Deep Within a Cave

'... It's so dark.

Where am I?

What happened to me?'

These thoughts sluggishly flowed into a numbed mind, wracked with unfamiliar pain, though not dissimilar to a migraine. Worse still, a firm force surrounded the barely conscious body, limiting their movement to nothing but a muted struggle. The texture of the immediate surrounding seemed cool to the touch, yet was quite grainy and mushy. It was a texture quite akin to mud from either a riverbed, or a lakebed.

However, this semi-unconscious individual gritted themself to their senses as they flexed their body, seeking some slight purchase in the environment they were trapped in.

'... I... I need to break free.'

The body shivered and rippled as they sought some crack or gap in their cocoon of compact, wet silt. There was no weaknesses they could feel in their cage of sodden earth, as they found no hint of freedom in front of them, or behind them, to their left, their right, or even below. No matter where they reached, they found no exit that relieved them of their current confinement.

However, they eventually discovered a hint of hope as the soggy, yet cloying, dirt above themself gave away from a prying push. Further prodding only served to push the soil out and further away. It also seemed to suckle upon their form, as though their cage was stuck inside of a pressurized balloon. Perhaps something good would happen if they pushed themself even further above?

Suction grappled their body, forcing them to burst out of the damp ground with an audible 'pop'. They flew in the air for the briefest of seconds before landing onto the ground in what sounded like a wet splat.

"Oof."

At least they were no longer in that suffocating prison. However, their freedom revealed only one answer to their two questions. Their eyes blinked open to witness a dark cavern-like structure looming over and around themself, which looked like they were within a naturally formed underground lake. The lake was fed a trickle of water from a tunnel that lead elsewhere, possibly leading to another level of freedom. Slivers of light poked into the tunnel of the underground lake's only tunnel exit, which hinted only further freedom.

However, the escapee's mind was still addled by a pain that clogged their thoughts, and their body still felt so numb and unfamiliar. Despite the annoying sensations of a headache, they struggled to move their body forward. Their legs felt like jelly, their arms refused to wipe the sweat from their brow, and yet their mind was clouded in a stinging mist, preventing them from analyzing their own body. Their inspection of themself , and their introspection of their mind and emotions would have to wait. A deeper need pulled them out of their prison and toward what seemed to be the only exit out of this dank and dark cavern.

Within a few moments, they found themself in a forested area, which was some distance away from a faraway shoreline. The salt in the air signified that it may have been an ocean. There was a faraway building that seemed red, jagged, and spewed black smoke into the sky, located further down the shoreline. It had a small dock that had several boats tied to the piers. A strange field of fungus seems to be growing in the shadows of the trees just behind the docks and red building.

However, such observations were dulled by a more deeper need. This need deep within them was... hunger. Yes. They are hungry. They needed to eat food, lest they would allow the fog in their mind to continue. If this hunger remained, the fuzziness in their mind would indwell and persist.

They wandered to a nearby tree that seemed to have some fruiting growths. They were purplish in color, but they were too hungry to care. Alas, they were out of their reach, no matter how often they jumped upon the bark of the tree to climb it.

Odd. They could have sworn they had hands to climb with.

However, a clumsy bird glided through the air and knocked into the fruit high above them. Two fell down and landed next to them. Food. At long last.

They engulfed them into their maw with little care. They had a bitter taste upon entry, and the very core of the fruit was chalky and unpleasant. But the attack to their taste buds gave way to an aftertaste of watery juiciness unlike any fruit they had ever tasted.

They were immediately greeted by a bird. They looked upon it and saw that its plumage was red and yellow, while its beak took upon a dangerous sharpness. It seemed to shine like a steel blade? It squawked its cry and flapped its wings at them before its sharp talons and a piercing beak pierced through their skin.

They flinched, but... they felt no pain? No, they didn't feel any pain at all. How was this possible? However, the bird was within biting distance, and they took the opportunity to engulf the bird that thought itself as predator to them. The tables turned as the crunch of bones ended the bird's life, its nutrients now serving to replenish them instead.

Satisfied with their meal, they turned toward the ocean. They would have headed toward the sea, were it not for a new distraction that both surprised them and relinquished much of their dull trance. Three pink gems littered the ground right behind themself. They didn't know where they came from, but they sparkled under the light of day.

They blinked and stared at these pink gems.

... No, they were not gems at all.

They recognized what they are.

They were plorts.

Pink plorts.

Created from a pink slime.

But where was the slime that made them?

Suddenly, their mind was filled with slight panic.

This panic suddenly became awareness.

Self-awareness.

They focused on their arms, their legs, and their muscles. This body was not the one they remembered as theirs. The body they remembered piloting proudly was human. But as of this moment, they did not have a human body. They now had a gelatinous orb of amorphous liquid as a body.

They were a slime, from the Far, Far Range.

"Aww, crap..."

Prelude 1

A man in a business suit sat behind a desk, silently smoking an imported cigar. His hair was a natural dirty blond that was styled in a short wave, and his pale freckled skin and face showed deeper signs of age. Though he was reaching the late stages of his middling adulthood, his eyes were a dark brown, which shined with a sharp intellect.

The room was dark, and lousy with the smoke he exhaled. His tired eyes and wrinkled frown was easily masked by his professionalism. It was clear he had lost some sleep due to certain... events. Migraines upon migraines had assailed the corporation he worked for, but at least they had a lot of money and resources to throw around. However, his, and by extension the corporation's, biggest migraine would finally be addressed at last.

The placard on his desk read:

'Ryan McDougutt

Co-Executive to the 7Zee Corporation'

A woman's voice emanated from his desk phone. [Mr. McDougutt. A man by the name of Investigator Brent Stormford is here to see you.]

Ryan pressed a button on his office phone. "Send him in, Darla."

A minute had passed before a thin, brown-coated man opened and walked through his office door. He placed his deer cap on a nearby hat rack before turning to Ryan and sighing towards him. He was a younger middle-aged man of messy red hair with fair colored skin, but had deep amber eyes. "Chutes and ladders, there you are! I was starting to worry that I might get lost in this building!"

Ryan nodded back at the investigator with a sagely smile. "I apologize for inviting you here under such unusual circumstances, but our corporation tends to have a habit of valuing secrecy when appropriate. Do come in, Mr. Stormford. Once you get yourself comfortable, we can begin with our meeting."

Brent nodded as he went to the chair in front of Ryan's desk and settled himself into it. He then gestured to Ryan. "So. You got me in an appointment to meet you here in your office. In the 7Zee Corporation Administration building, no less. I have a feeling this is going to be one of those 'special cases' you want me to look into. Let me guess... Do you perhaps suspect your corporation will succumb to corporate sabotage once again?"

Ryan chuckled and waved dismissively at Brent. "Hah hah hah, no no! Nothing like that. Though it is true that your 'private investigator work' has upended some insalubrious moles that would have wounded our corporation's long-term goals."

Brent nodded. "I'm aware of my past experience with catching the spy in the midst of your corporate dogma, Mr. McDougutt. I just don't understand why you need someone of my caliber to assist in a missing persons case."

Ryan quickly hushed Brent with a hiss as he placed a finger to his lips. He then reached a hand toward his desk phone. "Darla, hold all my calls please."

[Yes sir.] The woman's voice replied.

Ryan sighed. "Computer, close all windows and blinds. Disrupt any communication signals going in and out of this room." A beep of confirmation responded to Ryan's command as the room became even darker.

Brent raised an eyebrow at Ryan curiously. "Hm. You're acting like this might involve something more than just corporate sabotage."

Ryan dampened his cigar on an ashtray and folded his hands together. "I'm afraid it isn't as simple as that, Brent. Er... May I call you Brent?"

Brent shrugged. "Only if I can call you Ryan."

"You may." Ryan nodded. "This isn't just an ordinary missing persons case, I'm afraid. Ever heard of the planet called the Far, Far Range?"

Brent huffed and nodded. "You'd have to live under a rock to not hear the name. It's the slime world where the 7Zee Corporation gets much of their resources from. It's also the planet that the slime ranchers you hired get sent to. However, I doubt that the Far, Far Range, that's a thousand light-years away from Planet Earth I might add, has anything to do with the investigation you hired me to look into."

"You'd be surprised how a couple of months can change technological progress, Brent." Ryan said. He accessed his computer, which then produced a hologram between himself and Brent. Three faces was displayed before Brent. "You will be joining three other people during your investigation." Ryan pointed to the grizzled man that seemed to have a permanent scowl, deep blue eyes and a bald head. Just from looking at his olive-tan face, Brent could tell he was tough. "The man on your left will be your search team's bodyguard. He's a war veteran that has much experience in protecting important assets. He was shifted to guard duty for a time, only to get back on the saddle as a mercenary for hire. He goes by the name of Robert Rodman. Our corporation spent quite a bit of money hiring him."

He then pointed to the second person, which was a black haired, pale-skinned woman that seemed to be in her late 40's. She had a pair of glasses that was rimmed with stripes of light and dark gray over her gray eyes. Her black hair was affixed into a ponytail, but a few stray hairs were allowed to remain loose over her face, which seemed to accentuate her slender cheekbones somewhat. "This is our archeologist, Dr. Samantha 'Slammy Sammy' Samarin. She knows the lay of the land like the back of her hand. Her research into the various ruins of the Far, Far Range has revealed many mysterious histories of this world, though much of it still remains shrouded. She will help your investigation team navigate the terrain of the Far, Far Range."

And finally, he pointed to the third person. This person had long blond hair tied up in two buns. She had fair skin, green eyes, and a round face with pronounced lips. She seemed to be around the same age as Brent. "And this is Dr. Tiffany Glasstalon. She is a scientist, biologist, and researcher for many of our R & D divisions. She mainly excels in xenobiology in regards to the slime natives of the Far, Far Range. Hell, she made extensive contributions to filling out our 'slimepedia' entries regarding the slimes, making her our chief expert on them. Don't let her in-depth ramblings of the slimes intimidate you, though. She's very passionate about them."

"Between Dr.s Samarin and Glasstalon, they will provide extensive knowledge of the land and its inhabitants, providing you and Mr. Rodman any answers you might need during your stay at the Far, Far Range. If at any point you meet upon any dangers in your way, Mr. Rodman will provide assistance when requested. He will do his job protecting you and his teammates. All you have to do is find a certain person of our interest." Ryan concluded, turning off the holograms.

Brent stared at Ryan with a stern stare. "... So wait. You're uh... You're really gonna send me to the Far, Far Range just to find someone? Doesn't it normally take a year to get from this planet to there?"

Ryan smiled. "As I said, you'd be surprised how a couple of months can change technological progress, Brent." Ryan accessed his computer again. Another hologram was displayed before Brent, only to reveal a warp teleporter of complicated make. Ryan gestured to it. "Our investment into Warp Tech unleashed unlimited applications, namely in rapid distribution of resources. Ever since this technology became available to us, it was mainly used by the slime ranchers of the Far, Far Range as a means to save time in their busy days. However, as the technology continued to develop, Warp Tech had the capacity to not only transport people and resources to anywhere in the region, but also to the opposite sides of the planet! In response to this, the 7Zee corporation has created a teleporter capable of transporting anyone, or anything, from here, to there, in an instant."

Brent nodded. "Hm. Fancy tech that. But uh... How is this not available to the public yet?"

Ryan sighed. "The Executives, their Co-Executives, and even the Chief Executive withhold public knowledge of the Transcosmic Teleporter. Its an experimental prototype, yes, but a lot of work and passion had went into the creation of this device. And as it so happens, its sister has been built and activated only a few days ago. Several tests were carried out to ensure that there were no hiccups." Ryan stood up from his chair and placed his hands on his desk. "Here's the thing, Brent. You have three options. The first option is to take a ride in a spaceship, where you'd be put into suspended animation in a hibernation pod for a year. However, the investigation team you are assigned to would grow a year older. It's one of the more safer options."

Brent raised an eyebrow. "And options two and three?"

Ryan held up two fingers. "Option two involves going through the Transcosmic Teleporter. You will complete the roster of the investigation team, and the investigation will begin sooner. However, we would have to create a convincing cover story for your arrival on the Far, Far Range, and have you make a solemn promise to withhold information of the Transcosmic Teleporter device from the public." Ryan then held up three fingers. "And option three is you can decline to take part in this investigation. This is the safest option available to you."

Brent paused before humming to himself. Once he got his thoughts together, he leaned forward. "I'm getting the impression that this job will involve some collateral damage to myself and my team."

Ryan sighed. "You're quite correct. The native inhabitants of the Far, Far Range slowly became more aggressive as time went on. Feral slimes are more abundant, Tarr outbreaks are occurring often, and slime ranchers are having a more difficult time wrangling slimes. I believe that our production quota would start dipping severely if this trend continues."

"Hence why you decided to give the investigation team a bodyguard." Brent added.

Ryan nodded. "Indeed."

Brent gestured to Ryan. "So who are we searching for?"

"A slime rancher." Ryan answered plainly.

Brent's expression hardened. "... Pardon?"

"A slime rancher." Ryan repeated.

Brent paused. "... Aren't most slime ranchers employed to work with the 7Zee corporation supposed to have excellent health and insurance coverage?"

Ryan sighed. "Perhaps it's best I explain who we are trying to find, and why we are eager to get her back." Ryan summoned the holographic images again, only this time showing the face of a completely new girl. She was an adolescent, almond skin colored girl with bright and lively eyes, and a single band-aid adorning her left cheek. Oddly, her hair was a bright turquoise, possibly dyed, and done in a single large bun on the back of her head, where a small tuft of hair poked up on the top of her head. Ryan gestured toward the holographic face. "This is the person that had went missing six months ago. She is knows as Ms. Beatrix LeBeau, and the deed to the Dry Reef Ranch was passed onto her with the blessings of a fellow slime rancher. This fellow rancher, known as Hobson Twillgers, was considered a legend among the other ranchers of the Far, Far Range. Ms. Lebeau is well-liked among the rancher community, since her property was well known to be rich in plentiful resources that she didn't mind to exchange. However, six months ago, she disappeared. That was around the time the slimes of the Far, Far Range became aggressive."

Brent tilted his head at the face being shown to him. "Well, you answered the who. However, I still need an answer to the why."

Ryan nodded. "We don't have any solid information yet, but some have put forth theories explaining that her disappearance may have been the cause that affected, and aggravated, the slimes."

"Theories?" Brent puzzled aloud.

"Previous search parties have concluded that the Ancient Ruins was the last place Ms. Lebeau was visiting. Her Vacpack issued a distress beacon from her last known location, but the Automated Rancher Recovery Robots reported that they couldn't find her or her Vacpack. The search parties conducted a thorough search of her estate and the terrain surrounding it, but had little luck. Unfortunately, they couldn't be able to make any further progress some days later. Especially when the aggressive slime behavior began." Ryan explained.

"I heard from the grapevine that slimes are supposed to become less dangerous when you feed them." Brent said.

Ryan sighed and rolled his eyes. "I am aware. However, the search parties sent were nonetheless thwarted and pushed away from the Ancient Ruins. As you might expect, things have only gotten worse for our search for Ms. LeBeau as time went on. Half of the islands now have slimes that seem to revolt against us, it would seem!"

Brent placed his hand on his chin and hummed in curiosity. "... So if I chose to go by spaceship, or decided to decline joining up with the investigation team, the slimes on the Far, Far Range will get progressively more surely as time goes by?"

Ryan sat back down and leaned forward. "This is a window of opportunity we can't ignore. If we procrastinate, even a little bit, then the slimes all around the Far, Far Range would continue to grow more hostile. Even to the point where our economy and production of plorts is greatly affected. Do you see where I am going with this?"

"Yeah." Brent replied. "If you send me in to meet the investigation team and start investigating early, then your plort production would continue like it was, and without any fuss. Send me there any later, and your economy would suffer much more greatly, damaging profits all around. If I decline to absolve your missing persons case... well... The Far, Far Range's human inhabitants will have to be more hard-pressed to gather resources from our slime ranches and make their quota."

Ryan pointed to Brent. "I will understand if you don't want to subject yourself to pass through an experimental Warp Tech device. I only say this because our corporation desires to keep this secret from the public, since we are well aware of your past assistance to our corporation in the past. However, the slowly growing pandemic of aggressive slimes on the Far, Far Range needs to be stopped, and we believe the answers might lie with Ms. LeBeau, or at the Ancient Ruins. Perhaps even both." Ryan then moved a hand closer to Brent. "So what do you say?"

Brent smiled as he leaned closer and shook Ryan's hand. "Oh, why not. I always wanted to see the Far, Far Range for myself anyway."

Ryan smiled back. "Very good! Thank you so much, Mr. Stormford! Eh, which reminds me... Before you go through the Transcosmic Teleporter, you'll have to sign some wavers first."

Brent stopped smiling. "... Are the wavers for when I use the device? Like if it starts to malfunction while I'm traveling through it?"

"Well, yes, but also no. We've done extensive tests to prevent any fault in its mechanisms to cause a malfunction." Once the handshake is done, Ryan smiled brightly. "On the bright side, nobody has turned into a slime coming out of the gate before now!" Ryan joked.

Brent chuckled. "Pfft! Yeah! Imagine my luck if I somehow turned into a pink little jello cup!"

Brent and Ryan then shared a bout of laughter with each other.

A/N: Has anyone made a Slime Rancher x Warhammer 40K crossover before?