Chapter 23: “Bird”
This Translation is hosted on bcatranslation.com
In her innocent confusion, Alice struggled to make sense of the strange world she had stumbled into. She had spent considerable time concealed within a wooden box, akin to a coffin, where she overheard numerous whispers filled with anxiety and uncertainty. These were tense conversations between crew members and guards, burdened with the formidable task of transporting mysterious entities they referred to as “anomalies.”
Through their covert discussions, Alice painstakingly pieced together a basic understanding of these peculiar incidents that defied logic yet unmistakably existed in her reality. She discovered that the initial protocol for dealing with these anomalies was to adhere strictly to established safety procedures. The most prudent approach was to keep a respectful distance and consider potential methods for investigating and understanding these oddities, thus ensuring survival.
Alice herself was labeled as “Anomaly 099,” yet her own identity remained elusive to her. She was unsure of her abilities or the actions she had taken that had instilled such fear and caution in the humans. She wondered about the thought process an intelligent “anomaly” should adopt to blend into “normality.” Yet, at that moment, she found herself thinking as any human would.
When the wooden figure, shaped like a goat’s head, informed her about the six rules for the crew, Alice accepted this without question. Had the figure decided to introduce a seventh rule, she would have memorized it just as easily.
However, one persistent question continued to pique her curiosity, “I just tried to push open the captain’s door, but it only opens by pulling. Why would such an obvious fact be emphasized in the rules?”
The wooden goat’s head met Alice’s gaze with deep silence. After a pause of two full seconds, it answered with succinct clarity, “Sometimes, it can open inward.”
“But…”
“If you ever see the door opening inward, avoid entering at all costs. That privilege is exclusively for the captain of the Vanished.”
This was the first instance since their conversation began that Goathead spoke with such solemnity and a hint of menace. Even while explaining the crew rules, it had never shown such gravity.
This shift to seriousness momentarily unsettled Alice.
However, as quickly as the weight of the conversation had emerged, Goathead’s demeanor returned to its usual joviality as if their serious exchange had never happened. With renewed cheerfulness, it began, “Now, the necessary briefing for a new crew member is complete. Let’s switch our discussion to something lighter… By the way, madam, did you need something from the captain’s quarters? If you’re struggling with navigating the ship’s facilities, there’s no need to bother the esteemed Captain Duncan. If it’s companionship or conversation you’re after, then you’re in good company. I’m skilled at selecting interesting topics and know many captivating stories about this ship… Not interested in engaging tales? Perhaps, I could tell you about the most famous dishes from across the vast seas. My expertise also covers culinary subjects…”
The moment Goathead began speaking, it seemed to enter its element, and Alice was quickly overwhelmed by the flood of words. She found no chance to interject, and by the time she noticed something unusual in the conversation, it was already too late.
Alice, known as Anomaly 099, now faced what she considered the second most terrifying thing on the Vanished, with Captain Duncan being the first.
Meanwhile, just beyond a wall in his bedroom, Duncan was tuning into the sounds coming from the map room. He had just awoken, his mind returning to the Vanished from an alien body. Although he missed the beginning of the conversation between Goathead and Alice, he caught the tail end discussing the “crew rules” and the unusual fact about the “captain’s door opening outward.”
This proved to be a fortuitous eavesdropping, rich with information.
Duncan had only just processed the valuable insights from the cultists when he fortuitously overheard the dialogue between Goathead and Alice. Whether it was the strange and ominous “crew rules” or the detailed stories shared by Goathead, each piece was crucial for him.
Goathead had noticed him pushing open the captain’s door from the inside, signaling his return from “over there.” For Duncan, this was a simple return to his bachelor apartment, but on the Vanished, it was interpreted as “the captain has temporarily vacated.”
Goathead did not question this behavior, accepting it as a routine action by Captain Duncan.
This led Duncan to speculate whether the ship’s original “real Captain Duncan” also used to push open the door of the captain’s quarters, possibly entering a mysterious “world” on a regular basis. Was this behavior frequent enough that Goathead considered it normal, even integrating it into the Vanished’s crew rules?
This insight was beneficial for Duncan. It suggested he didn’t need to worry excessively about his transitions “to the other side” in the future. Even with new crew members, he could disappear using this method without fear that someone would mimic his actions and discover his “secret.”
However, this revelation raised inevitable questions in Duncan’s mind, especially about the “6+1” crew rules that Goathead had emphasized.
This Translation is hosted on bcatranslation.com
What did these crew rules truly represent? On what principles were these seemingly odd, dangerous, and sometimes contradictory rules based? Some rules appeared designed to reinforce the captain’s authority, but the truth likely went deeper. The strict behavioral rules seemed to act as protective measures, ensuring the crew’s survival in a perilous environment. These rules enabled the crew to avoid unseen dangers by adhering to specific established protocols.
A faint crease formed on Duncan’s forehead as he pondered his genuine role within these constraints. According to the rules, he, as the “captain,” seemed to be the only person granted the utmost freedom and autonomy. He didn’t need to worry about the “invisible threats” hidden throughout the ship. In fact, he seemed to be the investigator of many of these hazardous areas. However, this was all based on the assumption that he was the “real Captain Duncan.”
And that was the detail that most deserved his attention and concern.
He suddenly found himself reflecting on his recent explorations of the Vanished and his unrestricted movements within its confines.
Goathead had never warned him about these crew rules, treating him as if he were the authentic Captain Duncan. As he moved around the ship, he encountered no “peculiar threats,” nor was there any chance of another “captain” appearing to impose restrictions on his actions.
From this perspective, the dangers mentioned by Goathead in the “crew rules” seemed irrelevant to him.
Exhaling softly, Duncan continued to listen to the ambient sounds drifting from the map room.
Half a minute later, he wished he could shut off his hearing.
The chatty doll and the talkative goat head had started a conversation, with the latter clearly leading the discussion. Their relentless chatter filled the map room like the endless waves of the Boundless Sea, testing Duncan’s patience as he secretly listened from his bedroom.
Part of him felt compelled to step in and save poor Miss Doll. With her limited social experience, Alice was clearly no match for the talkative goat head. But after a moment of hesitation, Duncan decided not to intervene.
He had just returned from a fascinating “soul journey” and was now overflowing with information to analyze and experiences to process. He needed to figure out exactly what had happened and whether he could control the process. Currently, his ability to project his consciousness to distant places seemed to be his most powerful tool for gathering information about the land in the future.
Under normal circumstances, Duncan might have worried that staying secluded in his room for a long time to explore his newfound ability would arouse Goathead’s unwanted curiosity. However, with Alice there to distract the loquacious creature… the situation couldn’t be more advantageous.
Silently apologizing to Miss Doll in his mind, Duncan glanced down at his right hand, only to be startled the next instant.
The brass compass, slightly larger than a pocket watch, had disappeared without a trace.
And he distinctly remembered that, until just moments ago, he had been holding that compass firmly in his grasp! Duncan’s eyes widened in surprise as he realized that he hadn’t noticed the change in his hand at all. This oversight was the first of its kind since his arrival on this peculiar and unsettling ghost ship.
In the next moment, Duncan loosely curled his right hand into a fist, and a burst of spectral green flames silently sprouted from between his fingers. He rose from behind his desk, ready to use the connection between the ethereal flame and supernatural entities to scan his entire bedroom for any abnormal signs.
However, just as he was about to begin, Duncan’s movement came to an abrupt halt. A faint tether of connection emerged from the recesses of his heart, prompting him to instinctively look in the direction from which it originated. From the corner of his eye, he noticed several feathers, both seemingly tangible and illusory, drifting down from above.
A look of surprise crossed Duncan’s face as he turned towards the source of the falling feathers. He watched as a phantom rapidly materialized and took shape before him. Within just two to three seconds, the phantom solidified into a pristine white dove.
The missing compass was dangling around the dove’s chest, and a familiar obsidian knife lay peacefully beside the dove’s feet.
Thanks for the chapter!
How interesting
Falling feathers.. Does it mean that the bird loses a few of its feathers everytime he uses soul projection?
No