Deep Sea Embers

The deep sea is something to fear.

Alice is a doll, but she still has eyes that express emotion and changes in expression that are difficult to explain with common sense, so Duncan can clearly detect from the other party's expression that she is interested in the deep sea...or something in the deep sea. The fear and resistance of these "things", and then thinking of the spiritual world and the so-called frontier visions he saw on the sea before, he can easily realize that the vast ocean he is in is absolutely hidden. fear.

However, the Lost Homeland was sailing on this boundless ocean, and the mechanical ship that had hit in the spirit world was also sailing on this ocean.

This can't help but make him curious about some more distant things - what is the land in this world like? In other words, is there normal land in this world?

However, the puppet in front of her couldn't answer her own question, and most of the time Alice remembered was in a dazed state. According to Duncan's judgment, it should be the effect of some kind of seal...or "suppression".

He still remembers the situation in the cabin he observed through the huge perception of the Lost Home when he passed by the mechanical ship, those mysterious runes, the arrangement with strong religious symbols, and the engraved words on the outside of Alice's "coffin". The symbols all mean one thing:

Her "cursed doll" must be deeply feared in "civilized society".

If Duncan looked at the doll girl in front of him meaningfully, the latter returned a calm and calm look.

"To confirm again, you don't remember where you came from at all, and you can't remember what you have experienced in the past, right?"

"I don't remember," Alice replied seriously, "I have been lying in this big box for as long as I can remember--I don't know why, but it seems that there is always a group of nervous people around me. I was afraid that I would come out of it, so I used various methods to seal the box. To be honest, when I think about it now, I suddenly feel that the circle of nails you nailed on the lid of my box before was quite friendly... Although you added it later. Eight shells, but at least you didn't fill them with lead, did you?"

Duncan didn't pay attention to Alice's trash talk this time, but continued to ask: "Then where did your name come from? Who gave you this name? If you really never left the box, and never met Why do you have a name when other people come into contact with it? Could it be that you gave it to yourself?"

Alice froze suddenly.

She seemed to have really fallen into a daze, and remained in a daze for more than ten seconds. Almost when Duncan was worried about whether the doll also had the setting of "crash", the lady doll resumed her activities again. : "I...don't remember, I knew from the beginning that my name was Alice, but I didn't come up with the name myself, I..."

She muttered to herself in confusion, subconsciously supporting her head with both hands, which made the corners of Duncan's eyes twitch, and he quickly stopped: "Okay, forget it if you don't remember, you don't have to pull your head off..."

Alice: "..."

After that, Duncan asked the puppet lady in front of him many questions, but unfortunately, most of them had no results.

As Miss Puppet herself said, most of the time since she became conscious she has passed in that "coffin" in a drowsy state, maintaining a state of alternating sleep and half-awake. Little is known about the world, and the only knowledge comes from the conversations outside the coffin he heard while half asleep, and these trivial knowledge can hardly piece together the outline of this world for Duncan.

But even so, Duncan was not without gains - in the conversation with Alice, he confirmed at least a few things:

In this world, there is a power structure called "city-state". The city-state of Prand.

It seemed to be a prosperous place, and sailors said in conversation that it "had an important place on many sea routes."

Secondly, Alice also has the title "Anomaly 099", and this seems to be some kind of "official" title in the civilized world. As for the name "Alice" she said so far, no one except herself and Duncan It seems that there is no third person who knows.

In the end, Alice has been being transferred from one city-state to another, and it seems that she is not the only "abnormal" who has been transferred in this way. During some journeys, she has heard those in charge of "escorts" mention in conversations Words like "other seal room".

Based on this, Duncan boldly guessed that perhaps this action of constantly shifting the "abnormality" itself is also a necessary means to seal the anomaly and prevent it from "breaking out of trouble".

And it is obvious that the team responsible for transporting anomaly 099 this time has had a bad luck—because of the Lost Home that appeared in the sky, the "doll" they escorted has already escaped.

I just don't know what is so scary about this weird cursed doll, and what kind of damage she will cause if she escapes.

After all... she seemed pretty harmless aboard the Lost Home.

Frankly, Duncan was disappointed.

He thought he had finally found an information channel that could help him understand the world, but he didn't expect that the guy lying in the coffin was as confused as himself.

But when he glanced at Alice who was still sitting quietly on the wooden box again, this disappointment faded a little.

At least, he now has someone else to talk to on the Lost Home - although she seems to be a puppet, although it is scary when her head falls off, although she must have more secrets, although she occasionally pops up Trash talk.

But she's better than that noisy goat's head.

And speaking of weird dangers... this boundless sea, this ship of Lost Homeland, and the strange things on this ship, which one looks safe?

Even from the perspective of others, he, "Captain Duncan", seems to be the most dangerous one in the boundless sea.

Duncan breathed a sigh of relief, unconsciously, his expression eased a little, and asked with a gossiping attitude: "I want to know, if I throw you overboard again, what will you do?"

Alice blinked: "Are you still stuffing the shells this time?"

"No."

"Is it still nailing?"

"Uh... no."

"Is it filled with lead?"

"No...cough, I mean, if I refuse you to stay on board..."

"Then I'll paddle back again," Alice sat dignifiedly, and said calmly, "I don't want to be swallowed by this sea. At least there is a place to stay on this boat of yours."

Duncan was so shocked by the frankness of this doll that he didn't know whether to say she was honest or thick-skinned for a while, and after careful consideration, he said: "You can be more tactful..."

"Anyway, you already know the answer, don't you?" Alice said with a smile, "But if I come back again, I might find a way to hide somewhere in the cabin so that you won't find out, so I won't run carelessly on the deck again. Yes. My recovery time is still short, and I didn’t think thoroughly when I returned a few times before, but now I have experience..."

Duncan interrupted her: "My perception is all over the ship, and I can even judge the position of every wave hitting the hull."

Alice's words behind her were immediately choked back: "Ah..."

Duncan continued to say calmly: "And I can also choose to destroy you directly, and use a more thorough way to prevent you from continuing to pester me and my Homeless."

Miss Doll really didn't think about this possibility, she subconsciously opened her eyes wide, and then there was a click near her neck...

The headless puppet caught his head in a hurry, and began to press it on his neck frivolously. Duncan's atmosphere couldn't be created any longer. He could only sigh dumbfoundedly, and waited for Alice to put his head back. Then he continued: "However, I suddenly felt that it would not be a bad thing to have one more crew member on this ship—if you can be honest on this ship, I can arrange a place for you."

"You said it earlier! My head was scared off!"

After all, Duncan couldn't hold back the corners of his eyes trembling: "So what's going on with your neck?"

Alice looked innocent: "I don't know! I usually don't have so many opportunities to 'come out and do some activities'. I don't know why my body has such problems..."

Duncan looked at Alice silently for a few seconds, and said seriously: "It seems that lying in bed for a long time is not good for the cervical spine."

Alice: "..."

Looking at the speechless Miss Doll, Duncan suddenly felt a little better.

"Well, all in all, there is a new crew member on the Lost Home—come with me, and I will arrange a place for you to rest."