Vishji was left alone, totally seemingly in peace as he slept. Slowly though his eyes opened again and the Candyman who was usually so full of giggles and spirits just stared up at his ceiling before turning his head and gazing outside at the rolling clouds. Taking a long breath in, Vishji slowly exhaled. Where was Zen? He looked around the room and didn’t see those orange eyes looking over him, this was…unlike Zen. The captain looked around the room. Realizing he was alone once more he looked at the machine working on ridding the drugs. “Enough…I am just fine. Damn kitteh can’t keep a soul black licorice as mine down for long…” This time he slowly pulled the needle out, not flinching in the slightest. He wrapped the wound with gauze left at his beside and slowly got out of bed. He could tell most of the ship was sleeping now, she wasn’t though, his lovely woman. Vishji slowly put his feet into his slippers and gripped his cane leaning by his bed and pushed up labouredly, like a man that had lived a hundred years past his death. Rubbing his eyes Vishji stepped for his balcony, in the quiet of the room barely it could be heard, the churning of his gears in his leg.
Opening the curtain’s he felt the wind had calmed and realized they must be out of the strait now. Vishji stepped out, peering up at the many moons in the sky, the stars behind them. They sparking in the man’s dark eyes as his hand gripped his cane harder Vishji turned away and walked into the dark room that was lit only by the hologram of a fire. He took his time walking across the dark wood, his cane tapping arithmetically as he went into his wardrobe. He stopped, just for a moment, lifting a finger up to his temple…Shaking his head Vishji took a moment pulling out and laying out which clothes he was going to put on. Just a white collared shirt, with a cut collar, black pants, and a rainbow checkered studded belt. Vishji gingerly bent down and buckled up his thigh high black boots, making sure the silver buckles were in place he stood, gripping his can in his fingers he laid a pale yellow scarf over his shoulders and walked out of his room. He left his top hat and usual clothes there in his room. The white shirt was well cut and hung close to his body, making it unnecessary to tuck it in.
Vishji exited his room. His boots and cane with that unique noise, tap, clack, tap, tap, clack, tap, tap, clack, tap, tap, clack…Exhaling he passed through the halls, like a sounding shadow. His men knew, they all stopped talking in the middle of their card game in the longue when they heard the sound. It wasn’t that they feared their captain, entirely, just that, when they heard his cane hit the wood like that, it sent shiver’s running down their spine. Ninai’s head lifted up from the book he was reading on the upper deck and looked down to see a silhouette headed for the main bridge. He would stop him but that clack of the cane against the ship’s deck made him stay in place.
The Candyman had risen.
He walked through the doors of the main bridge, where a few were working. They all started to acknowledge him in that respectful manner when he raised his cane and whispered, “Sshh…shush now little cupcakes…” The men responded with soft sounds of agreement and went back to work as their captain walked to his station and sat down in his chair. He put his cane into a slot on the left and the entire thing lit up for a moment as lines of code ran into it, verifying it was in fact the real key. All at once the metallic sound of that woman came into listening rage once more, ‘Welcome Captain…’ “I want engine status, output, input, integrity, and shield generators in front of me now. Give me the overall status of the crew, supplies, and our water…Also, bring up surveillance of room 74b…” Vishji was to the point, after all it was just a computer he’d designed to help manage the ship. Suddenly 3D screens opened around the captain he stood up and started sliding them in order, hitting buttons, looking at the lines and lines of numbers. After all a captain cannot leave his ship unattended for long, it wasn’t in their code last time Vishji had checked. He got to the surveillance he had asked for, Zen’s room and workshop. It was empty…Vishji tilted his head, “Bring up surveillance for sectors 12, 24, and 68." The roof tops of the ship where Vishji often knew his guardian to go. They were empty.
The Candyman’s eyes suddenly searched and then became wide, “Bring up those sectors starting from eight hours ago…” Vishji stayed in the bridge watching, everything.
Felina going up there where Zen and his bird was.
Himself being seen taking off.
Ninai bringing the Star under the Sot.
Coming home…
A little after that…
Vishji’s eyes became wide as he watched…
Zen…Jump.
The captain suddenly shook, exhaling a shaking breath. His right hand coming up and touching the screen, rewinding it, over, and over, and over, and over…
All at once he stopped, wrenched his cane out, shutting down all the screens and walked out into the cool night air. Passing his crewmen he walked through several levels, down, down, descending into the engine room where…The Candyman, Vishji, slowly slid down one of the walls, his head tilted back, as he dropped his cane and curled his arms around his legs, and buried his head into his knees. Vishji stayed like this for awhile, just not moving, that image burning in his mind before in the middle of the dimly lit engine room, a sound was heard. “Hee..hee…Ahahahaha Silly Zenny-Zen! Took a jump into the deep…L-…Left hehehe…” The Candyman stood once more, remembering those numbers he had looked at for in engines on the bridge. Flipping a switch he turned on all the lights, picked up a tool belt, strapped it on, and two tool boxes, before he disappeared into the metallic maze of churning and twirling gears, aisles of pumps, and pulleys. Rows of iron walk ways and fuses. This was his haven, and here he would stay until, he could candy his heart again, and make it still.
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