my fan fic SID'D ODDYSEE

[shaman]

this is my first fan fiction.

i will be adding more when i can find the time in my rampant schedual to write it.

this is just the start for now.

sid's oddysee

“Mudokons aren’t good with ageing”. Big face’s words echoed through Sid’s mind like ripples in a pond, and he found it hard to tell between memory and dreams.
“mudokons aren’t good with ageing” big face had said. “of all the species of oddworld, we are the most childlike, we yearn for freedom, this is why the glukkons will never win, they take our freedom, and we all know that when you take what we live for... we die, simple, we all die ... means no slaves”.
Sid smiled as he remembered these profound and synical words, and even now in these dire times they awoke a burning flame of hope inside him. Sid crossed his tiny cell and look into the window overlooking the yards. He was a young mudokon , about the human equivalent of 15, his pale green skin was dirtied from the weeks of captivity by the industrialists, and his bright orange eyes would tell a sad and wonderful story to anyone who looked into them.
Sid had spent the past two days in this tiny metallic cell, reminiscing about his past and how he had come to be in this terrible mess. He missed his old tribe; surely hundreds of miles away by now in east Mudos (he wondered if they were still angry?), and even those moments around the camp fire listening to Ernie, their chief shaman, and mazza; their master mudarcher seemed a million years ago. Then as now, a terrible fear hung over Sid, but now it was more of a selfish fear, the kind of fear you get for yourself and only for yourself. This was unusual to sid, as he was used to fearing for his own tribe, since he was training to be a shaman, a spiritual leader, and he had good reason to fear for his people since the glukkons had been creating more and more “slave caravans”, which had snatched up 3 members of Sid’s tribe in a month... including his own mother. Still, there was more to be doing now, and a much greater need for action.
In only a few weeks, Sid the mudokon had gone from being a native shaman (in training), to a fugitive terrorist, to a slave, now to a prisoner, it was no wonder why his head was spinning, and the fact that the sligs guarding his cell had a habit of tormenting him whenever being squid headed freaks just didn’t float their boats anymore, wasn’t helping. Still.. They seemed to have got bored of that lately, so Sid was given time to meditate.
Sid put his scarred back to the wall and slid down to sit on the floor, the cell was dimly lit, “perfect for meditation” he said to himself.
This would not be a pleasant experience. Thought Sid, but he needed to put his shamanic abilities to good use, he had to see how he had landed himself in this, and maybe try to mentally prepare himself for what was to come, which was bound to be, though Sid hated to admit it himself; terrible.

Still as old Mazza said one night around the bonfire with big face and Ernie. “What will happen will happen, and we will be ready for it when it does”.


HERE IS THE SECOND PART enjoy and comment ( i wana know what you think honest opinions only)

2 weeks earlier in east mudos.
Around this tiny corner of east mudos, the towns and cities of the industrial world begin to end and great expanses of buildings, factories and concrete jungles in general, give way to open plains of land, dotted with various mountains carved by water aeons ago, and after that, oceans of forests home to all manner of life can be noticed, it is here that dozens of tribes of mudokons find their home.
It was about mid-day, and on top of a large hill, just out of reach from the shadow of a nearby mountain. A mudokon tribe had set up camp.
Sid awoke in his shelter and he adjusted to the smack-in-the-face effect the natural light was having on him after being asleep for so long. It’s a little noisy for morning. He thought.
Sid stood up and stepped outside. It was a beautiful oddworld day, and the only thing to complain about was the near incessant bleating of the meeps in the mudokon-made clearing behind him. Still their meat supplies were low, and the welcome prospect of a few meeps being silenced was drawing ever closer.
“Sid”! Cried a voice from nearby, and Sid knew immediately who it was.
It was none other than zule. She was basically like Sid’s younger sister now that his mother had been captured.
Sid felt a pang of anger rise in him as he thought of his mother. But it was a new day and he knew she wouldn’t want him to worry. (Plus she’d escaped like 3 times before).
“Hi zule”! Sid said back to her. “What time is it”?
“Bout mid-day i think”
Sid was very startled. He had been late for Ernie’s lesson twice before, and Ernie was pretty uptight, even for a chief shaman.
“oh odd I’m late” sid sighed. Ernie’s going to kill me.
Zule smiled. “ i thought shaman were supposed to be mentally capable enough to get out of that sort of thing”?
“We are but we still have to worry about pissing off our teachers like everyone else”
Zule giggled. And then look suddenly alarmed.
“i forgot to tell you”! She shrieked. Another uprising not too far from here, another slig caravan was raided last night!”
It had been a long time since anyone had had the stones to attack a slig caravan. Although Sid was glad to hear it, he knew the attack must have cost some innocent lives.
“That’s great news” he said rather impatiently as he was becoming for aware that he was late. ”i’ll tell the others when i get to the dugout,”
Zule smiled again. “Bye then”
“see ya later” Sid replied as he ran off.
“The dugout” was the tribe’s name for a cave near the camp. This was a sort of rally point for all tribes to gather at whenever they had to pack up and move. It was a permanent temple located underground, Sid loved it there, dreary and damp though it was, and he found it very atmospheric, among the centuries of cave paintings and treasured relics of the mudokon people. It was a real museum of the mudokon nation, and lasting proof of their love of freedom and nature. Still when Sid arrived there he wasn’t welcomed warmly. Instead he came face to face with Ernie, who had obviously got tired of Sid’s lateness and had stayed outside to great him. Ernie was tall and slim (even for a mudokon) he wore feathers on his head and in bands on his arms and of course he was heavily donned in shamanic paints and tattoos.
“ya’ know Sid” he said mockingly. “i hope you got attacked by a scrab on the way here, that would have been a good reason to be late AGAIN”
“im sorry Earn” Sid replied for the umpteenth time this month. “I rea”-
“Go on” ... Ernie retorted “tell me you did get attacked, i swear if you make up any piss-weak story I will hit you ... i will hit a student”
Sid suppressed an award winning comeback and said. “I really am sorry Earn, I know I’m late again. I got here as fast as i could”.
Surprisingly that seemed to have soothed Ernie’s rage (last time Sid was late Ernie had threatened to sell him to a soulstorm micro-brewery, it was basically an urban legend that he had even started haggling for a price)
Ernie cleared his throat and said simply:
“Go on then get in dammit”
Sid nodded and proceeded through the clearing in the woods and down the “steps” into the permanent temple that was “the dugout”.
The tunnels were so familiar to Sid that he could have navigated them blindfolded. This was good since one could usually only see in “the dugout” by candlelight. But Sid knew the passages well enough. Sid pushed aside a curtain and came at lat to a great hall, carvings and paintings covered every surface and of course it was a haven for those particular natives that detested tomahawks. All the shaman were busy studying story stones, growing spooce and of course; meditating and chanting (occasionally both of these at the same time, which was very amusing).
Sid took a spot next to Marty; they had known each other their whole life and shared a passion for this kind of thing.
“heya mart” sid said.
Marty spun round; he was muscular and slightly taller than Sid, with a swirling tattoo on his torso.
“Dude”! He replied in a raised voice... which he then stifled to a whisper. “Did you hear the news”?
“If you mean the attack on the slig caravan then yeah”. Sid told him.
“This is big man”! Marty replied in the usual tone, which always made Sid chuckle.
“It’s just another uprising” Sid said shrugging off Marty’s exaggeration. “You know how it works, they come we attack em, they come we attack em, it’s been the same for years”.
“You of all people should think a little better of those freedom fighters man”! Marty retorted. Sid felt another pang of anger. Marty of course was referring to sid’s mother being kidnapped.
“Hey listen man I’m sorry” Marty said, he obviously knew what Sid was thinking.
“It’s alright it’s alright”! Sid assured him. “And your right, I’m behind em all the way”.
“You keep this to yourself ok”? Marty leaned closer to Sid and they spoke quietly for the next couple of minutes, Sid growing more and more shocked by the moment.
By the end of the conversation Sid could hardly believe his ears. From what he had gathered Marty was either playing a very unfunny joke, or he had gone completely out of his mind.
“Marty”... Sid began but he was cut across.
“It’s true”! Marty snapped. “An uprising!, all the muds are bandin’ together!, i don’t know about you but I’m with em; they say there gonna take out the glukkon base camp over the other side of the river!”. He struggled to contain his excitement. “They’re coming here!”. Sid was used to Marty saying some very eccentric things, hell the whole tribe were. But this was a new one. There was “over the top” and then there was completely sloggin’ crazy, and this was definitely the latter.
“Proud of me”? Marty asked triumphantly to Sid’s blank face. Sid could have screamed at him. But instead he just grabbed Marty at the shoulders.
“Marty”, Sid began. He knew full well Marty could have floored him easily, but he had to be brought to his senses. “Marty, you’re talking about joining a terrorist organisation”! Sid found it hard to keep his voice at a whisper and other shaman we turning from their work to try and eavesdrop, but they returned to their posts when Sid gave them all a hard stare. Marty looked immediately annoyed. “A second ago it was all “ i support em all the way” and now you wanna stop me from joining em?” Sid knew it would be hard to convince his friend, so he let go of Marty for fear of facing a smack in the mouth.
“Oh and don’t call em “terrorists”. Marty continued. “They’re risking their lives for us all man”!
Sid’s heart was pounding with fear. He couldn’t bare the thought of what would happen if the industrialists found this tribe harbouring fugitives. “Marty. You’d throw your lot in with them”? Sid explained. “And bring the sligs down on us? Are you insane”?
“My cousin Sid”! Marty shouted so that nearly everyone in the dugout main hall turned to see what had caused the noise. “They got my cousin!”.
“w-what”? Sid began.
“My cousin!, he got picked up by a slave caravan! He was ten man!”.
And with that Marty had stormed out before Sid could say another word. Ernie, who had gone came in a few seconds ago almost fell over as Marty pushed past him. And Sid almost didn’t notice that everyone was staring at him like he might burst into flames any second. So he just sighed and followed Marty out of the cave.
Crap. Sid thought as he smacked hard into a wall in his attempt to run after Marty. But in his defence he had good reason to have stormed out like that. Sid was only complacent about his mothers capture is that she was so good at escaping. But a ten year old didn’t fare as well.
Even a few moments in the dugout was enough to have made sid’s eyes very unused to light, and he squinted as the blinding light of the woods hit him.
Sid found himself at the entrance to the dugout. And there in front of him was Marty, with his head in his hands.
Sid went up and sat beside Marty on the forest floor, it felt like an eternity passed between them.
Finally Sid said. “I had no idea”.
“i won’t lose him Sid”. Marty replied quietly, he looked diminished right now.
“I know how you feel” sid said. “But mum was always good at escaping”.
Sid knew that they were going to have to stop living in fear sometime, but he was always scared. This is no time for fear. He thought.
“So what’s your idea”? Sid asked him.
Marty looked up. “All the slaves caravans end up at the glukkon’s base camp, we’re gonna break in a free the all the slaves we can find”.
Sid knew there was no stopping him. And they would have to stop living in fear sometime. Deep down they all knew, the whole tribe knew.
“ok..ok” he said eventually. "I’m coming with you".

more parts coming soon.

[shaman]

tell me how you like it, i will be accepting any tips and will be putting the second bit up soon

[Wings of Fire]

Firstly you should use a spell checker before posting your work to iron out any bad spellings like 'Ageing', the next thing I'd recommend would be recognizing when to use a comma and when to use a period. Too early to tell about the plot right now.

[shaman]

yes. im sorry i have bad spelling. yes your right i suppose i should have spell checked.

in my defence i am predicted to pass my English.

i am currently writing the second part.

shaman.

[shaman]

WHY IS NO ONE RESPONDING?

[Jordan]

I can think of a pretty good reason.

[Munch's Master]

I would also suggest- Dont edit it into the first post. Eventually you won't be able to edit again, and it also creates the dreaded Text Wall Of Doom like I did with my fic. Post chapters seperately. Another point- Spelling, Grammar and Punctuation can work wonders. Seriously. Always take the effort to capitalise the start of sentences, spell things right and use full stops, commas, etc., and use good grammar.

[shaman]

Thank you for the advise ( i am not a grammer master and i know it ).
but as for the plot.

how do you like that?

i need to know.
i am very insecure.

[SlagoTheSlig]

This is really good!

[shaman]

um. thank you, much apppreciated.

That was just what i needed.

Next part is up tommorow!

[shaman]

Third part right here right now.


3 THE RAID
Marty looked up at Sid. Trying to judge whether he was serious or not. Sid on the other hand knew that whatever was said next, there was no running away from it now. He was going with Marty, whether he wanted him to or not.
Marty looked at Sid like a curious child.
“You ... you sure about that”? He mumbled.
Sid sighed. “There’s no point in pretending we’re not in any danger mart”. Who are we trying to fool”? Both of them stood up. Sid’s heart racing as what he was getting into became more apparent.
“They’ll be here at midnight alright”? Be here sharp. “Oh and make sure your not followed”.
Sid nodded and they parted ways.


The next few hours felt like a dream. Sid knew what he was doing was crazy, but when was the last time he did anything out of the ordinary. At least the tomahawkers, smart assed though they were, had a bit of fun every now and then.
Big face had a habit of stopping Sid at random intervals and having log, drawn out conversations with him, but big face was an old man and had recently taken to spending more time in his shelter.
“If he knew what I’m about to do”. Sid thought to himself. And for a few minutes he became more and more paranoid about what would happen if he were caught. Although if Sid was honest, this was very exciting.
But always the thought of the fugitives coming to their home hung over him.
At last it was almost midnight, and the skies over the camp had long turned dark, Abe’s moon shone brightly in the sky and everyone was asleep. Apart from Sid, who lay awake waiting for the time to be right, and as soon as it was approaching midnight he got up from the floor of his shelter and walked into the night.

It was a still night, as though the whole of oddworld was watching in silence as this drama unfolded.
Even in the dark, Sid knew the way to the dugouts entrance well, a small noise from one of the nearby shelters made him jump a mile but it turned out to be nothing.
The threat of getting caught was stronger than ever now as Sid walked into the woods. And the dark canopy engulfed him; no one would have believed that he had come here for any innocent reason. And it was this that kept him turning round to make sure he wasn’t being followed.
Eventually he arrived at the clearing, with the entrance to the dugout at his right. There, surely enough, in the middle of the clearing, was Marty and six others, four of whom Sid recognised as members of his tribe.
There was uthur, a short mudarcher about the same age as Sid, and eefle, a tomahawker brandishing his tomahawk over his shoulder and wearing a bright red loincloth.
The other two were older than Sid, one of them was Theya. She was training to be a shaman like he was, but had recently passed her trial and bore the paints and tattoos to show it,. And the last one was roger who was a farmer in the tribe. Who also had a large sack over his back.
“Hey Sid” Marty said gladly
“Hi” Sid said raising a hand to the others. Who all nodded.
“You know all of us”. Theya said. “it’s good to have another shaman on the road with us”.
“Sid” nodded in appreciation
Eefle stepped forward and indicated the last two members of the group who Sid had never met before.
“This is Ross”. He told Sid. “He’s from the resistance group who attacked the slig caravan a while ago”. Ross was a giant Mudokon. Taller than anyone there and more muscular even than Marty. He was wearing a red loincloth and was adorned in many remorseless looking small tomahawks.
“And this” Eefle continued. “is Tom”.
“Hello” Tom smiled brightly. He was shorter than Ross (of course) and Marty, and was adorned in the paints of a native, however. Sid cringed to see it. Tom had the unmistakable brand of the “magog cartel” burned into his right arm.
“Ok” Theya announced. “Now that we’re all acquainted, let’s get on with it” (Sid’s heart dropped) “We all know why we’re here, we are going to raid the glukkon camp on the other side of the river to the east. Tom will cause a distraction at the gatehouse, and the rest of us will break through the right fence of the camp and open the slave huts, then we will all meet by those old Mudomo ruins up on the hill by the river and make our way home. Simple little job ya’ know”?
No one else seemed to have any argument with her. Watched as Tom produced a bag and from it pulled a small round metal ball.
“what’s that”? Sid asked.
“Fire bomb” Tom replied casually.
“A-a what” Sid replied quickly. He thought he had something insane in his ear for a second there.
Tom simply laughed. “Well what else am I going to distract the sligs with”?
Marty turned to Sid and winked. Sid made a mental note to have a serious talk with Marty if they all pulled through this.
“Well then we can’t stand here till morning”! Uthur shouted. And with that they all followed Theya into the woods.
The sounds of the woods made them even creepier at night. It was made even worse by the recent rumours of sligs occupying the lands around the glukkon camp.
Their path to the river was almost an hour long and completely undisturbed, and their troubles were rewarded by the site of the countless lights of the glukkon camp shining brightly on the other side of the river, and the unmistakable sight of a train pulling into its goods depot.
Ross looked back at Sid and the others quickly and signalled them to get down; all of them crouched on the bank, as one of the many floodlights from the camp danced slowly over the water’s surface. Obviously trying to pick out intruders.
Clearly they were not the only ones who had thought to raid the industrialists.
As soon as the floodlight had began circling the camp once again, Ross, Theya and Tom began to wade through the river towards their target, Sid followed then into the cold water, followed by uther, Eefle , Roger and Marty.
All of them reached the opposite bank undetected. And lead by Ross, the eight mudokons tiptoed up to the fence of the camp, and peered inside.
There were lots of make-shift buildings, serving as a barracks and several smaller ones which were obviously accommodation, and a large cage in which were housed about two dozen mudokons, many of whom were screaming to be let free or hurling abuse at nearby sligs.
Sid looked around the living hell and he felt a surge of anger and fear As he saw in a secluded corner of the camp, a mudokon trembling on the ground as a slig brutally beat him.
“This is what you get for trying to escape mud”! The slig was wearing no mask and his face was frantic, like a maniac. He swiped and swiped at the trembling native on the floor then frog-marched him back to his cage.
“Pick the lock again and you’ll lose an ear”! The slig shouted. “I swear it”.
The eight resistance fighters looked at each other, all with a mixture of fear and disgust on their faces. Sid. Who could bare it no longer said. “Now Tom, do it now”.

Tom nodded, and Roger produced from the sack he was carrying, what were obviously, homemade explosives. Tom vanished out of sight and within seconds the seven remaining muds saw his firebomb hurl across the wall, bounce off the barracks and land with a clunk at its entrance. Screams of alarm dotted the camp and in no time at all there was a dazzling bright flash and a bone shattering noise as the barracks disappeared under a column of fire.
“Now” shouted roger as all the sligs ran over to the burning building in an attempt to quell the flames. As quick as a flash, Roger grabbed an explosive, clicked off the detonator and crammed it under the fence.
“MOVE” Theya and Marty screamed at once and they all dived away from their positions as the dull “thud” of the crude grenade blew a hole in the fence.
Sid looked at the gaping wound they had made in the fence and in unison; all of them rose up and charged into the glukkon camp. Eefle and Marty producing spoocebows and throwing a hail of confusing blue fire all over the place. Whilst the sligs in the background still coped with the fire (which had now spread to other bunkers)
Theya, Ross and Sid ran over to the cage in the middle of the camp.
“Who are you”? Cried one of the muds from inside
“J-just a friend” Sid replied quickly. “Now stand back”. Theya clicked an explosive and jammed in the door. The muds inside stood back (as did Sid and Theya) and the door blew off its hinges.

“Go!, NOW”! Marty screamed at them, indicating the hole that had been blown in the wall. The mudokons flooded out of the camp, into the river and disappeared into the woods beyond.
“Ok” Marty shouted, “Let’s go ... ROSS”!
Ross had finished pummelling several sligs into the ground when he turned round, pulled out a grenade and lobbed it under the nearby train. It exploded and pummels of black smoke towered above them in seconds, Fire rose from its radiator and liquid metal ran from the stricken vehicle like tears.
“Get em”! A sligs voice sounded from the distance and Sid knew this to be a sign to leave ... quickly.
The sligs made a good attempt at catching them but the cloud of smoke so thick that they soon gave up, and the seven mudokons soon found themselves back in the woods, taking residence in the Mudomo ruins away from it all.
Sid’s heart was pounding so heart he thought it would leap from his chest; he lay down on the grass and just allowed the shock of it all to wash over him. It was very cold since they had not lit a fire, Theya had said it was best to lay low as to the industrialists this was a capital offence.
But still the moments of terror had passed and they all rested there, not saying a word, bathed in the light of the moon and stars and the great circular ruined walls their ancestors had built all around them, knowing that they had done good this night, and all those muds were back with their families; or would be very soon.
Finally Sid turned to Roger. “Did you make those things”? He asked. “The bombs i mean”.
Roger smiled. “’mazin what a few pounds o’ bonepowder will do ain’t it”?
“Tom would have gone back to HQ by now” Ross interrupted. “He should be-“
Ross stopped. They all heard the unmistakable sound of footsteps nearby.

[shaman]

fourth part. !!!!!!!!!TWIST ALERT!!!!!!!!!

4 The fugitive
All of them sat rooted to the spot. Far too afraid to move, surely they had gone far enough from the camp to avoid being caught.
As the footsteps grew louder and closer, Sid became all the more aware of what would happen if they were discovered.
It was a death sentence.
He gulped and shut his eyes. Unable to bare the glow of the sligs res eyes as it marched through the ruins.
“Hi guys”!
Sid opened his eyes; Pushing through the bushes, looking out of breath, was Tom. They all breathed a sigh of relief.
“Where did you go”! Theya shouted as she hugged Tom. “Ross said you’d gone back to HQ but we feared the worst”.
“I’ve done this like three times before”. Tom retorted. “And this won’t be the last time either”.

So they all sat there for what hours, until the first light shone dimly over the horizon. Sid was confident that the industrialists. Who were probably combing the lands outlying their camp, would never find this place, no slig had ever stood on these ruins before, and plus the mudokons knew the land far better than them.
So Sid had ample time to make it back to his tribe by taking alternate routes that the sligs didn’t know, still though he tried to get back before everyone got up to avoid any awkward questions.
Sid arrived at his camp as soon as he could. Thankfully. No one was awake yet, and he tiptoed back to his shelter, anxiously awaiting the conversations he and Marty (who had gone home hours before Sid) would share about this little secret.
Sid had absolutely no doubt in his mind that the industrialists would come asking around soon, still they had no proof it was any of them, and they couldn’t round up the whole tribe and check them all, so Sid promised himself that he would keep a low profile whenever a group of sligs came looking for the perpetrators.
Still it had been a long night, and there was no time to think of that kind of stuff now. Now Sid could finally get some sleep.
The next few days were very uninteresting. Occasionally, Sid and Marty would exchange glances and start to laugh, which annoyed the hell out of some of their friends who saw it as an immature inside joke. Although the glukkon camp was only a few miles away, no news had come to the tribe about it being raided. (For which Sid was very grateful) no sligs had called either. It seemed that they had given up hope of finding whoever had burned down all those buildings and set free some many “scrubs to be”.

Weeks passed. And still there was no news about what had happened at the camp. Of course by now the tribe knew that the industrialist property had “mysteriously” caught fire. But they had no idea that it had been attacked.
Marty and Sid had been talking frequently about the events that had happened that night. Now, they both stood in the middle of an open plain about a mile from their tribe ,next to a large lake it was very lonely there. They were supposed to be fishing but it was a perfect place for a conversation that could get you killed.
“There hasn’t been much news has there”? Marty said in a disappointed tone.
“Good” Sid replied blankly. “The less news there is the less chance we’ve got of being caught”.
“i would actually like to know if my cousin got out ok”. Marty replied rather loudly. So that Sid looked around for eavesdroppers. “I haven’t seen him since we rescued him”.
Sid shrugged. “That’s because he lives like... miles away”.
“I’m just a little worried man”. Marty said.
It was easy to tell that Marty was stressing out. “Tell you what”. Sid said. Tomorrow we’ll go to his camp and see if he’s ok ... which I’m sure he will be”.
Marty smiled. “You sure”? ... “I mean I’ll go myself if you don’t want to-“
“i’ll go don’t worry yourself”. Sid laughed. “Anyway we don’t start training again for another week ain’t it”.
“Thanks, anyway we better get on with the fishing just in case the hunters blow it”.
So they walked across the plain to the lake. Winter was only around the corner, and the small strip of wet land surrounding the lake was alive with ratz attempting to find fish that had been washed up.
It was a clear day, though fairly cold. Abe’s moon was visible in the sky, though it was daytime. All in all it was a beautiful time of year, and the winter grip was becoming ever stronger.
The next couple of hours were spent relaxing and joking about their pitiful catch, soon it was mid-day. The two of them had to cook a few of the fish they caught for there and then but by the end of it they had enough stock to stop everyone blaming them if the hunting was a cock-up.
Sid and Marty weren’t expected back at camp until the evening. So they had some free-time left over, which they spent mostly by sitting by the lake and talking and Sid actually dropped off a couple of times.
“Come on”. Marty said when Sid had finally woken up for the fifth time.
“Yeah s-sure just gimmie a minute”. Sid replied drowsily.
Marty was quiet for a few seconds when he said: “I never knew a train want by here”.
Sid looked up. A train didn’t go by here. “What you talking about”? He said.
“There’s a steam train up there” Marty replied. He was pointing at the hill off in the distance. Exactly where camp was, the hill was shadowed by a tower of black smoke. Sid jumped up in alarm and stared transfixed at the smoke rising from his home.
“Marty...That’s the campsite”. Sid whimpered.
“What”?! Marty replied shocked.
“IT’S THE CAMP”! Sid shouted. “It’s on fire come on”
Sid and Marty took off like a flash towards the smoke. It couldn’t be true, it just couldn’t. Sid thought as he ran. This was probably just an accident, some idiot knocked over a torch or something. Then of course it was still daytime, no need for torches.
Sid and Marty hoofed it through the woods; it was torture not knowing what had happened. But there was still time for optimism. SURELY it was a simple accident and they would arrive out of breath to find their whole tribe fighting the flames and then laugh about the idiocy of the one who was at fault.
When they arrived at camp, Sid found himself to be half right. Yes, there whole tribe was there fighting the flames billowing from three of the huts, and Bigface talking with Mazza and a few other senior members. But no one was laughing.
The whole area was smoky as hell, and several trees were on fire as well as the three shelters.
Sid and Marty approached Big face and the others next to the unbelievable fire.
“We got here as fast as we could”. Sid panted. “What-“
“What the hell happened”!? Marty shouted.
Big face spun round, his mask was down and his blue old face was alight with anger.
“You”! He whispered before raising his stick and advancing on Marty.
“Stop” mazza yelled grabbing Big face’s hands and restraining him.
“It was them”! He yelled. Pointing at Marty and Sid, the other mudokons were now circling them. “Leave me you bastard leave me”!. He attempted to shake off mazza, who surprisingly had to struggle against an old mudokon.
“Big face stop”! mazza yelled and finally Big face fell silent. “Please”.
The whole tribe were now circling Marty and Sid. Big face stood up. Sid, who was itching to know what, was going on. Walked up to bigface.
“Big face-“
“You’re both fools”. Big face sobbed.
“Why”. Sid retorted. “What happened”?. Big face got up and shoved Sid hard.
“Don’t you know what you’ve done you s**t!?”. He shouted. “Don’t you know how much i worked for safety here!, don’t you care”?

He produced a role of paper from his loincloth and shoved it into Sid’s hands.
“Look at it”. He commanded. Sid unrolled the paper. Terrified of what he might see, there on the paper were eight faces; united under a “WANTED” sign.
Marty gasped and Sid just froze. His face and Marty’s were on the paper. Surrounded by Ross, Theya, Eefle, Roger, uthur and Tom.
Mazza walked up to the both of them, Big face put his mask down and sat on the ground, and meanwhile the whole tribe was chattering angrily ion the background.
Mazza looked more disappointed than angry. Sid and Marty were still paralyzed with shock.
“So this is it then”? mazza said. “You grow up here only to throw your lot in with terrorists? What does that show”.
Sid was on the verge of fainting, he felt sick. He could guess what had happened here.
“mazza”. He managed at a whisper trying to hold back tears. “It was weeks ago, we set free about thirty muds. It was-“
“They came about two hours ago”. Mazza said looking at the wanted poster. “At first we thought it was a peaceful caravan that had taken a wrong turn, but then it turned. A slig approached me and asked me about the glukkon camp burning down; I told him I didn’t know a thing. Then he asked me what I knew about certain individuals on the paper”. Mazza rolled his eyes. “Even when i saw you two and the others from this tribe I said I didn’t know you, but they didn’t believe me, they shot fire rounds into the trees and three of the huts, said that they’d be looking for the fugitives, and if he thought we were lying then they’d come with shock troops”.
Sid could hardly believe what he was hearing. He looked at Marty, but couldn’t bear looking at his tribe, who were now jeering at them and throwing stones.
“I’m not finished yet!” mazza shouted and the hail of pebbles stopped. “Roger and Theya decided to leave when we confronted them. They thought it was only right, since you were both fishing then we couldn’t find you so we waited for you here. You’ve endangered us all with your terrorism, and i can hardly believe you didn’t think the Greeters they had installed at their camp wouldn’t take photos of you”. He paused. The whole camp was now watching in silence.
The Big face stood up and mazza looked back at him. The whole tribe was listening intently. Big face nodded, and mazza turned to them and sighed.
“Your criminals”. He said, Sid’s heart jumped into his throat. “So long as your here we are harbouring terrorists”. “The camp leaders and I met just now and decided what to do”.
This had to be a nightmare, he was still asleep at the lake with Marty, the worst case scenario was they would both be late, but this could not be real ... it just couldn’t.
Mazza cleared his throat. “You’re banished. Both of you, we can’t have you staying here, pack your things and we want you out by morning”.
Sid was sure now that he would wake up any minute. But the disappointment in mazza’s face told him otherwise. It would have been better if he had hit Sid, if Sid was honest with himself he didn’t have any plans for the future, but even if he did they would now be shattered.
The tribe were throwing harsh glares as they walked back into their shelters; among them, Zule who stared in disbelief at Marty and Sid.
Mazza was obviously felling the atmosphere as much as everyone else, and escorted Big face back to his shelter.

It was a while before Sid could bear to look up at Marty.
“What happens now”? Marty said.
“What we deserve that’s what”. Sid replied.
Marty put his hand on Sid’s shoulder. “ I’m sorry man”
“what”?!
“i asked you to do this”. Marty whispered. “now neither of us can stay”.
“i wanted to help”!. Sid retorted. “it’s as much my fault as yours”!

Marty stared at him. “Right well, we had better get ready for tomorrow”.
Sid nodded and they went back to their homes.

[shaman]

5 welcome to the wilderness.
Sid couldn’t believe it. This was his last night in camp, after that there would only be the open wilderness that oddworld had to offer.
What were the other rebels doing? Sid thought. Theya and Roger had fled when they were told they had been discovered, but they had to have gone somewhere since it was very difficult for fugitives to join other tribes.
It was a very unpleasant thought. Sid was one of those “criminals”. Who were hunted by industrialists and terrified other tribes, and then again so was Marty. This was by a long run the worst thing that had ever happened to them, the images of his tribe glaring and shouting abuse would not move from Sid’s mind any time soon, and Sid shuddered to think of them. Was this just one of those things that could be forgiven? Or were they really banished for good?
By morning it wouldn’t make any difference. Neither Sid nor Marty would be allowed near here again, they wouldn’t be around to see if they had been forgiven. Day was dying now, and the sun had turned a dim fiery orange, descending on the horizon. There was nothing more to do today. Sid just rolled over, sighed and fell asleep.

There wasn’t much time for saying goodbye to anyone in the morning. Clearly the fear of being persecuted for harbouring terrorists had spread throughout camp, and they wanted to get Sid and Marty out of their hair as soon as possible.
Marty and Sid were stood next to each other, surrounded by about half the tribe; the others clearly weren’t up or were still pissed at them. Mazza walked over to them, it was a very upsetting moment, he didn’t look angry anymore, just very regretful.
“Let’s get this over with”. He whispered to Sid and Marty. Sid couldn’t bear to look him in the eyes.
It wasn’t as though they were going to be just thrown out of camp and left to wander, they were to be taken about a mile from the camp and then let go, everyone was terrified of the sligs returning, Sid could see it in their eyes. As they were led out of the camp by Mazza, Sid spotted zule.
He couldn’t say a thing, it hurt too much. So Sid gave her a slight nod as he walked out of camp for the last time.
Soon the camp was out of sight, and Sid found himself next to Marty somewhere in the wood, they had been walking for some time, and any sight or sound of civilization was long gone. Sid promised himself that he would get out of this part of the woods as soon as they were alone, lest they fall prey to paramites.
“Ok we’re done here”. Mazza called to the mudarchers flanking Sid and Marty. He then strode up to Sid.
“Don’t come back” he told him.
Don’t come back. This is what Sid had feared; they were in fact not going to be allowed back again this was it. They were ancient history to their tribe now, all because they had tried to be heroes.
Mazza was leading his mudarchers back towards camp now; obviously he didn’t want to look back. It was as upsetting for him as it was them, since everyone new everyone in a small tribe. Now Sid understood what he had done to them all.
It could have been hours before either one of them spoke.
“i can’t believe this” Marty said through gritted teeth. ... ”banished for saving mudokons”
“So here we are”. Sid said. “Now what”?
“I don’t know about you Sid”. Marty replied quietly, but I’m going to my cousin’s tribe.
Sid had expected that, not even getting banished would have stopped Marty from caring for his cousin.
“Ok” Sid sighed. “What way is it?, seriously i wanna get going now before we get eaten or something”.
Marty was obviously getting the message and calmed down. So they set off, Sid following Marty, to his cousin’s camp.
They were soon miles from their own camp, and in dangerous territory. A year earlier vyker’s labs had been torched and a three million moolah can of gabiar stolen. When vyker’s labs had gone down, it landed just over the mountain close to their position (Sid remembered the bang), and the industrialists had strived to sweep aside all mudokon resistance and capture the lab’s crash site.
They had recently secured it and began to salvage what they could, and had set up patrols in the mudokon territory to stop terrorists from infiltrating and stealing technology from the ruined vyker’s labs. Such patrols were rumoured to have given rise to the slave caravans that they had seen in the area, and had brought a conflict that had been going on all over east mudos to Sid’s doorstep.
Sid however was determined to stick with Marty. Patrols had died down in this area but they still had to be quiet as they were technically now wanted men, occasionally the saw signs of mudokon resistance. Totems put up to insight rebellion and graffiti on walls plastered with “anarchy” symbols were a common feature of this small part of the forest. Marty looked back at Sid and smiled. Sid knew Marty was also glad of this resistance. It made them both feel like fighting for their freedom and also made what they did at the glukkon camp feel like less of a crime. In fact if Sid was honest ... it made him proud.
Hours passed, and they found themselves camping out in a secluded part of the woods. By Marty’s advise they had stopped and set up a few shelters made from whatever they could find, continuing would have been very stupid as this was the late afternoon – a prime time for slig patrols to comb the area for resistance fighters- Sid and Marty had decided to stay put for till evening when they could move under cover of darkness.
Nothing was given to Sid or Marty before their banishment; no food anyway. So they had to risk a little trip away from camp and had snared two ratz with a few berries. Nature had also provided them with the materials to build a small fire.
So they both sat at their pitiful dinners and busied themselves with keeping the fire burning and keeping the camp up together. Since both Sid and Marty were training to be shaman they had a little chant circle going at one point but had to stop because the noise may attract sligs.
Evening was drawing in fast and the first stars were beginning to appear. Soon it would be time to go, because their campsite would be crawling with sligs by nightfall.
Sid helped Marty demolish the camp and made sure there were no traces for industrialists to follow, and once again they were off through the woods into the darkness.
It was terrifying at night, it was almost impossible to tell how Marty knew the way to his cousin’s camp in this darkness. They pushed through the brambled forest and waded through the river between them and the plains on the other side, until Sid and Marty stood on the edge of their forest home with the hills of east mudos stretched out before them, great hills on either side of them and the mountains beyond.
Now it was very cold as winter had grasped the land in a freezing vice. This was unfortunate as they had both waded through a river, and were both regretting it now that it was piercingly cold.
“L-look”. Marty shivered pointing at the nearest range of hills, “The camps up there”.
“We-we’ll go up there in the morning”. Sid replied. “Don’t want to wake anyone up, n-not with the kind of publicity”.
Marty nodded. “Not bad for the first day alone though is it”?
They gathered up some wood and for the second time that day, set up two shelters, Marty was right. They weren’t doing badly for one day without their tribe. Though one question was constantly attacking Sid: what were they going to do after?
They set up their shelters just inside the wood.
“Marty give me some help over here” Sid shouted. But Marty was crouching down in a ditch, singling Sid to get down frantically.
“Sit down now”! Marty hissed. He pointed out of the woods, there, creeping through the darkness on mechanical limbs and as an army of red eyes, were dozens of sligs Sid immediately threw himself next to Marty, and watched as the sligs marched past.
They watched from their hideout praying that the sligs wouldn’t turn round.
“Think it’s a slave caravan”? Marty asked Sid hurriedly.
“If it were a slave caravan it’s have vehicles with them”.
“Oh thank odd”. Marty sighed as the sligs marched out of sight.

Sid immediately threw himself next to Marty, and watched as the. Now very tired and very hungry (ratz aren’t exactly a good source of food) and trying to forget the unsettling activities of the night before they fell into a dreamless sleep.
The sun was creeping over the horizon. Casting a dull light over the forest and the plains beyond, the mountains ahead shone like great white pearls and the ground was crisp with frost, it was the roar of a distant scrab that woke Sid and Marty who though used to cold mornings like this were shocked by how bitter it was outside.
Still weary that sligs may be around, they whispered their conversation and demolished their shelters as quietly as possible, before making the trek over the frost bitten plains towards the vast set of hills in front of them.
There was no way of telling if the mudokons in the camp above had made any slope up to their home, so Sid and Marty were forced to scramble up the bitterly cold rocks towards solid ground. The floor was just shingle and each step merited a painful slip through jagged pebbles, finally – out of breath and with sore feet, they made it to the top of the hill where the sight of a few tents and totems greeted them not to far away. But upon closer inspection they found something very unnerving.
The mudokon camp was deserted.
There had been no sign on a struggle and everything was left undamaged. So there was still marginal hope that something other than industrialists had made this village empty, but it didn’t look that promising.
Marty was frantically calling for someone, hoping that there was still a mudokon who could explain everything, but there was nothing. It was eerie, like the calm before a storm.
“What’s that mart”!? Sid called, there down the slope, towering above some huge rocks and old ruined statues was a pillar of white smoke which Sid recognised as a beacon.
“It’s them come on”! Marty called back as he descended the slope into the native ruins. Sid followed him and they found themselves in the middle of a massive stone circle, its idols and statues shattered in places from centuries of decay and all of which was made grey stone, dotted with carvings of paramites and scrabs. Up ahead, in the centre of the circle was a large pond surrounded by fallen ancient statues, and just behind that was a magnificent storm circle, clearly this place was a large temple.
The tower of smoke was coming from the part of the temple which held the storm circle, though they couldn’t see what was causing the smoke. Sid and Marty ran to the other side of the temple to find what who was sending the signal and ran straight into the storm circle.
Their mistake was immediately obvious. Sid had no time to scream as dozens of sligs appeared from behind the rocks that mad up the storm circle.
“Hands up” one of them commanded raising his rifle.
Sid froze, after all this ... they had been caught.

[ssilbyma]

hey this is really good!!
will you be writing any more?? keep it up mate!!

[shaman]

This thread is stomach churningly short. Its just somthing to brige the whole thing together.


6 the caravan
A crowd of sligs were now appearing from behind the storm circle, carrying boxes of loot no doubt raided from the mudokon camp above. By the time they had all crawled from their hiding places about thirty sligs were stood training their rifles on Marty and Sid.
“Well well”. One of them smirked. “Looks like the place wasn’t empty after all ... YOU”. He pointed at Marty. “ where’s the rest of your tribe”.
Marty was just as likely to attack a slig who spoke to him like that, but instead he just replied: “we’re not from this tribe”.
Sid was terrified. It was only by chance they hadn’t bumped into sligs from the camp they attacked. In fact it was preferable to be caught here than face a “fair” trial for terrorism.
“You two shaman yeah”?
“Yeah” Marty replied.
The slig smirked again, so did some of his fellows. “Well if that’s the case wise –man ... you must know exactly what happens to you now”...

Fortunately no other members of the tribe on the hill had been captured. They all seem to have had the right idea and moved as soon as they had saw the sligs marching across the plains towards their home, and so had escaped the caravans.This (obviously) was not the case for Sid and Marty. They were taken at gun point to a small clearing back in the woods, where a large threatening looking truck was waiting.
There was no telling what would happen now. Sid was trying not to shake as it was obvious that these sligs could spot a weak minded mud a mile off, having probably done this a million times.
It was a surprisingly nice day for this to happen, in fact one of the most beautiful oddworld days Sid had ever seen. “How did it come to this”? Sid whispered under his breath. One day he was a normal mud the next he and Marty had been banished from their tribe and walked right into a slave caravan.
Life didn’t get much worse.
Sid and Marty were shoved into the caravan by the guard at the door, it would have been futile to resist since al the sligs were armed, and you never knew when a big-bro might show up.
The caravan was cold and there was very little sitting space usually because of the dozens of muds packed in at once, but since this caravan had been very unsuccessful, it was full of boxes of various junk.
Marty sulked in a corner without saying anything, Sid could feel his pain. Not knowing what happened to his cousin must have been excruciating. It was about five minutes before Marty’s head turned and Sid saw a shadow move on the opposite wall. From behind a pile of junk boxes a middle aged mudokon rose up, he was a dark green and his head was perfectly shaved. He was also wearing a bright yellow loincloth and was adorned in several decorative scars on his hands, back and chest.
He turned.
“AH”! He shouted. “New guys”!
“Huh”? Marty replied.
“Your new here”! The mudokon said. He produced a small box from his loincloth and pulled out a roll of paper filled with a substance unknown to Sid, which he lit with a small match and began to smoke.
Sid stared in disbelief.
“Wan one”? The mudokon asked.
“Erm no i don’t” Sid replied.
“Suit yourself ... names Archie”.
“Sid”.
Archie turned to Marty, who was still sat in at his wall. After a long silence, he spoke again.
“You’re a fine old conversationalist aren’t you”?
Marty glared and returned to staring into space.
“Hell i gotta tell you guys this brings back old memories” Archie rambled on. And Sid was still trying to figure out what exactly this mud was smoking.
“Used to be in this tribe y’know” Archie continued. “Still the scenery has certainly improved since i been gone but you know... got to see as much of oddworld as I can while I’m still young”
Marty was now staring at him.
“wanna hear somthin-“?
“Wait wait, you were IN this tribe”? Asked Marty.
Archie grinned revealing a row of yellowing teeth. “Yeah i was in this tribe, shaman ... mind you i never cared much for those tomahawks, so y’know ... uncivilised”
“My cousin was in the tribe up there” Marty yelled smiling. “Jerry, you know him”?
Archie rolled back his head as Marty looked impatient.
“Yeah i know I’m’” Archie said finally. “Good kid, he was one of the last to take off when they thought the slig caravan was coming our way”. He smiled, “smart kid”.
Marty Sid back down the wall looking like a thousand years of pressure had been relieved.
“Thanks so much”. He said finally .Archie nodded and began blowing rings of smoke into the air.
“SO” shouted Archie making Sid and Marty jump. “How did you guys get into what i like to call our social club”?
Marty looked at Sid for the first time in a while.
“We got banished”. Sid muttered, as thinking of it was painful to think of it. “For life I think”
“Damn that sucks” Archie replied with a mock sense of sympathy. “What ya do”?
Marty looked alarmed. He didn’t want this subject talked about. Sid on the other hand could find no hurt in it.
“Terrorism”. Sid replied blankly. Archie looked at him looking surprised.
“Terrorism”?! He laughed “what the hell did you do”?!
Marty, who had obviously given up hope of concealing the crime he and Sid had committed, spoke up.
“You remember any news about the glukkon camp a few miles away”?
Archie rolled his eyes “Well yeah course I do but-“
He froze, and then looked from Sid to Marty. It was impossible to tell what was going on in Archie’s mind. However Sid knew what was coming next.
Archie grinned. “It was you two”. He said flatly “hah! Well well what can I say?” he was being rather loud about this for Sid’s liking. “That was one hell of a stunt you guys pulled, explosives an all wasn’t it”?
“Yeah” Sid mumbled.
Suddenly they all felt a huge jolt. The caravan was beginning to move; obviously their captors had given up hope of ever finding any more hostages today. There was a small window at the back wall of the caravan, and Sid could only watch as the hills and forest became tiny specks on the horizon as the caravan trudged into the vastest of oddworld’s many moors.
When there was nothing more to see Sid just slid down the wall and sat on the floor.
“Home sick already”? Archie chuckled insensitively.
Sid just nodded and laid his head in his hands.
“Listen, it aint all that bad”. Archie said
Sid could have said a million things to contradict this. But instead he just nodded again and tried to sleep.

Days past, and life in a slave caravan was no picnic. Days of nothing but travel, poor food and constant brutality from sligs had earned Sid a very short temper (not to mention several scars across his back) and a torturing urge to get out of this place. A couple of times he had thought of running for it, but there were only three of them on board and they were all very easily spotted. In only a few days, they all must have seen a hundred horizons. But still they had conversation to cope with the eternal boredom and slay the fear they were all facing. During the night one time when they were on the borders of scrabania, Archie was telling them about himself.
“See this”? He indicated to a scrab scar on his left hand, “Got that on the monsaic; lines, hurt like hell”.
“You’ve been here before”? Marty cut in.
Archie got up and strolled over to look through the only window in their prison, Sid could see why he obviously liked the place. The sky over scrabania was a burnt pink as evening was rolling in. In front of them stretched a rolling wasteland scorched by the centuries of pounding heat from oddworld’s sun and the air smelt pleasantly of dusk.
“Where do you think we’ll end up”?
“Doesn’t matter” Archie replied calmly. “It only matters what we do when we get there”.
Sid nodded at Marty. They both knew this guy was up to something.
Suddenly the caravan ground to a halt, and the sound of grinding gears filled the room for a moment.
There was something going on here, everyone one of them felt the same without even having to speak, Sid’s earlier question was clearly about to be answered fully. The door clicked and unlocked, then swung open revealing a slig outside their caravan. A sandstorm had recently started and Sid was immediately jealous of the slig for wearing a mask.
“Get out”. The slig commanded, and Sid, Marty and Archie descended the steps onto scrabanian soil.
It was surprisingly cold for a desert and very windy due to the imminent sand storm.
A slig grabbed the back of Sid’s head and forced him to look into the distance.
“Welcome home” he chuckled.
Sid couldn’t believe he had been so stupid, he should have made a dash for it and now it was too late...
There in the distance, easily recognisable by its threatening looking barbed fences and smokey train depots, was an mine.

The only thing waiting for them here was slavery.

[ssilbyma]

=]
awesome work... keep ot coming dude, i'm loving it

[shaman]

7 Hell on oddworld

The industrialists had chosen to build this particular structure in a much disserted place, escape would mean death by starvation or by a scrab on the boiling desert that was scrabania.
The mine was surrounded by walls on all sides. Occasionally a guard tower rose up from the surrounding fence and several train depots were stacked up together at one side, where monorails carried the trains high above the ground.
As Sid, Marty and Archie were marched over the nearest dune, Sid saw that there was another structure, far smaller and looking very make – shift was a collection of run – down tin buildings, surrounded by a blotched and eroded wall.
A huge door opened in front of them. Clearly whoever was inside saw them coming. Inside was a small compound, with several of the caravans they had been in scattered here and there.
There were dozens of muds in large cages. Sid was felling so angry, but had to contain himself as the sligs were heavily armed.
They were lead into one of the larger structures, there were tiny stains of blood on the walls, causing even the always – positive Archie to shudder.
A vyker was sat at a desk, his skin was a pale lilac and he was wearing a ludicrously tight suit and monocle.
“Stop here”! The slig barked at Sid. “ ello Bernard, I got a new delivery”.
The vyker looked up from his work, and began glaring at the three mudokons in front of him squinting his tiny eyes into slits. Then he got up and walked over to them on four stumpy legs. Vykers towered over mudokons, but Sid tried to look un intimidated.
“Ah”... he grunted, “and is your cargo good for work this time”?
The slig spun round. “What’s that spose’ to mean”?
“Your last shipment was less than satisfactory; i would suggest actually feeding them properly, weak! That’s what they were Weak”! The vyker bent down so Sid could see his row of yellowing teeth. “Survived a day they did, we broke them in a day”...
He scuttled back to his desk. “Nevertheless, i suppose we had better get down to business”.
Sid felt sick to think of what was happening in this place, and watched as the slig and vyker exchanged words and their captor departed with the filthy moolah he had been paid to take a creatures freedom.
Now finally Sid, Marty and Archie were out of that slave caravan. But now a worse place was greeting them.
“Listen i know this is a bad time to ask”. Marty whispered to Sid. “But what happens now”?
Sid had no answer to this, they were both sat in a cage outside with about twelve others, it was terribly cold. Scrabania was infamous for being a bad place to spend the night. Tomorrow was coming all too fast; it was terrifying to think about what might happen when they were all taken to the mines; Would they ever see home again?
“Sid”.
“What”? Marty looked around shivering, to see if there were any guards walking around.
“What are we gonna do”?
“I don’t know”. Sid whispered; he had no solution, hell he didn’t even know what they would do once they were banished, Let alone where they would end up after being captured and enslaved in a loathsome mine hundreds of miles from home.
A train occasionally pulled up at the depot. Its screeching tracks making it impossible to sleep. Sid looked at the train pull into the tallest part of the mine and then, moments later, depart on its monorail into the desert and out of sight.
How he wanted to be on board.
“Penny for your thoughts”? Sid heard someone say, realising it was Archie he turned and stared back into the sky.
“gonna be hard tomorrow” Archie whimpered. “Best get some sleep”. Sid nodded weakly and leaned back against the cold bars, finally drifting off.
“Wake up you slogs”! A slig shouted banging a truncheon against the bars, Sid opened his eyes. It was barely morning. The sun was begging to creep over the horizon and the roars of distant scrabs made him grateful for the high walls.
“Stand up dammit”! The slig bawled. There were about twenty of them in their cage so it was very cramped.
“You do know how to stand don’t you? Or do i have to shoot you now? GET UP”! Soon everyone was up and the gate was unlocked. Sid stood next to Archie, who amazingly was the only one not looking terrified.
“Nervous”? He grinned.
“Yeah”. Sid mumbled.

All the mudokons were taken from their cage and arranged into crowds where a monstrous vyker sized them all up.
“I am Isaac”. The vyker shouted. “Master guard of this establishment here, now you are all new, so let’s sum up”.
He stared Sid right in the face for a torturous moment before continuing.
“If you shut up and tow the line, you might just be a credit to your species!, such as it is. But if you cross me I will personally see you flayed to within an inch of your life”! Sid gulped as he heard this, then they were all marched off towards the mine. Isaac was true to his word, and several mudokons were flogged for not following orders.
Now Sid was terrified, Marty was in a different group and because he was shorter than most of the other muds he couldn’t find Archie. It was hard to see as the floodlights kept prancing over them and the noise of the sligs screaming was terrible.
It was something he would never be able to forget.
The journey across the small patch of ground towards the mines were very trying, scrabs were a common occurrence in scrabania. (Obviously) and the ground was littered with the bones of victims as their guards had obviously decided to flee... slaves were cheap indeed.
Finally theory reached the entrance to the mine. A large threatening looking gate in front of them opened and the sligs pushed them all in.
It was a large flat piece of ground, the same colour as the desert outside. Smoke was rising from countless chimneys and hundreds of structures accepting mine carts from the tunnels below. All the mudokons were stood in a make – shift courtyard; surrounded by monstrous big – bro sligs with remorseless looking weapons.
Sid coughed; the air was thick with fumes and dust from the drills.
“Ok shut up”! Came a voice from the front a glukkon walked out in front of them all – notably a big cheese with a smug look on his face, and flanked by several sligs, Archie winked at Sid.
“i am the CEO of this mine, Sir to you” ... The glukkon began. He sounded cold and calculating ... and sadistic.
“Now believe me it’s not as though I wanted to be stuck with you ... what a bunch of slog baits, but bad breeding is not my concern”. There were no other groups in sight and this place was huge. “How will I find Marty”? Sid whispered under himself.
“YOU GOT SOMTHING TO SAY”? The CEO indicated to Sid and all the other muds looked at him.
“Uh”
“Speak up”! The CEO smirked.
“No ... no nothing”.
“What was that”? The CEO smiled as sligs began descending into the courtyard.
“Nothing sir”. Sid whimpered.
The CEO gave Sid a long painful stare, which Sid was sure, would lead to something more unpleasant before he continued his speech.
“You are here until your employment is over; this is the Magog cartels laws”. He took a swig of brew and then set it on the table behind him, Sid was now aware of how thirsty he was.
“You work a reasonable day for accommodation, food and drink”. The CEO smiled savagely “you will be in the tunnels for most of your days, starting from now ... get going”.
“Move it”! Several big bro sligs were shouting. It was awfully cramped and Sid was almost trampled by dozens of his taller fellows as they scrambled to escape the sligs, they were led down to the shaft and packed in by the threatening efforts of their guards.
“Surely we won’t be starting now”? Sid asked Archie.
“i dunno”. Archie grunted.
With a creak the shaft started to descend, Sid looked up until the burnt pink shy had vanished from sight. At last they came to a large cavern, it was dimly lit and several greeters were standing expressionless at the exits, and there were several other mudokon groups being sorted into different tunnels.
“Move it come on” the nearest dirt – covered slig was bellowing “helmets here pickaxes there ... move”! It was disorientated and it took him a while to in where the slig was pointing.
“Move now ... faster”!
A whip cracked over the group and thin shrieks of pain came from nearby. Sid’s heart jumped and he scrambled to get a pickaxe and a mining helmet from. Before he and Archie were hurried to one side with the other workers. Some of the other mudokons were looking like shadows, scarred and downtrodden.
Sid was heartbroken just to look at them.
They were given something to eat and drink (finally) and told where everything was; apparently they were here to mine diamonds that were natural features of scrabania’s ancient bowels. Sid was barely listening; he was in a trance, this could not be happening. Would this be his fate, to die serving the magog cartel after fifteen admittedly uninteresting years?
The concept was suffocating, but the slig’s threatening looks brought Sid to his senses.
Soon Sid found himself in a tunnel. A dark depressing tunnel glinting with diamonds, the noise of nearby drills and machinery, the terrifying cracks of whips and even worse ... gunfire, and the knowledge that he would be doing the same repetitive task of beating rocks into oblivion with his pickaxe and shovelling his findings into mine carts.
The next few days were agonising, though some of the other muds had told him that the first few days were the hardest.
During the time he was on the surface, Sid spent most of his time outside, as the sight of sunlight and stars was a rare gift these days. Isaac’s threat was enforced more strictly than ever. Even talking of escape was basically the end of you, but the days of brutalisation made it hard for people not to talk of freedom ... or revenge.
Weeks passed. Sid had received several scars on his arms and several bruises; he was on the surface now in the canteen and for the first time Sid was scared that like so many other he too would eventually stop eating. He had sat down to his pitiful lunch when he was approached by a guard; people began looking his way to see what he had apparently done wrong.
“You” The slig grunted. “I wanna talk to you; I’m not impressed by your work”.
“i’m eating” Sid replied blankly, he was in no mood for this after a long day.
The slig snarled and tipped Sid’s plate onto the floor with a crash.
“It’s just all of you isn’t it”! The slig snarled rounding on Sid, “Every one of you a punk ass”.
He spat on the floor.
Sid clenched his fists, his better judgment vanishing very quickly.
“i hadn’t finished that” he snarled.
“Well I’ve finished with YOU”! The slig retorted. “Lazy arrogant little –“
The slig reached for a whip at his waist, and advanced on Sid. Sid took as step forward and by a gut reaction, without thinking about it. He punched the slig in the eye with all his might.
The slig howled as he was blinded and began thrashing out with his tiny green fists, hitting Sid in the face. Everyone was cheering and throwing their plates at the fight, Sid grabbed the Slig and wrestled him to the floor but the slig kicked out with his metal pants causing a stabbing pain to shoot up Sid’s leg.
Jumping backwards, Sid raised his fists and the slig jumped screaming at him with his whip flailing.
There was nothing for it, Sid just grabbed his mug which had been knocked over by his attacker and smashed it on the slig’s face, then he grabbed the hateful thing and without any thought head butted him.
The slig flew backwards right over the rail behind him, and fell about ten feet into the canteen below with a thump, his arms spread and not moving, evidently knocked out.
The muds on the floor below cheered as other guards came in to quell them. Sid knew what was going to happen, a casual looking mud in the corner watched a guard come through the door and without a moment’s pause ... threw a table at him.
More cheers. And in a matter of a second the whole canteen dissolved into sprawling fist fighting – screaming chaos. Everywhere mudokons were clubbing guards and guards were clubbing mudokons, windows were put through (or had people put through them) and there were slaves and guards alike being thrown from the upper levels.
Sid looked at what he had done and the joy in breaking the routine filled him, he stood there laughing, cackling like a mad man as tables, chairs, fists, plates, sticks and knives filled the air. The mob of estranged mudokons even broke through the doors to the level Sid was on and began ransacking the kitchen, the kitchen staff were no match for them and soon they were all being beaten over the head with pots and pans or being thrown unconscious from their posts.
An alarm rang and a fire started burning in the corner, the sprinklers turned on and the canteen was utterly destroyed, as if by some weirdo spell the place had been tipped upside down, graffiti had appeared on the walls and the noise was unbelievable, the guards were shouting in anger and fear as the mob of slaves poured over them like water.
After about an hour or two (seriously!), the riot had dispersed, the canteen was utterly sacked. The kitchen was destroyed (as were its staff) the canteen on the upper and lower levels was looted and destroyed in every respect, and broken glass, unconscious bleeding rioters, sprinkler water, guards and even more amusingly: loincloths were littering the ground.
A thousand years of hate fear and oppression had burst forth over this canteen buy hundreds of mudokons all in just over two hours.
And all the while Sid sat, soaking wet on the top level Still chuckling to himself.

[ssilbyma]

ill read it properly in the morning or when i get back from work 2moro... but i like what i see =D

[ssilbyma]

i read it... =] awesome as dude!!

[shaman]

8 The N.L.A

Sid was sat in the ruined canteen. It was blissfully silent; all the perpetrators had run for it now that it was obvious that they had been found out. The sprinklers were still pouring water into the gutted building and there was now no telling what the room was before the riot had broken out.
Sid knew that the guards would soon come and find him but he didn’t really care. He would have started this again given the chance, now Mazza calling him a “criminal” so long ago felt like a complement more than an insult.
“If this is what he meant I could get into it”. Sid smirked.
He stood up and surveyed his work one more time and as one last light faded and collapsed to the floor below, the doors swung open and dozens of sligs ran in.
It was pointless to resist, especially now that he was the only one here. Sid knew he would regret this but made a silent promise to himself that it was all worth it, and savouring the fun he had watching the muds trash the place.
Sid heard the clank of metallic legs running up the stairs towards him.
“On your feet” The slig said. Sid was pulled up and led away by the guards. Now the full scale of what he had done hit him, and though it was still exhilarating Sid couldn’t help asking: what was going to happen now?
Sid woke up several hours later, there was a painful spot on the back of his head and he was in a darkened room. Clearly it was necessary to knock him out as he walked out of the canteen. He was fading in and out of consciousness and the blurred image of a slig was stood in front of him, shining a light in his eyes.
“He’s coming to”. The slig said as though from a great distance, and then a vyker walked over, and Sid recognised Isaac’s cruel voice.
Sid blinked and the image of Isaac came into better focus. His scarred face was pressed close to Sid’s; glaring at him. Isaac smirked and walked away into the darkness, a few seconds later Sid heard some shuffling and Sid felt a short stabbing pain in his right arm just below the shoulder.
“This should make him a little more co-operative” Isaac whispered. “Now get on with it”.
Whatever they had injected him with had obviously worked, and Sid felt more awake immediately. He remembered vaguely a lot of screaming and smashing, and the sound of breaking glass and reckless laughter that seemed a lifetime ago. Sid’s head was still aching and he strained to think, then it hit him; the canteen. Why had he been so stupid to stay there?
What had possessed him to punch that slig?
“This him”?
Sid looked round and the bump on his head protested badly at the disturbance. The CEO was stood in the corner, smiling savagely as usual.
“Yes sir” a slig replied from behind the chair Sid was tied to. It was very unsettling to be helpless with five or six sligs around.
“Well, you know the drill”. The CEO laughed, “wilful destruction of company property and rebellion, this is straight forward"
Sid was really worried now; surely they wouldn’t shoot him for something as simple as being in the canteen at the wrong time, yet nothing happened for a few seconds, and Sid allowed himself the hope that it may have been all a dream. Two of Isaac’s hands grabbed Sid’s head and brought him face to face with the CEO, who was busy lighting a cigar.
“This is really gonna hurt”. The CEO mocked breathing a cloud of smoke into Sid’s face.
Sid was very confused. What could the glukkon mean? Maybe it was all a dream; stupid stuff like this happened in your dreams didn’t it? Maybe Sid had fallen asleep in the canteen and had not yet been caught.
Sid was pondering this and trying to wake up when suddenly he screamed, his left arm was burning awfully, as though on fire. Sid now knew that such agony could only happen when you were awake; this was clearly not his imagination. Sid thought him arm would explode from the terrible pain, and the smell of heated iron filled the room, followed by the feeling of cool water trickling gingerly down his arm. The pain faded and the cold laughter of the industrialists rang in Sid’s ears.
Sid had just the strength to look into the face of the CEO before he felt the back of his head burst with agony and his vision faded.
For the second time that day, Sid awoke in a darkened room. Though this one was much more familiar to him as it was clearly a cell, the kind of which Sid had been living in. It wasn’t much, but it was better than where he had been previously. Sid opened his eyes to the dim light of a few lanterns glowing on the walls, and the welcome knowledge that no guards or other industrialists were present. Sid’s traumatised head seared with pain as he sat up, but at least the moment was over, and he could get back to ... whatever he had planned for himself.
“Hey, kid over here”. Sid looked over to see a mudokon sitting in the corner, he was dark green and had the look of a long term inmate; what might be called a roughneck scrub. The mudokon smiled.
“Welcome to the drill –bits”
A few more voices rang out in approval and Sid saw the shadows of several other mudokons walk out of the dark side of the room and sit by him. All of them scarred badly on the back by whips. Sid was very confused
“Drill bits”? Sid asked.
“Yeah, this is where all the bad egg employees go, sort of a solitary confinement thing, although we still have to work, We’re called “the drill bits” because we have the hardest work ... much like a drill bit fittingly”.
“And what do you do”? Sid said drowsily.
The mudokon laughed. “WE are the NLA”. He answered with pride; “that’s native liberation army , actually that’s why most of us are in the drill bits anyway” he added at Sid’s puzzled look . The other mudokons were listening intently.
“We’re a group that works inside and outside the industrialist structures to try and free the natives enslaved there”. He added, “We are bound together by two very important things”.
“What’s that”? Sid chuckled.
“Well, first almost fanatical hatred of slavery and the magog cartel, and secondly”... The other muds started to snigger. “We’ve all done something to piss off the glukkons”. He indicated to Sid’s left arm. Sid looked down at a bandage that had been wrapped around it.
“Go on, take a look” one of the other muds insisted. Sid lifted the bandage. There burned into his skin, was a small mark, a mudokon skull dominated by a large R; obviously the pain in his arm had been a brand.
“See this is a tunnel for workers that have shown they have rebellious traits, everyone has that brand here; and quite a few of them join the NLA, or at least help it in any way they can”.
“What’s the “r” for”?
“It means rebel”. The mudokon replied simply, “Names Theo by the way”.
“Sid”
“What was that”? Came a voice from the back of the group.
Sid would recognise that voice anywhere. Marty shuffled past the group and shouted a very happy welcome in Sid’s face.
“Where did you go”?! Sid gasped.
“Got sorted into a different group man” Sid couldn’t have been happier, he was finally reunited with Marty and seemed to have a little reputation building.
“Don’t forget me”. Archie grunted, he had taken Sid completely by surprise.
There were about thirteen of them in this cell together, all of which had the same brand on their skin. It was a common conversation starter to talk about their past. It was the first interesting thing Sid had experienced here and – even though he was doubtless that this would be absolute hell, Sid was grateful to have friends here.
“So what did you do to wind up here”? Sid asked Marty.
“You know the bonepowder kegs they use to blast out diamonds”?
“Yeah”. Sid asked warily, not sure if he wanted to know what Marty would do with explosives.
Archie cut in. “we threw a couple o’ them into a delivery train, no deaths but a whole lot of financial damage”.
Sid sat open mouthed. He was almost glad He and Marty had been separated as for Archie, Sid always had his suspicions but now he was sure that Archie was mad...
“What about you”? Theo asked, I been feeling like what I did was really tame. I’m only here cuz’ I was recruiting for the NLA”.
Sid had been expecting this. “Well you know that business in the canteen yesterday” (he was sure a day had passed since then)
“You take the piss you liar” Marty retorted in awe.
“Well I just had a fight with a slig i didn’t do it all myself, when I head butted him he fell off the top level and then some other guy attacked a guard and it all kicked off”
“Guilty” Theo replied. “I threw a table at a slig and then ran off, was hoping something would happen”.
Sid immediately recognised Theo as the mud who threw the table.
There was silence for a while. Till one of them decided to speak up. “Those brands hurt like hell mind”.
“Yeah”. Sid agreed, the others nodded and began to mutter.
“So what about this NLA?”. Sid just had to ask.
“Most of the people down in the drill bits tunnel join the NLA” Marty said. “I already have”.
“I was a contact before I got myself’ caught by the glukkons”. Archie replied.
Theo sighed. “Yes but I wasn’t gonna tell them that Archie, You’ll find out more about it next we-“
Theo stopped in his tracks as another Mud gave him a hard stare. “We’re not to talk about that”! She hissed. “Sids not involved and Marty hasn’t been initiated yet”! Theo turned to Sid and Marty.
“Serra’s right guys, I can’t say anymore”.
Another mudokon got up; he was very tall and had white skin. With one of his eyes sewn up, his brand was old and faded on his thigh. He stared at Theo and everyone shut up – clearly this mudokon was an intimidating member in the drill bits tunnel.
“And you shouldn’t say anything else”. He snarled. “Less they know whilst there in here the less they can tell”.
“Oh Steve come on”! Serra sighed.
“No I won’t let the same happen to them”! He bent down to Sid, and indicated to his sewn up eye. “Don’t ask any more questions”! Then he stormed off and got into his sleeping bag in the far corner of the room.
The conversations had to be kept far away from the subject of the NLA from then on. Maybe it was the mines, or the boredom or perhaps the realisation that they would grow old and die here, but Sid was aching to join, He didn’t care about what he would become, he understood now that the mudokon people and way of life was a stone’s throw from being purged and destroyed. Marty had seen it before and neither the whips of the sligs nor the distain of his tribe would stop him.
“What’s up with him”? Sid whispered to Theo.
Theo sighed. “Steve’s been in the NLA since he was young, but a few years ago his squad got captured at rupturefarms”. He sighed again; remembering the painful days. “Anyway, none of them talked, and he was leading them so the glukkons decided to question him more thoroughly, Steve wouldn’t say anything ... brave guy you know?”
Sid wasn’t sure he wanted to hear the rest.
“Anyway” Theo continued. “By the time we got in there”. He shivered “they’d beat him so bad it damn near killed him. Odd He was in a real state! ... His right eye was destroyed, had to be taken out ... and he’s never really had a good temper since then”.
Sid looked over to Steve’s bed and a shiver ran down his spine.
There was no telling what life would be like in the drill – bits section of the mine, and Sid wasn’t hoping for a good time. Still this NLA sounded a good bunch to be hanging around with if he was looking at working in the most dangerous tunnel in the place - with some of the most sadistically vile guards around.
He would not be proved wrong.

The next day in the early hours the door to the cell flew open with such a loud bang that all thirteen mudokons inside woke up. A big – bro slig walked in, wearing crimson armour and with a blitz – packer holstered at his side. Everyone stood up immediately; Sid copied them just to make sure he wouldn’t be targeted by the monster.
The crimson – armoured guard walked towards them on huge mechanical legs, looking for the slightest reason to punish them, his eyes fell on Sid and he strode over to him.
“Our ... new ... resident”, the guard whispered. “Be warned, your hear because to the rest of the place you’re scum, it’s going to be like nothing you’ve ever seen before and i for one don’t think you’ve been punished enough”. He indicated to the open brand on Sid’s arm.
“Hey ... guy ... he’s already been branded, I think that’s bad enough”... Theo smirked calmly.
The guard rounded on Theo and pinned him against the wall.
“How dare you talk back to me slave”! The guard shouted before letting Theo drop to the floor and storming out.
“YOU OK”! Sid shouted, but to his astonishment the others were sniggering.
Theo stood up and smiled. “I do that a lot” he smirked. “kinda funny, the guards down here are so touchy and i gota entertain these guys somehow.
Sid silently decided not to get in Theo’s way when the guards were around.

“Welcome to the drill bits”... Marty smiled.

[shaman]

9 The darkest tunnel

Sid was not surprised during that morning; it seemed the sligs on guard duty were more interested on making life miserable than how many diamonds were mined.
It was darker than the rest of the mine, the tunnels smaller, hotter and with less air. Sid was stood next to Marty, hacking away at the tunnel wall revealing the diamonds beneath. A slig stood behind them to make sure they were not talking, occasionally a deafening smash racketed through their tunnel, bonepowder was being used nearby in another part of the mine. It was not made pleasant since mudokons working in the drill bits section were not issued ear protection. The sligs, Sid noticed were allowed to wear these things.
From time to time a guard would stop paying attention (mainly due to the ungodly amount of brew available in the mines) and stop being so vigilant. At these moments Sid could get some conversation started.
“How long you and Archie been here”? Sid whispered looking around for greeters.
“Bout’ two weeks” Marty replied.
They paused momentarily as a greeter wheeled silently past, programmed to recognise voices not movement. They would painfully zap anyone they heard.
“So this NLA-“
“They – are – amazing”! marty laughed. “ i know they’ll get us out of here”.
“You think so”? Sid replied.
“ you know what that Steve guy said in the cell, there up to something, i dunno’ about you but I’m joining em’ first chance i get”.
It was strange; a few weeks ago Sid would have scalded Marty for even suggesting the idea. Now however he was compelled to agree, and if he admitted it he was also a little angry at himself for having been so close minded and naive, something needed to be done; there was a culture to save and who else was going to do it?
“If you are I am as well” Sid said finally.
“You are”? Marty replied
“Marty I’m not dying here” Sid hissed flatly. “i can’t do it, i punched that guard because i just couldn’t take any more s**t”!
He hacked a diamond from the wall and threw it into a passing mine cart.
Sid looked at marty. “If you think the NLA is up to something then I just have to believe you, otherwise I’ll strap a keg to myself and blast the place”.
Marty laughed at this morbid humour, Sid was now clinging to the hope that maybe, just maybe they would get out of this.
“Hey”!
Sid felt a stinging pain down his back and turned to see a guard curling his whip back into his belt.
“Shut up talking, get back to work”!!
Sid and Marty began frantically smashing the tunnel wall; As long as the slig saw them working they wouldn’t be bothered, which made it obvious that they were here mainly to suffer and less to fetch diamonds.
Hours past with little sign of a break, Sid didn’t want to ask Marty when they would stop for fear of looking ignorant. More loud bangs from nearby tunnels were giving him a headache and at the slightest sign of stopping would see them lashed, Sid felt like a drill bit alright.
The mine carts squeaked by and the grinding of machinery rang down the tunnel, the lights were flickering on and off and it was said that sometimes they would go out completely. mudokons were often lost for days in the drill bits section by taking a wrong turn in the darkness, not being found for a very long time in some cases; in this tunnel they were expendable. They were only there to set an example to the other slaves that getting into trouble would see them being worked to the bone for the rest of their lives.
Finely after hours of toil, the shift ended (which in the drill bits meant twenty minutes to eat and drink and then back to work) Sid and Marty quickly got a drink and a stale scrab cake from a dispenser at the start of the tunnel. Even in the dim light of the tunnel it was clear that something was wrong; there was no one around, hardly any mudokons were at this end of the tunnel. Sid was sure the drill bits had more members than this...
“Where is everybody”? Sid said to Marty who was tucking in to his pitiful lunch.
“Don’t know”, Marty replied carelessly
The only person he knew there was Marty; everyone else from their cell had disappeared. Sid looked around hoping it wasn’t an emergency drill that they had missed, when he spotted one of the cell doors with hushed voices coming from inside, the cell was concealed in the far corner of the tunnel and Sid had always thought this door to be a maintenance access way or something . But someone was in there; quite a few of them by the sound of it, all talking in hissed exited voices. Sid approached the door silently and pushed it ajar.
The room was full of mudokons, about ten of them crowded around something in the corner with salvaged tools lying around them. Others stood in the shadows or looked over at whatever the slaves were working on; all of these mudokons had the same brand on their arms and were looking around excitedly, or with fearful looks in their eyes.
Sid craned his neck to see what was going on, when suddenly the door swang open. Steve was stood there, his eye fixed on Sid. The signal to get back to work sounded down the tunnel.
“Don’t say anything about this” Steve whispered, he was a terrifying figure and was clearly fighting to control his anger. The mudokons behind him on hearing the signal scraped up whatever they were doing and got up.
“Now get out, GET OUT!” Steve screamed. Sid didn’t need telling twice and he backed away from Steve as the other mudokons began walking back into the tunnel.
Sid found himself next to Marty again, only this time they were joined by Archie. Marty had seen what had been said but obviously had decided not to press the matter. So during the next backbreaking hours they had time to hear the various witty comments from Archie (so long as there were no greeters around) and share memories from better times.
That night, Sid was led on the cold metal of his cell he shared with twelve others. Trying his best to sleep; he began a restless night haunted by visions of Steve and the mudokons in that cell. What had they been up to?
“Theo”. Sid heard a voice from the far corner of the room and pretended to be asleep as he saw Steve get up and start surveying the room. Sid had his eyes closed but could still here the voices; obviously they were confident that everyone in the cell was out of it.
“He didn’t see much” Theo whispered, and Sid felt his gaze. They were watching him.
“All the same” Steve replied. “He’s a f***ing nuisance, he could get us and the rest of the army killed”!
“That is a little extreme”.
“He saw the tools and all of us crowded around the – well it”.
Sid heard Theo yawn. “He’s a kid, plus we’re too close to being stopped now”.
“You’re never too close to fail” Steve hissed. “ I won’t let it be screwed up now, not when we’re less than a week away, if i see him prowling around –“.
Theo had evidently lost his temper.
“Now you listen to me, you leave him alone. We’re trying our best, all of us and if you beat some newbie half to death then the sligs’l wanna’ know why”...
“Every day I’m here I feel like I’m gonna’ snap”! Steve whispered. “We had best be ready soon or – “
“You will contain yourself in my operation” Theo retorted quietly. “When Katie-“
Sid heard Theo sigh.
“When Katie died I was left in charge, I assure you we are nearly ready, just get the diamonds and it’ll be done, we could do it anytime then. But until you get the last part we all have to tow the line ... that’s an order”.
Sid felt a burst of excitement and fear. What was going on? Why were the NLA after the glukkon’s diamonds?
It would be a very long and restless night.
The next few days were not so different from the first, although Sid had promised that he would not look into things that weren’t his business, the same questions were haunting him. But it was the suspense that kept him going, he had not told Marty what he had heard, he decided to keep that to himself.
The work was just as disgustingly hard and brutal but the feeling that it was all about to change became stronger with each passing clang of pickaxe on rock, during the next few days Sid did exactly what he had heard from Theo – towing the line and keeping his head down. Sure that soon whatever was going on would be revealed.

Then one night. Sid got his answer.
Sid heard a loud ticking noise and the thumping of many mudokon feet; he woke up to see eleven of his cell mates burst into the room - all carrying pickaxes and signalling him to wake up.
Sid obeyed and got up to see Marty stood up next to him, his heart was pounding as he saw two or three muds disappear into the room next door.
“FIRE IN THE HOLE”! Shouted one of them and for a moment there was nothing, it all went silent.
A ringing noise came from next door and the air itself split in two. There was a monstrous explosion, the lights shattered and the only light came from a great flame rushing from the next room out into the tunnel, Sid was sure he was going to die. The walls outside his cell came tumbling down and the sound of splattering shrapnel filled his ears, the door to the cell flew off its hinges and into the burning tunnel before falling with an almighty bang of twisted metal somewhere in the distance.
The moment passed, and Sid drew the courage to get up and look around, the lights flickered on, casting a pathetic light across the cell. All of the NLA were hunched next to Sid, suddenly a few torches flickered to life and Theo got up.
“Everybody out now”!
Sid was disorientated, not sure if this was real. The NLA got up and staggered from the cell, Sid followed them out of the ruined smoke filled cell into what remained of the tunnel. There was a huge hole in the side of the all and the rest of the mines were visible through it, the alarms had started and several greeters lay stricken with smoke rising from their hulls to join the dust from the explosion.
Theo shepherded Sid and the others into the cell next to theirs, it had been completely gutted and a large hole was punched into the far wall.
“This hole leads to a service corridor”! Theo shouted over the room of the flames. “follow it and it’ll lead you out onto the desert, don’t worry about the guard towers the explosion cut through the main cables; so it should be a while before they can get the lights on”!
Sid nodded and following the others example scrambled up the ruined wall, into the hole and began to climb.
They found themselves in a large corridor; the walls were metal and stained with soil from the mines below. The floor was covered in rock and blasted diamond, and the sound of the alarms was fading in the distance.
Theo was last to arrive, he stood up and brushed himself down, before looking at the others with a thin smile on his face.
“Went pretty well i think” he said triumphantly.
All the mudokons nodded in agreement. Sid - who by now had finally come out of his daze – spoke up.
“This is what you were up to, in the cell, that’s what you were working on”?
Theo laughed. “we were scavenging for stuff we could use for months, then we found an old canister for carrying kegs in, filled with bonepowder that had been compacted with an earth compactor, made a fuse and hey presto”!
“And the diamond plate at the top” said Steve. “To punch through the wall you know”?
All the mudokons burst out laughing. Finally, after all these weeks they had done something, there was still hope.
Theo led them through the service corridor, they passed the maintenance doors and finally – they reached the end.
There was a ladder leading to a trap door at the end of the corridor.
“After you” Theo said stepping aside to let his fellows through.
Steve climbed the ladder and opened the trap door, then disappeared through it. Followed by Marty, Archie and eight others, finally it was only Sid and Theo left.
“Go on” Theo laughed. “Unless you wanna’ stay”.
Sid smiled and began to climb the ladder. With his heart pounding and gaining his freedom, he pushed himself through the opening and stood up; Theo followed him and sealed the trapdoor promptly.
The other muds were laughing and crying with glee, Marty and Archie stood next to Sid and overlooked them all, Steve began friendly conversation with Theo and the wholeness of the situation sank in. After all this time of thinking they would never see the sun again, there it was; fading over the horizon of a burnt orange sky, with the first off oddworld’s five moons appearing in the heavens. The air was cool and uplifting to breathe, they had done it – they were free, all thanks to the NLA and to their own hardness. They now stood on the ancient desert of scrabania, with the mine standing helpless to what had happened. And a vast temple silhouetted against that burnt orange sky.

[shaman]

We are getting near the end now.


10 land of heritage

Any mentally stable mudokon would never step foot on scrabania without a guide; it was one of the most dangerous places on oddworld! The chances of being eaten, torn limb from limb or something just as remorseless were even greater than dying of thirst (and this is a desert we’re talking about). Still ordinary mudokons haven’t spent weeks on end in a loathsome mine with nothing but sligs and estranged vykers for company had they? All thirteen mudkons had been lying far from the mines on the baked ground for almost an hour now, so grateful for the sensation of being above ground that even a harsh, brown desert would suffice. It was evening now so the sun wasn’t beating down like it would be normally, one thing was missing though.
What were they going to do now?
They must have been a sight; thirteen mudokons lying in a line on a baked plain of featureless sand roamed by scrabs without a care in the world. But Sid knew they would have to move, the unbelievable happiness of breaking out of the vile mine was wearing off, and it was becoming more apparent that sunbathing in scrabania was basically mass suicide.
Sid stood up and gazed over at the others who were chatting happily, not seeming to have a clue what was going to happen next.
“Um, Theo” Sid asked. “What do we do now”?
Theo sat up, he and Archie had been sharing a large bottle of smuggled brew and were by now senseless.
“Uh ... um, what”? Theo slurred.
“i think he wansa’ know where we’re going now”? Archie replied.
“Oh right”! Theo chuckled. “Oh hell the light it’s so bright – “
“Theo where are we going now”! Steve snapped.
“Ok ok”! Theo sneered. He got up and took a few seconds to regain his balance before continuing. Archie just slumped back onto the floor.
Theo produced a map from his loincloth which he had obviously stolen and began to study it.
“Yep ooooooooookay then” He said finally. “We wait”.
“Wait for what”!? Marty yelled. “Odd we’ve been here for ages, wait for what”?!
“Them” Archie replied before slumping back onto the ground.
Sid looked to where Archie was pointing, there was a large vehicle rather like the one Sid had been brought to the mine in with Archie. It was rumbling through an approaching sandstorm towards them, obviously Theo had planned further ahead than just escaping.
The wagon pulled up by the side of them and all the mudokons on the floor got up, Archie and Theo trying to look a little more sober.
The door swung open and five mudokons got out, all were wearing bandanas that covered the lower part of their faces, and all had a brand similar to the one Sid bore on his arm.
“I was wondering when the NLA would get here”! Theo shouted stumbling towards them.
The mudokon nearest Sid looked around at them all, “this them”? He enquired.
“My whole division”! Theo laughed. He indicated to Sid and Marty, “plus a few extras”.
A scrab roared nearby, it was getting late. The mudokon at the front signalled for them all to get in where it was safe, and for the first time Sid was actually grateful to be inside a caravan.

It was night time and a sandstorm was smashing the caravan through the whole journey, the small window at the back of the caravan provided a great view of the outside. It was beautiful, and since no-one else was awake so Sid was given time alone.
The moons outside were casting a light that refracted through the sandstorm, they were like ghosts in the sky. Sid thought of his mother who had gone missing weeks before this. He allowed himself a glimmer of hope that perhaps the NLA had picked her up and she was waiting for him at – wherever they were going.
Sleeping was impossible, but Sid wasn’t tired. His head was spinning; a lifetime seemed to have passed in a few weeks, what would happen next? He would soon be dumped somewhere with nothing but gratitude for the NLA and the hope that his mother had found them.
Sid woke up the next day to the sound of his drearily chattering mates.
“Sid”,? Marty said excitedly. “Take a look”!
He was indicating to the window, and rubbing his eyes; Sid got up and peered through it.
The sandstorm had settle and scrabania was quiet, but on the hill in front of the was large structure towering over them, it was very old looking and had many ornate carvings around its walls.

The scrabanian temple.

Sid stared in awe at the structure in front of him, he had always wanted to make his way here (not as an escapee admittedly) it was somthing he felt played a great role in his life as a shaman and finally he felt quite accomplished.
“Now all that’s left is the one in Paramonia” Sid whispered under his breath.
Sid turned to Marty and the others, who were all smiling with the same awe and happiness.
“The temple”?
“Welcome to headquarters” Theo replied blankly. “You’re about to meet the rest of us”
They were driven right up to the temple. Soon its massive shadow was looming over the caravan and they pulled up at its outer steps. The door swung open and the mudokon who had greeted them outside the mines appeared, now with nothing covering his face. He looked a little like Theo and had obviously noticed the exited expressions on the faces of the newcomer’s inside.
“Well some on” he said, “best show you the inside”.
The scabanian temple would be an amazing place for anyone who entered it, but it was even more astounding that a group of fugitives (which turned out to be pretty damn numerous) managed to set up a community inside its ancient bowels. The security systems that their ancestors placed in affect were as strong today as they were then. It was inconceivable that the NLA were able to overcome them and set up their base of operations.
The temple’s top level was the only one that the NLA had been able to access, rumors of the lower levels being overrun by wild scrabs (which had found their way in through underground caverns) were too great to ignore, so the top level of the temple was the only one anyone lived in, it was a huge circle of enormous towering pillars under which the temples walls were supported, Filled with mudokon – made shelters.
Sid stood with his twelve fellows and looked at the scene. Theo sighed,
“Good to be home” He said.
Everyone in the temple seemed to be weary of the thirteen newcomers. Sid couldn’t blame them; anyone could turn them into the industrialists. Still though he didn’t like the way he was being looked at.
The NLA had everything they needed in the temple; safety (no one ever came this deep into scrabania) food (there we elum and some desert fruits growing around) and equipment. There were dozens of mudokon crafters making spoocebows tomahawks and other various examples of mudokon craftsmanship, and several slig weapons were being cleaned or polished by chattering recruits outside their shelters.
Theo led their party to small closed off part which was stowed away in a small corner of the temple; it was fenced off crudely and was covered by a small tent just large enough for a mud to walk inside.
“You guys can go now” Theo said. “Try finding your families ... but i want to see you two”. He indicated t Sid and Marty, whilst Steve, Archie and the others gave a thankful goodbye to Theo and walked off into the sea of mudokons and shelters. Sid looked at Marty, and then back at Theo.
“Come on” he said. “This is important”.
Theo lifted back the curtain hung over the door and led Sid and Marty inside.
It was much larger on the inside than it looked; the tent was dark and about ten metres across, divided into several rooms. All of which were filled with arguing mudokons, in one room there were six mudokons crowded around a large table over a map, upon seeing Marty and Sid they hurriedly closed the curtains and continued their argument.
In the centre of the ten was a large table surrounded by several mudokons chatting quietly, all of them looked like veteran NLA members and all bore a lot of scars. One of them turned as Theo entered the room, and his expression hanged rapidly, into one of savage amusement.
“Theo”! He smirked. “You survived”.
“Sorry to disappoint you Marley” Theo retorted. “i was wondering-“
“Is the rest of your lot back”? Marley asked mockingly. “Raids just aren’t the same without you lot making fools of yourselves in the background, so tell us”. “Did the rest of you manage to escape the glukkons”?
He spat on the floor.
“No, Katie didn’t make it”.
Marley seemed to recoil at these words.
“So what about these ones”? He asked.
Theo turned to Sid and Marty, Marty nodded slightly and Theo smiled.
“They’re proper little troublemakers” Theo said proudly, that one (He indicated to Sid) “beat up a slig and started all the muds tearing a building’ apart, and THIS one (He indicated to Marty)”well him and Archie threw a few bonepowder kegs into a train.
“How’s that he isn’t shot”? Marley asked.
“No casualties” Theo explained. “but the pair of em’ I’m sure would go the length of oddworld to save a scrub”.
Marley got up and walked over to them, he was taller than Theo and obviously intimidating. Wearing a long coat and straw hat he may have looked ridiculous but no one it seemed dared to cross him.
“Sounds like we could use you two” Marley grinned. “Hell it sure sounds like you’re the kind of material Theo would hang around with ...okay you can stay, but not without being recruited”.

Sid looked at Marty, it was obvious what he was doing and Sid would have nowhere to go otherwise. He was of course still banished from his tribe.
“Unless you’d rather leave of course”?
“Fine” Sid said at last, “we’re in”.
“Good to hear it, you’ll have to work of course”.

Marley walked back to his fellows and sat himself down.
“Our next raid is tomorrow Theo”. Marley said with an uncaring expression. “The full deal, guns, hawks’, bows and bandanas ... Take them along, who knows they might get lucky again”.

[MA]

i really like this story, i hope you continue it.

the fight scene was a good read.

[shaman]

Damn sorry it took so long to get the next part up. i almost forgot about it. Anyways i estimate that there is about one more chapter left.

11: uprising
Sid sat with Theo in his tent in the middle of the temple. It was early evening, the fires inside had been out for hours though; to stop any passing sligs from suspecting that the ancient temple may still be occupied by mudokons. Marty and Archie had long since fell asleep in anticipation for the raid they were going to pull tomorrow –news of which had spread throughout the community – but Sid was unable to sleep. He clutched a spoocebow in his hand (he had been issued with one just after he had left Marley’s company and had spent the time learning how to use it) Theo just sat in his corner humming gingerly to himself, trying to break the silence.
“What can i expect tomorrow”? Sid asked Theo.
“Just keep your head down” Theo replied vacantly. “There’s a clacker settlement not far from here, I imagine Marley will order us to hit that; the clackers usually have some good loot to be made use of, we can trade lots of supplied with what we plunder”...
Sid nodded, the seriousness of the task had at last hit him, but he had to shrug his fear aside because of the many other burning questions rearing their ugly heads.
There was an unbearably long silence, and then Sid said.
“Did my mother ever help the NLA”?
At this Theo looked up Sid could see that he knew whom he was referring to; the question had obviously struck a nerve.
“Yeah she did” Theo replied at last. “She came with us on loads of raids, a real activist just like you two. “Got herself banished from her tribe as well, she told me she had made your big face tell everyone she had been kidnapped, to protect her good name see”?.
Sid swelled with pride at this – there was still hope that she was out there.
“Looks like me and Mart are turning out just like she did” Sid laughed.
Theo looked up; his expression was unmistakably pained, as though suppressing an emotional agony.
Part of Sid was begging him not to push the matter. But his mother was missing, and he felt angry at himself for even suggesting that he should just accept that.
“w – what happened to her”?
Theo looked up this time in genuine horror.
“What you have to understand Sid is that –“
“I need to know Theo”. Sid retorted slightly angrily.
Theo shivered as his worst memories washed ashore again, and it was obvious that he could hardly bear Sid’s gaze, after a long while Theo stood up and turned to Sid with silver tears shimmering in his eyes..
“you know what happened and don’t you make me tell you”
And with that he left the tent into the temple.
Dawn.
A scrab roar broke the peace of the morning. Scrabania laid still and silent, no sand storms today, it was clear and cool. A thick atmosphere of tension hung over the temple. Sid waited outside his tent. All around the other mudokons were emerging - Armed to the teeth and ready. A large group of Elum were outside grunting and waiting for their riders.
Marty and Archie joined Sid, followed shortly by Theo and the rest of the mudokons from the mines.
“Good day”. Theo announced smiling.
Some of the others nodded and made their way towards the Elum outside.
“If anything goes wrong, turn around and get out, that’s what happens ok”? Theo whispered to Sid and Marty.
“Ok” They both replied.

The mood outside could be described in many different ways, but pleasant was not one of them. In fact it was terrifying, no wonder the NLA were feared so. Hundreds of mudokons armed with terrible looking bows and tomahawks were sharpening many other remorseless looking knives, or perhaps slapping magazines into customized guns.
They were deploying into a neat rank outside the temple, with a few sentries on the upper levels looking over them all.

“Hey”! Theo yelled at Sid and Marty. “Come on or you’ll get left behind”!
He pointed them to two Elum standing close to the temple walls, Sid and Marty had decent experience with Riding Elum and easily kept up with eh others – but only because they were taking it slow so they would not make too much noise.
A gentle gust of wind swept over the rebels; it was calm, even the scrabs seemed to have given their morning hunt a rest for the sake of a successful raid. And even without the scrabs, Sid had a feeling that today would see enough blood.
Night time is short in scrabania, and even though it was early the sun hung high in the sky, even by the desert’s standard it was becoming monstrously hot. So the prospect of a blood pumping raid was not a welcome one, still the close – knit crowd of muds kept riding slowly through the desert, until they crept over a sand dune a few miles from the temple. From there they could see the town which the industrialists called “Heckena” stretched out before them.
Some storm clouds had begun to form, promising a the rare gift of rain, it was still very hot; In this blistering heat the town was deserted, obviously the occupants had retreated indoors.
It was mainly populated by Clackers, which was basically the backbone of the mudokon strategy. Clackers were slow and cowardly, and were a welcome break from the battle – ready sligs which were easy to encounter.
Sid and Marty were on the left end of the neat line the mudokons had deployed themselves into, the other NLA memers had arranged themselves into an orderly rank above the town, even Sid with his very little amount of battle smarts could tell that this formation would be impossible to escape on foot.
The mudokons stood still, Marley had materialised at the front, clad in his jacket and with a tomahawk belted at his side, and carrying a sawn off blitz packer, obviously they were waiting for his signal.
A slight gust of wind interrupted the silence of the town; the atmosphere was horridly thick with anticipation as marley produced a horn from his loincloth to signal the surrounding mudokons to attack.
Marley put the horn to his mouth.
Sid’s attention was caught by the mudokon next to him, a weird looking one with many piercings dotted about his rough face, he smiled.

“The weirdos of Necrum told me that neither I nor the mudokons with me would die in my next battle”
Sid nodded, unaware weather to laugh or not, the mudokon next to him looked over the town.
“Well, at least that’s what I think they said”

The horn sounded and echoed over the town. And the whole line of mudokons began descending the dune to strike deep into the heart of the settlement. Almost automatically, Sid and Marty spurred their Elum and followed. By now the Clackers had obviously noticed their attackers and thousands of terrified screams were lifting from the town, soon drowned out by the rattling gunfire as the NLA began loosing off shots as they rode, Theo looked back at Sid and Marty, as they thundered down the slopes, Sid knew he had to take part.

Sid raised his spoocebow, and squeezed the trigger. A hail of blue shots erupted from the end and joined the millions of others fired from the screaming mudokons stampeding into Heckena. The noise was immense and Sid saw the tiny dots that were the Clackers running terrified from their homes, in a hopeless attempt to escape. The tin roofs splattered and collapsed as the spoocebows shredded through the settlement, and the distinct rattle of a few blitz packers could be heard over the din of the assault.
The NLA in front of Sid and Marty had now spared their spoocebows and pulled out their tomahawks, more screams from the terrified Clackers, as the flapped and ran frantically to escape, fires were emerging from the town’s buildings now as the wall of mudokons devoured every scrap of resistance in their path, soon Sid and Marty were in the burning town.
It was an utter travesty, the noise was monstrous, everywhere burning buildings fell in on themselves and great columns of smoke rose from a stricken oil storage facility, mudokons everywhere began looting the area for anything they could find, the screams still had not died down, the Clackers could be heard all around lamenting their gutted home.
“Welcome to the revolution”. Said a voice behind Sid, it was Marley. He had dismounted and was striding casually towards them, his blitz packer smoking in his hands. “Leave your Elum here, and follow me to their bank”.

Sid obeyed and he and Marty dismounted. They followed Marley through the empty streets into what was evidently the town centre, Where the rest of the NLA had met up after leaving their Elum at the edge of town.
Several Clackers were detained within the circle of mudokons, including Archie. Who for the first time since Sid had met him looked genuinely disgusted all of them looked slightly well off, they were dressed finely and each bore a look of despair on their face.
Theo joined Sid; obviously he knew what Sid was thinking.
“Slave dealers”. He said angrily. “Most of the scrubs in that mine we were sold by them”.
id looked at Theo, then back at the Clackers. Who were now being kicked into a neat line by the mudokon rebels surrounding them, He couldn’t help feeling sorry for them.
“Come on”. Theo said “we have things to do here”.
He lead Sid, Marty and a small group of NLA members deeper into the burning town, they came across a large building- the town jail several mudokon prisoners were being hurriedly taken from the building having been rescued by the NLA. Sid followed Marley and Theo to the treasury with the other NLA members. Here came the moment they had all been waiting for...
Excellent! Marley shouted throwing his hat into the air in celebration. The plundered gold from the Clackers treasury safe glinted in the firelight of the burning buildings outside. As several mudokons scooped it into large sacks to be carried off the headquarters, Theo spoke up.
“What about the other Clackers that my squads captured”?
“Let them go” Marley replied, still captivated by the sweet shining of their prize. “All of them apart from those slavers we rooted out, our boys looked pretty wild when they found out they were around here, so I’ve decided not to get involved and not deny the other members justice, you and the other captains can decide what happens to them”.
Theo nodded and left into the ruined settlement.
“Wish I got hold of those slave dealers by odd I do”. Marty snarled. Sid nodded; it was an unpleasant notion to agree with, but after his own time in the mines he knew how Marty felt”.
“It’s not uncommon to find people selling mudokon tribesmen to the glukkons around here”. Marley said callously.
“No offence” Marty began. “your just going to let them live, after all they did, after all they still might do”.
“Don’t kid yourself son”. Marley replied examining a particularly large gold nugget of gold. “Theo’s just an activist, not a violent bone in that mud, but the other captains, they were enslaved at Necrum mines and Rupture Farms. They had it so rough it’s hard to imagine why they didn’t choke those Clackers when we first charged the place. I know for a fact when i say: you guys decide what to do with the slave dealers we capture; that’s pretty much code for shoot em’”.
The other Mudokons sniggered and continued shovelling their captured swag. It had all gone quiet now, but Sid heard the distinct sound of gunfire outside...

[MA]

only one more chapter left? damn, i was getting into this.

that raid was very realistic.

[shaman]

I shall write another one, don't worry...

[STM]

for stuff like this visit my fan corner page or mollucks assistant rupture farms short page.

[shaman]

Last chapter everybody!

I'd like to thank the acadamy yadder yadder yadder...

12: we will be ready...
Sid and Marty strolled outside the bank, Whilst Marley and the other mudokons stayed inside scooping up their plunder. All the Clackers had gone now, the ones that had survived the raid had taken refuge in the desert and would evidently soon report the raid, but Sid’s time talking to Theo had led him to believe that the N.L.A were very fast attackers, so there was little to worry about.
“You ok”? He said to Marty.
“Yeah” came the reply. “Imagine what big face would say if he could see us now” He chuckled.
Sid nodded and almost unconsciously touched the brand on his arm. “He’d probably try to break his walking stick over your head again, remember”?
And for the first time in what seemed like a while. Sid and Marty burst out laughing; it was now beginning to pour down.
“And to think”! Sid panted, “I was thinking of just not coming with you on that raid back at camp, remember”?
Marty smiled. “I’m glad I didn’t have to come here alone.
Sid was in one of the happiest moods he had ever been in, it was almost impossible to think that just eight months earlier he had been a nobody shaman in a secluded corner of mudos. Now he was a member of one of the most feared and respected mudokon freedom fighting groups in scrabania ... and he wouldn’t have it any other way.
“Do ya’ think that-“
There was a spinning noise as the air cut in two; a red flash cast a brilliant light over the street for an instant. And a large hole appeared in a wall behind them, there was several more loud bangs and as Marty and Sid turned around to see what was going on, several red flashed cut through the air above them, missing them by inches.
“WATCH OUT”! Cried a voice from overhead, as the metallic figures of sligs came marching in formation over the top of the dune into the town.
Marley came rushing out of the bank and the mudokons hurriedly pushed their sacks of gold into waiting carts. Theo and dozens of other N.L.A members sprinted out of the centre of town.
“They were using the town as bait commander”! One of them yelled.
“TAKE COVER”! Marley yelled and soon the sky was alight with blue and red lasers, firing madly at the approaching sligs, some of them fell but the line kept furiously advancing. Sid and Marty took cover behind the bank and fired wildly at the sligs, unable to tell if they had hit or not, because of the disorientating noise.
Marley’s blitz packer tore through the cover the sligs had crept into, but in it’s sawn off state it was horridly inaccurate at a long distance.
Marley slapped a new magazine into his Blitz packer and continued onward. Until that is four big – bros strode over the dune and a bright red rocket lit up the sky before landing soundly at the edge of the town, blasting four mudokons into oblivion, the others lowered their blitz mortars and began a flurry of gunfire into the town, mudokons everywhere hit the deck but some were wounded by blasts. And Sid, with his heart in his throat, saw Archie collapse in a shrapnel ridden heap.
He couldn’t believe it; Sid felt tears welling behind his eyes. Archie looked up trembling.
“It-it’s ok” he managed to say at last. “It’s alright Sid”. And with that he lay back down as the first drops of rain began to fall on the parched land.
“Marley”! Theo shouted over the noise. “We have to get out, I isn’t worth it”!
Marley nodded and once again, blew his horn, hundreds of mudokons retreated from their post, and mounted their Elum, in an instant the N.L.A and their loot were beginning to quickly disappear into the desert. Marty grabbed Sid.
“Come on man”! He shouted, Sid knew there was nothing for it, he began to run, too late to look for his Elum, He and Marty ran frantically, followed by Theo and some of the other mudokons from the mines.
Escape was within their grasp when, out of nowhere, another platoon of sligs leaped up from the top of another dun, so that the mudokons were cut off. All those on their Elum – about 300 or more- had escaped; being to fast for the sligs to catch, they were soon out of range. But the less fortunate, were trapped by slig gunfire, and soon Sid, Marty, Theo, Steve, and about a dozen others from the N.L.A were confined by the overwhelming industrialists force.
The sligs surrounded them, cocking their weapons ready to deliver a death blow.
“Drop everything guys” Theo yelled back at them. “Drop it”!
Sid obeyed and let his spoocebow fall to the floor, Marty followed his lead and the other fourteen had soon surrendered.
The sligs advanced forward to detain them, they had been caught red handed. Sid’s heart was in his throat, he couldn’t believe this was happening. He would surely wake up soon, this couldn’t be real.
It was pouring with rain, and the firs the N.L.A had set were dying down in a flurry of sizzles. Plumes of smoke rose from the abandoned buildings, and Sid and his fellows stood surrounded by the gun wielding sligs. Marley and the others who had managed to get on their Elum had long since disappeared into the desert. Strangely; Sid wasn’t afraid, more concerned about their safety, whatever happened now, the sligs had stopped chasing the N.L.A. so maybe Sid’s capture had allowed them enough time to escape.
Soon, the whole thing was over, Sid and the others found themselves locked in the jail that they had broken into minutes before, Archie and the bodies of the other fallen mudokons had been removed and buried at the top of the dune, whilst the sligs had began escorting petrified clackers back to their homes.
“”it’s funny” Theo smiled.
“What is”? One of the mudokons from the mines asked.
“Do you know what i was planning to do after mudokons were liberated”?
“What” Sid asked?
“Visit an industrialist city”. Theo laughed, he leaned back against the wall of their cell, “I’ve been in the N.L.A almost twenty years of my life and i never once saw what we were fighting up close, only the results of what they do”
“What’s yer point”? Steve snapped.
Theo leaned forward. “Now, at least I’m going to see the city, you didn’t think they’d put us on trial all the way out here did you”?
“Trial”? Marty said surprisingly. “Then – then there still might be a chance-“
“It’s more like a mock trial anyway, i doubt they’ll even take our names, see to them we’re still slaves, and they’re cheap” He sighed “the point is. Mudokon trials always end up the same way”.
A wave of anxiety swept across the cell at these words, Theo looked oddly complacent.
Marty looked horrified. He slumped down and put his head in his hands.
“I didn’t want to be a martyr”.
“I know” Theo said absently. “When I joined up, i never imagined anything as awful as this. I thought it was all going to be graffiti, firebombs and smashing up industrialist buildings”
He paused. “I was just a stupid kid”.
Suddenly Sid realised what he had done, he wondered if Marty was thinking of his cousin, among the hundreds of other mudokons Sid and Marty had left behind when they were banished.
Darkness was settling in now, Abe’s moon shone brightly in the starless sky, the door to the jail swung open, and Sid sat bolt upright. The mechanical wheezing of a sligs stride was getting louder and louder, the other prisoners woke and began to stand up as the door to their cell swung open and they were greeted by several of their guards, there was no hope of resistance now. The N.L.A had abandoned them, no one was going to be there to launch a come from behind victory, no one was going to rescue them, and as Sid looked at Marty, he knew that this was it.
*
Sid awoke in his cell. He grunted as his aching limbs protested to moving, the N.L.A had not wanted to be captured that easily, and several of them had attacked their guards in an attempt to escape back to their temple, Sid, Marty and Theo had only managed a few punches against the twenty guards before being beaten unconscious. Sid had woken briefly in the train, and was able to see the beginnings of a vast industrial city in the distance, a tiny stain on the horizon which slowly transformed into the spiralling towers and countless housing areas.
Sid rubbed his eyes and sat up, he was completely alone in his cell, the walls and floor were metal and a large door stood bolted at the far side of the room.
Sid was terrified, how could this have happened. What would the rest of the tribe say if they saw him now?
Sid wondered if Marty was awake yet. Or if he was even in the same city as he was, he had never felt so alone, so helpless. He would give anything for this to be over. Suddenly, the echoing sound of mechanical legs filled the room, the door clicked and swung open.
“Awake then”!? A slig guard snapped. Sid said nothing – he knew what the guards we capable of and didn’t want to merit a beating.
“Come on filth, up on your feet”! The slig yelled and gave Sid a hefty kick. Then grabbed him and pulled him up off the floor.
The guards marched Sid down a narrow corridor, leading to a flight of steps.
Sid couldn’t believe His eyes, the room was full of the other members that were captured in the desert, and they were united in a line at the far right hand side of the room. Sligs were posted at the entrances and a large raised desk with several Clackers and a vyker chattering and exchanging vile looks at the prisoners.
“Don’t worry”. Sid heard Theo whisper as he was pushed into the waiting line of mudokons by the shouting sligs. “I’m with you all the way”. Sid risked a glance over at Marty, who nodded curtly. He was sporting a large cut above his right eye, and Sid felt a pang of guilt and pain for his friend well up inside him.
It didn’t take long for Sid to realise how much of a joke this really was, there was no justice, they didn’t even accuse the mudokons of anything, just told them they had already been convicted and asked if they confessed. It was sickening, as one by one the captured rebels were tried Sid knew how this would all end. Even if he didn’t want to admit it, something in the back of his mind told him.
“There would be no return journey”
Marty was first to be dragged in front of the waiting vyker and clacker and told to confess. The Clackers were obviously afraid of him and Sid could tell from the looks on their faces the experience they had had with the N.L.A in the past. Steve was next up, having to be dragged screaming from the courtroom after lunging at his accusers, Sid watched as the other Mudokons he had met in the mines were questioned in the same way. Then came the moment all the gathered industrialists were waiting for.
Theo shook off his captors, preferring to face the industrialists willingly; he stood without a flicker of fear in his face before the vyker and the surrounding Clackers. Who seemed to know this would be a hard man to bully.
The vyker cleared his throat. “The slave known usually as “Theo-“
“I haven’t been a slave in a long time thanks”! Theo shouted. “And its captain as far as you’re concerned”!
“We are familiar with the rank you hold in the terrorist organisation you are a member of”.
Sid was impressed with Theo’s cool, although still shaking with fear. Watching Theo seemed to lift his spirits a little. The vyker cleared his throat again.
“You stand in taint of rebellion”. He smirked. “Among countless other charges including-“
“Fifty eight raids on various glukkon slave dealers’ camps, a raid which freed 300 mudokons from Splinternz, eighty eight raids on industrialist – held native land and several rather nasty attacks on Flub – Fuels”. Theo announced cooly.
“Yes”! The vyker shouted causing the Clackers to jump in terror. “Now, confess and we may find the heart to be merciful, deny and we will have no choice but to visit the full penalty on you... do you confess”?
Theo stared the vyker straight in the eye. “I have committed no rebellion”. He said. “I don’t recognise the industrialists as my superiors”.
“The industrialists are you superiors. Glukkons, Vykers and all other species of quality have set down laws in your savage lands and you should choose to obey them. You should have known your place, now do you confess”?
Theo looked at his feet and said nothing; having voiced everything he wanted to, he remained silent.
The vyker slammed his arms down on his desk. “DO – YOU - CONFESS"?!
Theo looked over at Sid and winked, before returning to his motionless silent state.
The vyker looked furious, he signalled the sligs to take Theo back to the side with the other prisoners. Sid felt his heart drop as though made of lead. It was now his turn. He couldn’t move with terror, he just hoped that by some stroke of luck the judges would forget he was there. But it was fruitless; he was instantly grabbed by several sligs and marched over to the vyker and the waiting Clackers.
The room felt several times bigger, Theo daren’t look around; it felt as though a million eyes were expecting him to do something, finally the Vyker spoke.
“The slave usually known as Sid”. He said wearily – still reeling from his clash with Theo’s personality. “You stand in taint of rebellion, now as you are one of the least serious offenders, you may escape with a mercifully lenient punishment if you confess all and accept your ownership by the scabainian mining corporation”.
Sid had no idea what to say, he looked over at the other Mudokons, all of which were giving him anxious looks. Theo just stared blankly, whilst Marty stood shaking his head at Sid violently.
“How dare you look away from me”!? The vyker snapped. “SLAVE!, you will answer me! Do you confess”!
Sid’s fear vanished, a beast of anger roared in his chest, he should not even be here, he was free. They had no right and he was owned by no one; Even if they beat him to a bloody pulp now he would never dignify the scum that sat in front on him.
“DO - YOU - CON-“
“NO”! Sid yelled. And stamped back to the side, receiving several whispered congratulations and pats on the back from his fellows there, the vyker just sat and stared. Sid looked at Theo, who was nodding with unspeakable respect and glee at what he had just witnessed, Sid had never felt such a patriot, no one could silence his love for his race; and if this was what the N.L.A felt all the time, he wanted to help them ... for the rest of his life. He would never be defeated.
After a long interval all the mudokons were on their knees at the front of the vyker’s desk. All of them had been tried and sentenced for attacking an industrialist settlement in less than one hour, the vyker loomed over them, like a celestial being of judgement
“You will be shot tomorrow in the city centre” Announced the vyker. “These are the fruits of your rebellion”.
*
Sid had been separated from the rest of the Prisoners. He felt sick, utterly sick that this would be his last night, not in east Mudos with his family countless years from now, but at this very moment, when he was fifteen. He and and Marty had not spoken since they had arrived, and Sid wept to think that he had missed his last chance to speak with his friend. He wondered If Marty was thinking of the tribe, what would they say? Would they come to their rescue, or were he and Sid still friendless criminals to them?
Sid stood up, his heart was beating frantically; as though practising its attempt to keep beating until after tomorrow morning’s events were over. It was a morbid thought, but Sid imagined being a weirdo would be cool. And surprisingly began to snigger.
Morning.
Sid sat alone, he had been awake all night, savouring the last breaths he was allowed, the small amount of bared glass at the top of his cell glowed with the early morning light. It was perfectly silent, the whole of oddworld had paused in respect to Sid and his fellows, Sid sighed.
A tiny latch on the wall of Sid’s cell slid open, there – to Sid’s utter disbelief – Was Theo.
“Theo”! He shouted, “They put you in a cell next to me”?
“Yep” Theo replied smiling. “Morning Sid”.
Sid could see the mock smile fading on Theo’s face; He walked up to him and looked at him through the bars.
“It’ll be alright”? Sid whispered.
“It will” Theo nodded. “Listen Sid ... Marty’s in the cell next to me, and I’ve already spoke with him but...” his voice seemed to shake a little. “We have discussed it, me and the other Members”. Theo leaned to the Side so that Sid could see the faces of the other prisoners in the cell with Theo. “We’ve decided that we got ourselves into this mess, lifelong rebels, this was bound to happen to us someday”...
Sid stared at Theo. “What are you talking about”?
Theo bit his bottom lip; Sid had never seen the usually jokey captain so emotional. “I’ve put you in awful danger whilst you’ve been with us Sid, you and Marty, I’m sorry”
“You don’t need to apologise Theo –“Sid stopped, his heart fell, the sound of slig’s footsteps were heard coming up the hall to collect them.
“Listen Sid we don’t have much time” Theo panted. “We’ve decided that you nor Marty should have to take the blame for us, we’re hardened rebels, and it isn’t fair that you face the guns with us”!
“What do you mean”!?
“Look”! Theo shoved something into Sid’s hands, Sid looked, and they were thirteen small grey balls, their surfaces overlapping miniature feathers. As a shaman, Sid knew immediately what they were. An inactivated bird portal. Suddenly he knew what Theo and the other members had decided to do.
“N-no” Sid whispered. “No, I’m not leaving you”!
“Listen Sid”. Theo said as the footsteps grew louder. “When I was on trial, i saw a whole army of sligs marching into the city from the window, a whole army, I recognised their uniforms, they’re from the mines we were in! The mines are undefended!, I need you to go back to the temple and tell Marley to attack them”!
Sid stared at the tiny bird portal in his hand. “What about you”? He asked tearfully.
“i-i’ve had a good enough run, now go, Marty has already taken my advise, he should meet you there”.
“NO”!
“Sid please”.
“I’m not leaving you all to die”
The footsteps grew even closer and louder now; they would be here any second. Theo Sighed.
“I’m sorry” Theo sobbed, and he began to chant.
The tiny balls in Sid’s hand sprang to life, becoming several golden birds which united in a circle in the air. Theo chanted again and the birds glowed and exploded into a portal right in front of Sid, who still screaming Theo’s name was dragged into it by its sheer power and into the storm which would lead him to the temple. The portal swallowed Sid whole and then shrank to a tiny glimmering sphere before vanishing completely. Leaving Theo looking at Sid’s empty cell.

The very next day, hundreds of mudokons left the temple and set off to storm the now undefended mines, countless natives were set free, and within the week the Magog Cartel were completely driven out of Scrabania. However, there is still much to do before our freedom is won. Still, (if you recall) as Mazza said at the long – forgotten bonfire.

“What will happen will happen, and we will be ready for it when it does”.


The End.

By shaman

[MA]

that was a brilliant ending Shaman, and i would like to say that you have a skill for writing good literature. i hope to see more from you.

very sad ending, and i could just picture it in my head. i just want to read more. i spose thats a good quality to have, to leave your readers wanting more.

this is now one of my favourites. well done mate, +rep.

[shaman]

Thanks very much, and yes, you will see more from me. But i will be writing the whole fanfic before posting it, so it may be a while.

To the drawing board!