Cord Connection

MAKES FRIEND

Chapter Three

"Who's he Dad?" asked the girl named Ellina.

Napatapon ako bigla ng tingin sa kaniya at palihim akong napangiti nang marinig ang matinis niyang boses. May anak pala si Dr. Faraday.

"Oo nga, Dr. Faraday. Who's he?" followed by Matt. Medyo may pagka-brusko ang boses nito.

Tinagnan ko lang silang lahat. Gustuhin ko mang sumagot, ngunit hindi ko alam kung ano ang aking sasabihin. Wala pa akong maalala tungkol sa sarili ko. Ni hindi ko nga alam ang pangalan ko eh.

"Guys," Cedric butts in. Both of them looked at him. Nangulubot ang kilay ng dalawa.

He cleares his throat before he mutters the word, "He had memory lost. He didn't knew his name or where he from, I have this guts that the cables behind him are disjuncted," he explained.

I just beck my head with pouting face as assentation on what Cedric said. Mabuti na lang at nandiyan si Cedric.

Inirapan ako bigla ng babaing nagngangalang Ellina. She rolls her eyes on me. I can't blame her, maybe she had this what we called "Trust issue."

Napakunot na lang ako ng aking noo sa naging reaksyon niya saka tipid lang na ngumiti sa kanilang lahat at bahagyang kumaway.

"Katulad ng nangyari sa'yo last time we entered the Asymptote Universe?" asked by Matt. Nakatingin siya kay Cedric.

"Prescisely, Matt." Cedric replied.

"Maybe there's some short circuit happened. Who knows?" he added.

Napatingin sa gawi ko si Matt saka ngumiti. He looks smart and friendly being. Mukhang magkakasundo kami agad.

"It isn't important at all," Dr. Faraday butts in. "I need to censor the coaxial cables behind him. I believe, the stripped wire we're used is not compatible for him. I have to create new one which suits him," he monotonously said.

Walang reaksyon na nakatingin si Dr. Faraday sa akin habang nagsasalita. Sa katunayan, kaharap ko silang lahat.

Si Ellina, hindi ako matignan ng diretso. Si Matt naman ay nakangiti sa akin, gayon din si Cedric.

After a couple of hour, I found myself following Dr. Faraday. He brought me inside his laboratory.

Pagpasok ng laboratory, tumambad agad sa akin ang mga computers. Well tiled ang flooring na parang nakakahiya ng tumapak. Kakaibang amoy rin ang humahalimuyak sa loob. Nagmumula yata iyon sa air-conditioner na nakakabit sa dingding.

Malawak ang space at iilang kable na lang din ang makikitang gumagapang sa loob.

Pina-upo ako ni Dr. Faraday sa isang gray colored sickbay at agad na nagtungo si Dr. Faraday sa aking likod. He scans the three small holes on my nape using the thermo-tester like gadget on his hand. Itinutok niya iyon sa aking batok.

It refracts green color light moving up and down. Every informations he gaines are immediately put on his computer. Wala akong maintindihan, dahil sa binary numbers lang ang nakalagay sa monitor.

"Got it!" he exclaimed. "Now, I can create stripped wires for you. I can make it done in approximately three or four days?" Dr. Faraday said without throwing me the glance.

He is busy typing some binary numbers in his computer keyboard. Tuluyan na itong napa-upo sa harap ng computer niya.

Napatikom na lang ako ng bibig habang pinagmamasdan si Dr. Faraday. He is still worn his laboratory gown, but not his goggle and gloves.

I rove my eyes to the place, what caught my attention is, there are three other white colored sickbay which has some colorful wires beneath on it. These three are different from where I sat.

I think, those are where travelling to Asymptote Universe begin with. Hihiga ang Traveller doon at isasaksak ang three small stripped wires sa butas ng batok para mangyari ang Astral Projection na sinasabi ni Cedric.

Dr. Faraday says that the stripped wire is the tip parts of the cables connected from wire insulator down to energy sources. Mostly, it is made up of copper.

Ibinaba ko ang aking paa sa sahig. I step my feet way going to the place where those sickbays are placed. This was somehow circular shielded with transparent glass.

Bakit ngayon ko lang ito makita?

Narating ko ang lugar. Napahawak ako sa salamin habang pinagmamasdan ang mga ito. I feel the coldness of glass upon holding it. My breath moisten some part of it.

Sumulyap akong muli kay Dr. Faraday. Busy pa rin ito sa kaka-type sa keyboard.

I reroute my eyes to the sickbay. Napalunok ako ng laway... I attempt to enter, but sudden voice stops me.

"Kid!" Cedric shouted.

"Hmmm?" I answered. I fix my sights on him.

"Come here... I will introduce you," he replied. He signs me his right hand. I glare to the sickbay before I left it.

Lumapit ako kay Cedric. He crosses his arm to my shoulder and caress it.

Few steps will do, we saw Matt seating on the gray colored bench. He is busy reading something.

"Matthew," Matt halted reading and fixed his eyes on us.

"His name is Matthew, Matt for short. He's expert in computer programming." My eyes turned widened.

"Oh... Wow..." I bubbled. He gives me a weak smile and waves his hand.

I wave back at him. "Hi?"

"Welcome to the family, Bro," he answered.

"Where's Ellina?" asked by Cedric.

He roames his head to the place. Nailibot ko rin ang aking mga mata upang hanapin si Ellina.

Matt lift his both hands in air saying I-don't-know.

"Matt, I think, I'm gonna believe that there's a... ghost... here." It's Ellina.

Napatingin kaming tatlo sa kaniya na noo'y kalalabas lang galing sa lavatory. Unti-unting humina ang boses nito habang papalapit sa amin.

She cleares his throat.

Bigla siyang namula at nag-iwas ng tingin sa aming lahat. Parang hindi siya mapakali sa kinatatayuan niya.

"Ghost? Are you kidding? Haha..." Matt mockingly said.

"How'd you say so?" Cedric inquired.

"I-I saw s-some c-curly hair at the bowl. Hindi ba wala namang may kulot na buhok sa atin? Those hairs should be possess by ghost," she seriously said without blinking her eyes.

Napayuko bigla si Matt. "Pft!"

Napatakip naman bigla ng mukha si Cedric, habang ako ay napakunot lang ng noo.

What they're talking about? I can't relate. Could somebody explain me what was happening? What about the ghost with curly hair?

"Pft... HAHAHAHA," Matt laughed hard.

"EHEKHEKHEKHEK, Seriously?!" Cedric mockingly said while holding my shoulder.

"Hey?! I'm telling the truth! Check niyo pa sa bowl! May kulot na buhok doon!" Ellina faces turned read as if, wanted to explode. Umuusok na ang ilong at tainga niya.

Naningkit na lang ang aking mga mata. Hindi ko alam kung bakit sila tumatawa. Napakamot na lang ako ng aking ulo.

"Are you guys wanna die?! Can you just shut your big mouth? Anong nakakatawa sa sinabi ko?!" she yelled which occupied the whole place.

Napakuyom na ng kamay si Ellina at nakatiim bagang na ito. Nagliliyab ang mga mata nito habang nakatingin sa dalawa.

"Ghosts aren't true, you're hallucinating, Ellina," matawa-tawang sabi ni Cedric.

"Okay, haha... Kid." Nakatingin na sa akin ngayon si Cedric. Hindi ko na halos maintindihan ang boses niya.

"She's Ellina Faraday. Dr. Faraday's daughter, she is expert in ummm... Haha... Cracking jokes... Hindi Joke." He laughed so hard.

"Huh?" I caressed my head. I didn't understand Cedric. Nangunot ang aking noo.

Anong nangyayari?

"Hah hah hah," Ellina faked her laughed.

And they laugh happily ever after like there's no tomorrow.

"Hahahaha..." I faked my laugh too that made them shut.

They fixed their eyes on me. Matalim nila akong tinignan, seryoso na ngayon ang kanilang mukha. Parang kanina lang ay halos mamatay-matay na sila katatawa.

"Haha?" I awkwardly laughed. Tunog iyon na parang natatanong.

"Okay, Kid. That's enough, you look Oaf," Cedric frankly said.

"Pft," It's Matt.

"Ano ba kasing pinagtatawanan niyo?" I confusedly asked.

"It's nothing."

He cleares his throat and turn dead serious. "By the way. I formally introduce you Ellina, daughter of Dr. Faraday," Cedric said.

"Ah?" I replied.

"Okay, guys while this Kid won't know his name. What we're going to call him?"

"No idea?" It's Matt.

"Whatever... He looks Juts," said by Ellina.

Napatingin sa akin sina Cedric at Matt. From my face, down to my private part. I wrinkled my forehead and hide my private using my hands knowing the fact that I'm still wearing my black jeans.

"What with that look?" I asked.

"Pft."

"Hmmm..."

"Juts, it suits him!" she exclaimed.

"Guys, it was fine... You can call me Juts," I assented her.

After I said it to them. They hardly laughed as if they're going to lost the air inside their lungs.

"Do you know what, Juts means? Huh? Are you serious for that?" asked by Cedric holding my shoulder, still.

Matt and Ellina continued laughing while holding their stomach.

"Huh? Ah... Eh..." I shake my head.

"Juts is shortened word for Jutay, it's Bisaya word means as small."

I just pout. "So, what? It's okay then," I agreed.

"Aherrmm!" Dr. Faraday faked a caughed which shut them up.

Napakagat ng labi si Ellina, habang nagpipigil naman ng tawa si Matt and Cedric.

Dr. Faraday comes close to us. "What's happening here?" he asked.

"Nothing Dad, gonna go to bed. Bye, Matt, Cedric and... Juts," she waves her hands.

"What's happening?" Dr. Faraday asked again. He leans his gaze on Matt.

"M-may gagawin pa pala ako," said by Matt alleviating himself to answer the question.

Dr. Faraday fixes his gaze to Cedric. "Sige, Juts. Alis muna ako."

That it is. Iniwan nila kami ni Dr. Faraday. Napakamot ako ng aking ulo.

Napangiting aso ako kay Dr. Faraday nang magtama ang aming mga mata. Hindi ko rin alam ang sasabihin. Hindi pa nagsi-sink in sa utak ko ang mga nangyayari. His eyes still had a blot of question.

"Okay, fine," he giving up. He turns his back, but before he does I call him.

"Dr. Faraday, Ano po sa Bisaya ang malaki?" I asked that made him perplexed.

"Huh?" he confusedly answered.

"Malaki? Big... Ganito?" I acted it somehow creating big circle in the air.

"It's Dako, why?"

I shake my head. "Nothing... Thank you." I turn my back on him and went where Cedric goes.

Days passed, Dr. Faraday completed the stripped wires. He immediately called me.

Immediately, I went to the sickbay which is now inside the glass shielded room.

All of us are here looking on the brandnew sickbay. Amusement begin to swallows me upon looking at it. Napabuka ang aking bibig habang nakatangin rito.

"It's time, Juts," Dr. Faraday said.

Yes, that Juts named is they temporarily call me while still I didn't knew my name.

"I will go with him," Cedric suggested.

"Right... You should. The ABI already knew we're entering the Asymptote Universe. If they'll caught us. They might destroy everything what we've done. They might kill us all," Dr. Faraday seriously explained.

"ABI?" asked by me. Nakakunot ang aking noo habang nakatingin kay Dr. Faraday. Hinihintay ko ang sagot niya.

"Asymptote Bureau of Investigation or ABI, those are the Alien's Puppet. Hands of the f*****g government on that certain world," Matt explained while fixing his sights at me.

Napatingin ako sa kaniya. Nakaupo ito sa isang swivel chair habang kaharap ang computer na konektado sa sickbay na kaharap ko.

Napatango ako sa aking narinig. "How can we go back here after entering the Asymptote Universe?" I asked them.

"High Voltage! You need to electric shock yourself," Dr. Faraday answered me.

I gulped as my heart bang inside me. When I look at their eyes, I know they are telling the truth, but does isn't it dangerous? My mind sudden in chaos.

"Electric Shock? It should be dangerous, right?!" I perplexedly asked.

"Nope, that should be the way of getting back here. You need to electrify yourself, so that you'll be awaken here. Don't worry, Juts. The electricity they had in there is artificial." It's Cedric.

"Are you gonna do this or not? Ang dami mong tanong eh?" Ellina doweled.

Napatingin ako sa kaniya na katabi ni Dr. Faraday. Pulang-pulang ang pisngi nito.

"Masama ba magtanong? Ilang araw na ako rito, but you still hates me. Ano bang ginawa ko sa'yo, hmmm?... Ellina? Nope... I shouldn't called you Ellina for now. I should took my revenge. I will call you Daks!" Umarti akong parang nagagalit kahit hindi naman talaga.

Cedric and Matt look at Ellina's face down to her... "Tangina!" she shouted and suddenly walked out.

That's right! I curve a smile after I triumph.

"Enough that Monkey business of yours," Dr. Faraday halted. We focus ourselves on him.

"Okay. Now, lay down here and I'm going to install you the stripped wire," he added and tapped the sickbay in front of us.

Nahiga kami ni Cedric sa sickbay. "Matt and I will monitor you here using our computer," he said while putting the wires behind us.

I feel the stripped wire piercing on my nape, yet it won't hurt me at all.

I was staring at the white ceiling. My heart beats fast as if, it is going to come out.

I gulp.

What ifs thoughts started to rambled inside my mind.

"Matt, push the Enter button on my count." He fixes his sights on Matt facing the computer's monitor.

"Ready in 3..."

I gulp and heave a sigh.

My heart hammered so hard.

"2!..."

A deafening atmosphere swallows the room.

"1... Go!"

My eyes immediately turn shut. In a blink of an eyes, I feel like I'm falling. There's something as if, gripping my whole body. A really large force of gravity pull me down.

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