JAKARTA

A midnight portrait of Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia. The city buzzes with the chaos of a metropolis, its streets packed with people, the congestion a testament to an unstructured population growth.

Halim Perdanakusuma Airport greeted their arrival in silence. After the plane successfully landed, Arya was ordered to disembark along with Fadli by the Marshal.

"Kalian sudah ada di kampung halaman, kalian aman. Ayo turun."

Arya unbuckled his seatbelt, followed by Fadli, and they trailed behind the TNI officer who had been sitting with them. One of the TNI officers opened the side door of the aircraft, gesturing for the Marshal to exit first. Arya followed closely behind, with Fadli and two other TNI officers right behind him. 

Before they could fully step out, a team of medics in full protective gear entered, carrying a stretcher and approaching Amar's body, which was sealed in an orange body bag. Without waiting for the medics to complete their task, Arya and Fadli were greeted by four other paramedics.

They grabbed Arya and Fadli by the hands, guiding them out of the aircraft with a slight roughness. Without any resistance, they followed the instructions. Meanwhile, Jaka remained seated, unmoved, as he engaged in conversation with someone who had approached him immediately after takeoff.

Arya and Fadli exchanged glances, with Arya signaling through his eyes to follow all the medical personnel's instructions. Accompanied by the TNI, they stepped out of the aircraft, occasionally glancing at Jaka, who seemed completely indifferent to everything happening around him.

The sky was clear without a single cloud, yet the beauty of the stars remained invisible to the eye, their glow consumed by the bright city lights. Arya's steps carried him away from the helicopter that had transported them, his gaze fixed on a long, gleaming building that welcomed them with its dazzling lights. 

Hundreds of personnel stood at attention, clad in the uniforms of the Indonesian Air Force and Army, forming a neat formation with a clear path left open for Arya to walk through. However, his steps came to an abrupt halt the moment his foot touched the airport tarmac. 

His reflexes froze as he caught sight of a commanding figure, clad in a black suit with a traditional Indonesian peci atop his head. He was the President of the Republic of Indonesia. 

With an air of authority, the President strode toward Arya and Fadli, stopping directly in front of them.

"Kalian baik-baik saja?" he asked casually, placing his hand on Fadli's right shoulder, though his eyes remained fixed on Arya.

Arya remained silent for a moment, while Fadli could only gape in awe at the sight of Indonesia's number one figure.

"Iya Pak. Tapi beritanya." Arya responded.

The Marshal walked toward the President and whispered to him. The President's expression instantly changed upon hearing the words spoken in secrecy.

"Yang kalian bawa jauh lebih berharga dari sekedar video. Ok, sekarang kalian istirahat saja dulu. Para medis akan mengantarkan kalian." the President continued after hearing the Marshal's whisper.

"I, iya pak." Arya replied with a cheerful face, his fear vanishing instantly. Without any hesitation, Arya and Fadli followed the paramedics to an unknown destination.

Step by step, they walked forward. Curiously, Fadli glanced back. He saw the President engaged in a discussion with the Generals, the Marshals , and the Admirals. Their faces were marked with deep concern. However, the President remained calm, slipping both hands into the pockets of his black trousers, occasionally nodding in agreement with his interlocutors.

Not long after Fadli observed them, the President suddenly turned toward him. Startled, Fadli quickly averted his gaze, nervously shifting his face away to avoid eye contact. He then refocused on the path ahead, pretending as if nothing had happened.

***

"Pak, kita harus berhati-hati." said the Marshal to the President.

"Kenapa?"

"Salah seorang dari mereka terinfeksi."

"Apa?" The President exclaimed, followed by the General and the Admiral.

"Kamu gila membiarkannya masuk Negara kita?" the General asked.

"Kita tentu tau tahapannya seperti apa untuk berubah. Karenanya sengaja tidak saya bunuh agar ilmuan kita dari NAMRU mendapatkan contoh segar. Ini demi kebaikan Negara kita, dan saya fikir sebanding dengan resikonya." the Marshal replied wisely.

"Kamu benar Marsekal." the President responded, then turned his gaze toward Fadli, who was already watching him.

"Jadi apa yang harus kita lakukan?" asked the Admiral.

"Biarkan tim medis menangani, kalian amankan situasi. Karantina semua tempat sejauh mungkin, perketat keamanan. Kususnya untuk angkatan darat, siagakan semua regu. Jangan sampai lengah." the President replied firmly.

"Laksamana, siapkan tempat aman untuk mengungsi di lautan sebagai persiapan kalau-kalau hal yang paling kita takuti terjadi. Marsekal, siapkan semua pasukan untuk menjalankan misi penyelamatan. Dan siapkan mental, karena siapa tau kalian harus melakukan plant-Z." he continued, prompting shocked reactions from the military leaders.

"Apa?! Plant-Z?" exclaimed Admiral Agus Hidayat, his name displayed clearly on his uniform.

"Apa tidak terlalu berlebihan?" Marshal continued.

"Kenapa? Kalian ragu? Ini hanya perlu kalian lakukan kalau hal terburuk terjadi." the President replied briefly.

"Saya tidak akan membiarkan hal buruk terjadi Pak. Nyawa saya taruhannya." promised General Gatot Subroto with conviction.

"Bagus. Saya percaya pada kalian." replied the President.

"Tapi maaf Pak, biar bagaimanapun saya masih tidak percaya pada NAMRU." said the General, followed by the Marshal. "Benar, apalagi dengan masa lalunya yang kotor." he added.

"Tenang, Amerika sudah hancur dilibas zombie. Mereka sudah tidak memiliki kekuatan tempur. Kalau ilmuan NAMRU itu membuat ulah lagi, habisi mereka. Kita sudah cukup kenyang mereka hianati." the President replied with a hint of anger before walking away into the darkness of the night, leaving a heavy responsibility on the shoulders of the entire TNI leadership.

***

The time was approaching the last third of the night, and drowsiness began to weigh on Fadli and Arya's eyelids. Under tight security, they were escorted to an ambulance parked in front of the airport building. Fadli's eyes followed the rows of streetlights while glancing at Arya, who entered the ambulance first. His gaze then caught a slow trickle of blood seeping from Arya's left arm. 

The vehicle immediately sped off as soon as Arya and Fadli were securely inside, accompanied by two police cars with their signature sirens flashing. 

Time pressed forward, leaving tire marks on the road. The streets were eerily empty—completely different from the usual traffic jams of the capital. At a speed of 120 km/h, the vehicle carrying Fadli continued advancing, disappearing into the darkness of the night amidst the glow of streetlights, followed closely by the two police cars behind it. []