Chapter 26 – A Side of Grated Blanser
*NOTE – Hello, everybody. It's been a bit of a while since the last chapter was posted, but the story's not over yet! With Al's journey drawing ever-closer to it's end, it's time to tie up a few loose ends, at least before this story finishes… if you catch my meaning. Anyway, read on and enjoy. It's 'Oddworld: Al's Oddysee'. THANK YOU!*
We were once again cast into silence after what Dave had said. It couldn't be true, could it? Then again, it was a very real possibility. I had killed Mudokons before. But Dave? He was more than just a Mudokon. Over the time I'd been with him, we'd become friends. I put my hand on his shoulder and tried to reassure him.
"Dave, it's all right." I began. "What reason would I have for killing you? You're like a brother to me. Since I've been on Oddworld, a lot of people have messed with me, betrayed me. I know you'd never do that."
"I know…" Dave smiled slightly, but he was clearly worried. "But… we both know it's going to happen. It seems pretty logical to me."
I turned away. This conversation couldn't continue. I wasn't exactly in the mood to have a chat with someone about how they were going to die, least of all Dave. Then I remembered. The Junior Executives. They were still in the room next to us. They'd probably heard every word. I peered around the door frame and found that all three of them were staring right at me. Then, Blanser shouted: "Hey, you! Get back in here!"
With no other option, I stepped into the room. Blanser and the others had puzzled looks on their faces.
"Who you talkin' to, huh? Answer me, Slig!" Blanser yelled. Then one of the others shouted: "Come outta there, whoever you are!" I prayed that Dave would stay in the shadows outside the room. He didn't. He obeyed the Glukkon's command, and stepped into the vast hall.
"Oh, a Mudokon, eh?" Blanser asked. "Awfully pally with him, aren't ya, Slig?" Neither Dave nor I spoke. One of Blanser's acquaintances continued for him.
"You know what they do to Sligs who collaborate with Mudokons, don't you?" The Junior Executive said.
"No, sir." I said, but in all truth, I did have a pretty strong theory.
"Lemme explain it to you then, alright?" The Glukkon continued. "If they find you… with this Mudokon… he's going back to slave labour, and you're going to prison." Well, it wasn't actually as bad as I was expecting.
The third Glukkon had scarcely spoke a word, but here he piped up. "It'll be no trouble for us to call security on you." His words seemed hollow, though. Empty threats.
"Yeah, Slig." The other said. "Want us to call security?" Again, his words had no truth in them. It was clear neither of them wanted to actually call security. But why?
"Do it, then." I told the three Glukkons. "Call security." But none of the three Glukkons were going to act. They all just stood there, silent. "Are you hiding something?" I asked them. Guilty looks flitted across their faces. Perhaps they were. Perhaps there was a bigger picture here. But that wasn't for us to know. Of the three Glukkons, Blanser looked the least worried. If any of them were actually going to call us out, it would be him.
"I'll call 'em, Slig." He said. "They'll take your little friend away and you'll rot in a cell for the rest of your days." His words seemed much more reinforced, much more definitive than the other two. I closed my eyes, just for a second, and tried to piece everything together.
I fell into a brief daydream then. I saw myself, as a human, playing 'Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee' on the Playstation. Back at my home. Then, I saw myself, as a Slig, stood in the corridors of Rupture Farms, a dead Mudokon in my arms. Abe. I saw everything else: the week I spent in Rupture Farms, the Mudos Mainline Trans – Continental journey, Fope and Stranger. My trek along the Mongo River with Dave, and eventually my future self. Finally, I saw myself now. Stood before three very annoyed looking Glukkons. That was when I opened my eyes again.
Silence filled the air for a fleeting moment. I realised that whatever happened, ultimately, I was doing this all for Abe. I had to bring Abe back, not only to save every Mudokon in Mudos, but also to restore myself to human form, and to return back to Earth. I still had the deepest feeling that if the balance of Oddworld was restored, I would be safe. But how could I restore the balance now? These Glukkons were in a pinch, and just seconds away from calling security. I had to act fast, but with no weapons, what could I do? Then, Dave answered for me. He dived on one of the Glukkons, wrapped his hands around his neck. He clutched at his throat and slowly strangled the Wannabe Executive.
"Dave, no!" I shouted. I ran towards him, tried to rip him away from the Glukkon. But it was impossible. The grasp he had on his neck was insurmountable. He continued to pin the Glukkon to the floor until a gargling, choking noise erupted from him. He let the Glukkon's head fall to the floor. Dead.
I acted instantly. The other two had already tried to make for the exit. I ran towards Blanser, whilst Dave took the other. Diving on his back, much as Dave had previously, I forced a metal knee deep into his back. He squealed, made a sound that wasn't human. Then again, he wasn't human anyway. I rolled over him and grabbed one of his hands, tearing off his over-sized shoes. I felt the fabric of his suit tear, and heard the cloth rip completely down the middle. I glanced over at Dave, noticing that he'd managed to do something very similar. I got to my feet beside him, and we ran. Ran from two very angry, stark naked Glukkons. We headed for one of the laboratories. There was a wide open door to the huge testing area. The Glukkons seemed to have lost sanity when they lost their clothes, running like rabid dogs towards us.
Darting into the lab, I pointed straight ahead. There was a giant grinder set in the wall at the far side.
"Dave, look!" I shouted. "Try and get them into that thing!" The Mudokon nodded, then gasped. I followed suit when I realised. The lab was full to the brim with Vykkers. A few interns, too. They lined the walls at their research stations, and now looked on in amazement at the sight of two naked Glukkons chasing wildly after a Slig and a Mudokon. But there wasn't time to worry about them. Dave and I pulled up just short of the grinder, and stepping to the side, we looked on as Blanser and his acquaintance ran straight into its razor-sharp blades. Suddenly, Vykkers and Interns alike crowded around us. It was madness. A few tough lumps of Glukkon meat flew out of the grinder and hit a couple of the onlookers, whilst chatter filled the room with an almost deafening volume. A few of the Vykkers had gone to contact security. I simply looked at Dave, panting.
"You are one crazy Mudokon!" I yelled. I felt like laughing at the bizarre events that had just unfolded, and by the faint smile on Dave's face, he felt the same. "I guess they deserved it, though!" The crowd was now a cacophony of shouting and yelling Vykkers, and I saw a pair of Sligs walk through the door into the lab. All fell silent, and all jovial thoughts left my head. I shot Dave another glance, and fully awoke to the situation. We had just killed three people.