A/N: Hey hey! I'm back! Sorry for the long wait, but since this was the first chapter that was taking place outside of Inkopolis it took me a while to get all the little details written down, that combined with my classes made this chapter way longer to write. Don't worry, I'm still uploading the interlude the day after this chapter is up and I still have my plans on how this story will proceed so I don't plan on dropping it anytime soon. Anyways here is chapter 6 and by now Nathalie is nothing like who she was when we first started, how will things go now?
Chapter 6: Safety In the Deep Dark Sea
I ran deeper into the dark metro tunnels, tripping over uneven ground and falling down stairs, but I didn't let it slow me down. It didn't hurt when I fell, I think I've stopped feeling alot of things, just recently I realized I couldn't really taste either… Is this some kind of sickness or something else? At this point who knows?
Even if I had learned about something with these symptoms before, it's tough for me to think back and recall it. Those easy days in Octo Valley seemed so distant now, the days from back when all I had to worry about were grades and exams.
Now what am I doing? I've been forced to a point where I constantly have to run or fight, even when I'm not doing that I'm always looking over my shoulder.
Speaking of which, I just did so and saw nothing behind me, well it's dark so I couldn't see much to begin with. It didn't seem like the IPD nor bounty hunters were still chasing me as all was quiet, though I'm not about to take any chances, for all I know my hearing could be gone as well.
Let's keep running…
'Huff huff'
Where am I now?
I want to keep running but it's getting harder to control my breathing and for some reason my legs won't move as fast as before, I must be tired…
Why do I even need to think about it? I should know i'm tired because I am!
I slowed to a normal walk before finding a wall to lean on.
I am definitely tired but I didn't really feel that way, my legs didn't feel sore at all.
Looking down I realized just how much sweat was pouring out of me… I poked at my thighs but barely even felt my own fingers making contact.
Something has definitely happened to me, maybe something life threatening even… Though to be honest I don't think I have any way of knowing right now…
After all I did leap through a razor sharp net without feeling anything and also had a fistfight without feeling hurt before that, if I was really sick and was about to fall over and die, would I know?
Well… it's not like I completely lost all sense, I can still barely feel stuff… Maybe i'm looking too much into this… It shouldn't matter, what matters now is continuing on to Octo Valley, I can probably fix everything once I return home…
Only question now is, which way do I go?
I ran away from the Octoling who told me about this place before I could get proper directions, then I dove into the metro at the first given chance without caring for details.
I expected a straight path down to Octo Valley but this metro seems a lot bigger than I expected.
It's quite dark down here, probably cold too, those two are often put together… Along with…
… Sounds of whips crashing against bare flesh…
Followed by red hot metal and sizzling sounds...
Shouts and cries of other Octarians…
Shattered dreams, tortured souls...
This isn't like that right?
J-just cause it's dark and cold doesn't mean things will go back to that right?
I'm safe here right?
There are no Inklings anywhere here right?
I don't hear anything but what if my own hearing was gone and I didn't know it?!
Back then all I could hear were the screams from upstairs, two years of being locked up in one room, only leaving for forced labour or torture…
What about now? I'm underground again, I can barely see anything, it's just like before…
There are no Inklings here! I have to keep telling myself that and keep moving.
Nothing else matters, just get home and everything will be fine…
…
I took a few deep breaths, if I keep thinking about the recent years I'll go crazy, no I should focus!
Focus! Focus… On what? Just getting home?
I've never been the type to just sit quietly, but why am I just running? What will I do once I get back to Octo Valley?
Whatever, I'm sure it will come to me soon.
I continued forward, trying to feel my way through the dark and slowly adjusting my eyes to see just what was down here.
I kept walking on until I came across a dimly lit area.
It was good to finally see some light, though the dark aeras still unnerved me…
Funny, you'd think that a creature who was born and raised underground would be used to the dark, but you never notice how scary a simple patch of darkness could be until you start being hunted.
I quickly unleashed my Dualies firing into every darkened area I could see, hearing the splattering sounds of ink striking hard surfaces.
Good, I think that means I'm safe, also I can still hear so that's a plus.
Why was I so worried about that? In the first place, you can't just lose your senses suddenly and without warning, can you? perhaps I'm being a bit paranoid?
It's probably because of what happened in Inkopolis, being kidnapped and tortured, then finally finding the courage to escape only to find out that nobody in the upper world believes you and most of them want you for money.
In that case, perhaps it's good to be a bit paranoid. When you doubt and distrust nearly everyone you come across it helps you prepare for when they ultimately turn their backs on you.
With that in mind, I started to properly take in my surroundings.
I think I had reached a subway platform, I could see a yellow line marking the end of the floor, beyond that were tracks which led into other tunnels.
There were wooden signs placed at the end of the platform saying 'closed' obviously the station is abandoned, but why are there still some lights flickering on and off? Maybe this place is still getting power somehow, guess someone forgot to unplug this place when it shut down.
How far does this metro go anyways?
I tried to peek into the subway tunnel, but there was hardly any light so I couldn't see very far.
However interestingly, there were hand operated subway cars, well if this was the last station they closed down I guess it might make sense why there are so many stopped here, though I don't know why they would leave them here instead of melting them for scrap.
Oh well, this might come in handy, I don't care where these tracks lead, as long as they get me away from Inkopolis, so I hopped on a handcar and began to pump, gaining momentum as I sped into the dark tunnels.
Then I stopped to let it gradually slow down, you never know what might be ahead. For all I know there could be a brick wall coming up and I'll run right into it.
Eventually the tracks did come to an end, so I hopped off and creeped forward, armed and at the ready.
Whatever station I was in now must be pretty far from Inkopolis, but to be safe I must continue forward.
I noticed a second handcar stopped in front of mine, I don't think it is anything to be concerned about.
Some rather colourful advertisements were plastered on the sides of the tunnels, though they were faded and barely legible in this dim light.
There was another closed sign and some tape as well, but by now it wasn't very noteworthy, this entire subway seemed abandoned so of course there would be such things.
I headed down a few more flights of stairs since I knew my destination was somewhere underground, I soon found yet another platform, just like the previous one it seemed abandoned, dim lights, empty closets… actually this station seemed rather well lit compared to the last one.
There was also a telephone planted right smack in the middle of the platform, it looked rather old and appeared to have a hand crank of something on the side of it… Can I use it to call Octo Valley from here? Let's see…
Where do I even punch in the numbers? Actually who would I call in the first place?
Tsk, forget it, I should keep moving.
I was about to turn back but, I realized I was barely moving anywhere, my arms didn't want to raise up my Dualies and my legs didn't want to take any more steps.
I guess I have been running non stop for a few hours. I think I'm far enough to be safe from Inkopolis, perhaps now is a good time to rest.
Yes, let's rest, just sit down, close my eyes and…
…
What if I wake up and the IPD are there? Or what if those bounty hunters find me? What if I don't wake up at all?
I'll keep at least one Dualie in my hand, that should help me relax… Maybe…
Tch! This is ridiculous, why am I so nervous nowadays? I can't even sleep without a thousand thoughts racing through my head on what awful things might happen to me.
Curse you Inkopolis for making the whole world seem so scary.
Curse you Inklings for forcing me to keep my guard up and not allowing me a minute to relax.
Before I knew it, I had tightened my grip on my Dualies as I thought back to all those times I had been screwed over.
I used to say that no matter what you should smile and try to see things in a positive light, but after what I had gone through, I think it's only right for me to hate Inkopolis and it's Inkling inhabitants.
If I had known things would end up like this… Or rather if I had actually chosen to believe all those broadcasts from the Octarian army and Octavio...
… Well I wouldn't have been nearly as nice as I was before! Hell I would have tried to fight back just like what I did with Finty! Only I wouldn't have waited until I was in an emotional state. Yeah that's right, Inklings could respawn but they don't have much else going for them other than that do they? All they can do is manipulate, steal and splat, just like the Agent 3 individual I kept hearing about back in the Valley.
'Yawn'
Urghh the things I let happen around me infuriates me to the core! Why did I think being such a damn softie was a good thing?! Why did I just allow myself to be beaten? Why did I let myself be decieved?
The more I think about this the angrier I get, I don't think I can fall asleep anytime soon.
Hmph! Not like I needed it! I'll just sit here and rest my legs for a few minutes, yeah that will do…
…
On second thought, how about a very long rest, there is no reason to run at the moment…
…
Maybe I should lie down, in a way that allows me to scan for any bad guys of course…
…
I don't need to keep my eyes open all the time, I'll just peek every now and then…
…
zzz...
When I came too, I heard a loud metal screeching noise. It was so ear piercing it instantly roused me from my sleep.
Hold on, I actually fell asleep? When did that happen? Guess I really was tired, so tired that I had dozed off without knowing it.
I didn't really feel tired though, so why did I just…
Ahh forget it, there are other things to worry about. First off, why is there a subway train here? Wasn't this place abandoned? It was even sealed off in Inkopolis…
The inside of the subway was lit too, it seemed to be occupied, but who could be inside?
Inklings? Please don't be Inklings.
The subway doors opened, as if welcoming me inside. I found it strange that this abandoned metro station might still be active, suspicious too, I would have suspected a trap but who would go through all the trouble of restoring a whole subway just for one Octoling?
Then again the ten billion reward cash was definitely enough to cover the cost…
Yeah I think I should stay away… Though if it isn't some Inkling plot, a working subway could take me further from Inkopolis much quicker…
Well… I have Dualies… I think I'll go check… just in case...
With both Dualies in hand, I gathered myself, took a deep breath and cautiously stepped onto the subway, ready to roll back out at the first sight of trouble. I looked both ways and saw no Inklings.
'Phew' If there are no Inklings then I shouldn't have to be worried.
Thought honestly I don't know what I would do if the Inklings had followed me down here.
That aside…
I gazed at the various sea creatures occupying the subway car. I think I can identify what they are but, only from books I had previously read.
Well here goes nothing…
The closest creature to be was this big guy with a pink organ in its head, its body structure resembled that of an Octoling's but with much larger pecs and arms, I'm guessing it is a sea angel.
Another one nearby had translucent blue skin with a strange head that featured many spherical organs branching off of them, this one was a ping-pong tree sponge.
There was also a rumored 'deep sea' variant of Jellyfish here, with longer heads and a more faded shade of blue skin.
It was like the drawings from the biology books in Octo Valley had come to life before my eyes, if I wasn't being hunted I would have been in awe.
Does Octo Valley know all these creatures exist down here?
Each of the creatures I had mentioned all seemed to be staring right at me for some reason…
"What are you looking at?"
They averted their gazes.
I wonder if they actually understood me, or just realized what they were doing.
Well they seem harmless enough…
I holstered my Dualies and took a seat next to the sea angel. I doubt any of these guys know about the bounty on me, nor would they want Inkopolis money. They don't look like they would live on the surface.
Tch everytime I think about that, I feel pissed, Inkopolis, money and the surface, all of that brings back nothing but unpleasant memories.
"Ding* Welcome aboard. All passengers with CQ-80 devices can press X on said devices to display the Deepsea Metro map… Leave nothing behind." Came a voice over the subway speakers as the doors closed shut.
What is a CQ-80? I saw some other passengers take out white devices with small maroon joysticks on them, they began browsing through something on the device.
"Now leaving Central Station, next stop Gnarly Rails Station."
The subway started moving again.
This subway should lead to Octo Valley right? That Octoling I met in Inkopolis said she came from here… Though there is always the possibility she was brainwashed by Inkopolis and lied to me.
I should find out more about this place, I don't know much about the creatures who live here, but they can't be as bad as Inklings right? No way other creatures could be as selfish and shameless like those damned Inklings!
'krtttt!'
Ahh...
I was so unnerved by my own thoughts that my teeth made an unpleasant sound from being clenched so hard. Okay, calm down... I should try and speak to these new creatures.
I turned to the Sea Angel but he turned away from me, does he not want to talk?
I thought everyone was staring at me earlier, but now nobody wanted to make eye contact with me. Oh well, I still need information.
"Hey, you mind telling me how I can get back to Octo Valley from here?" I asked the Sea Angel.
He glanced back at me, shrugged and turned away again. I'm not sure if that means he doesn't know how to get back to Octo Valley, or maybe he just doesn't understand me.
Let me ask something else then.
"That device you are holding, it has a map right? Can I see it?"
He seemed to understand, because he glanced at his handheld device, then back at me, before showing me it's screen. There seemed to be a network of subway lines, right now we were on line A, headed for Gnarly Rails station, I checked ahead but I did not find any 'Octo Valley station' listed here.
Perhaps I have to take another subway.
No wait before I get to that, why is there a subway still running down here?
"Huh, I thought this place was abandoned, are there still subways for all these lines?"
In reply the Sea Angel gave a series of quick nods.
I heard another 'ding' followed by an announcement saying that we were reaching another station.
A few more passed then the jellyfish hopped up and bounced in front of the sponge tree and sea angel. Some took their hands and led them off the subway.
Where are they going?
"It's not everyday you see that many creatures on line A…"
There was a voice, though not like any I've heard before.
The subway was stopped and the doors were open, but I didn't see anyone nearby.
"Since I don't recognise your face, you must be new here."
"Who is that?" I asked
"AHEM!"
"Gahh!" I just noticed something standing right in the middle of the subway car. A bright blue creature with eight long legs sprouting out it's sides and wearing a peculiar hat.
Having got my attention, the creature retracted it's legs, becoming so small that you would have to be eying the floor to see him. No wonder I heard him before I saw him.
"What are you?! No wait, let me think… a Sea Cucumber?" I guessed, I have seen sketches of sea cucumbers, but I never thought they could sprout legs like that, it's a bit creepy…
"Correct, I am CQ Cumber the one and only conductor of this metro."
He's the conductor? Well that explains the hat.
"I understand you are new here, but please refrain from causing a disturbance or making the other passengers feel uncomfortable."
"Excuse me? Did I do something wrong?"
"I am unsure about it, that's why I'm asking you. Everything was livelier until I stopped at central station. After that there was only an awkward silence."
"Hmph, well whatever happened I know nothing about it."
This CQ Cumber… I can't see any eyes on his face but I could feel his gaze, as if carefully inspecting every inch of me…
"I see… Perhaps they were nervous."
"What? Never seen an Octarian here before?"
"Unfortunately I have seen many Octarians here, in fact there have been 10,008 Octarians who have previously rode this metro."
"If there's been that many, why would anyone be nervous? And what did you mean by 'unfortunately?"
"... Your eyes, that would be a start."
"What about em?"
"The previous Octarians I have seen here, either had eyes full of curiosity or brimming excitement. But you? Your eyes are so full of anger, contempt, resentment, it's almost as if you hate the whole world…"
Do I really look like that? Well to be honest I have been rather sour faced ever since I discovered what a hellhole Inkopolis really was.
Perhaps CQ Cumber is right, the other passengers must have become nervous after seeing me enter armed and with such a hateful expression.
"Do you?" CQ Cumber asked
"Do I what?"
"Do you hate the whole world?"
Why would I hate the whole world? That's a bit extreme isn't it?
I don't have a problem with Octo Valley even if it was full of problems.
But even someone like me has a limit, I can't stand Inkopolis, I can't stand the surface and all those creatures who would sell me out for their own gain.
All those Inklings up there, they were all the same, Macrum, Finty, Taleesa, Bernice…
"No" I replied, jabbing my thumb upwards towards the ceiling. "Not the whole world, just everything on the surface."
"I guess you aren't here for the promised land then."
"Where is that?"
"Inkopolis."
"Never in a million years."
"I see…" Perhaps my answer was still a bit extreme, because CQ Cumber winced and twisted as if he was making a rather conflicted expression despite having no facial features.
"Do you wish the surface never existed?"
"Yes." Without question, nothing good came from that place, if it never existed I would have spent the last two years studying and saving lives.
CQ Cumber had an even more pained expression now, then he shook his head. "If you really do want to erase everything up there, look for the remains of the NILS statue, it belonged to the Kamabo Corporation. They may have gone silent but they do have the technology to make your wish come true…"
What? What is he talking about? What is the NILS statue? What is the Kamabo corporation?
"What do you mean?"
CQ Cumber twitched as he heard that "T-that's all I have to say, anyways this is the end of line A, you may stay and ride through the other stations again, or choose to transfer over to line C. Please check your map and decide."
He's pretending as if that earlier conversation never happened and trying to go back to his main job. Perhaps he had mentioned something dangerous, or maybe something he didn't want to talk about. Though why would he bring it up in the first place?
"Do you have a CQ 80? If so please check the map and choose a destination." CQ Cumber continued
"I don't. As you assumed earlier, I am new here."
"Well in that case you may need it, it is a rather handy device for riding the Deepsea Metro, you can use it to monitor your journey through the deep, chat with other sea creatures and earn CQ Points as you ride."
"I'm not interested in your customer loyalty program, I'm here for only one ride anyways, one ride back to Octo Valley!"
"Hmm… Octo Valley… You are the first Octoling I have met who wanted to go to Octo Valley, the others all wanted Inkopolis…"
"Really? Well how unfortunate for them."
"However I don't think I can take you to Octo Valley, I do not recall any Octo Valley stations."
"What? An Octoling I met said she made it from Octo Valley to Inkopolis from here!"
"Please calm down, there are many stations that have been abandoned since nobody uses them anymore, also there may be other unofficial ways to enter the metro that I am unaware of."
"Fine, do you know where Octo Valley is? If so then drop me off as close as you can"
"Unfortunately no, I have never had anyone request to go to Octo Valley before therefore I have no clue where it may be. Is there anywhere else you would like to go?"
"I don't know, give me some options."
"Hmm… A recent passenger of the metro has already completed all of the tests that each station offered so I really don't have anything for you… Though there have been reports of sanitized still wandering a few stations and I don't want to drop you in the middle of them... I suggest taking the line back to the central station and deciding where to go from there."
I would have questioned what exactly were those 'tests' he mentioned and also what 'sanitized' were, but I figured I shouldn't be distracted "As long as it's not Inkopolis I'm fine with it. Let's go."
CQ Cumber nodded and slid on back to the front of the subway, I sat back and waited as the subway began heading back the way it had come.
There was nothing to see outside, so I sat back and waited, wondering why a seemingly abandoned metro was still operational.
Was CQ Cumber the only one running things down here? Or is someone paying him to keep things running, maybe some of the creatures that lived down here? That aside…
What was the Kamabo corporation he had mentioned? Why did he bring it up so suddenly only to change the subject?
He did bring it up after asking me about the surface…
Is there maybe some kind of corporation out there made up of similarly minded creatures who despise the surface? Do they really have the technology to wipe out Inkopolis? If so why haven't they used it yet?
Maybe they have such technology but don't have any problems with Inkopolis, if they did I doubt Inkopolis would sit aside and let itself be destroyed. Yeah if there really was a group like that, Inkopolis would probably have crushed them long ago.
Well, it's not like I have the time to search for that NILS statue or whatever it was, I doubt CQ Cumber would want to expand on what he said anyways.
I should think about my current situation, instead of fantasizing about an organization that probably doesn't exist.
I've found an active subway network that is not connected to Inkopolis, it is inhabited by creatures I have only seen in books before. I think I can communicate with them, but they might be afraid of me.
"Now arriving at Maverick station." The announcement interrupted my thought process. I watch as the subway doors opened, welcoming in more creatures of the deep.
A few more deep sea jellyfish showed up, I glanced over at them and they turned away and sat as far away from me as possible.
Am I really that frightening?
CQ Cumber said it's because I have such an angry expression, that combined with my many bandaged wounds and ink weapons probably doesn't give a very friendly look.
Great, so even down here Inkopolis still finds a way to screw me over. If I hadn't been constantly distrusted and forced to fight, I could have probably just settled down here but noooo.
Hold on, I'm getting off topic again…
If I'm going to figure out where exactly am I and how to get back to Octo Valley, I should try and make myself look more approachable…
…
Maybe not having my weapons out all the time could be a way to start… but what if Inklings show up?
Perhaps it would be better to just be more friendly towards them…
Uhh… How do I do that?
If I just let my guard down, speak casually again and gradually open up to them, won't that just set me up to be heartbroken again? It's always happened before.
Well, I don't have to open up to anyone to appear less threatening, I could always just try not to think of anything and just walk around with a smile…
I could but I…
'Cry cry cry! That's what all you Octarians should do. You murderous bastards don't deserve to smile!'
I don't deserve to smile.
If I go back to being stupidly positive I'll definitely mess something up again.
No, I think I'll stay just the way I am now, it is safer, it's better this way.
As much as I would like to learn more about this metro from it's denizens, I should put my own safety first.
…
It really pains me to think of things from such a perspective. I don't want to go around scaring off anyone who sees me, I don't want to walk around with such a pained expression that it makes CQ Cumber question if I hate the whole world. I don't but maybe I have too?
I don't know.
Urghh! Why am I overthinking this so! When did a simple expression become such a beacon of conflict?
If I hide everything and try to smile again, maybe I'll be able to approach the other subway passengers without scaring them off, but what if one of them happens to be eying Inkopolis as a new place to take residence? CQ Cumber did refer to it as the 'promised land' meaning someone really wanted to go there.
What if it was CQ Cumber himself who wanted to go to Inkopolis? If he did , wouldn't he be interested in the ten billion cash bounty on my head?
I don't really know enough about him, so I have to assume the worst… No that's not right, when did I start having such a twisted view on things?
Being careful doesn't mean distancing yourself or being overly cautious to everyone I meet.
I'll try not to think about Inkopolis, Inklings or all of the times I was treated unfairly just for being an Octarian, I won't suppress those memories, but I'll at least try to keep them out of my head when I'm approaching someone.
That should work, I'm not in Inkopolis now so I don't have to be super defensive all the time.
If I meet any more denizens of the deep, I'll try to speak with them again without scaring them off.
"Now arriving at central station, leave nothing behind."
The brakes squealed as the subway slowly grind to a halt, I was now apparently in a station location dead center of the entire subway network, or at least I would assume so, as it was called 'central' station…
"Rrrrr"
My stomach had been growling for a while now, I don't think I have eaten anything in quite a bit. I think I'll get off here and have a look around, maybe I can find something useful.
I stepped off the metro with my head on a swivel, checking every angle I possibly could as I slowly stepped away from the subway.
The station looked rather familiar, I think this is where I first boarded the subway.
Well I haven't yet taken the time to investigate the area, so I think I should go and do that now.
My footsteps echoed in the empty hallways as I explored central station. I found the abandoned subway line I had arrived from, there were still only two handcars stopped on the tracks, I guess that means nobody has followed me here from Inkopolis yet…
I went back to try the telephone, but it still didn't work. No surprise there, just making sure…
What else is there?
I left the subway platform, heading upstairs I found some tolls, probably this is where you would have paid for admission if this place was still up and running… I'll just hop over those…
Now what? Everything here is still abandoned, I don't see why it would be different.
Hold on, I think I see store signs… Maybe I can find something to eat in there?
There was a rather large variety of store signs here, but all of them were completely emptied out.
I wonder who built this metro in the first place, was it the Inklings? It could have been Octarians like myself too, or really anyone at this point…
Whoever built it at least had the common sense to use the universal language instead of one specific to a certain creature. Therefore I could read and discover what these empty rooms had previously been used for.
There was a sign for a coffee shop, another for flowers and another for souvenirs.
Some doors were marked as 'staff only' that led into ticket selling booths, electrical systems, or just storage closets.
I did also find a restroom, which was quite the relief.
Aside from that there wasn't anything I could really use, most of the station was sealed off with caution signs and tape, even though I ignored those and went inside to explore, I found that those areas had been completely cleaned out.
Though there was one place that caught my interest… Out of the many 'staff only' marked doors, one of them had light seeping out from under it, it was brighter than the rest of the metro too.
Maybe someone is still working here after all, perhaps a friend of CQ Cumber?
If it's another one of those deepsea creatures, I should really try not to scare them off…
I removed my Dualies and ink tank, packing them into my backpack, then I considered removing some of my bandages for a moment, but that wouldn't be a very good idea.
Now let's forget about Inkopolis and the surface for just a moment…
Come on… Stop thinking about it, forget about all the injustice, all the pain, the prejudice and arrogance of the common Inklings…
This isn't working… it's only making me more mad. Let's try distracting myself then…
What if I thought about the deepsea creatures?
Yes, what if I told the rest of Octo Valley that there was so many creatures living in these abandoned metro tunnels? Maybe I could write a paper about them and their daily habits?
I wonder if I could live amongst them and study how their society works…
Hey I think it's working! Just keep dreaming and i'll be fine.
I kept thinking about all the possible ways I could announce what I had discovered down here to Octo Valley and what I could possibly learn from this underground civilisation…
Because before I got dragged to the surface I was just a normal scholar, I had almost forgotten about it.
It would be so nice to return to a less life threatening environment…
I smiled to myself at the thought of it. Then I decided to open the door.
Inside was a brightly lit room, but before I took note of anything else, my eyes fell upon the sight of a pair of blue tentacles hanging off the side of a couch.
"*Cough* Hmm? Who's-"
I lept back out of that room immediately! Why is there an Inkling here?! Quick! Where are my Dualies?
Just my luck! As soon as I let my guard down another Inkling appears!
I fumbled for my weapons, hastily putting my Dualies and Ink tank on, then I reached for a burst bomb.
I opened the door again and tossed it in.
"Gah!?" came a voice from inside. Then it lowered to a quieter murmur "Wait, that's not the usual ink..." seems like the Inkling survived
Right these stupid ink balloons couldn't splat anyone before! Why did I even bother?
I could hear the Inkling moving around on the other side of the door, footsteps, followed by the sound of a weapon firing then splashing, I guess he must be inking up the place.
Well then, now is time to choose between fight or flight?
I would normally run if I was out numbered, but this was just one Inkling, I think i'll be fine.
Plus, that room looked full of stuff, if I can splat him I can probably find something to eat.
Okay then, it's time for…
'BLAM!'
The door swung open and smacked me in the face, as the Inkling burst out.
It didn't hurt, but I was dazed and had clasped my hands over my face on instinct. No stop, my guard was down, I have to focus. I looked up and then noticed the Inkling taking aim at me with a two handed weapon.
"Huh?" Came an unexpected reaction from the Inkling.
With one hand wiping away the fluids coming out of my nose, I raised one Dualie at the Inkling and fired.
The Inkling leapt back in response and fired some blue ink in front of him.
"Who are you?" He asked
As if I'm going to fall for that. "Don't play dumb with me!" I reached for my second Dualie and fired both at the Inkling, who retreated further back.
"Hey hey hey! You really want to do this here? This isn't Inkopolis you know!"
"So what?"
"So no respawning! What else?! Why are you even attacking me in the first place?"
He's busy talking! Alright time to splat him!
I once again shot at the Inkling, however he was rather quick on his feet and he slipped into his ink in squid form to avoid being hit.
"Would you stop tha-"
I fired at him again, normally I would have ran by now, but I haven't eaten in a while. Besides I already know better than to listen to an Inkling.
"I'm serious!" The Inkling, then paused to dodge another volley of ink that I sent his way. "If you are splatted-" He tossed an ink bomb in one direction while dodging in the other, probably to keep making space to hide. "Then that's it for you!" He finally was able to finish speaking, but I didn't care, if it's an Inkling then they are going to find some way to backstab me, I know it.
Finally fed up with being shot at, the Inkling shot at me, he actually shot at me!
I got a face full of blue ink, it didn't hurt as I would have expected it to, but it still blinded me for a bit as I struggled to wipe my face clean.
I rubbed and squeezed till finally all that blue stuff was out of my eyes, now where was that Inkling?
There was alot of blue ink around me, but no Inkling…
"Calmed down yet?"
I immediately turned to the source of that voice and pointed both Dualies…. At the closed door.
Oh I see, the Inkling took to hiding from me.
"I don't know why you're here, so how about you stop shooting at me and explain some things."
"I could say the same to you!"
"*Cough* Me?! You shot first!"
"Of course I did, you're an Inkling." There is no reason for me to let my guard down, especially around an Inkling. So what if neither of us can respawn? I was never able to in the first place.
"What's with that logic? No wait, I'm serious, you know nobody can respawn down here right?"
"So what?"
"You don't believe me?"
"Of course not." I'm not about to make the same mistakes as before, I've trusted Macrum to keep his word, Mother Superior to treat me equally and Finty to keep me safe, of course it never worked out.
'Rrrrrr' My stomach is still growling, so I tried to force open the door again. But to no avail since it opens outwards and I don't have the physical strength to forcefully pull it open.
"Oh come on! I'm telling the truth! Sure there are respawn points scattered around, but since nobody is conducting tests anymore, they have all been shut down! Can you please put down your Dualies so we can talk?" The Inkling offered.
What good would that do? It sounds like this Inkling doesn't know about the bounty on me, but he could just be lying and trying to get my guard down.
"You first then!" I'm not about to disarm myself around an Inkling.
"... Okay…" Came a reply, and the door opened slightly, it was just enough for an Ink tank, weapon and several bombs to be thrown out.
I leapt back in case the bombs were primed and ready to go off in my face, but they didn't.
"There, that's everything, will you listen to me now?*Cough*" came the Inkling's voice from behind the door.
Hold on, did this Inkling really just throw out all his weapons? I bet he has more, yeah as soon as I walk in there he's gonna pull a fast one on me isn't he?
If he's expecting me to do the same and toss out my Dualies he's gonna be very disappointed.
I tried the door, it seemed like the Inkling wasn't holding it back anymore, so I threw it open and rushed in and pointed my Dualies at the Inkling.
"Easy easy easy!" He shouted as he waved his hands in front of him.
I didn't see a second ink tank anywhere, nor any weapons nearby. Did he really throw out all his weapons so readily? Does that mean he's telling the truth about no respawning? Not that it mattered to me.
I glared at this Inkling, he had to be plotting something… Just looking at him rings an alarm.
This Inkling had blue tentacles and blue eyes, along with horns and a forked tongue…
I'm sure I made that last part up… But you get the point, nothing about him is trustworthy, besides I'm not quite sure about their eyes, but I recall very clearly that Macrum and Finty both had blue tentacles just like this one.
Out of all the Inklings who wronged me, those two were the worst.
To me, blue was a colour that screamed malice and pain.
As for the rest of this Inkling's features, he looked to be more around Finty's age as he was nowhere near as old as Macrum.
If he's anything like Finty, he'll probably pretend to be supportive and helpful while planning something behind my back.
I won't let that happen again.
"Hmph." I holstered my Dualies.
"What's with the 'hmph'? Were you not expecting an Inkling down here?" The Inkling seemed rather relaxed about this whole thing now that I wasn't holding my Dualies.
"Of course not! Why would you be here in the first place? Shouldn't you be in Inkopolis?"
"Inkopolis? *cough* Well I've been there… well nearly my whole life so I figured I'd take a trip down here."
Really… So someone would just risk their life for amusement? Either this Inkling is very stupid or he is not telling the truth.
"What about you? Trying to reach the promised land?"
There's that mention of the promised land again, what is with that nickname for Inkopolis? "The promised land is Inkopolis isn't it?"I asked and the Inkling nodded in reply. My answer was simple "No way."
"Whaaat? How could you turn down Inkopolis? Have you ever even gone there before?"
Who does this guy think I am? Of course I did! I wouldn't hate it so much if I hadn't!
"Oh I have! I've been to Inkopolis alright, I've seen the morally corrupt hellhole filled with self obsessed creatures devoid of empathy."
"...Are we really talking about the same Inkopolis?"
"Tch! What, there's another?"
The Inkling let out a chuckle, as if I was joking, but i'm dead serious, the only way he would think otherwise is if he was blissfully ignorant or a blind nationalist, he did mention he was from Inkopolis after all.
"Do you think I'm joking? Oh please. If I had believed the Octarian army I wouldn't have ended up like this."
I wanted him to take a good look at me and still pretend that I'm joking, I'm skinny from being malnourished over the last two years and covered in bandages from my recent escape from Inkopolis.
However at the mention of the army, I noticed the Inkling avert his gaze towards his weapons, which lay on the ground outside.
"Ah!" I quickly pulled out my Dualies when I noticed him heading out to get them.
"Okay okay! I guess I'll leave it there for now. Sheesh..."
"Who are you? What are you doing here?" I asked. Though I don't expect a truthful answer, I bet he'll mix in some truth but tell me something I'd want to hear. I'll listen, but I won't trust him, never will.
"Right, uhhh... I guess I should introduce myself." It looked like he was thinking rather hard for a simple introduction. He has to be coming up with a lie, I know it.
"*Cough* ahem.. I'm Inkay and I'm a uhhh…. A survivalist or explorer of the deep sea I guess?"
"An 'explorer'? Seriously…." No part of him looked like an explorer, rather he looked alot like those weirdly dressed Inkling I saw back on the surface.
"Well… I don't know what else to call it. I'm here because there are so many creatures down here that you probably never even knew existed. It's all very uhh... interesting, I figured I could spend more time down here so I turned this place into a hideout of sorts. It's all pretty interesting, besides Inkopolis isn't going… What with that face?"
What face? Oh wait I think I know. At the mention of Inkopolis I felt something flare up inside me, I really hate that city, so I guess the very mention of its name was enough to make me scowl.
And the way he spoke about Inkopolis suggests he is from there…
"How many Inklings are here with you?" I doubt he would come down here alone if it meant no respawning.
"Nobody else, it's just me. Everyone I know should still be in Inkopolis… By the way, you said you've been to Inkopolis before but it sounded nothing like the Inkopolis I knew… Did something happen up in Inkopolis?"
Tch, I swear this guy is saying 'Inkopolis' on purpose now, maybe I should just shoot him despite there being no respawns down here…
Nah, not yet, from what it sounds like this guy hasn't been up on the surface for a while now. Though I still doubt his whole story about exploring the deep.
Also he said his name was Inkay? What kind of name is that? Well I guess Macrum, Finty and Taleesa are all strange names. By know I should know that Inklings have a strange naming sense compared to Octolings… I mean seriously, compare those names to the Octolings I knew like…
Pete…
Jake…
Alexsandra…
…
I haven't thought about them in a long time…
Who were they again?
Pete was… an acquaintance from Octo Valley, I would say friend but with Octo Valley's life expectancy it's highly discourage to be making friends.
Jake was… someone who had suffered in Macrum's villa for much much longer than I have. Though he was incredibly sick the last time I saw him… I wonder if he is okay.
And Alex is-
"Hey don't just space out on me! Helloooo!" The Inkling waved his hands in front of me ruining my train of thought.
I glared at him.
"Well?" He asked "Your turn."
"What?"
"Come on, don't just leave me hanging, introduce yourself."
Since when did this become a casual conversation? I was just trying to splat this guy moments ago…
"My name is Nathalie…"
"And?"
"That's all you need to know."
"Aww come on. Don't leave me guessing, if you aren't here to reach Inkopolis then why are you here?"
"That's none of your business..."
"Really? Then how about explaining why your first reaction to seeing me was to attack me. I'd say that's very much my business is it not?"
Point taken…
"I don't trust Inklings, that being said, I don't see a reason to stay any longer..."
I'm not just jumping to conclusions either, I have my reasons to believe that this Inkling hasn't been truthful from the start.
Take this so-called 'hideout' for example. I don't know what purpose this room previously served, but he's got a rather large freezer and what appears to be a folding couch here. Both should be rather large and heavy, so I doubt he could have brought those in by himself.
Sure there is always the possibility that somebody just helped him set up then left, possibly someone who isn't an Inkling, but I'm not taking any chances.
In the first place, it's strange that there would be any Inkling down here to begin with, let alone one who is staying by himself.
"What's not to trust? You can't just make assumptions based on first glance you know."
"You think I don't know that!? Why do you think I ended up like this?!"
I mean come on! Look at me, I'm pretty much covered from head to toe in bandages, I've become skinny and out of shape and I'm always on edge wherever I go! What else could have done this to me other than Inkopolis?
"Okay…. Well… How about this, look around. Do you see anything that seems suspicious to you?"
"Yes."
"Wow okay, what a quick reply."
"No duh, first off, the entrance to this place was closed up on the surface, so it's not right for any Inkling to be down here, second of all, you said you were down here alone, yet most of the stuff I see here would have required help setting up."
"Is that all? *cough* Well you are right about the first part, the Deepsea Metro is closed off from Inkopolis, as for the second, the denizens of the deep helped me set up. Anything else?"
"Why did you hesitate so long before introducing yourself? And what is with the constant cough, like you are trying to buy time."
"You really are grasping at straws aren't you? I just haven't been feeling so fresh lately, that's why I was laying around before you burst in."
'Oh? Is that so?" Well I guess that could explain the cough, but just to be safe, lets have him explain a bit more. "Then please tell me what else you have been experiencing aside from a cough."
"What is this? a test? My throat just feels a little sore and I've got a bit of a headache, that's all."
Well in that case…
I rapidly put my hand on the Inkling's forehead, if he is telling the truth than his temperature should be just a bit higher than normal.
"What are you doing?"
…
No good, I still can't feel anything,
"Are you cold?" I asked,
"A bit, yeah."
He answered that one quick enough, maybe he is telling the truth… If that's the case then…
I walked away from the Inkling and towards what appeared to be a kitchen area, it had several coolers, a rather large freezer and some old cupboards there, all next to a single portable stove a rather old looking sink, and a small chopping board.
The Inkling didn't make any attempts to stop me so I began to search through his stuff.
I opened a cooler and…
"Are you really an explorer?"
"Yes, of course! You still don't believe me?"
Of course not! And I just found more proof of it!
This Inkling, you'd expect someone who is exploring a place far from home to bring non perishable foods, yet this Inkling has a cooler filled with fresh bell peppers, tomatoes, black fungus and other vegetables.
I moved on to a cupboard and instead of finding canned foods I found more fresh produce though at least there was some stuff like honey, dried seaweed and salt which probably won't go bad...
Either this Inkling lacks even the most basic survival knowledge, or he is lying to me and he just recently arrived from Inkopolis, I'm guessing it's the latter.
Finally I checked the freezer.
"Do you seriously expect me to believe you're some sort of explorer?"
"Well *cough* You could also call me an adventurer or something."
"That's not the point. Why are you lying to me?"
"I'm not lying."
"Really? Well then explain why you have so much fresh groceries here."
"What, do you expect me to just live off the land? There is nothing growing down here."
"That's just the point! Normally you'd bring non perishable foods to these sorts of places. Yet here you have stuff that will probably go bad in two weeks."
"You know Inkopolis is just a day away right."
It is? I had lost track of time as soon as I ran into the metro, and that is despite Octarians having a very good innate sense of time thanks to living underground for so long.
Guess I'll add that to my list of numbing senses.
But if Inkopolis is just a day away, I think maybe I should try getting away from here…
Now where was I?
"Cough"
Right…
"Tch! If you have a cold, go lie down again and stay away from me!"
I went through all of this Inkling's supplies and picked out a ginger root, which I proceeded to peel and chop up.
"Hey, what are you doing?"
"Be quiet, I'm just making some tea for myself so that I won't catch whatever you have, you might as well drink some too once i'm done."
Then I moved on to fill a pot with water from the sink and placed it on the portable stove.
It was an alcohol powered stove, it should be the best choice for use in such a poorly ventilated area like this.
"Well at least you bought the right stove..."
"There's a wrong one?"
"If you like breathing, then yes."
Then again, if he had been using a propane stove here he'd probably be dead by now.
I waited for the water to boil, then added the mashed ginger root.
A ginger tea like this isn't as effective as actual medication, but it should be able to boost the functions of an Octarian immune system, maybe it will work for an Inkling too.
…
Wait, what am I doing? This Inkling could be faking a cold for all I know, plus it's not even that serious...
I looked down at the boiling ginger.
Right! I'm not doing this for the Inkling, rather I just haven't had anything to eat or drink for quite some time, so I figured I'd take whatever I can get without drawing too much attention.
Besides, I'll take whatever chance I get to put my knowledge to use, at least I can get some sort of satisfaction from that.
I waited a few minutes, during which the Inkling continued to cough or try to speak with me, but I didn't have much to say to him.
Finally I poured two cups of the ginger tea I had made.
"Here." I said, hand one to the Inkling.
I watched him carefully take a sip and…
"Ahhh what is this? Why is it so strong?"
Huh is it?
I drank my own but didn't taste anything out of the ordinary, wait I can't really taste anymore to begin with.
"How can you just gulp it all down so easily?"
It seemed as if the Inkling was having trouble, hold on, maybe I was supposed to remove the pieces of ginger from the tea? I forget…
"If it's that bad then go add honey or something, that should be good for your throat."
The Inkling paused for a while, then did exactly as I suggested… Though I kept an eye on him, in case he was actually going to dig out a weapon from somewhere…
No it seemed like he was just adding honey to his tea.
…
"I shouldn't have to say this, but get some rest. You should be feeling better after a day or two, if not then go see a doctor. Or stay here and die, I don't care."
Oooo, no need to be so harsh."
"On a side note, if Inkopolis is really just a day away, I guess you don't need to ration food, but for crying out loud, at least keep some sort of first aid here, like aspirin and antibiotics..."
"I just caught a cold, it's not like I'll get super sick or something."
"You really think that? Then can you tell me what kind of illnesses are most common down here, what their symptoms are and how they can be prevented?"
"Uhh.. no, but can you?"
"No and that is exactly the point. You don't know what lies down here so it would be smarter for you to keep some medicinal items on hand just in case."
I'd know, I saw a fellow kidnapped Octoling get extremely sick back in Macrum's villa… No Let's try not to think about that.
I don't want to help this Inkling out, I just wanted to at least get something for my troubles, I figure something to drink would be enough for now, plus I'll take any chance I get to practice for when I eventually return to Octo Valley as a medical worker.
"Geez and here I thought I just had to worry about being splatted…." The Inkling commented
"Is that why you were armed? Don't be such a musclehead, though I guess with your figure you can't fall under that description…"
"Hey I'm no worse than the average turf player, you on the other hand, could use some work."
"Tch, did you forget how I ended up like this?! It's all because of you Inklings and- ahh forget it!"
The Inkling stared at me rather confused.
Hmph, if it's true that this Inkling doesn't know what happened in Inkopolis, then it's best to leave and get away from him while he is still clueless and before anything bad happens.
I quickly finished my tea and stood up to leave, only for the Inkling to call out to me again.
"Wait, that's it? You're leaving already?"
"I've been here long enough already, besides I don't trust Inklings."
"And here I thought we were starting to get along…"
Sarcasm again? "Don't misunderstand, I didn't come here to treat you."
"Of course not, then was it maybe for food?"
I stopped, he wasn't wrong, I was hungry when I wandered into this room and I still am, but after seeing an Inkling I sort of stopped paying attention to my stomach.
"Was it that obvious?"
"Kinda hard to miss, your stomach's been roaring the whole time. Come on, stay a bit, it's almost time for lunch and you won't get much company down here anyways."
…
I don't think I'm in a position to turn him down.
Hold on, did he say lunch? It was late in the afternoon when I entered the metro, that means it has been more than a day since I last ate anything, not to mention I had been running alot, no wonder I'm so hungry right now…
"... Fine…" Reluctantly I shut the door and sat back down next to the Inkling.
That Inkling's weapon is still lying on the floor outside, so unless he has another one hidden somewhere in this hideout of his, I should be okay.
"Alright then, just wait here, I'll go put something together."
I watched as the Inkling started to make a stir fry out of various chopped veggies, I guess he's taking what I said to heart and using up all the non-preservable stuff first.
Bell peppers, onions, bean sprouts and mushrooms sizzled, giving off an aroma I could still barely make out despite my deadened senses.
Though it still bothers me that there is an Inkling presence here… Perhaps he is planning something? Like maybe stalling for time?
I did doubt that he was here alone, if someone else is here with him, they will definitely become suspicious if they see his weapons lying on the ground outside this hideout…
With the sounds of searing food in the background, I quietly retrieved the Inkling's weapons and brought them indoors.
What now?
If someone else returned, they would probably try to enter this room right? I mean you could hear and smell something coming from inside so you'd definitely check to see what's going on…
Let's lock the door, just to be safe…
'Click'
Now everything should be fine right?
Right?
No, I can't think that! I can't just let my guard down.
I may be hungry, but that is no reason to leave myself exposed.
"There we go! It's done!" Exclaimed the Inkling, before coughing into his sleeve.
He made a rather simple stir fry of noodles and various vegetables.
"Here you go." The Inkling handed me a plateful of food.
…
This feels incredibly suspicious, I don't think an Inkling would just casually hand out food to someone they don't even know…
Unless maybe he does know me from somewhere… Just because he hasn't been to Inkopolis lately doesn't mean he's completely out of touch with everyone there… That must be it! I bet he knows about me and my bounty! That's why he was so hesitant to fight me! I have to be brought in alive right? I bet he spiked this food with something! Well I'm not falling for it!
"Hey, take a bite out of this!" I demanded, pointing at my plate of food.
The Inkling looked rather stumped "Is there something wrong with it?"
"You tell me, you're the one who made it… Or are you maybe afraid because you put something bad in it?"
"Why would I do that? Alright sure." The Inkling took a good fork full of food and ate it without hesitation. "Eere, appy ow?" He said with a stuffed mouth.
I stared at him, there was no reaction aside from him asking why I was staring so hard.
Perhaps I was wrong? Or maybe…
"Take another bite, this time out of the center."
"Again? I'm not trying to poison you, jeez…"
"If that's true then you'll have no problem doing what I said!" I think I figured him out, he'll probably fight back, so I reached for my Dualies.
"Okay okay…" The Inkling said and ate another mouthful of food, from the center of my plate.
Once again I observed him closely and saw no negative reaction to the food…
Odd, could it really be that there is nothing wrong with the food?
Or maybe is there some kind of drug that only affects Octolings mixed in here?
I reluctantly nibbled at my food…
Nope I still can barely taste anything, now is the time I wish I could because then I could probably taste something mixed in here that shouldn't be. I'd probably be able to identify it too since I had learned so much about medicine and chemistry before…
Sadly I can't do any of that…
Should I just eat and hope for the best? Or play is safe and just leave?
…
I am hungry, but what if hunger ends up being my downfall here?
Sure this Inkling didn't seem to have any ulterior movies yet and just seems like a nice guy, but I know from experience that it's not good to trust nice guys…
But I have gone quite a while without proper food…
…
In the end I chose to eat and leave quickly.
I may not be able to properly enjoy the food, but it was still satisfying to finally fill my belly with something.
Besides I don't ever recall hearing of any sort of poison or drug that only affects Octarians.
I think I should be safe.
Although I was still uneasy and didn't say a single word to the Inkling.
That was until I finished my food, when he started to make a strange expression.
He brought his hand up and rubbed his throat.
"Urf" Making an odd noise, the Inkling collapsed face first.
Oh no, was there actually something wrong with this food?
Maybe it was something slow acting! What's going to happen to me?
I rushed to my feet, I had best get out of here as far as possible before-
"Hahaha! Just kidding!"
I want to punch this guy…
"Did you really think I'd poison you? Pfft!"
I ended up punching him.
Don't you dare joke about the situation I'm in.
"Hmph, well you've had your fun. I'm leaving now and don't you try to follow me."
"Alright alright, you don't like me very much I get it."
"Exactly."
Finally, I've wasted enough time here. Time to get moving again.
…
"Here, if things get worse take one of these and go home." I tossed him the fever relief I had been carrying along for days now. I had bought it to help Jake back then but since I couldn't return to him in time I had no use for it.
Keeping it with me will only bring back unpleasant memories, might as well get rid of it here.
"Uhh, thanks?" The Inkling seemed slightly confused, oh well, it's not my problem, i'm out of here.
I'll go explore the rest of this station and see if I can find any clues on how to return to Octo Valley, if I really can't do that then I'll go back to the subway and try to speak with those deep sea creatures again.
I'm bound to find someone who knows Octo Valley at some point, whoever that may be I hope to find them soon.
I continued back into the dark tunnels of the Deepsea Metro, hoping that I wouldn't find another Inkling anytime soon. Of course since I found that self proclaimed explorer, I doubt that I'm completely safe from Inkopolis here…
I don't know which station exactly is closest to Octo Valley but if that Inkling was telling the truth and Inkopolis is only about a day away from this station then I need to leave now.
Time to retrace my steps, where's that subway? Where is that conductor?
I ran back to the subway platform and waited, if this train doesn't arrive quickly I'll just run on my own.
Luckily, it arrived in a matter of minutes, I wasted no time on getting aboard.
This time the subway was only carrying deep sea jellyfish in it's passenger cars, though it was of no concern to me, I went straight to the front to look for CQ Cumber.
"Back so soon? Hmm you appear to be in a hurry, have you decided on a new destination?"
"No, but I want to get as far away from this station as possible."
"Well… We are currently headed westbound on line A, so Bumpin' 8-Ball station would be the furthest from here."
"Perfect, that will do. Thanks alot."
I quickly returned to the passenger cars, waiting anxiously for the subway to get moving.
The sooner I get away from here the better.
"Arriving at Bumpin' 8-Ball station, please check your belongings and leave nothing behind."
Hearing that, I looked up and out the subway windows, I had finally arrived.
I had been rather nervous, expecting more Inklings to show up at the other stations along the way, but luckily there weren't any, only deep sea jellyfish here.
Well, they had a good reason to avoid coming down here, they had probably gotten so used to respawning that the idea of a permanent death is too much for them to handle. If that is true then… Well that would be ridiculous, being so scared of something so natural…
The subway came to a stop and the doors opened just as I finished replacing my bandages, I packed everything back up, grabbed my backpack and left, along with most of the other passengers.
However, the other passengers all immediately turned away to transfer to another subway line.
That was rather odd…
There was a toll and a strange circle on the ground at this station, but I couldn't make out much of what was beyond that.
Well then, I might as well take a look…
"Hup"
I hopped over the closed toll and continued forward, though the first thing I noticed was a rather large drop from the platform I'm currently on…
I peeked down, but it was such a huge drop that I could not see the bottom…
And what was on the other side of this drop? Well it was rather odd, but I think It's a ramp made out of air cushions or sponges or something…
What strange construction… Though whatever does look rather comfortable…
No, there is no need for rest at the moment, I'll ignore that and keep going.
Though there was only one other path to take, that was to the right…
…
I barely walked ten steps before I found another one of those bouncy looking cushions on the ground, and right before a random slab of wall too…
What sort of station was this?
Is there any way around this? Or am I supposed to scale this wall somehow?
Trying to get a closer look, I stepped forward only for my feet to sink a bit into the ground, nearly losing my balance.
This is dangerous, why is there such a springy surface above such a huge drop? Some parts of the floor seem to be made of sponges, I wonder who decided to build with such a soft material.
I wanted to run deeper into the station in case Inklings showed up, but this is… well it's just weird.
What other strange things could be lying in wait for me here? I wondered as I slowly stepped out of the sponges and onto the cushion before the wall.
With a powerful leap I managed to clear the wall.
Hmm?
There is ink here, a rather eerie shade of teal too…
But most importantly it is fresh… if it wasn't it would have long faded away…
Someone else has been here recently, some other cephalopod… Maybe Inklings?
I have no idea, this place seems rather empty and abandoned just like everywhere else in this metro network… and the construction here does not resemble Inkopolis nor Octo Valley…
Who else could be living down here, who would be leaving trails of ink everywhere they go? And are they friendly towards Octarians or not?
Well, time to put the Dualies to use again… I've been using them alot recently so I should have expected this…
I continued on, bouncing off another air cushion and crossing more spongey ground, until I heard a noise.
There was more of that odd teal ink here, and in the middle of it, was it's source…
An Octarian! I'm saved! He's not an Octoling like me, but rather a single tentacled type that are usually seen on hovercrafts in the army as Octotroopers. I doubt this one is part of the army though, as despite standing on a hovercraft, he coloured differently from the army, he is blue and teal.
Blue...
No forget that! He is Octarian! He must have come from Octo Valley!
"Hello!" I called out "over he….errr…."
I stopped when the Octotrooper turned around and locked eyes with me.
His eyes were pitch black, with glowing teal pupils, I don't think that is normal. Those eyes squinted upon seeing me and he started to close the distance.
No wait, let's not jump to any conclusions, perhaps there is some sort of deep sea Octarian civilization here?
"Uhh hello? Are you from the valley?" I asked but the Octotrooper ignored me, in fact he stopped and shot ink at me!
"Eek!"
I managed to step back just in time and the ink landed right in front of me.
"What are you doing?! I'm talking to you! Hellooo!?"
The Octotrooper didn't seem to even acknowledge my voice, instead he shot at me again.
"Do you not understand me? Stop!" I shouted to no avail as the Octotrooper finally managed to score a hit.
I could see the ink reacting violently with my body… This is the real deal, this guy is actually trying to splat me… but why?
No time for questions, if I have to fight then I'll do it!
I ran to the side, firing my Dualies and trying to avoid another shot of ink.
I was successful in dodging at least, but I completely missed my target.
Switching into Octopus form, I regained a bit of ink before trying again, but the trooper shot at me and I had to focus more on dodging than aiming and my aim was pretty bad to begin with, so while I didn't miss every shot, I didnt splat the Octotrooper…
I can't believe I'm having this much trouble with just a single tentacled Octarian, when I've splatted so many Inklings in Inkopolis. Well those Inklings didn't really try to kill me so it was alot easier. It should have been obvious to me, but I only just realized that fighting is alot harder when your opponent actually shoots back at you…
I tried again, this time ignoring the shots the Octotrooper fired.
I hit him a few times, but I also got hit… twice…
No, I cant die in a place like this! Not before I return to Octo Valley.
I turned and ran, I'll try again once I've recovered.
But even then I don't know how things might go...
Ahhh screw it! If I can't aim to save my life, I'll just get in real close and punch the guy.
I sprayed more ink at the Octotrooper, even though I was out of range, then as he approached me, I changed to my Octopus form, swam under his hovercraft, popped up behind him and knocked him right off.
There! That's done it! Now to find out why he attacked me.
The Octotrooper was lying on his back, his little feet kicking wildly at the air trying to get himself back up.
I push him back down with one arm and held him there.
"Quit squirming already! Talk! Why did you attack me? Are you working for Inklin- hey stop that! Get off!"
The Octotrooper suddenly bit my arm! I still could barely feel it but still, I wanted him off!
I frantically tried to shake him off, nearly falling off the ledge in the process.
Just what was this guy's deal?
"Let gooo!" I tried to pull him off with my free hand, but he wouldn't budge… What is he? Some sort of wild animal?
Tch, okay now that it's come to this.
With my free hand I pressed one Dualie against the Octotrooper and fired at point blank range, the Octotrooper was then replaced by a massive burst of ink in my colour…
… That was… strange.
Why did that Octotrooper attack me like that? I just wanted to talk. Also what was with his eyes, also his skin, heck everything about him!
Blue tentacles, just like Macrum, Finty and that other Inkling, along with a bright teal skin that looked rather unnatural, who attacked you on sight…
I think there may have been a rumor of such Octarians back in the Valley… something about zombies of the deep… Actually didn't CQ Cumber say something about 'sanitized' wandering around? Could this be what he was talking about?
I have a bad feeling about this, but let's keep advancing forward just in case…
After all, I'll have to find a suitable place to rest soon enough, also possibly something to eat…
At the mention of eating, I thought back to that hideout of that so-called explorer of the deep, where I had my last meal… There was more than enough food there but the Inkling...
No, I'm not going back there, sure that Inkling didn't cause me any harm, but given enough time he would have. I really should know this by now.
I can't trust Inklings and after seeing that Octotrooper I should be weary of everyone else too.
Even those who are just doing their job at the moment, they may always turn on me once they find out what happened in Inkopolis, that means I can't be too trusting towards CQ Cumber either...
Yes that's right, for someone like me it's much safer to venture on…
...Alone.