Betina Tiara
~
"Warning! Warning! The special security system has been reset! Restarting in three... two... one..."
Napabalikwas ako ng upo nang umilaw ang emergency red light ng kwarto at umalingawngaw ang AI warning sa buong paligid ko. Kaagad nabuhay ang takot at kaba sa aking dibdib, tila bumalik sa 'kin ang una kong karanasan dito sa apartment na 'to.
Natataranta kong hinanap ang cellphone ko sa kama at nang makita, mga text messages lang na nakatulugan ko kagabi ang nando'n mula kina Carmille, Gavin at Zen.
Agad akong nagtipa ng mensahe kay Zen kahit na alam kong hindi niya 'yun mababasa sa ganitong oras. Good gracious! It’s 3 am in the morning!
Saktong pagpindot ko ng send button, biglang nawala at huminto ang emergency red light at bumalik sa tahimik ang paligid. Tanging tibok na lang yata ng puso ko ang maririnig.
Napahawak ako sa dibdib ko, "What is that..."
Tumaas ang dalawang balikat ko sa gulat nang biglang tumunog ang phone ko sa gitna ng katahimikan. Dinampot ko 'yun at nakitang si Seven ang tumatawag.
"Sev---"
"Betina! Oh my, I’m so glad you picked up right away!"
"Nagising ako sa emergency system ng kwarto. What’s happening?" kunot-noo kong tanong.
"Something is wrong... something major is wrong. I apologize in advance having to tell you something unpleasant that--- I don’t know where to start," he sounds a bit hesitant and worried.
"Seven, relax. Tell me, what’s happening?"
"Do you remember what Light told you before you start to live in the apartment?"
"That aside from classified informations... there are a lot of sensitive materials that installed so he told me not to touch anything especially the drawers?" patanong na sagot ko.
"Yes. There is a special security system in your apartment--- it’s a security system I installed when Silvanna used to live there. Since the classified information includes the private information of a lot of famous businessmen, politicians and some really famous people, there were groups who tried to go after those documents. I don’t know about others but all I know is that there were a lot of secrets shared because she had private conversations with the guests."
"So... Silvanna asked me..." humina ng kaunti ang boses niya, "To install a security system that can blow up all the stored documents when an intruder gets in."
Nagulantang ako sa rebelasyon ni Seven. Kinu-kumbinsi palang ako ni Light noon nang makaisip na 'ko ng kakaiba sa apartment na 'to dahil na rin sa mga sinabi niya pero hindi ko 'yun pinalaki dahil... sino ba naman ang nasa isip ang magpapalagay ng bomba sa tinitirhan na apartment?
But it seems like Silvanna was not in her mind to asked for this kind of security system.
"Intruder?" I asked, "Noong una akong pumasok dito... tumunog lang ‘yung emergency alarm kagaya no’ng sinabi ko sa ‘yo. So, ibig sabihin, dapat ba sasabog na ito no’n?"
"Nagkaroon ng problema, Betina. I’ve found out that the security system was blocked that time and was returned when you woke up. When the system alarmed my computer, the bomb was disabled--- for sure wala ka narinig na AI warning, ‘di ba?"
Napaisip ako sa sinabi niya, "Wala nga..."
"But now, it was activated."
"But in the first place, Seven, bakit ka pumayag?" bahagya akong nairita sa mga nalaman. Hindi ko maisip na magagawa ni Silvanna gawin 'to para lang sa mga secret documents na 'yun.
"I was opposed to it of course!" depensa nito agad, "But she was so persistent and I had to give in, so I installed it--- under the condition that she will not stay at the apartment until something happens," paliwanag niya, "Now since the security system was hacked, when a person who is a member of the CVA enters the apartment... the apartment will explode."
Good gracious...!
Napatakip ako ng bibig at parang tuluyan nang nawala ang enerhiya ko sa katawan.
"Betina, I’m so sorry. I was totally against it, wala rin namang magawa si Light dahil si Silvanna ang may gusto nito," mabigat siyang napabuga sa hangin, "The alogrithm of this special security system was just now hacked. Kaya nagbigay warning ito sa computer ko at diyan mismo sa ‘yo."
"Anong gagawin ko?" nanghihina kong tanong.
"Please... ‘wag ka munang aalis ng apartment, promise me! I will do my very best to make sure the bomb won’t blow up. The bomb might not work if some intruder enters but when it detected someone from the CVA... it may blow up."
Hindi na 'ko nakahanap pa ng sasabihin sa kan'ya. Sapat na ang mga narinig ko na 'yun para manghina ang sistema ko at mawalan ng ganang magsalita.
Can you imagine it? Nasa iisang bahay ka, ikaw lang mag-isa tapos malalaman mo na may nakatago palang bomba sa loob ng tirahan mo na maaaring sumira sa buong building at makapatay ng maraming tao.
All these time I thought I was safe... I was saved from the guys chasing me before from Olyn’s group. But now...
Hindi talaga ako makapaniwala. Akala ko no'ng una kong tapak dito, tinatakot lang ako ni Light na 'wag gumalaw ng mga gamit dito dahil nga maraming classified information ang bawal lumabas.
"I had no idea who hacked into it, but I will do everything, Betina. Right now what’s most important to me is to restore the system... and find who’s behind this. I’m so sorry again for involving you in this. Please, trust me."
Sinubukan kong bawiin ang sarili ko at nagsalita, "Why can’t I just leave?"
"Don’t. The security system might accidentally activate itself--- just follow me to make sure nothing will happen. Papatayin ako ni Zen kapag may nangyari sa ‘yo so please... promise me."
"Seven..."
"Promise me, Betina. If you sense anything suspicious, please call me--- or anyone from the CVA. And please promise me again, that you won’t leave the apartment."
Hirap akong napalunok at napatango na lamang. Wala naman akong choice, 'di ba?
"F-Fine."
"I can’t call Light, he’s somewhere with no service. I’ll try and keep calling him. Please give me some time until I can solve this. I’ll do my best, just trust me." nasa boses niya ang determinasyon, malayo sa mapagbirong Seven na kilala ko.
"Okay, Seven..."
"Thank you so much. Hindi ako matutulog hangga’t hindi ko naaayos ‘yan ngayong araw. Manatili ka lang diyan, okay? Mag-iingat ka."
Pagkatapos ng pag-uusap namin sa linya ay hindi ko na naibalik ang sarili ko para muling matulog. Binagsak ko ang sarili sa kama at nag-isip kung anong posibleng mangyari sa 'kin ngayon na na-hacked ang security system ni Seven.
Hindi pa 'ko handang mamatay. Si Nanay Gretta... hindi ko siya kayang iwan, malulungkot iyon.
Kinuha ko ang unan ko at itinakip 'yun sa aking mukha. Dumapa ako at hindi na napigilang maiyak sa pag-aalala.
It feels like a threat in my life. This is the second threat-- the first one was from Olyn’s group and now... the bomb in my place.
Kaunting maling galaw, pwede nang mawala ang buhay ko sa isang iglap.
