Voice 038

[shenghuanzhe]

Hey, passengers. First Mate Kage here. You see anythin' on the horizon, let a crew member know.

[Locked to 86 /// Unhackable]

Report to me. Captain's ready room.

Comments

[wildeyesblind]

Sir.

[A while later, Mihaila knocks on the door of the Captain's ready room. She's still wearing the same clothes as when she went into the tank, and her hair is slightly damp. A tag reading "86" hangs from her ear.]

[shenghuanzhe]

Hey, eighty-six. Come in.

[Kage's sitting in Redd's chair, boots propped on the massive desk, cleaning his nails with the point of his knife.]

[wildeyesblind]

[She opens the door and closes it quietly behind her, walking up to the desk and lowering her head in reverence.]

First Mate, sir.

[shenghuanzhe]

[He wipes his nose with the pad of his thumb and then swings his feet down onto the deck. Kage stands and approaches her, puts the point of the knife under Mihaila's chin and lifts it up so he can look in her face.]

Shit, he did a good job on you, didn't he?

[wildeyesblind]

[She lifts her chin with the knife, her eyes clear and full of respect.]

He's a great man. Sir.

[shenghuanzhe]

Bait.

[Kage watches her clear eyes for a flicker of anger, for one cast of a rebellious eye.]

[wildeyesblind]

Yes sir?

[There's nothing.]

[shenghuanzhe]

[Kage watches for another long moment, and then when he smiles it's a cold smile of pure, acidic pleasure. He pats the side of her face with the flat of his blade and wanders away to the desk. He sits on the edge.]

Don't think I don't know what it feels like havin' that blue shit in y'veins.

[wildeyesblind]

[Mihaila allows herself a small smile of satisfaction at pleasing Kage. He is the first mate after all, and she's just a lowly cook.]

I feel strange.

[shenghuanzhe]

Yeah. You're gonna feel strange for a bit.

[Kage sucks his front teeth for a moment, tongue curling around his right canine, feeling the sharp point with the tip of his tongue.]

World's always real fuckin' clear after you take some'a that shit into y'veins. Hurts a lot. Fuckin' burns, but it makes the screamin' go away for a bit--But I'm fuckin' ramblin' at you, you don't got the same sitaution, same problem, same needs as me.

[Kage pushes himself up off the desk, clacking the knife open and closed.]

Take this as a vote'a our Captain's confidence that y'won't fuck up. Again.

[He looks down at her.

Clack-clack. Clack-clack.]

[wildeyesblind]

[It does ... it is. The need is gone, the ache, the tearing, rending pain and constant, deep itch is subdued. Numbed.]

Sir.

[The briefest mention of Redd and Mihaila's eyes light up with a spark of excitement.]

He is a great man.

[She doesn't flinch at the sound of the knife.]

[shenghuanzhe]

[Kage flicks the knife open and grasps her ear with the tag in it. Hepulls the tag and slices the earlobe off.]

Regenerate that shit if y'feel like it. I don't care.

[Kage tosses the tag and the scrap of flesh over his shoulder. It lands on the desk, the black and white number '86' clear on the white plastic.]

Mind your fuckin' tongue around the cattle and we're good, Bait.

[wildeyesblind]

[Mihaila doesn't pull back as Kage yanks at the tag, but she does gasp as her earlobe is sliced through cleanly. Pressing her hand to her ear as blood drips down her neck, she bows her head.]

Sir, yes sir.

[Her voice trembles.]

[shenghuanzhe]

[Kage wipes the blade off on the leg of his pants, narrowing his eyes at Mihaila.]

Y'used those doe eyes on the passengers. But they don't know what y'did, do they? They just see y'cry and let your lip tremble. Think Ace would'a shit himself over you if y'weren't a pretty girl? Think he'd care if y'weren't human? If y'were a box on wheels? No. Pretty girl gets pretty boys takin' up their cause, takin' up a cause that'll kill 'em, and they bitch at me for keepin' you--

[Kage pats the side of her cheek with the flat of his blade again.]

--under some fuckin' semblance of control.

[Kage's eyes are flat as he gazes at her.]

I been on this boat for one hell of long time, Eighty-six. Maybe when I started, I would'a let a pretty face distract me, but not anymore. I see the shit inside you that they don't. Can't. Now get th'fuck outta my sight, just lookin' at you pisses me off. Zeshat wept.

[wildeyesblind]

[They don't know. She's still woozy from the tank, but she knows that much, knows Kage is right. He's right, of course he's right, he's the first mate and the captain's a great man.]

Yes sir, th-thank you sir.

[She keeps her head down and backs out of the room, closing the door behind her.]