Chapter 35: “Calm and Normal”
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As the tumultuous ocean began to subside into soft, gentle ripples, Alice stood on the deck, captivated by the sudden silence. A severed tentacle, belonging to an immensely powerful sea creature, crashed onto the wooden planks. Hefty chunks of still-living flesh rolled across the deck, eventually coming to rest at the captain’s feet, their vitality quickly ebbing away.
Beneath the ship, in the ocean’s depths, the enormous creature seemed to dive deeper, retreating rapidly and leaving behind its severed limb in a hasty escape.
The sea soon returned to a tranquil state. The oppressive, dark cloud that had loomed over them dissipated entirely, revealing a vast expanse of clear blue sky. Alice realized that what she had perceived as a cloud was actually a shadow—a menacing silhouette cast by the gigantic creature lurking below the ocean’s surface.
The sound of crackling flames brought Alice back to the present. She turned to see the captain, who was grinning broadly in the aftermath of the unsettling events. He noticed Alice and gestured for her to join him.
Approaching, Alice saw that what the captain referred to as a ‘big fish’ was actually a massive, strange creature lying at his feet. With a youthful zest, he exclaimed, “Look, I’ve managed to catch a really big fish!”
“A… a big fish?” Alice stuttered, taken aback. She stared at the grotesque mound of flesh, noticing its haphazardly scattered eyes that stared skyward, and its sharp, metallic-like teeth gleaming ominously. The twitching and blinking of one eye, followed by its swift closure, sent shivers down her spine.
“Indeed, it’s a big fish,” Duncan reiterated with a cheerful tone, seemingly oblivious to the ghastly sight. “It was quite a struggle to reel in this big fellow.”
Alice, though merely a doll, found herself momentarily speechless, her painted eyes widening in disbelief. She scrutinized the ‘fish’: a massive creature with uneven black skin, adorned with strange grey-white patterns on its fins. Bone-like spines protruded from its head, and lifeless eyes returned her gaze. Scattered around the deck were more ‘little fish,’ each as terrifying as the next.
Overwhelmed by a surge of doubt, Alice’s gaze swept over the gruesome scene. The creatures that were not ‘fish’ just moments ago had somehow transformed into real fish. With her limited understanding, Alice was brought closer to questioning her own existence.
Noticing Alice’s puzzled expression, Duncan raised an eyebrow, concern coloring his tone, “What’s the matter? Is something bothering you?”
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“I…” Alice began, her voice faltering with nervousness. Just as she was about to express her unease about the situation, she remembered the rules set by Goathead.
On the Vanished, Captain Duncan’s authority was absolute, and his declarations were beyond dispute. When reality seemed contrary to his statements, his words shaped the crew’s perception of events.
Visibly shaken and eager to change the subject, Alice quickly replied, “There’s nothing wrong!” She hastily added, “That storm we just experienced, Captain… it was quite frightening, wasn’t it?”
Duncan looked at Alice with mild surprise, “Storm? You mean those waves?” He scrutinized her with a gentle bemusement, “Yes, the waves were strong but hardly constituted a storm. You’ve not yet experienced a true storm, I suppose.”
“You’re absolutely right,” Alice responded nervously.
To Alice and the rest of the crew, if Captain Duncan described the intense tempest as merely ‘waves,’ then merely ‘waves’ they were. Similarly, if he insisted what he had caught was a ‘fish,’ then unquestionably, it was a fish.
Noticing Alice’s discomfort, Duncan inquired with concern, “You seem a bit on edge. Are you okay? Might it be seasickness?”
“I’m fine, it’s just that the ship was rocking quite violently earlier…” Alice replied, steering the conversation towards another topic. “What do you plan to do with these… ‘fish’?”
“Do you really need to ask?” Duncan replied with a broad smile. “We’re going to feast on them, of course!”
Alice’s expression turned to horror. “Feast…?”
“Why not? Have you noticed how bland our food supply is?” Duncan’s mood was buoyant as he outlined his culinary plans, “I’ll dissect the larger ones for stews and grilling, and I’ll salt and dry the smaller ones for fish jerky…”
Despite his cheerful demeanor, Duncan’s expression revealed a hint of doubt. His culinary skills were quite basic, and he lacked any real experience in preparing or preserving the large sea creatures that now lay on the deck.
Yet, how else could he learn if not by trying? His primary concern was ensuring he didn’t accidentally poison the crew. Despite his elaborate plans for the fish, Duncan wisely maintained some skepticism about their edibility.
Considering it prudent to test the fish before serving it, he initially thought of using Goathead, the wooden sculpture in his cabin, but quickly dismissed the idea as impractical. His gaze then shifted to Alice, the cursed doll, but she, lacking a digestive system, was of no use for testing food.
His eyes finally settled on Ai, the dove perched on his shoulder. The bird seemed an unconventional choice but was the only creature on board with a metabolism suitable for testing the fish.
With his unusual haul in hand, Duncan left the deck. Lunchtime was drawing near, and he was determined to add some variety to the otherwise bland menu aboard the Vanished.
Alice lingered momentarily before cautiously heading towards the captain’s quarters. She had never intended to consult Goathead sculpture; her previous interactions with this loquacious ‘first mate’ had fostered a deep reverence for the captain’s quarters.
Ideally, she would prefer never to enter this revered space.
However, the day’s bizarre events had driven her to seek insights from the wooden figure. She pondered whether such odd occurrences were common on the Vanished.
She wasn’t violating any ship rules by seeking clarity, she reasoned. After a brief hesitation, Alice mustered the courage to gently open the door to the captain’s quarters.
To her surprise, Goathead had already turned its head towards the entrance, staring directly at her as if anticipating her arrival.
“What has transpired outside?” Goathead inquired, its tone notably direct.
Alice felt a chill at its deviation from its usual demeanor. She quickly shut the door behind her, approached the navigation desk, and began to recount the day’s strange happenings in detail.
After she finished, Goathead lapsed into an unusually long silence, remaining quiet for a full minute. Although the wooden sculpture displayed no emotion, Alice instinctively sensed that the news had taken it by surprise, perhaps more than it had expected.
A sense of foreboding overtook Alice. She involuntarily leaned forward and asked, “Are such incidents not normal here on the Vanished? Could it be that Captain Duncan is really…?”
“The Vanished is operating as usual,” Goathead interjected sharply, breaking its silence with a prompt reply, as though eager to quell any uncertainty. “Understand that the Vanished always functions normally, and great Captain Duncan is just as he has always been!”
“But… I noticed your reaction…”
“The situation has indeed exceeded my expectations, but that’s only due to my limited imagination and understanding,” Goathead responded, regaining its composed demeanor. Its mood seemed to brighten, and it spoke with renewed vigor, “Certainly, the great Captain Duncan should be considered even more supernatural and formidable! There is nothing out of the ordinary, Miss Alice. Remember, everything on the Vanished is as it should be. Let the captain follow his instincts, and let’s not dwell on this topic any further… The only thing you need to remember today is this: ‘The kitchen on the Vanished is now fully stocked with fish, a splendid ingredient.’”
Poor Ai
I’m really curious as to what is causing the captain to see different things then the others. Perhaps some kind of reality distortion? It did say that the tentacles were slowly morphing into fish after all
it’s possible that the madness/insanity of the sea and whatever else is causing a change in perception, Duncan being more powerful makes him more resistant to perception alteration, which makes sense, got to trust Captain for a reason.
Is Captain Duncan actually that powerful, or did he set up his “possesion” by Zhou Ming in the first place?
Holy fuck this just gets better and better
Is duncan seeing things now?
Captain called the tentacles… fish and the world made them become fish… So who is captain Duncan really?
Maybe someone like Storm Goddess, Black Sun or even some terrible thing no one could imagine.