The Destruction of Batana

UNFORGETTABLE

　

　

The tattoo took me to a room with various trunks and hoses and mechanical hands sticking out. In the room there is a brilliant white chair placed right in the middle of the room. The only thing that looked good was among the other items. Next to the chair is a panel with several buttons and a hologram. To be honest this place even reminds me of the room in the City of Trench. The day I was arrested by Zenzen.

“Well, Lian, can you sit in that chair.” Pinta Tatu to me.

I'm nodding. The tattoo steps towards the panel with various buttons next to the chair and starts to –ngatik that thing. In an instant, the entire room was filled with beautiful blue luminescence. The hoses are glowing and some devices are gently grinding. A wide hologram the size of a cinema screen was plastered before me.

“It will hurt a little, but can you hold it?” The tattoo tried to convince me.

I'm nodding. To know my past, I would do anything.

The tattoo presses a button, a mechanical hand coming towards the back of my neck. The hand rippled softly and took out an object the size of a syringe and began to stick it to my neck. I closed my eyes. At least this needle is not as painful as the needle in the room. I could feel the needle stop. Immediately, a blue light crept around my neck. The hologram in front of me was displaying something. Something I've always wanted to know for a long time. Something that will answer all the big questions in my life.

Everything that happened eight years ago will be answered in the projection.

　

　

***

　

　

“What are you doing? Why is this room so many strange things scattered?” I asked innocently while holding onto an object.

Mom's face looks tangled, her hair is in a mess. There are clear-cut eye bags. I'm sure mom hasn't slept in days. He uses a transparent yellow mask connected to a tube.

“Batrice, you better get some rest. How many days have you not slept?” Said someone who was my father.

“Lian, can you use your mask? At least until the spacecraft manufacturing project is over.” Mom smiled gently.

I shook firmly. “That thing is too heavy for me to carry.”

Mom came closer to me, I could see how tired Mom was. He held my shoulder slowly.

“You are weird. Everyone worries too much about themselves getting sick from this dirty air, but you don't even wear a mask. What's the reason you don't want to wear it?” Mom rubbed my hair slowly.

I breathe out slowly. “Of course because it is not free. Especially if I'm playing with my friends. Yeah, even if one or two likes to poke me. But there are some good ones I hate being limited by something. Though the world is so vast, but why should something limit it?”

Mom opened her eyes. “Hei! Are you really a ten-year-old or not? Where'd you get that mindset?” Mom ruffled my hair while laughing.

Dad came closer to Mom. “Well, Lian told you earlier, right? Life is not fun if there is a limit. Now your only barrier is the project. If you can remove the barrier for a moment, at least you can be happy.”

“Daddy is right, Mother. I read a book in one of Mom's ancient libraries. The animal form was not what it is today. But they evolved because of climate change and other earth changes. Be their present form. So, why do these animals live in dirty air? Why don't the birds have to wear masks like us? That's because they don't do the rejecting. Except accept everything.”

Mom and Dad looked at me.

“Alright, it looks like Lian is starting to look like you, Batrice.” Father termangu.

“No, no, Lian's right. We should not reject, but accept everything!” My face looks very serious. “I must immediately contact the headquarters and cancel the human delivery project to space.” She was followed by her father who tried to calm her down.

I scratched my head that was not itching, shrugged my shoulders and left the room. I walked down the hallway and found a woman holding a two-year-old daughter. That little boy is my sister. He's still not very good at talking.

“Where are you going, Lian?” Ask the woman who is Liana's nanny.

“I want to play for a while.” I just wave my hand.

“You'd better be home before night.”

I smiled while nodding firmly. Waving my hand and running out of the house.

I rode on a drifting scooter of yellow and silver grey. Crossing various buildings with transverse steel pipes. Every now and then I greet some workers who are repairing various kinds of damage along the giant building. They greeted me back while waving their hands. Some even told me to go home and put on my mask. I passed by not caring. Hearing their tirade has become a natural thing for me.

My scooter floated across a residential complex with a cube-shaped building dominated by yellow and gray. The housing form in the place is almost similar. A couple of kids my age were playing along the way. They also ride scooters just like mine.

“Hei! That's Lian the Dirty Air!” A little boy cried while laughing.

I stopped my scooter. “Sorry, not wearing a mask does not mean I am immune.” Not accept with that original nickname.

“Lian, I heard in the corners of this complex there is a large place where there is no one there.” Said a boy. His face looks excited.

“There really is such a place? To my knowledge almost the entire area here is filled with metallic buildings that look very boring. I mean not attractive to little kids like us.” I said I don't believe it.

“Hei! You don't believe it, huh? All right I'll show you.” The boy exclaimed inadmissive.

“Wait a minute! I want to invite someone again.” I stopped those who were leaving.

“Don't you want to take her, huh?” Ask a long-haired girl.

“Ou! Poor Lian, you're too universal to take the girl to play. You know for yourself if that kid is hard to talk to.” Said another boy in a condescending tone.

I sighed for a moment. “It never hurts to add friends, right?”

I went and turned on my scooter. Towards one of the houses with a yard overgrown with various trees. The house is the greenest house as long as I find other houses. Seeing that house always makes me feel fresh. The air in the house even has a drastic difference even though it is still in the same area. The place was very cool and pleasant.

I simply waved my hand at a hologram floating in the courtyard of the house. A face of the girl I recognized appeared in the hologram. As usual, his eyes were covered in bangs from his tanned hair.

“Hai Jora! Let's play.” I waved at him while smiling widely.

“Emm, alright.” He sounded uninspired.

A few minutes later, the girl came out wearing a mask. His face looks gloomy. It was common to see his appearance.

“Lian, you know sendri if I can't ride a scooter like you guys.” The girl complained slowly.

“What are you talking about? No child in town can resist drifting scooters. So don't worry about it, you can ride on my scooter and let me drive it.”

“Good..” Jora says shush.

Jora slowly rode my scooter which floated a few inches in the air. Then drove down the streets smoothly. Jora cried out in fear. Grip my shoulder as hard as possible. But I don't care, speeding up my scooter. Some of the kids who were waiting for me finally laughed. They drove with me. One of the kids accelerated his scooter. Racing without reason. I forgot I was piggybacking Jora behind me.

We have arrived at our destination. A wire fence restricts the area. We could see the grassland across the fence. The fence was not even given security or surveillance cameras. We opened the rusted gate. The wind blows playing a haircut. The air feels cool, there is no heat or stuffy from the industry.

Still using a scooter, we drove between the grass that was slowly blushing. Stopped at a tree on top of a hill. The tree has a hanging root. Several flowers and mosses crept around the tree. The sky is already twilight. An orange light was whistling between the dense branches of the tree. We parked our scooter with the tree.

“I told you, right? This place is cool. We can make headquarters here.” Said a child pointing at me.

I ignored the boy's words, more interested in staring at the sun that was beginning to sink. Orange light and red tinge appear to draw space like a painting. Dry leaves danced in the wind that blew slowly. Grunts and weeds tickle our feet slowly. The children were busy running among the grass. Play a game of catch. One or two hide behind rocks or bushes.

Jora away from the crowd. Sitting on a large rock that looks smooth. He's always been like that. He considers himself to be isolated. Feeling bad, I approached the boy. Invite him to speak.

“Jora, don't you want to play with the other kids?” My toot.

Jora bent both knees. “I don't want to stay here.”

“Eh? What do you mean?”

“Lian, have you ever wished to go to space there?”

His eyes were covered in tanned hair. The air feels cool and peaceful. Throwing dry leaves that fall around us.

“I really want to get there.” The girl returned. This time I could see her eyes hidden under her hair. Eyes are brilliant green that are so cold.

“You sure you want to go there?” I asked reassuringly.

The girl nodded. Back to his feet. “My mom said, if we get on that plane, we will no longer wear this mask anywhere. We can see a wider world than we can imagine. My father also said so, he said out there a lot of beautiful stars.”

I held my chin. “Okay, actually I'm not too sure about that. If we say the outside world is vast, our earth is also vast. It's just that we've never explored it. If we go around, we might find something new. For example this meadow and the setting sun. If you go out there, I'm not sure we can see the same view.” I pointed towards the sky that was getting darker. Some stars are beginning to appear.

“Gosh! I forgot!” I patted my eel. I have to go home before dark. Traveling here is enough to spend a lot of time. This place is far from complex.

“What's up, Lian?”

“I have to go home before dark. Gawat, my mother can scold me later.” I'm messing up my hair.

Jora smiled thinly. Then laugh. “You're really funny, Lian.”