Chapter 12 – Visible, Invisible
For what seemed like hours we walked on, still nowhere near the Mongo River. I wanted to ask Stranger where we were headed, but I didn't really want to know the answer. We walked on, through the scorching heat, until at last, we stopped.
"Where are we?" I asked Stranger reluctantly.
"See for yourself." He replied. I peered between the trees and saw at long last the Mongo River. I looked further in the distance to see the sea.
"Wait…" I said, "This isn't the source of the Mongo River."
"No," Stranger replied, "It's the mouth."
The sea was calm and quite tranquil, with only gentle waves. In fact, you could hardly tell that we were at the mouth of a river at all. There were no ships on the water, and not a single living thing in sight other than the tall grass that grew on the sand dunes. The river mouth itself was miniscule. Barely 5 feet across, and as deep as 6 inches. Of course, I realised a once that Stranger had not yet bust the Sekto Springs Dam, and so the river was still being constricted further up.
"But… why?" I slowly spoke. And indeed, why had he brought me here?
"There is something here that you need." He told me. But what? What could there possibly be here that could help me get to Vykkers Labs 25? He then led me to the mouth of a small cave, a few feet high. Inside was a large box. Well, it was more of a tiny box with an enormous padlock. It was pulsating slowly with green light.
"So… What is it?" I asked hesitantly.
"Don't you know?" Stranger said. "Punch it."
"What?" I exclaimed. "Why?"
"Go on, give it a whack." Stranger insisted. I raised one arm and struck the box hard. The padlock astonishingly broke off, and green light danced across the cave walls.
"Now…" Stranger told me, "You can turn invisible." Of course! I knew exactly what it was now. But, surely… These things were only found in the Mudokon Vaults, the Mudanchees and Mudomos and suchlike. "What was this one doing here?"
"I found it here," Stranger said, obviously hearing me thinking aloud. "I don't know who put it here." I thought carefully about who could have put the box here. More importantly, how could I use it.
"I can't chant." I explained. "I'm not a Mudokon.
"That's your problem." He said. "I gave you the power, you work out how to use it. Now… you can go."
"Go?" I asked. "Aren't you coming."
"Hey!" He replied. "I got bounties to collect. I got an operation I gotta pay for." Of course, you all know that Stranger was trying to scrape together Moolah for an operation.
"It's not worth it." I said to him. "The bandits find you anyway. You'll go on eventually to shut down Sekto Springs, and learn that you're proud to be a Steef."
"What! How do you know about… I'm gonna do what?! Where's your proof?" Stranger yelled.
"I've played the game." I told him. Then I turned and walked out of the cave. He began bellowing, "What the… Game? Played?! You been taking Magic Spooceshrubs or somethin'?" I ignored him, and walked on. It was clear that he had no intention of helping me anymore, so why should I stay and tell him what I know?
Hours later, I was by the side of the Mongo River, heading North towards Ma Spa. How far it was, I didn't know. Would I make it, I didn't know. Would I ever see my home again, back in the real world, I didn't know. What I did know was that I had to find a way to make myself invisible. Somehow. As I walked, it occurred to me that I had probably told Stranger too much. I shouldn't have even mentioned the game. I would certainly not do it again. I kept forgetting that for them, it wasn't a game. It was their lives. Then it hit me. Was this my life now? Was I the next chapter in the Oddworld story, just another character being controlled? No. It couldn't be. I could remember back. I could still see what the real world was like, I still knew what home looked like. I couldn't just be another Oddworld character, could I?
After a while, I reached civilization. A small Clakker town, little more than 12 buildings. But the key thing was, their was a Post Office of some kind. And in the window? Travel brochures. I ran into the shop and filled my arms. I also managed to find a 1 Moolah coin under the brochure stand, so I bought myself a drink, although it was by some company I'd never heard of. I went outside and sat on a bench, and began to look through the brochures. Most of them were holiday destinations at various cities around Central Mudos, but there was also Sekto Springs Dam, New Yolk City and some other small towns. At the very bottom of the pile was a very small, crinkled piece of paper that simply read:
"Ma Spa. Source of the Mongo, beautiful views, come today! Contact Vykkers Labs for more information. Enclosed was a telephone number. I ran to the nearest payphone and lifted the receiver. But I didn't have any money. I ran back to the shop, and asked the Clakker at the counter if I could please use his telephone. The reply was a no. I went to every other shop in the village, every reply was a no. And then I reached the final shop.
The counter was dust-coated. Cobwebs hung in every corner. The windows were covered with huge, rusty bars. Wanted posters covered the wall behind the counter, showing various bandits who were waiting to be captured. The Clakker at the counter was quite old, with large spectacles and graying feathers.
"Can I help you at all?" He asked. I didn't want to do it, but I knew it was the only way. I needed Moolah, desperately. It was a last resort, at best. But, sure enough, I asked the Clakker steadily, "Got any good bounties going?"