The Destruction of Batana

ZENZEN'S LIES

　

　

Time passes quickly. The day of alternating. My memory has fully recovered. I remember what happened that day. A huge fire that took away my only family. Brother Ikai. He was confirmed dead in the great disaster. No, it wasn't purely an accident. I still remember how those drones dropped small bombs on residential areas. Makes the fire bigger. But what is my day that is only this little boy. Witnessing fake news featuring the fire was purely an accident. The cause is none other than the anger of citizens who do not accept the decision of the board of directors. They blame our helpless with the spice of lies. It makes us feel like the antagonists in their story.

I started to know the man who took care of me. Name's Ador. I don't know what his purpose was to save me. One thing I know about him. Ador often fiddled with his equipment and created some strange tools. Sometimes he would come to my room and show me his inventions. I just kept staring at him. I never showed any expression other than a flat face.

Two weeks later, the wounds on my body gradually recovered. It's just that I still feel weird with my hands and feet. It feels like it is not connected to my body. I can move it. But all of that is like having to put my brain to thinking. My body is still completely bandaged. I can just lie down or sit down.

Ador often told me many things. He studied medicine but failed. He claimed that the reason for his failure was not because of his ruined or unsatisfactory discovery. Except because a friend imitates his work and considers that Ador plagiarized the work of his friend. As a result he was forcibly and dishonorably expelled. He decided to build his own laboratory. This building is a former relic of his family. He collected the unlucky children and gave them spare parts. I don't really understand what he means.

A month has passed. The news on television no longer talks about the big fire. Replaced by an elite project they will run in the former slum. I remember the intricacies of the area. Even the location of my house that was briefly recorded. Now it's all flat on the ground. Giant bulldozers and construction machinery were parked everywhere. Busy media included architects who played a major role in the project.

Don't ask about Agia. I'll never mention his name again or try to figure out his whereabouts. My pain left by him is still burning and not going away. No, it was rather I who did not want the wound to heal. Let this pain be my strength in the future.

Today for the first time my bandage has begun to be removed. I exclaimed cheerfully. The first expression other than the flat face I showed Ador. Oi! it's just an expression. There are so many ways to deceive others. Because in reality everyone is just a fraud. Their identity is nothing but a rotten soul who likes to pretend. Just like Ador. I'm sure he's doing all this just for research. Lying to me and doing some kind of project or research on me. For I saw for myself what he had done to me. When the bandage was opened, I was stunned. It's not my legs and my hands. It was an iron hand and a foot.

“I know you'll have a hard time accepting this reality. But this is the only way you can survive. Like I said before, you've had severe burns all over your body. I tried as hard as I could to save you. I tried to gather some of my research assets and remodel them into fake hands and feet. But I've been trying, son. And this is the result I got. I honestly wanted to tell you from the beginning. But seeing your mental state that has not recovered, I decided to postpone it. And today you witnessed with your own eyes what has happened to you. I hope you can take it.”

I'm down. Smiling thinly. Is this some kind of punishment for me? My brother had permanent disabilities his whole life after the accident that hit him. And now I'm experiencing the same thing with my brother. I'm disabled. Even this situation is worse than Kak Ikai. I lost my hand too. Not yet there, half my body is also filled with various machines as my support to be able to sit upright. Again, how many have been taken from me. Until there is only hatred in my heart.

I keep smiling. “I'm fine, thank you.” I said while enduring the overwhelming nausea.

Ador smiled as he stroked my head. “You are a wonderful child.”

The next day I started learning to walk. Because it has been lying on the bed for a long time, making my whole body feel pain when moved. Ador guided me to stand up straight. I had to put my mind to move those prosthetic hands and feet. It was like walking in mud. Feels heavy and slow. It makes me tired and sweaty.

Three days, I'm getting used to it. My fake feet and hands no longer felt foreign. It was like a part of my own body. I don't have to put my mind to the fullest anymore. Just like I used to have normal hands and feet. That's how I feel right now. It's just that I still can't do any strenuous activities. Ador is still monitoring my progress. We spent more time in the room. It was like being trapped in a prison cell. This is probably one of my punishments, too. I don't know.

I don't know where Ador's lab is. My room is not equipped with windows. Makes me unable to peek at the outside world. I never asked Ador. I won't be able to trust him as well as he can to me. All this time, he was just pretending. More lies than the honesty he gave me.

Ador once said that there were some other children similar to my fate. Strangely, I never heard the voices of these children. That adds to my suspicion of Ador. Of the various equipment at his disposal, it seems Ador is not from the slums. I assume he lives in town. As he told me, Ador had been in medical school. Of course, it costs a lot. It is possible that Ador came from a wealthy family. Or maybe he's a man who's been sent to do some secret research. Using children as an experiment. For now I just have to wait patiently.

I learned a lot from Ador. Thanks to my genius brain, I can apply Ador's teachings in the form of actions easily. From just noticing him I started doing experiments on my own. Every now and then when Ador leaves the room, I tinker with the machine on my body. Connect it with a power cord to add energy to it. Thus, I can concentrate that energy and turn it into power. In order not to arouse suspicion, I changed the parameters of the machine to a standard size by fiddling with the circuitry. I learned this when I was a thief.

Two months passed, Ador had already added some features in my body. I'm getting better at controlling those tools. It feels like my own body. I'm used to Ador. We became familiar even though it was just a mask and my cunning tactics to control it. If the time comes, I just need to take advantage of Ador. For now I just need to act like a obedient and obedient little boy.

“Zenzen, I have good news for you.”

I who was reading the book looked at him. I'm used to that phrase. Usually Ador always says good things if bringing new items or more sophisticated research to complete my body parts.

“You can already get out of this room.”

I blinked my eyes. Holy hooch! this is something really surprising. After two months of waiting, I finally heard the words. I round my eyes. This is the momentum I was waiting for. Life was finally on my side. Now I can carry out my next plan.

“Yes, I'm so happy to hear that.” I said, smiling with lies.

We arrived in the front room. Ador pressed the button. The door is slowly flashing. A very glare light pierced my eyes. I haven't seen the outside world for a long time. It's natural for me to feel so different. I found a field in the middle of the building. The ground is open without a roof. There are other kids like me. They all wear auxiliary equipment. They're just not as bad as I am. I'm down. So it's true that the boys were brought here for the object of his research.

“Join, Zenzen. You can move that body as you please. You can even defend yourself if one day you get in serious trouble. Your life today is the fruit of your two-month patience. Know it? you're really lucky to be alive. Some other children who could not control the device with their minds died from the severe stress they experienced. For a young child to lose a limb plus the loss of a family member in an incident is an extraordinary illness and trauma. There is a saying that trauma can kill a person. That's absolutely right, son. Only a few survive and recover from trauma. The wounds outside have a cure. While the inner wound? Only we can heal it. You showed me a different result. You are now the same as the children in the field. You can survive.”

No. gabe. I'm different.

"You've been through those exams for two months. When I first saw you, I felt like I would never have the strength to save you. But when you wake up and look at me with a meaningful look... I know you still want to live. It was then that I began to gather some tools and materials to create a tool that could sustain you to stay alive. Not only that, I also assembled it and modified it as best I could. I created a work I've never created before thanks to you, son. And now that artificial body is a gift for you. Run, Son. As long as you can run, with that tool you will never feel tired in the slightest.” Ador smiled as he ruffled my hair.

I smiled smirkingly. Another lie he told.

“OI! You all!” Ador called the children.

There were about ten people in the field. I can judge their age by their height and their face. Their average age is about fifteen years and above. I am most likely the youngest of them. Ador started to introduce us.

“I Zenzen.” I relax.

“Starting today he will be one part of you. I hope you can all get along with him like a family.” Ador said expectantly.

But what I witnessed at that moment was the sight of them staring intently at me. I can detect the hatred from their smiles. I don't know why they look at me like that. I just smiled casually.

Ador took me around. This place is not too big. Like a mini laboratory with various dormitory rooms. There are some rooms I cannot visit. Ador said that the rooms contained his invention and it was very dangerous if they hurt others. That is why he does not allow anyone to enter certain rooms.

After walking around, Ador took me to a room with four beds. It looks like that room will be my room. If there are four rajang, the other three beds will be occupied by others.

“Alright, if you need anything, you can call me in the room I showed you before. Make friends with them, Zenzen. I'm sure they'll be happy to know you.”

I just nodded in response. Act like a sweet child who obeys the words of parents.

Ador started to move and left me alone in the room. I took a long breath. At least I have one serious problem. I must immediately get along with the other residents to launch my actions. Whatever happens I will never want to have a friend since “the traitor” left me alone. But there's no harm in pretending, right?

The three kids who were rooming with me started coming. I just watched them with an awkward look. So with them. Until one of the tallest kids came up to me.

“Hei! Where'd you get hands and feet like that? Yours is much different from the ones we wear.” Said the boy while shaking his fake hand.

“I'm sure he's the one who made Mr. Ador work hard and didn't sleep for a few nights. Even Mr. Ador got sick for a few weeks. You know, lah. Diseases of the elderly.” Others added.

I'm just smiling. “Not really. Mr. Ador has always said that he is happy to be able to create a work that he has never created before. Even he himself said thanks to my presence, he can keep moving forward. Oh, surely Ador didn't tell you guys, huh? Sorry.”

The boy exclaimed stifled. “You must feel special because Mr. Ador treats you well. But you need to know, if you're useless to him and just bother him, you'll just be thrown away like worthless junk. So don't act as good as you can breathe freely in this place.”

I just shrugged my shoulders, not caring. Then it passed to my bed. They look like a cross wind.