章 2: Project Revise
Kalison City. Philippines.
March 13, 2037. Friday.
7:30 am.
00:59:59 left.
Jayce Santos.
I never expected things to go this awry.
Akala ko kagaya lang ng nakasanayan na Biyernes. Papasok para sa limang oras na Experimental Psych. May dalawang oras na vacant para makabuwelo sa limang oras ulit na Anatomy.
But who would've thought that what would wait for us is an unknown death with this weird shit holograms introducing itself.
[Welcome to Project Revise, dear users. I am Monitor Zero Nine One, the one responsible for updating Kalison State University's information.]
[Current Population: 367]
I now have found another reason to hate Fridays down to the core.
Ako ang pinakamalapit na nakatayo sa bangkay ni Hazel at sa computer hologram. Nagsisiksikan ang mga kaklase ko sa likod. Kanya-kanya silang kapit sa isa't-isa.
I heaved a deep sigh. Hindi sa tanggap ko na ang lahat ng nangyayari. Maski ako ay naguguluhan at natatakot ngunit responsibilidad ko itong mga kaklase ko.
Our mayor, as what they described, committed suicide. Both our vice mayor and secretary also seemed to have been infected with this crazily weird aggressive behavior. And Hazel, the class treasurer, is lying on the floor with her cold body.
The only one left was me, the class monitor. All responsibilities of maintaining this class befell on me.
Crazy.
"091, what is Project Revise and that 59 minutes countdown hanging on there?" I asked amidst the silent sobs of my classmates.
A mechanical sound was heard. After a few seconds, a series of text appeared on the hologram.
[Project Revise was created by Havoc. Its aim is to revise the world by hook or by crook. Havoc has successfully took down the Philippine Government and all other Asian countries.]
It was neither a man nor a woman. It sounded like a broken robot yet the eerie and creepy feeling it envoked was unspeakable.
"B-bakit n-nangyayari 'to? Bakit bigla na lang nilang pinapatay ang sarili nila?" tanong ng isa sa mga kaklase ko. Hindi ko na napansin kung sino sa kanila.
[To successfully initiate the aim of Havoc, Virus 277 was secretly released to the public. They will immediately feel the symptoms such as excessive and aggressive behaviors and will end up killing themselves in the process. Shortly after that, they will become the undead. The ones who will spread the virus. Good luck!]
As if on cue, unti-unting gumalaw ang dalawang braso ni Hazel. Inaangat niya ito nang dahan-dahan kasabay ng pagbangon rin ng kanyang katawan. Nakatayo siya ngunit naka-bend ang buo niyang katawan.
Kapansin-pansin din ang mabilis na pagbago ng kulay ng kanyang balat. Wala pang sampung minuto magmula nang mamatay ito ay mukhang malapit nang mabulok ang kanyang balat. Lumubo rin ang kanyang mga eye balls at halos lumuwa na ito. Idagdag pa na duguan ang kanyang mukha at basag ang bungo.
She straightened her body pero pakuba pa rin ang kinalabasan. Ang buto't balat niyang mga braso ay naka-forward. She made a growling sound which scared the shit out of the guy on Hazel's left that he pissed off.
The undead Hazel slowly and heavily turned her body towards the sound. Nanginginig ang basang binti ng lalaki.
Unti-unting hinakbang ni Hazel ang kanyang mga paa palapit sa lalaki dahilan upang mapaatras ang huli at gumawa ng ingay ang iba ko pang mga kaklase.
"Ayoko na! Aalis na ako rito!"
I don't know who started it and shouted but one by one, everyone ran towards the door. They easily unlocked the door and left with loud and hurried footsteps. Tila nataranta naman si Hazel sa lakas ng ingay na gawa ng aking mga kaklase.
Hindi niya alam kung saan siya babaling.
Nawala ang atensyon niya kay Carlo kaya kaagad ko itong hinatak papunta sa kabilang dulo. Mas malayo kay Hazel.
Pinanood kong tumakbo palabas ang lahat ng aking mga kaklase. I know they were my responsibilities but if I shouted and stopped them from running, would they heed to my call?
No. They were already in a state of panic and no amount of explanation would calm them.
We could've tied Hazel and thought of a solution on how to get out of this mess alive.
"Do your pants feel uncomfortable?" I asked, still staring at the door they did not close.
"Oo." He hiccuped. Natawag nito ang pansin ni Hazel.
"Stay still," I warned him. Natigil siya tangkang pagtakbo at tinakpan ang bibig na kanina pa sinok ng sinok.
"'Yang pantalon mo, mas malala pa ang mangyayari mamaya. Simulan mo nang maghanap ng mas komportableng damit sa bag ng mga kaklase natin." Pagkasabi ko no'n ay lumapit ako sa pinto para pabalibag itong isara. Muling natigil sa paglalakad si Hazel palapit kay Carlo at bumaling sa direksyon ng ingay na na ginawa ko.
I eyed Carlo translating to what are you waiting for?. He hurriedly moved his feet but was clumsy enough to make another sound causing the undead Hazel to turn at him again.
I shook my head and paid no heed at him. Paulit-ulit ko ng pinag-eksperimentuhan ang paggawa ng ingay, kung hindi pa niya ito nakuha, isasama ko na siya sa itatali mamaya.
"091. What's happening?" tanong ko sa hologram na kasalukuyang naka-display ang bilang ng taong buhay sa Kalison State University.
From 367 to 333.
Ilan na lang kaya sa mga kaklase namin ang buhay?
[Havoc is currently conducting the preliminaries of Project Revise. After an hour, those who can survive will be the official participants of Project Revise.]
"091. What will happen after the preliminaries?"
[Havoc will be hosting a 13-day survival tournament. Participants must survive until they arrive and claim a spot to the only Quarantine Facility available in your city. Please take note that we only have a limited spot and time.]
Kinuha ko ang aking bag saka naupo sa teacher's table. Nilabas ko ang ipad at apple pen saka nagsimulang magsulat sa notes.
"How can you stay calm and composed in this situation?" I looked up to see Carlo wearing a basketball varsity uniform. He's lucky he found something.
"Can fear save me? Can fear allow me to observe the undead and know they are sensitive to sounds?" I asked making my point which I guessed he caught on. "In this time, fear has no room. If you want to survive, get your shits properly and fear death, not the undead."
"Hindi mo ba siya itatali o papatayin?" tukoy niya kay Hazel na ngayon ay sa direksyon sa labas nakabaling.
Mas maingay ang mga palahaw sa labas. May ilan pang kumakatok sa pintuan ngunit kalaunan ay napapalitan ito ng sigaw at ang kakaibang tunog na galing sa isang undead.
"How can you kill an undead? They aren't breathing anymore. No organs left to function and to destroy. They'll be like that and we'll be like this, being chased and running."
"Iyong mga kaklase natin baka sila 'yung mga kumakatok."
"Stop being a hypocrite, Carlo."
"What's wrong with you? Nag-aalala ako sa kanila!"
"We're both psych students here. Huwag na tayong maglokohan. Kung nag-aalala ka sa kanila, noong nagtatanong pa lang ako sa kung anong nangyari kina Abegail, sumagot ka na." I turned off my ipad and put it back on my bag before turning at him again. "But what did you do? You took a nap as if everything does not involve you."
"Hah, ikaw nga hinayaan mong lumabas ng classroom ang mga kaklase natin. Pareho lang tayong hipokrito rito."
"You and I are different. I will not make someone take the hit for me but you, I'm hundred percent sure you'll do."
"Gago ka! Anong pinagmamayabang mo?" pasigaw niyang hamon sabay sipa sa table dahilan ng pag-ingay nito at muling pagbaling sa'min ni Hazel.
"If you want to live, sit there and shut the fuck up," I said as I stood and carried the table only to throw at the undead Hazel.
Nawalan siya ng balanse at napaatras. Kinuha ko ang oras na iyon upang umalis sa kinatatayuan ko at humakbang sa mga upuan. Naglikha ito ng ingay kasabay ng mga sigaw at pagkalabog sa labas. Litung-lito si Hazel sa kung saan siya direksyon titingin at pupunta.
I sat on the chair and brought up my ipad again. I summarized the information that 091 gave as well as my observation of Hazel.
Tumingin ako sa oras sa hologram.
00:43:37
43 minutes. I have forty-three minutes to experiment on Hazel but that was difficult to execute as I do not know how this Virus 277 works.
"091, What's Virus 277?"
[Virus 277 was created by Havoc solely for this project. Transmission is when the infected becomes undead and a living person gets direct contact with them. No other information available.]
So I can't directly touch them.
My forehead ceased. I bit the tip of my apple pencil as I thought of my next move.
"Can you throw a chair at her," I asked Carlo.
"Wala ka talagang konsensya, Jayce," puna niya ngunit ginawa pa rin ang aking utos.
Hazel wasn't a friend but she's still a classmate. I pity her but not to the extent of disregarding reality.
She's dead. We're alive. And we will do everything to stay alive.
Ihinagis ni Carlo ang upuan sa direksyon ni Hazel. Natumba siya ngunit tumayo rin kinalaunan at sa ingay pa rin sa labas nakatutok.
"Sensitive sila sa ingay pero hindi sa ingay na galing sa boses natin," komento ni Carlo at tumango ako bilang pagsang-ayon. "Hindi naman sila nakakatakot."
"She looks hideous," I commented based on Hazel's current appearance. "She's alone so you don't know what a horde of undeads can do."
I still wanted to conduct a lot of experiments on Hazel when the mechanical voice of monitor 091 enveloped the room. Napahinto kami ni Carlo saka tumitig at taimtim na nakinig sa bawat salitang binabanggit ni 091.
[Forty minutes left. All surviving participants must leave their buildings and be at the KALSU Square before the countdown ends. Remaining participants: 248. Good luck!]
This is where the real chase begins.
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