Deep Sea Embers

Chapter 792: Alices Liberation

When Duncan and Vanna ventured towards the stern of the ship, they stumbled upon a scene that was as bizarre as it was unexpected. Miss Alice was found in a peculiar position, nestled awkwardly among a disarray of ropes and buckets right next to the steering wheel, deeply engaged in an activity that seemed quite out of the ordinary. At first glance, she appeared to be talking to herself, a solitary figure amidst the maritime clutter. However, driven by an innate curiosity, Duncan moved closer, almost on tiptoe, to better understand the situation. To his astonishment, he discovered that Alice wasn’t merely talking to herself; instead, she was offering what seemed like psychological counseling to the inanimate objects surrounding her.

The core of her counseling session revolved around a strange confession: “Even though I have no idea how to steer this ship, there’s really no reason for us to panic. The fact that I’m not familiar with navigation comes from an honest understanding of my own limitations.”

Duncan had been hesitant about the idea of leaving Alice alone on the deck. Now, having witnessed this peculiar behavior, his concern grew, convinced that her actions were contributing to an underlying tension that seemed to permeate the entire ship.

It was at this moment that Alice noticed Duncan’s presence. She quickly untangled herself from the cluster of buckets and ropes, stood up, and warmly greeted him with a wave, exclaiming, “Captain! You’ve come!”

Duncan’s reply was a subdued “Hmm,” marked by a solemn expression. He made a conscious effort to overlook the odd phenomenon of the objects seemingly shifting on their own, choosing instead to direct his focus towards Alice. “Are you still feeling nervous?” he inquired.

“Just a little,” Alice responded, her bashfulness evident in her nod. Yet, her demeanor soon brightened with a smile. “But I’m feeling much better now! I’ve had a meaningful conversation with my friends here. It turns out they were also feeling a bit anxious, which made me feel less alone with my nerves…”

Observing this unusual interaction with a mix of confusion and amusement, Vanna said, “Do you understand why they’re feeling anxious?”

“Not the faintest idea,” Alice replied, her voice tinged with a note of contentment. “They didn’t go into specifics, but they assured me they’re keeping a positive outlook.”

Vanna was momentarily speechless at Alice’s answer, while Duncan sighed, his expression one of resigned acceptance. He then offered Alice reassurance, “Don’t dwell on it too much, and don’t be concerned. Goathead and I will monitor the situation on the ship. Remember, your role here at the helm is symbolic. Do you recall our earlier discussion?”

Alice’s expression turned thoughtful as she recalled her time with Duncan at the “Alice Mansion,” the feeling of holding the “drawing board” amidst an eerie black fog, and then she nodded solemnly at Duncan. “Yes, I remember. You advised me to hold onto that sensation while at the wheel, to treat it as my ‘drawing board’ and to ‘transmit’ all my memories to the Vanished, right?”

“That’s correct,” Duncan confirmed. “This approach is inspired by the feedback we received from Sailor during our navigation of the ship. But at this point, we’re still unsure if the Vanished is able to ‘understand’ the instructions you’re giving, since the information you and Sailor have documented isn’t completely aligned.”

“Understood,” Alice replied, her nod full of determination. “So, we’re about to conduct a preliminary test, correct? To see if I can truly connect with the ship before we leave this place.”

Quietly, Duncan and Vanna moved to the side of the control deck, their eyes lingering on the essence of the Vanished. In a silent exchange with the ship’s somewhat restless “consciousness,” Duncan remained concentrated until he was confident that the Vanished was ready for the next steps. He then subtly nodded to Alice, who was stationed by the steering wheel, signaling, “It’s time to begin, Alice.”

Sensing the significance of the moment, Miss Doll advanced cautiously and took a deep breath. Though unnecessary for a doll, this action served as a symbolic mimic of a deep, calming breath, a human technique to steady one’s nerves before a daunting task.

The steering wheel before her, dark and foreboding, silently awaited her touch, presenting a challenge she had never imagined facing.

Alice paused, reflecting on the surreal nature of her current predicament. Despite not possessing vast intelligence, her thoughts often drifted to far-off places. Yet, she had never envisioned herself in this position, assuming the role of a captain and taking control of the steering wheel of the Vanished.

This responsibility, bestowed upon her by Duncan, was not to be questioned. Filled with a mixture of apprehension and anticipation, yet devoid of doubt, Alice reached out, her fingers wrapping around the wheel that felt as though it bore the entire weight of the night sky.

At that moment, Alice’s perception of the world around her transformed dramatically.

Her “eyes” widened in astonishment as she experienced a disconnection from her doll body, only to realize she had merged into a new “body” – she felt as if she was floating in the ocean, enveloped by a fog, her hull gently caressed by the cold, calm waters, her deck illuminated by the faint glow of the sky, her invisible sails at the mercy of the spirit world, ready for the journey that lay ahead.

Alice had become one with the Vanished; she was now the ship in its entirety – its rudder, its sails, its deck, its ropes. These ropes, akin to the strings that control a puppet or the nerves that weave through a human body, represented countless thoughts and connections.

In this bewildering state, Alice marveled at the transformation of her “body,” feeling a deep connection with these threads. It was then that she realized something she had previously overlooked: The Vanished possessed a soul, intertwined with these very threads.

While it had always kept its “threads” hidden, now, with Duncan’s permission, Alice was granted the ability to perceive them.

Overwhelmed with joy and an insatiable curiosity, Alice’s consciousness roamed this vast new body, exploring every corner with zeal. She discovered parts of the ship beyond her previous awareness, including Duncan’s private quarters and sections of the ship’s underbelly, which remained hidden from her. Yet, even without access to these hidden areas, Alice uncovered numerous secrets previously unknown to her – unexplored rooms, locked cabins, and concealed passageways and levels known only to Duncan…

But suddenly, Alice’s joyful exploration was abruptly halted by an unexpected force, as if she had collided with an unseen barrier within the intricate “ship-shaped network” created by myriad delicate threads. In that instant, halted by what seemed to be a collision with one or possibly two entities, Alice’s journey came to an unexpected pause.

Confused and slightly disoriented within the dimly lit expanse created by the fine threads, Alice encountered a figure she recognized: Goathead.

Goathead seemed to float in the void, his expression as perplexed as Alice’s.

Their mutual confusion lingered in the silence between them until Goathead, appearing almost like a phantom and semi-transparent, broke the stillness with an exclamation of surprise, “What’s this!?”

“Mr. Goathead!” Alice exclaimed, her voice filled with delight at their meeting. She instinctively wanted to wave in greeting, but then remembered that her current form was merely a consciousness within a different vessel. Instead, she shouted, “The captain has allowed me to steer!”

“I can see you’re at the helm,” Goathead replied, still visibly perplexed. As someone who had always monitored the entire condition of the ship, he had never anticipated encountering an anomaly within the “spirit” of the Vanished – a wandering “entity.” Curious, yet inadvertently colliding with the adventurous doll, he inquired, “But why are you here?”

“I’m not entirely sure,” Alice answered honestly, “Isn’t this part of steering? And may I ask, why are you here?”

“I’ve been intertwined with this ship for a century, growing alongside it. Why do you think I’m here?” Goathead’s eyes narrowed as he scrutinized the doll before him, which to him appeared as a cluster of phantom light. “And who told you that steering involved immersing your soul into the ship’s essence? You’re moving around so carelessly; aren’t you concerned about colliding with someone…”

Alice paused, her thoughts racing before a realization dawned on her. “Under normal circumstances, would you encounter someone within the ship’s ‘soul’?”

Goathead remained silent, offering no reply.

“But I did encounter someone,” Alice quickly changed the subject before Goathead could respond, her voice a mixture of surprise and embarrassment. “And it felt as though it wasn’t just you I ran into… It seemed like there was also a fleeting shadow…”

As she contemplated this aloud, a weak and aggrieved voice emerged from the void: “It was me…”

Startled, Alice then realized that indeed, amidst the dark chaos around her, several discordant and eerie shadows lingered, drifting like fragmented echoes among the threads and the faint silhouette of the Vanished. Shortly thereafter, the most prominent shadow began to stir. As smaller shadows swiftly merged and reformed, a human figure emerged from the darkness.

Agatha, adjusting her adventurer’s coat and smoothing out her appearance to regain her human form, shot a glare at the doll. Her presence added another layer of complexity to the already enigmatic situation Alice found herself in.

Agatha, typically known for her affable demeanor, expressed her annoyance with an unusual sharpness, “You just rolled right over me! Shattered me into pieces! Do you really need to move around so recklessly?”

Alice, taken aback, glanced at Agatha and then turned to look at Goathead, finding herself unexpectedly privy to another layer of the ship’s intricate internal dynamics. After the captain, she was now the second crew member to gain insight into the “First Mate” and the “Lookout’s” unique and vibrant existence aboard the ship.

Opting to momentarily revel in this revelation, Alice responded with a playful, “…Well, well.”

This remark quickly stirred both Goathead and Agatha’s frustrations.

Their attention then returned to Alice, observing her with a blend of curiosity and concern.

“Your current state… is quite remarkable,” Agatha remarked, scrutinizing Alice, who now seemed to be an integral part of the Vanished, with a mix of astonishment and analytical interest. Drawing upon her expertise as a former gatekeeper, she examined Alice’s “mental phantom” with a professional eye. “So, is this your ‘essence’? Or rather… is it closer to your true essence?”

Pondering the question, Alice inquired, “What do you mean?”

Agatha elaborated, “…It suggests that your usual form has been constraining you, and now, being merged with the Vanished, this more powerful ‘vessel’ has granted you a new level of ‘freedom’.” She patiently explained to Alice, now accustomed to her transformed appearance, “Have you noticed this yourself?”

Alice’s realization dawned upon her, her dimly glowing form in the void expressing a sense of elation: “Yes, I feel light and liberated, though there’s always this nagging sensation that I feel…”

“Always feel what?” Goathead and Agatha asked in unison, their interest piqued.

Alice hesitated, then confessed with a thoughtful pause, “Always feel… something isn’t quite right,” slowly “looking up” as she spoke, “This isn’t my body; that… is.”

Both Goathead and Agatha, momentarily taken aback by Alice’s statement, instinctively raised their gaze skyward.

A massive, fragmented shadow, larger and more imposing than the vague silhouette of the Vanished, loomed ominously over the chaotic expanse, having emerged into their consciousness without prior notice.

“…Damn!”