Chapter 388: The Ship

"Who… is that?"

Angela's words were gentle, almost as if she didn't want to wake up the woman peacefully lying at the very center of the silver hall. It was a surreal site — probably even more so than any of the cathedrals that Angela has seen in her life, and she has seen everything.

The silver hall was completely empty, and yet there in the middle, a person was resting on a platform. It almost seemed as if she was a part of the hall.

The woman's body was completely bare, stripped of any armor she might have had once— and yet, it did not feel voyeuristic or leering; in fact, everything in this hall just felt natural, and Angela could not explain why it was.

"Wait… isn't that Alice Lane?" And finally, a name and a memory surfaced in Angela's mind.

"It is," Riley nodded.

"You… don't really look anything alike," Alice muttered as she looked back and forth between Alice's body and Riley. Of course, she didn't really need to say it— there were hardly any people that looked like Riley.

Even those who supposedly share his condition, macrostomia, albinism, or whatever else Riley has— he looked completely different from them. If anything, Riley was the epitome of perfection of imperfections.

It was a weird way to describe him, but that's Riley— weird to the core.

"Why… is her body here?" Angela finally paused her thoughts as she focused on Alice's body; but with her question, she also finally realized why Alice seemed so natural being in this place,

"This place… is it some sort of crypt?"

"..." Riley didn't really say anything; only letting out a small breath as he slowly made his way to the center of the hall,

"I have the same question as you, Angela. Just why exactly would Alice's carcass be here?" Riley whispered as he looked at Angela,

"You said the other graves were also empty and hollow?"

"Yes," Angela quickly nodded as she too approached Alice's body.

"You think the other carcasses are also here?"

"It's… possible," Angela squinted her eyes to try and see through the floor and walls. But alas, everything was still a blur,

"...But for some reason, I have a feeling… that she was the only one who received a special treatment like this," she then said as her eyes once again roamed the immaculate silver hall.

"Hm," Riley nodded as he stood beside Alice's body, "So…

…this is my mother," he then whispered as he looked at her from head to toe, "She was quite beautiful, no?"

"...She is," Angela lowered her voice, before taking a few steps back and allowing Riley some space. Although the entire situation was completely otherworldly and her confusion grew by the millisecond, the circumstances called for her to just keep her silence for now.

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Her silence did not last long, however, as Riley quickly let out a small but deep sigh as he stared at Alice's face.

"I don't know what to do with this finding. We should explore the ship more to—"

"How long do you think the ship has been here?" Angela asked; almost gesturing to Riley to stay just a little bit more at his mother's side, "It's halfway to the core… wouldn't that mean it's been here for a very long time? A thousand years? Maybe more?"

"...Hm," Riley slightly squinted his eyes as his eyes also started to wander across the silver hall.

"But then…" Angela, however, seemed to be keen on answering her own questions, "...It wouldn't make sense since the ship seems to be getting the bodies from Arlington Cemetery…

…except if the grave was built exactly there because the ship was down below."

"Hm."

"If I am right, Arlington was built sometime 250 years ago… just who do you think owns this ship?"

"My other mother, most probably."

"...What?"

"It's probably my other mother's ship," Riley repeated his words as he shrugged, "She does things that one would find unexplainable in normal terms. Even Megawoman herself doesn't know how she thinks… but then again, I have recently come to the realization that Aerith isn't really the best thinker."

Riley has been with Aerith for 2 years. And throughout their adventure in the expanse of space, he watched as Aerith… made some dubious decisions. The very reason they spent that long to reach Hotis 4J in the first place was that she forgot the directions.

"Your… other mother?" Angela chose to ignore the latter half of Riley's words to hold onto her sanity, "You mean Diana Ross? Why would she be involved here?"

"You will find out soon since you're sticking with me."

"You called me here," Angela could really only sigh, before shaking her head and deciding to just focus on Alice, "Should we… retrieve her body?"

"Why?"

"...What do you mean why? She's your mother. Don't you want to bury her properly?"

"She looks peaceful enough here, Angela."

"Then what about her mother, Charlotte?" Angela once again sighed, "I am sure she would want to know about what is happening to her daughter's body."

"I don't think Charlotte cares about her family that much," Riley shook his head, "If she did, she would have made sure to adopt me— or even took care of her daughter while she was alive."

"That… can't be true," Angela's voice became meek, "Still, I think Alice deserves a proper burial."

"Is this not the best tomb for someone like her?" Riley said as he looked around the silver hall, "Her body has also been preserved in this space, it should have only been decayed fragments of her skeleton."

"Why are you so disconnected from this, Riley? I thought you were trying to be more human?" Angela sighed, "She's your mother, I think she deserves to be buried in a place proper for her."

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"This is the proper place. Her carcass doesn't rot."

"That is what makes it unnatural," Angela shook her head, "Don't you want the Pope to bless her body… and finally truly let her be in peace?"

"...I suppose that is an option," Riley slightly squinted his eyes,

"Very well."

Riley then lightly raised a finger, and as she did so, Alice's body started to leave the platform it was resting on. However, Riley quickly dropped his hand as soon as he heard the slight sound of a squelch coming from Alice.

"What… is that?" Angela was the first to mutter as she saw multiple thin tubes attached to Alice's spine. It almost seemed as if they were alive— throbbing. If it wasn't for their black color, then she was sure she would have mistaken them for veins.

"Wait…" Numerous thoughts quickly raced through Angela's mind, but one remained prevalent,

"Don't tell me…" The tone of Angela's voice was meek, almost hesitant, "...is her body powering up the ship?"

"..." And as soon as Riley heard Angela's theory, his eyebrows slightly furrowed, "Can you see through the walls, Angela?"

"No, not yet," Angela quickly shook her head, "It's still just a blur, almost like I am looking through tissue paper."

"I suppose it doesn't matter."

And with those words traveling across the silver hall, the bed platform that Alice's body was resting on started to crack.

"What are you doing!?"

Angela screamed and stepped back. Riley, on the other hand, completely ignored her question as the bed platform now completely shattered into a million pieces, finally revealing the rest of the tubes.

But alas, they just connected to the floor— whatever they were connected to, it was probably below the hall they were in. If Angela's theory was right, then the engine should be just below here.

"..."

"..."

"Don't even try," Angela already knew what Riley was thinking, "If you try to destroy more of the ship, we don't know how it will react— it might explode for all we know."

"..." Riley slowly turned to look at Angela, before nodding his head and smiling, "You're right."

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Riley then closed his fist, and as he did so, the shrapnel and debris scattered in the air all returned to their original place; once again rebuilding the bed platform.

And almost as if nothing happened, Alice's body was once again peacefully resting on it.

Riley then started walking around the silver hall; his eyes searching for something they do not know yet.

"What… are you doing now?"

"I would like to try something," Riley then halted his steps as he let out a short but deep breath,

"Good afternoon, ship."

"Wha—"

[Good afternoon, Riley. How may I assist you today?]

"..." Angela wanted to say something, but just chose to keep her mouth shut as she stared at Riley.

"What is my clearance level, ship?"

[Riley Lane Ross. Current clearance level is 3.]

"What is the highest clearance level?"

[Level 5.]

"..."

"..."

"Can you safely unplug Alice Lane?"

[...]

[...]

[Re—]

"Abort order!"

And before the ship could answer, a voice suddenly echoed from behind Angela and Riley.

Angela quickly raised her sword as she turned around. As for Riley, he just very slowly and calmly turned around— after all, he recognized the voice.

"Stop, Riley. Don't move Alice's body."

[Command overridden by a personnel with a higher clearance level. Do you have any more orders, Aerith?]

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