Mandalas

Mia Theory

After trying to contact Ona again, but to no avail as well, Leno put on her rubber boots and sneaked outside erFu. Leno had been used to sneaking outside the dorm before, but never at night. The summer night temperature is not too cold, Leno does not need a jacket to get out through the main street of FIGHTR. His feet turned eastward, where the library Leno was heading to.

The library is in the Sukradji building, a 1-3 grade building. While carrying a bottle of chocolate milk and coconut bread, Leno looked down at the road very carefully. It relies only on illumination from moonlight. Leno did not dare to activate his flashlight for fear of being caught by Reppe patrolling at night. If not to accompany Mia, she would have been lying in her room watching a live SevenG concert through their website.

              The library was closed and dark from the outside. The illumination comes only from moonlight and LED lights that highlight the name FIGHTR LIBRARY. The library has no protective gates

whatever, but the iron door is tightly closed. There is only a small box scanner with a red laser light in the center. Leno swiped his dX85 and searched for a message from Mia. Mia managed, somehow, to get the barcode of FIGHTER employees so that they could get into any place outside of student activity hours. Leno brought the barcode closer to the scanner machine.

              The iron door opens. Leno quickly went inside and let the door close itself. The lights turn on automatically as Leno steps past the registration desk. The books line the library wall, which rises to a ceiling of 25 meters. The wall was half-spherical with a flat roof covering it. The books are protected by transparent glass that has a negative pressure. The old papers must be kept at the same time making it easier for the book to be transported from its place to the transparent box channel lined around the wall. The channel ends at a table that has a number and letter keys to type the title of the book you want to read. Once the title name or serial number of the book is typed, the transporter automatically pulls the intended book and takes it down to the table carefully.

              But, Leno is not here to borrow old books that are still based on wood paper. He has no intention of reading. Leno walked to the center of the library looking for another figure who was waiting for him inside here.

              Mia sat on the farthest right side of the library, partition 34, partition of Mia's subscription since grade 1. Leno could see Mia's tightly curled back and hair. Mia turned the body.

              “Successfully also I persuaded princess truant to come here.”

              “You really have guts, Mi. Dark once know.”

              “I'm here from afternoon. You have the guts to break through the dorms of nights like this.”

              “I don't want you to be alone, ugly. It's eat first.”

              Leno thrust out her bottle of drink and bread. Mia pinched Leno tana's cheek thank you. As Mia began to chew, Leno approached the table that had been scattered books everywhere.

              Lentipede, The Theory of Virus Evolution; Mandala: A Revealed History; Argentum and Its Descendants; Trikad Politics in the Past; Stories of the Old Country; and some note papers that Mia had already written

himself lying open on the table. But Leno saw an object that mingled with Mia's books and papers. There was a 1-meter iron stick with a pointed tip wrapped in a thin silvery paint. Leno took that thing.

              “What's new?”

              Mia almost spouted her chocolate milk from a drinking bottle.

              “Heh, don't hold it! That's my work today.” Mia snatched the iron stick that was after

it was noticed to be similar to a kind of silvery-colored long spear. Leno once saw a weapon that looked like this but he forgot where.

              Mia gulped down her drink and put the empty bottle on the table. He put together his books and notes like he wanted to start a case presentation.

              “Aready ready to listen?”

              Leno had no choice but to nod. He sat in a flying chair next to Mia. Mia took a deep breath.

              “What do you know about the creature?”

              “Yah.a dangerous product of evolution. Turning off a living thing just by touching it.”

              “What makes it so strong?”

              “Hm.. eat a lot? Enough sports? Relaxation and good stress management?” Instantly Mia touched Leno's forehead.

              “What?! I don't know, Mi. You better explain.”

              “Breed,” replied Mia with satisfaction.

              “K..married make them strong you mean?”

              Mia hesitated. “Yes, I can't call the creature mating either. I can't even call it a living creature! They have different properties from plants, plants, primates, birds, even reptiles even though the shape of Lentipede is very similar. They do not eat, do not breathe, do not grow and develop. They are created just like that and divide and then merge to form a body that moves and coordinates like an animal. They are a collection of micro particles that fuse with the help of the organic bonds of their host cell.

              But their bodies are not perfect. The fusion they did with each other did not have a density higher than the distance between the light particles. So that their bodies look transparent, but still fused.”

              “OK.. so this non-living thing has a shape like an animal but not real is that you mean?” ask Leno to make sure.

              “Real or not something depends on our individual senses. You can say that ghost is yata if your eyes believe what he sees. You can say the wind is real because your skin feels it. Reality is the perspective of each self towards what we believe.”

              “You fit carved into philosopher's statue, Mi,” ledek Leno.

              “I will sculpt your face first,” Mia said. He lifted his body a little.

              “Then, what makes them grow and attack living things?” ask Leno again.

              “Lentipede has high breeding needs. Some need a place to do it, others don't. Perhaps a few hundred years ago they needed organic cells to code their genetic transcription and make them into their daughter-producing factories. If they get out of that cell, they can't do anything aka temporary ‘mati’. The point is they need organic beings to be able to complete their destiny. It was like that.”

              “Be?”

              “Now they can steal organic cells that are almost dead and use them to multiply themselves. That is why Lentipede is usually created around carcasses or wounds left in the wild. The colonization of bacteria also attracted them to come and try to take over organic cells or native living things like you and me,” said Mia pointed to Leno.

              “It... wait… That still does not explain why they form like giant creatures and know-how coming from the middle of nowhere and into the city with super tight security,” said Leno confused.

              Mia sighed. “I don't know what size creature has died and produced a 2 meter tall Lentipede. Usually the size of a Lentipede depends on the number of host cells that are near death. The wider the wound, or organic body that almost died, the greater the Lentipede created because of the many “ bodies-body” micro they are attracted and fuse into one. Deep wounds but only 2 cm in size containing a bridge of tissue and damaged cells will form Lentipede which is only 25 cm in size and no more.”

              “So, do you think something died in the sea there and formed that giant Lentipede? Why are they attacking the city?” ask Leno while trying to digest.

              “Because many organic creatures can be additional hosts. But this is actually shaking my head. Lentipede do not have any senses because their bodies are just a walking shell that has nothing in it. No organ system is formed like any other living thing.  So it is actually very impossible they can walk far from the ocean and deliberately enter the city.”

              “And they don't die by electric shock?” connect Leno.

              “Kan I said they can't die! They did not die, they simply separated from the body formed from that fusion. Once the bond between them is completely broken, the whole loh! You can't “just” behead them, they'll lose each other and can't maintain their shape. They become dormant and will regroup when there is a potential new host to be used as a gathering and breeding ground.”

              “Then, the electric current cannot separate that fusion bond, ” Leno chirps while digesting this new information.

              “Yes! Wow you are smart too, Princess,” said Mia with sumringah.

              “You are low to skyrocket yes,” Leno said. Mia giggled amusedly. She took off her hair and pulled it back.

              “Well, it's time for me to skyrocket.” Mia took out her iron spear and twisted the blunt end of it.

              “Argentum or silver was the first antiseptic discovered by an old man. They used it to clean equipment and make ancient surgical equipment with silver. The use of antiseptics is quite popular to clean hands and break the chain of spread of viruses and bacteria in ancient times. Well, although it is not silver that is used anymore, but humans already know that these substances can break the chain of spread.

              Gradually silver was abandoned and only used as surgical equipment. But since the advent of the evolved Lentipede, research was scaled up and in the end the answer was to go back to the origin, silver could be used to kill them.”

              “You said they can't die,” cut Leno.

              “Sstt... I'm not finished yet,” said Mia stared at Leno sharply for not liking to be cut. “In addition, genetic transcription code chain breakers have also been found and can be used to speed up the defusion process of their bonds. And this is the replica of the silver spear and anti-transcription I made myself this afternoon! the same ingredients as the one used Mandala,” said Mia in a proud tone.

              Leno scrunched his forehead. A question popped into Leno's head. “Where did you get the silver spear around here?!”

              “I...” Mia looks worried for a moment. she does not dare to look into Leno's eyes.

              Leno only realized the spear was very similar to the one he often saw in the city center. “Mi, you stole the Trikad logo statue?!”

              “No, not that. erm.. “ Mia bites her lower lip, looks worried. “Owns my brother.”

              Leno remembers Mia's older sister whom he met a few years ago when Leno was staying at Mia's house. His older brother was a Mandala.

              “You stole it?”

              “Borrow a moment,” Mia replied quickly.

              “I have a hunch someday in this school I'll need it. After all he still has a lot in the office, right.”

              Leno narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms. How could he believe it.

              “Duh, yes I stole it! Stop that look. But, I assembled it myself this afternoon. Just in case of an attack like last night. Besides my brother could not be contacted since then, there was no news about the development of the case or about him,” replied Mia. Now he is sad.

              “Ona also can not be contacted.” Leno no longer folded his hands. He took a breath for a moment.

              ”But Mi..”.

              “You are not Mandala, or at least not yet. It makes no difference you have that thing with you meeting Lentipede empty-handed. You can't use it.”

              “Ya. yes I know. But I don't know how else.” Mia looks doubtful. He closed his arms and pinched his own lips. “I'm afraid Lee.”

              Leno saw the fear clearly drawn in Mia's eyes. Leno moved forward and clasped Mia's hand. “I too,” says Leno.

              Fear has spread in this school. Leno recalled his conversation with Amber this afternoon.

              “But, Mi. Today is so strange. I can't call Ona, you can't call your sister. Amber had said her house also no one can lift the call. And my father.well I didn't expect much, but no incoming calls from him or from anyone.”

              Mia wiped her neck with her sleeves. “Iya. I didn't pay much attention. I went straight here after school this afternoon.”

              ”But I was able to contact you?” ask Mia again.

              “Yes, you sent the barcode this afternoon.”

              “Ya.. possible network problems only. We ask another friend tomorrow morning.” Mia sat back down and put the lens back on. Leno guessed Mia still wanted to linger here.

              “Mi, we go back to the dorm, yuk.” Leno invited while glancing at the clock on his bracelet. “It's past 9 hours tahu.”

              “I'm not finished yet. You go back first.” Mia said without looking at her book.

              “Crazy, where do I want to go outside this building alone. What time do you want to be here? stay?” leno asked half-screaming.

              “I'll be home tomorrow morning maybe. Sneak into a room and get ready for school.”

              Leno sighed. He knows this is a bad idea. How do I persuade Mia to leave here?

              “You can't persuade me. I'll be fine. This iron door is safe kok.”

              Shit, Leno said in his heart. Where can Leno let Mia stay here. At least not alone.

              “Well I'll stay too. But, I'll take the blanket first.”

              Mia let Leno walk out of the library. He heard Leno grumble. Mia laughed in her heart.  As Mia reopened her notes again, Mia's dx85 bracelet shook. The screen turned red. Emergency call went into Mia's bracelet.

              “Mia! Where are you now?” a heavy male voice sounded from within his bracelet. Mia was surprised by her brother's sudden call.

              “Kak! I tried to call from last afternoon but why not lift?” exclaim Mia.

              “Oh, yes? No calls from you since this morning. Okay where are you now? In the dormitory right?” ask the man.

              Mia murmured hesitantly. “Erm.aku..”.

              “Mia!” the man half shouted.

              “I'm in the library,” Mia replied quickly. Mia closed her eyes to minimize guilt and prepared herself for scolding.

              “At 9pm?! Who was the teacher who told you to go there?”

              “Nothing, this I'm reading. You know I'm worried about Lentipede's attack on the city and I have to find out,” Mia said again.

              “Mia, I'm heading to FIGHTR. Close the library door tightly until I pick you up.”

              “What?! Why are you here? Don't tell me that thing's headed here?” mia said in exchange for shouting.  Oh no. Oh no, Mia's mind rumbled in panic.

               “Mia, follow my words. I don't want anything to happen to you.”