Dante's Exoddus

[Munch's Master]

Great new chapters! Funny, interesting, and very very good! i loved Dante's constant ill reactios to the teleport, and the description of Vykkers' Labs from the ground:

Floating above me like some disgusting sore...... It had to be Vykker’s Labs.

was amusing. The Vykker conversation was accurate and funny, I think that when they insult each other like that they for some reason remind me of Sligs. Again, nothing to critiscize. Good work, I look forward to more!

[Shrink]

You're like a machine, with the production of so many chapters.
I'm all read up, and waiting for more!

[Dave]

That's exactly what I was waiting for.
But I'm out of new chapters (written ones, not ideas/plot).
I'll write more in the coming days.


Ha, ha. Bet you were expecting a chapter, weren't you?

[odd chick]

Wow......that was a lot to read. But they were all great chapters! Yes, I liked the little conversations between characters as well-especially the Vykkers. Well, keep up the good work.....I, too, have nothing to criticize because......well......the story's great.

[Dave]

Munch's Master, I grow impatient. I break my own promise! Here is more Dante.
It isn't as beefy as the last few chapters, and I feel a bit inadequate.
Could you encourage me a bit? Then I won't feel so bad about posting more short chapters ... (tries to hide the very short chapters he has coming up)

Chapter 57

When the screen suddenly flashed, I blinked hard. Probably not something a Vykker would really do.
No matter. I was staring at the owner and CEO of Tastee Treets. I had to be tough and I had to be … Vykker-ish.
“Hello, Mr. Icarus,” I began. “This is Tore from Vykker’s Labs.” Using the name of the Vykker from the old legends Patch told me wasn’t something I had planned … it simply came out.
Icarus did not respond. He looked resplendent and intimidating in his blindingly shiny red suit and gaudy, oversized matching hat. A fat cigar stump stuck out from his mouth, and he shifted it from the left side of his mouth to the right side and back again.
“Well, Icarus, I have a glukkon pud up here who isn’t exactly pulling his weight.”
Icarus shifted his cigar. “And …? You want some tips?” He was pretty angry, I figured.
I shook my head. “No. No, I was hoping that you, being such a great gluk, would … take him under your wing, let’s say.”
I made a good choice in playing the flattery card. Icarus swelled visibly, and looked very proud. I also noted that his cigar was no longer shifting sides. Maybe this would all work out, after all.
“Tore, was it?” Icarus grinned. “What is this young gluk’s name?”
I racked my brain for a moment, trying to remember what Patch had called the glukkon. And it came to me. “Avid.” And a short burst of inspiration: “He isn’t good with mudokons, but loves to work with sligs. Think you can find a place for him?” I knew a place was available, as Bung, the former officer in charge of Tastee Treets’ sligs training camp was dead and buried down the river.
Icarus thought a moment, and apparently reached the same conclusion (though undoubtedly through a different thought process). “Yes. I think I can get him a position. I’ll make a gluk out of that pud. You can bet your bottom moolah on that.”
I nodded. “Thank you, sir. He’ll be down later this evening….” What now? How do glukkons and vykkers end their fone conversations?
“Are … are you coming to the Gabbiar Auction tonight?” I ventured.
Icarus snorted. “No way. That stuff gives me the shits. I’m not going to blow any of my 2.5 million on a can of eggs that’ll leave me on the crapper for two days.”
I chuckled, and Icarus joined me. It was a little awkward for me, and frightening, because laughter in the presence of a glukkon often spelled disaster at the factory.
But you aren’t at the factory, are you? I thought to myself.
In the end I thanked him again and simply hung up. While I still had a place at the computer terminal, I quickly poked around into several programs, hoping to get a layout of the complex I was in.
I would need to find a good suit for Avid.
Luckily, Vykker’s Labs housed a Fine Clothing department, and it was only a short walk from Communications.
I left my computer terminal, which was instantly swarmed by four busy Vykkers, all anxious to make a call, and trotted to the hall and hung a left. I was picking up speed, because I had a gut feeling that time was running short. I needed to finish what I was doing here and get the hell out.
The Fine Clothes department was astoundingly empty. There were three old vykkers behind a counter. The three of them very clearly decided they would like life better living and dressing as females, despite the fact that all vykkers are hermaphrodites.
I approached the counter and rang the bell … even though the three Vykker “women” were right there.
One of them looked up, and in a falsely high voice, greeted me. “Hel-lo! How are we this afternoon?”
I took a deep breath to calm myself - I had come dangerously close to laughing at “her” - and spoke. “Yeah, I’ve never been in this department before, so if you could help me …”
The vykkers giggled like the disgusting old women they pretended to be. They quickly introduced themselves as Claude, Harold, and Erek. Why did they keep their manly names? I had time to wonder before being bombarded with questions about what type of suit I wanted.
“Glukkon suit, glukkon suit … no I don’t know the measurements … it’s a gift for a friend at Tastee Treets … yes, Bung … nothing too fancy … I know, but it’s a joke between us, he’ll understand why it’s so cheap looking … something brown and modest … I know, but it’s fine … okay, if you must, then go ahead, make it double breasted … shoes? I hadn’t thought of it. A nice pair of loafers, I guess … yes … no … this evening ….”
Yikes.
“Is there anything else we can do for you, sweetie?” Claude finished. I noticed that Harold and Erek were blushing madly, and I was a little disgusted to realize that they wanted me … what we could’ve done, I don’t know … all the organs are on the inside ….
I pushed the thoughts away and shook my head. “No, thank you. I need to …” To what? “… I need to go check up on the Gabbiar Auction.”
They were all very clearly disappointed. “Well, okay,” said Erek. “But don’t you be a stranger!”
Harold was nodding. “Oh, yes. Do come back soon, you cute little thing! Your suit will be ready in an hour.” Remarkable! But then … they didn’t look too busy, otherwise. And these hags liked me enough to work double-time in order to see me that much sooner.
I nodded and, on a whim, dropped Claude a wink. “She” nearly fainted, and I walked away, hearing mumbles behind me. Such a darling … and so tall! … it’s a wonder he hasn’t tied himself to another Vykker yet…
Once in the hall I let out a shudder I had been holding in. My body just had to do it to remind itself that it was in mudokon control, and that I wasn’t interested in any little favors those hags might or might not do for me.
Now. The Gabbiar Auction. Swift was there. And so I would have to be, too.

[Havoc]

HAhaha that last bit is hilarious and disgusting at the same time. Great writing! More more!

[Munch's Master]

Yes yes yes yes yes! YES! New chapter at last! No need to brealk your promise Dave, I've put my chapter up today as well. Great work, I just love your characterization. The conversation was authentic-sounding, and I simply found the Vykker 'women' hillarious! Great stuff and very amusing, but that is a point, how do Vykkers do anythig with each other being hermaphrodites. Still funny with their personas and the fact that they keep their male names, Claude, Erek and Harold, great stuff. . And it's hardly short, 'tis longer than most of my chapters mate! I'll get my next bit upby hopefully Sunday, so I dont want you delaying your fic this long again.

[Dave]

I dont want you delaying your fic this long again.

Yessir.
But the short chapters I mentioned are yet to be posted. An average chapter for me runs about two pages in Microsoft Word. There are a few coming up that just scrape over one page.
And I've decided that once Dante does actually return to Tastee Treets, I'm going to post a little button in each post that will allow you to view a Tastee Treets Employee Status Board. Just a little thing to help you keep track of how Dante is doing.

Here's the button. It should bring up a window with Tastee Treets' current employee status.

There you go.

[Dave]

Chapter 58

I made my way through the halls, following signs pinned up and pointing towards the Auction Hall. It was a fairly uneventful walk.
I did, however, make a wrong turn at an intersection that had no sign. And I found myself in a short hallway overlooking the Auction Hall. There was no discernable way to get in from up here, but … no matter.
And I saw my quarry. Swift. He was tiptoeing along, as all glukkons are forced to do in those ridiculous clothes, and barking orders.
And I was in a perfect place to try and snipe him. But … I had left my weapon in Communications.
Time to find a new one.
I continued to the end of this short hallway and through an open doorway into a large chamber. The door way itself was lined with eight levers, which probably meant that it would lock or unlock when they were all pulled. No matter, the door was open now.
There were many smaller doors lining the sides. Most were open, and revealed little bedroom type areas, from which many vykkers were running in and out, trying to look busy. The room had high ceilings, and as I looked up I noticed a metal catwalk that spanned the whole room up overhead … and … were those spooceshrubs? Growing out of metal?
No time to ponder this. I had just noticed a machine that resembled a vendo, but the logo on it was a snuzi.
Grinning, I went over and pressed the button. With a hollow clang, a snuzi fell out of the chute. I reached in with my two lower arms and picked it out.
I looked around. Did I want to try and take out all these vykkers?
No. Too many. They would rush me and overtake me in no time.
But … I could go back to the area overlooking the auction hall.
I returned through the big open doorway and stopped partway down the hall. I looked through the glass siding in the hall and down into the auction chamber. Swift was still shouting, but not so much about the Auction anymore. He had taken to bragging. Things like, “Everybody loves me,” or, “I need me an ass the size of a truck to fit this wallet,” and even “Mama’s gonna be so proud of her little glukky.”
I raised the snuzi quickly, fumbled it, and lined up a shot.
He was mid phrase - “I’m at the top o’ the world!” - when I fired. He flew back and hit the wall, and flopped to the ground.
The vykkers and other glukkons in the room gasped in comical unison. They all gathered around Swift, instead of looking for who had shot him or crying out for help. This blessing helped me decide it was time to split.
I moved back the way I had originally come - away from the Vykker suites. As I fled, I skirted around a corner and realized what had made this hallway even take a corner.
There was a large, caged off area in front of me. Inside were numerous vykkers, all clad in tough armor. They marched around with large, wide knives and were cutting random bits off of some poor creatures on operating tables. At first they appeared to be studying these dead animals closely, but I soon realized that they were actually giggling and laughing as they chopped each successive piece off of the animal.
Okay. Disgusting, and a little putrid. But I had seen worse in my visions … this wasn’t so bad …
And the Vykker in me wanted to join the party.
NO! No time! I have to get moving before someone decided to inspect up here to see who sniped Swift.
Okay, keep moving.
I skirted the caged-in-operating theater and moved to the far end of the hall. It let out in a much smaller, darker hallway. I passed through here, noted a sign that said I was near “Loading Bay R.” And then …

[odd chick]

I feel disappointed that I missed commenting on the chapter before this one, so I'll comment on both of them. Nice work! Chapter 57 was a laugh-riot! *imagines Vykkers flirting with each other*......ooh, that's just.....creepy! Chapter 58 was well-written as well. It reminded me of Munch's Oddysee because of the Suites.

[Dave]

That was the plan. I actually put Dante into that room several hours before Abe walked in.

Anyway, new chapter.

Chapter 59

I was in a very hot room crawling with interns. Not a big room, but large enough. At the back were some sinister looking machines, and in a corner I saw a large, bowl shaped structure labeled “Loading Chute.”
It wasn’t these things that immediately caught my attention, however. It was the crates.
The crates looked hurriedly made, almost temporary. And each crate held four large, bluish-purple things with little feathery protrusions on the top.
As I watched, I saw the interns indifferently picking up crates and loading them into large machines. And, after a few seconds, I would hear crying.
Mudokon crying.
This was a mudokon egg hatchery!
I nearly fainted at the realization. I had likely been born in a room just like this … and it was so impersonal … As I watched, the newly born mudokons - very small and brightly tanned - would be wrapped in a diaper and then chained to the wall. There had to be nearly fifty mudokon babies in here already, chained to the wall and crying out.
And as the final, gruesome touch, an intern was applying a small machine to each mudokon child’s lips and using it to stitch their lips shut. This led to harder crying, but the tears fell in silence. It was horrifying.
But I had to focus. I shook it off. I took a quick glance around the room and noted that there were no vykkers around. They were probably all setting up the auction, or maybe greeting that Lulu guy someone was talking about.
So I cleared my throat and took in a deep breath.
“Hey, interns,” I called out in a decidedly annoying Vykker voice.
It was enough. They all turned to look at me, and had an attentive “What can I do for you?” look.
So I raised my snuzi and fired with surprising aim directly into each interns face. I don’t think any of them knew what was happening.
With the interns out of commison, I popped - at long last - into my natural mudokon body.
I rushed over to the incubators and turned them off. I frantically grabbed a random lever and pulled.
I had lucked out. The lever controlled a crane device overhead, which I hadn’t yet noticed. I maneuvered the crane and used it to pick up, carefully and one at a time, each crate of eggs. I placed them as gently as I could into the “Loading Chute” in the corner, and hoped that I could come back to check on these eggs later, hopefully finding a way to get them to the ground.
When all the eggs were cleared out of the room, I turned upon the baby mudokons. I started over to untie them, when a
[VISION]
Outside Vykker’s Labs on a Loading Dock. The crates Dante just released are piled up against the wall and door.
A blue light appears up above the door, and it soon becomes apparent that this is a bird portal. Two mudokons, looking clean and fresh, pour out of the portal and land on the dock.
“Hey, lookin’ good,” says one to the other.
“Yeah, now that we’re out of those work clothes and all cleaned up!” replies the second.
The first grins. “These loin cloths make me feel like a new mud.”
The other nods. “Right!” After a brief and awkward silence, he continues. “So, We wait here, and gather up all the egg crates that Abe and Munch are gonna throw into the loading chutes … Right?”
The first mudokon shrugs. “That’s my understanding.”
Another pause.
The second mudokon shrugs this time. “I hope they don’t break ‘em all.”
[/VISION]
stops me short. Abe and Munch are here. Which means I had less time than I thought. I would have to get my ass in gear if I wanted to get out before these two blew the place to hell.
I approached the baby mudokons carefully, and realized the chains were, of course, padlocked.
I turned and inspected a nearby intern and found he had a set of keys. Good. I bent and grabbed them, then stood and turned back to the chains.
As I unlocked each baby mudokon, it crowded around me and hip-hip-hoorayed as best as it could through stitched lips. They followed me unquestioningly.
With the long line of mudokon infants mulled around me, I decided quickly what to do.
{Patch!}
Nothing. For a few moments, there was nothing, not even the feeling that Patch was getting pissed. I was about to panic when a sudden surge of encouragement hit me.
{Dante, you rascal! How the hell are you?}
{Shut up,} I commanded. I wasn’t in the mood. I probably had a half hour, maybe less, to find a way to get my glukkon suit and get my ass to the ground. {I have, like, fifty infant mudokons here. I’m going to send them through.}
But Patch wasn’t listening. {Dante … Abe is in Vykker’s Labs!} More news I knew. {He can help you! Go and see him!}
{I know he’s here. And I don’t want him to help. I’m sending over the children. Be ready for them.}
And I began to chant, blocking out any response Patch might have made.
A bird portal tore itself into existence nearby, and the children instinctively ran through it to safety.
I contacted Fix and, after telling him he’d have a bunch of new playmates soon, got the Vykker power from him.
I transformed and began my walk back to the seamstresses.
---
One uneventful walk later, I was leaving the Fine Clothing Department carrying a finely tailored glukkon suit and in search of a loading dock.
Another uneventful walk later, I was stepping out again onto Loading Dock J, the one I had used to enter the lab.
I popped over into my mudokon body and stepped over to the railing. For one terrifying moment I was getting ready to hop hit like a normal fence, having forgotten I was thousands of feet above the ground.
And now it hit me.
How in the hell was I supposed to get back to the ground?

[Munch's Master]

Now you're updating too fast, I missed replying to chapter 58! Still, two very good chapters there. I can't really say more than that, other than I'm interested to see how Dante will get out of this and back to Tastee Treats. Also that employees board is really cool, you could mybe put it in your sig and swap it for the new one each time you post it up.

[Dave]

Chapter 60

I spaced out for a while then. I wasn’t really paying attention to anything around me … I was mentally trying and re-trying different methods of getting to the ground.
What brought me to attention was a loud, long cry. It sounded like a glukkon … and he definitely sounded pissed off.
I shrugged. As long as it wasn’t screaming at a slig to shoot me, I wouldn’t let myself be bothered by it.
I looked around and noted that the sun had set, and it was probably around ten o’clock.
Damn! I had meant to get into Tastee Treets that night! And I was still stuck on Vykker’s Labs, waiting for time to run out before Abe and Munch blew the place up.
Hey, wait … what about that screaming glukkon? What could that mean?
I would’ve pondered this longer if the answer hadn’t surfaced in my mind.
[VISION]
Two vykkers stroll down a narrow aisle towards a little operating chair. They are chuckling.
“Can you believe it?” one says, incredulous. “That dumb gluk coughed up three million for a can of smelly eggs!”
“What an idiot!” the other replies. “I hear he’s bankrupt after the ….”
The vykkers reach the operating chair to see a large amount of explosives wired up to it. A timer had just finished ticking down, and the display now reads “Guess Who?”
The two vykkers look at each other, on the brink of tears.
“Hold me,” one whimpers.
“Oh, Irwin …”
They begin sobbing.
[/VISION]
Oh, no.
I spun around, trying to see where the explosion would come from. I only noticed, however, that a blimp was slowly floating away. Two small silhouettes were almost visible on the deck of the blimp. I couldn’t quite tell from such a distance, but they may have been talking about something.
Just then, I heard a muffled bang from somewhere behind me. Probably from inside the ….
The Lab! It was gonna explode!
The shock finally reached the deck I stood on and it rattled violently. I lurched and lost my balance, and fell on my face.
I rolled onto my back and looked up in time to see the roof of the lab erupt from the inside. Flames shot out of the roof and began raining down.
More muffled explosions soon followed, and the deck began to shake even more, and I began to fear for my life.
I push myself up onto my feet and scrambled towards the wall, trying to get out of range of the falling flames.
And then, the floor began to tip upwards.
It wasn’t tipping forward so that I would fall off the deck, but backwards to that the wall I leaned against would soon serve as a floor. That meant that I wouldn’t be crushed by the falling airship.
Instead, I would probably be flung from the top and into the woods, where I would likely break my back and be eaten by the wildlife.
Not a time to panic. I remember thinking, If I don’t keep my head, I’m going die a lot faster.
So I had to relax. At least as much as I could.
Trying to push away the thoughts that my death was coming towards me fast, I pressed myself against the wall and watched the sky tip over me.
It would be a long ride down…

[Havoc]

*crash, Dante dies, the end* Hehe...

Nice chapter once again. More more! Encore encore!

[Munch's Master]

Nooo, a cliffhanger! Damn this horibly suspensefu lending! I cna't wait for more now, that was a good chapter, with a nice feeling of building up to the cliffhanger. Next chapter please. Now. Or I will use my club.

[Dave]

Well, if you insist ....

Chapter 61

Vykkers Labs hit the ground. I didn't hear it, but I felt it. For a second. Then the force of the ship hitting the ground - and the ground pushing back via gravity - and I was thrown up and away ...
I fell for some time. Probably a second. But it lasted longer.
I hit the ground -

The End.

Psyche. That was lame, and not even a real chapter.
What kind of entertainer would I be if I didn't leave this cliffhanger for ... two days?
Gosh.
You'll get your real chapter on Sunday. Or Monday. Depends on how nice you all are.

[Munch's Master]

Oh great, now you taunt us about the cliffhanger as well! Please give us a new chapter! If you do, I'll try and get my fic updated today or tomorrow.

[Dave]

I thought you were already planning on updating today or tomorrow?
No dice.

[Munch's Master]

Hey, I'm writing the chapter right now. It should be up in 10-20 minutes. Happy?

[Dave]

Yes.

For real now:

Chapter 61

The fire began to come down harder, and I realized I was breathing very heavily. Not a good idea with so much smoke and debris in the air.
Rubble showered in front of me … but not much, because at this point the labs had tipped so much that I was lying horizontally on the fortress wall.
I sat up and looked around. The horizon was slowly but surely rising. I supposed that enough of whatever machinery was keeping the ship afloat was functioning enough to slow its fall.
But it wouldn’t keep it from crashing with deadly force.
Another explosion and the ship lurched, throwing me forward into the wall - formerly the floor - and I had a brief, stupid moment where I realized I was, amazingly, still clutching the package that held my glukkon suit.
The ship fell faster then, and I noticed, dishearteningly, that that last explosion had likely been an engine of some sort.
I don’t clearly remember what happened next, but I remember a very loud crunching sound that couldn’t have been an explosion. It was more likely the labs hitting the ground.
I think I fell, and I remember feeling rough scratches all over me, and a dull pain in my ass.
Then I suppose I blacked out, because I was sitting awkwardly on a wide tree branch about seven feet above the ground, propped against the tree trunk. My ass throbbed like a nightmare, and I was bleeding from several deep cuts.
I looked around. More trees were very close and all around. So it was a forest, then.
I looked up. Through a ragged and unnatural looking hole in the tree branches, I could see a clear sky full of stars. So I pieced it together: I had been flung from the lab and had crashed through a thick tangle of branches, landing on a wide enough branch to stand on.

I carefully made my way to the ground and began hobbling in a randomly chosen direction. It was impossible to walk straight, what with the sore ass I was suffering.
After several minutes, I came upon a large lake with a hulking mass of metal looming out of it. The lab had crashed. Any surviving vykkers and interns would drown if they tried to swim out of the wreckage.
I’m not sure why - unless it was just being out in the open air after surviving a mean place like Vykker’s Labs - but I suddenly remembered the mudokon-print moon I had seen several days ago. I craned my head upward, and sure enough, it was there. And it had been joined by a moon that I hadn’t seen before. It must’ve been blocked out by the Vykker’s fortress.
It had a gabbit-shaped footprint on it.
It was sorta nice. I felt calm seeing these two moons together. I felt confident.
Now was the time.
I was going back to Tastee Treets. Now.

[Munch's Master]

Yes, everybody's happy now! You, me, our readers, everyone! Good chapter, I'm amazed Dante survived it, never mind kept the Glukkon suit. He is a charmed mudokon. But now he's hurt, so it sounds like he might have trouble getting to Tastee Treats. Keep this up, I just love this fic.

[T-nex]

OMGZORS!!11!!!111oneone

Sorry, I'm just so happy that i'm finally done reading yer story

I was 2 threads behind but i catched up ^_^
Your story is very intense, and it'seasy to feel what Dantes feeling. Kudos to you!!!

*Hugz evryone because of hyperness, and because she just HAD to eat so much sugar*

Yes... Sugar rox ^_^

[odd chick]

Oh, no! Not the sugar rushes! Anyway, those last few chapters were great as usual, Dave. They were well-written and very discriptive in some areas. You've tied the story into Munch's Oddysee very well, too. Great job.

[Dave]

Now that T-Nex and Odd Chick have caught up...

Chapter 62

Sunrise.
I stood a good way away from the main gate, so as not to be seen by any security cameras. My wounds had sealed over a little bit, and the bleeding had stopped. My rump was no longer so achy, and I was feeling a little more confident about things now that I wasn’t so wrecked up.
Never mind being hungry. I could be hungry later.
I contacted Druna briefly, feeling her nervousness being transmitted to me like sound waves. It wasn’t anxiety, but more like the kind of nervous you get when you are around someone you like. It was a weird feeling, not something I think my worker-drone body was meant to feel.
No matter. She gave me the glukkon power and I transformed.
There I was, a naked glukkon who had to dress himself.
I reached one of my absurdly long arms towards the parcel and used my oddly dexterous glukkon fingers to pry it open. I removed the pants cum suspenders first. After a brief moment, I decided those should go on last. I wouldn’t be able to slip the coat on with my arms restrained… but with the coat on, how would I put on my suspenders?
Oh, come on …
Okay, I reached for the shirt. Not bad, I guess. The glukkon mind in me thought it was extremely comfortable, and was attracted to it.
I slipped it up over my head and let it dangle over my chest. It was a trick, but I bent my arms back far enough to button the front of the shirt.
I now pulled the pants up under my arms and strapped the suspenders over my shoulders. I was in an awkward sitting position, but it looked like the job would get done.
Time for the coat. I wrapped it around myself and clasped the buttons together, effectively trapping me with my arms outside my pants.
Praying the coat wouldn’t rip, I eased myself up on my elbows to try and slide my arms into my pants legs. Thankfully, the coat was roomy enough to do this with no major issue.
Now, the final touch - the shoes. No problem there. I slipped my hands into each shoe, thankfully devoid of laces or straps. They looked pretty fancy: black with intricate white designs swooping along the sides. Never mind that I had asked for plain shoes.
I was dressed! Hurrah!
Now, for the factory.
It took a minute to get acquainted with walking in this outfit - I had to wiggle each foot forward separately instead of simply loping along on my hands. It was slow going at first, but after a few minutes I got the hang of it. At least, I thought it was a passable glukkon walk.
I reached the front door and leaned forward to press my face on the intercom button.
A distant buzzing, and then I heard a slig voice. “Yeah? Whozzit?”
I cleared my throat. “This is Avid, the glukkon from Vykker’s Labs.”
The slig laughed. “Don’t be stupid. It was all over the news. We know it’s you, Dante, and we’re sending down some sligs to take you into custody.”
I nearly choked. What? Could this be true?
Then my brain kicked in and I realized that the slig had said something different entirely: “Don’t be stupid. It was all over the news. That place went down last night.”
After a moment I spoke again, and tried to make myself sound more glukkony. “No shit, Sherlock. I left about an hour before the place went.” And then, on a whim, “Looks to be that bastard Abe’s handiwork.”
The slig growled. “It might have been … but anyone who’s worth a damn knows it’s Lulu’s fault that he got in there at all. Did you hear he lost that Gabbiar can?”
Knowing this, I had to sound surprised. “No kidding? That chump … he’d probably lose his head if it wasn’t screwed on.”
The slig - whom I just realized was following no slig-to-superior etiquette whatsoever - chuckled at this. “Probably. Too bad he left the factory before it went down. Not like poor old Boss Swift. I’d have traded twenty of Lulu for Swift, I’ll tell you.”
I was growing impatient. “Yeah, yeah … are you gonna let me in now or what?”
There was a shuffling sound from the speaker, and I guessed the slig was finally remembering who was superior to who. “Yessir, sorry to take up your time with such chatter. If you’ll take the ball car to Zulag Nine to meet with Icarus and Vladimir, please.”
“That’s more like it,” I huffed. I was going to enjoy this glukkon stuff. And I thought I would end up doing it a lot.
The doors were opened, and I tiptoed inside.
I was in the main hub, which I knew well enough to not have to look around. I drifted towards the ball car that went directly to Zulag Nine.
I entered it and activated a floor switch. The door clanged shut and I was whisked off to the Glukkon Suites.
The car let off in a short hallway - I realized it was the same hallway I had come through the other day, on my way to the glukkon bathrooms.
And into the boardroom. Icarus and Vladimir stood there under a cloud of smoke, chatting loudly about a newspaper headline.
I rolled over. “Hello,” I muttered.
The two gluks looked up, and Vladimir smiled. “Ah! You must be the gluk Vykker’s Labs sent word about before their accident.”
We nodded at each other, and Icarus went right into it. “I know we said we were going to place you in a position training sligs, but we feel you aren’t experienced enough.”
I quickly tossed around the idea around to argue … but no. Better not. Icarus wasn’t discouraged, in any case. He went on to tell me to report to Zulag One to overlook the mudokons working in Animal Preparation.
I nodded. “Sure. Whatever.” I happened to glance at the paper. “Are you through with that? I haven’t got a chance to read it yet.”
Icarus whistled and a slig came a-running. I marveled silently at this. Icarus told the slig to carry the newspaper for me.
I nodded again - actually saying “Thank you” as a glukkon didn’t seem to fit.
So I went back out and took the ball car back to the hub.

[Havoc]

Whoo! Great chapter! And we're in!
I bet Dante's gonna have a lot of fun being a gluk. I was chuckling the entire chapter. The part with the slig at the gate was most fun XD.

Keep it up dave!

[Scrab-Meat]

Wow now that is an awesome story. I sat for three hours reading from the very beginning of Dante's Oddessy to present. I am absolutely impressed I have to say though as an artist I would love to illustrate this. As I was reading I was getting influenced for my story "Skeebs Oddessy" which will be comming shortly. All I know is that my story is going to be seperated into three major tales. Each consisting of a hundred chapters. Bravo keep up the great work here and never quit writeing my friend.

Peace!

[odd chick]

Wow.......I really enjoyed reading that chapter. Dante better watch his back because he came a hair of getting caught by the slig! Anyway, I have no criticisms because your writing skills are superb. I'd really like to see your story as well, Scrab-Meat! It sounds interesting. I'm writing a fanfic on another forum, which is based on another videogame, in a similar fashion as yours, but I'm still not even finished with the first part of the story, which will probably be about 100 chapters, too.

[Dave]

Alas, as of now, Dante's story is only 86 chapters.
Scrab-Meat! Thank you for your comments. I must say that ever since I began Dante's story, I had actually wanted to make it a comic-deal, like a graphic novel. But I can't draw Oddworld things very well, and forget about any backgrounds.
So if you would like to illustrate the story, I would be flattered. I don't know if you mean certain scenes or whole chapters, but no matter. I would love to see any work you do. Post it here, if you want.
I'm running low on written chapters, so I'll probably start posting again Saturday or Sunday, once I've written some more.

[Munch's Master]

Nice chapter Dave! I liked that chapter too amuing, and interesting. I think Dante as a Gluk could make for some very good chapters, if this one's anything to go by. The Slig at the gate was funny, and I like the way you have him act as a Glukkon. Dante getting dressed was amusing, and what's this with Druna eh? Good stuff, I look forward to more.

[Scrab-Meat]

Well I would go ahead and illustrate specific scenes but not all because I have to really work on my story aswell. Go ahead and send me some private messages of scenes u would like to see illustrated. But remember it may take awhile because I operate my own studio and have lots of work to do. I am pretty much a busy bee when it comes to commisioned artwork. Heck I have three commisioned work all together not to mention my fanfic work. And the first two works I am getting paid lots of money. So give me time and I will get to it.