Biohazard's Catastrophe: Death's Hallway

Catranata Nu Nata Kajayaan

A small gap between the hallway led Ardana and Ilham into the middle of the corpses of soldiers without the unitary identification that seemed to have hardened slightly. The expression of fear was so clearly perpetuated on faces that it could hardly be recognized as being broken. All are facing the same direction although there are some who are in a reversed position. Some were still holding weapons and like they were going to shoot something in the back.

All wore full uniforms and combat gear ranging from bulletproof vests to cloth-coated kevlar helmets with the same camouflage pattern as the uniforms. In some frozen bodies that fall, the condition is not perfect. Something very sharp had ripped and gnawed at them in the last moments of life. For most people, death with such conditions will make the hair goosebumps. Especially if you accidentally find it in the middle of the darkness.

Ardana surrounded several bodies still holding assault rifles. Brow shriveling. He could easily recognize several variants of the firearms he was observing..

“These weapons are made by PINDAD, Sir,” he said while taking a piece of SS2 V-4 lying on the floor of the hallway. When examined, it can still be used even though it looks too dull.

There is no prohibition to take the weapons of booty set by Ilham. Like celebrating the harvest, Ardana hung the weapon behind his left shoulder. Next he moved to loot the live bullets in a bag of ammunition suitable for any frozen body that no longer moved. Seeing that action, Ilham simply shook his head.

“Do not overdo it. If there is an urgent need for security here, you can still take it again,” the message reminded.

“Ready, Sir.” Ardana ended the ammunition looting while looking at the bodies of other soldiers. This young man seemed satisfied to get a new weapon that would later be cleaned after returning to the village chief's house.

Ilham walked away from Ardana who was still continuing the observation on the condition of the corpse. His attention was on the steel door that was almost the size of the hallway diameter. On the left and right sides are the muzzles of a gattling gun-type machine gun that seems to serve as a trap to eliminate anything that is recognized as a threat. There is also a checkpoint that merges with the left and right side of the hallway wall with a size of no more than three meters.

The steel door is open but not wide. One of the soldiers' corpses held him from the inside with a gaping mouth. His right chest had a wide hole through which a sharp object came from behind. In the two posts nearby, there were seven other corpses that were in a sitting state while extending their hands forward. More precisely trying to dispel and cornered.

“What is this place exactly? These soldiers looked terrified and ran from something,” he murmured.

Ardana, who had finished her observation, entered one of the right checkpoints and crouched down in front of one of the corpses sitting in the corner. The body did not have a lower jaw until a severe wound had decreased to the neck, as if it had been forcefully gouged. The young man searched one body after another to find something that could be used as a clue. There was nothing to check but the photos and knick-knacks they used while alive. The communication device with the LED screen on the table is also malfunctioning and damaged.

“There are no leads here, sir. Maybe we should check the inside of the hallway behind this door?” Ardana rubbed the steel door while looking inside.

Inspiration does not directly approve the young man's proposal. He seemed hesitant to continue the investigation by going into another part of the passageway behind the steel door. The situation there is just as dark. Within the range limit of the flashlight directed Ardana there looks silhouette of the bodies of the other soldiers.

“We just go back to the car,” he replied after being silent for a few seconds, “take the safety line equipment and others.”

Ardana turned her head, “Eh... We're not going in there now?”

Inspiration shook her head, “No. Make a safety around the hole above only. Later we can monitor with CCTV remotely from Odang house or if you can with drone.”

* * * * *

Two days later

The black barrette with its shiny white horn handle was taken very carefully from the transparent glass container. Paramitha was stunned before finally his hand weighed the heirloom of his large family. The fragrant sandalwood bushes of traditional Sundanese weapons that have a length of 40 centimeters seem to surround his body.

Not far next to him, Ardana who was sitting neatly looked enthusiastically. That afternoon, he stopped by Nina's house because Paramitha herself invited him to lunch together. There are several things that the girl wants to show after knowing both of them like Sundanese history and culture. Ardana himself also wants to know the ins and outs of the Catranata family and its role in the past.

“The wind never goes away. Stay the same when I see it for the first time in childhood,” Paramitha said as she placed the kujang and its storage container on the table.

“How long has this thing been?” asked Ardana while taking turns holding the kujang.

Paramitha seemed to think. “Grandfather once said his age was over a hundred years. Actually I'm rewrought from the melting of previous kujang-kudang that once owned my extended family,” he replied.

“True. There are actually seven types of kujang that are older. I don't know why everything was merged into one. To be sure, my grandfather often reminded other family members to take care of him,” he explained.

Ardana flipped the old barn in her hand to find something interesting. In plain sight nothing seems strange. Just like the general. But at the top of the left bar is written a sentence in Sundanese letters written in silver ink. It reads ‘Catranata Nu Nata Kajayaan’, which is translated into Indonesian means ‘Catranata Who Set Success’. Ardana was amazed to read it. He glanced at Paramitha.

“What does this sentence mean, Neng?” tanyanya.

Hearing Ardana call herself by the call, Paramitha just smiled knot. He then explained the meaning of the sentence written to mejang his extended family legacy.

“Catranata Nu Nata Kajayaan. Actually it was a sentence of respect that was pinned to my extended family. Starting from the Sundanese Tatar period which was then separated between the Kingdom of Galuh and Sunda, there appeared a gallant man from among the commoners who became one of the figures in front of the screen in ending the split of the two countries since the time of King Tarusbawa. His name is not even known in popular history but is remembered in ancient manuscripts that today are neatly stored in my grandfather's house. We whose heirs did not know his real name, because only his nickname was written firmly with red ink, Sang Rakean Kusuma. The title Catranata is in addition to his services to reunite Galuh and Sunda, especially because he gave himself up to be a protective umbrella for people who suffer both during and after the conflict is over. That's why my big family emblem is a green custom umbrella, as a representative of Sang Rakean Kusuma's struggle.

After that he married one of the subordinate royal princesses in the southern Tatar Sunda area. When they began to have children, it is thought that that was when the name Catranata was used as his surname until now passed on to us, his descendants. Slowly, my extended family at that time began to turn into a family with a strong tradition of soldiery. Every male member of the family would be trained and sent directly to the Sunda capital to become a commander or the like in the field of royal defense. While many women act as spies who secure the country from the shadows. But the new role is widely known after decades later.”

Ardana sips coffee that has been served Paramitha. The story of the Catranata family in the past attracted him. Compared to what Ilham had told him based on experience, what he had heard directly from his lover had even more incredible value.

Paramitha smiled sweetly then took a breath before reconnecting the story of her extended family.

“Continue again, yes? At that time there was a strange outbreak that hit the eastern Tatar Sunda region. People were struck with fear as anyone who contracted it turned into a ferocious monstrous creature. They even attacked the non-contagious population causing death. One of our female ancestors named Antari Aradhana and his younger brother, Dewa Buana, led the kingdom to secure the areas that have not been reviewed while finding out what causes it. After more than a month, Antari and his team discovered the origin of the plague from a mysterious black flower with many strong red patches. This flower secretes a red liquid resembling blood. It turns out that there is a secret movement that carried out the spread of the black flower outbreak. By royal order, Antari and Dewa Buana immediately attacked and cleaned. That said, all the members of the criminal movement were killed.

Since then the prestige of my extended family rose and lasted for hundreds of years. The tradition of the army slowly began to stretch after the Papua Confrontation. Because many family members died against the Allies and the Netherlands. Who must die in a series of infiltrations into Papua is also not small. Therefore the elders of the extended family chose to pursue the plantation and development business for many years. Furthermore, you know for yourself how my family's fate is today.”

Paramitha's face turned grim as she said the last sentence in her explanation. Ardana clasped the girl's hand while giving a smile that was no less sweet.

“I understand. Someday people will know that the big Catranata is actually the protector of this village,” he said.

“If I don't remember my security, I'd love to meet them and explain everything that's hidden. I thought, only I would dare to appear back here to prove that my extended family is not a black magician like it used to be.” Paramitha clenched her hands but was slightly weak.

Ardana shakes her head, “No. I don't agree you did that. Especially now that you have no evidence to defend yourself.”

Suddenly he remembered his chat with the owner of a coffee shop in the west gate of the village a few days ago. The skinny man of the owner had offended Paramitha's mother who came from Karanghawur Village which was adjacent to Cikembang Village. It flashed in his mind to invite Paramitha to go there, meeting the family of the girl's mother.

“In my opinion, you should meet your mother's family in the next village,” her proposal is excited.

Paramitha looked at him. The curious expression on her beautiful face appeared and grew stronger.

“Karanghawur Village. Because since the beginning of coming here, I have never set foot there,” replied a little doubt.

“If you remember the location of the house where your mother lived, I think there is no problem. You should try it, Neng.” Ardana is reluctant to give up and wants his idea done by his lover.

This young man held both shoulders of Paramitha, then let the two of them look at each other fixedly.

“We will do it together,”.

* * * * *