Trails of intertwined stars: Chapter 56

~Chapter VII: Ryan~

Two human men sat in the control room of the ship, ensuring everything was going smoothly. The man with a headpiece on scowled.
"Hey," He called over to his co-worker.
"What's the matter?"
"It's a warning signal from the ship preceding us. What!? This is bad!"
The man aggressively scribbled something down on the sheet of paper, static in his ears. He handed the piece of paper to his co-worker.
"Go and tell the captain!"
"Understood!"
As the man opened the door, a zombie roared at him; followed by many other zombies. They ripped into the two men as they screamed in agony.

Everywhere on that ship was sheer terror, followed by the damp smell of death.

"Well then," Elizabeth frowned," Basically, this ship is-?"
Ciel nodded," Most likely infested by a horde of them at this time."
Elizabeth trembled," No way!"
"Sebastian! Go ahead and take my aunt and the others to a safe place."
"And Young Master?"
Ciel shook his head," At the current moment, all of us here would just be a burden. Malice and I have a gun. We will be fine for a while. Come back as soon as you have ensured that they are safe."
Sebastian frowned, before sighing and letting go of Ryan, Snake ensuring Wordsworth wrapped around Ryan to restrain him.
"Understood."
Sebastian glanced at Malice, giving her a stern glare, before leaving to fulfill his master's wishes. Malice's eyebrows knitted into irritation. That old man was constantly breathing down her back, she didn't like it one bit.
"Well then," Ciel hummed, cocking his gun at Ryan's forehead," Let's hear what you have to say, shall we? But keep it short. Patience is not one of my particular virtues. But first, how do you handle them? Surely you don't simply transport things as dangerous as they with no safeguards."
Malice scowled at the cowering human," Is there no other way to stop them aside from pulverising their heads?"

"W-well yes," Ryan stammered," But, there does exist a device that can suspend the reanimation of the patients who have undergone absolute salvation by exposing them to special ultrasonic waves."
Ciel raised an eyebrow," And where is this device?"
"In my room in first class."
Ciel pressed the gun to the side of Ryan's head, just slightly above his ear, the gun practically nuzzling his hair.
"Take me to it."
"A-alright!" Ryan whimpered," We can get upstairs if we take the cargo lift in the boiler room back here.
Malice nodded," Then let's use that."
The group silently walked through the eerily still darkness, Malice glared angrily at Ryan as she kept the man walking. Even though he was still restrained by Wordsworth at his hip, the entity couldn't help but push her gun at his head, just to remind him of the position he was in.
"On to the next question," Ciel frowned," Why do these corpses move?"
"We perform a surgical procedure that embeds a unique device, one which generates mild electrical currents, into the brain of a deceased individual. That device then sends signals to each segment of the brain, which allows the subject to regain the sound, healthy body they possessed before being felled by deat-"
"That will do," Ciel cut him off, sharply," Can a dead man truly be brought back to life that way?"
"Let me revise the question..."
Malice seethed," For what purpose are you bringing all these test subjects across the world?"

Ryan grimaced, regretfully," That...I cannot say."
Malice pushed the gun down to the lobe of Ryan's ear, smirking, cruelly," You'd like to get your ears pierced nice and wide, is that correct?"
"EEP!? Wait, wait! If you shoot me, you realise you won't be able to use that special device of mine, don't you!?"
"Ugh..." Malice grumbled, lowering the gun," Fine..."
Ciel hummed, allowing Malice to use her gun again," It is a pain, but it seems we'll just have to exterminate them by obliterating their heads."
Ryan yelped, Malice smirking yet again, as she brought the gun to his head.
"O-OUR ABSOLUTE SALVATION TECHNOLOGY WAS BROUGHT IN BY A CERTAIN COMPANY!" Ryan cried.
"A certain company?" Ciel raised an eyebrow.
"Yes...a company called 'Osiris' which is apparently in the business of developing a whole host of new drugs."
Ciel frowned, thinking to himself. It must be a dummy used solely for carrying out transactions like this. I'll look into it when we're back on land. Besides...if this matter does naught to harm Diavolo, it's none of my business. The group stepped over to a large, metal door; leading to the turbine engine room.
"In here," Ryan stated.

As soon as the door opened, a huge gust of mist was unleashed onto their unsuspecting faces. It was a large room, filled with the obnoxious noise of metal gears grinding together and loud bangs.
"Snake," Ciel turned to his footman," Call your serpents off Ryan. Things will go more smoothly if we pretend to be his friends."
Snake nodded," Got it...Says Webster."
The group walked through the room as Ryan led them, Lady Elizabeth pouted, covering her ears with her gloved hands.
"It's so loooud!" She wailed, though she was equally as loud as the grinding of metal in Malice's opinion.
A gruff man, stormed over, angrily," You there! This is no place for guests!"
Ryan smirked," The eternal flame in our chest."
The worker's eyes seemed to lighten, in hope. Or the flames of the phoenix?
"Cannot be quenched by anyone. We are-"
"Phoenix!!" The two roared, posing dramatically.
"Friend," Ryan smiled," Please let me use the lift ahead."
"Very well. And who do you have there behind you?"
"They are friends of the society too."
The worker nodded," Now, then! It's your turn!"
The group deadpanned, before bursting into the pose with a roar, slightly tinged in embarrassment.
"PH-PHEONIX-!!!"
The worker beamed, leading them, as Ciel's face burned in a bright blush," It's right back here!"