Chapter 68 “Reliable Dove Express”

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As a brisk and unexpected gust of chilly sea air swept across the deck, Captain Lawrence, who had just emerged from the warmth inside, found himself instinctively rubbing his arms to ward off the cold. He was uncertain whether the shiver that ran through him was due to the biting chill or the unsettling revelations shared by the young inquisitor.

The subject of their conversation, Anomaly 099, known as the Doll Coffin, was no ordinary cargo. This ominous object possessed the eerie ability to animate itself and break free from confinement. More disturbingly, it exerted a mysterious influence capable of decapitating any humanoid in its vicinity without discrimination. The only known resistance to this sinister effect appeared to be from individuals designated as saints.

Over the past two weeks of their voyage, Captain Lawrence and his crew had coexisted with this perilous anomaly. Their mission—to escort the Doll Coffin—had been mostly uneventful, apart from one brief yet disturbing encounter with the Vanished. Reflecting on this encounter brought him a fleeting sense of relief, though he knew it was superficial.

Captain Lawrence, a veteran of the Explorer’s Association, was charged with navigating the treacherous Boundless Sea. Unlike coastal fishermen who remained within the safer, shallow waters, he had spent much of his career confronting various maritime anomalies and even spectral apparitions.

Typically, when assigned such dangerous transports, he would receive a cursory briefing from the authorities or the church about potential dangers. These warnings, though brief, always underscored the fatal risks involved, often summarized in a single sentence: “This mission involves fatal risks; specific details cannot be disclosed.”

This vague warning had become a familiar refrain among captains navigating between city-states. Indeed, many had seen their lives profoundly affected by the haunting nature of their profession—years navigating the Boundless Sea, dealing with its anomalies and apparitions, often left indelible marks on their fates.

Many of Lawrence’s contemporaries had already retired, plagued by unending nightmares, varying degrees of curses leading to mental instability, or suffering physical ailments from their extensive time at sea—some even worse.

Despite the high pay, which significantly exceeded the average earnings of a city-state resident, the occupational hazards were immense, far surpassing those in any other profession.

Captain Lawrence admitted to himself that his motives for continuing in this perilous line of work were not entirely noble; the substantial pay was his primary incentive. Although he had begun his career with a genuine passion for sea exploration, maintaining such fervor over a lifetime proved challenging. Now, feeling the toll of his years at sea and while still in possession of his sanity, he recognized that it was time to retire before the Boundless Sea could further entangle his fate.

With a soft sigh, he slowly made his way back towards the captain’s quarters.

The priestly inspection and questioning aboard the ship were ongoing. Until it concluded, he could not abandon the White Oak. Once the inspection was over, he and his crew would be transferred to the church for quarantine, observation, and a series of mental health assessments.

His eyes briefly scanned the familiar features of the ship around him. The White Oak, a fine vessel under his command for just five years, still felt new to him. Among sea captains, it was often joked that he and the ship had not even passed their “honeymoon period.” Despite his decision, he felt a deep reluctance to leave the life he knew.

Even so, retiring now seemed a better choice for him than facing death on a future voyage or enduring the twilight years of his life confined to an asylum.

…

In a less affluent area of the city-state, within the dimly lit confines of Duncan’s Antique Store, a middle-aged man lay resting in a room upstairs. Upon waking, Duncan slowly opened his eyes to view the somewhat old and moldy ceiling above him.

He exhaled a quiet sigh, feeling the perceptions of his new body becoming increasingly clear and stable, transitioning from remote manipulation to direct control. After a few moments, he used his arms to push himself upright with considerable effort.

Just then, a dove fluttered to his bedside, pecking and chirping animatedly, “Dear, welcome home. Would you like to eat something, perhaps take a bath, or…”

Duncan, attempting to stretch and nearly pulling a muscle, interrupted Ai with a light smack on the head, exclaiming, “How do you even come up with such phrases?!”

Ai, clearly no ordinary bird, seemed unfazed by the smack. It hopped to one side and continued its chatter, mimicking a dramatic scene, “Just one punch, right on the nose, causing blood to spurt and the nose to skew as if he were opening a soy sauce shop…”

Ignoring Ai’s nonsensical babble, Duncan stood up to inspect a nearby table.

Laid out on the table were various items he had prepared for an experiment on board the Vanished: A sun amulet, a dagger, some cheese, a cannonball, and a salted fish.

These items, an eclectic mix, were all accounted for without any mishap during their transport. It turned out that Ai, the dove, was more reliable than Duncan had initially thought.

Duncan methodically checked each item on the table, confirming their conditions and feeling a faint sense of appreciation for Ai, who was now pacing on the bed reciting, “When Luda looked, he saw Zheng the butcher lying prostrate on the ground…”

Duncan merely sighed silently, shelving his brief appreciation, and sat down to thoroughly examine each of the ‘goods.’

He first inspected the sun amulet, which, as a supernatural item fully infused and controlled by ghostly flames, remained unchanged, its power still docile and active even after two journeys through the spiritual realms.

Next, he examined the mundane dagger. It remained sharp, its blade and sheath well-maintained.

His attention then turned to the cheese, which had also been brought from the Vanished. Contrary to his expectations, the cheese showed no signs of rapid decay or disappearance; it remained inedibly stale.

Lastly, Duncan assessed the cannonball, which sat quietly on the table, unresponsive under his scrutinizing gaze. He pushed and tapped on its cast iron shell, noting the absence of the supernatural properties it once possessed. On the Vanished, even the cannonballs were part of an ‘active’ system; not that each had independent thought, but rather, they were components of a unified ‘consciousness’ that controlled the ship’s ammunition. As part of this system, the cannonballs would adjust their position and ready themselves for inspection whenever the captain looked their way.

Duncan had been closely observing the ship’s operations for some time and deduced that the ship’s armed contingent was likely managed by two separate “consciousnesses.” One consciousness seemed to be in charge of the ammunition system, handling tasks such as the storage and supply of ammunition. The other controlled the artillery, overseeing the array of cannons located beneath the ship’s deck. Each consciousness was responsible for its domain—loading, firing during combat, and maintaining control over every component within their respective systems.

The cannonball that lay before Duncan had apparently lost its connection to its guiding consciousness after being discharged from the Vanished. Without this connection, it was merely a simple piece of iron.

Duncan reflected on this: If he were to return this cannonball to the ship, would it be reabsorbed into the ammunition stock? Would the Vanished recognize this returned “subunit”?

His thoughts deepened. The Vanished’s supply of ammunition was finite; once cannonballs were fired, they did not return, just as the eight cannonballs used to stabilize Alice’s cargo hadn’t. This raised another question—how did the ship replenish its ammunition? And once new ammunition was added, how did it become integrated as a “subunit” of the Vanished?

Duncan’s mind wandered further: Could the Vanished enhance its artillery capabilities? If more sophisticated cannons and cannonballs were introduced, would they be compatible with the ship?

The Vanished, being a ghost ship, faced unique challenges in terms of resupply and upgrading—it was not as straightforward as with conventional ships. Items brought onto the Vanished remained just that: external items. If these items could not be integrated into the ship’s systems, they would not benefit from the autonomous functionality that other parts of the ship enjoyed.

Yet, if there was a way to integrate these external items, the ghost ship could potentially gain even more power and provide better living conditions.

The more Duncan interacted with the modern city-states of Pland, the more he realized that the century-old Vanished was not as perfect or as majestic as its formidable reputation suggested. Despite its eerie and formidable powers, the ship lacked basic modern conveniences like electric lighting and fresh food; its armament was outdated, relying on old-fashioned muzzle-loading cannons of dubious efficacy. Moreover, while its spirit sails were beneficial, having a steam engine as a backup power source would be a clear advantage, yet the ship lacked even a basic boiler for heating water.

And notably, it lacked fries.

Duncan glanced over at the dove perched on the windowsill, lost in thought.

The dove turned to look at him, blinking its mung bean-sized eyes, and suggested, “Shall we go to the dock for some fries?”

“No, and don’t mention fries,” Duncan responded, his emotions mixed as he turned his attention back to his last thought.

The salted fish, a natural delicacy harvested from the ocean and processed, was tasty and still an “item outside of the Vanished” after its journey through the spiritual realm.

Perhaps he would use it to make soup for Nina tonight.

For those that just want to support me, you can follow the link to paypal donating. Sadly you won’t be able to get the benefit of reading ahead 

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