[Gretin]

I do use the advanced reply, but my WYSIWYG wasn't working properly. I've adjusted the font now, though, so it should be fine. Anyway, here's the next chapter, C&C (comment and criticism) welcome as usual.

Chapter 4: Caught!

After the craft had left the ground it actually started moving quite smoothly, so Marn was able to stand up again. He remembered seeing the slig drop a pack, so he started looking for it, it might have something useful. It took him a while but he managed to find it at last. It was just a simple bag with two pockets on either side, but it was what was inside that Marn thought could be interesting. He looked in one pocket and found a small book, "A Slig's Guide to Sligginess." "I'm not interested in that!" In the other pocket he found some moolah, "That could be useful if I ever get out of here," he thought. Now for the actual bag, he looked inside, but all he found was a toolkit. "Well, that's not going to help me get out of here, but this flashlight could be helpful." He turned it on and shone it around the room. It was a typical industrial machine, flat plain metal surfaces, dark coloured, as uninviting as the refinery itself. He could see no way he could possibly get out of this room without going past the control room, and the slig at the controls would be a bit surprised, and probably annoyed, to see an uninvited mudokon on board. He started thinking about what had happened, and the immenseness of it suddenly hit him. Everything had happened so quickly he hadn't had time to think, now that he did he was realizing what a big thing he was doing! He had been enslaved for most of his life, so now, being free (not quite free, but escaping) was a completely new experience.

Then he thought of the mudokon who had helped him escape. He remembered him now, he was the one who always amused all the others at break time with his imitations of sligs and glukkons voices. Once, he even got a slig in trouble because the slig came and told them to get back to work and the mudokon said in Rector's voice, "Leave them alone, they can have the rest of the day off!" Needless to say, once Rector found out about the slig giving them the day off, he was furious and had the slig removed from the refinery. That was one of the few times Marn had actually seen Rector angry, most of the time he was calm and appeared to be kindhearted! Marn's thoughts were interrupted by a noise coming from the door, it sounded like a glukkon's voice, but he was sure there were none on the craft.

He moved closer to the door and heard it, "The latest info we have on his whereabouts is a clue from a slig in the refreshments booth who saw him running out when he woke up. The closest exit was the aircraft hangar, so we suggest you check out the aircraft, as a thorough search of the refinery has revealed no hint as to where he is." The door suddenly swung open and knocked Marn to the ground! There was the slig pilot standing in the doorway, with a gun aimed straight at Marn head.

"I've got you now," the slig gloated, "I thought it was strange that there was food left in here!" He went to his pack, while still keeping his gun and eyes on Marn, and removed the tool kit which Marn had put back in there. He opened it and got out a rope, which he then used to tie Marn to the door. "You're lucky they want you back alive or you'd be dead by now," said the slig. Then the slig turned to go back to the controls and jumped in surprise! The aircraft was heading straight for a cliff face, and it looked like the slig would be too late to stop it!

End of Chapter 4

EDIT:I'll be posting the next chapter when I get a reply.