[AlexFili]

When you decide to be something, you can be it. That's what they don't tell you in the church. When I was your age they would say we can become cops or criminals. Today, what I'm saying to you is this: when you're facing a loaded gun, what's the difference? - (The Departed)

I decided to start a new Oddworld Fanfic. It'll probably be a few chapters long and feature original characters and settings. I am mainly basing this story around Steven King's Novels of the Dark Tower series. I also want to bring on-board some questions of morality and judgement, as seen in films and games. My main influences are Fallout, The Departed, Harry Potter and The Book Of Eli.

Here goes. Read and review please!

= Dignam's Journey =
by AlexFili

= Chapter 1: The Gap =

The harshness of the sands was intolerable. It's hard to believe that anyone could walk more than a few miles of an ocean-sized desert without eventually succumbing to the sands and being torn apart by the desert-dwelling birds. But as long as someone had water, they could survive for a little while. If they had food, they could survive a bit longer. Dignam had both, a reasonable supply at that. Fingers crossed, it would be enough to take him to Torl, if not he'd have to ration himself. He was already rationing the food as it is, but he could adjust his rationing more.

Dignam hadn't just completed the basic survival program. He knew virtually everything there was to know about the self regulation of body temperature, control of emotions and desires... truth be told he could go hungry for days at a time if he had to. But he didn't want it to come to that, yet. He didn't know what exactly would be out in the sands waiting for him. He had to be at least semi-concious so that he could deal with any threat that might appear. He took another bite of his popkin. The jam inside trickled out a bit and hit the sand. He wiped his mouth with his hand and then wiped his hand on his shorts. He adjusted his bulky backpack, making sure the straps were tight enough, and continued walking.

For a while nothing happened, then he stumbled across a ravine. This was a large ravine which went from left to right as far as the eye could see. 'A detour could take too long', he thought to himself, 'I had better see if I can jump over it" Dignam eventually got closer and peered down. It was at least a few hundred feet to the bottom. He didn't trust his legs to survive the fall so he looked around for a shorter distance to jump. After a few minutes he found the place where the ravine was thinner. He took a little while to plan before starting a run and then clearing the ravine with relative ease. This would be the first obstacle, but not the last. Not by a long shot.

* * Stay tuned for more of Dignam's Journey * *