Chapter 84

#Day 22 - 20:20

The second batch of fishermen had been treated and returned to their boat with tightened security. After the chaos of the first batch, Vivienne had ordered handcuffs for anyone who looked like trouble, and the second group—all men—had shuffled back to their lifeboat without incident.

Emeka stood with them at the edge of the aft deck, watching the last of his people climb down. He looked exhausted, but his voice was steady when he spoke.

"This is enough for today. The last batch will come in a few days. We need time to recover. To think." He paused. "My brother and his wife will arrive tomorrow morning."

Zhao nodded. "We'll be ready."

Emeka clasped his hand briefly, then descended. The lifeboat pulled away, a dark shape against the water, carrying with it the first batch's strange, wild eyes and their glowing Dawn Meters.

Vivienne, Zhao, and Aida walked inside together. The corridor lights were dim for the night shift, casting long shadows across the polished floors.

"You should rest," Vivienne said to Zhao. "Tomorrow, Chen."

He opened his mouth to agree, then hesitated. His eyes moved to her face, to the tension in her jaw, the way her hands were clasped too tight behind her back.

"I'll check on Alexis," she continued, already looking past him. "Aida, come with me."

Zhao didn't move. "I'm coming too."

Vivienne turned to argue, but something in his face stopped her. She studied him for a moment, then nodded slowly.

They walked in silence to the junction before the spa. There, Vivienne stopped, took his hand, and kissed him quickly—a brief press of lips that said more than words could. Then Aida did the same, her hand warm on his cheek before she pulled away.

A moment of solidarity before whatever waited ahead.

Victoria was leaning against the wall beside the spa entrance, arms crossed, uniform jacket unbuttoned. She had a toothpick in her mouth that she absolutely did not need.

"Captain." She nodded lazily. "Nice evening for a walk."

Vivienne frowned. "You're supposed to be resting. I can take over."

Victoria didn't move. She pulled the toothpick from her mouth, examined it with exaggerated care, and tucked it behind her ear.

"I won't take my eyes off her." Her voice dropped. "And I suggest you do the same, Captain. She's already got two of ours inside."

Vivienne's expression hardened. "Who?"

"Sabine—the blonde from hospitality. And Chloe. You remember her? Used to be on TV, until someone leaked a tape."

Zhao recognized the name. A face from years ago, splashed across tabloids he'd skimmed in convenience stores. A scandal he couldn't quite remember—something about a powerful producer, a career that ended overnight. She'd been beautiful then. The kind of beautiful that got you invited onto ships like this.

"Sabine was on the guest list too," Aida said quietly. "Fashion model. Runway work, I think. The kind of proportions that get you photographed whether you want it or not."

Vivienne's hands tightened at her sides. "I didn't authorize any treatment."

"No," Aida agreed. "Perhaps this is a good wake-up call. We're dealing with a loose monster. There need to be rules about who can see her."

"Rules." Vivienne's voice was sharp. "And what rules? Do we lock her up because of her body? What if the crew wanted it? Do we stop them?"

Aida held her ground. "I've been asking myself that for days. I haven't found a compromise yet. But the crew's safety comes first."

"Safety enforced through tyranny?" Vivienne's voice rose. "What kind of new world are we building if we become the Commission?"

Zhao watched them, his stomach tight. Vivienne's idealism—she wanted to believe they could be better, that the new world didn't have to repeat the old world's mistakes. Aida's experience—she'd seen what happened when there were no rules, when powerful people took what they wanted.

Both of them were right. Both of them were trapped.

"Maybe..." Zhao started, then stopped. He could feel them looking at him, waiting. His voice came out quieter than he intended. "Maybe we don't need to lock her up. Or let everyone just... do whatever."

He tried to find the words. "The ship needs some people to run. The core crew—the ones who work with AURA, who keep things going. They're... they're too important to lose. If something happened to them, if they got... caught up in her, we'd be in trouble."

He glanced at Vivienne. "But the others—the ones who aren't essential—maybe they can choose. If they want to see her, they can. We don't stop them."

He let the words hang, uncertain if they were right. But Vivienne's expression softened. Aida nodded slowly.

"That could work," Aida said. "Protect the core. Let the rest decide for themselves."

Vivienne was quiet for a moment. "It's not perfect. But it's better than a prison."

Victoria flicked the toothpick back into her mouth. "I can manage that. Core crew check with me first. Everyone else..." She shrugged. "Their funeral. Or their party. Not my business."

Vivienne exhaled slowly. "We'll discuss it tomorrow morning. Make it official."

Aida glanced at Victoria. "How long has she been at it?"

Victoria checked her watch with theatrical seriousness. "Seven hours, twenty-three minutes. Non-stop. No breaks. No complaints." She paused, enjoying their reactions. "Honestly, I'm a little impressed. Also a little terrified, but mostly impressed."

Zhao felt something cold settle in his stomach. Seven hours. He tried to imagine it and couldn't. His mind shied away from the thought.

Is she even human?

They entered the spa.

The air was warm and thick, heavy with steam from the hot spring pools and the cloying sweetness of jasmine. Tropical plants crowded the edges, their leaves glistening with condensation. The underwater lights had been dimmed to a soft amber, turning the water into liquid gold.

And there, at the center of it all, was Alexis.

She reclined on a lounger by the main pool, her body stretched out like a queen holding court. Two women were with her.

The blonde—Sabine—knelt beside her, her mouth working at Alexis's breast with a dreamy, half-lidded focus. She was tall, long-limbed, the kind of proportions that once walked fashion week runways. Her hair was loose, damp with sweat, and she made a soft sound every time Alexis's fingers brushed her neck.

The other—Chloe—was smaller, dark-haired, her face half-turned away. Zhao recognized the angle of her jaw, the way she held her shoulders. He'd seen her on a screen once, years ago, before everything. The scandal came back to him in fragments—a video that shouldn't have been released, a producer who never faced consequences, a career that ended before it began. She'd been on the guest list too. They all had.

Alexis saw them and smiled.

"Captain. You're just in time for dessert." She gestured lazily at the two women. "Want to join?"

No one answered.

Alexis's eyes drifted to Zhao. "It seems I'm getting popular. Word spreads fast."

Zhao's gaze caught on her crotch—the strange, impossible anatomy. He stared before he could stop himself, his mind refusing to process what his eyes were seeing.

Alexis noticed. Smiled wider. Parted her legs deliberately.

"Your boyfriend is staring, Aida. You should spank him tonight."

Zhao jerked his eyes away, heat flooding his face. His hands moved instinctively to cover himself—too late.

Alexis laughed. "Looks like your vector's getting ideas too."

Aida and Vivienne moved in unison, stepping in front of Zhao, blocking his view. He let them. He was grateful for them.

Victoria leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, watching the scene with undisguised amusement.

"Seven hours, twenty-five minutes," she announced. "New record. I'm timing."

Alexis glanced at her. "You're always watching. Don't you ever get bored?"

Victoria shrugged. "You're the most interesting thing on this boat right now. And I've seen Zhao try to fish."

Zhao made a strangled sound somewhere between a laugh and a protest.

Aida's voice was controlled. "How long can you keep this up?"

Alexis stretched, unconcerned. "All day, every day. I never get tired." She looked at Vivienne, her smile turning predatory. "But don't worry. We'll start slow. I can do that too."

Vivienne's hands clenched at her sides. Her jaw was tight, her knuckles white.

"We're leaving," she said. Her voice was steady, but Zhao could hear the effort behind it. "Victoria, turn off the hot spring heaters and jets. Conserve energy. The spa is closed."

She turned and walked out, her heels striking the stone floor with deliberate force, each step a statement of control she was fighting to maintain.

Alexis called after her: "Aw, it's sweet of you to check on me. I appreciate it."

But her eyes followed Vivienne—hungry, patient, a predator watching its prey.

Zhao saw it. Aida saw it. They exchanged a glance. A silent agreement passed between them.

We have to protect her.

Victoria straightened, reaching for the control panel. She caught Alexis's eye and grinned.

"Seven hours, twenty-six minutes," she said. "You'll have to try harder tomorrow."

Alexis laughed—a genuine, surprised sound that cut through the haze. "I like you."

"I'm very likable." Victoria flicked a switch, and the pool lights dimmed further. "Now behave. The adults are leaving."

She held the door for Zhao and Aida, her expression light, but her hand was steady on the panel. Ready to seal the spa if needed.

They stepped into the corridor. Behind them, the moaning continued—Sabine and Chloe, lost in whatever Alexis had done to them, their sounds muffled but still audible through the heavy door.

Victoria closed it gently. The sound didn't stop, but it faded, becoming something distant, almost dreamlike.

She leaned against the wall again, arms crossed.

"Well," she said. "That's a thing."

Zhao couldn't find words. His mind was still processing—the images, the sounds, the casual way Alexis had displayed herself. Aida was pale beside him, her hand cold in his.

Vivienne stood a few steps ahead, her back to them, her shoulders tight. She didn't turn.

"The council meets tomorrow morning," she said. Her voice was steady, controlled. "We'll discuss the rules then."

She walked on, her heels clicking against the floor, her stride powerful but controlled. Zhao could see the tension in her spine, the way her hands were pressed flat against her thighs.

He and Aida followed. Victoria stayed behind, leaning against the door, listening to the muffled sounds from inside.

"The things I do for this ship," she murmured to no one.

Then she pushed off, flicked off the last light, and walked into the darkness after them.

They walked in silence, the weight of what they'd witnessed settling over them. The corridor stretched ahead, dim and empty, and for a long moment no one spoke.

Zhao didn't know what to name what he was feeling. Awe, maybe. Horror. The two were tangled together, impossible to separate.

Ahead of him, Vivienne's shoulders were still tight, her steps still measured. But she was walking. They all were.

Tomorrow there would be rules. Tomorrow there would be a council. Tomorrow they would try to build something that could contain what they'd unleashed.

But tonight, there was only this corridor, and the weight of what they'd seen, and the knowledge that somewhere behind them, the monster was smiling.