"Your strategy sounds utterly ridiculous, but it really did work, Your Majesty."
On the bridge of the Crimson Dawn, First Mate Solma replied to Murphy with an incredulous expression:
"Following your instructions, we entered Lady Elsa's completely inaccurate directions into the system, then opened the engines and let the ship drift without a course. By all rights, we should have been going in circles, but the truth is, we really are getting closer to the Omega's signal source.
"According to Lady Elsa's latest perception, at our current speed, we're still seven hours away from the Creator's flagship."
"Don't use time to measure distance, Solma. There's no concept of time or space in the Sea of Lightlessness. Everything you've described is just your rational mind's interpretation based on its own judgment. But the truth is, all rules fail in this place.
"Even the rules of reason."
Murphy waved a hand.
"Perhaps we'll reach our destination in the next second. Perhaps it'll take us a thousand years to get close to the Omega. Luck—or rather, low-probability events in the chaos system—are what we're after.
"You don't need to stay here, either. Go get some rest.
"This ship doesn't need anyone at the helm right now. Let it keep drifting like this. As long as it doesn't stop moving forward, this is the fastest way to reach our destination."
First Mate Solma felt that this was wholly unbecoming of a captain, but after glancing out the window at the enormous phantom of a ruined city, streaming past the hull like shifting sand, it couldn't think of anything to say in opposition.
It glanced at the briefcase beside Murphy and the special protective gear worn by the Crimson Lord. Murphy was clearly prepared to shoulder the deadliest of tasks. The first mate decided to