously as they ought to," saad niya. "Kailangan nating gumawa ng paraan para muling ipaalala sa kanila na isa lang sa kanila ang makakalabas ng buhay sa arena. At nasa mga palad natin ang kanilang buhay."

Muling tumayo ang matandang lalaki. "Will this be implemented on the other arenas as well, President?"

Tumango siya. "Yes, all the arenas," tugon niya.

Kabilang sa plano nila para sa Game of Survival ay ang paglalagay ng 20 arenas na nakapaikot sa bansa. At sa loob ng bawat arena ay may 300 na estudyante sa iba't ibang lupalop ng nasyong pinamamahalaan niya.

Muli siyang nagsalita. "Please inform the Game Masters as well. They need to know this as well. Make sure to tell that we have to think of something unexpected that will surprise the champions completely."

"Paano po ang last round, President? The Game Masters are still waiting for your idea regarding the last round," anang babae sa bandang unahan.

Pumihit siya patalikod at matamang tiningnan ang hardin sa labas ng bintana ng silid niya. Hindi niya mapigilang ngumiti. In fact, he already has an idea for the last round. Hindi na siya makapaghintay na mapanood iyon sa screen ng kanyang telebisyon. It was the most perfect last round that anyone could ever think of.

"May ideya na ako. I would like to call it Murder Trials," anas niya.