One In A Billion Stars | COMPLETED

Epilogue

SINUNDAN ko si Commander Galilei at sinalubong ako nang mga nagtatalong commanders, researchers, intelligent team, and crews. They are discussing about the asteroid that will . . . going to hit the planet Mars. They've been finding the reason why the Mars team didn't get the signal sooner.

"The size doesn't matter at all, bigger or not, we received the same result. We'll die. All of us," maawtoridad na sabi ng nangunguna ngayon sa usapan. "We only have three hours before the asteroid reach the Mars atmosphere."

"We have to leave this planet." Gulat man dahil sa naging disisyon ni Commander Galilei, ginawa ko ang makakaya ko para intindihan siya.
He has a point, sa loob ng tatlong oras na 'yon, hindi namin magagawang makapaghanda sa anumang posibilidad na mangyayari. Isa pa, walang sapat na kagamitan ang mga tao rito sa Mars para sa bagay na 'yun.
Pero, ganoon na lamang ba 'yun? Pagkatapos ng ilang taong pag-aaral, bibitawan na lamang nila iyon? Wala na ba talagang pag-asa para ipaglaban ang planetang ito?

Isa mula sa intelligent team ang tumayo. "No, we can't leave this planet. We can't give up this planet," buong loob niyang sabi. "I offered my life here, my sweat, my blood, my everything. I experienced a lot of disaster while staying here. I lose some special people in my life here. I can't leave this planet. After all I-- we have done, after all we've been through, that's it? You're leaving this planet without trying to fight for it?!"

Hindi ko napigilang humanga sa kaniyang sinabi. Hindi ko mapigilan ang aking sariling hangaan siya dahil sa kaniyang determinasyon. She's right. Hindi namin pwedeng basta na lamang itong itapon. After all, this is our only hope, the hope of humanity.

"There's no hope. Even we try to fight for it, we will all end, we'll end dead here in this red planet."

Tumayo na rin ako sa aking kinauupuan para ipaglaban ang saloobing meron ako at sumali sa kanilang pagtatalo.

"There is a hope. There is always a hope in everything. I will fight for this planet. This is the only hope for our dying planet, this is the future of humanity, for the survival of humanity. Survival is an exception. We can always choose to survive. And I'll survive with this planet," taas noo kong sabi at ngayo'y ang lahat ay mariin lamang nakatingin at nakikinig sa aking mga sinasabi. "We called ourselves as Mars Generation, but we can't even fight for this planet?!"

Napuno ng bulungan ang buong paligid. I hope, I hope with this simple words, sana'y magising ang natutulog nilang isipan.

"I am a Mars Generation, astronaut Zaniah Bellatrix Mondragon and I'll definitely fight for human race survival. Hope isn't just for her, for you, or even for me, hope will always start from all of us. Let's create the world with light, move with justice and together let's breathe the air with value," buong tapang kong sabi habang inaalala ang huling sinabi ni Behati sa huling kabanata ng kaniyang k'wento. "Survive with me."
Isang kamay ang humigit sa akin at dinala ako sa labas ng conference room.

"C-commander."

"What do you think you're doing?!" buong boses niyang sigaw.

Sa unang pagkakataon, ngayon ko lang nakitang ganito si Commander Galilei. Hindi ko magawnag mabasa ang emosyon niya, at aaminin ko, may takot akong nararamdaman ngayon.

"I'll stay h-here commander-"

"Are you out of your mind Mondragon?!"

"Sir-"

"We can't stay here, you can't stay here because you will die!" pagbibigay diin niya.

Sa mga oras na 'to, unti-unting nag-iba ang kaniyang reaksyon. Bahagyang kumalma ang kaniyang mukha at mariing tumingin sa akin. "Bellatrix, we have to leave."