10: Pink Skies

Bane Lab was surprisingly gloomy today. Marahil ay dahil iyon sa nangyayaring panloloob kahapon. When I entered Sage's office, he was busy with some stuff and I didn't want to disturb him. I only muttered a low good morning that I don't think he heard.

Hindi ko alam gaano na katagal ang lumipas bago niya napansin ang presensya ko.

"Oh, D-dani nandito ka na pala," he shyly said.

Well, for an hour or so.

"Hindi na kita inistorbo, busy ka kasi," sagot ko. Ngumiti ako sa kanya at nahihiyang inayos na lamang niya ang pagkakasuot ng salamin niya.

"Well, I have to do some stuff before I meet with the n-new lawmaker related to our newly developed d-drug," sagot niya at napabuntong-hininga. "We think the d-defector not only stole some chemicals but also messed with the other b-biohazard."

Sa madaling salita, Bane Lab might be in danger if they cannot find out what the defector exactly did inside. My profession might be out of this scenario, but I understand the dangers of this. What if the stolen chemicals can be used for bioterrorism? I could only think of the worst.

I was silently thankful that Wolff is not around. Madalas ay nandito siya kapag ganitong oras. At least I don't have to deal with him regarding the crazy stunt I pulled off last night! Halos hindi ako makatulog dahil sa pag-aalala kung ano ang mangyayari ngayon!

Wait, baka hindi siya nakapasok dahil naimpeksyon ang sugat niya?

No, no, no!

I shouldn't think that way!

Maybe he's just busy. Right, he's busy.

"D-dani?" biglang pukaw sa akin ni Sage. "Y-you looked spaced out. M-may problema ba?"

Problema?

Yes. A big one.

Wolff's identity is making me question my sanity.

I stabbed him with a pen.

I will surely lose my job.

And definitely lose the house.

Argh, could I get bigger problems for myself?

I mentally shake my head to draw away negative thoughts. Nang humarap ako kay Sage ay may pagtataka pa rin sa mukha niya habang nakatingin sa akin.

"What do you need to do with meeting the lawmaker?" tanong ko sa kanya.

"Ah, I just w-want to submit the papers for the new pharmaceutical drug that we developed. All p-papers are g-good but the new lawmaker wanted hard copies and B-Bane Lab could only c-comply."

"Maybe I can do it," sabi ko. Alam kong busy siya dahil sa pangyayari and I, as his secretary, am responsible for those things. Hindi naman siguro kailangang may degree rin sa medisina o ano ang kailangan para magpasa, hindi ba?

He blinked at me. "A-are you sure?"

Nilakihan ko ang ngiti, to give him assurance. "Yes, leave it to me."

Nahihiyang ngumiti siya. "Thanks, Dani."

Well, it wasn't something he should thank me for. I am his secretary and it's my job to do these things. Kahit hindi ako sanay sa trabahong ito, I think I'm learning a lot at malamang, hindi kalaunan ay masasanay rin ako.

On the other hand, Sage wasn't used to working with a secretary. He used to work alone, so having a secretary may be a burden to the loner and aloof type like him.

But I don't want to be a burden to him. I have to learn and do my job well or how else will I survive? Teaching doesn't pay that much— especially if you're not employed by Sanip.

I do not get the education system; it's suffocating and it does not bring out the potential of children. Learning the basics can be done at home—yet Sanip chose to make it the core learning of elementary kids along with universal language studies.

Maybe the reason why the government made it that way is to limit the knowledge of the youth. Since they shaped the children according to what they want, unnecessary things to learn at a young age are deemed illegal. Hence no textbooks are available and information accessible to the public are filtered and limited. Maybe they fear that if young people can obtain great knowledge even at a young age, they will start a rebellion.

Ah, the future could only get worse.

No freedom.

We're all caged in what society wants us to become.

Speech is limited.

Intellectual thought is suppressed.

Knowledge is near, yet it seems so far.

My thoughts were interrupted when someone bumped me from behind at saka ko lamang napansin na nakahinto na ang bullet train.

I've reached Sanip's capital. The streets were busy, the place was polluted, and the huge buildings around were enthralling. I shook my head at pinaalala sa sarili na huwag mamangha sa karangyaan.

Sanip may be economically successful by merely looking around. No doubt that Sanip is a first-world country. Modernization hits hard.

But, I cannot really say it's all success.

In return for these enormous and modern buildings, lands are commercialized and trees, along with the green nature, were sacrificed. We're barely breathing fresh air. Even the marine source of oxygen is declining. For the past years, phytoplankton populations have been dropping by more than 60 percent and it continues to drop in the coming years.

Humigpit ang hawak ko sa files. I took out Bane Lab's tablet that gives me directions on where to go. Inayos ko rin ang suot na ID, this is my pass to almost everywhere.

Bigla akong napatigil nang tumunog ang giant grandfather clock na nasa gitna ng kapital ng Sanip. It was its usual chime every time it moved to exactly an hour.

And right now it's ten o'clock already. The meeting with one of the lawmakers is at ten thirty and I still have thirty minutes to spare.

You have reached your destination.

I turned off the tablet after hearing its notification. Sage was keen on giving me directions kaya kahit hindi ko dala ang tablet ay malamang hindi pa rin ako maliligaw. The place is just walking distance from the train station— not to mention that Cielo Rosa is the tallest building around the area.

Sage says Cielo Rosa means pink sky, and then I got the idea that the building is screaming pink, but it's not.

It was the highest rise around. I've never been to Sanip's capital, so this place is not really familiar to me, but I have to commend myself for the courage of coming here without hesitation.

Hindi pa rin tapos ang ingay na mula sa higanteng orasan ng capital, and when it stopped, there were rocket sounds.

Pinigilan ko ang sarili sa pagsigaw. None of the people around were surprised by the rocket sounds, as if it's just normal.

Then there were explosions from above.

Fireworks—I presume, but maybe not the typical fireworks. Instead, there were pink smokes above, making the clouds around Cielo Rosa pink. The brass building guide on the side of the high-rise says it will release pink smokes every 10 AM, 3 PM, and 7 PM every day.

I scoffed. Maybe they're being too much in considering the name. They make the skies pink around the tallest place—

Bigla kong nabitawan ang hawak na files nang bigla akong may naalala.

"How am I supposed to find you? Your name Seven is not even your real name."

"What's your favorite color?"

"How's that relevant?"

"What's your favorite color?"

"Pink!"

"Then come find me when the skies are pink. Up there, on the highest place."

An image of Seven with his smirk suddenly rushed into my mind.

Huminga ako nang malalim at pinulot ang nalaglag na folder. I tapped my cheeks to wake myself from whatever.

I'm just making things complicated.

Pumasok ako sa loob ng Cielo Rosa, and I was right when I said Bane Lab's ID is my pass. No other questions except that they scanned the ID to check its authenticity.

Kinuha ko ulit ang tablet at tiningnan ang iba pang paalala ni Sage. I will meet Odin Gozon, one of the important people who needs to review the results of the clinical testing applications ng mga newly developed drugs ng Bane Lab.

According to Sage, the drug has already undergone every phase of clinical testing. It was successful, so it progressed to the second phase and, like the other trials, it was a success without intolerable side effects and safety problems.

The efficacy of the drug has been determined, but there were questions from the lawmaker, so Bane Lab responded that they will send hard copies of the results of the test. My job is to drop the files and leave, and iyon talaga ang gagawin ko. Although Sage informed me that I don't have to worry about the lawmaker's questions, kinakabahan pa rin ako. If that happens, Sage told me to answer truthfully that I am a secretary and these things were confidential.

The elevator stopped at the 35th floor, kung saan ang opisina ni Odin Gozon. I was silently hoping I could just drop the files to his secretary.

The place was making me feel clammy and made me want to back out, which is silly. I have to endure the horrid feeling around, as if it makes my skin crawl.

Ang rason?

I hate lawmakers.

I pretty much think they're useless; they're only a front dahil sa huli ay mga pansariling kapakanan lang naman nila ang iniisip.

... Because if they really cared about the nature of their job, why did Sanip become this way?

A prisoner of those who are rich. They twist the law and hold everyone in the palm of their hand.

I don't even think they have a say in this matter, but Sage told me that food and drugs entail the responsibilities of a lawmaker.

Nilakad ko ang mahabang pasilyo ng palapag, constantly glancing at the marble nameplates on every door.

And there I found the name Odin Gozon. The nameplate was new and shiny compared to the doors I passed. Odin Gozon is the newly recognized lawmaker. I think I heard his name a lot on the news for the previous months, but I really didn't care much about such stuff.

Huminga ako nang malalim bago kumatok.

"Who's there?" I heard the voice from the intercom that I didn't really notice.

I cleared my throat. "I-it's the representative from B-Bane Lab."

Damn it, I'm shaking.

"Come inside."

Mahinang pinihit ko ang pinto at hinigpitan ang hawak sa dala kong files, only to drop it when the man behind the table turned his swivel chair.

Despite that tacky hairstyle and glasses he wore, it was definitely Wolff Bane.

No, it was Seven.

Or maybe...

Another someone who looked like them.

What the hell?

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