Do Not Touch Me!

Chapter 17: When they all fall asleep

Chapter 17: When they all fall asleep

Nanatili lang ako sa loob ng van kasama si Viveron. I do not know why but I was growing restless as the minutes pass by. Hindi ako mapakali rin, pakiramdam ko ay may mangyayari na hindi inaasahan. I do not know why, but I also feel like the anonymous tip was a trap set for us all, and the mastermind behind it is CALM. Bumuntong-hininga ako, si Viveron ay abala lang sa pagtingin sa mga surveillance camera na nakapalibot sa gusali kung saan gaganapin ang State of the Nation Address.

I do not really get this premonition of mine, this feeling, it feels like this was the calm before the storm. Halos lahat ng bagay ay masyadong peaceful. It was oddly like that, and I guess that is what is making me uneasy. "Bakit parang hindi ka mapakali dyan?" Tanong ni Viveron. Sinamahan ko na lang din siya sa pagtingin sa mga footage na pinapakita sa screen. Nakita namin ang mga miyembro ng squad. Somehow, the system embedded on the CCTVs were high-tech, dahil nai-scan ang mukha ng mga tao at pinapakita ang kanilang pangalan, background, at iba pang mahahalagang impormasyon patungkol sa kanila. Ang tanging hindi lang na-scan ay ang mga miyembro ng Seven Deadly Sins, siguro dahil wala naman talaga kaming pormal na mga dokumento sa labas ng mundo. Our existence were a secret, our past lives were erased and deleted.

"Seems like everything is going well." Viveron stated, "the caller must be just a prankster." Aniya. "Perhaps they just want to alert us, make the President feel paranoid, para hindi siya maka-concentrate sa kaniyang SONA." Dagdag pa niya.

Tumango lang ako habang malalim na nag-iisip, "I hope it is just a prank, though." I stated. Kasabay nito ay napansin ko na mas dumarami ngayon ang mga sasakyan na nagpaparking sa lote at paligid. Kumunot na lang ang aking noo habang pinagmamasdan ang mga pangyayari sa labas. Ang isang pinagtataka ko pa ay hindi naman lumalabas ang mga nakasakay. There were ten cars in all, and most were van. They seem loaded, dahil kahit na tinted ang mga bintana nito ay natatanaw ko ang mga ibang tao sa loob, at alam kong lahat ng sasakyan ay puno ng tao.

Hindi iyon napansin ni Viveron dahil nakatuon ang kaniyang atensyon sa screen. Mukhang boring ata ang talumpati rin ng pangulo dahil isa-isang nakatulog ang mga tao sa loob ng gusali habang nakikinig sa speech ng presidente. It was unusual though, since one by one, everyone is falling asleep. Biglang tumingin sa akin si Viveron, "something is wrong... I think you are right, that perhaps the tip was a trap." Aniya, "it is not really just the president they are after from, but also the Seven Deadly Sins. Our membees are in danger." Halata ang kaba na nakapinta ngayon sa kaniyang mukha at ekspresyon, "we need to do something.. But going inside is dangerous. I think the enemy released a sleeping gas smoke that is not visible to the eyes, and the effect of the drug works after twenty minutes of exposure, but looking at how things are going, it depends and vary on the person." She stated. Tumingin siya sa akin pagkatapos, hope now filled her eyes, "you are immune of it."

I nodded.

Tumingin kami sa screen at napansin na pati ang presidente ay nakatulog na. Gayon din sa aming mga miyembro. "I should have seen this coming," Viveron sighed in frustration. Kasabay nito ay bumukas lahat ng sasakyan sa lote, at lumabas mula roon ang mga tao na nakasuot ng maskara, it seems to be masks that filter unwanted gas. Pumasok silang lahat sa loob ng gusali, at lahat din sa kanila ay may dalang mga armas.

"I have to go," I said. Hindi ko na hinintay pa ang sasabihin ni Viveron at binuksan ko ang van at lumabas na. Tumakbo ako papasok sa gusali, but I remained cautious. "You provide back up, Viveron. Can you hear me?"

"Yes." Aniya, buti at dinig ko siya gamit ang mandatory earring ko. "You have been impulsive and reckless, though." She proclaimed.

"Our members are fast asleep and vulnerable, do you think I will let them be there? They are all exposed and in danger. Though we are unsure what the enemy is truly after from, but still, I do not want to deal with chances. You are outnumbered, what can you possibly do?"

"Just provide support, damn it." I growled, adrenaline was now rushing through my veins, "be my eyes and ears."

"Fine," Viveron sighed, she must know how stubborn I am sometimes. "Do not be reckless." She said, "I will be notifying Dr. Achilles now, in order to ask for his permission in you using your powers. Also, the headquarter is already sending troops to provide assistance as well. They will be here in twenty minutes."

I nodded and closed my eyes, that is the time when memories started flashing back to me again, and it is on how things ended for me, and how things started at the same time.

My mind was in a haze and my vision was distorted with the fragment of lights from the white ceiling. My fingers traced the glass of the aquarium I was submerged in, my body seemed light as it floated with the cold water. 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.

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 bumagsak sa sahig nito. When the water was finally gone, the glasses of the aquarium moved down. My naked body was then exposed with the chilly air of the room that looked like a laboratory and I shivered.

"Perform a scan on Subject 02-X-00148." The old man commanded while looking 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 done something to 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. "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.

I tried to move my body and I was finally able to do it again. Bumangon ako sa aking higaan. 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 or scientists.

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

I nodded. "I'm Mary Magdalene." My voice was unusually hoarse and meek. "Who are you?" I asked.

"I am Dr. Achilles. You became a subject of Project Lethalia, Mary." 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 Regulus Andromeda-Governum Exelia, otherwise known as RAGE, another top-secret organization that works as the shadow of the Central Government. Mary Magdalene, you became a subject of this human experimentation. Out of 148 attempts, you are our first feat. You are now a 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. Not like I can afford one too given the expenses and I was also living alone. 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 don't feel sick anymore..." Wala sa sariling sabi ko sa aking sarili.

"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."

"Are you there, Mary?" Bumalik ako sa huwisyo nang magsalita si Viveron, "I have already the solution. We can wake our members." Aniya.

"How?"

"Cut their palms. That will wake them up, and if you are worried about their injury, there is Athanasius who can heal them all in an instant."

"Alright," I stated.

"Be careful, the enemy has their guard down thinking everyone is asleep, but it is never too bad to be cautious. Huwag pakampante. I will direct you to our squad."

"Okay," I said.

"Do not let the enemy see you, otherwise, the risks will be higher." Viveron said, "turn right then in ten meters, turn left. After that, go straight, then you will see a door, that leads to the backstage where our members are currently at. I also see all enemies scouting the place and looking at the faces of the audiences one by one, it seems what they are after, all this time, was us."