An Hour Later: "You can't leave! Not now that everything has been cleared up," Bustamante said to Murillo, who was busy packing her stuff. "And why are you packing? You wouldn't be able to bring it where you are going anyway."
"I'm not packing, I'm tidying up. I was going to give these to Anderson and Park," Murillo replied, continuing what she was doing, not bothering to blink an eye. "Besides, now that the truth is revealed, I'm sure the captain finds my presence... unbearable."
"The more reason for you to stay, Chief." Cecilia steps in on the conversation, "Now that the truth is out, this is the perfect time to prove yourself to the captain; leaving would negate all that you worked hard for."
"I agree with Miss Bermudez. If you stay here, you can prove yourself; leaving is just out of the question." Bustamante seconded Cecilia's reasoning, but all it elicited was a roll of the eyes from Murillo.
"Would the two of you, please, get off my case?" Murillo sighed deeply, a sign she was exasperated with the two hounding her.
"Would the two of you give Murillo and me a couple of minutes?" Chris asked from behind. The three were so preoccupied with that they did not notice him enter the quarters.
Bustamante stood up straight and courteously replied, "Aye, Captain." he then glanced at Cecilia's way. "Let's go, Miss Bermudez."
Cecilia whispered something to Chris as she passed him by, "You're not going to erase her, are you?"
"I'll let you erase me if I did," He answered with a tense and serious voice, which worried Cecilia. But before she could protest, she was already at the door getting pulled by Bustamante.
Murillo stood at attention as Chris shifted his gaze to her. The two stared at each other for a while, and the silence within the room was deafening. "Captain, I am tendering my resignation and my commission once we reach Kaginhawaan port!" She broke the silence between them, informing Chris.
Chris took a deep breath before asking his question, "Do you have any candidates in mind to replace you?"
"Anderson and Park, together, they can handle my duties," Murillo quickly replied. "Alone, they may get easily overwhelmed, but together they can manage."
Chris let a snort of derision at the idea, "The two of them couldn't differentiate Kentucky Fried Chicken from Korean Fried Chicken even if the entire world is at stake." Murillo couldn't help but stifle a laugh. "I suggest you browse through your files one more time."
Silence once again enveloped the room; this time, it was Chris who broke the ice. "So why are you leaving?"
Murillo's fingers trembled as she reached out to steady herself on the bedside table. Her eyes flickered away from Chris, unable to meet his gaze. "I realized that my presence on the ship is no longer required, and as such, I will be disembarking in Kaginhawaan once we arrive there," Murillo's voice was barely above a whisper, heavy with the weight of years she'd carried alone.
"I see how you look at her and how she looks at you," Murillo said. "That is why I was confident to resign my post. You no longer need me since you have her now." Her voice was on the verge of breaking.
What Chris said was unexpected and took Murillo by surprise. "If you're leaving because you think you've done your part, I'll gladly throw you a party. But if it's guilt compelling you, then you're weaker than I hoped… and that worries me." Chris's eyes narrowed, but beneath the sharp edge in his voice, a flicker of something softer—pain, perhaps—lingered.
"Why did you do it?" Chris's question resonated within the room, and Murillo couldn't help but gasp.
Right before Chris's eyes, a twirling light enveloped Murillo, and where Chief Esperanza Murillo once stood, Andrea Primo de Rivera now stands. She noticed that the captain clenched both fists and his eyes narrowed a bit. "I did it to save my family. Fontanella threatened to have my family exposed and arrested as traitors."
Chris did not reply or speak; he just listened. "If I had another choice, I would have taken it." Andrea lowered her head. "I am so ashamed to say that after Fontanella was killed, I was able to find love again. I had a loving husband, Murillo was his name, and we had children. Thanks to them, I had a long and fruitful life, and sad to say, I forgot all about you." She said with a delicate voice. She paused to watch for Chris's reaction, looking for nonverbal cues that might give her an idea of what the captain was thinking.
Chris, however, was like a locked vault, with no emotion seeping out of him. She continued with her tale, "I died when I was seventy-five years old, and when I got here on the Twilight, yours was the first face I recognized." She hung her head low to hide her tears. "I wanted to run to you, to feel you in my arms again, but then I saw the pain and suffering in your eyes, and I immediately understood it was because of me. The shame I felt was unbearable; that's why I hid." Andrea attempted to go near Chris, but she was met with rejection as he took two steps back for every step she took. Chris's message was clear to her, so she just continued with her story, "When I…discovered that you were bound on this ship, I knew it was my fault, and the guilt surged back. It was then that I decided, as penance, I would stay here under the guise of another name and another face, so I could take care of you, to protect you, and to be your friend should you need one."
"I'm sorry, Crisanto, I'm truly sorry for what happened to you…It is all my fault!" For a long moment, neither spoke. Then Chris reached out, his hand brushing Andrea's briefly—a touch heavy with unspoken words. Andrea's breath hitched, but she didn't pull away. The silence between them carried more meaning than any word could.
"Are you sorry for betraying and lying to me? Or are you sorry because you had a long and happy life?" Chris finally asked, but Andrea only shook her head. Chris then gave his verdict on the situation: "You may leave, but Murillo remains. The ship needs her, whether you do or not."
Chris turned to leave, but paused at the doorway when she called to him. Without looking back, he listened to what she had to say. "Thank you… for everything." Chris looked over his shoulder. Gone was the visage of Andrea; all that remained was Chief Murillo. He turned to face his Chief cook and HR personnel. He softly nodded to her and left.