Chapter 50

Chapter 50 Sea Without Light Part 50

“This is the bathroom. We use domestic wastewater for flushing. The crew’s waste is directly flushed into the sea,” Anton explained, one by one. “This is the kitchen, behind which there is a freezer. Most of the food in it is canned and we stock enough to last half a year at once. Fresh vegetables and meats are hard to preserve and therefore we keep them in small quantities.” He pointed towards the other end, “That way is the recreation room.”

He stopped before a door that had a dartboard hung on it, smiling as he pushed open the door, saying, “Look, a mahjong table. We can play card games or mahjong here, or even billiards or ping-pong. Next to the recreation room is the gym where crew members can exercise. The life at sea is so boring; we need something interesting to do, or… people might go mad.”

When Anton said his last phrase, his face was undoubtedly filled with a broad grin, but somehow, his smile that revealed his large incisors felt so… twisted to Kuixin.

“The environment here isn’t bad,” Lan Lan said. “All the facilities are brand new.”

“That’s because our Kraken is a newly constructed cargo ship and it’s the largest capacity cargo ship in the world,” Anton proudly stated. “To ensure transportation efficiency, the crew’s quarters were arranged in the rear part of the hull, the first deck below the deck. The rest of the vessel is used for cargo. The load at the bow and stern needs to be even, otherwise, the ship cannot balance properly.”

Kuixin looked around and asked, “How many crew members are on this ship?”

“There are forty-three crew members,” Anton replied. “But currently, there are not so many as I previously mentioned many crew members had diarrhea due to food safety issues. After docking at our last port city, I let those affected leave the ship for treatment. There are now only twenty-two people left on board, including you five, making it a total of twenty-seven people.”

“Diarrhea, is this so hard to cure?” Liu Kangyun asked curiously. “It’s quite a big ship, how did they manage with twenty-two people?”

“It’s easy to treat; intravenous medication works in two days. However, the freight company has been pressing us hard for delivery. We stopped overnight in the last port to unload and replace the food. The team members now must handle more workloads as each person must take up twice their usual tasks,” Anton sighed, scratching his forehead. “Now, we often encounter hijackers at sea, which is very unsettling… Fortunately, you’re here!”

“Goodness, this boat seems to be plagued by misfortune, doesn’t it?” Lan Lan was dumbfounded. “I’m a technician, and I should be able to fix the ship’s artificial intelligence. The investigation squad dispatched with a team doctor who is staying onboard the patrol boat next to this freighter. You can contact us if needed.”

“You don’t need a doctor, no one is sick onboard right now,” said Anton. “Fixing the artificial intelligence can wait until tomorrow. Given that you all have flown in by helicopter, you must be exhausted. Please rest tonight.”

Lan Lan insisted, “We can fix it tonight. It’s crucial to have the artificial intelligence functioning early so Augus can take over the navigation.”

Anton paused, then said, “Okay, please help us then.”

“This evening, two people will stand guard on the deck. The rest can rest. Shift duties,” Xueyao Shu instructed. “It’s three in the morning now, take shifts until morning six when you switch.”

“I just slept on the plane, so I don’t feel sleepy at the moment,” Kuixin thought for a bit, before saying. “I’ll take the night shift.”

“Really? Didn’t you mention hypoglycemia just now?” Lan Lan questioned skeptically.

“Do I look that fragile? It was just a sudden dizziness, but I’ve already taken my emergency medication. Everything is fine,” Kuixin asserted. “Please trust me for patrol duty. I am not the type to exaggerate.”

Xueyao Shu scrutinized Kuixin carefully, checking her condition, before saying, “No, you won’t be on duty today. As the captain, I think your current state isn’t suitable for patrol. Rest for tonight, and patrol duty can resume tomorrow.”

“… Understood,” Kuixin felt like she was shooting herself in the foot. She regretted using low blood sugar as an excuse from the start.

Sleeping on the Kraken made Kuixin profoundly uneasy. She didn’t suffer from sleepless nights, but the strange atmosphere on the ship made it impossible for her to fall deeply asleep.

“I’ll participate in the night patrol,” Jiang Ming suggested. “I’m in good shape, just had a quick nap during the flight.”

“So will I,” Lan Lan added. “Let’s go to the engine room after, to fix the artificial intelligence.”

Xueyao Shu agreed, “Alright, let’s do this for tonight. Notify Augus immediately if any unusual event occurs.”

After assigning the mission, everyone started doing their respective duties. The ones who should rest, would, those who must patrol or work did so.

Jiang Ming followed the stairs up to the deck to take his assigned place. Lan Lan headed to the engine room under the captain’s guidance.

Lan Lan said, “I’ll check the conditions of the engine room, and try to repair things as much as possible tonight. Jiang, take up the guard duty, I’ll inform you of the situation shortly.”

“Sure,” Jiang Ming nodded.

Kuixin had an individual room to rest in. Shu Xueyao and Liu Kangyun’s rooms were beside hers.

Crew space being tight meant that individual bathrooms weren’t available. Washing themselves required going to the communal washroom outside.

Kuixin removed some cumbersome gear and entered the washroom, staring blankly into the mirror above the sink.

The heartbeat sounds echoing in her ears could not be a hallucination. But looking at the reactions of Shu Xueyao and others, they couldn’t hear these noises.

Why was she the only one hearing them?

“Augus,” Kuixin whispered.

“I’m here,” Augus responded over her earphone. “Please instruct.”

“When we just boarded the ship, did you notice any abnormal noise?” Kuixin asked. “Like living entity noises besides ours.”

“No,” Augus replied. “I received ocean wave sounds, rotor sounds, and human heartbeats through the equipment of the Seventh Squad. No other life form’s sound was heard. Might I ask you to elaborate further about your dilemma?”

“No, never mind, maybe it was just my imagination after riding in a helicopter,” Kuixin said. “It caused a bit of ear ringing.”

“You can relieve the ringing by massaging certain acupoints,” Augus suggested.

Fuming with frustration, Kuixin rubbed her temple and casually said, “Alright, thanks for the advice.”

Augus: “You’re welcome, serving you is my duty.”

Three minutes later, Kuixin exited the bathroom. Her eyes instantly froze when she opened the door.

A tall man stood stiffly right behind the bathroom door.

He stood close to the bathroom door; opening it almost knocked against his chest.

His black hair was tangled, as though he hadn’t bathed for a week. His body carried a strong odor of sweat; his yellow shirt stained and crumpled. His skin was sallow, with unshaven stubble, deep sunken eyes with dark circles, bloodshot eyes, and two deep tear lines on his face. He looked completely exhausted, as if he hadn’t slept for days.

His appearance was beyond terrible, like someone who could seamlessly join a horror movie.

“What are you doing here? This is the women’s restroom,” Kuixin took a step back, instinctively moving toward her sidearm. “Are you a crew member? What’s your name?”

“A crew member. My name is Tang Guan.” The man smiled stiffly, revealing a weak excuse. “Sorry, I startled you. I wanted to use the bathroom but accidentally misjudged…”

As Tang Guan spoke, he staggered, nearly collapsing, bumping close to Kuixin. She tried to dodge him but was grazed. She quickly moved aside and stepped out of the bathroom.

Tang Guan stabilized by holding onto the door frame. He turned his head to glance at Kuixin, bowed slightly, and rushed away, not entering the men’s restroom nearby.

Is he sick? Kuixin was stunned. When she snapped out of it, she walked aimlessly toward her room, but soon noticed something off in her pocket.

She bent down, noticing a wrinkled note had been placed in her combat suit pocket. The handwriting on the note was chaotic, suggesting it was hastily written.

“Go to the kitchen icebox and check.”

Kuixin’s heartbeat quickened slightly, she glanced in the direction where Tang Guan disappeared.

This is Tang Guan’s message!

Her eyebrows furrowed as she pondered.

Tang Guan lacked malicious intent. If harm had been intended, without a doubt, her premonition would have manifested.

A mysterious aura pervaded the air. The giant Kraken freighter seemed encased in some indescribable terror.

Kuixin thought for a moment, then quickly returned to her cabin. She checked her ammunition and bullets, saying impassively, “Augus, inform the captain and Kai Yun. Our journey is not normal. Have them refrain from resting and come with me to inspect every cabin. Also, let Nan Lan and Jiang Ming know to be vigilant and meet us if possible.”

“Understood,” Augus replied. “Your teammates have been notified.”

In less than thirty seconds, Kuixin saw Shu Xueyao and Liu Kai Yun push open the door almost simultaneously.

They asked in unison, “What happened, Kuixin?”

“We should patrol every cabin of the ship,” Kuixin replied. “Earlier, a peculiar crew member handed me a note. Please don’t think me overly sensitive…

She showed the note in her hand, saying gravely, “Something is wrong here. We must check it out.”

Xueyao Shu and Jiang Ming exchanged a nod, agreeing, “Alright.”

“Augus, notify the patrol boat team to prepare,” said Shu Xueyao. “Send another team onboard.”

“Understood,” said Augus.

There was a pause, then Augus abruptly added, “Captain Shu, Security Officer Nan Lan’s communication line has been lost. I’ve tried contacting her three times but received no response. I couldn’t pick up any heartbeat signals from her three seconds ago.”

“… Is this the fire damage?” Lan Lan gasped. “Was the engine room burned? Why is it so severe? From your tone, I assumed it was a minor issue.”

“The fire started in the engine room components and caused this,” said Anton. “The onboard fire extinguishing system was activated, thus preventing the fire from spreading.”

“This makes things difficult,” Nan Lan knelt down and opened her tool kit, “First, I’ll try to salvage a few of the control boards. They hold important navigation data.”

She manually unscrewed the charred box, the goggles slightly obstructing her view so she temporarily removed them.

The circuit systems in the engine room were damaged too, so her flashlight served as illumination.

Anton moved behind her silently, holding a crowbar.

Anton smiled and raised the crowbar, swinging it down with force.

“Bang!”

Blood splattered across the engine room…