Last Day on Earth

22

Meaghan's POV

Tahimik kaming naglalakad patungo sa bundok ng Mariveles, Bataan. Suot ang specialized suit and mask, pati na rin ang ilan sa upgraded weapons na ipinadala sa amin ni Doc Martin para sa journey na ito.

Papadilim na ang kapaligiran kung kaya't nagpasya kaming madaliin ang paglalakad.

"Bakit hindi tayo sa umaga naghanap? Baka mas mahirapan tayong hanapin ang Fuego Mental Lab sa gubat pag lalong dumilim?" takang tanong ni Kiel sa mga amin.

"Hay, hindi ka ba nakinig sa sinabi ni Doc kanina?" tanong ko rito.

Umiling lang ito bilang sagot.

Siguro nga ay wala syang naintindihan, paano ba naman, kanina pa rin sya mukhang wala sa sarili nung unang nagkausap sila ng doktor.

"Ganito kasi ha, makinig ka," sabi ko at nagpaliwanag habang patuloy na naglalakad.

"Oh handa na ba kayo para mamaya?" bungad ni doc Martin sa amin ng makitang magkakasama kami sa isang sulok. Nakasunod sa kanya si Logan na magulo ang buhok, ngunit mukhang masaya sa ginagawa nya.

"Ano po bang meron mamaya? And bakit po ba ito nangyayari?" takang tanong ni Benj dito.

"Ha ha, I knew you would ask that. Okay sit properly guys, and hey Aaliyah!" tawag nito sa kakarating lang na nurse. "Please bring me my book," utos nito na dali dali naman sinunod.

Pagkaabot sa kanya ng libro ay pumwesto na ang dalaga sa tabi nya upang makinig din.

"Nagsimula ito noong panahon ng gyera o world war III. Malapit ng magpasko ngunit ito pa ang sinapit natin. Dito sa Pilipinas ang naging battle field ng China at America kung kaya't lahat tayo ay nadamay," pagku-kwento nito.

"Normal na gabi lang ito para sa mga scientist, doktor at ilang nurses noon sa Fuego Mental Laboratory. Kaso hindi namin inaasahan ang nangyari," malungkot itong ngumiti, tila may naaalala.

"Sumabog ang nuclear power plant dito sa Bataan, kung saan madaming naapektuhan, at isa na kami doon. Ang ilan sa pasyente namin na ginagamot ay may Cotard's Syndrome, o yung tinatawag na 'zombie virus'. Due to intense radiation coming from the plant, and from the results of —" napatigil ito sa pagsasalita ng tinapik ni nurse Aaliyah ang balikat nya.

Matipid lang itong ngumiti at bumalik sa pagku kwento.

"As I was saying, masyadong biglaan ang lahat. From the nuclear plant that emits intense radiation, to the missile bombs and guns shooted by the military, we have no other choice but to escape. We are about to release our patients but unfortunately, mutation happened so fast and it affects those with the Cotard syndrome. It's like a virus that is very much stronger and agressive than the covid-19 almost a decade ago. My fellow scientists and medical staffs, including myself flee and rode our service van to save ourselves. But," hindi na nito naituloy ang sasabihin dahil may luhang lumandas sa mga mata nito.

"A falling debris hit our van, and automatically ends the lives of our fellows. I'm lucky because I am not severely affected since I'm on the front seat. Wherein the debris hit the back seat of the van. Si Doc Martin, sya ang driver noon, but his legs got trapped that's why I had no choice but to amputate him without anesthesia and all," pagtuloy ni nurse Aaliyah sa kwento.

"I don't know how we managed to survive, or how did we end up in here. Everything is in chaos and the only thing I'm thankful for is that were alive," dugtong nito.

Tumikhim si doc Martin bago muling nagsalita.

"We managed to find this, even before everyone turns into something that we had never imagined before. The spread of the infection is too wide, to the point that a single bite makes you the same with them, infecting your cells until you become one of those zombies roaming, eating and killing those they see alive. The intense radiation affects it even more, so those who are immune to viruses are still getting infected."

"Nagkaroon bigla ng unity ng mangyari iyon. Ang dating magkalaban na bansa, noon ay nag tulungan para hindi na kumalat ang infection. But, hindi nila kinaya. Tumakas sila pabalik sa bansa nila, and maybe that's the reason why umabot na doon ang infection, at nag adapt na nagpalakas lalo sa kanila," kuwento pa nito.

"Well, just so you know, an infected cell, just like cancer, travels through other cells till it infects everything. It does not stop until the p53 halt it. The infection, powered by intense radiation, caused the healthy cells to be killed easily, making the body weak and thus, making the mutation possible," dagdag paliwanag ni Logan.

Tahimik lang ang lahat na tila ina absorb ang mga sinabi nila.

"So, paano ito ma-fight off? Hindi ba may WBC tayo? Our immune system to fight off the infection? Pero bakit ganoon? According to my cousin, the infection went on and on, and even with the advancement of technology from the past decade, halos wala pa ring cure or vaccine para dito?" tanong ko sa mga ito.

Nakakapagtaka kasi. I was only about 11 that time when covid-19 spread like fire. It took them almost 1 year to finish the vaccine, and good thing it did work even in a short span of time of making it.

And dahil doon, mas lalong nagfocus ang mga bansa na i-improve pa lalo ang health care system nila. Many researches were funded para maiwasan muli ang ganoon klaseng pandemic, many medical equipments are created and bought that boost up the research process.

Nagkaroon din ng ibang virus outbreaks before, ngunit dahil nga sa advancement ng technology ay hindi ito lumala.

So bakit hindi sila makagawa ngayon? It's been 6 months or something, yet wala pa rin akong nakikitang progress, or naririnig na pag aayos nila para matapos na ito.

"The virus that infected them is not the same as the previous virus we had before. To be honest, maski ako ay nagtataka kung bakit hanggang ngayon ay wala pa rin silang progress sa cure na ito. That's why we're doing our best to create an antidote, a vaccine that will somehow alter the effect on them," sagot ni Doc Martin. Tumingin ito sa amin bago magsalita.

"This should be finished earlier, but I still need one more essential ingredient para matapos ito. Good thing that you're here so that this pandemic will come to an end."

"Anong meron sa amin? Bakit hindi kayo ang gumawa para matapos na?" tanong kong muli.

Nginisian lamang ako ni doc Martin bago sumagot.

"Well well, anak ka nga ni General Abeita haha. I'm expecting that question actually. And the answer to that is," tiningnan ako nito direkta sa mata.

"What can an amputated doctor and a female nurse do to infiltrate my lab?"

Napapikit ako, pilit pinoproseso ang sinasabi nya.

Umugong sa aking tenga ang sinabi noon ni Nathan.

"Doctor Martin Fuego? Ikaw yung owner ng Fuego Mental Lab?!"

Biglang mulat ako ng maintindihan kung anong tinutukoy nya.

"Y-You mean..."

Ngumiti ito ng pagkalaki laki sa aming ekspresyon at muling nagbitiw ng mga salitang hindi ko akalain na maririnig ko.

"Yes dear, you are going to infiltrate where it all started. You and your squad, whether you like it or not are going to my mental laboratory uphill, and get that ingredient for me. That's our only chance of survival."