Chapter 17 - The Mud for the Mission
*NOTE – This chapter is back in the eyes of Al. Sorry for the wait. THANK YOU!*
A few minutes passed in complete silence before Dave spoke again. "So, what are you doing here?" He said quietly. The air was still and the wagon was silent with the tension.
"Well," I reluctantly told him, unsure as to how he would react. "I… I shot a Mudokon a while back." Dave's eyes began to widen with fear. "And…" I continued, "it was Abe."
Dave stood bolt upright and backed further into the corner of the wagon. "Wait!" I said sternly, "It's okay. I'm… I'm trying to save him."
"Save him?" Dave yelled, "How can you save him? YOU SHOT HIM!" He began to weep uncontrollably.
"Dave…" I pleaded, "Dave, listen. I have a plan. Just settle down and I'll tell you." The crazed Mudokon showed no signs of calming down. His paws still trembled with fear, and tears welled in his eyes. However, he did begin to settle a little as I began to explain my plan.
"I shot Abe. Yes, I know it's pretty bad. But I know these people. Vykkers. They own Vykkers Labs 25. That place houses technology of devastating potential." By this point, Dave was calm and listening intently. "They can bring Abe back. I don't know how, but they can, I know they can." Dave slowly began to form a reply, although he seemed very hesitant.
"Could I… help?" He asked. Suddenly, a lightbulb clicked on in my head. Dave was a Mudokon. He had the power of possession. He could turn me invisible.
"Dave…" I replied quickly, "Of course you can help. You HAVE to help. You're exactly what I need!" Dave was not too moved by the outburst, but he rose once again to his feet.
"Then it looks like I'm your new partner. Never did catch your name, though."
"Alan." I told him. "But you can call me Al."
No less than half an hour had passed by the time me and Dave set off on our exhibition. Our destination was Vykkers Labs 25, and we were both determined to save Abe.
"Al," Dave began. It was the first time he'd spoken since we'd set off from Clakk. He seemed reluctant to part with what was essentially his Mudokon lackey, but Dave had managed to bribe him with the last of his Moolah.
"Yes?" I asked, wondering what was on the Mudokon's mind.
"This Vykkers Labs 25. Where exactly is it?" He'd done it. He'd asked the question I'd been hoping to avoid. I didn't know. Back at Rupture Farms I'd been told that the gargantuan laboratory hovered above Ma' Spa. During my failed bounty hunting attempt I'd came into contact with it at a place that seemed days away.
"I'll be honest with you, Dave." I replied. "I'm not entirely sure where it is." Dave stopped in his tracks. His face fell and he became rather agitated.
"You… don't… know?" He said, astonished. "Then where in Odd's name are we heading?"
"C'mon, Dave." I assured him. " I'm sure we'll find it eventually."
Another hour or so we walked, and it became increasingly apparent that we had no idea where we were heading. We could have been miles from civilization at any point during the journey, but I guess we'll never know. As night began to fall, though, we needed to set up camp. As the moons began to rise, Dave and I gathered branches and twigs and started a small fire. We sat in the moonlight in almost complete silence, neither one of us saying a word. It was clear that Dave was annoyed that I'd been leading the pair of us on a wild slog-chase.
"I'm not happy about this." He said after a while.
"Why?" I asked him, although the question seemed rather pointless.
"I left behind the comfort of that wagon to sleep on the cold, hard ground with a complete stranger. And a Slig, no less."
"Don't talk like that, Dave" I said, "Just think of what's ahead. We're going to save Abe."
"I suppose," he replied. "But what's so important to you about saving Abe? He's just another Mudokon, isn't he? Surely him dying is the best thing to ever happen to Rupture Farms. Now he can't help all the others escape." Dave's argument was a good one. But if he'd known what big things Abe was going to do, he wouldn't be asking me anything.
"I kind of know what happens next." I told him. "Like, in Abe's future."
"His future?" Dave asked. "Wait a minute. Are you trying to tell me you can see the future?" Dave looked straight at me, startled.
"Well…" I hesitated… "Yes."