Day 238 - Saturday - 9:30 AM
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We all followed Pratap as he rushed through the hallway. Inside a meeting room, the Hang Tuahs had gathered, along with K-Zhaii and Professor Joe. That's where we met a new group - The Ultras.
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They were unlike anyone we had met so far. Dressed like rebels out of a movie - they were badass. Two couples: a tall, muscular Indian man with his beautiful, chubby wife, and a lean Chinese man with short hair, paired with his fierce, quiet partner. They were free spirits, travelers who didn't care about the end of the world. They survived by moving, gathering info, and doing what they loved - living.
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They had arrived with a video message from someone familiar: Professor Agilan, leader of the original group of scientists. Both Pratap and Professor Joe lit up upon seeing him alive and well.
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In the video, Professor Agilan said,
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> "We need Pratap. He's our best hope in metallic element breakdown. We've found a mysterious compound... it could be the final piece for the cure. But we can't complete it without Pratap's expertise."
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That's why they sent the Ultras - to find and bring Pratap back safely.
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Pratap agreed without hesitation. He and Professor Joe immediately locked themselves in a lab and worked for hours. The Hang Tuahs provided every resource they could.
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By evening - they had done it.
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> They created the first ever cure for the Z31 virus.
A single dose... just one injection... could revert a Rotten back to human.
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Day 238 - Saturday - 4:30 PM
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We needed test subjects.
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With Dato's help, we located a nearby car workshop that had a few isolated Rottens. So I, Ajay, K-Zhaii, and the Ultras geared up. Thanks to Mr. Shaiful's sticky grenades, we safely captured four Rottens.
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Back at the lab, everyone gathered as Professor Joe and Pratap injected the cure.
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We watched in silence.
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And then - magic.
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Their eyes shifted from pale grey to brown. Their rotten flesh began to heal. Scratches disappeared. They stood upright, blinking.
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They were human again. Fully cured.
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Ajay hugged Kohila in pure joy.
K-Zhaii and I hi-fived like champions.
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But... the moment didn't last.
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Seconds later, all four of them growled and turned back.
Back to Rottens.
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We froze. Hearts sank.
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Professor Joe and Pratap double-checked the formula. Every ratio, every molecule - perfect. But something was missing.
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Suddenly, Professor Joe grabbed the Ayurveda & Siddha medicine book he found at the temple.
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> "This cure isn't just science," he said. "A big part of it came from ancient knowledge."
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He flipped through pages, then stopped. His eyes widened.
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> "We're missing Anthocyanins. A high enough dose will lock the cure in the body permanently."
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I blinked. My mind raced. Images of our journey flashed across my brain. And then it hit me.
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I said quietly... "Hibiscus."
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Professor Joe and Pratap turned toward me, smiling with renewed hope.
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Ajay threw his arm over my shoulder.
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> "You're a genius, machan!"
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I smiled back, silently thanking Valli - for being the one who made me fall in love with hibiscus years ago.
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Mr. Ram's face lit up.
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> "My wife's garden. It's full of hibiscus!"
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We sprinted there. The garden was alive with color - red, white, orange, yellow, even rare purple ones. Mrs. Ram was happy to help. We plucked what we needed.
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Back in the lab, the scientists worked fast.
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Ajay held the camera, and I held my Magic 8 Ball.
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Kohila brought the Lord Murugan statue I had taken from the temple and placed it beside the test tube.
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I shook the ball.
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The message read:
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> "Yes. Definitely."
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And this time... the miracle stayed.
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The Rottens were fully cured.
No relapse. No turning back.
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They were human. Safe. And alive.
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Ajay and I recorded everything - video, notebook, all as Mr. Amar instructed us before.
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> Saturday - August 21, 2049 - The cure was discovered.
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We released the four individuals. They were confused. Scared. They had no memory of being infected.
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One of them, a woman, began to cry. A teenage girl followed, also crying. Mr. Cheng and Mr. Ram explained everything to them gently.
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All four thanked us with folded hands.
Dato offered them shelter.
They agreed to join the Hang Tuahs.
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That evening, we celebrated.
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I stood outside under the night sky. My heart was calm. My soul warm. I remembered what my Tamil teacher once told us back in school:
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> "Nature always finds its way to repair itself."
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Now, we held that hope in our hands.
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And with that thought... I closed my eyes... and finally slept.
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and then Add to home screen.