AUTHOR: INDONESIA HERO
Review: ZULKARNAIN MUZAKAR III
Maryam that night said that the stranded eggs belonged to a giant fish that lived on the bottom of the ocean. However, I disagree with his opinion. To answer all our anxiety, I brought two football-sized eggs home. When we got home, we watched the egg closely.
The storm was rushing like my curiosity. The first egg is dark green with a yellow stripe around the surface. This egg looks made of sturdy materials, such as from strong shell. The second egg has a color that contracts with the first. The second egg is grayish-brown with black spots around it. This egg looks more fragile and slippery – almost Maryam broke it while bringing the second egg home.
“What should we do with this egg, Bang?” maryam asked followed by sleepiness.
“Let it, I just prank this home. Later in the morning we will observe further.” Night's over. The storm that didn't want to finish. That night we fell asleep with our eyes on guard if the storm blew the old house left by Maryam's grandfather.
After the storm passed in the morning, I remember the weather was still cold and cool. The strong wind blew hard, causing the large trees along the coastal road to appear to be swaying. Sand on the shoreline is seen scattered everywhere, signifying that large and strong waves have hit the beach during the storm.
Several trees were uprooted, visible from the base of its broken trunk, while several others were seen scratched and torn apart by strong winds. Along the way, there were some wind-blown garbage scattered here and there. The atmosphere around the beach still feels gloomy and sad, but there are some people who have started to move to clean up the garbage and repair the damage.
I had no spirit that morning to start the activity as usual, how the sea was taking us. I spent the whole morning watching the two eggs that came with the storm. I kept watching the egg like something was calling me to keep doing it.
The egg made me smile to myself, Maryam at that time felt I was drunk by a storm. But it was not right, I felt that this egg came from the Labo-Labo tribe. I'm back to clinging to ignorance and belief.
“Labo-Labo? It's just a fairy tale, my dad used to tell me that when I was a kid, Bang.” Maryam did not believe it one bit. He felt I was still frustrated because my last exploration still found no results.
All ignorance and curiosity explodes, as a living creature attempts to break the egg shell from within. Maryam was surprised not to play, and I was actually even more surprised. From inside the egg that was trying to rebel, we could clearly see a small leg kicking out. Feet shaped like a human. No, it's actually a human foot. Maryam helped break the shell while I was still opening my mouth wide. The shell was successfully crushed, fishy mucus soaked the floor of the house. From inside the first egg that broke, a baby that was filled with fish scales appeared.
Mary dropped her tears. I felt like I had just had a son. Maryam again saw the baby who had just hatched, the sound of crying broke the silence of the morning. I held the baby to try to calm her down, while Maryam took a warm towel to clean her body.
The baby looked healthy and fat, his eyes were black, and had thick hair. There are no visible flaws, only fish scales that do not fade when washed. I was again amazed when the remaining pieces of the egg fused back together to form a beautiful necklace.
“See this.” I took the necklace, put it on.
“Wait a minute, Bang,” said Maryam who seemed to realize something was wrong.
“Labo-Labo? The collaboration? The necklace? Don't you realize something, Bang. This is the necklace that our ancestors used to offer to the ruler of the sea to prevent the arrival of the Collaboration,” explained Maryam with fear. I clearly understand Maryam's concerns. A baby coming out of an egg is not a human child.
“Poems you last night, led to the presence of Collaboration!” mary again with the same fear.
“I know the legend. The collaboration will come as the scribe is destroyed. We can prevent that, while this necklace and this poem we keep away from this baby. He will never be the thing we fear.” I assured Maryam that this baby was harmless. I immediately picked up a poem neatly tucked away in my desk closet drawer and a poem that had just been formed.
“Lantas, what should we do with the other egg?” maryam asked while holding the baby.
“Will I take it to Setiawan, he needs his DNA. Maryam, please keep it a secret about our son's background. I brought this uncapped egg to protect her.” Maryam as I recall only nodded in agreement. Although, I know that Maryam actually objected to me researching this egg as well. Because perhaps, this egg contains living things in it as well.
“Who is this child's name?” Mary asked me again. So many real questions he asked that morning, but few I can remember.
“Kahar Muzakar's. Good ‘kan? I always wanted that name for my boys.” Maryam smiled at the name I just mentioned and said, “I like, Bang. So from now on I'll call you Kahar.”
I am so grateful for the arrival of Kahar. The child we always hoped for finally came. Unfortunately, I only got three days to see it. I had to go to Setiawan in Jakarta to give him this egg. Before I left, I told Maryam not to check Kahar's scales even once to the doctor to protect Kahar.
“Wan, I got what you were looking for all this time,” my word from the phone.
“What does it mean?” reply to Setiawan's question from Jakarta away.
“I found an egg that I suspect comes from the nation of Labo-Labo Setiawan, this could be the cure of aging in you.” I said it with great hope that my dear friend could be cured and we finally got the Nobel Prize.
“I'm out of words, Zul. Come to Jakarta soon. I should see it soon.” I understood and said see you to Setiawan before hanging up the phone. And, I only realized later that this decision would lead to an inevitable destiny.
I finally went to Jakarta by plane – of course Setiawan who paid for the ticket. Setiawan says he won't be able to sleep as long as what I'm carrying he can't touch. Sure, by plane it travels faster, but it becomes more of a hassle as well. The egg had to be tightly wrapped and when I got into trouble at Sinar x, I said it was an ostrich egg that my friend ordered. Their stupidity or luck sided with me no matter where it came. I could have escaped the examination with a stupid lie. When I arrived in Jakarta, Setiawan had already picked me up at the gate of domestic arrival.
We talked all the way to the faculty laboratory. It's been a long time since I've stepped foot here. A little reunion I experienced with the old building.
“How do you hide your identity?” ask my curiosity, actually the question was always I wanted to throw since I saw Setiawan grow old.
“The story is long, son. It takes a lot of acquaintances, a lot of fakes here and there, and the most troublesome thing is to reprint all the nonsense files in government. But what I like the most, I can transform into a figure “Senior” Scholar who has long been swallowed by the sea,” explained Setiawan.
“You really sound like a chatty old man.”
The lab hasn't changed since I left it nine years ago, it's still lacking facilities. How can these obsolete tools be where Setiawan works. I threw away a moment of complaining, I took out the egg that I wrapped tightly. Once it is tight to open it is harder than wrapping.
It takes five minutes to carefully open each egg protector without scratching it. I remember also that the wrinkled hands of Setiawan bleed when helping – if at that time I already knew the impending rot, I will increase the width of the wound on the hands of Setiawan, I will increase the width of the wound on the hands of Setiawan, maybe even killed him then.
The package that was tightly closed like the ears of the owner of the chair could finally open, I smiled widely when showing it to Setiawan.
At first Setiawan was hesitant with what I was that, he said that he was not hungry to eat omelet. I told him that this was from the Labo-Labo tribe and once again Setiawan remained doubtful.
Once I was upset and wanted to talk about Kahar Muzakar who was born from this egg but I expressed that intention when finally Setiawan was willing to research it. A little bit of soft egg scraping she kept.
I remember the words of Setiawan that day. Maybe I was too innocent to believe in the power of friendship to forget about self-safety. Now I'm stuck in a bunker a few meters deep with the outside waiting for a team of assassins ready to take what I'm working on.
Back at Setiawan's experiment in Jakarta, it turned out that my guess was correct. After a month of research, the results of the DNA tests of the two objects turned out to be identical and ready to proceed to the next stage. Of course Setiawan was jumping like a child, it was a little strange to see an old man behaving like a child.
“I told you already ‘kan, now we can cure your disease and make a super serum that could be the latest discovery that can change human life.” Experiments that successfully matched the DNA were conducted in secret. No one knows except us, the faculty only know that I work as a laboratory assistant from a “profesor” Setiawan.
“We have to go to Padang, do you remember my research there a few years ago? I have a bunker with complete and better facilities. But I don't know if Mr. investor would lend me the facility or not after I let him down twice.”
“We try first, it's a thing worth doing instead.” I convinced Setiawan that this must be done, my idealism is to be able to help all living beings.
“Will I try.”
I did not follow Setiawan's negotiations with the person he referred to as Mr. Investor. The discussion I heard was quite long. Setiawan in a voice that had been panting continuously tried to convince a person he was talking to behind the phone of the house. Last night it was the phone call that determined the fate of our research and finally a deal was struck. Mr. investor lent the laboratory facilities on the condition that only Setiawan knew.
We went to the laboratory that Setiawan meant. The place is where you found this video, do I have to tell you how the lab is? I guess not. We continued the research there for a few months, I started to miss Maryam, but Setiawan assured me that this was worth it and he had already sent some money to Maryam.
Unlike the Kahar eggs that broke soon found. The egg did not break for three months. We put the egg in a tube that you can see in the lab. It was only when we injected a liquid that forced the egg to develop more quickly. Breaking up, we finally saw a creature hiding in it. Unlike Kahar, the creature does not have the slightest hair on its skin, its eyes do not have a white cornea – and creepy, every tooth is pointed, in its neck there is shaped like fish gills.
“Fishes! Here's Collaboration!” yells happily Setiawan.
“Do not kill, we need his DNA.”
“Yes, I get it. I will research and make us the most respected scientists and will transform modern medicine and chemistry.”
I know what's in the tube, it's not a Collaboration, Kahar has been safe in Sulawesi with Maryam. The creature that Setiawan thinks as Collaboration is actually I do not know. However, I felt guilty for locking her in the glass. Every day he asks to come out. I had thought that the creature that Setiawan eventually named Antu Banyu based on the legend in the local community was a brother of Kahar. I really feel guilty and mixed up, but can't say about Kahar's benefit of protecting him from the outside world.
Our research continues, the creature is also growing rapidly. Now his body had reached the size of an adult human. Perhaps this extreme growth is thanks to the injections Setiawan once gave.
One day, when the truth will be revealed, Setiawan said he will go for two days to meet the investor and buy some items found and will return soon to take the results of the research. I was not suspicious at the time.
The first day Setiawan left, I was alone with Antu Banyu. The creature kept looking at me with fury in both of its white eyes. I have also completed the experiment after two failed attempts. Now the superhuman serum produced from bacterial DNA found in Antarctica mixed with the last variable – DNA from Antu Banyu, has been completed. This will heal Setiawan and open up a new thing in science. When he told Setiawan, he was so excited.
Such was my wonderful thought before a short message was sent by an old friend – Nurdin. He sent me a one-time-view email with some photos and videos under pseudonyms, but I was able to recognize them through a secret code that only I and Nurdin knew, not even Setiawan knew of.
Subject: Danger
You don't know who I am. I can assure you. However, I want you to read this message carefully, this message can only be opened once, after which it will be immediately deleted along with the video documents and photos I sent. That scholar is evil! I repeat, Setiawan is the devil. Immediately open the attached video and photo. Now I don't know where you are, I'm worried about you.
Keep living, Zul.^^^
I was shocked to see the message, as if my eyes refused to believe it. But I keep the curiosity that is only paid for by checking photos and videos. How my heart went when I saw the video. In it, Setiawan was negotiating with a person whom I did not recognize the trunk of his nose. Setiawan talked about creating a super army using this serum. The purpose of the formation of the army to carry out a movement that is still not clearly discussed in the video. In addition to the video, two photos sent containing images of Setiawan were in a special facility designed like an army training ward.
I had a choice, to run away with that DNA and serum while there was time but it would harm my family if I ran away. The second option is to fight with the strength I have.
Still with the confusion engulfing, the satellite phone rang. I hesitate to lift, but if not lifted will add to the anxiety. Hesitating I picked up the phone and greeted, “Halo.”
“You already know, yes.” Setiawan's voice sounded from the phone's handle.
“A squad in the next thirty minutes is coming to the bunker, there is no way to run. Your wife won't be safe either, as soon as the troops come, give us all the results of our experiments. I'm really grateful to have tapped into your computer.” The phone was switched off before I could reply to the swearing at Setiawan.
“Articles!” I completely lost hope at the time. I don't know what to do. I immediately grabbed the satellite phone and called Maryam.
“Halo, who is this?”
“Zulkarnain Muzakar.”
“Abang? Healthy brother? Why haven't you called since yesterday? This phone uses a new number?” ask Maryam continuously which I finally cut.
“Listen, don't cut, don't ask, or say anything as I speak. Maybe this is the last time you'll hear my voice. Maryam, I love you as warm as the sun and I love Kahar even though he only spent three days with her. All my love for both of you, so I'm doing this. You won't understand, I don't want you to understand.
Keep looking after Kahar, the world will be evil to him, but when the time comes for Kahar to make a decision, give him a chance. Maryam, you've been my ship, maybe it's time for me to sink. However, our love is eternally sailing, dear. I'm still wearing Kahar's necklace, too, so dashing if you can see it. Finally, I thank you for all the things you've done and haven't done. I love you twenty-five thousand.” My phone closed without listening to Maryam's reply, I knew she was crying. I must be the worst husband ever.
Now that there were five minutes left, I could already hear the sound of roaring troop steps heading here. All right, I think it's quite a story. I will inject this serum into Antu Banyu and destroy the remaining DNA. I hope Antu Banyu grows up and kills me soon.
Thank you for watching, I am Zulkarnain Muzakar.