Chapter 245

Chapter 245: A Serious Problem

Duncan fell into silent thought.

This was the first time Goathead had told him so many secrets about Subspace, and it was also the most open conversation the two of them had ever had.

Before today, Goathead had always shown huge resistance to anything about Subspace. It avoided the topic whenever it could and never answered Duncan’s roundabout questions head-on. Back then, its attitude seemed not only to be about worrying over the Vanished’s stability, but also about worrying over “Captain Duncan’s” stability.

But today, its attitude had loosened – after the captain ran over to Subspace to close a door and then came back like nothing had happened.

It seemed it had finally relaxed enough to dare say what it knew.

Goathead said it did not know much and could not guarantee the truth of its information. But for Duncan, even the things it had just said were enough for him to mull over for a long time. They not only went beyond his current understanding of Subspace; they might even go beyond the research level of the scholars of the current civilized world.

After thinking for a long time, Duncan finally lifted his head. He looked at Goathead’s eyes, deep in thought: “So you actually knew that much.”

“I know a little, more or less… but I truly never meant to hide it from you,” Goathead said. It even sounded a bit nervous. “For things related to Subspace, the less you know the better, because many times knowledge itself is corruption. But now, it seems, the great Captain Duncan clearly does not need to worry about that…”

“I will take that as sincere praise,” Duncan said casually. Then he looked Goathead up and down again, unwilling to let it go. “Is this really all you know? No more details? Like the identity of that pale one-eyed giant…”

“You are really making this hard for me,” Goathead said helplessly. “To be honest, my memory… actually has some problems. A lot of things were forgotten ‘over there’. What I have left now is only these rough impressions.”

Duncan silently used his gaze, staring into Goathead’s eyes. After a long time, he withdrew his gaze.

Goathead had indirectly admitted something else. It truly had not been one of the original “crew” of this ship. It had come from “the other side,” from Subspace.

Was it that, when the Vanished broke away from Subspace, it “brought” something out with it, and that something later became Goathead? Or had Goathead deliberately hitched a ride and escaped from Subspace? Was it a deal?

For some reason, the image of that pale giant who had died at the edge of a celestial fragment rose again in Duncan’s mind.

Subspace was packed with the wreckage left after the Old World shattered, but those things seemed to be more than just wreckage. Goathead seemed to have come from Subspace, yet it had reason and thought and could even talk. So, were there others like it in Subspace? Or… if it went back to Subspace, would Goathead become something else, something… like that pale giant? Was that why it resisted “going back” so much?

Many questions rose in Duncan’s mind all at once, but in the end he did not ask them outright.

Because he knew that when questions pointed directly at Goathead itself, and might also point toward “Captain Duncan,” the other side would never answer. It involved the stability of the Vanished in the Mortal Realm.

So he let out a small breath and stood up, showing that this topic was over for now.

Bright sunlight came through the window and fell on the simple, classical furnishings of the captain’s cabin. It made the floating dust glow softly.

“I missed the sunrise today,” Duncan said suddenly. “Did the Sun rise as usual?”

“Yes, the Sun rose on time at dawn,” Goathead answered at once. “It seems yesterday’s delayed sunrise was just an accident. Vision 001 is still operating normally.”

“For something like Vision 001, once it has a problem even once, the fear will be carved into people’s hearts forever,” Duncan said with a slight shake of his head. “Those who noticed the ‘fifteen minutes’ will probably never greet sunrise as lightly as before. Wait… do you remember what time sunset was yesterday?”

“Sunset?” Goathead thought for a moment, then spoke, not very sure. “Sunset should have been on time. It wasn’t affected. Why are you asking… ah!”

“You figured it out,” Duncan said, pulling his gaze back from the window. “Yesterday the Sun delayed sunrise by fifteen minutes, yet it set on time. That shows one thing.”

“It crossed the sky faster than usual yesterday…” Goathead finally reacted. “Vision 001… can consciously adjust how it operates?”

“At least yesterday it deliberately sped up to make sure it carried out ‘sunset’ at the correct time,” Duncan said in a low voice.

Goathead’s tone was a bit hesitant: “Then is that… good news? It means Vision 001 has some self-repair ability. Even if it has a small fault, it is still consciously making sure the world runs smoothly…”

Duncan did not answer.

Goathead seemed optimistic, but Duncan did not relax at all because of Vision 001’s “self-adjustment.” Instead, after confirming that the Sun had actively sped up for a day, he felt even more tense.

Because he knew a simple truth. When a vast, ancient, and unattended system suddenly starts using its reserve resources to repair itself, it often does not mean that the problem will be solved. It is a sign that the problems have piled up to a dangerous limit.

Duncan could not help walking to the window. He pushed it open all the way, leaned out, and looked up at the huge glowing orb shining down on the world, and at the two rings of runes that circled the glowing orb.

The light from Vision 001 was very bright but not blinding. Duncan could even just barely look straight at it.

But all at once, his gaze froze.

He stared hard at the Sun, at the runes on the edge of that ancient Vision. He studied them carefully and finally confirmed that he was not seeing things.

On the outer ring of that double circle of runes, hidden under the radiance, there was a slightly dimmer spot. If you looked closely, it was like a faint… gap.

…

In Pland, inside the antique shop, Duncan sat behind the counter, watching over Shirley, Alice, and Dog as they copied letters. Suddenly he lifted his head. Under the surprised stares of his three students, he walked quickly out of the shop and onto the open space in front, then tilted his head back to gaze up at the sky.

After a long time, until this fragile human body felt dizzy and his eyes were swimming, Duncan finally closed his eyes and lowered his head.

Nina, who had been helping teach Shirley and the others to read, ran out in worry: “Uncle Duncan, what is wrong?”

Duncan raised his head and gently ruffled Nina’s hair.

“Nothing. I just came out to look at the weather.”

“Look at the weather?” Nina looked up in confusion at the clear sky. “You could just look out the window from inside the shop. It is such a sunny day… ah, is something going to happen again?”

As she spoke, Nina suddenly lowered her voice and leaned close, grabbing Duncan’s sleeve like a little conspirator: “Did you think of something on the ship? Are we going on an adventure?”

“Adventure, adventure. There is not that much danger lying around,” Duncan said, half laughing, as he glanced at this young lady who had been dreaming of an “exciting new life” ever since she learned about the Vanished. “Stop wishing the world would fall into chaos. Isn’t a peaceful world nice?”

Nina stuck out her tongue in embarrassment. At the doorway, Shirley, who had slipped over out of curiosity to see what was happening, went a bit blank after hearing Duncan’s words. She stared for a while, then turned to whisper to Dog, who was hiding in the shadows: “The captain says he likes world peace.”

Dog did not react at all.

Shirley frowned and repeated herself. Then, from an angle hidden by the doorframe, she gave a little tug to the chain fused into her arm: “Dog, did you not hear me?”

Dog’s voice finally came from the shadows: “I am reciting the alphabet. Do not bother me while I am studying.”

Shirley: “…You really got into it?!”

“Of course. Mr. Duncan is going to check the homework later… even Miss Alice is more serious than you are!”

Shirley froze: “Homework? What homework?”

But Dog did not answer.

Because Duncan was already coming back to the doorway with Nina, and Shirley’s last mutter had landed right in his ears.

“Homework is the thing that will make me quite angry if you do not do it,” Duncan said, smiling as he looked at Shirley, whose whole body suddenly went stiff. “Copy the alphabet ten times when you go back.”

Shirley was about to cry: “Th-then you could just hit me instead…”

“Really?”

Shirley jolted upright: “No, no, I will go copy the alphabet right now!”

Duncan shook his head. He told Shirley, Dog, and Alice to study on their own for now and asked Nina to supervise them. Then, after one last look at the sky outside, he stood by the shop window and sank into thought.

Vision 001… really had a serious problem.