Mable: Sorry about the horrible delay on this... So, why did this take so long? Well, a few things. Firstly, I got about 1,000 words into this chapter and hit a dead-stop writer's block. Then I had other projects that sort of got in the way, and I just lost track of everything. And I probably still wouldn't have gotten this done if not for some really nice messages I got on Tumblr than finally gave me the kick in the pants I needed to get this done! To them, thank you so very much! I hope you enjoy the next chapter! ^_^
Within Reach
Chapter 24: Staying Afloat
Only a few weeks ago, Alf would've found it weird to sleep in a pile with other Mudokons. Even Abe, even though they were bunkmates for so long. It was just awkward to have your personal space invaded by someone else.
Though that line of thinking changed once they had left RuptureFarms and it became necessary to sleep in groups. At first it had been weird laying alongside Toby and Abe, especially with how clingy Toby got in his sleep, but Alf eventually warmed up to it. Literally. When you were sleeping out on the ground wherever, or on the floor of a train or airship, sharing body heat was the only way to keep from shivering all night.
Sleeping in the lean-to was especially weird because everyone was trying to get under a cover only fit to cover one and a half of them. Alf decided to take the risk and lay on the outside as to not get suffocated under the cover- or risk it dropping on him in his sleep. But it worked out well enough. He woke up surprisingly warm, likely because Toby was half laying across him. Good ol' Toby, the clingy blanket of the group.
Until Alf cracked open his eye and realized that Toby's back was facing him. His eyes popped open instantly and he twisted his head to look down, suddenly very awake.
What he had thought was an arm was actually two arm and a nest of tentacles. Daggle wasn't just clinging to him, the sucker had pretty much flopped back and was laying with his head and arms dangling back. A position that would've given anyone severe backpain.
Though Daggle's discomfort was the least of Alf's concern, considering that he was a current backrest.
"Get off of me!" he whispered. Then gave Daggle a firm push.
The Slig rolled forward off him and right up onto his feet where he promptly yanked up his fun and started waving it around in a frenzy.
"Wha- Whuzzat?! What's that?!" Daggle sputtered out. His head snapping around, as did his glowing red eyes, whipping out his gun and waving it around.
"Shh!" Alf shushed him. Daggle finally looking down at him. "Sit down and shaddup! You're gonna wake 'em all up!" he whispered.
"Oh," Daggle replied. He dropped back down onto his metal backside and reclined against Alf's legs, propping his arm back on one.
"No, get off me," Alf muttered. He pushed Daggle off with his foot. The Slig allowing himself to be slid off and just sliding onto his back on the mossy grass.
"There's twigs stickin' in the back of my head," he muttered.
"That's great," Alf muttered sarcastically. That aside, he was glad to lay back down and get a little more sleep.
He got about twenty more seconds before Abe suddenly sat up on the other side of Toby. He sat up so fast that he bumped his head on the lean-to, but only a little bit. Rubbing the sap left behind away with his hand.
"It's morning," he said. His voice semi-slurred.
"It ain't mornin'," Alf replied tiredly. "It's just sunup."
Which it barely was that too. The sun was peeking through the trees and sending glaring beams between the trees, but the sky hadn't even turned a proper blue yet. Alf pulled his cap down over his eyes and quickly nodded back off.
Seeing that the others were still tired and feeling rather awake himself, Abe decided to get up and stretch his legs. He spent the next ten minutes trying to get out from under the lean-to without knocking it over or waking anyone up.
Finally, he got himself free and was able to stretch. He was feeling sore from the day before, but his head was much clearer. He took in a deep breath of fresh air before beginning to walk down to the river.
Now maybe they were stuck in the middle of the woods with no idea where they were probably hundreds of miles away from the others, but there was something nice about this place. Unlike a lot of Mudos, which consisted of shriveled up canyons and desert, this forest was lush. He could hear bird tweeting and the air smelled good. Almost like an air freshener but not as strong.
The trees were different from the palms of the jungle. Abe felt the roughness of the bark curiously and peeled the slightest bit off to feel in his hands. So strange, but so incredible. He continued quicker to the river, eager to see it through eyes not fogged by sedatives.
The river was an impressive sight now that he wasn't drowning in it. He couldn't recall the last time he saw a body of water so healthy and flowing so freely. He stumbled down the ridge onto the bank, and then picked up a stone before tossing it in with a little splash.
He smiled at the little plop and picked up another, wound up a throw, and then barely caught himself when Munch's head popped out of the water right where he was about to launch the stone. He dropped the rock into the shallows at his feet and waved instead, trying to cover his mistake.
"Hello, Abe," Munch greeted.
"There's my buddy," Abe replied, watching as Munch paddled up. "How'd you sleep?"
"Like a rock! Just being out in clean water's adding years onto my life!" Munch said. He stretched his arms for emphasis but didn't slide under the water even the slightest bit. "Sooo, what's up? Are we going?"
"Not yet. I'm just waiting for the others to get up."
Munch nodded and the two sat in silence for a couple of minutes, both looking out at the river. Right when Abe was considering sitting down on the bank, he was interrupted.
"Y'know…" Munch began with a thoughtful look in his eyes. "You oughta learn how to swim."
"Uh…" Abe looked out at the water nervously. "…I think you're probably right."
"I could teach you."
Abe looked to him in surprise. He wasn't joking, obviously. Abe rubbed the back of his neck.
"I'm not so sure about that…"
"Why not? Who'd be a better teacher than someone who was born and raised in the water? Look, I can do this!"
Unprompted, Munch dipped under the surface before leaping up out water and doing a backflip back in. He popped back up a second later and Abe gave him a little clap.
"I know all about this stuff. If anyone's going to teach you, it's going to be me," Munch said, pointing a thumb to his chest.
Abe considered this. Really to buy time, because he knew that he would have to say yes. He really needed to learn how to swim… but he really didn't want to get back in the water.
He swallowed thickly and gave a quiet, "O-Okay."
"Okay?"
"Yup. Okay."
"Hey, okay!" Munch cheered. He gave Abe a double thumbs up before waving him over. "Set down your stuff and come on in!"
"Now…?"
"Sure, now! Who knows how long we're gonna get perfect water like this!"
Abe slowly took his bag off and sat it safely on the bank before creeping into the edge of the water. His first few steps being careful, slow, purposefully taking as long as he could in case someone would suddenly walk up, and he would have an excuse to back out. Alas, that did not happen, and soon Abe was wading into the water.
"Don't you want to take your thing off?" Munch asked, pointing at his loincloth.
Abe looked down, currently up to his waist in water and holding his arms precariously above it.
"It's a little too late for that," he mumbled.
"Eh, probably for the best anyway. Makes it less weird."
Abe got a crooked smile.
"Okay, so first lesson! Floating. You're gonna need to take a deep breath." Munch did and Abe followed. "Fill your lungs all the way," Munch huffed. Abe inhaled deeper. "Now lay back on the water."
Abe blinked and then started trying to sit down in the water.
"No, no, no. Liiiiiie back," Munch explained.
"How? I'm sorta…" Abe looked back at the water.
"Come on in deeper. It'll be easier!"
The Mudokon swallowed and moved deeper into the river until the water was crawling up his body. He could feel his heartbeat clearer the deeper he got in. He was forced to exhale and take in another deep breath, but it was harder when shoulder deep in the cold water.
It made him uneasy being at the mercy of the water. He wasn't even conscious when he almost drowned last and yet the dread was palpable.
"Okay, deep breath and leeeeean back."
Abe nodded stiffly, filled his lungs deeply, and began to lean back. He then quickly righted as he sunk fully into the water, sputtering a little.
"Oookay, good. Good start. Let's uh…" Munch thought for a second before getting an idea. "I know! Hold your breath real deep."
Abe took a deep breath.
"Now start to lean back."
Against his better judgement, Abe began to lean back into the water. Trying to keep his lungs as full as he could as he stared wide-eyed at the blue sky above. He almost sunk under immediately, but then he felt Munch's hands on his back pushing him up. This helped him float- even if he was only floating because Munch was holding him up.
Abe didn't know how this was going to help him swim but laying there half submerged in the water staring at the blue sky above, listening to the sound of the water, the wind, and distant birds… this was nice.
He smiled a little bit. This was nice.
He didn't sink until he noticed Munch had removed his hands, which he had done a good ten or so seconds before he noticed. Instead of panicky, he held his breath and just managed to stay calm. And then they tried it again.
By the end of the hour, Abe could float. He couldn't swim and he wasn't entirely confident in the floating aspect, but he could float. And that felt like a big victory no matter how small.
Feeling more confident after the success, Abe tackled the next step of the journey with a little more confidence. Of course, the next step was going to be getting back to where they came from.
"So, here's the plan," he began.
He unrolled his map on the forest floor while the others crouched or bent over around him, save Munch who was still at the river.
"We've gotta get back to the village, and back to the Raisin, which means… we've got to get here." Abe tapped his finger on the nondescript mark of the village. "…And we're somewhere over heeeere…" He dragged his finger nearly to the top of the map and made a broad circle in a section of unmarked map.
"Aww shit. We're walking a long way," Daggle lamented.
"Unless we hop a train," Abe suggested. He tapped a nearby railway line. "Could take us right back to Magog Motors."
"Well gee, Abe, if you feel up to it. Sure! We could always use another train," Alf agreed, giving Abe an appreciative smack on the back.
"Then we'll do it… Wait, no! I don't mean hijacking a train! I just meant hopping aboard one without them knowing."
Toby looked vaguely disappointed for a second while Alf arched a brow. "Seems to me like ridin' the rails and not controlling the train would be a lot harder than hijacking it. How do we get back off?"
"Jump," Vesper said sarcastically.
"Didn't ask you," Alf said flatly. He nudged Abe's shoulder. "So, what's the plan?"
"…Jump," Abe admitted.
That wiped the grin off Vesper's face. "…Oh."
"And die," Daggle added.
"Only depends on where we jump. We could jump in the water-."
"And I'll die," Daggle added again.
"Oh, right. Then, uh, jump off at a station or- or not. It'd be risky, but we could ride on to Magog Motors, sneak out, and just foot the rest?" Abe offered.
"Ehhh, I dunno about that one. Magog Motor's is pretty big, pretty tight. Might be more of a risk then just jumping off while we can," Alf pointed out.
"I've got to be honest, Abe. I don't think I'm cut out for jumping out of a train," Vesper agreed.
"Wuss," Alf chimed in.
"Eh."
Vesper begrudgingly accepted the accusation while Abe gave Alf a disapproving look.
"He jumped out of a blimp yesterday," Alf pointed out.
"Hey, nobody jumped outta that blimp 'cause they wanted to," Daggle said. "Not unless we can get those chutes workin' again."
"Wait, that might be an idea," Abe said, lifting his head in surprise at the idea.
"No, it's not. You can't reuse those unless you repack them properly and unless anyone here knows how…" Vesper said. He held out his hand for someone else to interject, to which nobody did. "It's a no go. But you were onto something. Why don't we… Hold on a second, I'm getting an idea."
"Take your time," Abe said.
"But speed it the hell up. We're burning daylight," Alf tacked on.
Vesper rubbed his chin thoughtfully as he gazed down at the map. Eyes narrowed, claws tapping on his thigh, his ears tilted forward just the slightest bit- Abe was staring, he realized, and quickly planted his eyes back on the map.
Vesper clicked his tongue and pointed down at the map.
"How about we ride the train to Magog Motors and then just hide until nightfall? Slip away under the cover of darkness and hike back to the village?" he said.
"You needed a second to think that up? That's the same thing Abe said!" Alf said.
Vesper gave him a tired look. "I know. I'm agreeing with it. My contribution was the whole wait until night angle. I don't like to brag, but my night vision is dead-on. I could be our eyes and get us out of there."
"It could work!" Abe added.
"But the bigger question is how we get on a train in the first place," Vesper continued.
"Well, we've got two options," Abe said. He listed them off on two fingers. "We can find a Phat Station and jump aboard while they're refueling, or we can find a factory connected to the line and try to jump on there. My moolah's on a Phat Station. They're pretty guarded, but a lot quieter than a real factory."
"What about Flub Fuels? If we're somewhere here then it's right there," Daggle suggested. He pointed to a section of the map beside them.
"Not there. That's… it's way too big. Too much security," Toby interjected.
"Well it ain't like we're settin' up shop there, but I guess ya got a point."
"Then we look for a Phat Station. Shouldn't be one too far off, uh… just follow the line." Abe traced the trainline with his finger. "We're bound to walk up on one. Keep an eye out for any billboards."
"If we can see past the trees," Toby quietly said.
"Don't you worry, we'll spot that neon a mile away," Vesper said a little more confidently.
"I'll go get Munch," Abe said. He rolled up the map and put it into his bag as he ran off back to the water.
He found Munch floating on his back in the water like he was earlier. His eyes closed, lounging in the warm sun. He almost hated interrupting him.
"Hey, Munch! We're going!" he called through cupped hands.
Munch blinked open his eyes before swimming over and hopping back up onto the shore.
"Are you sure you want to come? It's not gonna be an easy trip," Abe offered.
"You kidding? My life's a bad trip. At least I'm not going it alone."
Abe laughed a little at that. "That's how I feel a lot of the time," he admitted. He waved for him to come along. "Let's go."
"Right behind you!" Munch said, hopping after him.
"And if you ever need me to give you a lift- if you get tired of hopping around all the time- just let me know!"
Little did either realize, but Munch would be taking Abe up on that offer soon enough.
Because what proceeded was the longest hike that most of the group had ever been on. One creating their own paths through the winding nature of the wilds of Mudos as they tried to reconnect with the trainline.
Normally, Abe was used to moving a lot faster, but he was also used to moving alone. He didn't mind slowing down for the others. In fact, there was a tiny part of him that relished his lack of choice in the matter. He didn't have to push himself as hard as he could go, and he didn't have to feel guilty about it. And he didn't have to think about his findings yesterday.
Abe was doing all he could to not think about what he found out yesterday. So far, so good. He was too focused on the trip to even consider any of it, and when he did he tried to strike up a conversation about something, anything else. It was easy enough to get lost out here in nature and forget that there was a cruel world having outside of the trees.
The first day went okay. By the second they were getting pretty tired. By the third it was getting pretty rough.
For Abe it was an escape from the constant turmoil of facility after facility, but for everyone else it was a heavier toll on their bodies. Everyone was tired. Vesper was shedding layers and shoving them in his bag. Munch was getting passed around like a melon. It was a whole ordeal.
That night while resting around a small campfire, Abe decided to broach the topic.
"You know, I can just send you guys through the portals back to the village. You don't have to keep walking with me," Abe offered. "I'm used to it! There's no reason we've all gotta do it."
"And ditch you? No way! We're in this together," Alf shot down. Toby nodded.
"You kidding?! They'll eat me alive!" Daggle added.
"I'm happy where I am. Happy enough. Not dead," Munch agreed.
"I'm starting to consider it," Vesper said. Abe gave him a surprised look. "I'm kidding. I'm being cute."
"You're trying to be cute and it ain't working," Alf said. Vesper just gave him a purposefully impish grin.
This sort of reassured Abe. He still hated having them doing this, but at least they had the offer and turned it down. They wanted to be here with him. That brought a smile back to his face.
It ended up taking two more days to get to a Phat Station. Two days that they really couldn't afford to lose. Abe knew time to the auction was ticking down even now, so seeing that Phat Station sign was a relief.
But it was a short-lasting relief once they arrived at the Phat Station, and he realized what he had to do.
This wasn't like last time. Last time he needed to keep a low profile, but once he boarded the train and took it over, he was somewhat home free. Or at least free. Here he had to get his friends up to the top of the Phat Station without being detected, rescue any Mudokons along the way, and then hide out until the next train arrived and board it without anyone noticing.
Suddenly this simple plan was a whole lot more complicated.
"Looks like they got snipers out here," Alf muttered as he squinted into the distance. "Must know we're comin'."
"No, they had those last time too. This might be normal," Abe said.
"Armed guards with sniper guns guarding refueling tanks sounds normal to me," Vesper remarked. Then he suddenly straightened in alarm. "Hey wait, they're armed to the teeth with loaded guns around giant tanks of fuel."
"Yeah, it's a bomb waiting to go off, alright," Alf said, unsurprised and unimpressed at what he was seeing. He nudged Abe a little, playfully. "Better not get caught then."
Abe gave him an almost believably confident smile, took a deep breath, and beckoned the others to follow.
The Phat Station looked very similar to the one he encountered not too long ago, save that instead of being in the center of a dry canyon it was surrounded by that healthy forest. Well, healthy until it got up to the Phat Station, where they ended in an abrupt tree line. There didn't look to be a train refueling at it, but there would be one eventually.
The Phat Station was built up through and out of a lake and the water surrounding it was muggy. Likely being pumped in and out of the station for cooling purposes. This was going to get in the way of getting too close, but Abe still managed to get close enough. He found a perch on some low craggy rocks covered in enough moss to keep from slipping from. From there they were only about ten feet above the water.
The last time he got in he used the lower smokestacks to get in. Those smokestacks were still accessible, but now they were surrounded at the base by the water. Still, if the Phat Stations were nearly identical that would be their best bet.
"Okay. That's our way in," Abe said, pointing it out. "We'll have to- err, I'll have to cross those towers and take out the Sligs. Then we'll get the rest of you over."
"Hey, wait a minute! Abe, look! Those towers are in the water!" Munch pointed out.
He sounded excited. Of course, because Munch could swim! Maybe that was an easy way for him to pass.
"You think you can swim in that?" Abe asked.
"I'll do ya one better. See those ladders leading up from the towers? I can swim us over to 'em. One by one and then you guys can climb up!"
Now there was an idea.
Abe's eyes widened. "Are you sure? I'm not sure if I can swim yet and they can't, so you'd be having to carry all of us. That's a lot to take on," he said, pointing a thumb back to the others.
"Don't worry about it, I've got it covered. All you've gotta do is get rid of that guy watching the top of that one over there."
Of all the sniper Sligs, only one was blocking the way he took into the initial Phat Station. If he could take him out then they could surely smuggle the others up, with the smoke from the stacks and the water hiding their approach.
"Okay," Abe agreed. He gave Munch a thumb's up. "We're doing it."
Munch returned the thumbs up and then leapt off the rock and into the water. Abe ducked down and ushered everyone back with his hand, seeing if any of the Sligs noticed the splash. They did not.
Abe took a deep breath and pulled his pack high up on his shoulders before stepping up on the rock.
"Be careful where you jump," Vesper quickly warned.
Abe shot him too a thumbs up, swallowed thickly, and jumped. He hit the water and was sucked underneath.
But within seconds Munch grabbed him and got him to the surface, only pushing his head up and out so he could breathe. After a few seconds he started to pull him back under, with Abe getting one last breath before sinking in.
The water was murky and thick, almost as much as the stuff flowing through Vykkers' Labs underbelly. Yet Munch maneuvered through it like he knew exactly where they were going. Abe didn't. He had his eyes closed and was doing all he could to hold his breath and not panic at the ever-present pressure of the water.
Then suddenly Munch pulled him back out of the water. Abe gasped in a lungful of air and blinked the water out of his eyes, realizing he was at the base of the tower. Munch waited until he had grabbed ahold of the submerged rungs before giving him a thumbs up and dipping under again.
Abe began to carefully and quietly climb up the rungs and out of the water. His foot slipped on the slimy rung, his waterlogged bag hung heavy on him, and a chill crawled across his skin as he climbed to the top, where he knew the Slig was still standing guard.
He would have to take him out. Abe had enough tape but didn't have enough weapons to spare, so he had to improvise. He waited for the Slig to turn its back, took a deep breath, he made a go for it.
He hoisted himself onto the ledge and immediately into a roll, and as the Slig turned back at the sound Abe kicked with both feet and hit it right in the pants. The Slig was literally knocked off its feet and onto the ground where Abe finished the roll by leaping onto it. He wrestled the gun from the stunned Slig's hand and threw it aside before clamping a hand over the Slig's tentacles before it could cry for help.
It let out muffled yells as Abe struggled to hold it down and get out his tape. It grabbed him by the neck and for a few seconds Abe couldn't breathe, but then he got the tape out and- what do you know- the Slig's arms were close enough together that he was able to easily tape them together. Turned out the strangulation was in his favor. He taped up his tentacles, flipped him over, and hogtied him. Then taped up his mask and ears for good measure.
By time Abe stood up and staggered back from the bound Slig, who was still fighting his binds, he looked back towards the water to see Munch coming with Alf. Only for a second though before they hid out of sight.
Abe stayed off to the side to not be seen by any other Sligs as he heard someone climbing the rung. Within a few seconds, Alf appeared and pulled himself up before Abe could even help.
"I'll tell ya, that water smells worse than that junk back at the weenie plant," Alf remarked. He pulled off his cap and wrung it out best he could.
He continued mumbling when Abe heard what sounded like frantic splashing from somewhere. Somewhere below.
"Wait, hold up," Abe warned.
Alf quirked a brow before hearing something on the rungs. Out of reflex he pushed Abe and himself back. That couldn't have been Munch. That would've been way too fast, and both of them knew it.
Vesper's wet head poked up from the ladder. His fur pasted down over his eyes, soaked through all his clothes and fluff.
"Vesper?!" Abe said surprised.
"That's my name. Don't wear it out."
"Holy shit, Munch is fast!" Alf gawked.
"No, this was me. Me and my genius ideas," Vesper muttered as he hoisted himself up. Abe helped him onto the landing. "I got antsy and swam over here."
"You swam that far?" Abe asked in surprise. "How the- How? How can you swim?"
"Oh, I learned ages ago! Back where I come from, they've got community pools where fellas go and paddle around."
"Huh… Neat!"
"Though usually not fully dressed. Thankfully my waterproof bag helped me stay afloat," Vesper added. "I was afraid the blasted thing was going to weigh me down."
"What's that thing made out of?" Abe asked. His own bag still felt twenty pounds heavier.
Vesper thought for a second before suddenly getting a look of shock and horror. He might've immediately broken into a sweat. "Oh my Odd…"
"Don't ask, don't tell," Alf translated.
"That good?" Abe asked Vesper.
Vesper made a little hiss through his teeth.
Alf looked back towards where the others were and tried to squint through the steam blocking his vision.
"I can't see anything from here, but I'd bet a buck that Toby's coming next. Moving Daggle ain't gonna be easy," he mumbled.
Abe nodded silently. Sligs weren't exactly built for swimming. Those metal legs were already barely dexterous but, well, emphasis on the metal. He heard Vesper exhale and looked to him. He was currently trying to wring the water out of his heavier clothes, eventually giving up and straightening up with a little shiver. His fur still soaked in the polluted but cool water.
Taking note of that, Abe sidled closer and put an arm around him. Vesper was distracted so he was surprised a little, but quickly accepted the gesture. Giving Abe a smile and stepping in close to him, slicking back his wet hair out of his face.
"Thanks."
"No problem."
It helped take a little bit of the edge off for them both, and not just the chill.
"Alright, I see 'em," Alf announced. "They just popped up outta the water under that tower right over there. It looks like Toby's freaking out a little- Oh, for Slurgs' sake! Would you two knock it off?! I swear, I can't go two minutes without you two grabbing at each other. Save it for the train."
Abe looked at Alf like he was crazy while Vesper gave him an unimpressed look. They made no attempt to separate.
Shortly afterwards, Toby came clamoring up the ladder. Abe started to step to help but Alf had it covered, pulling the other Mud up easily.
"You okay?" Alf asked him.
Toby nodded stiffly. "Y-Yeah, I just, uh. Just got a little… spooked," he stuttered.
"It can get spooky down there. That feeling like the whole lake's pressing down on you," Abe sympathized.
Toby nodded again in agreement. "Just like that. Yeah."
Abe pulled him over from the ledge and Toby took that as an invitation to step in between Vesper and him and start huddling up with them. Not that either was going to shove him away, but it did get a brow raise from Vesper before he nonchalantly threw an arm around his shoulders. Abe giving his shaken brother a pat on the back.
A couple of minutes later there was a splash and some coughing at the base of the rungs. Loud coughing.
"Whuzzat?!" a Slig past the steam called.
The group quickly shuffled back to hide near the wall, with Abe shielding Vesper and Toby behind him. Alf shoved the tied Slig out of the way before Abe tried to pull him back behind him. The two tasseled momentarily, Abe determined to shield Alf and Alf silently refusing to let Abe shield him.
"It's just me! I just fell in!" Daggle yelled from the water. He was still coughing and sputtering.
The other Slig, apparently unaware that this wasn't the other Slig keeping watch, cackled at his misfortune.
"Dumbass!"
"Ay, shaddup!" Daggle snapped back. Then he muttered his way up the ladder.
Alf pulled away from Abe and snuck over to meet him once he reached the top. "What happened?!" he whispered.
"I almost drowned," Daggle grumbled.
Alf looked him up and down, then gave a blunt, "Eh, I think a bath's an improvement."
"In this water?" Daggle snapped.
"Even in this water," Alf said with a smirk.
"This is great and all, but I'm hanging here," Munch spoke up from directly below Daggle.
Alf all but grabbed and dragged Daggle up onto platform before helping Munch up as well. With all of them now present, Abe turned his attention to the nearby door.
"Okay, guys. When we get in there, we're gonna have to be quiet and you guys are going to have to do everything I tell you to. Okay?" he asked seriously. Nobody argued, he got nods, so he pulled his pack up by the straps and headed inside. "Follow me."
The following trek through the Phat Station was long and extremely stressful. There were Sligs everywhere it felt like, and at any moment's notice Abe would randomly duck into a locker and send everyone scrambling for one of their own. Which, unfortunately, led to more than one situation where two of them tried to get in the same locker and almost got caught.
On the plus side, Abe was able to somewhat restock by digging through those lockers. He didn't find anything extremely valuable, but candy and rubber bands went a long way. And tape, plenty of rolls of blue tape. So much tape that he gave a roll to Alf, and they started tag teaming Sligs when they had to.
There were also a good few Mudokon 'employees' that they ran into. All of which Abe coaxed to follow them, then stopped to explain that the Slig with them wasn't a threat, and then continued to eventually lead them to bird portals.
Abe occasionally broke the loop of silence and commands with words of encouragement. Something like, "We've gotta keep moving," and, "We're almost there. Just a little farther." Guiding them along gently but firmly.
Vesper watched it all with wide eyes filled with intrigue. He knew this was what Abe did but seeing him in action was different. He was usually a bundle of nerves, but in here he took control. He was totally in the zone, alert and aware, taking them through each threat without thinking twice.
It reminded him a lot of when they were back in Nolybab. When he had started to get overwhelmed, and Abe had talked him through it on the tram. It was a far cry from the vulnerability he showed behind closed doors. It was impressive. Vesper was always impressed with the stunts Abe pulled but seeing him lead like this was something completely different.
It fascinated him, or perhaps more so it excited him. Vesper was proud of Abe. He was downright spellbound by him. He felt his heart start racing every time Abe took charge, watching almost unblinking as he worked like he had done all of this thousands of times and knew it by the back of his hand. Vesper couldn't look away; he didn't want to.
…Until they got outside to the upper levels. To the last climb up to the train refueling dock.
Now up until that point everything had gone well. They had gotten all the way there without setting off any alarms and now had to just make it the last climb up to the top platform. In fact, they had just bolted past under a couple of air pumps that hit the walkway like crushers. Machines that would've smashed them into a messy paste if they had gotten caught underneath. They hadn't though, and they got to the surface shaft leading up.
Except Abe spotted quickly that the top of the service shaft was blocked by a heavy security door. His blood ran cold, and while the others- mostly Alf and Munch- discussed what they were going to do next, Abe took a few clumsy steps to the side and looked up at the roundabout way. An alternate service shaft lines with ladders that would take him to the top, where he knew he could likely get the door open.
A shaft filled with rotating machinery that would either knock him off under best conditions or smash his bones and then knock him off in worst. He swallowed thickly.
"I hate this part…" Abe mumbled.
"What part?" Vesper asked, cocking his ears.
"The part where I climb up there."
Vesper looked up and his eyes shot open, and then promptly snapped shut with a wince and a light swear as the sun got right in his eyes. He then looked up more carefully, squinting and shielded under his hand.
"…" Vesper looked back to Abe. "…You're going to climb up there?"
"Yup."
"You don't really have to climb up there, right?" Vesper asked with an incredulous smile. Pointing a thumb up as though Abe just said he was going to sprout wings and fly up there.
Abe was quiet.
"Right?" Vesper pressed, smile dropping.
Abe took a deep breath and slid his pack off his shoulders, never looking away from the shaft above, and handing it to Vesper.
"Hold this? I think- I think it'll be easier without it."
Vesper went slack jawed as he silently took the bag, utterly floored. Then watched as Abe got a running start and leapt onto the ladder on the opposite side of the shaft and began to climb.
"Whoa, whoa, hey. Where's he going?" Alf asked as he ran up.
"Up there," Vesper said with sinking dread.
Alf looked alarmed as well, though to a lesser extent. He cupped his hands and called up, "Hey, are you sure about this?!"
"I'm sure!" Abe called back.
"Well, okay." Alf dropped his hands with a shrug, resting them on his hips. "Knows what he's doin'."
Vesper glanced to Alf only momentarily before his eyes shot back up and he stared. He didn't car how much the sun and light burned, he couldn't look away as Abe got closer and closer to that heavy machinery. He couldn't look away, but he wanted to.
His heart was racing again. This time not in a pleasant way but out of deep, overwhelming, downright primal fear.
Abe climbed up the rungs without daring to look down for even a second. Edging closer to the swinging metal right above his head and trying to get as close as possible. Then once he couldn't get any closer it became a matter of timing, because he would have to jump to the other ladder, behind him, without getting clipped by the machinery beneath him.
He braced himself for a long few seconds before suddenly stepping up and extra rung and pushing off, leaping off back towards the other rungs. He barely caught on and yanked his legs up, avoiding getting struck by either side. Then he continued climbing up until he couldn't, and then repeated the process. Narrowly missing getting hit as he leapt back to the other ladder.
All the while everyone else watched from below.
"Dear Odd, dear Odd, dear Odd," Vesper muttered over and over again. Now physically dragging his hands down his ears
"Quit freaking out, Abe's got it covered. He does stunts like this all the time!" Alf said.
Vesper got an even more desperate look.
"How can you live with him doing this?" he mumbled, aghast.
Alf looked to him in surprise. "What?"
"I said, how can you live with him doing this?!" Vesper said louder.
"Oh… Huh…" Alf wasn't exactly expecting that question. It took him off-guard. He shrugged a little. "Because I've seen what Abe can do. I've got all my bets on Abe every time… so I know he's not gonna fall."
Vesper looked to Alf with surprise. He was expecting to be brushed off, not to get an answer that resonated so well. It didn't change how much he was panicking, but it did help him to understand Alf's perspective.
Vesper didn't share that perspective. His heart jumped every time Abe did and it wasn't until he was climbing again that it would settle. It felt like it dragged on for ages.
But then Abe reached the top. There was momentarily silence before they heard the clatter of the security door.
"I've got it! Let's go!" Abe called down.
They didn't need to be told twice, climbing up after him. With Alf and Toby helping Munch and Daggle up the climb.
Vesper considered himself a helpful and person. He would lend a hand when he could. Yet he didn't even stop and offer, he just clamored up to the top to get to Abe. Like he had to see him to believe he was alive.
Abe was very alive, standing there wide-eyed and looking frazzled to his last nerve. Staring off distantly until Vesper showed up and then gave him a little smile.
"Hey."
"Well, hey!" Vesper replied with a strained smile. "How'd it- Are you- Are you okay?"
"Yup. I'm just, uh… Just sort of, you know. I've done this before," Abe casually fumbled out.
"Yeah, Alf might've said something about that," Vesper said. A little more through his teeth that he intended. He coughed, clearing his throat and getting his act together, and stepped up to but a hand on his back. "You had me a little nervous back there."
"You and me both," Abe added.
Vesper sighed, feeling a little of the tension easing up. He gave up on the supportive pats and instead pulled him in, putting an arm around him and trying to offer his support the best he could. Like Abe had earlier.
"Well, it's all over now. You made it. You did it!" Vesper assured him. He managed to get a true smile back. "You did that. Incredible."
"Heh, uh, thanks…"
While Abe got a goofy smile and his pulse quickened, Vesper took note of the unsureness on his voice. But he supposed that made sense. They couldn't rest until they were on the train, but at least they were out of that.
Thing was, they weren't.
Less than five minutes later and they came up on another blocked shaft and it happened again. Abe had to climb a treacherous death trap.
This time the machinery was on both sides. No safe spots, really. They were just out of sync. Abe was frantically leaping back and forth, barely able to land long enough to push off again as he clamored up the second shaft.
Vesper wasn't even proud anymore. He just kept thinking, "He's going to die. He's going to die. I'm going to watch him die."
But Abe didn't die. He made it through again. Yet there was little relief.
Because he was dreading that another would be around the corner, and it was. He found himself running past heavy machinery about to swing out and crush his body into a matted mess and all he could think about was that there was going to be another climb, and he was right, and then he was watching Abe scramble past even more equipment.
By time they had reached the top platform, Vesper's nerves felt fried and despite Abe shrugging off those disasters like they were nothing, Vesper could not. He kept playing it over in his head until they arrived at the upper landing.
This was where the train would dock itself. A large landing that was largely open and exposed to the breeze, safe the metal frame and stacks of crates holed up out of the way. Off of the platform could be seen miles of trees, much to Abe's awe now that he saw it.
"Now what?" Munch asked, shaking Abe out of his brief trance.
"Now we hide over there and wait for the train to come," Abe said, pointing over towards the crates.
So, that's what they did. They went and hung out amongst the crates for a while. Eventually, possibly an hour later but Abe wasn't tracking time, one arrived.
Vesper was the first one to hear it, the distant rumbles. His lifted his head and ears and focused. Abe noticed right away.
"What do you hear?"
"Train," Vesper said. His ear twitched as he furrowed his brows. "Or a rapidly approaching explosion. One or the other."
"Guess we should cross our fingers," Abe lightly joked. That got a small smile out of Vesper, one that faltered as the train grew closer.
Everyone hid as best as they could behind the crates as the train came to a screeching halt and the refueling process began. It was all automated, with the Sligs on board not even having to exit the train to do anything. This meant that this was their best time to go for it and being that the train was mostly comprised of fuel tanks itself- a fuel train needed fuel, huh- they had only a few options for where to hop on.
Abe sets his sights on one of the only non-tanker cars alongside the railing. It was a typical workforce carrying car with slats in the sides, though he couldn't see from here if there were any Mudokons in it. He signaled the others and led them out from hiding.
After finding a service ladder to use, they were able to climb down close enough to board. It was still very risky. Vesper made the unfortunate decision to look down on the ladder, before he was expected to hop back onto the slats. It was a dizzying drop below. He snapped his head back up immediately.
If Abe could hop back and forth twenty times beneath that swinging metal than he could jump half the distance. He had no choice. So, he looked back to the slats, to Abe's beckoning, and he jumped.
He made it, of course. His hands hit the slants and his fingers reflexively clamped tight, no chance of slipping. Abe led him sideways along the slats and he slowly followed, pulse pounding in his ears, until the got to the end of the car where Abe helped him up onto the little landing. There he ushered him into a vent that he had kicked open the first time he crossed open, letting him into the car, before he climbed back around the corner to help the others.
Being the first one over and with nothing else to do, Vesper sat down out of the way with his head in his hands. Trying desperately to lower his blood pressure which was pounding in his head. Listening to the muffled voices of the others just through the slates and waiting with gritted teeth for someone to fall.
But nobody did. One by one the others came in. First Toby and then Daggle. Munch was a struggle. Vesper wasn't sure what happened, but he heard him yelp and snapped his head up, but then saw that Abe had caught him and was helping him along, with Alf following right behind him. Soon all of them were inside of the cramped, barren metal car.
They were all here and safe. Vesper breathed a sigh of relief and then his face was back in his hand.
On the flipside, Abe was feeling pretty good. He had managed to liberate the Phat Station without getting caught and now they had snuck on the train without tipping anyone off. All in all, that was a success, and now he was rewarded with a little while to rest his legs until they got to the next stop- likely the Feeco Depot.
So good so far! Abe appreciated that. It meant that he could take a breather without feeling like he had to do anything and without worrying about the stuff he did.
So, he turned his attention towards Vesper. His fur was probably still wet even after all the time it took to get through the Phat Station, which meant he was going to get chilly once they started moving. And Alf wouldn't say anything about it. After all, he was the one who said to save it for the train.
Except then he noticed Vesper's position. Abe had noticed how quiet Vesper had gotten in this last climb up to the train. Maybe he was tired, Abe knew he was… but he couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. He just hadn't had a chance to stop and process it until right now.
Well, there was only one thing to do. He walked over and sat down alongside him, with Vesper lifting his head and managing a smile as he did.
"How're you doing?" Abe asked.
"Just dandy," Vesper said. Slightly sarcastically but without much energy behind it.
"M'kay." Abe didn't want to push but he was a little concerned. "But it's okay if you're not."
Vesper realized then that Abe must've noticed and tried to cover. "Don't worry about it. I'm just a little winded," he excused.
"Well, you've got plenty of time to catch your breath. This might take a while," Abe said. He wrapped an arm around the Chiromor's shoulders. "Don't worry. Getting on the train was the hard part," he quietly assured.
He believed it too. Getting to and on the train was what he saw as the hurdle they had to leap. At one point Vesper saw it like that too, but right now all he could see were the hurdles, pitfalls, and deathtraps in the distance.
But he managed a more genuine smile. Abe just had a way of bringing it out of him, being so hopeful despite what he just went through.
And he knew why now. Because Abe had been through it before, because he regularly went against the odds, risked his life and lived. Abe was something incredible.
And right now, Vesper was finally starting to realize that he wasn't.