Mandalas

The Opposite Side

              Profs. Said opened his eyes. He saw a white ceiling spread over his head. It

blinked his eyes to see more clearly, but it turned out that the room where it was was indeed dim. He corrected what looked like old-fashioned glasses that actually had no extra lens to see. He tried to get up and sit on the couch where he lay. When Prof. Said still

digesting what had happened, Leno walked into the room carrying a glass of water.

              “Are you okay?” ask Leno. He sat next to Grandpa.

              “I feel a little dizzy,” said Prof. Said. “What happened?”

              “You.. shot.. uh, sedated by a big man.” Leno tried to explain. “But I didn't see him anymore. Maybe Moonasera Joke already took her away.”

              Profs. Said looks confused. He asked, “Where is everyone?”

              “They went to.. Tower. There are important things to take care of he said,” Leno said as he remembered what Joke had said to him earlier.

              Profs. Said took a moment. Leno raised the glass and tried to offer it to this grandfather. When Leno opened his mouth, suddenly Prof. Said held both his heads and said loudly, “Oh, no..”.

              Leno was very confused. He put the glass back clumsily. This grandfather seemed to be devastated. Leno didn't know what to say to him at the moment.

              Profs. Said seemed to be looking for something. Leno looked at her leather sling bag under the sofa's leg. It

ventured to ask, “Are you looking for your bag?”

              Profs. Said looked at Leno. “Iya. Do you know where my bag is? Light brown color made of leather. Not too ri-”

              Leno took a leather bag from under the sofa and gave it to Prof. Said. He opened it immediately. Some of the tubes, small weapons, and tablets are still there. He took out the tablet. Still on.

              “Did there ever be a power failure?”

              Leno had never heard the term in his entire life. But considering that the entire lamp and airflow had been off for a while, Leno nodded. “Place off, then turn back on.”

              “This building is powered on with backup power. All the energy will go to ventilators and other essential tools to support the lives of some people in this building. So only very few lights are turned on, air flow is also not too good to save energy.”

              Leno nodded listening to Prof's explanation. Said it long. Some of his questions were answered without him having to ask.

              “I guess they shut down the entire communication network again. My glasses don't work. Can your bracelet contact someone?”

              Leno. “I've tried it many times but can't. The internet is not on either. There's nothing I can contact.”

              Profs. Said tapped on his tablet and saw some files bearing complex mathematical formulas that made Leno dizzy to see it.

              “Since they turned off the network in FIGHTR on purpose, I know they will try it again. It's lucky I still keep the draft vest that Mandala used for duty. I

create a new tracker that can detect the vest even if no city network sustains it.”

              Leno couldn't bear to ask, “How did you do it?”

              Profs. Said glanced at him for a moment before sinking back into his dossier. “My friend and I designed their vests to track and communicate with each other. But since our enemies managed to find a way to cut off their communication, I have to find a new way.”

              “I spent these four days doing a lot of things including modifying a new tracker that could detect what could be emitting a signal in each Mandala's vest without being affected by the network city.”

              “Indeed can't be used to communicate with each other, but at least.” Profs. Said tapped on his tablet and put it on the table. “It can track where they are.”

              The Trikad Projection appeared before them. There are blue and red dots that seem not too much, even arguably only less than 10 scattered throughout the city.

              “See, there is 1 person Mandala on the 7th floor. This is Moonasera Sito, only she is black.” Profs. Said

knock that black dot. A label bearing the name of the person mentioned appeared. Leno looked at it all in amazement. He didn't know Trikad had a tracker this cool.

              “I have to find my friends. You said they were headed for the tower, huh? Then then, my guess is they're here.”

              Profs. Said pointed to two red dots and one blue dot below the floor of the Tower. They were seen moving around the floor and then they moved onto it.

              “They are heading to Neena's room on the 7th floor,” Prof said. Said.

              Leno had yet to understand why this grandfather had said that to him. He noticed several other blue and red dots scattered across the city gates.

              Profs. Said opened more files on his tablet. Various articles and writings were projected next to the projection of the city on that table. Leno noticed how serious this grandfather was when he was at work. He had never seen anyone do anything like this, other than Mia. Is it possible that Mia will become a Professor as well? Wearing a white robe, sitting for hours fiddling with figures, gray-haired with half-bald heads…

              “A..what can I help you with?” ask Leno carefully.

              “Hmm.. no, son. I'm looking for where Jery kept his record of the vest design. But I haven't opened that file in a long time. I even forgot what name to look for.”

              Profs. Said took off his glasses. He rubbed his forehead because of fatigue. Profs. Said tapped on the tablet and closed the other files. There was only the projection of the city hovering on the table before the two of them. Profs. Said lowered his head. Leno is confused as to what to do.

              Leno decided to let this grandfather himself first with his thoughts. He leaned his back on the sofa. He went back to thinking how he could get to the current situation. Then Leno

remembering what this grandfather had said a few hours earlier.

              “When you met me earlier, you said you wanted to ask me for help,” Leno said. “What do you need?”

              Profs. Said raised his head and looked. “Hmm. yes. You probably have very good immunity to the creature. You tend to be fine now, like you've never been exposed to it at all. We suspect you already have the immunity you need if you ever meet that creature again. We wanted…. Asking for a little of your blood to study it and use it on a wide scale.”

              “You want my blood?” leno asked a little nervously.

              “Ya, right. There's something in your blood that makes you this strong. I must say a giant-sized Lentipede must have had a wide deadly distance. You shouldn't have survived.” Prof. Said stopped after realizing his words, “Oh, sorry what Mn. Joke has already said that?”

              “Hmm.” Leno. “It looks like already,” Leno said lied.

       “Means I do have something that can make me kill them even though I have never done it?” ask Leno.

              “What? No. gabe.. You can't kill them without special training. Therefore here we build a special school Mandala as an advanced program after graduating elementary education. They teach how to fight against human threat creatures and also how to take care of them.”

              “Ooh...” Then Leno remembered how He managed to eliminate the 2 creatures on the night of their attack on FIGHTR. If not “something in his blood” means what makes him able to do that?

              “Ah, son. What the hell are you thinking? You look confused.”

              “I only...” Leno hesitated to continue. “What can this thing do again?”

              “What item?”

              “Things that are in my blood.”

              “Oh, you don't understand yet? I forgot they taught me anything in elementary school. Do you know antibodies?”

              Leno shook his head and felt a bit of guilt. If he does not know, maybe it is not the school's fault for not teaching it. But because.well, Leno won't blame himself any further now.

              “Lentipede's, not ordinary living things, they're like. Yes, yes, you could say so. But these viruses learn to form a colony to survive. They were invisible because they were so small, but a major storm decades ago made life abnormal. They are able to create their own colonies so that they do not depend on their hosts anymore.” Profs. Said stop again, “Ah, I'm not good at explaining in simple language. I usually teach students, I'm sorry.”

              “I.. well.. have read...no, heard... about how Lentipede sleepy, so maybe I can try to understand your point.” Leno is grateful to have a friend like Mia.

              “The story is like this. The human body does not evolve as much as other living things. We

it still maintains the way our bodies work. When there are other creatures that attack the body, we will fight.”

              “Your body has fought them. The troops fighting them are called antibodies, well not only that, of course, but you'll get dizzy if I explain everything.

              “Intinya they are formed from white blood cells, then prepared to attack when there is an enemy. The same enemy will be fought faster so that your body will be healthier faster at the next attack.”

              Leno tried to digest what this grandfather meant.

              “Like the war troops, your white blood cells are soldiers. These antibodies are his weapon. Weapons will kill familiar enemies. If damaged weapons will be discarded, if the lack of weapons, the troops already have the prints so the war is easier to win.”

              This time Leno nodded in understanding. What an interesting expression.

              “This analogy was brought to our predecessor to build a special army that could fight the creature on a large scale. Because these creatures are invisible, we can kill them with our hands, feet, bodies, or anything that can break the bond between themselves. The team is called Mandala. The people who take care of you now.”

              Okay, so much new information is coming into Leno's head right now. But still, he had not gotten an answer from his initial question.

              “Then... what can I help you with?” ask Leno again.

              “Well, you can donate “small weapons” in your blood to others. So they can use it. It can also be used for prevention and as a critical treatment in people in need. With your help we can..” Profs. Said stopped his words. He stared at the projection of the city hovering in front of him for a moment. Leno watched the grandfather closer. It still doesn't move. Is this called a stroke?

              Seems not. A second later, Prof. Said was looking for something in his bag. Then it was

take out two tubes like the Amber and Mia drinking bottles that they always carry with them every athletic workout.

              “Nak,” said Prof. Said. “Do you want to help us now?”

              “Hmm. I don't have homework today,” said Leno trying to melt the atmosphere.

              “I was supposed to file some documents to geduna to do this. Not to mention a request for approval to your guardian because you are a minor.”

              “I.. it's been 18 years,” Leno said. Profs. Said seemed quite surprised. “I guess you're still 14 or 15 years old!” Leno didn't know if it was a compliment because of his young-looking face or because he was so stupid like a 4th grader.

              “I think it is quite an emergency condition, and since I brought all my equipment here I better try it. Do you want to give me your blood now?”

              Leno understood what this grandfather meant. And if it must be..

              “Bby,” Reply Leno. “If it can help.”

***

without touching. But now there are no waterfalls there. The air flow is not very good either. The room feels stuffy and hot. Bon took off his gray jacket and put it on the doorstep.

              Rosi connected several wires to her two tablets at once while typing out many number codes and letters.

              “Bon,” call Rosi. Bon was not far from him. He was still holding the gun in one of his hands.

               “You should know it,” Rosi said again.

              “Know what?” ask Bon.

              “About Ayu and her relationship with all of this,” Rosi said as she turned towards Bon. Bon looks confused.

              “What does Ayu have to do with them?” ask Bon.

              “He's one of them,” Rosi said. He was still staring at Bon but with a different expression. He seems to feel guilty.

              Bon shook his head. “I can't believe.”

              “Can you tell me where he is now?”

              Bon gritted both of his jaws. It is very interesting Bon said “iya”, but in reality Ayu was not able to be contacted since this morning. No one knows where he is now.

              “Maybe is resting.”

              “She's in the Tower. With Greeta and my dad. He helped them,” Rosi said again.

              Bon shook his head in disbelief. “Cannot be. He has no reason to harm others.”

              “They managed to persuade him,” Rosi said. Then He lowered his head and said in a more refined voice, “They made me manage to persuade him.”

              “What?!” exclaim Bon furiously. What's this guy saying?

              “Everyone has a grudge with something. Trikad also has irregularities in the system,” Rosi explained.

              “His holiness Neena is up there, always tucked away the human ego in every decision.” When

He knew Bon was listening, Rosi continued.

              “You know why FIGHTR is a vulnerable object to attack?

              “Because FIGHTR accepts poor children who come from the suburbs and dante who are not too far from Trikad. The Tower did not want the children to mix with their children. But in fact 75% of FIGHTER's students are.”

              Bon seemed to disagree. “I know the FIGHTR side is not always in line with the Tower. I felt it in school. But that has not happened since the change of this new Neena chair.”

Bon stopped for a moment.

              “And again if it still exists, still does not prove anything,” said Bon sharply.

              Rosi raised her hand. Trying to get rid of the emotions that exist in Bon. “Listen first.”

              “The dispute between FIGHTERR and Trikad made the Tower not care about them too much. When the outbreak struck Trikad, they increased surveillance in the city center. Not a single unit was sent to FIGHTR. You know that?”

              Bon scrunched his forehead, “Where did you know?”

              “My dad knows the smuanya. He is one of the top Trikad officials who cares about this,” said Rosi. “At least this is all he cares about.”

              A flash of memory appeared in Rosi's mind. His father always asked him to train, study, work, to fulfill his purpose devoted to tonight. During this time it was only for that reason, Rosi trained and worked under Prof. Said and helped him achieve something his father wanted. Tried so hard to be a part of something her father cared about.

              “Then?” ask Bon, still waiting.

              Rosi again explained, “Fakta that can not be denied. You could say the Mandala is short of personnel and cannot protect the FIGHTER which is located far outside the main gate. But many assumptions, especially for those who lost, are to blame Trikad and the system that is rooted in it.”

              Bon remembered Ayu had told him about how he lost his mother, a teacher at FIGHTR, and his sister who was just in the 1st grade. A year under Maha and Bon. At that time, he was still in 7th grade. The plague was terrible. Many small lentipede enter the classroom buildings and dormitories. The children survived because they took shelter in their rooms or in the library. Ayu survived, but lost her sister and mother there.

              Bon trying to refute, “But..”

              “Not make sense? Yep. Putting revenge on a system you can't set up doesn't make sense. But someone who is hurt can put his logic aside for a lot of things. Since that day, Ayu has always been injured for losing.” Then with half a whisper Rosi said, “I know about it.”

              Bon went straight up to hear that. He exclaimed, “You know but you used it!”

              Bon raised his gun and pointed the tip at Rosi's head. His face flushed with heat and anger. He did not expect this man to almost marry the woman he loved now.

              “You really want to destroy it yes!” shouted Bon loudly.

              Rosi raised her hand. Although the proportion of his body was much larger than Bon's, he did not resist. “I'm wrong. Yep. I also got eaten up a lot of grudges, especially to Ayu. I know this is wrong.” He stopped for a moment. Bon was still looking at her furiously.

              “But, I have to finish this first. After that, we can talk about this again. But now Maha needs help in Tower.”

              Hearing the name Maha called to make Bon re-conscious. However, he needs Rosi's help to finish the job.

              Bon dropped the gun back. He looked down at his own feet standing between the many large wires. He set his breath. No matter how much he wants to vent his emotions, at this time he still has to think clearly.

              After seeing Bon trying to calm down again, Rosi opened the tablet again. He resumed the work he thought he would not dare to do, helping his friends to

against his own father.

***

              By relying on the knowledge given by his late wife, Prof. Said took a tube of Leno's blood and put it in his automatic centrifuge tube. Before he, Jery, Gina, and a few other friends made centrifuge machines and portable dialysis, the process of taking serum from fresh blood requires a lot of time and place. All must be done in a laboratory with good electrical capacity and supportive room temperature. But there were indeed many advanced breakthroughs that Trikad had produced during their time building this city.

              Ten minutes later, Prof. Said grasped a tube that already contained a yellowish clear liquid. He put it into the syringe and set the dose marker.

              “This,” Prof. Said pointed at the tool. “Is the antibody you have in your blood. You've had this little gun for 12 years. That's why artificial lentipede made from the same genetic circuit does not have as deadly an effect on you as other victims.”

              He looked into Leno's eyes gently, “You lucky boy.”

              “This serum can help others who do not have immunity like you. In critical conditions, this can be a determinant of their dead life.”

              “I'm sure something bad is going on up there. I just need the right side to hold this serum right now. Maybe not much can be saved, but we have to keep trying.”

              Profs. Said looks a little nervous. His hands were sweating a lot. It may also be due to the air conditioner not working properly.

              “Well, I ask for your help again,” said Prof. Said. He took some things from his bag.

              “For.... fight?” ask Leno spontaneously.

              “Oh, no!” exclaim Prof. Said with surprise. “You have a good spirit. But, you're still a kid. I won't risk your life by letting you go up there.”

              Profs. Said clasped his syringe. “Please give this to any Mandala you meet. Ask him or them to meet Maha at the Tower. Or Kayrina or whoever is heading there.”

              “Oh, and this I happen to be carrying a new weapon that has been modified. They know how to use it.”

              He gave her a bottle of mosquito spray, or what Leno thought she was, a silvery spearhead like Mia and Joke's, and two face masks, something protecting the faces of the Mandalas that Leno saw a few days ago.

              Leno took all those things. Then he was confused on how to take it. “I'll look for a pouch in the TV room,” Leno said. He had seen some empty paper bags in the monitor room while taking water for the grandfather.

              Leno stood up and turned to Prof. Said, “I'll give it to them.”

              But there was no one on that floor.

              Leno looked into the monitor room, he found no one else being treated there nor their guards. There were no mandalas, janitors, or anyone passing by on the monitor. Leno decides to walk out of the open Vibrio glass door.

              It tiptoes slowly. Other than because he was not wearing any footwear, the clothes that he

wear only a short-sleeved white knee-length dress. Leno pegs his shadow on Vibrio's big glass. Really like a bum.

              Leno opened every door seen on that floor. But he didn't find anyone. Finally Leno

I decided to walk around each floor. He saw brown and green steps that extended from the top to the bottom. Artificial waterfalls do not pass through the decoration.

              Some of the floors had glass rooms like Vibrio and were written with names he had read in Mia's biology notebook. But those glass doors nothing opens like Vibrio's.

              Leno started to panic. Why is there no one in this place? He climbed the stairs one by one to the basement on the 0th floor. Still no one there.

              Leno memAndang. He knew this was a private parking lot. Leno saw four parked cars not too close together. Someone must still be here.

              Leno went back into the building. The light is getting dimmer. Still holding the paper bag he had been carrying since, Leno went back around.

              Then he felt very tired. Leno returned to the 0th floor and sat in a chair facing directly at the female robot who was looking at him strangely. Leno knew the robot wasn't turned on to save power. Leno stared into the room on the sidewalk. The prayer room is also empty.

              Leno is thinking of returning to his treatment room in Vibrio. Maybe he could ask the professor. Said what to do now.

              Then Leno remembered the incident in the library. He saw Mia surrounded by 4 giant Lentipede at her doorstep. If Maha and Joke do not come, they may not survive.

              What if that's what's happening now?

              Leno thought again. Maybe he should hand it over to Joke or Maha himself. Maybe they need what Prof. Said make it for them.

              Leno looked at the white robe hanging inside the prayer hall. He took it and then he put it on. Leno also took rubber footwear there.

              Then he came out of Geduna, and went up into the Tower.