Kabanata 8: Myriad Corporation

Hindi na muling nagsalita pa si Echo or kahit na sinubukan man lang kaya lalo akong napangiti habang ang mga mata ay nakapako na kay Prof. Lopez na siyang nasa harapan.

"Okay class, are you aware of the circling issue about the senator?" biglang salita ni Prof. Lopez habang inililibot ang kanyang mata sa kabuuan ng kwarto.

Sabay-sabay namang tumango ang lahat bilang sagot sa kanyang tanong.

'Ito na naman ang issue na 'to. Kailan ba matatapos ang usapan na 'to? Kaninang pagpasok ko pa lang naririnig ko naang senator na yan, tapos hanggang sa lecture pala ay maririni ko parin.'

"What can you say about that?" seryosong tanong ni prof sa klase na siya namang nagpatahimik sa lahat.

Kanina kung magdaldalan sila akala mo e nasa gitna ako ng isang malaking palengke sa lakas ng mga boses nila. Ngayon naman na tinatanong sila hindi naman sila makasagot o kahit man lang ibuka ang bibig para sa kanilang mga opinyon.

Nanatiling tahimik si Prof. Lopez. Naghihintay marahil ng sagot mula sa aming lahat.

Tahimik lang siyang nakatayo habang ang mga kamay ay magkasaklob sa kanyang dibdib at diretsong nakatingin sa buong klase.

Napatitig ako sa kanya. Sa totoo lang, mula nung makita ko si prof feeling ko kilala ko siya pero hindi ako sigurado. There’s something about him that makes me think that I know him. Ewan ko kung bakit.

Sure naman ako na hindi ko magiging barkada si prof He looks so strict and intimidating.

Sa totoo lang, he looks young for his age. He's somewhere between 40 - 47 according to him, pero he still looks like a 20 or 25-year old college student. He looks really young but the aura of being strict is there. In all honesty, he looks stunning with his dark blue hair, his three-piece suit and his green eyes kahit na he's a pure Filipino.

He really looks like an international model instead of a professor.

So anyway, going back in my conclusion, hindi ko siya kilala personally aside from being my prof. Guni-guni ko lang siguro yon.

Anyway, five minutes pass, wala paring sumasagot sa kanya. Dahil sa sobrang nabo-bore na ko sa paghihintay, itinaas ko na ang kamay ko. Opinyon lang naman ang hinihingi niya. Hindi naman siguro ikakababa ng grado ko ito.

"At last, one brave soul. Yes, Ms. Rodriguez?" saad niya at saka itinuro ako.

"If you are asking my opinion about that issue, I would say, that shouldn't be an issue to begin with." saad ko habang dahan-dahang tumatayo. "The senator is back without a scratch and started working. Isn't that something to be happy about?" dagdag ko pa. "Well, it is a good news, right?"

Agad na napakunot ang noo ni Prof. Lopez at magsasalita na sana pero inunahan ko siya.

"That's what I wanted to believe in. Pero..."

"Pero?"

"It sounds so impossible. Sounds too good to be true and a little bit ridiculous."

“Why?”

“Why did he looked so okay and unbothered? Ayaw ko sanang maniwala sa mga pinaguusapan ng klase kanina pero, they really have a point but they are so wrong.”

Sumilay ang isang ngiti sa labi ni Prof. Lopez at saka siya tumango. "Okay, continue. I want to hear what you wanted to say."

"People keep on talking about clones and deep fakes as if it was something so impossible and fictional. When in fact, it isn't. Deep fakes are very common if only people would start to be observant. Deep fakes are all over the internet. We can't really be sure about the things we see on the internet these days. Everything is partially edited and manipulated." diretso saad ko habang nakatingin kay prof. Lopez.

Sobrang tahimik din ng buong klase at lahat sila ay nakatitig sa akin na parang may sinabi akong mali pero I'm not really bothered by it.

Sanay naman ako sa klase ng ganyang tingin.

"The issue about Senator Gonzales for me has two possible angles. It's either his kidnappers are impossibly kind and idiot or he came back unscathed because he's not really the senator we know."

"And what do you mean by that?" agad na tanong sa akin ni Prof.

Napangisi ako ng bahagya. "It's either they let him off like a fool or he is just a clone of that senator."

Agad nagbulungan ang buong klase matapos kong magsalita. I guess, some of them are afraid na baka nga totoo ang sinabi ko and some are laughing their ass off in their head thinking that I may be crazy, believing something like that.

Hindi lang naman sila. Ako mismo, pakiramdam ko mali ang sinabi ko. How can I say that as if I was so sure about those things?

Huminga ako ng malalim at saka muling nagsalita.

“I mean, it’s just my opinion.” kibit balikat kong saad at saka inilagay ang kamay sa aking bulsa. “How can you explain something like that though?” dagdag ko pa at saka mabilis na umupo.

Natawa nang bahagya si Prof. habang bahagya siyang napapailing. "Sounds impossible right?" tanong niya sa klase habang ang ngiti sa labi niya ay hindi nawawala. "Believe it or not, it is possible."

Lalong lumakas ang bulungan ng klase sa sinabi ni Prof.

"There was once a case about a certain corporation back from a few years ago. That corporation was known for its helpful research about biology and their organic medicine." saad ni Prof at saka siya sumandal ng bahagya sa kanyang lamesa. "They were one of the science corporations back then that successfully replicate a strand of an animal DNA. But you know what's the catch about that corporation?"

"No Prof.."

"It was once accused of producing clones. Human clones. Perfect human clones." agad na napatahimik ang nagbubulungang klase.

"And that they are getting their clients from the black market. No, its not just in the black market, I think. It was rumored that those clones are all over the world, we just don’t know." seryosong saad ni Prof. habang diretsong nakatingin sa akin.

Anong ibig sabihin ng mga tingin na yon? It feels like he was sending me an unknown signal na hindi ko ma-decipher. Should I know about it? Should I have include that thing in my answer? Should I?

"Eh Prof, nalaman po ba ang name ng corporation?" tanong ni Larry, one of my blockmates.

"Yes, thanks to our intelligent policemen and army." sagot niya habang may isinusulat sa blackboard. "And that's what we are talking about." saad niya nang matapos at saka tumingin ulit sa klase.

Myriad Corporation. That's what he wrote.

"Myriad Corporation was famous for their research in the field of biology and their president and chairman was once a world-known scientist that discovered helpful information about our body. And not only that. He made dozens of medicines that could cure some incurable diseases. He is indeed a genius.” tumatangong saad niya habang may kakaibang ngiti ang nakasilay sa mga labi niya.

Ewan ko. Ako lang ba o ang klase ng ngiti ni prof. ngayon ay isang malungkot at nanghihinayang na ngiti? He looked so sad when he said those words.

Ano ba talagang nangyayari sa mga tao sa paligid ko?

"Pero bakit po nagkaroon ng issue about clones ang corporation?"

Medyo nagitla pa si prof. at tumikhim muna bago muling nagsalita habang hawak ang isang folder sa kanyang kaliwang kamay. Classified information siguro ang mga yon.

"The scientist's son was then rumored to have died because of an unknown accident. But after some time, he showed up at an event. Alive and he even delivered a wonderful speech. But, some noticed that there was something off about that young man. ‘He was strangely quiet’ that’s what they said, away from the natural cheerful personality of the scientist’s son. Sabi ng iba, he was a clone pero never naman yon napatunayan. Hindi rin ipinasara ang company nila for the same reason."

“Hala. Nakakatakot naman yan prof.” bulungan ng mga blockmates ko.

He then looked at me and smirked.

“Fortunately, there was enough evidence sana na maaaring gamitin laban sa kanila pero biglang nawala yung taong may hawak non.” sabi niya sabay ngisi. “Hindi malaman kung nasaan na ba siya. Buhay pa ba siya? O baka like in some fictional novel, they got beaten and lost their memories.” dagdag niya pa habang hindi pa rin nawawala ang ngiti sa mga labi niya.

Luh. Anong bang nangyayari?

“So, what I wanted you guys to do, is to differentiate deep fakes and clones. You have a week to present me, your reports and do it by twos.”

“Hala, ano ba yan prof!” reklamo ng ibang blockmates namin ni Echo

“Why? It's simple. I know you guys could do it.” natatawang sagot ni prof. Lopez sa mga reklamador kong blockmates.

Bigla ay tumingin na naman siya sa akin at saka napangisi. “Maybe it’s time to unleash your inner agent's skills.” saad niya at saka nilisan ang silid.

“Yung totoo, may problema ba sa akin si Prof.?”

“Nabibilib lang siguro yon sa naging sagot mo.” natatawang sagot ni Echo sa tanong ko. “Oh sino ang pupunta sa bahay? Ako o ikaw?” tanong niya habang inaayos ang mga gamit niya.

Tumingin ako sa kanya at saka bumuntong hininga. “Ikaw na lang. Nakakatamad kung pupunta pa ako sa bahay mo, ikaw na lang ang pumunta. And please lang, bring your bicycle.” sagot ko naman sa kanya at saka lumabas ng silid.

Deep Fakes. Clones. Myriad Corporation.

Why do I feel so bothered by these? Nakakainis na kakaiba ang mga tao sa paligid ko, idagdag pa ang hindi ko maintindihan na utak ko.

Ano bang nangyayari Shadow?