Chapter 39: A Proposal

"Do you know what this means Gallego?" narinig kong tanong sa akin ni Nikon habang nakatanaw ako sa labas ng glass window ng Research Laboratory. Malaking apoy ang tumupok sa ilang mga pabrika ng 5th Ward at mula sa 1st Ward ay tanaw namin ang itim na usok na nasa kalangitan. "Do you know what the Capital has become?"

Huminga ako nang malalim at sinagot sa isipan ko ang tanong na iyon ni Nkon. The Capital is a mess. Sinunog ng mga tao ang mga pabrika sa 5th Ward dahil sa tingin nila ay hindi naging makatarungan ang turing sa kanila ng employer. They received small wages but heavy jobs ngunit ngayong ilang araw nang pumutok ang balita na wala nang batas ang namumuno sa Capital, the citizens gone wild.

Laganap rin ang nakawan, and they're lucky kung nagkataong walang security ang ninanakawan nila dahil kung meron, tiyak na matinding bugbog ang aabutin nila. Walang pulis o batas na magbabawal sa ginagawa nila. This is a total mess and it's something that I didn't imagine before.

I didn't dream for the Capital to be under anarchy, ang nais ko lamang ay mapatalsik si Moran. But look what happened. The citizens had understood wrongly how to put self-fulfilling desires and instead ay ginamit nila ang pagkakataon na gumawa ng mali. They steal, do arson and worst, kill.

"Don't talk to me as if you know what I am thinking," sagot ko sa kanya.

"Anarchy's top priority is to meet personal needs than a society or the Capital itself," pagpapatuloy niya. "Look at the numbers of researchers. Iilan na lamang ang naiwan dahil una, binuo ang project RUM dahil sa isang layunin. Now that there's no more government who established such project, ibig sabihin ay dissolve na rin ang proyektong ito-- fortunately, Dr. Aaron and other researchers and that include us choose to continue this. Iyon ay dahil may gusto tayong makamit sa huli, and for this is to find the ultimate meat for food and nutrition. Ayaw kong mag-isip nang masama but I think if this kind of Capital continues, the damage will be irreversible."

Hindi ko na napagilan ang sarili ko kaya nilingon ko siya at tiningnan nang masama. Puto, ang daming sinabi, ano ba ang punto niya? "Let me get this straight Nikon, gusto mo bang sabihin na mali ang pagpapaalis kay Moran sa pwesto? Alam mo ba ang mga kawalanghiyaang ginawa niya?"

"Ilang beses ko bang sasabihin sa'yo na hindi ako kampi kay Moran?"

I snarled at him and tries to read what he's thinking. Puto, hanggang ngayon ay hindi ko pa rin alam kung kakampi ba siya o kalaban. "Tatanungin ulit kita Nikon Zamora, who are you?"

A dangerous smirk escaped his lip. "Let's say I am also an enemy of your enemy, but I cannot consider you as my friend."

"Same here kaya wag kang assuming kung iniisip mong gusto kitang maging kaibigan," I said, raising a brow.

"Really?"

"Yup, mabuti ng magkaliwanagan tayo. I don't trust you," sabi ko.

He nodded his head. "I don't trust you too. But I have an interesting deal for you."

I turned away. "I'm not interested."

"Even if the Grande's memories are at stake?"

Nagpanting ang tainga ko dahil sa narinig. Now that's something hard to ignore and impossible not to react to. Matagal ko ng sinasabi sa kanya na ibalik kay Gon ang mga alaala nito ngunit paulit-ulit rin niyang sinasabi na hindi na kay Gon ang mga alaalang naimbak ng memory bank. Pusangina.

"Ibalik mo ang alaala ni Pentagon!" mariing wika ko sa kanya. His lips twitched upward before he turned to his back.

"If you want me too, follow me."

Nagsimula siyang maglakad palayo habang nakapamulsa. I battled with myself whether I will follow him or not. I know how important those memories for Pentagon. He has done a lot of things for me ngunit anong nagawa ko para sa kanya? Wala. I guess this is the least that I can do.

I gritted my teeth as I followed Nikon's tracks.

I found myself sitting in a closed room with Nikon. Malakas ang kabog ng dibdib ko habang naglalaro sa isipan ko ang kagimbalgimbal na mga eksena. Paano kung patayin ako ni Nikon dito? Patayin, tagain, at ichop-chop? No! No way.

"Relax Gallego, I will only have a business proposal for you," sagot niya at umupo. He offered me a seat at padabog na naupo ako dahil nanghihina ang tuhod ko dahil sa hindi ko alam na dahilan.

"I want to get straight to the point," panimula niya. "Pero bago iyon ay sasagutin ko muna ang tanong mo. Am I a friend or a foe? Well that depends on your decision on my deal. Loyalty and gratitude is the top value for me, at iyon ang pinanghahawakan ko sa sarili ko. I will be loyal and I will value gratitude. Alam kong nasabi ko na sa'yo na mula ako sa 5th ward at si Doctor Aaron ang tumulong sa akin--"

"If you asked me to be here para makinig sa talambuhay mo, no thanks."

"Stop being impatient Gallego, I'm only telling you the answers to your questions later."

I mentally rolled my eyes. Puto, dvanced mag-isip, alam kung ano ang mga magiging tanong ko mamaya. Tsk.

"And I pledged my loyalty and I want to express my gratitude to Doctor Aaron. He's a man dedicated to his job and objectives and he doesn't want to do thing unsuccessfully. Unfortunately, P:RUM was a failure because of you so he launched P:RUM 2.0 and I wanted him to achieve this time that's why I want to get rid of the hindrance and that includes you."

Bigla akong napatayo at hinampas ang mga kamay ko sa mesa. "Papatayin mo ba ako?"

Inilapag niya ang isang baril sa harapan ko. "That was my original plan, but no, of course i cannot do that. I'm here for a proposal."

Bigla na lamang bumukas ang pinto at pumasok ang isang lalaking nakasuot ng laboratory gown. May dala itong baril na ngayon ay nakatutok sa akin. Namumukhaan ko siya, isa siya sa mga bahagi ng P:RUM 2.0.

"Nikon! Anong ginagawa mo? Kailangan natin siyang idispatsa dahil kung hindi ay masisira ang plano natin! Ikulong na natin siya! Don't make any deals!" sigaw niya at muling itinutok ang baril sa akin. Nanginig ako dahil sa labis na takot at hindi agad ako nakagalaw.

My scream filled the room along with a loud bang. I opened my eyes and saw the man lying on the floor, with a hole in his forehead. Nanghihina na napaupo ulit ako at kinalma ang sarili ko. I witnessed violence and all but it's still very frightening.

Binaril pala ito ni Nikon. Inilapag niya ulit sa mesa ang baril na ginamit niya na para bang walang nangyari.

"K-kung h-hadlang lang ako sa P:RUM 2.0 ibig bang sabihin ay ginagamit pa rin ninyo ang mga matatanda? Peke ba ang mandatory death na ginagawa ng Capital t-tapos ang totoo ay ginagawa n'yo na namang karne ang mga matatanda?!" Nanginging na ako dahil sa labis na galit at takot. Nabuhay ulit ang galit ko dahil sa nangyari noon, imagining how inhuman it is to eat human. Very disgusting!

"No, mali ang iniisip mo. Moran really wanted the mandatory death for fast solutions of the population that impoverished the Capital and that is a good way to divert the attention of people," sagot niya. "Pero hindi namin ginagamit ang mga matatanda, just so you know."

Mabibigat pa rin ang mga paghinga ko at hindi ko alam kung tama pa ba ang pagproseso ng mga salita niya sa isipan ko.

"Now here's the deal, I will return the memories of that Grande, and there's a bonus. I don't know how it is possible since P2 doesn't work on you pero may naimbak na memorya ang memory bank ng P2 simulation sa'yo. And guess what, it's not your memories but of a robot completed last 2056."

Kung hindi ako nakaupo ay malamang bumagsak na ako sa sahig. It's Brenda's-- which was originally Android IX's memory chip na nilunok ko! Noong mga panahong iyon ay inagaw ko kay Trench ang chip and he said malaki ang posibilidad na kainin iyon ng mga parasite sa katawan ko and he wasn't wrong! Hindi nga lamang namin alam dati na naiimbak pala ang memorya bilang side effect ng mga hindi apektado ng simulation ng p2!

"Surprised Gallego?" tanong ni Nikon. "The thing is that you are a very dangerous woman. You die? We will all die."

Hindi nga pala nila alam na kasinungalingan lamang ang tungkol sa device sa dibdib ko.

"That dead guy there wanted to keep you isolated somewhere in the Capital," wika niya at bahagyang tiningnan ang doktor na nakabulagta sa sahig. "But you are lucky enough to have knight in shining armors at malaki ang posibilidad na makawala ka pa rin kahit gaano kahigpit ang seguridad namin at kahit saang sulok man ng Capital." Bahagya siyang tumawa. Puto, nakakatawa 'yon? Siraulo. "So I come up with new solution."

"What?" tanong ko, bracing myself for anything. Also maintained my poker face dahil kapag nalaman nilang walang device sa dibdib ko, I'll be dead on the spot.

"Leave the Capital." he looked straight at me without blinking.

"Ano?!"

"You're not a pure citizen of the Capital to begin with. Sa Tussah, doon ka manirahan. Doon ay hindi ka nila masusundan. Mahigpit ang seguridad ng Tussah, they don't allow non-Tussan to enter their place. Mahigpit ang checkpoint na siyang daraanan ng bawat sinuman na gustong pasukin ang syudad. They have great security measures and maintain foreign relations. Nations find it hard to enter Tussah dahil mapanganib itong kalabanin. Tussah has the most advanced nuclear weapons and so. Bawal pumasok ang hindi dugong Tussah, they will carefully examine everyone who leave and enter the city at kapag tinangka mong pumasok doon, making them believe you're from Tussah..." Binitin niya ang sinabi at naglikha ng tunog gamit ang kanyang lalamunan, making a gesture of slicing his throat. "You're dead."

I scowled at him. "Paano mo naman 'yan nalaman?"

"I've been in underground fights gaya ni KL, and we were brought to the boundaries of Tussah ngunit hindi kami tuluyang nakapasok sa syudad. But sponsors, clients and gamblers are high-end Tussah citizens. They're really talkative when drunk."

"No," matigas kong tanggi.

"No?"

"No, I will not leave the Capital." Puto, ano basta-basta na lamang akong aalis? Iiwan ko lahat ng sinimulan ko? No, no way.

A playful smile stayed at the corner of his lips. "Gallego, do you know what you've been all the time?"

I don't want to hear the next words he's about to say ngunit hindi ko mapigilan ang sarili kong huwag makinig. Ano nga ba ako?

"Pabigat. Sakit sa ulo. Ikaw ang dahiln kung bakit nagiging mas kumplikado ang lahat."

Puto, ano raw ako? Am I the one who made everything complicated?

"You always make it hard for people around you. If you haven't done anything stupid before, buhay pa sana ang mga Grande. Your so-called boyfriend must have not did the things he's done lately. Trench must have maintain his authority to the student body. They are struggling so hard to protect you, and heck, you're not even worth it. Ilang tao na ba ang napahamak sa'yo? You and your impulsiveness harm not you, but the people round you."

His words cut like knife to my chest. Ayaw ko mang magpaapekto sa mga sinasabi niya, pero may punto siya. I did a huge mistake before. I act impulsively making everyone at risk. And that's because I thought I was doing it the right way pero kung tama ang mga ginawa ko noon, bakit tila mas lalong gumulo ang sitwasyon ngayon? Tama siya. I am not worth it.

My thoughts swallowed me whole. I questioned all I did at inisip ko rin ang mga ginawa ng iba sa akin. They did so much for me, I've done nothing in return. Siguro ay may punto rin si Nikon, pabigat lamang ako sa kanila.

"I know your thoughts are clouded know with a lot of realizations Gallego and I think I have the best explanation for that. Maybe it's because you don't belong here. Hindi ka nabibilang sa Capital Sunny Gallego."

I handled the problem in the past the wrong way, thus harming the present. I guess I need to deal with today's challenges better than before. How I handle this will determine my future. Nikon stood watching me getting drown in my thoughts and lifted myself but only to drown even more. Magulo ang isipan ko ngunit mas magulo ang nangyayari sa Capital.

"So what do you think about my proposal gallego?" untag niya sa akin.

I curled my fist and looked at him with my will burning. I have to do this right.

"Deal."

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