Herozoan Genetics
Pangasinan, Philippines

A MAN, IN his late fifties, stood in front of big monitors on the glass wall and watched the real-time footage caught by their drones stationed on the coasts and islands across the Philippine archipelago. Just outside, behind the glass wall, was a group of experts. Each of them was sitting and occupying a cubicle, with headphones on their head. They were monitoring, staring directly at the screen, and making their plan happen. One of them was a woman wearing a headphone with a small microphone. She was the only one standing as she was overseeing the operation.

“Listen!” Everyone stopped and looked at her. “We only have one shot at this. We need a win today against these species.”

“What’s our status, Helena,” she heard the Superior ask her through the headphone she was wearing.

She pulled the microphone closer to her mouth. “Sir, the buoys are now placed in the areas where mermaids were likely to be staying or going. And our boots on the ground made their position on the coast. Awaiting your confirmation, sir.”

From the glass room, the Superior saw on one of the monitors on the leftmost portion the red dots on the Philippine map that indicated the location of the buoys. There were hundreds of their weapons scattered across the Philippine seas. “Now, kill those beasts,” he ordered.

She sent the signal to start the attacks. “The sonic weapons are now activated and online, sir.”

“Tell me what’s happening.”

Her eyes were fixed on the monitors that displayed the data recorded the moment they set their weapons active. “Our sonic weapons are currently releasing pulsating sound waves that are fatal to the mermaids. Based on the previous results of our test subjects,  they should be disoriented by now.”

“How about the other marine organisms? How do they react to this?”

“Sir, the frequency might affect them a little but for these mermaids, it’s deadly.”

“That’s good.”

“If our harvest today will become a success, sir. Our country will be leading when it comes to arms race and medicine.”

“I wish Mr. Santos was here to witness this,” he whispered as he watched the footage until he noticed something. “Helena? We are losing some of the buoys.”

“This is expected sir, the experts said we should expect thirty percent damage since these mermaids are intelligent species. But at this rate, we still have the advantage, sir,” she explained. “Now we have visual confirmation of the mermaids. Thermal imaging shows they’re heading to the ground. It’s time to deploy the troops. Initiating harvest.”

••°°••

“TROY! HOW MUCH longer?”

“Just give me a second!”

With the internet connection getting stronger as they get closer and closer to the shore, Troy started hacking the sonic weapon despite the scorching heat of the sun, splashes of water, the up and down movement of the boat because of the waves, and the pressure and fear of getting caught. His eyes were focused on the screen of his laptop while his fingers were busy pressing the keys, which at the same time firmly anchored the laptop to his thighs.

“Are you really hacking that?”

“Yes, I am! I am in their system, remember?”

“We can’t go to the shore! The military is waiting for us!”

“Then let’s stay in the water! As long as we don’t get caught and we’re near the shore! Can you just please shut up for a second?”

The boat continued tailing them. Luckily, the presence of the bystanders watching them from the seawall just served as immunity for them. As long as they’re watching they’re both safe. They kept circling and circling the neritic zone as if they have joined the local Bangkarera race event.  Not long after that, they were alarmed when three boats left the shore and joined the chase.

“Troy! There’s four of them now!”

“Done! It’s all deactivated!”

“That’s my best friend!” she cheered out of joy and relief “What should we do? We can’t outrun them!”

“We can! Head for the Fishing Village! In the mangrove forest!”

••°°••

ASCEIA SLOWLY STOOD, with her shaking legs and ringing head, she watched her people regain their strength. Some of them didn’t survive the transformation after the sonic weapon attack, and they were just floating lifelessly in the water. She was heartbroken to see several of her people forcibly undergoing metamorphosis without proper training. The pain caused by humans to them was too much that she can’t let it slip away anymore.

The helicopter landed on the ground, its blades blew, and stirred the sand affecting the visibility of the beach. Armed men jumped out of the chopper and rained them with bullets. In an instant, she witnessed how her people, who seek safety in the land, were butchered by the military. They were helpless and had no chance of fighting when the bullets hit them first.

“Stop!” she screamed.

But the air and the noise coming from the chopper overpowered her voice. Therefore, she decided to let out the strongest scream that swept the beach. Grains of sand were blown away like a wave, bullets that were about to hit her were deflected, and the chopper was pushed and flipped over. It exploded. The fire engulfed some of the armed men nearby. And the pieces of broken metal parts flying impaled some of the standing humans and serceans in the process.

Another chopper arrived behind her and was still in the air. When she turned around and was about to release another scream, she felt how the bullets pierced right through her skin and flesh. She can endure the pain of one, but its effect on her was very strong. It was not just one bullet, but many of them hit different parts of her naked body. She fell to her knees, blood dripped to her tanned skin before the wounds heal. More and more bullets were buried in her body until she can’t take it anymore. She dropped to the sandy ground gasping for air feeling the effect of the tranquilizer brought by the bullet in her system.

••°°••

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