Part 42: Hallway 7

Junpei pushed it open, and stepped into the room beyond.



It was full of all manner of turn-of-the-century electronic equipment.



Most of them were things they'd never seen before. They had no idea what they might have been for, let alone how to operate them.



One smaller machine had a metal bar that ended in a circular handle. Ace seemed to recognize it.

Ah, yes. A telegraph key. These were used to transmit Morse code, a long time ago.

He turned, and slowly took in the room.



Across the room from the door they'd entered through was another door. A metal plaque was nailed to it.

It read...

[Captain's Quarters]



That's what it says.
Then... Do you think...





Well, we won't know if we don't open it.

She walked up to the door and put her hand on the knob.

It opened easily, and without so much as a pause, she walked in.

Junpei and Ace followed.

The first thing they saw...

[Music: Trepidation]



...Was a man on the floor, covered in blood.

!
!
!



This was the 3rd time he'd seen the horror of death laid out before him.

He didn't think it was something he could stand to see much more of.



A sense of helplessness, of desperation, washed over him.

It left behind a feeling of utter emptiness that wormed its way through his body, like acid...

...

Then he realized... They had yet to check the man's pulse! Perhaps he was still alive!

Fueled by that spark of hope, Junpei ran to the man's body...

...

And his heart fell.



Junpei did not have to wonder long at what could have made such a wound.



Junpei looked at the body again.

A lake of blood stretched out around it.

It was wearing the clothes of a ship's captain, although they were stained with blood...



On his left hand was a bracelet.

The number on the bracelet was...