Chapter 14 “Harmless Crew Member”
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The Vanished once stood majestically, a colossal beacon of awe-inspiring presence. It had appeared larger than life for a sailing vessel, imposingly vast for its assumed purpose. Yet, this supernatural scale had its merits. It had provided the ship with immense storage space, capacity for a formidable arsenal of cannons, robust and resilient structural integrity, and staunch stability even in the face of the fiercest winds and turbulent waves. These attributes had made the ship a formidable contender for the most challenging maritime explorations.
Nevertheless, Duncan, the lone sailor, harbored no immediate ambitions for such daring ventures. The ship’s unexpected grandeur only served to magnify his sense of isolation. Oh, how he longed for another crewmate, someone to share the seemingly boundless expanse of the ship.
Despite his solitude, the ship hosted several vacant “guest rooms,” which could potentially be assigned to the mysterious doll that had recently become his company.
The haunting echo of Duncan’s footsteps resonated through the spectral passageways as he guided the gothic doll down the wooden staircase leading to the lower cabin on the aft deck. This part of the ship, often referred to as the “upper living quarters,” was noticeably brighter and more orderly than the somber lower decks.
Eventually, Duncan paused in front of a crew cabin, nonchalantly pushing open the slightly ajar wooden door. The Vanished boasted several such single cabins, all modestly furnished. However, the long duration of vacancy had made it almost impossible to identify any remnants or signs of prior occupancy.
These were among the initial revelations Duncan had uncovered during his initial exploration of the ship’s higher levels. At the time, these discoveries had seemed trivial, unworthy of much contemplation. But now, serving as the de facto captain of this phantom vessel and aware of its autonomous sailing abilities, a flurry of questions began to flood his mind. If the ship required no crew, who were these crew cabins designed for?
The single rooms in the upper living quarters appeared to be fashioned for senior members of a crew—perhaps a first mate, second mate, or a chief deckhand. Conversely, the lower decks housed bunk cabins meant for the rank-and-file crew members. Coupled with a shared dining area and a communal recreation room, these facilities were unmistakably designed for human occupants.
A crease formed on Duncan’s forehead as he slowly comprehended the fact that this ghost ship must have had a past that involved more than solitary voyages. It must have once housed a vibrant crew.
A cascade of questions flowed through his mind. What events from the past had led the ship to its present state? What had happened to the original crew? Was the original “Captain Duncan” the proprietor of this ship? What secrets did the unusual goat head hold?
As he pondered these questions, a voice abruptly interrupted his introspection.
“Captain?” The voice snapped Duncan back to the present.
In his isolation, he had momentarily forgotten about the existence of Alice, the doll. Being alone had become a deeply ingrained habit after all.
“My name is Duncan. Feel free to address me as Captain Duncan, or simply as Captain,” he said, quickly collecting himself before meeting Alice’s gaze. “From this moment forward, this vacant room is yours. You’re welcome to step inside and familiarize yourself with it.”
“Understood!” Alice responded energetically, peering into the room past Duncan’s broad shoulder. She then turned to retrieve her levitating box and independently entered the new space.
As Duncan watched Alice’s ‘coffin’—an object that never seemed to leave her side—he couldn’t resist commenting, “Is it typical for you to always have that box by your side?”
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“Yes,” Alice responded frankly, “where else would I place it?”
“But that box… It was used to seal you away. I figured you’d exercise some caution around it,” Duncan remarked, furrowing his brows. “However, it now appears you’re inseparable from it.”
“It’s not the fault of the box. People were the ones who sealed me away,” Alice clarified, sitting atop her coffin and affectionately patting the lid. “Would you care to join me inside and take a seat?”
Duncan shook his head in decline. “No, thank you. What do you think of your new room, though?”
“It’s quite delightful,” Alice commented, looking pleased as she surveyed the humble furnishings as though they were lavish adornments. “Is that a wardrobe over there? I don’t possess any garments to store in it at the moment… but it’s pleasant to have a cupboard. And look, there’s a table! I might not have any personal belongings to put on it right now, but perhaps I can use it as a platform for my head while brushing my hair. It would make it simpler to reach every strand…”
“I’m pleased to hear that you like it,” Duncan replied, finding it odd to witness a gothic doll planning such mundane routines. “Please take all the time you need to get comfortable and familiarize yourself with your new surroundings. I’ll head back upstairs for now. Also, I would kindly ask you to refrain from venturing down to the lower deck. Feel free to explore this level and the ones above. Should you require any assistance, you can find me in my captain’s quarters. If I’m not there, Goathead, my first mate stationed at the mapping table, should be able to assist.”
Alice was paying keen attention, nodding along with Duncan’s instructions. However, her eyes suddenly widened in surprise when he mentioned the Goathead wooden figure. “Goathead?! Are you referring to that black wooden sculpture?!”
“It appears you’ve already noticed it.”
“I certainly have… but you’re saying it can converse?! And it’s your first mate?” Alice looked absolutely astounded. “I had assumed it was just… an eccentric piece of decor!”
“And yet you, a doll that can both talk and move,” Duncan responded with a deadpan expression, “find the notion of a talking goat head to be supernatural?”
Surprised by his deadpan observation, Alice briefly studied her own hands, murmuring contemplatively as if a novel thought had just occurred to her, “Ah, indeed… when you put it that way…”
With a dismissive shake of his head, Duncan pivoted to depart. “That’s all for now. Acclimatize yourself at your own pace, and should you need anything, seek me out.”
“Acknowledged, Captain.”
Upon his exit, Duncan ambled back to his captain’s quarters and settled down before the sprawling mapping table.
“Ah, Captain! It appears you’ve successfully eased the lady into her new surroundings,” Goathead noted observantly. “As I had initially suggested, she is a benign and harmless soul who is unlikely to pose any threat to our journey. She might even provide some conversational respite from the unchanging routine of our voyage. I see you’ve decided to keep her onboard. Have you thought about assigning her some specific duties? The Vanished, in all its self-sufficient grandeur, doesn’t need a large crew. The deck takes care of itself, and the cannons undergo automatic maintenance. The water supply self-regulates… Perhaps she could manage the kitchen? You haven’t exactly been satisfied with our onboard meals… Speaking of which, we seem to be running low on several provisions. The jerky and hard cheese in storage might be a tad past their prime. Granted, a seasoned sailor isn’t typically picky about his meals at sea, but esteemed Captain Duncan…”
Duncan’s patience finally wore thin, and he was once again acutely aware of one crucial truth: the absolute necessity of having a “normal conversation partner” like Alice on board!
“That’s enough,” he cut across Goathead, “you maintained an unexpected silence when Alice was present. I was starting to think that you had mastered the art of staying quiet.”
“When the captain is engaged in dialogue with a new recruit, it is considered impolite to interject. That’s an unwritten maritime norm. Even though I serve as your devoted first mate, second mate, and chief deckhand…”
Before Goathead could ramble any further (for it certainly would continue indefinitely if left unchecked), Duncan interrupted it again. “Monitor the doll over the next few days.”
“Ah… what? You wish for me to keep a watchful eye on the lady? Do you still have reservations about her? I understand. Caution is indeed a commendable trait for a capable captain…”
“She carries with her an array of secrets yet to be disclosed. Whether she remains oblivious to them herself or is purposefully withholding them from me is yet unknown. However, one irrefutable fact remains — she is a cursed doll, classified as ‘Anomaly 099’,” Duncan voiced his thoughts calmly. “The individuals from the other ship had put considerable effort into restraining Alice’s movements. Now that she has been integrated into our crew, I need a certain amount of time to validate her innocence, especially since it pertains to the wellbeing of the Vanished.”
i want romance
No
I am against.
I want friendship is magic
No. I want the power of nakama
ew, no
Me too! Not with Alice though…
Thanks for the chapter!
Thanks for the Chapter!
Alice would probably become something like his little sister or daughter now.
I really wish we could of learned with the mc, as right now its “how did he know that, that wasnt written”.
There’s a script error on the page for the next chapter only, causing all but the text to fail to load, and if night mode is on the whole page is black caus the text also stays black.
Most users would think the page doesn’t load at all and some might just drop the novel there caus of that, so I suggest you fix asap.
thanks, i just fixed it.
Only thing to complain in my part is I wish he had some badass martial arts training with muscle memory or something