Do Not Touch Me!

Prologue

Prologue

My mind was in a trance and my vision was distorted from the fragment of light on the white ceiling. My fingers traced the glass of the aquarium I was submerged in, my body seemed light as it stayed suspended at the middle of the water tank. Unusually, I can still breathe. It must be because of the oxygen mask that's attached to my nose.

Mula sa loob ng akwaryum, naririnig ko ang tunog ng mga paa at mga taong tila nag-uusap. Their voices were obscured and I cannot make anything out of it. I blinked several times and looked at my side, the glass was transparent and I was able to see people wearing laboratory gowns. They were all watching me.

I wanted to move my body and get out of the water, but I was too weak. All I can do is make subtle movements. Where am I and who are they? The last thing I remember was a man talking to me, telling me he can help me.

As if on cue, an old man approached me. Nilapit niya ang kanyang mukha sa salamin ng akwaryum. Kumunot ang kanyang noo habang siya ay nakatingin sa aking gawi. I opened my mouth to say something, but I did not know what. No words came out, only silent gasps as I struggled and my long hair aimlessly float. I couldn't feel anything at all, I was numb, and I felt the pressure of something all over my body.

Tila nag-utos ang matanda sa mga tao sa paligid na agad namang kumilos. Kasabay nito, naramdaman ko ang unti-unting paghupa ng tubig sa loob ng akwaryum. Dahan-dahan naman akong lumubog sa sahig nito. When the water was finally gone, the glasses of the aquarium moved down swiftly. My naked body was then exposed with the chilly air of the room that looked like a laboratory and I shivered.

"I was really inspired by Lashanaja Lefevrel, she has greatly contributed to the premises of Greater Science." The voices were muffled and I couldn't make sense of it. It was suddenly freezing cold, tinaasan lang ako ng balahibo sa katawan. I had no idea what was happening.

"Indeed, it is such a shame that her Enhanced Senses formula is gone. She has perfectly crafted human's genetic mutation, to evolve and be better species. All went down the drain." The man in a white coat sighed. "Still, we have at least retrieved her journal... And as a result, we are close to perfecting our invention too." Saad niya habang nakatingin sa akin.

"What about the other experiments?" Tanong ng isa namang babae habang nakatingin sa papel na hawak. She seems to be on her mid 50s, there were streaks of silver on her hair, and wrinkles on her cheeks.

"Waste of money." Seryosong sagot ng isa, "we funded Defenders of Justice, a top secret organization, they showed promising results at first with Project Immortality, but they were annihilated by the Silician mafia with the help of notorious pirates. On the other hand, we still have no means to determine where the enhanced people are. All traces of them were erased by the opposition, including their family."

"The only confirmed one is the king of the seas, but he's dead too." Bumuntong-hininga ang lalake. "If only we have the complete journals and formula of Lashanaja."

"Have you talked to Lastrel Racadio? He might have an idea." The woman asked.

Umiling ang lalake, "that old man does not want to cooperate at all."

"No use crying over spilled milk, Achilles." Saad ng matandang babae sa kasama. "We have our own creation right in front of us, the first success. Rather than looking back, we look forward." The woman looked at me, a hint of curiosity and amazement was visible on her eyes.

"You are right, Nora." The man called Achilles agreed. He faced the other people in white coat. "Perform a scan on Subject 02-X-00148." The old man commanded while shifting his gaze at me with his calculating expression.

There were three men afterwards who wore a suit that made them look like astronauts, naglakad silang tatlo palapit sa akin. One of them wiped the water off my body and dried me up, the other man held a device that scanned my body, and the other stared at a tablet which seem to say the result of the examination.

Gusto kong bumangon at tumakas sa kanila ngunit kahit anong gawin ko, hindi ako sinusunod ng aking katawan. It seemed like I was paralyzed. They must have injected drugs to tamper my body.

Naguguluhan pa rin ako ngayon kung ano ang nangyayari. Gusto ko silang tanungin kung ano ang ginagawa nila sa akin, but I just don't have the energy.

"Her vitals are stable and there is nothing unusual or under the radar. The virus that we implanted has successfully fused with the cells of her body." The man who held the tablet declared. "Project Lethalia is a success."

The room erupted with applause and cheers from those men wearing laboratory gowns. Halata ang saya na naipinta sa kanilang mukha. Ang matandang lalake naman ay lumapit sa akin. "Dr. Achilles, I advise you to keep your distance from her especially that you are not wearing a protective gear." Pagsuway sa kanya ng isang scientist. "She's already a walking poison." Turo niya sa akin.

Me? A walking poison? Ano ang kanyang ibig sabihin?!

"Bring her clothes and inject her with M03-Elixir. I want to see with my own eyes what she's capable of."

Tumango naman sila at muling kumilos. A man who wore a protective gear came and injected something to my arm. Naramdaman ko naman ang likido na tila tumakbo sa loob ng aking mga ugat. Kasabay nito ay ang pagbalik ng aking lakas. Whatever was injected to me, it returned to me my strength.

"M03-Elixir has been injected, the liquid is neutralizing the paralysis that has afflicted Subject 02-X-00148." Anunsyo ng isa.

I tried to move my body and I was finally able to do it again. Bumangon ako sa aking higaan at bahagyang lumayo ang mga taong naka-suit sa akin. With that, I removed the oxygen mask, wore the clothes they gave and looked around me.

Eyes were rooted to my direction. Judging by their looks and the chamber that looked like a lab, they were either doctors and scientists.

"Do you remember your name?" Tanong ng matandang lalake sa akin.

I nodded. "Morana Magdalene." My voice was unusually hoarse and meek.

"We still need to conduct tests to make sure she's fine." The old lady beside the man in white coat declared.

"Who are you?" I asked.

"I am Dr. Achilles. You became a subject of Project Lethalia, Morana." He informed. "And you are the first success."

"Project Lethalia..." I repeated. Hindi ko alam kung ano ang kanyang ibig sabihin. Mukhang nabasa naman niya ang pagkalito sa aking ekspresyon at muli siyang nagsalita.

"Project Lethalia, code PL-X02-18692, is a top-secret human experimentation conducted under Republic's Autonomous Group of Elites, otherwise known as RAGE, another top-secret organization that works as the shadow of the Central Government. Morana Magdalene, you became a subject of this human experimentation. Out of 148 attempts, you are our first feat. You are now a living human weapon."

"A human weapon..." That's the only word that registered in my head as of the moment. My brain tried to process all the information that I got, but everything is too vague for me to comprehend. I closed my eyes and reminisced the past. How did I end here?

Oh, right... I was dying.

I had a leukemia and it was too late to receive treatment as it was on its final stages. Not like I can afford chemotherapy too given the expenses and I was also living alone. I had no family to support me.

And then, there was someone who reached out to me when I was laying on my death bed, he told me he knew people who can cure my illness, that it's not yet too late, and it would be free. I had nothing to lose and I was already desperate, so I agreed. I didn't wanna die yet. I had dreams too.

"I don't feel sick anymore..." Wala sa sariling sabi ko sa aking sarili. The pain that used to scorch my body is gone.

"Your body showed a compatibility and immunity with Lethalium, a deadly virus that has no cure. It has successfully destroyed your cancer and it has also fused with your healthy cells." Dr. Achilles explained. "You are now immune to any diseases, poison, and such due to the virus that now inhibits your body."

"You said that I'm already a human weapon, ano ang ibig mong sabihin?" Tanong ko.

"Exactly what it means." He said, as if it was a matter-of-fact. "Perhaps we need to have a little demonstration. It would be easier for you to understand that way, rather than speaking with words."

He snapped his fingers, kasabay nito ay awtomatikong bumukas ang salaming pinto ng kuwarto at may babaeng naglakad habang may tinutulak na wheelchair. Nakaupo naman rito ang isang lalake na tila naguguluhan, his hands and body were tied down.

"This man is a notorious arsonist and serial killer; he has burned five supermarkets and killed a total of 49 people. He is a criminal." Saad ni Dr. Achilles. "Morana, you were given another life. But this life will never be the same as the old again. In this life, you are bestowed with the power to take life, to bring justice." Ngumiti siya sa akin at saka niya tinuro ang kriminal, "touch him and you'll see how powerful you have become."

I gulped the lump in my throat as I looked at the man who looked at me with wide eyes. Gaya ko, halata na naguguluhan siya sa nangyayari. "I'll just touch him?" I repeated.

"Yes."

Tuluyan na akong tumayo mula sa aking higaan. My bare feet touched the marble floor and I felt the cold seep into my skin, a clear sensation that reminds me this is all real.

Naglakad ako palapit sa lalakeng nakatali sa kanyang upuan. He tried to talk but failed due to the tape that covered his mouth. He just moaned aggressively, as if asking for help. Kasabay ng paglapit ko ay ang paglayo naman ng babaeng nagtulak sa kanya. Tahimik lang ang lahat ng tao sa silid habang pinagmamasdan nila ang mga susunod na mangyayari.

Reluctantly, I gradually moved my hand towards the hand of the man who was proclaimed to be a criminal. When my hand finally reached his and when our skin finally collided, I felt him cold and sweaty. He must be terrified and muddled.

"Nothing happened..." I whispered.

As if on cue, the skin of the man I just touched started to pale even more, until he turned yellowish, his veins popped and there were purple lines that started to move from the part of his skin I touched, the lines moved up to his arm, up to his neck and head.

He screamed and cried in agony, his tears slowly turned red, then his nose started bleeding along with his mouth and the veins that were popping. He gagged and trembled vehemently until he was no longer breathing.

It was disgusting. It weakened the bones of my knees and I fell on the floor. I vomited at the sight of the man who has just experienced the most painful death.

"I... I did this." I cried. "I killed him... h-how? I only touched him."

With a satisfied look, Dr. Achilles eyed me, but like the rest of the people in the room who just saw what happened, he kept himself at a safe distance, as if afraid of me, "Morana Magdalene, like I said, you are now a human weapon. You have the power to kill with just one touch."