SOLAR & The Specialists
He's Back
Selena's missing. The teachers sent everyone to look for him, including the hotel staff. Mindy was so panicked that she cried uncontrollably. Christian leads some of their classmates to look for him in the woods where they gathered to set off fireworks last night.
Mindy and Christian thought Selena had returned to her room after the bonfire ended, but this morning she was nowhere to be seen when Mindy picked her up for breakfast. Today was their last day at the resort.
The principal has informed Selena's parents. If Selena has not been found this afternoon, then her family will come with the SAR team and the police to look for her together.
Although he did not like it, Reagan could not deny that he was also worried about Selena's safety. The girl, though scary when she was planning something, never did anything spontaneous. Everything Selena does is always on careful consideration and a plan. Disappearing like this was not his style. Reagan attempted to guess the girl's plan, but his imagination was not yet in proportion to Selena's head.
He chose the beach as the first location of the search. Everyone who had originally searched the beach had given up on not finding Selena. But Reagan still wanted to try. She remembers that Selena loves beauty. Not only the scenery, Selena also chose the most beautiful friend like Mindy, or handsome like Christian. The three of them are like the most beautiful triad to be seen throughout Harapan Pertiwi High School. Reagan thought Selena might be asleep on the beach considering the beach view near the resort was also very good.
A few hours in search, Reagan almost gave up. He decided to return to the resort because it was getting late in the afternoon. Maybe Selena's family sent SAR helicopters here. His steps came to a halt as he saw something bobbing in the distant sea. He ran to the beach and realized that the figure that was tossed udder was a human body.
Selena!
The outfit she was wearing was the last one Reagan saw last night.
Adrenalin Reagan was driven by panic and anxiety. Selena's body floating in the sea seemed to be motionless.
Is he dead?, thought Reagan riled.
Despite initial hesitation, Reagan began to enter the sea. He could not swim, but if he waited for help to come, Reagan was afraid if Selena's body was washed away or eaten by sharks. With a strong determination Reagan started running, regardless of the big waves that hit him. Once his legs had started to lose footing, Reagan panicked. It's reaching for air. Reagan felt that today was a pesky day. Now not only is Selena missing, but she is. The school will lose two of its brightest students.
Reagan choked on the seawater that seemed to have filled his throat. His respiratory tract was filled with painful salt water. As Reagan began to lose consciousness, he felt his body being pulled upwards. Someone or something warm covered it. His consciousness appeared and disappeared. When he opened his eyes and spewed out sea water from his mouth, he was already on the beach.
Selena sat next to him. The girl just kept quiet and watched him gather awareness. Surprisingly he looks fine. Doesn't look like a drowning man. Reagan was a fool with it all. What matters is that they both survived.
"Everybody is looking for you" Reagan said. "We have to go back. Your parents sent the SAR team here." Reagan stood up and cleaned the sand that was stuck on his body. "Why, anyway?" Reagan snapped when he saw Selena looked like a dazed person.
"Let's go!" Without waiting for an answer, Reagan half-dragged Selena. The girl was walking as if she had just used her feet for the first time. Fortunately Reagan was able to help prop up Selena's body and lead her back to the resort.
***
"Selena!!"
Solar did not have time to react when someone hugged her while crying sobbing.
Everyone gathered around him. Their faces showed a relieved expression. Solar learned it from the memories he took from the original owner of this body. Her name is Selena. All the people surrounding him were people known to him. During his journey here, Solar trained his mouth and vocal cords so that he could communicate like them.
"Where have you been, Selena? We're all looking for you." It was the turn of the other older people who hugged him alternately. They are Selena's schoolteachers. Solar has not found the courage to open his mouth. He was afraid that his first attempt at communication ended badly and dismantled his disguise.
"He's drowning." The person he had saved was suddenly standing next to him. Name's Reagan. Shadows about Reagan appear quite often in Selena's head. Solar quickly became familiar with it. At first, Solar had no intention of saving Reagan.
He was relaxing on the surface of the water when he heard the screams calling out the name of the owner of this body. Solar didn't understand why Reagan got into the water when he obviously couldn't swim. Reagan was already drowning when Solar just decided to save him.
"You guys okay?" The person known to Solar as the Headmaster led the two of them towards the elevator. "Quick change clothes! There's a doctor who's gonna check on you."
Three hours later, everyone stopped trying to talk to her. The doctor who came to check on Solar in his room managed to manipulate his mind. Solar won't let anyone examine his body. Although in the form of disguise, Solar's human body does not have the same organs. The doctor will immediately notice the irregularities in his body. Finally he got the doctor to say that maybe Selena was in a state of shock, although overall Selena was fine. What's not okay is Reagan. His condition dropped dramatically because he drowned. The cold sea water made him have a high fever. The group's plan to return home that day was pushed back until Reagan's condition improved.
Solar went to Reagan's room. He wants to see his condition. Ever since he became human, Solar has been vulnerable to foreign feelings that fill his mind. He became agitated quickly because he was not used to it. For him, this human form was the form that made him weakest during his several millennia. If there was a sudden attack, maybe Solar wouldn't be able to do much.
Reagan's unhealthy condition made him anxious. He wants to cure her. That way, Solar has a chance to get out of here and see which civilization these colonies came from.
Reagan was sleeping soundly with intravenous fluid on his wrist. Solar touched the infusion bag so he could put a little energy in there. Reagan will be fine after he wakes up.
***
They were on their way home by bus. Solar sat next to Mindy who was asleep on her shoulder. He stole a glance at Reagan who was sitting in the next chair. Reagan was also sleeping. His face was not as pale as yesterday. Reagan's fever is gone. Everyone was happy with Reagan's much better condition.
"Cell?"
Christian's head emerged from the front seat. He offered her a small packet of food. Solar doesn't dare try food on the planet. She was worried that the food would make her sick. The only source of energy for similar species is sea water and its organisms. If the civilization where this group comes from has the sea as well as the resorts they come from, then Solar can survive longer. Solar shakes his head to subtly reject Christian's offer.
"Not hungry? You haven't had breakfast yet." Christian's eyebrows fused together as he looked at her. Solar was shaking again. Despite the strange feeling, Christian did not demand any further answers. He sat back in his chair quietly.
Solar looked around. I was amazed to see this colony. He did not expect there would be intelligent species outside his colony. This planet is so alive. Solar is confident that he will encounter many more different species during his assessment. He was very excited to start the adventure.
***
Selena's body was washed away in the depths of the sea, but not to the bottom. His body was taken to waters very far from where it came from. The creature that carried it did not take into account the strength of the underwater currents that lifted Selena's body up and swayed in the darkness of the ocean. Small fish avoid it. Sharks and squid bite their skin, but not many of them survive to spend dinner.
The turn of small krill shrimp that perch alternately, they are also interested in participating in the celebration. Again, they do not linger to satisfy hunger. Selena's body was abandoned shortly afterwards.
As a result, with a body that is not intact, Selena's body wanders along the deep ocean currents.
***
"We're so worried." The woman hugged Solar's body tightly. Suddenly Solar was overcome with guilt considering the body of the original Selena he had left in the ocean. This feeling was very foreign to him. Taking the form of this species represents the greatest challenge of Solar's lifetime.
"Are you okay, son?" Warm palms touched his cold cheeks. Papa Selena's shady face looked anxious. Solar nodded. He was led by them to a parked vehicle not far from the bus. Selena's parents are often caught glancing at each other.
Solar and the Selena family pass by Reagan who is picking up a bike. He was not picked up by his family.
Is that normal?, asked Solar inwardly.
Reagan pedaled the bike casually leaving school without looking at it. Either he didn't see Solar or intentionally ignored her.
"Selena!" The black sedan stopped near the Selena family vehicle. Mindy's face came out from behind the glass. "See you tomorrow! Call me, yeah!" Mindy throws a distant kiss at the dumbstruck Solar.
Solar felt his shoulders clapped from behind. "I'm taking your car, okay?" Christian put on a hard face.
"Hurry in, then!" Mama Selena's. Christian who heard that immediately smiled happily and rushed into the back seat. Solar followed.
"Well, tell me what happened!" While driving, Papa Selena asked her son. Solar looked at Christian. Stared so, Christian takes over to tell the chronology of the events as Selena disappears, is found drowned, and is saved by Reagan. Solar was not evasive when Christian added unnecessary little details to his family. It wasn't Solar that was sinking, it was Reagan. All this time Reagan had never clarified the true events, so Solar thought there was no effect either for anyone else.
From the memory that Solar took from Selena, he learned that both of Selena's parents were secretly arranging a divorce. They'll split up, but haven't found a good time to tell Selena. Selena finds out what happened to her family without difficulty. He let his parents keep it a secret until they were ready. Apparently not many things can surprise Selena. He always knew first what he wanted to know.
"Luckily, Selena is fine. We were very worried and almost sent a SAR team helicopter to look for him." Mama Selena said after Christian finished the story.
"We've all been looking for him everywhere. He is indeed gifted to make others anxious." Christian Sahut.
Selena's parents smiled. Solar can see it from the mirror reflection.
"Oh, yes. How are your Mama and Papa, Christian? I heard they were in Brazil. How long will they travel the world?"
This topic got Solar interested. He lifted his body to hear further.
"Next year they'll be back." Christian answered less enthusiastically. Christian doesn't like talking about his family.
"Here you are, Pah? They chose young retirement and traveled the world." Connect Mama Selena.
"They don't have much to think about. Christian's first brother took over the company, while his second brother was busy researching the sea. Fortunately Christian was used to being independent. What else do they want besides calmness?"
"Rubber too. Had Selena grown up fast, and become a dentist, I would have retired young too. Let the dental clinic be taken over by her."
"We can't yet confirm whether Selena's talent in that field or orthopedic." Solar can see Papa Selena's knuckle whitening at the wheel.
Both of Selena's parents are from highly educated families. Opa Selena from her father's side is the owner of the largest law firm in Indonesia. All of his clients were conglomerates or state officials. Oma is also in the same field. At the age of seventy, Oma helped draft the Human Rights Protection Act passed last year.
His maternal grandfather was the owner of a foundation that set up a school for children with special needs, while his grandmother was a dentist. Their success declined with both parents. Papa Selena works as an orthopedist at a downtown public hospital, and Mama Selena who has a dental clinic with many branches in the big city, make Selena grow as a child of abundant attention and treasure. But in recent years, her parents' household has been on the brink of collapse. Her mother filed for divorce in court six months ago. The reason for their separation was due to incompatibility between each other. Selena always wondered what made her parents feel bad for each other if they had been married for twenty years and had a child, which was none other than Selena herself.
Since then, the abundant attention Selena usually receives is reduced little by little to no silence at all. Until now, Selena continues to be curious about the concept of marriage. His curiosity was also experienced by Solar.
"Selena will be majoring in dentistry. There are things to be passed on to him. We only have Selena. If we have two kids, one can come with you, and the other with me."
"What do you mean? Selena has loved orthopedics since childhood. He'll continue in my footsteps to become a renowned orthopedic specialist."
There are things Selena's parents don't know about their child other than her death. Selena wants to continue her studies at MIT. He works hard to prepare everything. Solar gave a small smile in her heart when she heard the husband and wife debate.
"Known? You think being famous is being the only reliable doctor at the General Hospital and getting paid? If it's that famous, why not build your own hospital using the fame of your name?"
"Wait a minute! Did you just take me for granted?"
"I don't feel bad about you. It's reality!"
"We've agreed not to interfere in each other's career affairs, right?"
"Only if that career concerned Selena's future. I'm not gonna let-"
"Selena's sleepy." Solar suddenly made a sound. He did not want to constantly see Christian feeling uncomfortable from hearing their quarrel. "Can Mama and Papa calm down for a while until we get home?" Further. Solar still felt the aura of anger of Selena's parents. But at least they weren't as fiery as before. It is undeniable that Solar is also disturbed by the hostility displayed by Selena's parents.
"Sure, dear." Papa Selena glanced at his wife, giving her a signal to keep her quiet. Both of Solar's eyes are now closed. Then he felt his head propped up over someone's shoulder.
"So your neck doesn't hurt." Christian Whisper.
***