"Night limit! Return to your room!" the officer with a thick mustache gave an order when the clock struck exactly at 10 pm. All the little Anicens scampered into the room. In a matter of seconds, the hall was quiet.
In a room, four Anicens are placed together and currently, they are sitting in a circle in the center of the 4x2 meter room. This has become their small routine after four months in that place. Get together, make a small forum. The first three minutes always start with silence, the kids gaze on the dark blue carpet. A lonely night, like the previous nights.
"Did you find anything again?" one of them with curly hair began.
A few seconds later, all still silent. Until the big eyes open his mouths.
"I... I saw it," all knew what the little Anicens meant. Because he also understands the word 'find something'.
"When I passed the laboratory, he was there being chased by a syringe for anesthesia like that time. Sometimes various kinds of dangerous objects are thrown at him, hitting, stabbing, even falling. His face and body are covered in wounds, he is also pale."
Everyone sighed. Nobody was surprised, nobody was nervous. Of course, four months ago, every day has always been so hard. When the first time they heard this, the four Anicens always cried and blurted out angrily, sadly hearing the news like arrows repeatedly.
"We have to do something. We can't just sit quietly here while Peter is tormented there!" Maxie the dog exclaimed in irritation.
Hearing the name being spoken finally came out, everyone felt aching in their hearts. It felt like only a few minutes ago the little Anicens played together, now one of them separated and enduring his pain. Alone.
"But what can we do, Max? We were only a little bluffed by officers with thick mustaches," Sam complained.
"I'm not afraid," Class interrupted confidently, making everyone turn to him. "I just can't fight--more precisely not yet. So sooner or later, we can fight them."
The anicens gritted their teeth. Beat them? With all those crippling strange weapons? Over time they can be dead. A small body like that, which has many weaknesses, how can they fight?
"I'll ask, do you want to save our friend? If not, I will curse you," Class affirmed.
"I think it's more like a forced agreement than asking, Class," Maxie replied.
"Shut up," Class turned quickly to the dog and then looked back at the others, "can you imagine if you were in Peter's position? I'm sure you, not even me, won't be able to!"
Silence shroud the room again.
One of them sighed heavily. Everyone turned to the sound source from Maxie. He looked at one by one his friend seriously.
"Class is right," he said, "four months. Four months, guys. We did nothing but created a small forum, but it never produced results."
"Although the possibility is very small, we haven't tried anything. There must be a small gap here."
"But what we can do, Maxie?" asked Choco, still not sure. "You are great people. But I am just a little rabbit Anicens, my body is too weak. I can only jump, and it's not high."
"Me too," Sam the tuna continued, "I can't stand outside water too long. At least once a day I have to get wet with water, or I'll be short of breath. There is nothing I can do but swim."
All was silent for a moment.
"That's right, Choco, Sam," Maxie said. "But it is indeed your fault. You don't see your special skills. Choco, you can jump high when you exercise a lot, your endurance can also increase if you eat a lot and take care of your health."
"Sam, you're tall, you can run fast. You can also take the benefit from water, I'm sure you can swim better than anyone."
"We all complement each other. No one weak weak if we are united."
The little Anicens looked at each other. Their confidence gradually rose and returned. All nodded confidently.
Class clapped once, stealing attention.
"I knew this day would come. So actually, I've made mountains of plans to get out of this annoying place, and save Peter of course," Class smiled proudly, "it's easy to memorize all the areas here. Sometimes I also sneak here and there. "
All were astonished.
Maxie just hit Class head.
"What are you doing?!" Class rubbed his chapel.
"You and your genius-head! It's dangerous if you get caught!" Maxie answered.
Class grumbled while other laughed at him.
"I want to say from the first. But your faces are too gloomy and tired, not just useless. I always wait for this moment to come. It's a bit late, but no prob. Better than not at all."
Maxie chuckled, "I think you will be the one who compiles all these strategies, Class."
The cat smiled proudly, "Meow, of course."
"So what should we do, Class?" Choco asked.
The situation became serious after Class took the book under his bed. The book looks ordinary, but it becomes thick because there are already many writings. Class does not lie about mountainous plans.
Eleven o'clock at night. The little Anicens speaks more in a whisper. They circled the Class's book in the middle of the room. Now, this small forum finally reached the level of serious discussion.
"The first plan. Rescue Peter. This plan is the most difficult and long to prepare. But if it works, we can get out of here with Peter!" everyone nodded.
"First of all, we will look for information about ARC. Because I smell something fishy in this place," Class's eyes narrowed.
"Of course, we have a fish here," Choco chuckled while pointing at Sam.
"That's not funny, vegan," replied Class with a flat face, "then, I plan to steal one of the laptops too," said the cat seriously.
"But it's very risky!" Sam was surprised.
Class nodded, "I don't like to stay in a very strange place like this. My owner must be looking for me."
The little Anicens agreed even though they didn't nod. 'Sweeping' was too sudden and unfair. They all have 'owner' who take good care of them. Everyone saw Wendy who tried to take Peter back, tried to make sure that Wendy was the owner. Still, the law is law. Because Wendy has no evidence that Peter is in her care, Peter remains arrested. But is Wendy's struggle to get Peter back, not enough to prove to them that she is the owner?
"Let me come with you, Class!" Choco chimed in.
Everyone turned to him.
"No, this is too dangerous for you," Class shook his head.
"At least I want to do something!" Choco replied seriously.
The room becomes quiet.
"Fine," Class sighed, then looked at his friends one by one, like scanning, "but that means, you all have to do my rules."
***
The first day the plan is carried out. Special Training.
Maxie. He is fast, smart, and agile. But it's still affected by things. So, the only job of Maxie from Class is...
A. Shopping
B. Playing
C. Flirt the security
D. Refuse the ball and frisbee of the officer
"There's no way that is C. I'm sure the answer is D," Maxie said flatly looking at Class.
"Ding Dong! Exactly-"
"What do you mean by that, you lunatic cat!" Maxie threw the notebook to Class. But the cat dodged because he knew he would be thrown.
"That is your weakness, Maxie. Do you want it? When your plan will succeed, then there is an officer who gives you ball with electricity, then you just go hooked and get shocked by the ball? All will fail and useless."
"When humans begin to have no sense like animals by doing heartless things, we must learn to be human, friends," Class said.
It's not an easy thing for Maxie. His owner used to often asks him to play throw-and-catch. Maxie is always hooked, catching a ball that turns out to have an electric shock. He often taunted by the officers there. His animal instincts are still so strong.
Choco. He is cute, her little body helps to move fast, and can jump. Unfortunately, the jump was not high. Only one meter above his head. The height of the choco is just 122 centimeters, meaning that the jump is 222 centimeters. The job is also only one.
"Jump to the second floor?" Choco's eyes widened.
"And if it's successful, continue to the third, fourth, and so on. Oh, there are about ten floors here," Class said, looking at his little notes.
Saliva slides down Choco's throat.
"One more thing," Class crawled under his bed, take something. After getting it, he gives it to Choco, "I took it at the officer's sports warehouse. Use this every day, before dawn comes."
That is a skipping.
Sam. He has a tall body proportion, long legs, long-range of steps, so if he runs it must be fast. Sam is also very good at swimming. But of course only in water.
"I found a way for you to go to the swimming pool without the officer's knowledge. I've found an airway to get there, it's not complicated, and I'm sure with your slim body, you will easily pass through it. It also trains your agility. Then I ask you to swim at least three times in a row. "
The Tuna Anicens nodded, "How big is the pond?"
"Not big, only 500 square meters," Class gave a thumbs up, "oh, because you like swimming, at least ten laps, how is it?"
Sam swallowed his saliva.
"All of you.. willing to do it, right?" the little cat Anicens smiled. Smile, but... scary. He make others nod and just obey.
The training went well for a month. All Class's assignments have become the routine of small Anicens. Even though at the beginning, some were afraid, too tired, or fell, over time the practice paid off.
How about Class? He didn't stay silent. Class chose the most dangerous task. Stealing a laptop and eliminating all data without removing important software. But it seems easy for cat Anicens.
"How can you do that?" Choco asked after Class managed to steal a laptop.
"Stupid officers, that's all," Class snorted happily while reprogramming the laptop, making sure no viruses or active cameras or sensors were on. "I don't need a high-tech laptop, which still uses the old program even better. Like this laptop, it's easy to play with."
All were astonished.
"But, how can you program all that?" Maxie pointed to a laptop that had the main menu.
Class grinned proudly, chuckling, "My owner is the richest programmer now. He makes data processing software."
***
Raindrops fall. It wraps evenly throughout the city. The roofs of the houses became the most soothing orchestras on an increasingly cold night. Each house has provided each drink that warms the heart, body, and mind. Steam from a cup carries flying loads, lost in the air, lightening the shoulders. But it seems like someone has been difficulty doing that.
Four months have already passed. Wendy's house became quiet. Like only her house in the big city. Though usually, this girl's house is the noisiest, hectic, and crowded, even though it is only lived by two people.
Before her eyes was a piece of appealing paper containing important information. Information that will affect her, the Anicens, even the world. It's contain :
Appeal for Vaccine Release.
Anicens is under more strict and detailed control. As it is known that when Anicens die, they will change according to their respective species. This winter, many Anicens still find it difficult to adjust their bodies and are too late to prepare hibernation food so that many Anicens are sick to death.
Therefore, we reluctantly call for the release of vaccines to prevent transmission. However, the risk of this vaccine requires humans to temporarily leave certain cities so as not to be exposed to vaccines that affect human health. Anicens who has an owner will be examined first before leaving the city so that if there is a severe disease that does not spread to other areas. If we don't pass the inspection criteria, we are forced to secure Anicens and enter the ARC quarantine.
All of this is for the good, justice, and comfort of the people and the world, anyone and anywhere.
Thanks.
Sincerely,
Ellian Wisdom
The girl breathed heavily. Vaccines will also be launched in their cities, neighbor cities, southern cities, and western cities. Tomorrow, the city will be quiet. Only leaving traces of people's happiness with their Anicens. Including Wendy's house.
The furnitures were packed, only the large things was left. She plans to leave it alone and rent a house that is directly furnished.
Wendy's cellphone rang. Wendy glanced at the lighted object next to the notification paper. Her mother. Lazily, Wendy took the call.
"Hello," she answered in a flat voice.
"Wendy, I've got news about the vaccine release. So I took care of the administration for your transfer school. You're going to live with us, honey?" said Wendy's mother.
She shook her head, "I just rented a house near the school."
For a moment, Wendy's mother was silent, "Okay, I understand. But we might just buy a house for you. So we can occasionally visit you, right?"
"No need to bother, I know you are busy. There is no time to visit my house," Wendy is almost emitted an emotion at the end of her sentence.
"... Alright. I still have to take care of the documents, just prepare for tomorrow's transfer."
"I know," Wendy said the closing words.
Wendy put down her cellphone rather rudely. Visit? Huh! It's not even funny for a joke. During seventeen years Wendy lived, dinner with family only once a month, even they ever didn't meet a year because Wendy's parents often go abroad. And now try to visit her? Maybe when the house was in ruins.
Again, Wendy thought of Peter. Can only pray, hopefully, Peter is fine, always bathing, always eating, having fun with all his friends.
Of course, you know, everything that Wendy thinks is very contradictory.
***
"Vaccine release?!" Maxie jumped to hear Class reading an announce paper. The cat nodded..
"Because 'many Anicens are sick to death'? It's that dangerous?" Choco asked, reading alongside Class.
"Of course not, Choco. If we die, we will certainly change into a natural form. But the cause of the disease from the dead Anicens's bodies because no one cared about the bodies lying on the road. Unless an elephant is dead!"
"Cough!" a fat boy, the elephant Anicens, squinted at Class. He forgot that they were in front of the room, not in the room. The cat just smiled stiffly, and the Anicens elephant boy walked away with an annoyed face.
"We'd better go to our room," Sam said awkwardly.
Room
"ARC is just exaggerating! I'm sure, they're just shrimps behind a rock!" Class immediately grumbles in annoyance after entering the room.
All was silent.
"Don't you feel?" Sam finally opened his mouth. All turned to the fish Anicens. His large eyes blinked, "little by little, slowly, Anicens was in the process of being annihilated."
"We who become minority creatures, halfway between humans and animals, are always seen as despicable and barbaric. We are not respected, underestimated, even considered like animals. I confused about what's our fault. I have never hurt a human, nor have I ever intentionally hurt even an insect. But what makes humans, as the highest and genius race, look down on us like slaves? Don't we also have the right to enjoy this life as other beings feel?"
"Yesterday I accidentally turned, forgot the direction. I passed one of the vents. There are... many Anicens are in a phase of change. But they are tortured, some are lying unconscious, going berserk, and even going crazy."
"I don't know what ARC did to them."
"Yes," Choco said, "the leader of the country, the protector of the world, or whoever claims to protect all the races on earth, also seems to think we don't exist. Then what are they considered to be high if they cannot protect those below?"
The room was quiet with thoughts floating in the room. Finding ways to make all their plans work, even if it means going through a long process and not knowing when it will end.
"In that case...!" Class exclaimed to make the others Immediately focused, "we will change this world for the better by carrying out justice that humans have forgotten! We shouldn't discriminate between races. We have to believe some people still have an open conscience. To animals too, they are our friends despite being different creatures. "
"We're all friends!" Choco smiled broadly and eagerly raised his hands.
Class nodded, "So, the next step is to look for as much information as possible for a month. After that, smooth out the plans that have been prepared," Class said. His hand stretched forward. Inviting his friends. Everyone nodded and joined in.
"We will run away from here, with Peter."
"With Peter!"