“Listen Thorn, I'm super sorry for what I did. But what's the big fuckin’ deal? You got paralyzed, sure, sure, but I got sent to prison for life.”
Mantis shivered.
“I mean, I was only in there for a little bit over a year, but do you have any idea what they did to me up in there? They messed me up. They beat me til I couldn’t even scream for help, until I was black and blue, until I-”
Mo stood up from his breakfast, interrupting Mantis and his tirade.
“We have heard your damn pity story enough. What don’t you understand? We don’t care. Please just leave us alone.”
Looking back, Sam observed Mantis and his posse of a few others snickering. They had been at this for the whole journey, using every opportunity that they could get to taunt and harass Sam and Mo. Every breakfast, every group meeting, any opportunity they could get, they took.
Sam opened his mouth to speak, but the intercom buzzed again. It was Captain Icaris’ voice.
ALL PERSONNEL ON BOARD, REPORT TO THE MAIN DECK FOR A HEADCOUNT IN THIRTY MINUTES.
Realizing that they didn’t have time to waste, Mantis sneered - leading his group over to the line for breakfast. Due to the announcement, many of the passengers would now be showing up to breakfast to fuel themselves for whatever was going to happen.
After a few minutes, Mo was done eating. He silently sat and thought, giving Sam time to finish his breakfast and collect his thoughts. About twenty minutes after the announcement had come on, the dining hall was packed.
Finishing up his plate, Sam put his empty plate under Mo’s and grabbed both of them.
“Alright Mo, let’s get to it. I wouldn’t want to be late.”
Mo answered while standing up and expertly handling Sam’s wheelchair through the crowded space.
“So what do you think will happen to us? I personally hope that we just survive.”
“I don’t know Coach. You’re the one that is supposed to tell me what to do. That’s how we worked. Don’t go asking your pupils all the questions.”
Mo chuckled as they left the dining hall and headed down the hallway towards the elevator that would take them to the deck of the ship. There were several others in the hallway as well, also carrying their belongings and gathering their thoughts for the future.
“Well then who else am I supposed to ask for advice on this god forsaken ship then Sam, hmm? It’s not like anyone else on here knows what is going on either. All of us on this ship are stuck on here, whether we like it or not. And we are all wondering the same thing, ‘Am I going to see my family again? Am I going to survive? What’s going to happen to me?’”
Mo paused for a moment as they entered the elevator.
“You know, I’m really lucky that I have you, you know. Most people on here don’t have anyone at all, let alone someone that they were extremely close with before we were put on here.”
Mo looked away, sniffling a little as the doors to the elevators opened to the deck.
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“So let’s get through this together, whether it kills us or not.”
—-
97…
98…
99…
100…
[System Ac%$@v$#^3$n Complete.]
[Beginning Integration]
[ERROR]
[ERROR]
[ERROR]
—-
“Alright everybody, listen up. From this moment onwards, we are in Aurian Territory. We must listen to their rules and obey their customs. We cannot risk them attacking our mainland for the foreseeable future, or we may risk being taken out.”
Captain Icaris, current de facto leader of the N.E. Sacrifice addressed the crowd of debtors collected on the main deck of the ship.
“At least, that's what I would say if I was really Captain Icaris.”
A silence permeated the air on the deck on the N.E. Sacrifice.
A member of Mantis’ posse cleared his throat and asked in a shaky voice.
“What do you mean by, ‘If I was actually Captain Icaris’? You are Captain Icaris, right?”
Captain Icaris started laughing uncontrollably. As he was rolling on the ground laughing, Vice-Captain Rush stepped up.
“Worry not, my dear offer-I mean my worried passengers, I will make use of you yet.”
Squeezing Mo’s hand, Sam thought to himself.
What the hell is going on? Is this some sort of ploy to get us to understand our situation? Why are they acting so weird?
Mo leaned down and whispered into his ear.
“Don’t worry Sam. Whatever happens, just know that I will be there to help you, even if it costs me my life.”
Squeezing his hand again, Sam looked up to what was unfolding on the deck.
Despite his previous shakiness, the member of Mantis' group that had spoken up earlier was now eerily walking towards the Captain and Vice-Captain duo with calm and deliberate steps. Several members of the crew, along with a couple of debtors were also walking in the same, calmly calculated way to where the Captain was still lying on the ground, laughing hysterically, now to the point of tears and mucus streaming down his face and wetting the ground beneath him. He seemed unbothered by the filth and just kept laughing and rolling, making an even bigger mess.
The people that had been eerily walking had now made it to where the Captains were, and they stood there frozen, as if they were waiting for permission to be able to move again. Sam couldn't see their faces, but if he could he would have seen that their eyes were glazed over and they were exhibiting none of the habits or quirks that signified that they were acting with a clear conscience. It suddenly grew quiet.
All of the people that had been walking turned around to face the rest of the crew and passengers at the same time - and the now silent Captain Icarus stood up behind them and stared on as well. They all had glazed eyes and were standing with the same posture.
Then, a subtle change permeated the faces of those standing quietly. Their faces started to morph in a grotesque and gut wrenching fashion. They all started to grow or shrink as well, their bodies exhibiting strange tweaks and unnatural movements, until they were all still. When they were done, a terrifying scene was beheld by the people watching. Twelve pairs of the same eyes looked out onto the spectators. There had been Captain Icaris, seven members of the ship crew, three debtors including the member of Mantis’ group, and of course Vice-Captain Rush - or whatever he was - himself.
They spoke together, their voices all the same, sounding like an impending chorus of demise.
“The Vanished have a use for you peasants here today, and I have been tasked with preparing you for it.”
They all smiled in the same creepy way together.
“You will help us take over and conquer this planet.”
