Deep Sea Embers

Stopping before the captain’s quarters, Alice eyed the dark oak door in front of herself and noticed the scribble of words written on the frame: Door of the Lost.

It’s not surprising to find such a sentence written on a ship like the Vanished, but Alice still frowned subconsciously. Not for the content though, but why she’s able to recognize “words” in general.

Alice had no memory of learning how to read; in fact, she did not have any memory of “learning” at all, nor did she remember where she had accumulated the experience of moving outside and talking to people. So, where does all this knowledge come from? A doll that’s been sleeping inside a wooden coffin shouldn’t know anything!

Alice had never considered this question before until today, but somehow, after talking to “Captain Duncan,” the concept of “curiosity” somehow sprouted in the doll’s mind, which was supposed to function peacefully forever without disturbance.

Looking back carefully, this change seemed to have arisen after Duncan asked about the origin of the name “Alice”…

The doll didn’t know whether this change was good or bad, but she didn’t like the feeling of not knowing and being confused. Quickly shaking the discomfort aside, the doll adjusted her mentality and put her hand on the door handle to push it slightly.

But the door didn’t budge.

Alice hesitated for a moment and tried again but found the door unbudging like it’s been molded out of pure steel.

Then, just as she was about to try again, a voice suddenly came out of the captain’s quarter—a hoarse, low voice, as if coming from a piece of decaying wood: “The door is open, Lady.”

It wasn’t Captain Duncan’s voice, causing Alice to flinch back from startlement. However, she was able to regain herself quickly and tried again by pulling – this time it opened smoothly without resistance.

It was only then that she remembered. The last time she was here, Captain Duncan had also pulled the door to open it for them both.

It looks like “life knowledge” is still only knowledge, it’s not actual experience….

Reflecting on herself, Alice carefully probed her head into the captain’s quarter to find it empty aside from the goat head statue on the mapping table.

“Please come in, Lady. The captain is busy so you can wait for him here until he finishes,” the goat head spoke more politely than Alice had imagined. “Also, try to avoid probing your head inside like this in the future. Other overly sensitive individuals on the Vanished will mistake the gesture as you hating them. Appeasing that bunch afterward will be troublesome, and what if your head falls off again? I don’t have hands so picking it up for you will be problematic…”

Really talked! This wood statue is really talking!

Although Captain Duncan had mentioned before that the goat head on the mapping table could speak, Alice was stunned nevertheless to hear it for herself. Taking a moment before replying: “Uh, okay, but my head won’t actually fall off so easily. Also, didn’t I manage to put it back on by myself? But wait…. Did you say overly sensitive ones? Are there others on the ship?” Alice quickly picked up on this point and grew both surprised and nervous all of a sudden.

“Is that so strange to hear? It takes a lot of manpower to man a ship as big as this one. Do you think the great Captain Duncan would wash the deck by himself?” The goat head’s explanation actually sounded reasonable.

Although Alice felt something was wrong still with her not very bright head, she nevertheless nodded after a good minute. “What you said makes sense…. So where are the others on the Vanished?”

“There is only one loyal first mate of the captain, the rest are a bunch of guys with less brains than a rock so you don’t have to think about communicating with them. Also, they have no interest in communicating with people,” the goat head interrupted her without waiting for Alice to finish. “But considering that you are a newcomer to the ship, it is normal that there are many reasons and rules that you do not know. As Captain Duncan’s most loyal first and second mate… I will instruct you on some common sense that will allow you to survive on this ship. After all, the captain will not lower himself in explaining such things to the newcomer… Are you ready, Lady?”

Alice stupidly listened in on what the goat head had to say and even forgot what her original purpose was in coming. Eventually, her mind became such a dizzying mess that she could only subconsciously nod: “Ah, uh, ok-okay?”

“Very well, then next are a few rules that the crew of the Vanished must know, which will help the newcomers adapt to the environment faster and accept the blessings from the Great Captain Duncan and the Vanished….”

The goat head was obviously satisfied with Alice’s answer because the pride from the goat head’s mouth was growing in strides.

“First, Captain Duncan is the absolute master of the Vanished. He is always right. Even if reality conflicts with Captain Duncan’s wording, it is subject to Captain Duncan’s judgment.”

“Second, crew members can only move in the areas allowed by the captain. No one is ever allowed in the areas forbidden by him.”

“Third, if you step into an unauthorized area and are lucky enough to survive temporarily, you must stay there until the captain comes for you. Otherwise, only death awaits the foolish ones. You are absolutely not allowed to return without permission.”

“Fourth, the Vanished is always sailing on the right course. Do not question the captain’s plan. If you find that the scenery around the Vanished is different from what you expected, or if the ship fell into a ‘deeper’ part of the sea, it’s also part of the normal voyage.”

“Fifth, the captain will occasionally leave the ship, but he will certainly return. During the captain’s departure, the Vanished will continue to sail as planned. Also, crew members are not allowed to go near the helm station at the stern during that period—the rudder system is insecure when the captain leaves so the cables there will strangle any daredevil that shows signs of ‘usurpation.’

“Sixth, on the Vanished, there are basically only six rules for the crew.

“Seventh, the door to the captain’s quarter only opens outward.”

The goat head seems to have popularized this “common sense” to the new crew more than once. It sounded so natural and smooth that Alice had to take a second to notice the conflicting information: “Wait. Mr. Goathead, you just said there are only six articles…”

“Sixth, on the Vanished, there are basically only six rules for the crew.” The goat head replied at once and repeated his words.

Alice wondered if one of them had broke somewhere: “But you just mentioned the seventh article…”

“Seventh, the door to the captain’s quarter only opens outward.” The goat head answered very naturally.

Alice stared at the goat head with a face of WTF. After a bit more doubt, she finally confirmed this must be how things work on the Vanished: “Don’t you think its contradicting?”

“There is no contradiction.” Listening to the goat’s determined answer, Alice eventually stuffed the question back down after meeting those obsidian black eyes.

There are some things better left unsaid, even a doll knows that!