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The Perception
Behind the cosmic horror, Mary felt she was finally beginning to understand the extent of the absurdity of this life. This bitter realization struck her as she fell through the oppressed space between the radiant white stars and the old, colored planets, through stardust filled with colors that human eyes cannot perceive. At the bottom of this dark void, a giant orca whale emerged from the darkness of space, fused with the stars and the cosmos — stars scattered across its black skin. The whale opened its massive mouth, filled with wormholes and space vortexes, and Mary fell into it.
At that moment, Mary woke from her nightmares, gasping and breathing heavily. She held her head and tried to stand when she heard the sound of thunder. She went to the cabin window to see the lightning bolts striking above the raging ocean. Feeling a heavy pressure in her head, she went out to get a painkiller from the ship's doctor. As she turned the rusty cabin door handle, Mary stepped out of her room and saw the ship shaking in the turbulent waters. She saw a deer's head — or a deer skull — fall from the sky and land on her head. Her vision went blind. She staggered and screamed in frightened, feminine shrieks, stumbling and rising, rising and stumbling, trying to remove the skull from her head until she tripped near the edge of the ship, nearly falling — but a hand caught her by her pink nightgown and removed the deer skull, which had a bloodstain on it.
It was Mikhail.
He held the skull in his arms and put his finger to his lips, saying:
– Shhhhhhhhhhh... my little one, Halloween hasn't come yet for you to dress up.
Mary: What are you doing here?
Mikhail: Saving your life. I'm always awake before dawn for a smoke.
I have a question for you:
Are you the one leading time? Or is it time that leads you?
Mary: I don't have time for your games. I'm leaving.
He grabbed her hand and pulled her back.
Mikhail: Alright, you have the right to go. But not before answering my final question.
The moon shone with green light. The sea glittered like teary eyes. The wind shook Maria's hair.
Mikhail: Why do you think everything in the universe is constantly moving?
Mary: I don't know. Maybe because they're busy?
Mikhail: No, my foolish girl. Because everything in the universe feels fear.
Mary: Of what?
Mikhail: Hahahahahahahahaha... go to sleep. You've got investigations and interrogations to conduct tomorrow, detective.
Mary: What a lunatic...
Then Mikhail shouted enthusiastically:
Mikhail: MAAAAARY, you're alone in the sea! You are alone in the middle of nowhere!
Dawn rose after a long absence, and many long days passed. At last, dawn eclipsed the darkness that had lasted for months, though they hadn't noticed it.
The annoying sun rose, its burning rays on Mary. She knew today was the day the shadows would be peeled away from the mystery. Anxiously, she moved, thinking about how to solve all this. Mary staggered toward the cabin to interrogate the suspects.
As she approached the cabin's rusty metal exterior wall, she found a message written in fresh blood:
"who are is Kill Veto"
Then thunder struck behind her. She turned around in panic. When she looked again at the cabin wall, the words had changed:
"who are is mr.skul??l"
In any case, Mary ignored it and proceeded on her way, opened the door, and at that moment—
Mary entered the main cabin and closed the door behind her.
The atmosphere inside was tense. The crew was assembled:
Captain Enrique stood near the map.
First mate Chicharito sat with arms crossed.
Lucia Frankfurt stared at her lighter as if contemplating setting something bigger than a cigarette on fire.
Others were scattered across the seats, faces weary, but eyes alert.
Mary pulled a chair and sat with confidence. She placed a small notebook on the table and looked each of them in the eyes.
She said calmly:
– I think you all know why we're here. Veto has disappeared. Officially, we don't have a body. But we have enough to assume that what happened was no accident.
Chicharito stepped forward and said with a slightly sarcastic tone:
– And is this now an official investigation? Or just an old hobby from your police days?
Mary replied without blinking:
– I don't care if you call it a hobby. What matters is that one of you may be a killer.
Silence fell.
Mary opened her notebook and looked toward Lucia.
– Lucia Frankfurt... let's start with you. You're here on a special pardon from the captain. But your past is well-known. Your husband, the acid incident... and the public hostility between you and Veto.
Lucia raised her head and looked directly at Mary:
– Yes, we fought a lot. He bothered me non-stop. But the last time I saw him, I locked him in to avoid another fight. Ask the crew... I was in the kitchen when it happened.
Mary wrote something down, then looked at Chicharito.
– First mate. Your relationship with Veto wasn't the best, according to what I heard.
He answered coldly:
– He was a spoiled brat. Thought being close to the captain gave him immunity. But I wouldn't kill him just because I didn't like him. That's not how I operate.
– And your daughter? They say she was involved with him... and later found dead after an argument between you two.
His expression tensed. He said in a low voice:
– Don't cross the line, Miss Winters. We're investigating a crime, not digging up the past.
– Crime and past are always connected.
She turned her gaze toward Mikhail, who sat in the corner smoking calmly as if none of this concerned him.
– Mikhail... you're the only one who doesn't seem to have a motive. But you're also the only one we know nothing about.
He exhaled a cloud of smoke and said:
– That's because I don't like people meddling in my life. Not because I'm hiding anything.
– Where were you at the time of the incident?
– Reading on the deck. Alone. No witnesses. I don't need any.
Another note.
She looked at everyone and said:
– Each of you has a potential reason. But the killer left a trace. And the blood I found this morning… hasn't dried yet. That means the killer made a mistake. And I will find them.
Captain Enrique stood up and said firmly:
– Mary, you have 48 hours. I don't want chaos among the crew. If you don't find solid evidence, we drop the investigation and continue our journey.
She replied calmly:
– I'll need your permission to search the cabins. One by one.
He nodded in agreement.
Mary closed her notebook and said:
– The investigation has begun. And the first cabin I'll search… is Veto's.
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