Dead City

Satellites

"Captain. This is Agent Williams speaking. I'm settled."

"Okay. Do the drill." Sagot ni Theo kay Owen.

Habang lumilipas ang oras ay pansin naming dumadami ng dumadami ang mga aliens. Mas kinakabahan din ako dahil hindi ko alam kung paano ko makokontak sila mama sa ibang bansa. Hindi na kasi gumagana ang signal ng sim ko.

"s**t!" Malutong na mura ni Theo kaya ako napatingin sa tinitignan niya.

Agad kaming tumalon nila Eula upang makaiwas nang mabasag ang glass wall dito dahil sa isang alien.

"Ahh-- f**k!" Malakas na mura ni Giz at nagpatuloy sa pagta-type kahit pa malapit sakanila yung alien.

Mabilis na bumangon si Theo atsaka kinuha ang baril na nabitawan namin kanina at binaril ang alien.

"Dumadami na sila. I think they found us." Aniko.

"Yes. We shouldn't allow those to interfere them." Sabi niya at tinukoy sila Ian na abala pa rin sa pag-computer.

"Oh, s**t!" Malakas na mura ni Ian nang mamatay ang power.

"They f*****g killed the power." He said.

"Generator." Sambit ni Eula.

"But it's at the ground floor." Wika ko.

"We don't have much time. Let's go." Ani ni Theo kaya na kami tumakbo na dalawa.

Pinaiwan niya si Eula upang bantayan sila Giz.

"Agent Williams." Sambit ni Theo sa earpiece.

"Agent Williams?" Ulit niya.

"Agent Williams." Ulit niya nanaman.

"Yeah? Who's this?" Sagot ni Owen.

"This is your Captain speaking." Sabi ni Theo.

"I need you to see the ground floor where we at, agent Williams." Utos niya kay Owen. Hindi siya agad sumagot at alam kong tinitignan niya ang ibaba ng gusaling ito.

"There are three aliens, Captain."

"Clear it for me, agent Williams."

"Okay. Roger."

"Agent Diaz. Are you done? This is your Vice-Captain speaking." Rinig kong sabi ni Hans habang kami ay nandito sa elevator.

"Not yet, Vice-Captain. There are too many of them." Rinig ko namang sagot ni Mia.

Ohh.... so her last name is Diaz. I see....

I wonder what's Theo's last name.

Agad akong umiwas ng tingin nang hindi ko napansing nakatitig na pala ako sakaniyang likod. Nasa may bandang harapan ko kasi siya.

Nang malapit na kaming makarating sa ground floor ay sinabi ni Owen na malinis na ito. Kaya paglabas namin ay agad kaming dumiretso kung nasaan ang generator.

Habang nagmamadaling magpunta dito ay narinig ko sila Ian saaking earpiece na pinapagawa si Eula ng sasabihin o tamang sabihin na mensahe na ibibigay nila sa gobyerno.

Mabuti na lang at sumama siya saamin dahil magagamit ang galing niya sa pag-komunika.

Napatigil naman kami dahil sa malaking batong nakaharang sa pintuan papasok kung nasaan yung generator. Napamura kami ng sabay ni Theo dahil dito.

"Damn it." Mura niya ulit.

"Agent Mendoza. This is your Captain speaking. Get down here on the ground floor. Let's go to different building." Wika niya. Mabilis namang sumagot sila Ian.

Lumabas muna kaming dalawa upang maghanap ng maaaring lipatan na mataas na gusali.

"Behind you!" Sabi niya saakin ngunit hindi ako naging mabilis dahil sa takot.

Agad niyang ginamit ang kaniyang baril atsaka binaril ang nasa likuran ko.

"Are you stupid? You nearly died! What the hell's wrong with you?" Halos galit at madiin niyang tanong nang makalapit siya.

I can't speak. I'm petrified.

"Hey." Pagkuha niya ng atensyon ko. Saka lang ako dito nakagalaw at napatingin sakaniya bago napatingin sa alien na binaril niya kanina na nasa aking likuran.

"Let's go." Aniya.

Pagkarating namin sa loob ay saktong kalalabas lang nila Giz sa elevator habang hawak ang kanilang mga gamit.

"What happened? Are you okay?" Nagaalalang tanong ni Eula saakin dahil alam kong narinig niya ang nangyari kanina sa kaniyang earpiece.

"Yeah." I sigh.

"Let's go. I found another building. It's higher than this one." Sabi ni Theo atsaka nauna.

I can't believe that because of him, I'm still alive right now. I thank him for that.

Pagpasok namin sa gusali ay mabilis kaming umakyat papunta sa pang-lima sa pinakamataas na palapag. Mabilis din nabuksan nila Ian ang kanilang mga gamit at nagpatuloy sa ginagawa kanina.

Ako naman ay itinulak at hinila ang mga lamesa palibot sakanila Giz upang hindi sila agad makita ng mga aliens dahil sa glass walls. Tinulungan naman ako ni Eula.

Dito ko lang din napansin na sa likuran ng gusaling kinalalagyan namin ay tubig.

"That won't help. It's nonsense. They can still find us because of our body heat. They have a thermal vision that allows them to see our body heat, to see us." Sabi saamin ni Theo kaya kami agad napahinto.

I didn't thought about that.

"You should know that. You've encountered one before." Aniya saakin kaya biglang bumalik yung alaala nang makita niya akong hubad.

"How am I supposed to know that? I'm not one of you. And it's my first encounter." Iritable kong sagot sakaniya.

"You've got to our headquarters for a good amount of time, yet you didn't figured that out? You're even holding a gun made for them, and you still didn't figured that out?"

"Well it's not my job to figure that out." I said, and can't help myself not to raise my voice a little.

"But you ought to figure that out." He stated.

"How can you survive if you don't know anything about them? How can you even survive this apocalypse if you don't observe and study them?" Tanong niya.

"You're still on the advantage because you've encountered them already. But it's futile if you can't get even a single detail about them."

Gusto ko pa mang sumagot ay nawalan na ako ng sasabihin.

Damn it! He's freaking right.

"We need something that can conceal us from being detected by their thermal vision. We need a stealth sheets."

"We do have that. But unfortunately, it's in the A450 and B550." Pagtapos niya.

"Damn." Wika ko na lang dahil sa mga sinabi niya.

"Don't do unecessary things." Aniya saamin.

Ang dating tuloy nito saakin ay isa akong tanga, dahil sa nangyari kanina. Paano kasi, hindi ako gumalaw agad nang may alien na palang nasa likuran ko, samantalang ngayon ay gumagalaw ako, eh wala naman palang kwenta ang ginagawa ko.

"We need to use our energy efficiently. So don't waste yours by doing unnecessary things." Dagdag niya.

Nagpakawala ako ng malalim na paghinga upang mawala ang tensyon saaking katawan.

My emotions are building up that's why my professionalism is changing to being a bitchy one.

"Ian. How's it going?" Pagtanong niya kay Ian ngunit nakalapit na siya sakaniyang laptop kaya alam kong wala ring kwenta ang pakikipag usap sakaniya.

"Gale." Sambit niya.

"Our signal is unsteady, captain. We're trying to connect to the satellite to relay messege to the government directly, but there's someone hindering that's why we're having a hard time connecting."

"It's troublesome." She added.

"There's someone hacking the satellites." Ani ni Giz.

"Damn it." Pagmura ni Gale atsaka ibinalik ang atensyon sa ginagawa niya.

"This is your captain speaking. Agent Lopez, how is it going?" Tanong niya.

"Agent Lopez speaking. We're still making sure that all civilians are safe, Captain." Tugon ni Hans.

"s**t!" Pagmura ni Ian atsaka marahas na napasandal sakaniyang upuan.

"This guy's like a pro. Damn. I can't fight him." Aniya.

"Agent Mendoza." Tawag ni Theo kaya siya agad napaayos ng upo.

"Yes captain?" Pagharap niya sa lalaki.

"Don't f**k up again." Malamig niyang sabi. Nabalot naman kaming lahat ng katahimikan ng halos isang minuto dahil sa sinabi niya bago ito basagin ni Tin.

"Irish! Watch out!" Malakas niyang sabi.

"f**k!" Rinig kong pagmura nila Dylan at Kurt.

"Tin! Help her. We'll cover you." Wika ni Kurt.

What the hell is happening?

"What is happening?" Tanong agad ni Theo sakanila ngunit walang may magawang sumagot.

"Agent Williams. This is your captain speaking. Find out what's happening on squad Kenny."

Kenny? Sino yun?

"Captain. One injured. But they're managing her." Sabi ni Owen.

"Captain. This is Agent Kenny speaking. One injured. Irish is injured. But Kuristen's treating her." Rinig kong wika ni Dylan.

Oh.... so he is agent Kenny.

"Agent Kenny. This is your Vice-Captain speaking. Get her to the basement we stayed earlier. Leave Kurt there to look for them."

"Roger that, Vice-Captain." Tugon ni Dylan.

"Agent Williams. Vice-Captain speaking. Back them up until they get to the basement."

"Roger, Vice-Captain." Sagot din ni Owen.

"Agent Diaz. Is your place clear?" Tanong ni Hans.

"All clear, Vice-Captain."

"Okay. Focus on offense now."

"Roger, Vice-Captain." Wika ni Mia.

Narinig ko naman ang pagpapakawala ng malalim na paghinga ni Hans na parang inalis din lahat ng tensyon sakaniyang sarili tulad ng ginawa ko kanina.

"Ian. Why won't you try to use the cellular towers?" Tanong ni Theo kaya ako napaharap sakanila.

"It will take a lot of time, captain. And the chance to relay our message to the government is very low." Tugon niya.

"Okay. Gale, can you do it?" Tanong ni Theo.

"Y-yes, captain." Halos nagdadalawang isip pang sagot ni Gale.

"Ian and Gizelle, try what you're doing earlier again."

"But he's like a pro. I can't even--" hindi na natuloy ni Ian ang sinasabi niya nang putulin ito ni Giz.

"Yung mga data na kinuha natin noon." Wika niya.

"Oo nga noh."

"Okay, okay." Pag-ayos ng upo ni Ian atsaka pinatunog ang mga buto sakaniyang kamay at leeg.

"I gotta humble whoever this s**t is." Madiin niyang sabi.

"Giz. Please connect the datas we gathered on my lappy and yours as well. Thanks."

"Okay." Sagot ni Giz.

"Gale. Focus on the cellular towers." Sambit ni Theo sakaniya kaya siya tumango atsaka humarap sakaniyang gamit.

Their job has a lot of pressure. It is the crucial part of the group.

Habang abala silang tatlo sa ginagawa nila'y nakabantay naman kaming tatlo nila Eula sa paligid.

I may have a gun, but I don't know how to use one.

Dumaan ang ilang minuto hanggang sa napasandal sila Ian at Giz sakanilang upuan na animo'y pagod na pagod.

"We did it. We successfully send our message to the government. We actually did it." Wika ni Ian kay Giz.

"We humbled whoever that s**t is." Ani ni Giz sakaniya atsaka sila nag apir na dalawa.

"Good job." Sabi sakanila ni Theo kaya sila agad napaharap sakaniya bago ngumiti. Nakita ko naman ang pagmula ng pisngi ni Giz.

Nagkasalubong ang aming mga mata.

"It's not what you think." She mouthed.

"Gale. What are you still doing?" Tanong naman ni Theo sakaniya dahil patuloy pa rin siya sakaniyang ginagawa.

"Don't mind me for now, captain. I'm trying something." She said.

"Okay."

"Ian. Second task." Wika niya.

"Connect to our satellite to locate the other ETP that has stolen from our headquarters."

"H-how's that possible, captain?" Takang tanong ni Ian.

"There's a tiny device attached on the shell of the ETP. Use our satellite to locate it."

"Roger." Wika ni Ian atsaka na humarap ulit sakaniyang laptop.

"But if that don't work, then use the other ETP we have to locate the other." He said.

As I remembered it, Ian said that the ETP could access their main power. And it also has a connection into different power here or outside the earth. Then if they use this, it might result into disaster.

Oh no. The disaster happened when Ian said that their professionals unintentionally poured the elixir-something to this while in the hot chamber. If so, then the disaster won't happen if they use this ETP to find the stolen ETP?