NOVEL NEXT Chapter 163: Inspiration
Sentinel BioTech HQ, Manila — Thursday, 6:45 AM
The Manila skyline was still waking up when Matthew Borja settled into his office recliner with a cup of strong black coffee in hand. The early morning quiet was a rare luxury, and today, he intended to enjoy it—if only for a while. On the large OLED screen mounted to the far wall, a YouTube video played at 1.25x speed.
It was a documentary about Japan's railway system. Beautiful aerial shots showed sleek bullet trains slicing across the countryside, weaving through tunnels, over bridges, into the heart of densely populated cities and tranquil towns alike. Animated diagrams explained how stations were integrated with residential areas, retail hubs, and business centers—forming the backbone of Japan's national mobility.
Matthew leaned forward slightly, eyes fixed on the screen.
The video shifted to an interview with a transport engineer in Tokyo, who detailed how the interconnected rail system wasn't just about trains—it was about unifying the entire country. Economic zones became viable in distant regions because fast, reliable access turned remote provinces into growth centers. Kids went to school in one prefecture and returned to another for dinner. Families lived in the suburbs, worked in the cities, and vacationed far away—all without ever needing a car.
That's what struck Matthew the most.
Mobility equaled opportunity.
And in the Philippines, that was still lacking.
He paused the video, the screen freezing on a bullet train entering Sendai Station.
He stared at it for a moment, deep in thought, before reaching for his tablet.
"Angel," he said, activating the intercom.
"Yes, sir?" came her crisp voice on the other end, already awake and likely holding a cup of coffee herself.
"Clear my 9 AM. Move it to the afternoon."
A pause. "Understood. What should I put in its place?"
"I want a private meeting. Me, you, and Infrastructure."
Angel didn't miss a beat. "I'll bring in Logan from Logistics and Engineer Robles from the Subic team. I assume this isn't about Titan production?"
"No," Matthew said, standing and walking slowly to the window. "It's bigger."
"You're doing that thing again where you sound mysterious."
He cracked a faint smile. "I'll explain everything at 9."
She laughed softly. "Looking forward to it."
Conference Room C — 9:00 AM
The lights were warm and soft, the kind of ambient environment that usually preluded a high-stakes idea. Angel sat on one side of the table, Logan—head of logistics—beside her, and across them was Engineer Roberto Robles, who had been instrumental in designing the Titan production hangars in Subic.
Matthew entered with a tablet in hand, nodding to them before taking a seat at the head of the table.
"Thank you for coming in early," he began. "This won't take long, but I want your honest feedback."
He tapped on the tablet, and the screen on the wall lit up with a high-resolution map of the Philippines. A dotted red line stretched from Laoag in the north, running all the way to General Santos City in the south, cutting through Luzon, bisecting the Visayas, and tracing the spine of Mindanao.
A title appeared above the line: The Pan-Philippine Railway Project.
"I want to build this," Matthew said simply.
The room went quiet.
Logan blinked first. "Is this… high-speed rail?"
"Yes," Matthew said. "Eventually. Phase one is electrified regional lines linking key cities and industrial hubs. Phase two upgrades to full high-speed capability, akin to Japan's Shinkansen or Korea's KTX."
Angel leaned forward, tapping her stylus. "From where to where?"
"Manila to Clark. Clark to Baguio. Then south—Batangas, Lucena, Naga. Cross to Samar, then Leyte. Bridge to Mindanao through Surigao. Then Davao, all the way to General Santos. Multiple spurs in Visayas and a future leg to Palawan."
Engineer Robles exhaled sharply. "Sir, that's… that's a continental-scale project."
"I know," Matthew replied calmly. "But we need to think big. Expressways like what SMC is doing are great—transformative, even. But roads benefit car owners. Trains benefit everyone. Especially the working class."
Angel studied the map carefully. "Have you considered the political blowback? Projects like this step into national territory. You'll need to work with DOTr, NEDA, DPWH, LGUs, and even the military."
"I'm not replacing the government," Matthew said. "I'm proposing a partnership. A joint venture. We fund it, build it, maintain it—then offer operational revenue share back to the state. In return, we get land access, policy support, and long-term stability."
Engineer Robles was already taking notes. "We'll need pre-feasibility studies—soil quality, seismic vulnerability, land elevation changes…"
"And I want it all fast-tracked," Matthew said. "Angel, prepare the project charter. We'll call it the Aurora Line Initiative. Romantic enough to make headlines, bold enough to rally support."
Angel nodded, already organizing the framework in her head. "You're going to need allies in government. This isn't something you push quietly."
"I know. Start with Secretary Diaz from DPWH. He's reasonable and hates red tape. Then reach out to Senator Lim. He's been pushing for rail-based solutions since his mayoral days in Cebu."
Logan looked up from his notes. "This will take years, maybe decades."
Matthew nodded. "That's fine. We'll build the framework. Let others scale it later. But if we don't start now, we'll always be trapped in traffic, in ferry queues, in disconnected economies."
Angel smiled softly. "You've been watching Japanese train documentaries again, haven't you?"
Matthew chuckled. "Guilty. But can you blame me?"
"No," she replied with a grin. "This is actually… brilliant. Audacious, yes. But if anyone can make it work, it's you."
Matthew tapped the table lightly. "Let's get started. We move by next quarter."
As the meeting ended and the team filed out, Angel lingered behind, watching the screen one last time. The red line across the Philippines looked almost poetic—an artery of hope, opportunity, and mobility.
"You know," she said, "if this works, it could be your most human project yet."
Matthew looked at her curiously. "What do you mean?"
Angel turned to him. "You've built weapons. Suits of armor. Even biotech enhancements. But this… this is just for people. Regular people. That's rare, and it's powerful."
Matthew didn't say anything for a while. He just looked at the map and let her words settle.
Finally, he nodded.
"Then let's build it for them."