Chapter 51

Yesterday was the most memorable forty-five minutes of my life. I got engaged, had a sweet dance, sweet kisses and endless I love you from the man I loved.

Pakiramdam ko ay hinigitan ng apatnapu't limang minuto ang isang buong maghapon dahil sa mga halik at yakap ni Pedro.

Nang lumipad ang mga mata ko sa kanyang direksyon ay nakatitig ito sa akin, simple akong nag-iwas ng tingin. Gusto ko siyang irapan at pagtaasan ng kilay pero pinigil ko ang sarili dahil baka may makapansin sa aming dalawa.

Damn Armstrong. I bit my lower lip to stop myself from grinning.

"What happened yesterday? You looked so happy." Bulong sa akin ni Commander Mitts.

Natauhan ako nang marinig ko ang sinabi sa akin ni Commander. Bahagya akong tumikhim, dinala ko ang aking atensyon sa unahan, malayo kay Peter.

Kasalukuyan kaming magkatabi sa pila ni Commander Mitts habang hinihintay ng buong UASA ang pangmalakihang anunsyo na siyang inaabangan ng lahat.

Dito nakasalalay ang magiging takbo ng aming misyon.

"No, nothing Commander." Sagot ko.

"You're lying, your blood is not boiling at this moment of time. Shiela is in front of us, very unusual of you Lieutenant."

Kahit ako ay nagulat nang mapansin ko nga si Shiela sa unahan, hindi ko na ito napansin dahil sa sayang nararamdaman ko hanggang ngayon.

Hindi ko na napigil ang sarili ko, mabilis kong inilabas ang dog tag na nakatago sa ilalim ng damit ko at agad ko itong ipinakita kay Commander Mitts.

Halos manlaki ang mga mata nito sa gulat at tuwa.

"Oh my god," hindi makapaniwalang nakatitig ito sa akin.

"He proposed yesterday and I said yes." Ngiting sabi ko.

"Oh god, I'm so happy for both of you." Bulong na sabi nito.

"Thank you, Commander."

Ibinalik ko ang dogtag at ang singsing ko sa ilalim ng aking uniporme.

"When?"

"Maybe after this month-long mission?"

"H-How about the project Mars?"

"We'll fight for it, Commander. We'll prove to the board that our love will not restrain or even weaken us to be a productive UASA pilot. Instead, it will make us tougher and a fighter." Tumango si Commander Mitts sa akin.

"Yes, I'll support you and Peter for that. The thing that we didn't fight before." Hinawakan ko ang balikat ni Commander Mitts.

"It's not yet late, Commander. As long as the earth is still revolving around the sun, you can still do the things that you haven't done before." Natawa ito sa sinabi ko.

"Sometimes your words are so strange, Monzanto." Nagkibit-balikat na lamang ako.

Bumalik ang atensyon namin sa unahan, nakapatay pa rin ang ilaw sa tapat ng podium habang wala nang tigil sa bulungan ang lahat ng mga taga-UASA.

Marami ang pabor kay Professor Wilson kumpara kay Engr. Wright lalo na at karamihan ay mga bagong miyembro, tanging kami na lamang at ilang matatagal nang UASA ang nasa panig ni Engr. Wright.

This is how life works, if you have number of people behind you that means you have the power, you are the greatest and you are above all. But in reality, that is something you call, extreme foolishness.

Magsama-sama silang mga tanga.

Sinusuportahan nila ang isang babaeng mapagpanggap, makasarili at walang pagpapahalaga sa kapwa. She's just masked with her greed to succeed.

Hindi talaga nawawalan ng mga ganitong tao mula sa iba't-ibang aspeto. This isn't about just the politics, minsan ang mga simpleng taong nakakasalamuha mo nilalamon na ng ganitong pag-uugali.

"I'm quite nervous," muling bulong sa akin ni Commander Mitts.

Kahit ako ay ramdam ko ang biglang pagbilis ng tibok ng puso ko. Nakasalaylay sa anunsyong ito ang magiging takbo ng aming misyon. Sana ay maging pabor ito sa amin.

Sinulyapan ko ulit ang gawi ni Pedro, katabi na niya si Jensen at Graham Bell. Alam kong maging ang mga ito ay nakakaramdam na rin nang matinding kaba.

Nang makarinig kami ng isang tikhim mula sa mga speaker ay bigla nang natahimik ang lahat ng bulungan.

"Good evening, this will be a quick announcement." Sumulyap si chairman sa papel na hawak niya bago niya inilibot ang kanyang mga mata sa aming lahat.

"After torrid analyzations, numbers of debates and discussion. Together with the boards, UASA representatives from different countries, flight, space and navy admirals as well as the internal researchers, we agreed to this proposal." Hinawakan ko ang kamay ni Commander Mitts habang halos pigil hininga kaming lahat sa susunod na sasabihin ni chairman.

"Today, June 23, 2018. Saturday. Local time 23:35. Washington. District of Columbia. The Universal Aeronautics and Space Administration is now giving the whole space rights as well as the space resources operation to Engr. Kyson Angelo Wrights."

Malakas na sigawan ang mula sa matatagal nang miyembro ng UASA ang pumuno sa buong area. Nagyakapan kami ni Commander Mitts sa tuwa.

Maraming gustong umalma pero hindi na nila masasalungat pa ang ibinabang desisyon mula sa itaas.

Shiela walked out. Hindi nakaligtas sa aking mga mata ang masamang titig nito sa amin ni Commander Mitts bago ito tuluyang umalis.

"Bitch," iritadong sabi ni Commander.

Tulad nang mga nauhang pag-uusap namin, pumili si Commander Mitts nang tagong lugar kung saan malaya kaming makakapag-usap nang maayos lahat.

Isa pa, matapos ang kalahating oras ay ipapatawag kami ni chairman at ng mga board para ipaliwanag na ang buong misyon.

Napangisi kaming lahat nang magyakapan sa harapan namin si Commander Mitts at Engr. Wrights, naghiwalay lamang ang mga ito nang tumikhim si Graham Bell.

"Congratulations engineer!"

"Thank you,"

Magsisimula na sanang magsalita si Pedro nang matigilan kaming lahat dahil agad na kaming pinatatawag sa meeting room. Hindi na natuloy ang dapat naming pag-uusap at nagtungo na kami sa meeting room. Dito kami sinalubong ng mga matataas na tao sa ahensiya.

Masyadong nagmamadali ang mga ito dahil pinapunta na agad si Engr. Wright sa unahan para mas ipaliwanag ang kanyang mga plano.

"I only have one plan, this is to make a one functional data satellite that will coordinate with the mothership." Panimula ni Engr. Wright.

"Then, what are we going to do about the three existing satellites? We can't just dispose them at the same time, the impact might affect the ozone layer of the earth. Unless you have something that can make those satellites into ashes in an instant."

Bahagya akong napatango sa sinabi ni chairman.

"Chairman, we don't need to dispose of the satellites yet, maybe after the successful installation of our new satellite. This is when we think about the disposal and if you're bothered about the signal collection and data capture, my satellites were designed to corrupt the unwanted signals. So that means that if the three existing satellites tried to transmit data to the mothership, my satellites will immediately cut the system's pathway to avoid confusion."

"How effective is that? Are you sure that there will be no unsure information that will pass?"

Hindi pwedeng patayin bigla ang tatlong satellite dahil posible itong bumagsak sa mundo ng hindi naaayon, lalo na at nahihirapan na itong kontrolin. Tama rin ang katanungan ni chairman, baka mag-agawan ang mga ito sa pagpapadala ng mga impormasyon.

This will create another conflict with the mothership, even an information explosion. Lalo nang magkakagulo sa mga impormasyon at babalang kailangang malaman.

Hinintay naming sumagot si Engr. Wrights.

"Yes Chairman, I'm sure about my invention. The whole movement of space signals and data information captured will be the function of our new satellite." Tumango si Chairman kasama ang ilang mga taga board.

"So when will be the official launch of your satellite? We need to use it as soon as possible." Pagsingit ng isa sa board.

Hindi na kami nagkapagsalita nila Pedro dahil sa pakikinig sa mga paliwanag ni Engr. Wrights.

"I've checked the condition and it will take one week to make the whole satellite functional, but there's a key in my invented satellites. Since I made it years ago without any knowledge that it will be soon launched as a savior of humanity, I put strong passwords to claim that the invention is mine." Nakarinig ako ng singhapan mula sa mga board.

"Password? And you forgot about it? There's no reset?" tanong sa kanya.

"I didn't try to reset it."

"Then, what is the problem?" tanong ulit ng isang board.

"The passwords used were the biometrics of six important presidents of the six inhabited continents of the earth." Lalong lumakas ang bulungan ng lahat ng nasa loob ng meeting room.

"You mean the biometrics of those presidents when the satellite was invented?" nakisabat na rin si Pedro.

"Yes, Space Commander."

"W-What the-what if they're dead? Come on, it was seven years ago!" nagsalita na rin si Graham Bell.

"This is suicide!"

"We should agree with Professor Shiela!"

"Seven years ago? Where are you going to get their biometrics?"

"They're all alive, I'm done with my research Engr. Wright." Seryosong sabat ni Commander Mitts.

I didn't notice that her hologram monitor is already on. Her fingers are now busy typing with the important details needed by Engr. Wright.

"There you go, engineer!"

Commander Mitts, pressed something showing the six faces of the Presidents coming from the six continents of the earth.

"They're all alive and breathing,"

Nabalot nang katahimikan ang buong meeting room habang binabasa namin ang impormasyon tungkol sa mga dating presidente.

"What is your assurance engineer that these ex-presidents will cooperate with us? I want to inform you that not all the leaders, even the agencies inside this globe have the same perception as us."

Sa halip na sumagot si Engr. Wright kay chairman ay tipid itong lumingon sa akin at binigyan ako ng ngiti.

"Why don't we ask Flight Lieutenant Monzanto about this matter? She is now the face of the whole UASA, the world heard her words, humans witnessed her intelligence and I believe that the heart of a good leader will never decline her wisdom."

Halos kapusin ako nang paghinga nang muling tumitig ang lahat sa akin. This isn't my time Engr. Wright!

Bakit kailangan mong banggitin ang pangalan ko? Nanlamig ang mga kamay ko nang nagtanguhan silang lahat sa sinabi ni engineer.

Until the chairman gave me his command.

"In the name of the whole Universal Aeronautics and Space Administration, I am now giving you an order for the sake of our human race, with the three Commanders to support you-Armstrong, Jensen, and Graham Bell." Agad tumayo ang mga ito at taas noong sumaludo.

"Sir!"

"Flight Lieutenant Behati Azalea Monzanto, our bravest pilot. Bring us the six presidents alive."

Huminga ako nang malalim kasabay ng pagtayo katabi ang pinakamagagaling na piloto sa mundong ito.

I answered him with power and full of passion.

"Roger sir!"