Hope

The shaking grew more intense as the stones' impact left marks on the plane's walls, causing several holes from the force of the large rocks, which disrupted the plane's balance. Through the holes, wind rushed in at a high speed, but the usual alarm sirens didn't go off, as they typically would in such a situation. It seemed that the stone projectiles had damaged several parts of the aircraft, including the sirens.

"APA YANG TERJADI?" Fadli shouted after waking up from his sleep.

"KITA DISERANG!!!!" shouted one of the soldiers to the right of the Marshal.

"SIAPKAN DIRI KALIAN, MUNGKIN KITA AKAN JATUH. JANGAN BUKA SABUK PENGAMAN. TETAP DIAM DI KURSI KALIAN!" the Marshal shouted.

With a tense expression, Arya tightened his seatbelt. Without saying a word, he closed his eyes, his lips moving silently as if reciting a prayer, trying not to lose hope. He firmly believed that despair was forbidden in Islam, and as a Muslim who had been taught to uphold his faith since childhood, he held on to that belief even in the face of imminent danger.

Arya took his final measure—his seatbelt was securely fastened, and with a whispered prayer, he surrendered himself in faith, placing his trust in the Almighty.

"ARYA, MINAL 'AIDZIN WAL FAIDZIN!!!!" Fadli shouted, gripping the strap beside his seat tightly.

"KAMU NGOMONG APA FAD?"

"SAYA MINTA MAAF, SIAPA TAU INI TERAHIR KALI KITA HIDUP."

"IA, SAMA-SAMA. TAPI CARA MINTA MAAF KAMU KAYAK SEDANG LEBARAN! KONDISI KAYAK GINI APA GAK ADA BAHASA LAIN?"

"SEKARANG SAYA SEDANG GAK ADA WAKTU BUAT MIKIR BAHASA INI ITU. CUMA ITU YANG TIBA-TIBA ADA DI OTAK!!!!"

"PANIK GINI NGEDENGER KAMU NGOMONG GITU JADI PENGEN KETAWA."

"DA GIMANA ATUH?!!! AKU MAH GINI!!!"

"SEPERTI YANG UDAH KAMU BILANG, SIAPA TAU INI TERAHIR KALI KITA HIDUP. ISI DENGAN ZIKIR DAN DOA, INSYA ALLAH GAK SIA-SIA!"

"IYA!" The conversation ended in tension, and then the pilot's voice came through.

"PAK, KITA AKAN JATUH." the pilot said to the Marshal through the microphone.

"SEMUA PEGANGAN YANG ERAAAT!!!" the Marshal shouted, reminding them.

***

The starlight spread evenly, stretching from one end to the other. Millions of zombies ran frantically, chasing something about to fall from the sky.

From the ground, a plane could be seen hurtling down, crashing into the sea between the Merlion statue and The Esplanade over Singapore's waters. It plunged rapidly, piercing through the ocean, sending hundreds of thousands of tons of water surging uncontrollably, creating massive waves that swept away everything in their path—including the thousands of zombies that had been roaming the shoreline, their ravenous faces twisted in endless hunger.

The aircraft was an Indonesian Be-200 amphibious plane carrying the Marshal and other passengers. At an incredible speed, the Be-200 plunged into the sea beside The Esplanade, passing the Merlion statue, which had already suffered damage from the zombie expansion. The commotion instantly drew the attention of hundreds of thousands of other zombies, who rushed toward the scene with terrifying speed.

The crashing waves from the surging sea did little to slow the zombies down—they kept sprinting at an unnerving speed. Even those swept away by the waves quickly rose to their feet and resumed their relentless chase. They swarmed the fallen aircraft like thousands of ants devouring a lifeless insect, showing no sign of pain or exhaustion, as if driven by an unstoppable hunger.

Panic erupted instantly as the Marshal drew his automatic rifle. The blaring emergency siren only heightened the chaos. Wasting no time, he unfastened his seatbelt, followed by Arya, Fadli, and one of his large-built subordinates from the TNI crew. 

As they moved, the rest of the crew remained eerily still. The Marshal quickly checked their pulses, his expression darkening as he confirmed the worst—they were already gone.

With unwavering determination, the Marshal signaled with his hand, ordering everyone to evacuate through the emergency exit. One of the surviving TNI soldiers was tasked with carrying Amar's lifeless body. Given his massive physique, it should have been an easy task—Amar was small in comparison. 

However, the dire situation turned even the simplest actions into a struggle. The soldier staggered occasionally, his balance thrown off by the chaos unfolding around them.

"Ingat, yang perlu kita lakukan adalah tetap tenang. Bertahan selama mungkin hingga bantuan datang." said the Marshal.

"Pak, sepertinya kita mengalami kebocoran." said the large-built TNI soldier.

"Ia, benar Pak. Sepatu saya seperti menginjak air." Arya responded.

"Bocor dari mana? Nampaknya semua baik-baik saja!" Marsekal said firmly, followed by Fadli.

"Maaf Pak, saya sudah tidak kuat. Kadang kalo saya panic suka pipis di celana."

"Kamu ngompol?" Arya groaned, trembling as he stared sharply at Fadli, as if asking how he could still do something so ridiculous in a situation like this.

"Tetap fokus." the Marshal interjected, trying to calm the situation.

Silence fell over the group as they waited for rescue. Despite Fadli's unfortunate situation making everyone increasingly uncomfortable, they had no choice but to remain calm amidst the growing stench. Their fear far outweighed their disgust.

A few zombies began to approach, followed by hundreds more behind them. Carefully, the Marshal scanned the narrow gap in the aircraft's body that seemed safe, as the zombies were only attacking the other side.

"Semua, ikuti saya." the Marshal ordered in a whisper.

They moved stealthily, following the Marshal who was leading the way. The large-built TNI soldier took the rear, visibly exhausted. However, his strong fighting spirit kept him pushing forward without a single complaint.

The Marshal carefully approached the narrow gap he had spotted earlier. Slowly, he peeked out, scanning the surroundings, observing every corner to decide their next move. A jolt of shock ran through him as he caught sight of a towering glass building directly ahead. Reflected in the glass was a terrifying sight—hundreds of zombies approaching.

One by one, they plunged into the sea, swimming among the swarm of undead that, to his horror, could also swim. Yet, amidst the chaos, the Marshal and his team seemed to go unnoticed. Finally reaching the shore, the Marshal climbed over the seawall, keeping a watchful eye on the area. Everything appeared clear—the zombies were too preoccupied with swarming the wrecked aircraft to notice their escape.

"Jalan cepat….!!!" the Marshal ordered. Keeping low, they crept cautiously behind the ruins of The Esplanade.

Arya suddenly stopped in his tracks, staring at the fallen Merlion statue. Just days ago, the waters around it had been breathtakingly beautiful. Now, the iconic lion-headed, fish-bodied statue lay half-submerged, with the rest swallowed by the sea.

Lost in thought, Arya didn't notice the TNI soldier behind him gently pushing him forward, a silent reminder to keep moving.

"Kita harus berjalan menuju gedung itu." the Marshal said, pointing at a round-shaped skyscraper in front of them.

"Apa disana aman Pak?" Fadli asked.

"Apa disini aman?" Marshal retorted in frustration. "Ayo cepat jalan!"

***

Upon reaching the front of the towering building that Marshal had deliberately aimed for, he, Arya, Fadli, and the burly TNI soldier hid behind a pile of concrete rubble, still carrying Amar's lifeless body. Their faces were grimy, their clothes covered in dust and filth. Carefully, they observed their surroundings. Once the area seemed clear, they moved forward slowly, with Marshal once again leading the way.

Upon entering the building, they found it eerily silent. Rubble was scattered everywhere. Marshal signaled with his hand, instructing the others to follow. He led them toward a red-carpeted staircase. Every now and then, they heard the sound of footsteps—undoubtedly belonging to zombies. The moment those sounds echoed, Marshal immediately halted, and the others instinctively followed suit.

They passed the first floor without issue, then the second, third, fourth, and so on. But upon reaching the fifteenth floor, Marshal spotted a lone zombie in the middle of the hallway, feasting on a human corpse. Blood pooled beneath it, fresh and thick, indicating the person had just been killed. Intestines sprawled across the floor, along with a half-eaten liver, kidneys, and pancreas. Before the others could witness the gruesome scene, Marshal quickly signaled for everyone to stop. 

Arya, Fadli, and the large-built TNI soldier had yet to realize the presence of the zombie ahead. Moving with precision, Marshal slowly reached down to his left boot and pulled out a knife. Just then, Fadli's eyes landed on the mangled body in front of him. His stomach churned violently, and before he could stop himself, he gagged and threw up.

That, however, only alerted the zombie to their presence. Its blood-covered face snapped toward Marshal, eyes wild with hunger. Without hesitation, the creature lunged forward at an incredible speed, charging straight at him. 

Marshal braced himself, adjusting his stance to counter the oncoming attack. His grip tightened around the knife, muscles tensed, ready to strike as the zombie closed in, its gaping mouth eager to tear into flesh.

The zombie lunged at full speed, crashing into Marshal, who had his knife poised in his left hand. Arya and Fadli could only watch in shock, pressing their backs tightly against the wall. 

The TNI soldier behind them reacted differently. Without hesitation, he dropped Amar's body bag and swiftly drew his sidearm, aiming it at the zombie attacking his superior. But he hesitated—afraid that if he fired, he might hit Marshal instead.

The Marshal continued to wrestle fiercely with the zombie, dodging its bites while keeping a firm chokehold. Just as he was about to drive his knife into the creature's skull, a gunshot rang out. 

The bullet, fired by the large-bodied TNI soldier, struck the zombie's head with perfect precision, sending it collapsing lifelessly to the ground.

"APA YANG KAMU LAKUKAN!!!!" the Marshal yelled at his subordinate.

"Maaf pak, saya kira…" the soldier replied, but the Marshal cut him off.

"Saya bisa nanganin itu! Jauhi suara bising, kamu tau? Tembakan tadi membahayakan nyawa kita! Ribuan zombie pasti langsung berlarian kesini mendengar suara tadi!!!"

"Ma-maaf Pak."

"LALU APA LAGI YANG KITA TUNGGU?! AYO CEPAT LARI!!!!" shouted the Marshal.

They rushed up the endless flights of stairs, their footsteps pounding urgently against the concrete. The deafening noise of approaching danger grew louder, accompanied by the eerie groans of the relentless zombies chasing them.

"Lantai berapa sekarang?" asked Fadli, his breath heavy and ragged. But none of his friends paid him any attention. They kept running and running, leaving Fadli with no choice but to keep up with them.

Dozens of floors had been climbed—something that would have been impossible under normal circumstances. But the sheer will to survive granted them extraordinary strength beyond that of an average human. They endured the overwhelming exhaustion until they finally reached their destination: the rooftop of the building.

Upon reaching one of the floors, the number "89" was clearly written above the tightly locked door, prompting Arya to reflexively exclaim "Ya Allah? Kalo kita ga dikejar mahluk aneh itu, kita ga kan mampu naik tangga sampe sini."

The Marshal struggled to open the small door, and without a second thought, he pulled out his firearm and shot at the door handle. The door instantly swung open with the blast of gunfire. He signaled for everyone to follow him out. It turned out that the door led directly to the top floor of the building, opening into the outside.

Fadli gazed at the sky as he passed through the door, right behind Arya. The blue sky did nothing to comfort him. His breath was ragged, just like the rest of his comrades.

"Pak, sekarang apa yang harus kita lakukan?" asked the large-built TNI soldier, Amar's corpse still slung over his shoulder, as he turned to the Marshal.

"Tenang, sebentar lagi. Kita tunggu disini." the Marshal said. No one knew exactly what he had planned.

But before that question could be answered, a deep rumbling sound began to fill the air. It resembled the roar of an aircraft—no, not just one, but many. The noise grew louder and louder, until finally, the most astonishing sight unfolded before their eyes.

"Apa-apaan ini? Harusnya hanya ada satu pesawat yang menjemput kita disini!" the Marshal exclaimed, his face clearly showing shock as he witnessed hundreds of aircraft of all kinds swarming the sky before his eyes—everything from private jets to military planes.

But the most shocking part was yet to come. Once again, thousands of rocks shot through the air, hurtling toward the flying planes.

Seeing this, the Marshal sprinted toward the edge of the building and looked down. His worst fear was confirmed—the zombies were the ones throwing the rocks with inhuman strength.

One by one, the aircraft were struck by the deadly projectiles. Explosions erupted in the sky as the planes lost control and plummeted toward the ground.

The planes hit by the rocks exploded violently. Some detonated mid-air, while many others erupted into flames upon crashing into the ground. A rain of wreckage filled the sky, but due to the overwhelming number of aircraft flying at the same time, the destruction was far from total. 

Despite the chaos, hundreds of other planes managed to survive and navigate past the deadly zone, pressing forward through the apocalyptic sky.

Amidst all the chaos, one aircraft approached Marsekal. It resembled a helicopter used by the Indonesian Air Force (TNI AU).

"Kalian lama sekali!" Marsekal complained, his voice competing with the deafening roar of hundreds of aircraft and explosions as he stepped into the plane.

"Signyal kalian sulit kita deteksi." one of the pilots replied, extending a hand to help Marsekal board the aircraft. "Dan juga kita harus menunggu momen paling tepat untuk meminimalisir hal buruk yang mungkin saja terjadi. Lihat kemampuan para Zombi itu, mereka berbeda dengan Zombi yang biasa digambarkan dalam film-film fiksi. Mereka punya kecerdasan dan kekuatan diluar perkiraan kita."

"Kamu benar." Marsekal replied, taking a deep breath.

The aircraft carried only three people—the pilot, the co-pilot, and a crew member in the back. They wore camouflage uniforms, typical of the Indonesian Air Force. However, the pilot lacked the demeanor usually associated with a TNI officer, especially when facing Marsekal, who was none other than his superior.

The crew member was busy tidying up something inside the aircraft, packing various tools into a small shoebox-sized container. The co-pilot continued waving his hand, assisting Arya, Fadli, and the TNI officer who had been carrying Amar's body all this time.

"Pesawat-pesawat itu akan menuju kemana?" Arya asked curiously while watching the copilot close the door and move to the front seat, sitting right beside the pilot.

"Pesawat itu adalah milik berbagai Negara di dunia. Ada yang sama seperti kita, berjuang menjemput Warga negaranya, namun tidak jarang yang sekedar menyelamatkan diri dengan pesawat pribadi." answered a crew member who had just finished organizing the equipment, followed by a remark from the pilot.

"Semua sudah siap? Kita harus segera terbang sebelum kerumunan pesawat ini habis." 

"Ya." answered the Marshal.

The aircraft then immediately took off, ascending straight into the swarm of planes with the skill of an experienced pilot. Only a select few could execute such a maneuver smoothly without colliding with any of the high-speed aircraft passing by.

The copilot then initiated a conversation, "Jika tidak ada kerumunan pesawat seperti ini, kami takan bisa menjemput kalian." he said. " Dalam kondisi sekarang, kami perlu waktu dan usaha ekstra keras untuk tau hal kecil seperti ini."

"Ya, kami faham." replied the Marshal, his face showing extreme exhaustion.

The aircraft continued to soar alongside hundreds of other planes heading in the same direction. With expert skill, the pilot accelerated swiftly, maneuvering through the barrage of stones being hurled from below.

"Sebenarnya pesawat-pesawat itu akan pergi kemana?" Fadli asked curiously, to which a crew member beside him responded.

"Mereka berasal dari penjuru dunia, dan mereka hendak pergi ke Australia. Sama seperti Indonesia, disana masih sangat aman. Dan katanya, memiliki potensi yang sangat minim untuk terserang wabah dibandingkan Indonesia."

"Apa hanya Indonesia dan Australia saja yang masih aman?"

"Informasi yang kita dapat sangatlah minim, mungkin di luar sana masih banyak tempat aman lainnya. Namun hingga detik ini, informasi yang kita dapat, ada tempat lain yang katanya juga tak terjamah oleh mahluk-mahluk ini."

"Tempat apa itu?"

"Dua kota kecil di Arab. Mekah dan Madinah." Fadli fell silent for a moment. That answer seemed to end their conversation. But suddenly, in a low tone, he repeated the crew member's words, his face filled with confusion and questions.

"Mekah dan Madinah?"

The conversation truly came to an end, accompanied by the explosion of a plane beside them. The aircraft was struck by a rock, causing severe damage. Its left wing was severed, crashing into another plane ahead. The Marshal froze in horror, and the others were equally terrified, witnessing such a catastrophe just as they had barely escaped death. The aircraft then plummeted to the ground, along with several others, crashing violently into the earth.

Rocks continued to shoot into the sky, targeting every passing aircraft. Far below them, hundreds of thousands of zombies swarmed the fallen planes, devouring anyone inside, while other zombies remained occupied hurling stones.

With the vast number of planes in the air, the swarm of aircraft seemed endless. This made the Marshal's plane much safer compared to flying alone. However, the risk of failure remained high, forcing the pilot to be even more cautious.

Hundreds of planes had crashed, accompanied by deafening explosions. Some even collided with tall buildings on their own without needing to be struck by the zombies' thrown stones. Yet, luck remained on the Marshal's side. Though the explosions from other planes often caused intense vibrations within their aircraft, their journey still felt relatively safe, unhindered by any obstacles. The stones that shot up into the sky all targeted other planes, as if the zombies were completely unaware of the Marshal's aircraft.

Arya's lips moved constantly, whispering prayers, chanting dhikr, and reciting verses from the Qur'an that he had memorized. Every time the aircraft shook due to turbulence from the explosions of other planes, he would spontaneously utter takbir and istighfar, seeking protection and strength amidst the chaos.

Amidst the chaos, Marsekal shouted his question while holding onto the wall of the aircraft, "Sampai mana kita akan terbang?"

"Sampai Jakarta." answered the pilot, also shouting.

"Apa pesawat ini sanggup?"

"Tenang, ini bukan pesawat biasa. Paling ga, sedikit luar biasa."

"Apa yang membuat kamu yakin?"

With a smile that seemed to exude arrogance, the pilot replied, "Karna saya yang merancang pesawat ini."

A look of astonishment and disbelief spread across Marsekal's face. Of course, throughout his career, he had never known of a domestically designed aircraft with such advanced capabilities.

"Tunggu, sebenarnya Kamu siapa?" Marsekal grew even more curious.

"Oh ia, saya belum memperkenalkan diri ya Pak? Saya Jaka, pemilik perusahaan Jakagroup."

"Jaka Adi Purwanto?"

"Ya pak. Hahaha, pakaian tentara ini pasti membuat saya pangling. Nampak lebih gagah dan keren."

"Saya sudah lama mendengar Anda. Tentang kekayaan Anda, kecerdasan dan bahkan kegilaan Anda. Tapi saya tidak menyangka Anda segila ini. Apa yang membuat Anda terjun langsung dalam misi berbahaya seperti sekarang? Bahkan bisa dibilang ini merupakan misi bunuh diri?"

"Asal anda tau Pak, kalo ini adalah misi bunuh diri, sudah pasti saya tidak akan ada disini."

"Maksudnya?"

"Kemarin saat saya mendengar berita tentang ini, saya langsung mengunjungi markas TNI Angkatan Udara untuk ikut serta membantu. Awalnya mereka ragu dan bahkan menolak, tapi setelah itu saya datang lagi dengan membawa pesawat rancangan saya ini. Pesawat yang sudah saya modifikasi sedemikian rupa. Dan tanpa banyak pertimbangan, saya diperbolehkan untuk membantu. Dan tentu saja saya yang harus terjun langsung, karena hanya saya yang bisa menerbangkan pesawat ini. Tapi saya mengajukan syarat, untuk mendapatkan ijin resmi mengenakan seragam TNI AU dan sedikit mendapatkan sesuatu."

"Lantas kenapa Anda sebegitu yakin ini bukan misi bunuh diri?"

"Empat jam sebelum keberangkatan, saya sudah mendapat informasi dari sumber saya kalau mahluk yang kalian sebut zombie ini bisa menjatuhkan pesawat yang tingginya ribuan kilo meter dari permukaan tanah dengan melemparkan batu. Dari situ saya sedikit mengutak atik ulang pesawat untuk disesuaikan dengan situasi, dan saya sudah memasang sensor kusus yang akan melindungi badan pesawat dengan gelombang berkekuatan besar agar batu yang mengarah ke kita terlontar kea rah lain sebelum mengenai sasaran."

"Pantas dari tadi kita aman-aman saja. Kalau begitu kenapa Anda tidak cepat menjemput kami? Kenapa harus menunggu exodus pesawat seperti sekarang?"

"Pak? Anda itu wartawan atau Marsekal? hahahaha" Jaka laughed, trying to lighten the mood. "Sehebat-hebatnya sesuatu yang diciptakan manusia, pasti memiliki batasan. Termasuk pelindung pesawat ini. Bayangkan kalau pesawat ini terbang sendirian, zombie pasti hanya mengarahkan serangan ke kita. Dan saya yakin pesawat ini tidak akan mampu mengatasinya."

"Ternyata berita yang saya dengar tentang Anda itu benar."

"Kalau beritanya keren, okelah. Tapi kalau buruk, yaaaa mungkin ada benarnya. Hahahaa" Whispering, Jaka continued, "Huft, sudah lama saya ingin make baju TNI ini dengan legal." Once again, Jaka flashed a small smile.

The exodus of planes sped forward. From a distance, they resembled a swarm of migrating insects, searching for a safer place. Jaka's plane remained in the middle of the formation, hiding from the zombies' view.

Occasionally, a rock managed to hit the aircraft, but it was deflected before making direct contact, as if an invisible shield surrounded the plane. They finally reached open waters, where not a single zombie was in sight. That sense of safety lasted all the way to Indonesia—and even to Australia.

After traveling thousands of miles, they finally reached Indonesian airspace as dusk approached. Indonesia no longer had the capability to regulate flight paths, allowing the thousands of planes to pass through without any formal clearance from the government. 

Given the global crisis and the sheer number of aircraft, this was understandable. The government had no choice but to let them through.

Upon reaching the Aceh flight corridor, Jaka's plane separated from the swarm, veering right towards Java—specifically, Jakarta. 

There, the President of the Republic of Indonesia, Soeprapto, waited anxiously alongside his loyal staff. Jaka's arrival carried great hope—the possibility of ending the zombie expansion that might soon reach Indonesia. 

This hope rested on obtaining a sample from Amar's infected remains, as well as blood samples from Arya and Fadli, which might contain something crucial. If their blood held the key, scientists could develop an antibody—or even a cure—to free Indonesia from this devastating plague. []