Block One, 12.45 CST
Kiya blinked, finding Gina perched on the bed beside her, fresh from the shower. Taking in her surroundings, she recognized the familiar setup of room 213, arranged for their group by Block One.
Kiya noticed only Daniel and Somsak sleeping peacefully on the bed in front of her. She sat up immediately, her concern evident.
“Where are the others? Are they all safe?” she asked Gina, her voice reflecting her worry.
Gina reassured her, though her expression remained serious. “Don’t worry, everyone’s fine. Daniel and Somsak were supposed to keep watch, but they fell asleep after a meal and a shower.”
“So, we’re all safe now?” Kiya inquired.
“Not quite. The situation’s still uncertain, which is why we’re all in this room,” Gina explained. “There was tension among the others, so the Block Three people chose to separate, while our group decided to stick together here.”
“Are there many rooms here?” Kiya asked, slightly surprised. “What about the Block One staff?”
“It seems the Block One staff realized they couldn’t quickly hold us back from reaching the second floor. They opted to lock themselves in several rooms on the first floor. They didn’t budge even when we knocked on the doors,” Gina explained.
“On the second floor, there are only three bedrooms,” Gina continued. “One room is the same one we came up from below — the one where you grabbed the sheets and blankets to make a rope. The other room was claimed by the Block Three folks, but they only took the mattresses and converted some of the workspaces into their own rooms.”
“Why?” Kiya asked, puzzled. “They’re not afraid of being alone?”
“They mentioned something about the injured possibly turning within an hour,” Gina replied. “Maybe that’s why they’re hesitant to join the others. So, now they’ve also secured themselves in separate spaces, just like the Block One staff.”
“But,” she continued, eyeing the clock on the wall of their room, “it’s been almost an hour since we came up earlier, and there haven’t been any strange sounds from their rooms. Captain Tyrell, Bayu, Kevin, and Danica are on guard outside to be prepared for anything. Earlier, they also grabbed supplies from the warehouse on the first and second floors, like spare clothes, towels, and other essentials for us.”
Kiya glanced at the table where their breakfast boxes were and noticed hers still untouched.
“The food here isn’t safe,” Gina commented, also gazing in the same direction. “But I had to eat earlier because I had to take paracetamol. Captain Tyrell treated your hand too. He said once you wake up and eat, you should take the antibiotics on the table immediately to prevent infection in your hand.”
“Gina, haven’t you rested yet?” Kiya asked, noticing Gina’s fatigue despite her discomfort. “You have a fever, right? You should use this time to rest like Daniel and Somsak.”
Gina laughed bitterly. “If we wake up somewhere else after sleeping and find out this was all just a weird island dream, maybe I’d consider it. But… what if we get attacked while I’m asleep?”
Kiya gently rested her bandaged hand on Gina’s shoulder. “If your family can’t reach you, they’ll know something’s wrong and they’ll do everything to find you.”
“I just want to go home,” Gina confessed, tears welling up as she thought of her family. “I’m terrified here. This place gives me the creeps. The staff, even those from Block Three, seem to want nothing to do with us. Maybe they blame us for what’s happening since we arrived on this island.”
“Right from the start, I had a bad feeling about this place,” she continued, her voice trembling with emotion. “I saw Shinji being attacked, but before I could make out the assailant, the soldiers showed up and chaos ensued. Then they whisked me off to the underground cell of Block Two after the examination.”
Listening intently, Kiya suddenly recalled something. “Gina, did they ask you about the Fasola Covid-19 vaccine?”
Gina looked up at Kiya. “Yeah, they did. They also kept probing if I’d ever used gene doping.”
“Have you ever used gene doping?”
Gina shook her head immediately. “I did get the Fasola vaccine, but I’ve never doped. Do you think that’s why they took me to Block Two earlier?”
“I believe there’s a connection,” Kiya murmured, her expression pensive. “It’s likely you were taken to Block Two because of the Fasola vaccine. And Daniel, perhaps it’s because of his bleeding wound from earlier on the beach. Given how seriously they asked about these things, it seems the Fasola vaccine, gene doping, and wounds are tied to the strange outbreak here.”
“But the folks from Block Three mentioned that someone infected would change within an hour,” Gina countered. “We’ve been here for half a day, and none of us are showing symptoms. So, we’re not infected, right?”
“The issue is, I noticed something odd about the predator that attacked Bayu in the back tree area of Block One,” Kiya continued, her brow furrowing in thought. “Unlike the others, the predator seemed to grasp the danger and avoided it. He had a different level of intelligence compared to the rest.”
Upon hearing Kiya’s analysis of the different predators, Gina’s memory sparked. “The female predator in Block Three that Kevin and Daniel encountered could speak. She seemed cunning and manipulative. She was the one who attacked Shinji on the beach.”
Kiya’s brow furrowed. “Speaking and manipulative? If that’s true, then my suspicions might be valid. There seem to be two distinct types of predators here. That’s probably why the examiners kept probing about the Fasola vaccine, gene doping, and any wounds on my body.”
“What do you mean?”
“This outbreak might have stemmed from two different sources, resulting in different predator types,” Kiya explained. “The ones we encountered below… they acted solely on instinct, without much control. But the one that attacked Bayu… he displayed remarkable self-control.”
“This could be linked to how the outbreak started,” Kiya continued, her words rapid. “Those infected through wounds might become the type lacking self-control, driven purely by instinct. But those with self-control and intelligence, resembling humans… they could be the result of the Fasola vaccine or gene doping, or perhaps both.”
“You’ve really thought this through,” Gina remarked.
“Well, the behavior and characteristics of the predator that attacked Bayu earlier stood out to me,” Kiya explained. “I couldn’t shake off the questions about the vaccine, gene doping, and wounds they kept asking. So, when I noticed differences among the predators, it all clicked.”
“If there are indeed variations among them,” she pondered, “could there also be differences in how quickly someone gets infected? I mean, if those with wounds change within an hour, what about those affected by the Fasola vaccine or gene doping?”
“Kiya, you’re scaring me,” Gina admitted, her voice trembling. “The female predator in Block Three and the one in the underground cell… they’re terrifying. I can’t bear to think if there’s someone like that among us right now.”
Seeing Gina’s fear escalate, Kiya quickly changed the subject. “It’s just speculation, Gina. I could be wrong, just overthinking.”
“Don’t worry,” she reassured Gina. “If there’s an issue with our plane, air traffic control would have received reports. The jet rental company must be aware of what happened last night. Considering how close we were to this island when we landed, they’ll find us soon.”
___
AirNav Indonesia, at the same time
“Any updates from China or *ICAO about that private jet from Japan heading to Batam last night?”
Gunawan Pambodjo, Director of AirNav Indonesia, inquired as soon as he stepped into his office that afternoon. Having just returned from a trip, he fixed his gaze on his secretary, who had just wrapped up a serious phone call.
“Confirmation about the missing aircraft came in late from various sources, so the tracing only began at eleven this morning, Sir,” the secretary replied promptly. “The aircraft’s *ELT didn’t send out a distress signal, so everyone waited for updates until this morning.”
Gunawan arched an eyebrow. “Why wasn’t there an emergency signal?”
“There’s a possibility the aircraft sustained serious damage, Sir,” the secretary explained.
“So, what’s the current situation?” Gunawan pressed.
“China and the Philippines kicked off the tracking and search efforts. However…”
“However…?” Gunawan prompted.
“The aircraft has been off radar for a while, and the weather there is pretty harsh,” the secretary explained. “It’s November, peak rainy season. So, the search might drag on.”
Gunawan sighed heavily. “One of the passengers is the son of a parliament member, Mr. Wiyasa. He’s tight with the transportation minister. Oddly enough, Mr. Wiyasa himself wasn’t aware his son was headed to Batam. The son even kept it from his mom in Japan and opted for a chartered jet to dodge being caught vacationing in Indonesia.”
“I’ve been wondering the same thing. How did they manage to secure permission for a vacation in Indonesia during this Covid pandemic?” the secretary mused, looking perplexed.
But Gunawan redirected the conversation. “Did you receive the latest data?”
“The last known coordinates from *ATC China’s primary radar were in the middle of the South China Sea, in international waters. They were flying at 35,000 feet, with an airspeed of 480 knots and a ground speed of 510 knots. After that, they vanished from radar. China and the Philippines are likely tracing from that last known position.”
“You mentioned primary radar data earlier. What about the aircraft’s *ADS-B data?”
“That’s the issue, Sir,” the secretary replied, his expression hinting at something unusual. “Their ADS-B signal went offline right after they exited ATC China’s radar coverage. It could be a technical glitch, or perhaps… someone deliberately turned it off.”
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