JAVNIAN ASSOCIATED PRESS (JAP)
By Abraham Situmeang
Metharom, Zahmeel Province — 2127
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72 Hours in the City
Seventy-two hours after violence swept through Metharom, authorities say the outbreak has been successfully contained.
The official toll stands at 1,853 confirmed fatalities and 230 wounded, figures that continue to trouble medical experts and residents alike. The unusually low number of survivors has revived long-standing fears about the mayat hidup—the “living dead”—a phenomenon authorities have insisted for years was under strict control.
This time, that control was tested.
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A Known Threat Returns
The existence of mayat hidup has never been fully explained to the public, but it has not been entirely hidden either.
Over the past decade, isolated incidents have surfaced:
· Remote containment zones established
· Sudden lockdowns in rural areas
· Quiet military interventions with little follow-up
Each time, officials maintained that the situation was contained quickly and effectively.
Metharom tells a different story.
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The Outbreak
According to internal sources, the first cases appeared suddenly and spread with alarming speed across multiple districts.
Witnesses described individuals who:
· Became violently aggressive without warning
· Showed no response to pain or injury
· Continued moving despite severe trauma
“They weren’t sick in the way we understand sickness,” said one emergency responder. “They were… something else.”
Security forces moved in rapidly, enforcing curfews and sealing off affected zones. Within hours, shoot-on-sight protocols were reportedly authorized in critical areas.
By hour 72, officials declared the outbreak neutralized.
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A City Under Control—But Not at Ease
Military patrols remain visible across Metharom. Checkpoints control movement, and several districts are still restricted.
Despite the announcement that the situation has been contained, authorities have provided no detailed explanation for:
· The origin of the outbreak
· How containment failed initially
· Whether similar incidents could occur again
“The threat has been eliminated,” a provincial spokesperson stated. No further questions were taken.
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Public Doubt
Residents are not reassured.
“They say it’s over,” said one man near the Aji Pangeran Tumenggung Pranoto central transit hub, “but they said that before, too.”
Rumors continue to circulate quietly:
· That the outbreak spread faster than any previous case
· That some victims turned within hours
· That the infection may have changed
None of these claims have been confirmed.
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Remembering the Fallen
Today, under heavy security, a funeral was held for JAP correspondent Bathsheba Siahaan, who was killed while reporting during the first hours of the outbreak.
Colleagues say she had covered prior mayat hidup incidents, often working with limited information and under official restrictions.
“This wasn’t her first time reporting on this,” said a fellow journalist. “But it was the first time it didn’t stay contained.”
Attendance was restricted. Armed personnel monitored the perimeter.
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What Comes Next
For now, Metharom is reopening.
Shops are returning to business. Transportation is gradually resuming. The visible signs of crisis are fading.
But the memory is not.
For years, the public was told the mayat hidup threat was understood, managed, and contained.
Metharom raises a possibility few are willing to say aloud:
What if it still is—
just not as completely as believed?