Hard Reset
1583 Words
(Rosalia’s POV)
Hindi ko na maalala kung ilang segundo, minuto, o oras na ba siyang nakahiga sa harapan ko. Basta ang alam ko lang, hindi dapat ganito. Hindi dapat ako kinakabahan. Hindi dapat ako nanginginig. Hindi dapat ako natataranta dahil lang sa isang lalaking… hindi ko naman dapat pinapansin.
Pero eto ako ngayon, nakaluhod sa sahig ng lumang server room, may amoy ng alikabok at nag-o-overheat na CPU sa paligid, habang si Franks — oo, si Mr. Latecomer, si Mr. Annoying, si Mr. Hindi Marunong Huminto Kahit Inaayawan na ng Hacktivist — ay nakahandusay at walang malay.
At kasalanan ko kung bakit.
“Idiot,” mahina kong bulong habang sinusuri ko kung humihinga pa.
Humihinga naman. Mabagal, pero steady.
Thank God.
Hinawakan ko ang balikat niya, sinubukang iangat ang ulo niya. “Franks,” tawag ko, as if may sagot akong makukuha. “Wake up. Hindi pa kita pinapayagan mamatay.”
Of course, walang reply.
Pero sa loob ko, parang may sumisigaw.
And I hated that feeling.
Gusto ko siyang pagalitan. Gusto ko siyang sermunan. Gusto ko siyang sampalin dahil sumunod siya sa trail ko kahit ilang beses ko nang sinabi na wag — pero nung nakita ko siyang bumagsak kanina dahil sa sudden power surge sa systems na na-trigger ng intrusion alert?
Parang biglang nag-reset ‘yung firewall ng puso ko.
As in, panic mode on.
Pinilit kong i-stabilize ‘yung breathing niya. Good. Wala namang head wound. Probably shock lang dahil sinubukan niyang i-access ang file na dapat hindi niya ina-access — MY file. The one no one was supposed to see.
“Why do you keep following me…” bulong ko, pero parang para sa sarili ko na rin.
Tumingin ako sa mukha niya — tahimik, walang kibo, parang unang beses kong nakita siyang hindi nang-aasar.
This idiot. This reckless, stubborn idiot.
I Need to Move Him. Now.
Hindi pwedeng dito kami.
Hindi safe ang lugar.
Hindi safe ang system.
At lalong hindi safe siya.
May iba pang nagta-try pumasok sa security net kanina. Hindi si Franks ‘yon. Ibang signature. Ibang pattern. Ibang aggressor.
Which means…
someone else is hunting me.
And Franks just happened to be caught in the crossfire.
Hinila ko ang braso niya, pero hindi ko siya maiangat. Ang bigat niya — hindi dahil bulky pero dahil matangkad, broad-shouldered at masyadong relaxed para sa isang taong kababagsak lang.
“Seriously? Even unconscious, hassle ka pa rin?”
I tried again. Nahila ko siya ng konti, mga dalawang pulgada. After three tries, nada. So I did something na never ko pa ginawa kahit kanino — humingi ako ng tulong.
Well, not verbally.
Hindi ko kaya ‘yon.
Tinawag ko ang maliit na bot na nakatago sa ilalim ng mesa — isang black cube na maliit lang, pero built ko mismo para sa emergencies.
“Unit-09, assist transport protocol.”
The cube blinked red. EXECUTING.
Two small fold-out mechanical arms emerged, and slowly, tinulungan niya akong iangat si Franks from the floor and move him toward the back exit na hindi alam ng karamihan.
Pero kahit nakikita kong gumagana ang automation, hindi ko pa rin maalis ‘yung kaba sa dibdib ko. I kept checking his face, making sure he wasn’t losing breath.
“Bakit mo kasi ako sinusundan…” bulong ko ulit, pero this time… may bahid na ng pagod.
The Hidden Safe Room
Ito ‘yung lugar na hindi ko gustong ipakita kahit kanino. It's my sanctuary. My fortress. My last resort. Walang CCTV, walang signal, walang trace, walang makakapasok na kahit anong electronic signature.
Pinaghirapan ko ‘to. Years. Blood, sweat, tears, breakdowns — literal na breakdowns — and nights na wala akong kausap kundi ang mga terminal at console ko.
Pero ngayon, may ibang tao sa loob nito.
At hindi ko alam kung bakit hindi ako nagpa-panic.
We entered the room. Unit-09 gently lowered Franks onto my emergency cot. I checked his pulse — better now. Respiration — irregular pero bumabalik na sa normal.
“Okay ka lang,” bulong ko kahit alam kong hindi niya maririnig. “You’re fine. You’re… safer than I am, ironically.”
Huminga ako nang malalim at sinara ang metal door. Full lock. Full isolation.
And only then… only then bumigay ang tuhod ko saglit at napaupo ako sa sahig.
Damn it.
Hindi pwedeng ganito. Hindi ako pwedeng maapektuhan. Hindi ako pwedeng maging… ganito. Soft. Weak.
Emotional.
No. Hindi ako ‘yun. Hindi ganito ang Rosalia Calderon.
Pero habang pinagmamasdan ko siyang humihinga nang mas maayos, bumabalik ‘yung flashbacks.
Flashback
Yung gabi na nagising ako sa sunod-sunod na message sa dark terminal ko.
Unknown user.
Encrypted trail.
Signature na hindi ko pa nakikita dati.
Una, inakala kong bot.
Pero nung nag-type siya ng lines na galing sa mismong personal code ko — ‘yung code na ginawa ko nung thirteen akong nagse-setup ng homemade firewall?
That's when I knew:
Someone was watching me long before I ever saw him.
And that someone…
is the same person who forced me to run.
The same person na nag-leak ng data ng pamilya ko.
The same person na halos bumura sa pagkatao ko.
At the same pattern I saw kanina, before Franks collapsed?
Yup.
Parehong-pareho.
Which means…
He's back.
And Franks wasn’t supposed to get involved.
Pero nandito siya ngayon. Because he didn't listen.
Because he kept watching.
Kept following.
Kept trying to understand me.
At bakit ba?
Ano bang meron sa’kin na hindi niya matigilan?
A part of me wanted to scream at him when he wakes up. Another part — the part that terrifies me — wanted him to stay.
Biglang gumalaw ang daliri niya.
Napatuwid ako ng upo. My heart skipped.
Slowly, pumikit-bukas ang mata niya parang nag-a-adjust sa ilaw.
“Franks?” tanong ko, trying to sound neutral. Hindi dapat halata na kanina lang halos maiyak ako.
He groaned softly. “W…where… am I?”
“You’re safe,” sagot ko agad, kahit hindi niya tinatanong ‘yon. “Nasa secure location ka.”
“Secure… location?” He blinked slowly, finally meeting my eyes.
At doon ako natigilan.
His eyes weren’t teasing.
Hindi sila smug.
Walang bullshit.
For the first time, nakita ko siyang seryoso. Genuine. Vulnerable.
“Rosalia…” he whispered. “I saw the file.”
My blood ran cold.
“Hindi mo dapat ‘yon nakita,” mabilis kong sagot. “Hindi para sa’yo ‘yon.”
“Then bakit nandun?” Pinilit niyang umupo kahit pinipigilan ko. “Why are people trying to track you down? Sino ‘yung humahabol sa’yo? And why the hell did you not tell me—”
“Because you’re not supposed to know!” bigla kong napalakas ang boses.
Natahimik siya.
Huminga ako nang malalim, pilit na kalmado. “Hindi ka dapat kasali dito, Franks. This—” tinuro ko ang paligid “—all of this, these systems, these threats, this entire mess… hindi para sa normal na tao. Hindi para sa’yo.”
He stared at me for a long moment.
Then he asked—softly, but painfully honest:
“Rosalia… sino ka ba talaga?”
It felt like someone unplugged my chest.
Napapikit ako. Hindi ko alam kung paano sasagutin ‘yun. Hindi ko alam kung dapat.
“I’m…”
My throat tightened.
I never explained myself.
Not to anyone.
Not even to the people who tried to help me.
But this idiot?
This persistent, annoying, stubborn idiot lying half-conscious on my emergency cot?
He deserved the truth.
At least part of it.
“I’m not who you think I am,” bulong ko. “And everything you know about me is a fraction of what I actually am.”
“Then show me,” he whispered. “I’m not going anywhere.”
That’s what terrified me.
Biglang nag-vibrate ang isang hidden console sa gilid. Hindi dapat ‘yan gumana — offline lahat ng systems ko dito.
Pero the alert bypassed everything.
“Impossible…” bulong ko.
I checked the screen.
A single message appeared.
> FOUND YOU.
> NEXT TIME, I TAKE MORE THAN YOUR DATA.
> SAY HI TO YOUR NEW PET. ;)
My breath stopped.
“Rosalia,” Franks whispered, noticing the panic in my eyes. “What’s wrong?”
Hindi ko alam kung paano ko sasabihin. Hindi ko alam kung paano ko idi-deliver ang impiyernong darating.
Kaya dahan-dahan kong binaligtad ang console, ipinakita sa kanya ang screen.
Unti-unti, lumawak ang mata niya.
Not because of the message.
But because of the attached image.
Isang blurred CCTV capture, timestamped five minutes ago.
Sa university hall.
May isang tao — naka-black jacket, cap, humahawak sa isang object.
No.
Not an object.
A USB drive.
The same model I designed.
Pero ang mas malala?
Sa tabi niya…
nakita naming dalawa ang mukha ni Matt.
Holding his bag.
Smiling.
And the guy in black?
May arm sa balikat ni Matt.
Like they knew each other.
“Holy s**t…” bulong ni Franks. “Matt…?”
Pero ako, hindi na nakapagsalita.
Because the final message flashed:
> YOU SHOULD’VE KILLED THE FRIEND, NOT THE STRANGER.
The world tilted.
“Rosalia?”
Nagpumilit tumayo si Franks. “What does that mean—”
I swallowed hard.
At doon ko naramdaman ang totoong panginginig ng sistema ko.
I whispered the truth I never wanted to say:
“Franks…
the hacker hunting me—
didn’t pick you.”
His eyes widened.
“He picked Matt.”
And then the lights shut down
To be continued..
- Writer
