The Mariner

“I’ve told you. Science. I’m not some witch-doctor, or quack. I’ve tested my theorem thoroughly. Every time we bring in a prisoner I give them a little of my blood first, and they always take it without harm. We’re entirely logical here, captain.” Finished, she fixed him with a look that reminded him of Diane, or perhaps Tetrazzini.

Suddenly the door behind him opened, causing the Mariner to jump, but it was only the blond woman from before, returning from her errand, and the Mariner found a glass pushed into his hand. It contained an amber liquid that pleasingly turned out to be a pungent scotch. Unable to hold back he gulped it down. Momentarily lost in his dependency, the Mariner closed his eyes, concentrating on the warmth that flowed down his throat and the, not wholly unpleasant, ache in his stomach. It was a welcome heat after the chill of Mavis’ teachings.

“Captain, I’d like to introduce you to Heidi. Between her and Harris the whole operation we have here is held together.”

“Heidegger,” the woman said, stiffly shaking the Mariner’s hand, draining what little warmth he’d sapped from the scotch.

Passing the glass back to Heidi for a refill, the Mariner decided to address a suspicion he’d felt when listening to Harris’ report. “This Anomenemy Harris captured, I think I might have met her before.”

“Really?” Mavis was intrigued. “And what makes you think that?”

“I met a creature, human in appearance, though straight away it was clear she was something more. She was known as the Oracle, but she had no truths of her own to share, only stolen thoughts. And once thoughts were stolen from her victims, they became Mindless, zombies if you prefer, violent unthinking shells. It sounds like the same Anomenemy that destroyed Harris’ crew.”

“It certainly does,” Mavis said, indicating for Heidi to bring the Mariner his next drink, keen to keep him talking.

As she poured, Heidi took over the explanation. “We heard rumours of an Oracle and tracked it down to an island. An island, I might add, that was a bit of an anomaly itself. But we dealt with the living rocks around it. Dynamite!” Heidi sounded pleased with the incredible feat, but the Mariner wondered if what she said was true, or just wishful thinking? The coral had seemed vast and unconquerable.

“I left Harris and his crew to capture the creature whilst I returned to resume protection of the Beagle. That was a mistake. He clearly became overwhelmed.”

Heidi passed the Mariner a second drink. As it entered his hand he promised himself that he would make it last, a promise he broke mere moments later.

“It seems we met the same Oracle.”

Heidi nodded. “And it escaped us both.”

“Why bring them back here?” he asked, turning to Mavis. “Why not kill them where they’re found?”

“Research. Learning. Before they are put to death we must see what facts can be squeezed out. Perhaps after this latest mishap I need to change that policy. This Anomenemy needs deleting, and we can’t risk it infecting any more with its power. Captain, I want you to take Heidi to this island Harris’ ship crashed into. There she will find this Oracle and kill it. You will do this?”

Without any hesitation, the Mariner agreed.

“Excellent, you’ll have our assistance should you need it. But for now go and eat, stock up on supplies, it’s the least we can do for returning young Harris to our fold.”

Captain Heidegger took the Mariner by the arm and, not too gently, ushered him out, through the dimly lit research room and back into the corridor. No sooner as she closed the door on the old inquisitor, did she suddenly turn and push him against the wall, uneven panels jabbing his back.

“Just what the fuck aren’t you telling us?” Her eyes were aflame, the surprising fury leaving the Mariner aghast. Too vast a collection of thoughts and emotions were coursing through his head. On the one hand, here he was on a strange ship surrounded by another possibly hostile cult; true they seemed friendly now, but weren’t they always at first? On the other hand, he’d just had two whiskeys on an empty, practically starving, stomach, and now pushed round by a rather attractive young woman.

“I haven’t told you all sorts of things,” he mused. “But nearly all of them are irrelevant.”

“You think that’s funny? Harris’ crew are dead, or at the very least lost to us. And yet here you are, claiming not only to have encountered the Anomenemy responsible, but that you managed to escape unscathed?”

“Not entirely,” the Mariner’s retort was bitter as he remembered a devil lying dead in the sand.

“But you did survive, which means you’re not stupid. And yet you were stupid enough to seek out a creature calling itself an ‘Oracle’. So tell me this: what’s the real reason you visited that island?”

“What can I say? I’m a curious fellow.”

The Mariner tried to pull away, but the woman had the advantage, though it was taking most of her weight and energy to achieve.