This was nothing new for Lisa. Being a female trucker was still a rarity, and in her early days, she had to endure blatant sexual harassment and disdain from her male counterparts. There were always eyes that scanned her body before her hands on the wheel, and comments that prioritized her gender over her skill.

  As the years passed, the number of women truckers grew slightly, and the perception of men improved compared to the past. Overt hostility faded, and more people at least pretended to be respectful on the surface.

  Yet, it never fully disappeared. The intensity wasn't as raw as it used to be, but there were always men who would strike up a conversation with a casual, joking tone when they saw a woman sitting alone in the driver's seat. Lisa no longer needed to double-check the intentions hidden behind their laughter.

  At first, Lisa survived through sheer silence. She believed that if she said nothing and showed no reaction, they would eventually lose interest and back off. But after enduring the same thing over and over, there came a moment when she could no longer hold back and had to stand her ground. Since then, a small handgun was always kept in her cab—a last resort, kept for the sake of self-defense in case of an emergency.

  Tension always spiked whenever she stopped at a truck rest area. She usually picked only those known to be relatively safe, but today, pressed for time, she didn't have that luxury. An ominous feeling brushed past her the moment she was forced to park at a rest stop she had never seen before.

  And gut feelings rarely missed the mark. The sight of two women sitting across from each other having a meal seemed to catch the eye of a man at the next table.

  "Hey... back off. We're just here to eat in peace," Lisa said coldly, glaring straight at the man who approached.

  The man twisted his lips into a smirk, showing no intention of backing away easily. Instead, he looked the Asian woman sitting opposite Lisa up and down, then asked in a voice laced with mockery:

  "Where are you from? China? Korea? Japan... do you even have a visa?"

  It was blatant harassment. The look in his eyes as he stared at the woman held a ridicule that suggested the answer didn't even matter.

  Lisa’s spoon hit the plate with a sharp clink.

  "I said back off. Go."

  This time, her voice was an octave lower, firm and unwavering.

  Only then did the man glance around. The eyes of people at other tables were beginning to shift toward them one by one. Lisa’s gaze showed she had no intention of retreating further. Looking momentarily intimidated, he reluctantly turned away.

  But he couldn't abandon his meanness until the very end.

  "Hey, Asia... you look like an illegal to me."

  He mocked her by mimicking a slant-eyed gesture with his fingers and chuckled as he headed back to his seat.

  In that instant, Lisa’s chair was thrust back violently.

  "Get lost! I said get lost!"

  The air in the diner froze instantly. Her voice was no longer one of suppressed anger.

  The man flinched for a moment, unable to provoke her further, and returned to his spot. Not long after, he paid his bill and left the diner.

  Just before pushing the door open, he turned his head to glare at the Asian woman one last time. There was a strange persistence in that look. Even after he stepped outside, he could be seen through the glass window. He was making a phone call, muttering in a low voice while repeatedly glancing back at the diner.

  Lisa was inherently a kind-hearted person. It weighed on her mind more that the man’s sudden outburst might have left a wound on Illik. All the way back to the truck, she asked again and again if she was alright.

  –--------------------------

  “I’m fine. Don’t worry, Lisa. You are a truly considerate person.”

  Illik looked at her as she spoke. A faint but clear smile played on her lips. It was only then that Lisa could feel it wasn't a forced expression.

  “Haha… no, I’m not.”

  Lisa gave a short laugh, but her eyes were still restless. She started the engine and scanned the area outside the window.

  “Anyway, I think we should leave now. I have a bad feeling. That guy from earlier… I think he might have been trying to report us to ICE. Let’s get moving.”

  =======================

  The two of them climbed back into the truck without another word, and the massive vehicle slowly pulled out of the parking lot. The lights of the diner faded into tiny dots in the rearview mirror.

  As they merged onto the highway, their headlights glided over the lanes stretching long into the darkness. The truck began to cut through the night road toward Monterey.

  The darkness settling over the road was growing thicker. As if unable to bear the silence, Lisa pressed the power button on the radio.

  After a brief burst of static, the sound of a guitar flowed out.

  It was Neil Young’s "Cowgirl in the Sand."

  “Oh… it’s one of my favorite oldies.”

  The tension on Lisa’s face eased instantly.

  “You probably don’t know this one, do you, Illik? It’s an old song… haha.”

  She tapped her fingers lightly on the steering wheel, catching the rhythm. Though she was in her forties, inside the cab, she always seemed like someone living in the 60s or 70s. The raw, wild guitar sounds blended strangely well with the low hum of the truck’s engine.

  Illik, who had been maintaining a quiet silence, suddenly began to speak to Lisa.

  “Lisa... shall I tell you an interesting story?”

  “Oh... yeah, I’d love that.” Lisa perked up her ears.

  “When you look at Earth from far out in space, it’s nothing more than a tiny speck.”

  “On that single speck, Earth, all sorts of things happen. Love, betrayal, war, revolution. Billions of lives are intertwined, and there isn't a single day of peace.”

  Her voice was low yet distinct.

  “But tell me. What if, from the far side of the universe, an extraterrestrial lifeform with weapons beyond imagination was heading this way… what would we be thinking then?”

  The air grew heavy in an instant.

  “No one would know if they meant to harm the Earth or if they were merely visiting as guests. Then one day, a scene like that breaks on the evening news. A caption flashes over a black screen: ‘Unidentified Spacecraft Entering the Solar System.’”

  Illik paused for a moment. In the rearview mirror, the headlights of SUVs following Lisa’s truck came into view.

  ===========

  “Even then, would we still be pointing guns at each other? Fighting over borders, clinging to petty ideologies, and trying to vent our inner rage by trampling on the weak?”

  Stolen story; please report.

  Lisa turned her head as if indifferent, stealing a quick glance at Illik.

  His gaze was fixed somewhere far away. It wasn't the immediate space before him; he seemed to be staring at a point that had skipped across layers of time, or perhaps into an abyss of thought that could not be easily explained in human language. In that moment, Lisa realized. She was with someone of a completely different nature from herself.

  There were two SUVs trailing them at a steady distance. At first, it looked like simple vehicle tracking. But in the next instant, red and blue emergency lights flashed, tearing through the silence and slicing the darkness. One of the SUVs ahead accelerated sharply and overtook Lisa’s truck. Simultaneously, a piercing siren streaked across the highway.

  However, the sound was different somehow. It wasn't the typical tone of a local police cruiser. Lisa glared into the rearview mirror and ashed her teeth.

  “Damn, it looks like those scumbags from the rest stop reported us.”

  Her voice was short and raspy. The SUV blocking the front slowed down and occupied the lane. The body was black and the license plate was disguised as a civilian one, but the equipment installed on the dashboard and the communication antennas were of a different breed than ordinary law enforcement vehicles. They resembled the units used by federal enforcement agencies—specifically, ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement). They seemed like the type to approach unexpectedly, hide their identity, and execute forced arrests if necessary.

  It was then.

  The sky suddenly brightened. A powerful searchlight swept across the roof of the truck and illuminated the road. Lisa instinctively looked up. At first, she thought it was federal air support, but the camera gimbal attached to the bottom of the craft and the side logo caught her eye. It was a news helicopter. It was clear that the information about the 'operation to arrest an Asian woman' had already been leaked to the media.

  —--

  Something felt off. This wasn't a situation grave enough to warrant a helicopter, yet there it was. Moreover, the entire scene was being broadcast in real-time. Normally, government agencies would try to handle things quietly, avoiding the media, but the appearance of a news chopper suggested that someone had tipped them off.

  Illik spoke in a low voice, as if she had been expecting this all along.

  "They've all gathered now... The whole world will see us in real-time on the broadcast." Her voice remained eerily calm.

  The wail of the sirens grew thicker, more deafening. Then, a voice boomed through a loudspeaker.

  "Vehicle number ○○○, pull over to the shoulder immediately. I repeat, pull over immediately." It was a command. There was no room for negotiation.

  The brake lights of the SUV blocking the front flared a burning red, while the SUV trailing behind closed the gap. High above, the helicopter maintained a steady altitude, its searchlight locked onto the truck's trailer. Every eye and every piece of equipment on that road was focused solely on this single truck.

  Yet, Lisa did not slow down. This wasn't her problem. The Asian woman she had picked up by the roadside this afternoon—a stranger who spoke little and did nothing but gaze quietly out the window—she was clearly the center of this storm.

  And yet, Lisa was acting as if she were the one being hunted. The loudspeaker erupted again. "This is your final warning. If you do not stop immediately, we will take forced measures."

  The woman in the passenger seat said nothing. There was no sign of panic, no excuses, no pleas for help. It was abnormal. She was simply... serene.

  Lisa gritted her teeth. 'This isn't my business.' Her mind said one thing, but her heart reacted differently. Looking at the SUV blocking her path, she felt a strange, shared sense of being a 'fugitive.' It felt as though if they were caught now, it wouldn't just be an Asian woman being arrested, but Lisa's own choices, her beliefs, and her very boundaries being hauled away with her.

  The scene was being transmitted live to local TV stations. Stopping the truck with just two SUVs was no easy task. The two SUVs suddenly surged ahead and sped past the truck. Other cars were nowhere to be seen. Then, as if by magic, those vehicles vanished from the road. They disappeared from Lisa’s sight entirely.

  How many more minutes did she drive? The end of the road slowly came into view, and beyond it lay an unnatural cluster of lights. Red and blue emergency lights twisted and flashed in a chaotic tangle. Several police cars and black SUVs were parked shoulder-to-shoulder across the road.

  It was a total blockade. The vehicles were positioned at interlocking angles, some with their doors flung open. Even through the silhouettes, she could feel the presence of armed personnel stationed there. There was no detour.

  Lisa slowed down. The moment she saw that wall of light, the math was finished. Pushing any further would be suicide. She brought the truck to a halt about 200 meters behind the barricade. The engine’s roar dropped to a low tremble before finally fading away. The sirens were still wailing, but now they were a signal of encirclement, not pursuit.

  It was impossible to go any further. The inside of the cab was hauntingly quiet. Lisa slowly released her grip on the steering wheel. Her palms were slick with sweat. It seemed... Illik had to go.

  She looked to her side. Illik was still composed. Neither fear, nor anger, nor anxiety showed on her face. It was as if this scene was a predetermined step in a sequence. That tranquility weighed even more heavily on Lisa’s chest.

  "I'm sorry, Illik... I think this is as far as I can take you." Her voice caught before she could even finish. Tears flowed silently down her cheeks.

  Only six hours. All she had shared with Illik were a few conversations and the time spent drifting through the darkness. They didn't know everything about each other's pasts. There were no promises, no future. And yet, Lisa felt as if she had known Illik for a lifetime. She felt an inexplicable intimacy. Perhaps it was because of what they had talked about—those deep discussions about Earth, the universe, and the violence and potential of humanity.

  "Occupants of the vehicle, slowly show your hands!"

  Inside the cab, Illik spoke unexpected words to Lisa. "Lisa. You are a kind-hearted person." Her voice was low but distinct. "You are honest and have a warm heart. That is what brought me this far today."

  Lisa’s tears wouldn't stop. Outside, the crackle of radio static and the blare of loudspeaker commands added to the urgency, but inside the truck, it was as if they were in a different timeline altogether.

  Illik pulled a small bead from her pocket. It was a transparent object with a faint light glowing inside—something that looked like glass yet felt like metal. It seemed to pulse minutely on its own, even without a light source. She placed it in Lisa’s hand.

  "This is my gift to you. Never show it to anyone." Lisa nodded subconsciously. "When you’re sleeping alone at night, press down hard on this bead with both hands. If you do... something amazing will happen." Her words were neither exaggeration nor a joke. She spoke with the calm of someone explaining a law of physics. Then, she pointed to one side of the bead—a part with a very subtle, different texture.

  "Now, here. Place your hand right here." With a trembling hand, Lisa rested her palm against the bead. A very faint vibration started at her fingertips and traveled up her arm. It didn't sting like electricity, nor was it hot. Instead, it was warm. It seeped in gently, like heat rising from the deep, deep sea.

  —-------------

  Illik spoke quietly. "Now, your signal has been recorded." It was as if she were registering Lisa as the user of the silver sphere right there in the cab, much like registering a fingerprint.

  Outside, someone was shouting a final ultimatum through a loudspeaker. Even the faint clicking sound of safety catches being released from firearms could be heard. "Lisa, this silver sphere will be invisible from now on, but it will remain by your side. You will meet me again later!" Lisa was struck with internal bewilderment. Invisible? And we'll meet again? It was all so hard to believe.

  "Lisa… I’ll go out first. You come out a little later. Please."

  Illik’s voice was low but firm. Her tone left no room for further persuasion. She slowly opened the door and stepped down from the truck.

  The cold night air rushed in. The red and blue flashes of the emergency lights flickered across her profile in alternating strokes.

  Illik walked at a steady pace toward the barricade formed by the tangle of police cars and black SUVs.

  Her steps were neither hurried nor hesitant. The loudspeaker blared again.

  "Show your hands! Stop immediately!"

  She walked until she was about 20 meters away and then came to a halt. A heavy silence settled over the road. Only the thrumming of the helicopter rotors sliced through the night air. A powerful searchlight illuminated her entire body in a stark white glow. Illik tilted her head back and gazed at the helicopter in the sky for a moment. She knew the camera lens was staring down at her.

  Then, she slowly scanned the line of police officers and government agents standing before her. The faces hidden behind shields, the aimed muzzles, the shoulders stiff with tension.

  And then, suddenly, she thrust both hands into her skirt. In an instant, the air froze. "Show your hands! Hands!"

  Before the shout could even finish, Illik began to bolt forward with her hands still tucked away.

  Then, she flung one hand upward. To anyone watching, her posture looked exactly as if she were gripping a handgun and taking a firing stance.

  In that heartbeat

  Bang.

  Then,

  a rapid succession of gunfire.

  Bang, bang, bang

  Muzzle flashes erupted. Flames spat from several barrels simultaneously. With the sound of the air tearing apart, bullets pierced through her body.

  Illik’s body jolted violently once. Time seemed to stretch and slow down. She staggered a few more steps before collapsing helplessly.

  The sound of her hitting the asphalt echoed drily.

  The helicopter camera was still rolling.

  "Ceasefire!! I said cease fire!" Someone screamed as if in agony.

  "Who shot first? This is live! The cameras are all on!"

  Overlapping voices burst from the radios.

  "Get the medical team in there!" "Cover the body! Get over there and cover her up, now!"

  A figure appearing to be a government agent shouted in a state of agitation.

  Several people rushed forward in a panic. They tried to block the view with their shields, but it was already too late. The helicopter's searchlight was still pinned to the spot, and on the road lay a single, motionless body, resting in profound silence.

  Inside the truck. Lisa was watching it all. And across the nation, Americans watching their TVs were witnessing this scene in real-time.