COOLDER
TENCERAN 4: HE WHO BEGAN

Breakfast was over, and we were all in the car.

Dad closed the car door. "Don't forget the seatbelt" Dad said. Reza's sister is still out of the car, waiting until the perfect car comes out of the house.

Reza's sister closed the gate. Come up in the car. Sitting in the middle seat—right next to me, wearing a seatbelt.

Slowly Dad started to step on the gas and make the car go. "According to the application, ma'am," joked Dad towards Mama who was sitting next to him. Mama returned a small laugh while gently hitting Dad's left arm.

"The whole thing's been in the car, right?" ask Mama. Dad justifies the rearview mirror above him. "All of you came in. Lab clothes are the same sheet of data," Dad answered casually while still driving the car.

Dad brought the car a little fast, because the road was quiet. Only a few vehicles were visible.

"Today is so quiet, guys." Dad leaned his head on the steering wheel while waiting for the traffic light to go back green.

Mom looked back. "Try you guys check the news on the internet. Who knows if we miss the news." Kak Reza's finger deftly opened 'Browser' to see the latest news about the city.

"The government is calling for people to stay at home for the next week. Because the virus case is back up." Reza read the news on the website.

"We're still going." Dad looked at the left rearview mirror, then slammed the steering wheel to the left. "Later there too we will stick to the protocol required by the government," said Dad while looking at me and Kak Reza from the rearview mirror on it.

...***...

We finally arrived at Dad's workplace lab after half an hour down the city streets. This is my first time here, and it's pretty far home from the lab. The trip made me sleepy so bored.

Mom took a deep breath. "The air is so fresh." I took a deep breath feeling the fresh air outside the laboratory.

"You know?" father said from the back of the car, "We the scientists and volunteers who work here really keep the sterility of the air around the laboratory. With the aim of making the workers here at least if they can't feel the fresh air inside there, they can immediately feel it when they're out here." Dad closed the baggage door. I walked back from the back of the car. "Let's go kids, this way!" Dad told us to follow his path.

Dad's changed clothes now. Who used to only wear short-sleeved shirts, now has changed white shirts plus lab coats for the outside.

Reza's sister sped up her pace to line me up. "Lo's been here before?" Reza put the phone in his pants pocket. I'm shaking. "It's the first time I've hired us. Dad took me but Brother didn't?" I was surprised by Reza's question.

"Yes too." Reza grimaced while combing her hair with fingers.

We were left a little behind from Father and Mama who were already close to the entrance of the laboratory. Me and Brother Reza quickened our steps.

"Excuse me. Sorry to interrupt." Someone cut my way, made my right leg tucked into my left leg, until I fell. I complained slowly. Brother Reza helped me stand up— pat my dirty back pants. Dad and Mama had gone in first, not not noticing us who were still left outside. "It still works, right?" Reza made sure my feet were fine after the fall. I nodded while enduring the pain in my right leg.

Reza pushed the entrance made of glass. The front building of the laboratory is just a long hallway that ends somewhere. The walls are decorated with pigoras in which there is a letter of licensing the establishment of the laboratory, and the rest is just a poster of the invitation to wash hands and maintain health protocols that are always appealed to by the central government.

Reza asked the security guard who was standing by to receive guests, "Excuse me sir. Did you see that man...." Reza hasn't finished his talk. The security guard asked us both to follow him.

We followed the security guard who led us into a room. We could see the crowd in the room because the door was also made of glass. It's like a waiting room. The security guard then opened the door—let us both enter. Mama is seen from a distance sitting on one of the chairs in the middle of the room.

We approached Mama who was sitting while playing on her phone. "What are you waiting for? Where's Ma's father?" Reza asked Mama.

"Where are you from?" ask Mama without paying attention to Reza's question. "I was hit by a man on the street outside Ma." I sat down with Mama. Mama looked at me, made sure I was okay.

The three of us sat in waiting chairs reserved for the guests or relatives of the Lab workers. Because of a protocol that requires guests and relatives to wait a little longer with the aim of giving their bodies time to adjust to room temperature, in order not to happen something that is not desired when in the Trial Room. Mama explained briefly why she had to wait in this place now.

Two big-bodied security guards arrived at us— told to follow them. "Here is mom." They are different from the security guards that Reza and I met while in front. These two guards had greater stature. They were wearing a white suit, no matter what clothes the two people were wearing, the material looked flexible and seemed to fit the size of their bodies both. And they also wear a belt that on the right they fill with a dagger-like knife, because of its larger size than a knife in general.

We arrived at the room that I originally thought was the Trial Room. I can't be sure what room this is.

One of the guards took out his identity card—stamped it on the scanner machine on the right side of the door, for access into the room.

The steel door of the room opened. Inside, there's a lot of scientist stuff I used to see in the movies. They walked towards a box that stood on one side of the room, picking up a white garment, which turned out to be the same as the one they were wearing today. I received the clothes.

"What's this dress for, buddy?" Reza asked.

"Don't say much son" said one.

"Of course I won't wear it. If you don't explain why we should wear it?" Stubborn Reza's sister still won't comply.

"Basar a chatty boy." One of the guards picked up the dagger on his waist— walked towards his partner and then pulled the dagger into his friend's arm. Mama yell—shut her eyes in fear. But look, the other security guard's hand was not hurt at all, not even a scratch was visible.

Brother Reza was immediately amazed to see the greatness of this white clothes. Reza ran into the dressing room without a second thought.

"Roman..it is not good to play with a knife in front of children," said the other guard.

"I had to do it Rimin." The other guard put his dagger back in the bag. "I don't like the pleasantries of confronting the boy" Mr. Roman grumbled.

"I'm sorry for the disrespectful attitude of my brother just now." Mr. Rimin bowed towards us.

Mama holds the shoulder of Mr. Rimin told her to go back straight—tell her that things just now can be accepted Mama, just that Mama was shocked because it happened suddenly. Who would have thought one of the guards would snatch his friend using a dagger.

Reza is getting more and more confident walking back from the dressing room. "Cool right Med?" tanyanya— shows off clothes that she thinks are cool when she wears. I nodded back, confirming it.

Mama and I headed to the dressing room. Reza's sister waited outside accompanied by two large-bodied guards while posing like a model—proud with the clothes she was wearing now.

The two guards led the way again. They attached their identity cards and then the steel door re-opened automatically. We took them walking down the Lab hallway that led down, lower than the previous floor.

There was a crowd in front of us, which was getting closer the clearer it sounded.

I emerged from behind the wall. "Finally my special guest has arrived." Dad pulled Mama's hand to bring her in. "Let's get the kids in!" exclaim Dad.

Father took us into a room that was already crowded with important people and also people of high standing in this city.

"I'll show up in the other room." Dad pointed towards the big glass that was in front of us. "You're here, you'll be safe because this glass will protect you." Dad tapped on the glass in front of us.

Dad held my shoulders and sister Reza. "You stay together no matter what happens in front of you," he said.

Dad left us in a room with a big glass on one side. Glass is like a barrier between two rooms. We were like being in a protected room, while the room behind it could be made clear that it was a laboratory Trial Room.

Dad reappeared in front of us— already in a different room. Father moved closer to the glass while holding a loudspeaker.

"Thank you to the Fathers and Mothers who took the time to attend this event. I can make sure the attendance will not be useless, because the audience will see firsthand the opening of this new era of the world. Which later we can not only go out of town or country, but we can go to the world that Father Mothers have never imagined. Going into the world with loved ones who have long gone for example.

"I was helped by volunteers and my friends to make the most advanced machine of the century. Call it The Spectrum. Spectrum is a portal machine that will take you to a new world that is bigger, more beautiful, and of course." Father signaled to each of his colleagues to wear their Lab's protective gear.

"Allow me to offer." I pressed a button near him. "The... Spectrum."

THE FUUSSSH!!

The wind is blowing hard. The portal successfully lit up perfectly, giving off a blue-colored light like the color of an extremely beautiful sky.

He smiled at his colleagues. They smile back. Dad walked to the corner of the room— picked up a bracelet-shaped object. "Hey.it's like the stuff I keep in the closet." Reza's sister noticed clearly the thing I was holding.

I threw that thing into the portal. The portal instantly changed color by a split second as it entered into it.

"What did you do?" Reza's sister kicked the glass in front of him— upset with Dad who is still focused on paying attention to his portal. The room was full of applause to see Dad. It was like a cool show for everyone, but it wasn't fun for Reza.

"Keep away." Mr. Roman pulled Reza away from the glass. "Let go of that hand" Reza snorted in annoyance.

"I'm here to show you that not only inanimate objects can cross that portal. I'll show you to Mother Fathers, if living beings can do it too."

Dad waved a hand—gave the order. "Bring the chimpanzee here!" One of his teammates showed up while holding a young chimpanzee. Everyone's faces now looked even more enthusiastic looking ahead.

"I've implanted a tracking device inside this chimpanzee. So, when this chimpanzee goes inside. We'll see that my tools can bring these living things to a new world safely" Father explained.

The little chimpanzee approached Dad. The substitute father took the chimpanzee with him— brought him closer to the portal. Dad looked down—gave the chimpanzee a banana. Look, the chimpanzee received the banana that you gave him.

But then, the chimpanzee threw Dad with the banana he was carrying. No one thought the chimpanzee would rebel.

Dad immediately told all his colleagues to close all access to get out. The chimpanzee ran around the room, looking for a way out that Dad and his partner had closed.

The slightly upset father, brought the chimpanzee roughly. Hugged the little body of the chimpanzee. The chimpanzee thrashed in fear, but Dad wouldn't let his mistake happen again.

Father approached the portal while tightly hugging the chimpanzee. Dad just threw the chimpanzee into the portal. Portal instantly responds—changed color, but not like before. The portal changed colors repeatedly, from red, green, purple, orange and back to blue.

Dad wiped the sweat on the forehead. "Sorry for the technical error. It was so outside of planning. None of us thought it was." Dad laughed slyly.

"See that!" One of the men pointed towards the portal.

The portal struck lightning repeatedly. The wind was blowing faster than before. Everyone's enthusiastic expressions had already turned into anxious faces.

Dad wonder—looks towards the portal that is not as calm as it was. Dad looked at his colleagues, asking as if his partner knew what was going on. Dad now told his partner to turn off the portal.

They took turns pressing the button to turn it off, but the portal didn't die. Dad growled—told his partner to step aside. An upset father, just pressed the button.

The portal had already been successfully shut down with little power being expended by everyone in the Trial Room. After nearly 15 minutes the entire room was made anxious by Dad's crazy-made portal. Now everyone in the room breathed a sigh of relief.

"I represent all of my co-workers and apologise for the technical errors that have occurred so far, completely outside of our plans." I bowed towards the guests.

"I had to end our test event. Sorry for the inconvenience created so far this event went. My colleagues and I have resigned from the premises. Congratulations—"

DUAAARR!!!

Explosions overflowed from the direction of the portal pierced through the thick protective glass in front of me. My body was thrown— hit the thick concrete wall behind me. Glass on the floor of the room. I huddled trying to stand up.

DEBUUM!!

The second explosion followed, giving me no reproach to rise. I slammed my body a second time. I'm not strong anymore. It hurts so much my back.

I complain. Moving even further adds to the pain. My body was limp, not strong enough to rise again. Maybe it's the end of my life. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath. I didn't expect anything after this.