Deep Sea Embers

After leaving the border and embarking on this long "journey to the end of the world", the crews of the Lost Home and the Brilliant Star have gradually formed a new and tacit connection. Sometimes, the people on the two ships will They visit each other and sometimes communicate with each other. In most cases, AI is the bridge between the two ships - and these contacts and the "daily life" based on the contacts seem to be quietly becoming a way to maintain the relationship on the ship. The anchor of everyone’s “humanity.”

Because they are far away from the civilized world, far away from people and society, travelers are particularly in need of communication between people. When the fog at the end of the world covers everything, it is particularly important to be able to confirm each other's existence in the fog. Originally gathered in Nina, Shirley and others in the restaurant almost disappeared in the blink of an eye. They all took their own knives, forks and rice bowls (Shirley still brought her big rice bowl without hesitation) and were in a happy and good mood. The scene soon became quiet, and finally Duncan was left sitting at the dining table, looking at the remaining bowl of thick and bubbling "soup" and a pile of charred suspected food on the table with a helpless smile.

After a while, he shook his head and couldn't help but mutter: "I don't know how Maurice solved the problem of eating when he was exploring everywhere when he was young. Could it be that he relied on his digestive system to fight it off?"

As soon as he finished speaking, he saw Agatha's figure suddenly reflected on a shiny spoon on the edge of the dining table: "I have heard him say this - one-third of the time eating dry food, one-third In one case, you eat whatever you find, and in the remaining one-third of the cases, you transform yourself into a cast form, drink engine oil, eat boiling gold, and hand over your physical body to the gods.

Duncan: "—like something he could do."

Agatha shrugged: "Actually, I can still understand all this, but the old man said that the most extreme time he was trapped in a deep crevice lasted for several weeks. After he came out, he felt that the taste of the death bird was pretty good - this is credible. There is a question mark in my mind about the extent. "

Before Agatha finished speaking, the question mark in her heart had already moved to Duncan's forehead - the latter listened in stunned silence, and couldn't help but say: "Bite the deep devil?! Doesn't that thing have meat?" "

Agatha spread her hands and walked from the back of the spoon to the table knife next to it: "Who knows? He told me last time after drinking. You also know that drunk old people tell about their adventures. Experience is usually only as good as the last one. "

Duncan's mouth trembled and he decided not to dwell on this topic.

He raised his head and looked at the portholes not far away - through the open window panels, he could see that the uniform gray-white background still extended infinitely outside the Lost Home, as if the whole world had melted into that boundless area. In the endless gray, "What are you thinking about?" Agatha's slightly magnetic voice came from the side. At some point, her figure was reflected on the lampshade of a hanging lantern nearby. In the flickering firelight, she His face looked a little blurry.

"We have been gone for a long time," Duncan said softly suddenly after being silent for a few seconds, "Do you still miss Hanshuang now?"

"Yes," Agatha said without hesitation. She looked at Duncan with only honesty in her eyes. "I will not hide my true thoughts from you - nor can I ignore the memory and feelings of the past few decades. The weight accumulated in my heart, although those memories and feelings are just a piece of eagle, I still recall the days in the frost. Sometimes when I wake up from a trance, I even think that I am still in that cathedral, waiting. Meeting with Bishop Ivan."

She paused here, then breathed softly and looked into Duncan's eyes.

"You have other plans for us, don't you?"

Duncan looked at the "gatekeeper" reflected in the lights with some surprise: "Why do you think so?"

I can feel that you have a plan. You are 'cruising' along the borders of this world, and every time the Lost Home goes,

There is some kind of mark left on it," Agatha said slowly, "I don't know what it is, it is beyond my understanding, but in the world of reflection, I can clearly see that there is something left behind. In the wake of the Lost Home, from the node of the Storm Goddess, to the node of the God of Wisdom, to the current route—

“You are ‘circling’ the whole world in a way, and in those ‘imprints’ surrounding the world, I smell the end.

"You are going to do a big thing. This 'tour' along the end of the world is just the first step of it. When you complete the arrangements at the border, that's when the plan will finally be launched, and I can feel you. There doesn't seem to be any intention for us to follow you to the end."

Duncan fell silent and looked into Agatha's eyes silently.

"The gatekeeper's eyes can see many things that ordinary people can't see, and after turning into a reflection, I started to see more. You can think of it as a peep into destiny," Agatha smiled softly. He stood up and slowly shook his head, "I was awakened by a nightmare in the dark. When I woke up, I saw this ship sailing in an endless void, and the ship was empty. Only you stood at the stern and steered the ship. I talked to you, called your name, and asked where other people were going, but you couldn't see me or hear my voice. At that time, I vaguely guessed that on your next journey, It doesn’t seem like there’s room for us.”

Agatha paused briefly and continued: "And now, you suddenly ask me if I still miss Hanshuang, which makes me even more convinced of my judgment."

Duncan did not speak for a long time while listening to the other party's words. He just thought quietly. After a long time, he broke the silence: "It is indeed as you said. The Lost Homeland is on a "tour" around the world. After this tour, I will do something that is enough to restart this "world". Before that, you need to leave."

Agatha did not speak either, but just looked at this side quietly-she knew that the captain had not finished speaking.

This is not expulsion," Duncan continued after a moment of silence, "You are my crew, always have been, and I have arranged positions for you during my journey, but when I am carrying out the last step, you have other tasks."

Can you tell me what you are going to do? "Agatha asked softly.

"The first step is to destroy this world," Duncan said calmly after a long thought, "and in this process, you will serve as my 'anchor point' and bear witness for me, because at that stage, I may not be able to observe everything with my own eyes.

Agatha listened quietly to the captain's plan and did not speak for a long time. It was not until a long time after Duncan finished speaking that she hesitantly broke the silence: "No wonder you took the Brilliant Star instead of letting Miss Lucrecia take the Lost Homeland directly.

"There must be a ship responsible for the return voyage," Duncan said, "Lucy is a very smart girl, she should also be aware of my subsequent arrangements."

'She may be aware of it, but you will eventually tell others the full picture of the plan in person," Agatha looked at her captain very seriously, "You can always trust us. "

I trust you, but it took me a long time to roughly organize the ideas of this plan," Duncan met the gatekeeper's gaze frankly, "In fact, it was not until I left Gemona's territory that I figured out the underlying order of this world and determined that the "shutdown program" of the entire shelter must be executed to solve the troubles left by the Great Annihilation. Before that, taking the Brilliant Star was just a cautious "backup plan." Listening to Duncan's explanation, Agatha exhaled lightly, and then suddenly smiled again: "Then I feel much more relieved. "

She jumped down from the glass lampshade of the lantern, and her figure jumped among the sparkling cups and plates on the dining table, and finally stopped in the water glass next to Duncan's hand.

"You have a careful arrangement, so we can execute it boldly. At any time, the captain's order is better than no order. "

Duncan smiled and looked down at the reflection of Agatha in the cup, knocked on the water cup, and broke the gatekeeper inside into pieces.

"That's perfect, now I have an order. "

Agatha's figure appeared on the porcelain plate next to her: "Please give your orders.

"Call the sailor over and ask him to clean up this place," Duncan stood up and waved his hand, "That guy hasn't shown up since he no longer needs to steer the ship. He really thinks he doesn't have to do anything after getting a permanent ticket for the Lost Homeland."

Agatha's voice was filled with laughter: "Okay, Captain!"

Duncan nodded and turned to leave the restaurant.

He was going to return to his captain's room and take a nap before reaching the next "node". Before that, he could also go to the bridge to see the situation of the doll lady. Although Alice is now an "empty shell" tied to the steering wheel in theory, except for pretending to drive the ship, everything else is left to her instinct as "Pilot No. 3", but leaving that fool on the bridge for a long time is still a worrying thing.

With this thought in mind, Duncan walked slowly towards the stern deck, but just as he was about to step onto the stairs to the bridge, he suddenly stopped.

Bang, bang, bang.

The sound of knocking on the window suddenly came into his ears.

Duncan was instantly relieved and subconsciously looked for the direction where the sound came from, but the next second he found that there were no windows around him. The sound of knocking on the glass window continued to sound, but it seemed to sound directly in his mind.

Duncan frowned, and then finally reacted.

The sound came directly from his "cognition"!

He suddenly raised his head and saw the "Lost Hometown Door" standing quietly not far ahead.