030. A Friend

Jalu sped down the road like a madman. Not only because the road was empty in the desolate hour of two in the morning, but he was also racing against time to reach Martin's workshop near the Soreang highway gate. With his frantic pace, he estimated the entire duration needed to reach his destination at forty-five minutes. Nevertheless, halfway through the journey, Jalu contacted Martin using a device linked to his car's audio system.
"It's either late or too early," a raspy voice with a distinct Moluccan accent answered the phone call.
"Savargha, Martin," Jalu greeted in the Eldest Tongue.
His companion fell silent momentarily before resuming the conversation in the Eldest Tongue, "Where are you, and what do you need?"
"In twenty minutes, I'll be at your workshop. I need a basin full of water."
"Understood," replied Martin briefly, then ended the phone call.
Entering the highway, Jalu accelerated his car even faster.
"Are you okay, Liriénka?" he shouted.
"I—yes," she answered softly.
"Hold on! We'll be at my friend's house soon!"
Without uttering another word, Jalu refocused on driving. Whether on the highway or regular road, both were deserted in the early hours of a workday. However, curled up in the back, Liriénka could sense the difference in the road's surface. She felt more at ease as the car glided smoothly on the highway road, and gradually, her eyelids grew heavier. She drifted into sleep.
"We've arrived!"
Liriénka felt as if she heard Jalu's words as she jolted awake, eyes wide open. It took a moment for her to realize she was still inside the car. Suddenly, the back door opened from the outside. Liriénka's eyes met Jalu's, which bore a worried expression.
"Hold on! I'll take you into the water," the man said as he moved to lift her.
"I—I'm fine. I can walk on my own," Liriénka retorted, quickly standing up. However, unfamiliar with the height of the car's cabin, she bumped her head quite hard on the door frame.
"Calm down, Liriénka. We're at my friend's workshop. You're safe here," Jalu reassured, guiding the woman out of the car.
Liriénka glanced around, finding herself in a vast space filled with large vehicles, long iron beams, and various equipment she had never seen before. Using her logic, she tried to understand and speculate on the function of each object in that place.
A deafening sound jolted Liriénka as if she had been struck by lightning. A dark brown-skinned man closed the rolling door and then walked toward Jalu with a stern expression. His long wavy hair was tied up into a bun on the top of the head like Jalu's, but unlike him, the back and sides of the man's head were not buzzed.
"What are you waiting for, Jalu? Take our guest to the bathroom. I've prepared a basin of water for her," the man said, then smiled at Liriénka. Despite his fierce appearance, the man's smile was warm and friendly to her eyes. His smile seemed to erase Liriénka's surprise after hearing the man's seemingly stern tone.
"I'm Martin. Feel free to bathe for a while as we figure out how to send you back. Since there's no woman dressed like you in our world, you might want to change clothes too later," Martin spoke with his distinctive accent as he walked ahead, entering the room that served as his office and home.
What the man from Central Maluku said was indeed true. Liriénka wore an outfit resembling a swimsuit made of tough shell-like material in some parts, hand protectors made of carapace, shorts, and a skirt made of something that looked like trailing seaweed.
Compliantly, the woman followed Jalu, who escorted her to the bathroom. He then explained how to put on the clothes provided by Martin— a white T-shirt and dark blue basketball shorts. After Liriénka closed the bathroom door, Jalu joined Martin in his living room, a space that doubled as the workshop's meeting room.
"Where did you find her?" the burly man asked in Indonesian as he handed Jalu a cup of coffee.
"At Situ Cukul. She killed Anton Legowo and his four guards," Jalu mentioned the name of a Regime official slain by Liriénka.
"Are you serious?" Martin asked with wide-eyed disbelief. "Did she leave any trace behind?"
"The bodies were already stiff when I found them. And the crime scene was too messy to clean up. Luckily, rumors were circulating about a female figure appearing in the lake. So, I let it become a sensation in the media later."
"Are you sure that girl doesn't belong in Category One?" Martin mentioned the classification used by the EPCU to identify dangerous interdimensional beings.
"Liriénka attacked out of fear," Jalu replied. "She killed those five people because they tried to harm her."
"Ah! Self-defense, then!" Martin's face relaxed. "Glad to hear that! At least she finished your job for you."
Jalu fell silent for a moment before asking, "How do we send her back, Martin?"
"We no longer have the technology to open interdimensional gates," Martin replied. "All the bases and laboratories of Division 96 have been destroyed by this rotten regime!"
Jalu rubbed his face in frustration.
"You know what you have to do, Jalu," the Moluccan subtly suggested.
The young man turned to Martin with a lazy look in his eyes. "Is there no other way?"
"I can contact Edo. But I'm sure his answer will be the same as mine."
"Edo Rumkorem? Where is he now?" Jalu sounded both curious and excited.
"He said he’s like a modern-day Tarzan, living unsalaried and unemployed in the jungles of Papua, yet still vigilantly combating the emergence of guthgorgs."
"Who else is still in touch with you?"
"Just you. I know Edo's number because I happened to meet him in Itawaka. That was the only conversation we had," Martin revealed, then looked at Jalu curiously. "One interdimensional being, and suddenly you're asking about your comrades again. Maybe, this girl will become the path to the reunion of Division 96."
"Even if we reunite, there's nothing we can do!" Jalu retorted. "Just so you know, Liriénka is not the only creature from other dimensions I've encountered. She just happened to help me. That's why I'm helping her. Under normal circumstances, I'd kill all creatures that bother me and ignore the timid ones. I don't give a shit about national security as long as the Regime is in power!"