Hunted
Brent always thought he was a good soccer player, but he would admit that he had more fun playing games of either rugby or gridiron football. He would have made a career as an athlete, had he not tripped on a ball and sustained a leg injury in his youth. Thankfully, he had a keen intellect, and had a knack discovering clues and catching hidden details. Such skills would have landed him in detective work, but he had a notorious family history that had always put him at odds with police and law enforcement. It could have something to do with one of his great grandparents changing their names and going into the witness protection program. As a result, he became a private investigator instead.
And it was terribly ironic how he was 'kicking' a pink tetragonal trapezohedron without any legs.
After some difficulty, he made it to the area where he once ate that sword-beaked bird. Did the small green creature named Gretchin call them 'choppa birds'? Regardless of the semantics, Brent was reminded of the poor goblin-like creature that was whisked away by that green giant named Gorggat. However, Brent was an alien on an alien world, and he could only assume the worst on what would happen if those green monsters had met Brent.
Also, the plorts Brent had made earlier disappeared.
Once he saw the lack of plorts, he discarded the one he brought with him and looked around for the rest. Maybe they rolled down the hill? Brent looked downhill and decided that wasn't the case, for he saw none. Maybe a choppa bird decided to take off with them? It might seem likely, but he doubted that a single bird would take all three plorts with it, unless it had help with flying friends that flocked together. Brent looked at the ground and searched for any disturbances that was in the grass, dirt, and other types of forest detritus.
He saw a massive footprint imprinted into the ground.
Judging from the footprint, he assumed that it belonged to a boot of massive size, the person that wore it was tall, heavy, and muscled, and he could only assume that the owner was green and had terrible anger. In Brent's mind, it likely belonged to another green monster, and Brent could only assume that its name was 'Grashnik'.
Brent stared at the footprint for several seconds more before he continued 'kicking' the fourth plort he made, nudging it along as he traveled back to the one place he remembered coming out from. The cave that he had awoken in.
Thankfully, the cave entrance had an incline that allowed Brent to save his strength. The plort tumbled down the cave entrance harmlessly, only to roll into the only trickling stream of water that fed into the underground lake, which the plort had entered. The plort didn't even make a ripple in the expansive underground lake, since the waves the trickle made had dispersed it. The rest of the lake was eerily calm, as the darkness in the deeper part of the cavern shrowded everything from Brent's sight.
And now, Brent the Private Investigator, who turned into Brent the Pink Slime, has came back to where he started.
He came to the shore of the underground lake and rested himself at its edge. He gazed into the water, and was soon deep in his own thoughts again.
His thoughts settled back on the ranch he was sent to. He made some odd friendships back at the Dry Reef, though he remembered little. Despite his mind-numbing amnesia, and his sudden transformation into a pink slime, he could recount his past experiences with near-successful clarity. However, his recent memory was somewhat faded, feeling like a book on a page that was slowly having its history written in. Try as he could, he could barely remember what happened after he arrived at the Dry Reef Ranch. Thinking about it, didn't Brent ask his investigation team if Beatrix LeBeau was close to any of her neighbors? ... Yes, he did. Sadly, due to certain hiccups with the teleporter network, Brent had to rely on the 'Starmail' that Samantha mentioned.
Brent blinked a few times, remembering that he was part of a team. What happened to Samantha? What happened to Robert? What happened to Tiffany? Were they still back on the Far, Far Range? Or did they come with him? Were they safe? Questions upon questions pained Brent's head. He decided to dunk his face into the calm water, hoping that cooling himself off will make him think more clearly.
A sharp swooshing sound, followed by a splashing of water, disrupted Brent's thoughts. When he looked up, he saw a massive spear had been stabbed into the water in front of him. The spear was adorned with markings upon its wood and leather grip, while the spear's tip was embedded too far into the water to allow Brent to see what it looked like.
Brent slowly turned to look behind himself.
A tall green monster, similar in stature, height, and musculature as Gorggat, stood right at the entrance of the cave. This green monster was adorned with many animal skins that was draped with leaves and moss. It had a topknot on the top of its head, and it poked through a leather hat that seemed designed to keep the sun out of its eyes. Oddly enough, it also had a belt that looked like it was made out of snake hide. It carried a large knife, which would have been big enough to be used as a sword if it had been equipped by a smaller man. Brent would have wondered if this green monster was Grashnik, had he not felt fear course through his entire body.
The giant green hunter shook his head. "Zogg'n missed 'da fing. I guess I'z chopp'n it up instead." He began to walk forward, coming towards Brent.
Brent slinked back quickly, terrified of the green giant that had thrown that spear at him. 'This is it.' Brent thought. 'This is how I am going to die.'
Once the giant hunter stepped into the water, he immediately sank into it. "WUH?!"
Brent blinked a few times.
It was then that he suddenly realized he could float on water.
While the giant hunter struggled while he spluttered water from his mouth, Brent turned and ran away as fast as he could with his little slime body. Brent was unable to travel faster than a brisk walk, and he knows that anyone traveling faster than a brisk walk could catch up to him. However, Brent hoped that the water would slow down the giant hunter long enough for him to make his escape.
However, Brent's mad slippery dash had led him to an unfortunate obstacle. Darkness. He paused as he looked at the abyssal expanse that seemed to suffocate light. "Uh..."
"WHERE'D YA GO, YA GIT?! I'Z GUNNA STOMP YA INTO PASTE ONCE I FIND YA! I SWEARS ON MA CHOPPAH!"
Without any further hesitation, Brent decided to blindly proceed, not knowing what dangers lurked within.
Prelude 4
Four Starmail messages had been written some time ago. Brent would have hoped that he could meet the other ranchers in person, but Samantha had explained that the teleporter network was having an unusual malfunction. She explained that the closer the teleporter was to the aggressive slimes or to the Dry Reef area, the more they seemed to malfunction. Most of the time, the refused to work, but when the slimes are absent from the area, the teleporters worked normally. Brent was starting to get the idea on why he was chosen to investigate into this matter. His theory was that Beatrix LeBeau was somehow tied to the slime's aggression and their sudden ability to disrupt teleporter shortcuts and static teleporters. Since the Dry Reef contained so many aggressive slimes, it would be next to impossible to teleport to any neighboring ranches Beatrix once frequented. In short, Brent didn't know that coming to the Dry Reef Ranch was a one-way trip.
"So how have you guys survived being here?" Brent asked the three members of his investigation team. Currently, he was waiting for his Starmail to update, since he was sitting next to the computer terminal.
Robert grunted while he leaned on a nearby wall. "Easy. With great difficulty. Euthanizing and plucking some hen hens might make you a little queasy at first, but the smell of a home-cooked meal can do wonders to lift your spirits."
Samantha huffed. "I don't know about you, but I'm starting to get sick of eating carrots and pogofruit. And all the chickens we've hunted down are starting to taste the same."
"We passed by a cuberry tree the other day." Tiffany added. "Maybe we could go by there and pick up some cuberries?"
Samantha sighed. "Pass. I think I would rather have a hamburger after we return to Earth. That, or maybe a nice, crispy, filet of fish? Ohhh, I want some chocolate sooo badly."
Brent blinked a few times. "... I hope you don't mind my curiosity, but uh... How did you came to Earth?"
Samantha turned to look at Brent. After analyzing his question, she began to smile at him. "I came by space shuttle. And if you want to ask these two chuckle-heads, don't bother. They came with me on the same boat around four months ago. But now that you mentioned it, how did you get from Earth to here? I'm sure Tiffany would have wanted us to visit the spaceport just to see you arrive."
Brent sighed. "I'm sorry, but I can't answer that question. The 7Zee Corporation had me sign a waver not to disclose any private information."
Tiffany's eyes brightened. "... I think that's supposed to mean the 7Zee Corporation built that super teleporter thingy! Amazing! Hah!"
Robert shook his head at Tiffany. "Okay, blabbermouth. What's this about a super teleporter?"
Tiffany wildly turned to Robert indignantly. "Oh come on, Rob! Everybody and their grandmother's dog knows that the 7Zee Corporation were planning to create a super teleporter for a long time now! Not only it'll ease the burden of transporting resources, but also, in the near future, transport ranchers to the Far, Far Range!"
Samantha chuckled. "Well you better be careful saying that in public or around Brent, Tiff. 7Zee not only hired him to find a missing rancher, but also to find out why the slimes all across the Far, Far Range have became hostile to humans."
Brent waved his hand in a so-so gesture. "Well, that last part is more a secondary, optional mission objective."
"Even so," Robert interrupted, leaning off of the wall and standing up. "The big wigs don't know if Beatrix is the cause of the slimes' aggression, or the lesser-known teleporter network malfunction. From whatever hints I get when I contact them through Starmail, they certainly want to know who created the stall in their economy, and why. Hell, if the 7Zee Corporation can find evidence of Beatrix having probable cause for disrupting their operations on the Far, Far Range, then you'd better bet that she's going to be crucified in the coming legal battle. They would have a team of lawyers, while she would have no way to argue her case. In the end, she would no longer be legible to work as a slime rancher anymore."
Tiffany frowned at Robert. "Wow Rob. Way to bring down the mood."
Robert shrugged. "Hey. I tell it like it is."
"Anyway, you have some mail to read." Samantha said to Brent.
Brent blinked at Samantha before turning to his computer terminal. "Ah. Four messages on my Starmail account." He checked each of the letter addresses. "Viktor... Ogden... Mochi... Thora... Yep. Looks like I got some reading to do."
Robert nodded at Brent. "We'll leave you to it then. And since there's four people living under this roof, I think it's time for another grocery run." He then looked at Samantha and Tiffany. "Sam? Tiff? You coming with?"
Samantha hoisted her Vacgun up, gesturing to Robert that she would follow. "Chicken today. Chicken tomorrow. I swear, if I'm going to have chicken for another month on this planet, I'd feel tempted to eat a slime."
"Nooooo, don't do that!" Tiffany protested as she followed after Samantha and Robert.
Brent waved at them. "Stay safe, you guys."
Robert pointed at Brent's Vacpack on the only bed. "Be sure to practice using that thing. It might look silly, but it'll help you on the Far, Far Range immensely." He said before he left through the front door, with Samantha and Tiffany following behind him.
Brent now had time to focus on his Starmail.
Some assistance shall be provided
Viktor Humphries
I am gladdened to know that you have became acquainted with your new investigation team, Mr. Stormford. I do so hope that you are expedient in locating Beatrix, and finding the root to why the slimes have continually grown so disgruntled with humanity at large. However, I am also glad that you have told me about the malfunction in the teleporter network. It seems this malfunction wasn't as localized as I first thought. As it so happens, my own teleporter project had came across a few bugs of its own as well, which had only begun to manifest after you had left. It's quite the conundrum! Though this would mean I must invest more time sorting problems on my own end, it would also mean we would have to postpone our meeting. I would have enjoyed having another conversation with you. Even answering a few questions you might have about Beatrix.
Speaking of Beatrix, she is a very bright and determined person. I'm sure that she can find a way to escape any perilous situation. Her intelligence will surely outsmart any dangerous slime she comes across!
But as of right now, I must express my expediency! My teleporter project needs to be repaired, and any time wasted is a crime to scientific progress!
Sincerely,
Viktor Humphries
Good luck on the search!
Ogden Ortiz
Hiya Brent! It makes my soul overfill with joy that you're going out to the Dry Reef to find Beatrix! If it wasn't for this bug causing such a kerfuffle with the teleporter network, I would have come out to you and help you search for her! However, the bug isn't going away anytime soon, so... I suppose I'll stay here at my retreat. At least I got my kookadobas to keep me taste buds company. But they seem to taste so bitter knowing that she got trapped somewhere. Then again, it does make me wonder... Why is the 7Zee Corporation so interested in finding her? I mean I know old Hobson Twillgers' once haunted the ranch, and that it's a big property he owned and all. Maybe they want her to get back in the saddle? Or maybe it was something she did?
Anyway, if I were in Beatrix's shoes, I'd tough it out! She might seem small, but she's also a very strong and durable lady. Did you know that she once helped me collect a type of fruit known as a kookadoba? Well, it's a rare fruit that only grows in one location on the Far, Far Range called The Wilds. If you didn't know already, The Wilds also happens to be a land STREWN with an ancient race of feral saber largo slimes. Despite the dangers The Wilds posed to her, she still braved them with gusto! Got me so many kookadobas, they pilled up all the way to my neck in fact!
I hope that your search bears fruit, Brent. And I hope for Beatrix's safety.
O.O.
(no subject)
Mochi Miles
Thanks for coming to the Far, Far Range to find Beatrix, Detective Stormford. I got the scoop from some credible sources that you were hired by the 7Zee Corporation to hunt her down. ... Actually, that sounds too impersonal. I'm sorry if I said the word 'hunt' to describe what you are doing here, but really, I don't know you well enough to understand what your motives are and why 7Zee hired you to track her down. But that's just it! Your arrival to the Far, Far Range is just way too convenient, and 7Zee must have paid a lot of money to get a private investigator to come to this slimy planet! I also understand that you had some history helping 7Zee in preventing corporate sabotage before. You might be here to find a missing rancher, but you are also on 7Zee's behalf and payroll. To summarize on what I mean: I got my eye on you...
... But I wouldn't be a good friend if I didn't give you information that could help you locate Beatrix. I consider Beatrix and me birds of a feather, after all. For her to end up disappearing one day is so unlike her. She's quick on her feet, and she works hard to earn her well-deserved newbucks. Not to mention plucky! Like, to a fault! If you do find her, give her a message from me. Tell her that I missed her helping me with the quicksilver slimes. Also tell her that she'll need to work herself RAGGED before I decide to give her an apology!
Now you go and look for Beatrix, Detective!
Mochi Miles, Top Rancher
Dreadful Times
Thora West
I had no idea the Corporation had sent a detective just to find our missing Beatrix. I guess they still believe she's alive somewhere, despite all the financial support they wasted on all those search parties that got turned back by angry slimes. But all the same, I still wish I could help you out and guide you around. Old man Hobs certainly saw a kindred spirit in her when he gave the deed to the Dry Reef Ranch property. The land surrounding Beatrix's ranch certainly holds a great many secrets, treasures, and even one or two surprises if you look hard enough.
The land is becoming too rough to my liking. I've decided that if things somehow gets worse, I'll retire and return to Earth. But if you're a greenhorn to the rancher lifestyle, I'll give you a few tips on how to survive the Far, Far Range. Firstly, always carry some food with you. When you're stuck somewhere in the wilderness, it's always good to have some pogofruit or carrots to distract the slimes, or to feed yourself with in case you get hungry. Chickens are a little harder to come by, but any studding cockerels are an investment to any chicken coop. Secondly, never try to swim in the slime sea. It's too viscous to try to paddle through, and it also happens to be the home of an army of slimes that live underneath its surface. I'm sure the slimes neath the waves would get in a tizzy if you dove in with them! And lastly, watch out for any slimes that looks like it's thinking up a plan. Trust me. They will ruin your day. Once in a while, you'll come across one of those smart slimes that can inspire or command its slime brethren to rebel against us ranchers. It might be hard to tell what they look like if you don't know what you're looking for, but I will say this about them: They always look like they are scheming and plotting something behind your back or out of earshot.
Anyhow, I hope my rambling advice helped you, Mr. Stormford. And I hope Beatrix is well. If you find her, tell her the neighbors missed her.
And I hope you become the next Sherlock Holmes!
-Thora
Brent closed his computer terminal and sat there, thinking deeply and contemplating his next move. He concluded that Beatrix is certainly well liked by her neighbors in the rancher community.
Having met Viktor before, he could tell that the gifted slime scientist was dedicated to his work. Although, Brent would say Viktor probably gets himself too immersed into his work. Still, he had a brilliant mind and respected Beatrix greatly. Brent had to owe it to the scientist, for if it wasn't for him, he wouldn't be on the Far, Far Range in the first place.
Ogden seemed like he was a boisterous fellow. Certainly, he did appear to be a person that expresses great loyalty to his friends. However, Brent had never met Ogden in person before, so he wasn't able to gauge his personality completely. But even then, Ogden was certain that Beatrix was still alive and somewhere safe.
Mochi was quite the spirited girl, and also incredibly worried about her missing friend. It did surprise Brent that she knew so much about the 7Zee Corporation's machinations, but he also remembered that she was the daughter to the head of a rival company, Miles Tech. Brent would bet her father would be so proud that she made such a close friend.
And finally, there was Thora. From what he gathered from his investigation team, she was the oldest rancher on the planet, and was in charge of welcoming new slime ranchers to the Far, Far Range. She seems to be quite the veteran among the other ranchers, and was well respected. Brent would have loved to meet her, but he felt like he wouldn't get the chance due to the teleporter network bug and her desire to retire in the near future.
Brent looked back at the Vacpack that was on the bed. If Brent had a poetic bone in his body, he would have said that it was waiting for him to wear it. With a sigh, he got up from his chair and walked toward the Vacpack. "Right. I guess I spent enough time putting you to the side."
A/N: You'd run away too if a big green scary giant started chasing you.