RU Live: 3023

V.

Comments:

onemoregame:

pick up your headphones, Hara.

onemoregame:

pick up your headphones, Hara.

onemoregame:

pick up your headphones, Hara.

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Napatingin ang apat na kasama ni Hara sa kaniya. Kalmado pa rin siyang tumingin sa mga ito at tumango upang ipakitang ayos lang ang lahat. Kinuha niya ang kaniyang itim na wireless headphones at isinuot ito sa kaniyang ulo.

"You can't leave RU, Sahara." Natigilan ng ilang segundo si Hara nang marinig ang tinig ng taong posibleng nang-hack sa kanila. Tumingin siyang muli sa mga kasamahan at sumenyas lang ang mga ito na wala silang naririnig mula sa kaniyang kausap. Napansin niya ang paglapit ng camera drone sa kaniyang mukha. Pati camera drone kontrolado niya?

"I-Ikaw ba si onemoregame?"

"Ako nga."

"A-Ano'ng kailangan mo sa 'kin? Bakit mo ginugulo ang stream namin?"

"Gusto ko lang sabihin sa 'yo na hindi ka pwedeng umalis ng Reed."

"Hindi naman ako aalis—"

"You're not a good liar, Sahara. That's never your forte."

"Ano ba'ng sinasabi mo?"

"Your mom got scared of the virus and wants you back home." At doon na gumuhit sa mukha ni Sahara ang matinding gulat.

"A-Are you stalking me? Sino ka ba?" Napakuyom na siya ng kamay sa kaba.

"You are not safe out there, Sahara. Trust me. And besides, this University needs you more than you know."

"My safety is not your concern. At maraming possible candidates na pwedeng pumalit sa 'kin, in case I really leave."

"Leaving?" Gulat na napatingin si Chantelle sa mga kasama.

"What is Miss Hara talking about?" Litong tanong ni Liya.

"Marley, kamusta?"

"Waley pa rin, West. Hindi ko talaga ma-access ang account natin. Si Hara lang ang nakakarinig sa kaniya. Kung sinoman ang gumawa nito ay magaling talaga sa hacking."

"Candidates? Like who? That prom queen wannabe Odessa Aragon? No, Sahara. We don't need someone who's going to turn RU Live into a vlog of make-up tutorials! We need someone who stands up for the weak and the voice of the voiceless. And that's only you."

"What do you want, onemoregame? Bakit mo ginagawa ito? Did I do something to make you do this?"

"I want you to stay here in Reed, Sahara. And I also want you to call on Chairman Adrian Reed to apologize to a few people." Litong tumitig si Sahara sa camera drone na tila hinahanap ang gumagawa nito sa kanila. Napalingon siya sa mga kasamahan na sumesenyas na naririnig na nila ang usapan nila. "Ask one of your people to call Admin and have Chairman Reed go on RU Live to apologize."

"Para saan ang apology?"

"I've been here in Reed long enough to know that the fairness and equality that this institution claims is just their front. There is no fairness and equality here. Well, not for the powerless, like me."

"I'm sure that you are just upset about something, onemoregame. This time that we are currently facing is really—"

"This is a place of unfairness, discrimination and where people with power or money rule. Alam mo 'yan dahil nasaksihan mo mismo kung ano'ng klaseng sistema meron tayo. You have saved some of the people who have been mistreated and abused."

"Sir, if you have an issue with the Admin, we can raise it to them in a better way."

"The way is for Chairman Reed to personally apologize to the families and the victims themselves. May dalawang minuto kayo para tawagan si Chairman Reed." Naputol ang tawag at agad kumilos si Liya para tawagan ang Admin.

"We can't go for a commercial break, West. Wala pa rin tayong kontrol sa account natin. Kalerkey na ito!" Kumuha na lang ng whiteboard si Chantelle at dito na lang nagsulat ng mensahe para kay Hara.

sinusubukan pa rin ni Marley ayusin ang system natin.

"Kailangan na ba nating tumawag ng ibang tulong, Marley?" Kinuha ni West ang whiteboard mula kay Chantelle at nagsulat para kay Hara.

you ok?

Tipid na ngumiti si Hara sa mga kasama at bumuntong hininga bago muling humarap sa camera drone. "We have a bit of a situation here, Hunters. As you have watched, someone with a username of "onemoregame" hacked our Real Circle account and is currently controlling RU Live. He's quite upset with the system that Reed University has and is requesting Chairman Adrian Reed to go here in the RU Live room and make an apology." Nilingon ni Hara ang mga kasamahan at nakitang umiiling si Liya. May kausap si West sa cellphone habang tutok pa rin si Marley sa tablet.

i'll go to the Admin's Office.

Nilapag ni Chantelle ang whiteboard bago siya lumabas ng RU Live Room. Napaurong ng bahagya sa upuan si Hara sa gulat nang muling tumawag si onemoregame. Nagisip muna siya ng sasabihin dito bago niya sinagot ang tawag.

"Your time is up."

"Sir, it's not that easy to contact them, with this virus issue going on."

"Malakas ka sa Admin, 'di ba? They trusted you that much to have given you this hosting stint of a pioneer project kahit grade 10 ka pa lang noon. RU Live will not be a success if it weren't for you. O sadyang pinapakita lang nila na balewala ang mga taong naging biktima ng sistema nilang bulok, kaya hindi ka nila pinapansin ngayon?"

"One of our team members already went there personally. Give us more—"

Isang malakas na pagsabog ang narinig nila kasabay ang pagyanig ng kanilang silid. Napatayo siya mula sa kinauupuan habang si Liya at West ay agad tumakbo sa bintana para tingnan kung saan nagmula ang ingay na iyon. Sumunod na rin siya sa bintana at napasandal sa salamin nang makita ang nangyari sa labas. Galing sa katapat nilang gusali ang pagsabog kaya nakaramdam sila ng pagyanig sa kinaroroonan nila.

"What the—" Napamura si West at napasinghap naman si Liya habang takip nito ang kaniyang bibig sa nakita. Mabilis na bumalik sa Hara sa kaniyang lamesa at tumitig sa camera drone.

"Did you do that? Pinasabog mo ba ang rooftop ng Engineering Building?"

"One year ago, a student jumped to death from that building's rooftop. Reed compensated the family with money. No investigation, no apologies. They just ruled it out as suicide. Do you remember that, Sahara? You reported that live, right?" Napayuko si Hara at nagisip.

Daniel Macatangay. First year Computer Engineering student. It was a definite suicide dahil walang tao sa rooftop nung mangyari 'yon. At nakita siya ng janitor na umakyat doon magisa. Pumunta ako doon sa kalagitnaan ng RU Live dahil may nag-comment sa stream na may tumalon nga. Ano'ng gustong mangyari nitong si onemoregame sa ginawa niyang 'to?

"It was suicide! What do you want, onemoregame? Why are you doing this?"

"Call Chairman Reed and have him apologize." Tumunog ang cellphone ni Hara at binasa ang mensahe galing kay Chantelle:

ayaw akong papasukin sa Admin Building.

Naikuyom na lang ni Hara ang kamay niya sa cellphone bago muling naupo at tumingin sa camera drone. "The rooftop of the Engineering Building just got bombed. We request Valiants in the area for immediate attention. I ask everyone who are outside not to go near the area for your safety. And again, we are requesting Chairman Adrian Reed to please come to the RU Live room to have the situation sorted out."

"Five minutes, Sahara."

---end of chapter.