Chapter 2 –What's On The Ship?

Day 3

Weird thing happen, I heard there is a man found dead in the lower deck near the engine room. Words say that man was probably being killed by accident when working at night shift. So, the captain doesn't really pay a real attention to that. I also heard that the cats said that they heard something moving along the corridor at night, but people just say maybe it is just the night shift workers.

At afternoon, me and Jelax go to explore the upper deck, we can only reach the forth floor. The fifth is only for employees, my guess is the control room so, no problem there.

At night, they held a celebration of gathering at the main hall. Highly trained performers were hired to dance, sing and act on stage. They really did their best, no mistake and good looking. Well, I guess that is one of the specialties we human can show to other races.

Day 4

Two men and a woman were found dead lying at the lower deck again at the early morning by a passing passenger. This time, the bodies were found near the swimming pool…. being torn apart, the captain of the ship had contacted the police. However, we are now way off shore. It will take 2 days to reach us from there. The ship believes to have a killer or a group of killer. It was not a safe place to stay anymore. Many people want to leave the ship, but we are trap on a moving 'island'.

IMERGENCY ADDITION: Its 2.13, actually at 13… 14… 15… 16 seconds… no wait, 18, 19… whatever, in the morning, I think I just heard something moving along the corridor just outside my room. It's like the footsteps of people, but louder and I do believe it's around 10 people. Dude, I can't believe I am using these words, but that's so freaking haunted!!

Day 5

Four bodies of the staff are found lying at the upper floor…. with broken bones everywhere…... This time, there are also three male cat warriors and a regon are found dead in the main hall and the restaurant… Boy, they sure made a mass in both place, cuz the place is now closed for the rest of the trip. After the death of two races, I don't think they will fully trust us anymore… Lance sounds a bit worried when she knows the death of her kind. Tysandart started to worry as she leads her races on this tour. Okay, I admit, this ship is really something wrong. Even we human cannot stand a chance against three cat warriors and a Regon. Something horrible must have slept pass into the ship, but what?!

I don't know about others, but I started to hate this trip… Something on this ship has become more aggressive than before.

--

After reading through what he had wrote before, he found out that 8 human, 3 cats and 1 Regon had died in this ship. He doesn't enjoy his trip and his diary writing habits anymore. Does that mean the ship haunted? No one ever lived to tell the tale, what else is there to tell because the aftermath is clear. The worst is, the police helicopter that supposed to be arrived by this morning had caught up with a storm on midway. With nowhere to land, it had to turn back. The captain also seems to be acting a little weird; he is as calm like a cucumber over the microphone. The stadium in this ship has been totally trashed by something; it has no different to a waste land anymore. What's more, they are now more than 50000 kilometers away from the land, and their destination still nowhere to be seen.

"That's it," said David to himself, "something had to be done." He doesn't know how dangerous will it going to be, but as soon as he told the others about searching the ship by tonight, they all gladly join in: three Regons, a cat assassin and his two best friends, one that is obvious love struck, and one that is unavoidably grimy.

Gathering at the ship deck, nobody made a sound until David breaks the silence himself.

"First, we have to do a little investigate to familiar ourselves on this ship first," said David, his friends looks puzzled by what he want to do, "in case we have to run."

They spent the following day walked through all the floors and scenes the incidents occur until dawn. They all went back to their room to get some rest until the dead of the night.

It is already 1 o'clock in the morning, and the sounds that haunted the ship haven't been heard yet. All of them are sitting separately in David's room. That night was very quiet, even a drop of nail on the cold marble floor can be heard. Everyone hadn't spoken a word for half an hour, since they had been out of topic. Out side the sliding glass doors, the half shaped moon shone brightly with millions of stars. The night sky was clear, not even a cloud get its chance to hang itself on the sky.

"I am bored, for god sake," said Lance while wiping her eyes. Roy, who seemed to be bored by waiting had fallen asleep long ago. He murmured something from time to time, and the jokes were on him from his friends, guessing what's in his dream.

Suddenly, a grumbling noise came from above them raised everyone's excitement. Everyone stood up and glanced up the ceiling, as if trying to see through it. Tysandart's ears quickly stand as high as they can.

"It's coming from the upper deck," said her.

"How far?" asked David as he starts to grab his bag while everyone stands up.

"About two layers above," replied the cat assassin while listening closely to the trembling sounds, "vertically."

"Check the map," said David. Jelax quickly referred to the map they had drawn at this dawn. Such a cheesy drawing by Roy, but he did his best since he always works on blueprints. Even a smiley can be seen at the edge of the paper.

"It's the control room," said Jelax.

"Okay, wake that red guy," said David like a veteran commander, "get your stuff, we are going up." Spike gave a rough shook at Roy, who turned and yawned.

"Oh, my white bird angel…." Murmured Roy slowly, "don't leave me." Roy stretched his hands to hug something he imagined in front of him in his dream, Spike quickly dodged and rolled on the floor. When everyone hears that, they all paused and stared blankly at the still sleeping Roy.

"I wonder," said David slowly, "if Pekok really enjoy spending her time with him?"

"Hopefully not….." sounded Roy again.

All the way to the control room was rather quiet and empty. Nothing seemed to be wrong. They make their way slowly and quietly into the control room since it was not lock. They searched around the empty dark control room, nothing seems to be wrong; and it is unusually empty since night shift had been canceled for safety purposes. The ship is now on auto every night onwards.

"Well," said David finally, "whatever it is, its not here anymore." They knew they had lost track of the sounds, and are left clueless. To be precise, they will have to wait for the 'grumbling sounds' again somewhere.

"Standing here gives me the creeps, man," said Roy, "let's go back."

"Before that," interrupted David, "Is there anything that looks suspicious?" Everyone scanned the room for a few minutes, the floor is clean and carpeted; the walls were in good shape and there isn't any trace of brute forces. Nothing is missing, the button left untouched. The only movement here is the automated wheel, turning slightly from time to time.

"Nope," replied Spike, "everything is normal here."

"What about night vision scan?" asked David towards Tysandart.. You can see at night, you know what I mean…. She only shook her head after a while. Suddenly, all of them heard another tremor again.

"About 30 degrees upward horizontally from here," said the cat before David asks.

"30 degrees upward, 30 degrees upward," muttered Jelax as he gave a quick scan on the map of the ship, "ship deck."

"Let's go!" say David and everyone dashed to the upper level.

When they get to the top of the deck, the first thing that really attracted them was the bright full moon, followed by the cloudless night sky, filled with thousands of shining stars. It was beautiful picture-like scenery that somehow filled everyone's mind with wonders.

"Hey, who's that?" murmured David after he noticed a human figure standing at the far end of the large sized platform. Everyone started to focus their view on the human figure. It turns out to be spiky and furthermore, it is shining under the bright moon light.

"If he is the one that make all the noise and killed all the people…" whispered Jelax silently, "He is good."

"That's not human," whispered Tysandart back after studying it with her cat eye.

"What," added Roy, "what do ya mean not human?"

Tysandart didn't reply. She only focused her eyes on the thing. Everyone else didn't make a sound, neither a muscle until the thing started to move. It lifted its arms towards their position, with its five fingers spread widely from its palms. Its sudden moves quickly alert the seven of them, they too quickly position themselves for a fight. With guns pulled out from the two sockets, swords and lance drawn, they wait for the thing to make its next move. Spike only held his empty hands out, showing that he got no weapon. Crush quickly took one part of his heavy multi-tomahawk, a short lance and gave it to Spike.

"What," said Spike, "he is picking a fight?" None of them reply, for they know they will be doomed if they let their guard down.

Then, just before they start thinking it wouldn't attack, the figure's fingers started to move in different patterns.

"What is it doing now?" laughed Roy in an uncomfortable way.

"You will know soon enough," say the black cat with a grim look. "I think we are ambushed."

Soon, the deck was filled with numerous numbers of metals that looks like human figures, trapping the seven of them at the center. They came from every corners of the platform, crawling their way through and swarm the ship deck like cockroaches in a few seconds. All the figures are the same; they have a skull-shaped face and bony body. Under the moonlight, and under the shadows, thousands of crystal green eyes can be seen within the crowds. Now, it is obvious they are outnumbered by 10 to 1. Roy simply watched with his dropped jaw, while Jelax gave a "humph…this is bad"