032. Video Call

London, England.
The clock showed midnight at Thames House, but several people appeared to be working as if it were still daytime. The headquarters of Military Intelligence, Section 5, better known as MI5, had indeed become busier since receiving information about the incidents in Chelyabinsk and La Rochelle. If the EPCU task forces in Russia and France were overwhelmed in handling the creature, it was reasonable for the Interdimensional Surveillance Bureau or ISB, the EPCU task force in the UK, to increase vigilance. After all, England and France were only separated by the Atlantic Ocean.
A middle-aged man with thinning blond hair walked alongside a Southeast Asian man of similar age. The tall figure was Oswald Wheatley, head of ISB operations across the United Kingdom. His companion, Bayu Adiwira, was a former high-ranking member of Division 96 who had narrowly escaped the Regime’s relentless purge. Not only had he found asylum in the UK, but Jalu Mahawira’s father had also been granted honorary citizenship by the monarchy, a rare honor that spoke to his invaluable contributions.
"Are you certain, Bayu?" Oswald asked with a pleading tone. "Allow our members to take care of it."
"At the moment, ISB needs every single member it has. Compared to the vast territory that needs protection, your numbers are quite few," replied Bayu. "I'm not bound to any country. And it's been a long time since I last visited Eastern Europe."
Oswald sighed heavily. "A man of your age ought to be stationed behind a desk. Leave the direct fieldwork to the younger ones. They require hands-on experience to nurture the same wisdom as yours."
"There will be plenty of opportunities for that. But this case needs more experienced personnel. Let me represent Division 96 and ISB at the same time."
Hearing Bayu's words, the blue eyes of the middle-aged man stared sharply. "If that's the scenario, allow me to accompany you," Oswald insisted. "The ISB would find themselves in quite a pickle if they had an honorary citizen as their representative. A bit of outdoor work now and then does wonders for my disposition."
"This will be fun!" exclaimed Bayu. "You know, working behind the desk for too long has made your hair thin, Oswald."
"Oh, shut up!"
Without wasting any more time, they quickly got ready to leave Thames House. They had to head to London Gatwick Airport and board the MI5-provided plane to Chelyabinsk, Russia. Once outside the building, Bayu's device buzzed. Several incoming messages were read one by one by him inside a black sedan heading towards the airport.
"Karabash, eh?" sighed the blue-eyed man, running his hand over his head. "Truly a beautiful place to calm my weary mind."
Bayu chuckled, catching the sarcasm in his companion's words. Suddenly, The man's device rang, indicating an incoming call. A name on the screen left him intrigued, causing a moment of hesitation before he answered. It was the first time that Jalu had ever reached out.
"What's going on, son?" Bayu responded to the call with a question, a hint of curiosity in his voice.
"I speak as a former member of Division 96 seeking guidance from his superior," the long-missed voice of Bayu's flesh and blood echoed. "Have you ever heard of the niylath from a dimension called Léit-Nalamn?"
"Where are you right now?" Bayu didn't immediately respond.
"At home."
"Ah! I thought you were involved in the case causing a stir in Russia and France."
"All communication lines of the division are down. I don't even know what's happening in the neighboring cities."
"How do you know about those niylath beings then?" Bayu probed.
"I found one at Situ Cukul. Do you know about them?"
"I've never heard of them," replied Bayu. "What do these creatures look like?"
"May I activate the video call?"
Bayu didn't respond verbally, but he swiftly switched the call mode from voice to video. Soon, a handsome face appeared on the screen of the middle-aged man's device. A face that softened his gaze and filled it with longing—his only son, Jalu Mahawira. And on the young man's right, immersed up to her shoulders in a swimming pool, a young woman's figure faced him.
"She looks human," Bayu commented.
"She can't stay away from water for more than an hour."
"Can I talk to her?" Bayu requested.
Jalu then walked closer to the edge of the swimming pool, explaining how the video call works to Liriénka, who absorbed the knowledge attentively. Her eyes widened, and she occasionally nodded, indicating her understanding of Jalu's explanations.
"What's your name, Dear?" Bayu asked in Eldest Tongue after the niylath greeted him.
"Liriénka, Your Honor."
"I'm Bayu," he introduced himself with a friendly smile. "Like Jalu, I'm also a member of the force tasked with aiding interdimensional beings lost in our world. Where do you come from, Liriénka?"
"I come from Léit-Nalamn. And our kingdom is called Arüniylath."
Bayu seemed to ponder for a moment before glancing to his side and asking, "Have you ever heard of it?"
"I haven't the foggiest," replied a voice speaking in the Eldest Tongue with an English accent. "Let me have a look at her, Bayu."
Liriénka nodded respectfully as the visage of a fair-skinned man appeared on the device's screen, smiling at her.
"We will find the coordinates of your dimension," the man said. "The circumstances are indeed challenging for Jalu and his colleagues, but they are not alone! We will find a way to help."
"Thank you, Sir," Liriénka said, nodding once again.
"Call me Oswald," the man interjected with a smile. "Now let me have a word with Jalu, love."
Liriénka promptly handed the device respectfully to Jalu, who was seated cross-legged in front of her.
"How are you, Mr. Wheatley?" He greeted the head of ISB in English.
"Blimey! You're becoming quite the heartthrob for the ladies, eh, Jalu?" Oswald teased, before pulling the device back to reveal Bayu sitting beside him on the screen. "Listen, we'll be off to Chelyabinsk shortly, looking into the appearance of a creature that's causing a stir from Russia to France. I'd fancy sending someone over to Indonesia, but we need everyone here on deck."
"I'll take care of Liriénka until the situation has improved, Mr. Wheatley," Jalu affirmed, understanding the direction of Oswald's conversation.
"Jalu," Bayu said as the device returned to his hand. "I'm really happy to hear your voice."
Suddenly, Jalu's expression shifted, as if offended by the genuine words of a father to his son. Without saying a word, he suddenly ended the call.
"You ought to have spilled all the truths you've been concealing to Jalu," Oswald said carefully to the visibly disappointed man beside him.
Bayu turned with a bitter smile. "He'll know when the time is right."
"Understanding what befell your family oddly validates my choice to steer clear of marriage, let alone having kids," Oswald commented.
"Believe me, my friend. The birth of Jalu is the best thing that ever happened to me." Bayu sighed, his gaze distant. "If there's something I regret, it's the fact that I wasn't able to spend much time watching him grow. It feels like I just turned away for a moment, and suddenly, my little baby has grown into a fine young man"
Oswald opened his mouth to speak, but the man just sighed and abandoned his intention.
Unaware, Bayu chuckled bitterly before continuing, "I have no right to demand Jalu's respect because I've never been there every time he needed a father!"