Jim's Oddysee: Platinum full edition.

[Rich]

The full unedited epic, Jim's Oddysee. You will see how my posts changed during the years it took to complete.

My name is Jim and to just about everyone else I'm just another Mudokon Slave. For the last Two months I've been on the run from the Glukkons. I'm probably boring you already but this is my story so I may as well get on with it.
My whole life changed for good on my first day at Soulstorm Brewery, I had been moved from Rupture Farms because of the rapid disappearance of slaves. Unfortunately I was the only Mudokon that survived the destruction of Rupture Farms, The hundredth Mud that Abe Failed to save.
On the first Day of work I was paired with an older Mud called Rob, soon we were best friends. He showed me the ropes, how to clean the rust off slig guns, how to work a floor Waxer, ECT.
A few hours passed and I began to think that working here wouldn't be so bad after all, but this was far from the truth as within the hour things were about to take a turn for the worst.
A group of sligs stood nearby, they sounded frustrated.
"So is it true?" said one "yeah, it is" said another "we saw it on M.O.M!" said the last two. "So, Abe the famous terrorist is here in Soulstorm brewery!" shouted the first.
I was shocked, I stopped working. The hammer in my hand fell and landed in a machine somewhere below me.
"What was that?" said one of the sligs, looking our way.
Then Rob noticed them.
"WWW we, err I mean I didn't do anything!" I heard myself yell.
Then I began running as fast as I could away from them.
"Hey! Jim wait up!" cried Rob who began running after me.
"Freeze!" I heard a slig shout, then "Arrgh!" as the bullets hit Rob. I could hear his footsteps, they sounded more like limping then more gunfire. This time he fell onto the floor "Run Jim!" he croaked, "Hurry up and get to Abe!" I don't know what happened after that but I certainly didn't hesitate to carry on running!
I could hear footsteps of sligs now and their voices.
I could easily shake them off, I ducked under a bone saw and a few seconds later CRUNCH! Perfect that left three. I ran over a pressure pad and activated an electrical wall. I heard a slig scream as he was fried! There were only two left!
The sound of my running woke up a nearby slog; I leapt over him and smiled as he devoured a slig! The last one shouted and an alarm started. I looked ahead there was just a gap then the zulag exit! I jumped the gap and the slig fell. Far away I heard Rob's dieing voice, "Jim get out of here no..!" then there was no more, just gunfire as I dived into the zulag exit.

I scrambled to my feet, I could hear someone crying. I ran forward into some shadows and tripped over an object.
"Owww!" cried a voice out of the dark.
"Who's there?" I asked. I could just about make out a pair of eyes in the dark, they were orange Mudokon eyes.
"Me?" came the voice. "Yeah, you" I said keeping on the look out for sligs.
"Oh, I'm Leo" said the crying Mud.
"listen" I said "If we go now we can escape!"
"Sorry" said Leo's voice "but I can't walk, a slig thrashed me on his patrol! Now my leg's broken!"
"Um... Maybe I could help you?" I stated "Uhh.. Okay!" he said. I reached down for his hand, but when I touched It..
"Ewww!" It was covered in blood!
Before I could say anything else a flashing white light appeared further up and I could see Leo for the first time, his body was drenched in blood and his leg was well and truly busted. Also dead bodies of Muds littered the landscape that had previously been hidden by shadows.
I ran forward to the source of the light, it lead into a huge passage and further down was a Mudokon.
The Mud was chanting. A group of birds flew together and created a huge flashing portal!
It was beautiful, then it stopped. The Mud looked at me, his lips were stitched together and he had several tattoos. In case you haven't already guessed it was Abe, he began walking towards me.
"Hello" he said "Umm... Hello!" I said back.
"Follow me" he commanded "No" I said "you follow me" "Uh Okay!" He said. I took him to Leo. We soon saw the room, but we didn't see it as we would've liked.

A slig was holding his gun to Leo's head.
"Are you sure you didn't see anything?" growled the slig in a cruel voice.
"YY.y... Yes Sir!" Whimpered Leo
"you useless piece of junk!" yelled the slig.
An announcement came on the radio "Zelt please report to the executive office" came the droning sligs voice.
"what're you gonna do now?" came Leo's voice.
The slig grabbed Leo roughly, "sir I can't go with you!" said Leo again.
"Hmm... I suppose you're right" Then he dropkicked Leo into the wall. I heard his bones crack then he fell putting out his arm to stop himself, only to snap his wrist.
"Hah!" laughed Zelt and he spat right on Leo.
He left the zulag and I was left alone with Abe and the wounded Leo.
"Leo who was that?" I asked
"oh... he was Zelt, the guy who busted me up..." he managed then he fainted.
I turned to look at Abe, if we didn't heal Leo he would soon die.
"Can you heal him?" I asked.
"Not exactly..." he said "Why not? you're the saviour for Odd's sake!" I grumbled.
"Well I suppose I could take him to Monsaic Lines" he said. I thought about this "Yeah! Bigface could heal him!" I said.
"We just have to get to a portal" said Abe.
I picked up Leo's Limp body in a fireman’s lift, whilst Abe lead me to a portal.
Then he chanted and the beautiful portal appeared again, Swirling and twisting.
I pushed Leo through it, "You goin' too?" he asked. I felt strange like I had to help some more Muds.
"Not yet!" I said still feeling strange.
"I'll meet you back here in three hours!" I yelled running round a corner. "I haven't finished yet!"

I headed back into the room with dead muds, Zelt the slig had left the light on and I could now see a slig body.
I searched him for I.D. that might help me get out of the god-awful zulag. After a while I found a Cardkey, Which I tried on a nearby door. I looked at the Muds surrounding me, it reminded me of Leo. He didn't even know my name. Then I remembered my deal with Abe and my very short time limit.
The door opened with my key into a long thin room. But before I had time to look around the door slammed shut behind me. I saw that there was no lock, the door could only be opened from the other side.
I turned round and dropped my key with surprise. There was a Mud hanging upside-down further ahead. "Are you alright?" I asked running at him. "Yeah I'm fine" he said grumpily. I looked for a way to get him down, a lever was nearby. I pulled it and he fell on the floor, "Owww! Watch it!" he cried.
"Sorry" I said. "Who are you?" he asked getting up. "I'm Jim" I said "And you?"
"Oh I'm.... ...Nat" he said still looking dizzy from his time hanging and the fall.
"Listen" I said "we need to get out of here!" I said "Yeah, I'm sick of Glukkons" he said Rubbing his eyes and blinking. I hadn't noticed before, but now I saw his eyes were swollen and bloodshot.
"Lead the way" he said. His voice was young, I guess that was why he had been on a Tear-X-Tractor, after all younger creatures shed more tears than older ones.
I ran back to pick up my card, It would probably be useful. At the other end of the passage there was a door, I swiped the card through the hole and the door slid open.
But as we stepped into a door a voice greeted us....

I turned expecting to see a slig in the room, but I relaxed as it was only a Mud.
"Hi" I said "Umm... Yeah!" said Nat still rubbing his red eyes.
"Hello" said the Mud, he was older than me and his voice was kind.
Nat stepped in front of me "Hey!" he said "You're Blind" Then I saw the stitches over his eyes. "Yes" said the Mud "I'm blind". "How?" Nat asked eagerly. He was young and still a bit Cocky even for a mudokon. "Be quiet Nat!" I heard myself say.
Nat looked at me, I felt weird this was the first time in my life that I had ever ordered anyone or anything around I also had a feeling it wouldn't be the last time.
"What's your name?" I asked the Blind Mudokon in a hurry. "I don't have one" he said plainly. Nat tapped me and pointed at the Mud's arm. He was chained at the wrist, they lead to a bolt in the floor. Above the chain was a large tattoo it read "Ash" On the other arm the same word was tattooed.
His skin was an ash grey colour. "Is your name Ash by any chance?" I said. "Ash... hmm..." said the Mud "I haven't been called that in a long time" "When were you called Ash?" asked Nat "back when I could see" said Ash. "Well" I said "I'm Jim" I pointed to Nat "He's Nat" I finally pointed to Ash "And you're coming with me!"
"Sure!" said Ash "just let me out of my chains and I'll come!" I thought about this he was right, how would we release him?
I heard the worst thing possible... Slig footsteps, running at us. I pushed Nat into a corner and kicked him in the head, the only way he would have kept quiet was to be unconscious.
I looked at Ash as the footsteps drew closer, as I have already said he was older and knew the drill. He hung his head and looked upset. I looked for a hiding place......there wasn't one. As I turned three sligs appeared out of the Tear-X-tractor room. "Freeze!" cried the closest slig. They had big weapons, they looked as if they too were tying to escape. The fatal moment would soon come. Just as the slig's finger touched the trigger another slig tapped his arm. "What?" asked the slig "look, listen" said the other. I listened too and heard a scraping noise.
"It's coming from the vent!" said the third slig. The sound was approaching the vent opening mesh cover. "Don't move!" said the closest slig as he went to inspect the vent.

He stood under the mesh "no nothing there" he said as he turned to face us again the mesh and cover fell off and hit him in the back of his neck.
He was stunned, then he screamed.
I didn't know why but then a blade burst through his chest and slowly cut down his body killing him as it went through his heart. The other sligs cowered in terror as the body fell to the floor, revealing the killer. The blade which had killed the slig was the blade of a very long katana. The killer was a Mud with a very short feather. A bandana was round his head hiding his eyes. I too stepped back then a slig spoke "Who are you?" he said.
The Mud laughed "Heh.. why do you care, but I'll tell you as you're going to die anyway!"
He turned his back a slig ran at him tearing off his bandana. The Mud didn't turn just flicked the sword back decapitating the slig.
He turned and I was shocked, his right eye was scarred straight down the centre making him blind in that eye. His arms were thick and covered in muscles. "My name is Fin, but everyone calls me... ...Scar-eye!" said the Ninja Mud. The slig gulped "How did you get out of the brig?" asked the slig. "Some normal Mudokon Bastard with tattoos let me out!" said the Mud.
The slig's life would soon end, he leapt at scar-eye who cut his face with the sword.
The slig fired his gun Scar-eye deflected every bullet with the katana, some of the bullets hit the slig. "Arrgh!" he yelled falling to one side, Scar-eye thrust his sword into the slig's pants shocking him. As the slig was about to die he punched the katana away from the Ninja. "Oh how unfortunate!" smiled the Ninja. He grabbed his bag and bought out a small Fuzzle. "Get'm!" he said and the Fuzzle descended on the slig. A red cloud of blood and screams filled the room, after about ten seconds the Fuzzle hopped back to Scar-eye blood running off its lips.
He picked up the sword and his bandana, which he retied round his scratched eye.
At first I was scared of the mighty warrior then I decided to ask him for help.
"Please scar-eye" I begged, worried he would carve me into odd knows what.
"Yes" he said sliding the katana into its sheath. "Please help us! we're trying to escape!" He drew the katana "Let me help you!" he said as he charged at Ash. "No!" I cried "Jim what's happening!??!" asked Ash from behind his stitches. Nat who had just awakened closed his eyes, so did I. There was a loud snapping sound. I opened my eyes, he had cut through the chains that held Ash.
"Fucking hell!" I shouted "You just scared the hell out of me!" Scar-eye giggled
"You don't I'd really kill him do you?" he said. "No I'll save that till we get out of here, I need as many Allies as I can get in here" "He's right Jim!" said Nat "Yeah" said Ash. "Listen, if we work as a team we can survive until it's safe to get out!" said Scar-eye. "We've already been attacked by sligs..." said Nat.
"I have an Idea!" said Scar-eye.
"If we can stop the flow of sligs in here we will be safe! Here's the plan..."
We listened carefully, there were power generators on the top floor. Me, Nat and Ash were to take the lift to the top floor and destroy the generators, while scar-eye went down in the other lift and held the fort preventing sligs from getting at us. After we had destroyed the power the slig spawners would shut down. "It's a great plan!" said Ash, me and Nat agreed. He had already gone when Me, Nat and Ash began the accent in the elevator. About three minutes later we came to the top floor. We were greeted by the hum of machinery, but there was a slightly weirder sound coming from the roof. But still I didn't give it a thought and Nat soon found the main generator. "Here it is!" said Nat. I helped Ash into place in front of one of the three wheels. "Work 'em!" I said, the humming stopped, and the lights switched to emergency power. "What's that?" asked Ash as the sound I had heard started. "Err Jim!" said Nat. "What is it?" I said wondering over to him. He pointed at the lift. It was moving, up, towards us...
Nat grabbed Ash's arm and they both dived into a shadow as the door opened, however I wasn't so lucky. The Elevator had been carrying a big bro slig and three sligs, it was a standard Swat Team, the Brew master probably just suspected some Employee rivalry.
I ran for a metal pillar as the door opened. The three sligs opened fire on me as I dived behind the pillar, bullets bounced off and the sound of more guns being activated met my ears. I peaked behind the girder, another fourth slig was in the elevator. "Get over 'ere!" came the big bro's voice. Two of the sligs ran round on each side of my pillar firing their Uzi's, I ran and jumped and they reloaded the guns. The big bro appeared on my right, He blasted his Blitz packer cans at me, and I did a cartwheel to the left out of the way. The third slig suddenly opened fire on my chest a few of the bullets hit, screaming in pain I turned and ran only to have my back raked with bullets. I continued to run, he shot at my legs making me fall over. He walked up to my bleeding body and kicked me in the side making me turn over and cough up some blood. He laughed and raised the butt of his gun, about to knock me out. I thought that I would never wake up if he dealt the blow, but suddenly the fourth slig from the elevator began shooting him. The slig yelled and dropped his gun, the noise stopped as his skull received some bullets. The other two appeared, the slig blasted one's pants, screaming as he was fried he touched the other killing him too.
Finally the big bro turned in just in time to be split in two by the bullets. The slig now calm walked over to me. Ash and Nat ran out of the shadow, but what happened next was very unexpected...
As they stood around me I glanced at one of my wounds, there was blood everywhere. I wished that the third slig had knocked me out. It didn't matter anymore, I was going to die anyway. "Thank you..." I managed as the slig stood over me. He remained silent, he wasn't even looking at me. Nat and Ash suddenly stepped back in alarm. The slig was shaking, he dropped his gun. A lens in his mask shattered showing a shocked eye. All his veins stood out from his skin, blood dripped from his mouth and fingernails. His neck snapped and his pants broke under him. He fell out of them, squirming around like a fleech, cracks appeared in his skin. We had our eyes fixed on him, he finally stopped in one position. Then he exploded, streams of blood and bones filled the room. His internal organs showered us, nothing remained in his place. "Yuck!" cried Nat wiping goo of his face and body. I wasn't as bad as him, all the parts had flew over my head. I smiled weakly at Nat, although we had not known each other long being a mud he had a large heart. He held my hand, I began to cry, I didn't want to die. Ash also cried, tears bursting through gaps in the stitching. I heard something behind me I turned too see a Mud land on the floor, he looked at us and began running too us. "Sorry Guys!" he said stopping in front of me.
"Who's there?" asked Ash.
"I'm Ian" said the Mud. The hum of the elevator started again, Ian turned. His back was covered in scars two large ones descending from his shoulders. They weren't like scar-eyes they had been stitched back again, had he been a Vykker subject?
"Hey!" cried Nat "What's happening? Why did the slig explode? What are you doing here?" He gasped tears running down his cheeks. He was scared. Ash couldn't and never would see any of the things, which had happened, but he was aware he knew I was injured.
"The slig exploded because I killed him, I can possess sligs" said Ian plainly. "But how?" asked Ash. "It's because I'm very abundant in spooce, I can chant single-handedly" he said. A squeak came from the lift, it opened and tons of Fuzzles erupted from it.....
The Fuzzles swarmed around and over us, at first I thought it was a Glukkon trap, but a familiar body was in the elevator.
"What's taking you so long?" asked Scar-eye walking over to us, leaving a trail from his bloody katana. "What's with the Fuzzles?" asked Ian. "Damn Bastards follow me everywhere!" Scar-eye replied. judging from what I could see he hadn't even been hit, he was invincible. I was glad he was with us.
"Ian" I said. "Yeah" said Ian, "can you heal me?" I asked.
"I'll try!" he said. White balls of light span round him and the humming started. Then a pair of huge yellow balls burst out from him engulfing me, then it stopped.
I sat up, I stopped bleeding, I began pulling bullets from the holes in my chest.
"Are we all ok now?" asked Scar-eye. "I think so.." I said. I looked at Ian. "Please will you come with us too?" I asked. "Yes I've got nothing to loose!" said Ian.
Despite his power he seemed very carefree, but that isn't a bad thing is it?
"Jim, there are Elite swat teams headed this way!" Scar-eye said "They're coming up in the lifts! the only ways back down are the ventilation shafts!" He finished.
I groaned, this was getting annoying. "What about the Fuzzles?" asked Ash, thousands of eyes surrounding him.
"They'll come too!" said Scar-eye
"Yay! I like Fuzzles!" said Nat.
We headed to a vent, "Jim as the leader of this operation I think It would be great if you led us!" said Ian
I shrugged and clambered into the hole.
The next forty minutes was like hell slipping and sliding down different passages. Suddenly I heard a slig voice "Give 'Em grenades!" he shouted and through a gap behind us several grenades appeared. I began crawling as fast as I could, taking any path. The grenades exploded and I felt myself being pushed into a huge hole as the weight of Nat, Ash,
Scar-eye, Ian and the Fuzzles crashed into my back....
Blackness, silence.

"Jim"
"Huh!"
"Can you hear me?"
"Yeah, who are you?"
"Your future"
"Huh? have we met before?"
"Only in the real world"
"What! what's that light?"
"Jim, do you remember me?"
"R... R. Rob?"
"You're a smart kid Jim!"
"What happened? one minute I'm in a shaft the next I'm... where am I?"
"This is your mind. It's empty, you're out cold"
"Arrgh! what's that, it's a Mudokon!"
"Jim, that's me don't you remember?"
"But it's got wings and a halo!"
"I died Jim"
"You mean you're a.. a..."
"An Angel?"
"Yeah!"
"Jim fate works in funny ways,"
"What do you mean?"
"Everyone has a small part to play in the world"
"Even me and you?"
"Yes. Jim you're chosen task is to spread the word of Abe beyond Mudos!"
"I do?"
"My fate is to help you Jim, I am returned as your Guardian Angel. I shall help you through out your journey....."
I awoke spinning in a large dark room, millions of eyes looking at me. I immediateley asumed I was in hell. "Am I dead?" I said out loud.
"Naww!" said Ian. "Just a little bump on the head!" said Nat. I was sitting on a fan, the fuzzles around me. "Odd! do we have to have these fuzzles everywhere!" I said climbing to my feet. There was a bit of blood on the floor, some fuzzles must have been diced in the fan. A horrible thought ocurred to me, where was Abe?
"Maybe we should head back down to where I found you?" I gestured to Ash and Nat. "Yes" said Scar-eye. "It's cold in here, we'd be better down there, theres a passage over there".
Scar-eye walked ahead, me behind him, Ash and Nat behind me and Ian and the Fuzzles at the back. "I was getting worried, we were taking any turn, I thought we were getting lost. I decided to keep up a good spirit and keep our team together. "Hey Scar-eye, where did you get those fuzzles from?" Ash asked. "They seem to follow me everywhere!" said Scar-eye.
Suddenly I heard a voice, two voices, they weren't from our group.
They were Mud voices. further ahead two Muds were leaning against the wall of the shaft.
"Hey! where are we?" one shouted at me.
I went to speak but Scar-eye stopped me "Nutters" he said "Ignore them". We walked on through the tunnel. Nat was figeting "Is something wrong?" asked Ian.
"Yeah!" said Nat with a tone of fright in his voice. "I feel like I'm being watched, I'm scared!" He said. I heard him "Hey Nat don't worry we've got Scar-eye with us!" I said trying to reasure him.
After a while Scar-eye went to stand by Nat so he felt more secure, while me and Ash led the group. We walked quietly except for the squeek of the fuzzles. As we aprouched a corner I heard the sound of dripping, the sight of.. it made me shudder. Blood dripped from the walls and covered the floor. Two Mudokon bodies lay in a corner, huge gashes in their bodies, they were bullet ridden and had huge slog teeth marks over their arms and legs....
I don't know what anyone else thought but this threw Nat over the edge. He flew into a fit, screaming and kicking. Scar-eye hit him sending him unconscious, but it was to late. Already I could hear slogs running and barking, their slig masters not far behind.
It was just an advanced sport to them, like the ancient paramite hunts of long ago. They would release slogs into vaults to kill the paramites, sadistic bastards. Scar-eye picked up Nat and slung him across his shoulders "come on, lets get out of here!" he yelled as two slogs ran into the shaft. He swung his katana at one removing its head. A Slig walked in "Scar-eye so glad to see you again!" he smiled pulling out his grenade gun. I had never seen anything like it, scar-eye raised his sword. The tip turned blue and a bolt of lightning struck the ground. "Zelt! you bastard!" cried scar-eye. I had heard that name before, but Ian stopped me from remembering "Jim take the others and run! I'll help here!" He said giving the unconscious Nat to me. I was about to ask how he could help but he was about to show me anyway. He howled, his head turned green his eyes melting into his skin.
His mouth opened revealing a six foot tongue and sharp teeth. His arms bulged with muscles, two more arms burst out of his sides. His legs shrunk down into those of a slogs and large spikes burst from the stitches in his back. I was going to watch the fight but Rob's voice came in my head "Jim! run, get out and go to where you met Abe!" it said. I didn't hesitate in grabbing Ash's hand and picking up Nat and legging it as a battle of slig, Mud, wierdo and Fuzzle started....
We walked for about an hour, my legs aching as we walked on the cold, hard metal floor.
Nat had recovered, Ash listening to his own footsteps was able to tell where to go, something I will never understand.
I longed for the wild, for Leo for an Elum.
Eventually we reached a hatch, I opened it... It was a lift shaft.
I collapsed on the floor sweating, then Nat called me. "Jim the elevator is coming down!" he said. I scrambled to my feet thinking of a way to get down. Then the lift came by stopping just below us. "Jim, what are waiting for? go on the lift" said Rob.
"Let's go on the lift" I said. We jumped on top of the lift. "We'll get of at floor 7" I said. As we aproached seven I saw that the door was open. A sligs gun was wedged between the doors, the alarm on that floor was on. We jumped off landing in the zulag. Carved slig bodies littered the floor. Nat shuddered "Jim, did Scar-eye come here?" he asked. "Yes" I said. I was getting more serious by the minute, "Jim" came Ash's voice. "Yeah?" I said. "Did you see Ian transform?" he asked. "Yes, we all did except Nat" Nat tapped me. "Was I bad when I saw those Mud bodies?" he asked. I descided to lie "No you just went to sleep" I said as we trudged through the Zulag, we were getting closer...
I'm sure we had already slowed down the factory, voices kept hounding sligs and Glukkons to report to the main offices. But the Sligs were all being killed and with Abe and me around Mudokons were running out too...
"Wait! I've had an idea!" I said. "What?" asked Nat. "Shipment dates have been missed! I know how we can get out of here!" I said "How!" asked Ash and Nat eagerly.
"Feeco keeps it's trains here sometimes, we could board a train and get out of here!"
"What about Scar-eye and Ian?" asked Ash.
"Knowing them they'll fight their way out, or Abe'll get them!" I said.
"Where are the trains kept?" asked Ash. "Last but one floor!" I said. We were getting excited, we had worked hard to get this far....
Floor 7 housed one of the main Brewery store rooms. Ash of course would never see the astounding sight of it. Judging quickly I said it was about two miles around the outside. Barrels and Boxes were stacked to the roof everywhere. We were on a high walkway near the ceiling but we would soon get a closer view of the room. Nat was leening over the handrail "Jim come look at this!" he called. I walked to him and peered over at the bottom there was a huge machine producing soulstorm brew bottles. As I looked at it something fell out of my loincloth. It was smooth and flat and fell straight down into the gears of the machine.
There was a click then a hiss "Jim What's that?" asked Ash. "Ummm, I dropped my cardkey in the Machine" I then heard a shout from behind me and once again we were greeted with bullets. A few hit Nat in the leg who lost his balance and fell over the rail, then they fired at Ash. I ran and pushed him over the rail diving to avoid the bullets. My hand fell on an empty brew bottle which a hurled at the enemy. It wasn't very afective but bought me enough time to jump the rail and fall into the maze... I fell onto something hard. I looked down to see I was lying on a box. A rolled off and landed next to Ash.
"Where the hell am I?" Questioned Ash.
"THERE THEY ARE" yelled one of the sligs opening fire on us. I ducked pulling Ash with me then ran quickly behind the nearest crate. It was a bone crate and about 9 feet tall. I went to ask Ash about Nat but a bullet shot straigt through the crate narrowly missing me. It hit the opossite crate which started to leak brew. "God" I murmered. "Jim!" I heard Nat shout from somewhere to the right. "Come quickly".
I ran with Ash in the direction of the voice and dived behind a strangly shaped crate.
Nat sat beside me. Suddenly bullets came flying everywhere, smashing crates and barrels. A huge crate crashed sideways onto ours. A barrel crashed into some smaller crates which blocked our right. A barrel rolled right up to our left and got lodged in the gap. There were more crashes as crates piled on top of us. Finally everything went silent, we were on our own in our own small little hole.
I awoke to darkness.
"Rob is this where we were before?" I whispered.
"Jim? is that you?" came Nat's voice from my right. I was surprised to find I wasn't dead and floating in heaven with Rob. After all we had been buryed by about twenty or more crates. "Nat where are we?" I asked looking in his direction. "Somewhere in the warehouse" said Nat. "Where's Ash?" I asked.
"Sleeping" Answered Nat. A bullet hole in the crate I was leaning against opened into what appeared to be scrab cakes. I took one and swallowed it whole. The crate on my left contained brew bottles. I took one. Ok I confess, I took about ten. I had missed Abe now, by far. The brewery was probably collapsing around us, we didn't know wether Scar-eye was dead or alive nor Ian. It was bad. Now, even by my standards, it was time to get pissed. I cracked open the first bottle and took a large swig. My head was spinning by the third swig. I think I heard Nat calling me but I couldn't grasp his words. I took another swig this time finishing the bottle. I cracked open the second with much trouble as my sight was going by now. I managed it and took a long swig. I continued to drink for what appeared to be a lifetime until, totally sick and exhausted I fell asleep.
I awoke to the sounds of footsteps outside. Nat and Ash were still asleep. I heard more footsteps, this time I could distinguish them as Mudokon steps. I wearily crawled to barrel and somehow over a 15 minute period squeezed through a small gap.
I stood in a murky red brown puddle, Slig blood and lots of it. Corpses too. They all appeared to have been stabbed, some repeatedly, blood oozing from their wounds. And yet, all of the corpses had something in common. Cut into their flesh was an ancient symbol of which I could only just remember the meaning.

A cross inside a star, which was inside a circle. This was the ancient symbol of mudokon spiritual fighters. I quickly followed the trail with joy, thinking Scar-eye must have visited, but as I turned the corner I a frightening sight met my eyes.
Three Mudokons sat praying on the floor in front of a slig. This slig looked different from other sligs because he had no mask. On his back he had a large tattoo bearing the symbol. He held a sword in his hands also bearing Mudokon symbols I couldn't make out.
He cried "stupid sligs! always working for Glukkons just for the money," he spat on a corpse "But we are different, my kind we're here to show both Muds and Glukkons they can stop arguing because neither of them are the chosen species, this you fools is the day of the SLIG!" He began to laugh hysterically until the end of a blade emmerged from his stomach...
This time however the blade DID belong to Scar-eye.
"Thank odd" I said tripping over a corpse as I stepped back. I looked down seeing, instead of a Slig corpse the dead body of a Mudokon met my eyes. I stood up hastily to see that the three Muds that had just been praying were now all dead. Each of their bodies bore the symbol. I looked at nearby crates, the symbol painted on them in blood. I looked down, We were standing on a huge symbol.
"Scar-eye where's Ian?" I asked.
"Dead"
"Wh..W..What?!"
"You heard"
"But... how?"
"Same as these guys, he was marked by a 'Dark Mudokon Star' "
"A what?"
"A dark mudokon star, the symbol you see right now all around you"
"What does the symbol of a dark mud star represent?" I asked nervously.
"Someone marked by the star never escapes death by the Dark mudokon hand, oh and before you ask they are like those mudokons you see there now, marked by a tattoo of the symbol".

I was going to ask why Ian had been marked but then I remembered the slig also having the tattoo.

"Scar-eye, what about that slig?"
"Now that I cannot explain"
"Hmm, you seem quite knolegeable in this area of dark muds, why?"

He sighed,
"I too have been marked by a star, that is why I learned the sword techniques you see, to fend off any dark warriors"

"did they come?" I asked
"Yes, one night I was here working when a dark warrior appeared and tried to kill me, of course I won, but I lost an eye
in the process, then they thought I had killed another imployee and locked me up with all the nutters in the brig".

Suddely I felt overwelmed be a sudden pain in my back. I jerked around and saw nothing but the pain didn't stop.

"What's wrong?" Asked Scar-eye worriedly
"I..."
"What?"

The pain increased until I fell down in agony. Then the voice came into my head.

"Jim, get the hell out of there with the others, they're trying to kill you!"

"What?!"

"Jim, don't worry about me, just get out of there fast!"

"Rob! is that you"

"Don't worry about it..."

I got to my feet and turned to Scar-eye.
"What was all that in aid of?"
"Come on," I said "We must leave here now..."
It took us an hour to get through the storeroom. We climbed up a ladder at the exit that bought us out in a vast room of pipes. Nat sneezed and it echoed about twenty times.
"I think I cought a cold in there" he said looking embarrassed.
"Ok, now every God damn rat, mud, sliggin' fool in the place knows we're here" scowled Scar-eye.
"Relax," said Ash "I mean who's gonna look for us in here?" he finished.

However I felt differently, I could almost hear whispering.
"Let's just hurry and get out" I said
"Well said" agreed Nat
So we walked through the great steel palace of macinery and pipes. Often I heard wispers, 'He's dead this time for sure' and 'Yes the weak one'
In the dark corners big rats moved quietly and above us great spiders spun massive webs from pipe to pipe.
I could hear footsteps echoing off the floor and I asked Scar-eye who just said they were from the rats.
Against one of the large pipes was a map. It had all the propers areas graffitied over but one name had been added on the area we were standing on. 'Ice's palace'

Scar-eye laughed "some place ey?"
I put on a fake smile and turned face the shadows, but I jumped back into the others startling them and making Ash fall over.
I was face to face with a mud shrouded in a black, hooded garment.

"How dare you insult King Ice and his followers" came his blank unemotional voice. "You must now face the consequences"
"Huh?" asked Ash
"No questions, you are coming with me, Dac" he said.

I turned to make run for it but I fell to my knees in pain. The stabbing feeling came again in my back. This time it increased beond belief, as if someone were cutting through my flesh with a molten hot poker. I heard gasps around me from the others as smoke appeared to be coming from my back. Gradually the pain became less until it was about the strength of your average headache.

"You have made the mistake fool" said Dac
"No-one escapes from the Dark Mud Hand, you have been marked!"

I got to my feet and reflected by the pipes looking at me from all around was a huge red and black symbol, tattooed on my back...
We found ourselves sitting on a hard metal floor in what seemed to be the throne room. Muds stood around all wearing hooded robes of dark colours. Cobwebs draped the walls of pipes and in front of a massive pipe was the throne. It appeared to be a combination of a barrel and an old pipe, it too was draped in webs. Of course, you could heasily overlook the fact that someone or something was sitting on it as it appeared to just be another hooded garment just without a wearer.

Then it moved, the hood turned and looked at us. Inside the blackness were a pair of small, glinting, yellow eyes.
The figure seemed to stretch out it's neck revealing the shape of it's long up-pointing head. It then poked out it's feet from under the robes. They were handfeet, it was unmistakeably a Glukkon. It stood up and the robes evened out revealing it's incredibly thin, frail body.He hobbled over to us slowly as his thin legs looked very weak. One kick would have probably made him fall apart, So I have no idea what damage Scar-eye's blade would have done. He went to speak but instead he coughed a pathetic old man cough. He removed his hood revealing an ancient face, skin stretched tight across his bones revealing the shape of his withered skull. He pulled off his robes completely showing he was dressed in mere rags. His chest was hardly there and his arms and legs were all skin and bone. He coughed again and began speech.

"I am Ice, king of the great realm you see before you," came his low voice.
His eyes fell on Scar-eye.
"And leader of the Dark Mudokon Hand".
My heart sank, this Glukkon, Ice was the leader of the group who had killed Ian and marked me and Scar-eye. His henchmen were all around too, All muds in hoods. I felt that I was expected to speak.
"Good day to you" I managed.
"Oh," he said "but is it, indeed a good day may I ask? No for you have deliberately trespassed into the land of my people, that my friend is a very serious crime"

Ash tapped me, "This guy means business!" He wispered.
Ice spun around and looked at Scar-eye.
"You were born into our 'organisation' weren't you Fin?" He said smirking.
"You're a real fool Ice!" said Scar-eye
"Oh am I, No, I didn't try to run from my destiny did I Fin, but you did, and you paid for it severely," He smirked again and walked closer to Scar-eye "That's a terrible scar, I can't believe that that rookie managed to Scar you so badly!"
Scar-eye gripped his Katana
"Don't even think about it!" Yelled Dac, pointing his finger at
Scar-eye.
I took this moment to step in.
"What is it exactly that your group do?" I asked uneasily.
"Well," said Ice " that is difficult to explain, I hate to use the word Necromancers but I wouldn't consider you to think any less".
"That's the wrong word for it!," piped in Scar-eye "You're just plain evil, brainwashing young naive mudokons into becoming Dark Mages"

A scowl came across Ice's ancient face. "I wouldn't say those kind of things if I were you, if you were to escape your own unavoidable death!"
Dac stepped up "Master, don't let them forget that I could kill them with one spell"

"Don't forget boy that we have more slow and painful methods," He said "Bring in the rack"

I gulped and I heard Scar-eye too.

Two Muds carried in a huge table like object with spikes on it.
The spikes were rusted with blood. Nat fainted in a fit.

"Now who first?" Pondered Ice
He pointed at me. "I think you will do nicely"
Ash gulped and my stomach churned.
I went very shakily over to the torture device and was hit heavily with a metal bar. Dizzily I felt myself being lifted, then something amazing happened. A black beam shot from the tattoo on my back to Ice. It cleanly removed half of his arm. He screamed. More black beams shot into most of the surrounding guards. I found that I was becoming less and less contious. The last thing I remember hearing was "You'll pay later my friend!"........
So there I was, stuck in a makeshift cell. Like everthing else in Ice's kingdom it was made of pipes. I had been completely separated from the others. Scar-eye and I were both marked and could use some sort of black magic as defence but Ash and Nat probably were already dead. My meeting with Ice had aroused many questions in my mind.

Why was Scar-eye born a Necromancer?,
Who possibly could have attacked him and nearly won?,
Who was Ian?,
How had Ice existed so long in this piperoom with the Glukkons getting to him?,
Who was Ice exactly?

I spent a period of three days in the cell, worrying myself sick, I mean Abe could blow up the brewery any minute! It didn't help that the mud 'looking after me' was Dac. I had many bruises, I must have been messed around after I had fallen uncontios. I heard that Ice had permanently lost an arm and I smiled but the heat increased in my tattoo till it bled.

"Who attacked Sc.. Fin?" I asked Dac one day.
"Some rookie"
"What was his name?"
"Leo"
"Wha..."

My heart sank.

"Yes his master, Rob was a right goody twoshoes, best thing we ever did, throw him out!"

My heart sank into my stomach.
I had been dealing with Necromancers.
I had been dealing with Murderers.
I had been dealing with pure evil itself...

I had no friends.
Scar-eye was just a cold hardened killer.
Leo had been a member of the dark hand.
So had Rob.
Nat was just a stupid young follower.
Ash was just a blind old man.
Ian was just a death wish and he got it.

I stood up and yelled.
"I hate them! they hate me It's all just a big mess!"
I continued yelling shit like this until the pain in my back died and my head started to sting. I couldn't stop, I just had to scream...
I was standing in the piperoom, on my own. The rats and Spiders seemed way more menacing now I was alone. I heard voices again and spun around, my heart pounding. I walked for hours, lost among great monsters of machines and... pipes. Until I turned a corner and saw a gruesome sight. A dead Mudokon body lay against a pipes. huge gashes and holes in it's chest. It's face has been burned and mutilated beond recognition. But one feature made it unmistakeably clear to who it was.
On It's arms were chain marks and two simple tattoos. They bore the word 'Ash'.

I quickly left that place and walked further untilI came upon a great spider web hanging like a curtain. I pulled it aside and found myself in the throneroom of Ice's palace. Ice sat in his chair his body normal, he had two perfectly fine arms. The regulars were there too but there were two additions to the group. One seemed to undergoing some kind of initiation seremony. The figures seemed to be oblivious to my prescence so I felt no fear in removing the hood of the mud. I stood back alarmed. This red eyed figure was Nat. No doubt about it. I hastily turned and looked to the other figure. He had been called by some other muds. I decided to follow. They went behind a set of pipes. I froze.
A mud with a scarred eye was held up on a rack. The mud was handed a whip and together the muds whipped Scar-eye who screamed in pain. He looked weak now. Much more than before.
"Go on Leo!" said one of the other muds.
I turned and ran. What could possibly be happening here?
I suddenly hit a wall and found myself in a different place. I turned and saw that I was in a Forest. I had run into a tree. Further up the path a mud was walking along. He looked just like me except he had red eyes. He turned and I saw his tattoo. Just like mine. He was alone and lost, except for a restless aparition floating above him.
Then everything melted into blackness. A blurred figure appeared before my eyes. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. It was an Angel of Rob. Then he caught my gaze... and changed.
The feathery wings dissapeared, His body turned black and his feather shrank, His eyes closed and he drooped horribly. A six foot spike impaled him and stuck into the ground which resembled a stockyard. He just stood there dead, without even an angel. Then Rob's voice came into my head.

"Jim, you must understand that you cannot avoid fate. Although you are trying to resist the black magic you will find it incredibly hard. It even made you forget your friends."

The images flashed in front of me one by one.

"Look what would have happened to everyone if you hadn't helped them."

"You mean this is just my imagination?"

"No boy! this is reality IF you don't help your friends and get out!"

I woke up suddenly, sweating. The pain in my back was increasing. I stood up trying to control it. I could feel it struggling with me then it suddenly maxed out. It was unimaginable. Like being burned, stretched, tickled, shot, ripped and impaled all at once. I was going to faint again but then...
"Hmm, you are indeed powerful" Came the voice of Ice in my head.
"What is happening to me!" I yelled

The pain suddenly ceased "Nothing my friend, it is nothing"
I looked around wildly. I looked upon the door which for some strange reason was wide open. I hesitated.

"Come outside"

I stepped wearily through the door. I looked up and down the passage. The cells were all empty. I walked in the direction I thought we had first came in from when something kicked me in the back.
I turned and found myself face to face with Ice.
"If you have any sense you will surrender now and become a member of the Dark Hand!"

I chose no. I long fight ensued which Ice nearly won. At one point I pushed his head agaist a hot pipe. He screamed in pain until I released him. Half of his face was burned raw down to the bone in places. His one remaining eye scowled. He retaliated by cutting through a pipe with a spell. Steam shot at me blinding me temperarily. I copied his idea by grabbing a bar. I smacked a pipe which sprayed Ice with oil. The next pipe didn't break but sparks flew off igniting the oil. Ice stood up burned and bleeding and ran at me. I fell off balance. He uttered a few words. His foot turned into a red hot branding iron. He reached for my chest. I prayed.

A large blade answered my prayers cutting through the steel brander which fell useless on the floor.
I muttered "Glanrond Ethyrnt nasven" I knew it as an ancient word for 'fall before the light'.

The Brander turned into the sign of peace. I grabbed it and mindlessly thrust it against Ices Heart.

He instantly fell dead in front of me... I lifted my head. Screaming echoed down the corridor. Both me and Scar-eye turned to see the source of it. Mudokons were running at us, Some dying as they ran. Some fell dead others exploded into Rats or spiders which ate the corpses, Some just burst into blood. The blood wasn't red it was thick, black and murky.
One lone Mud made it to us. It was Dac, but not as he had been before. He looked older and his evil looks had vanished. He removed his robe and fell to his knees next to the corpse of Ice.
His stomach lurched. Then he was sick. But it wasn't sick that came out. No, Dac had projectile vomiting of Rats and spiders and snakes.

All the Creatures of the dead muds and Dac slowly were drawn to Ice's corpse. They seemed to burrow into him, it was messy.
Then smoke filled the room. The robe and staff were all that remained and then, they too were vanished as a flame engulfed them.
Dac looked up at me and groaned, a few small spiders scuttled out of his mouth. I walked around him. He had no tattoos, they had dissapeared.
"His..."
"I know," said Scar-eye "Yours has too"
"It has?"
"Yeah"
"Yours as well!"
"Whoop ee doo!" He said Sarcastically.

Dac groaned "My master is dead, I am doomed"
"Hey! take it easy" Said Nat appearing suddenly.
"Nat!" I yelped
Ash hobbled over to us.
"Ash!" I also yelped

"I am a failure, I have made a big mess"
"Don't say that!" I said
"It's true, I always mess up. I dedicated my life to evil and I failed at that too"
"Try learning from your mistakes"
"I have tryed and I shall try again, and fail terribly"
"I was born into this freakshow!" Said Scar-eye
"Yeah, and he came through!" Said Ash.

"I bring bad luck"
"Hell, maybe your right but I know one thing. You are the only one to survive that and we need you and your gonna come!" I said.
"You may have messed up but now all you can do is leave this place. Dedicate your life to getting out of here!"

"Hmmm, very well I shall try"
"Jim run! I sense something very bad is going to happen! get all of them out of there!" came Robs voice.

Something very, very bad happened next...
Flax the Glukkon sat in his office smoking his cigar and worrying about the problems in the factory over the past twenty one hours.
First had been the escaping of a mudokon from his zulag, then the spawners and tear x-tractors had shut down, Abe had entered the building freeing mud slaves, The legendary 'Fin' had escaped the brig and the floor seven incident. He was completely oblivous to the fact that our group was responisble. I was also amazed that he had no idea that Ice had been living there right under his nose for so long.

A slig ran in, "Boss! the pipes aren't working!"
"Check the piperoom, thats the only place where they are exposed" Said Ice.

"Ok, disbatch a search team to the piperoom" the slig said down the radio.

"Er... we cannot gain acess, the piperoom is on fire sir!"
"Boss the piperoom is on fire"

"Damn I could have guessed" Said Flax.

Abe freed the last mudokon and lept through the portal.

"Sir we have 300 mudokons unacounted for"
"Our entire workforce is missing!" Yelled Flax.
"It couldn't get any worse"

The piperoom smelled of smoke from the fires burning all around us as we walked towards the exit. It was quiet except for the cracking of flames. Then I heard it.

Bang

"Did you hear that?" Said Dac.
"Yeah"
"Definately"
"Of course"
"Yes" I said

"Thank Odd" He said
"Why?" asked Ash
"Just incase I was going mad"

Then BANG, ... ,BANG,Bang,BaNG,BANG.

"The hell!" Yelled Scar-eye.
"The brew vats are exploding!" I said
"Abe has gone!" said Nat

"**** Abe! get outa here now!" Yelled Scar-eye
"All my fault" Groaned Dac.

So we ran and the explosions shook the building.

"Calling all workers, report to the office now..." "For..."
"We..." Ar..e..." "In...." Deee..eep" "Shit"

The intercom went off and the piperoom exploded as pipes shot their contents in every direction. They cancelled each other out as we dived through the door leading back into the floor eight corridor.

"Quick take the elavator!" Said Scar-eye.

He opened the door and stepped onto a thin ledge. We were in broad daylight. He turned around to look at the building.

"Holy!..."

The floors above us were missing, a mere framework remained. The tanks had ignited blowing the entire building above floor 8.

"What now!" asked Nat
"Bad luck..." Said Dac

"Stop the negative attidude!" said Ash.

"This is simple," Said Scar-eye "We have to go along that platform" He said pointing a a collapsed frame work.

"Er... Scar-eye that IS just a girder!" I said

"We can't can't go back down that Tower, we have to cross this framework to the other"

"That Tower is the main one!" said Nat "The Brewmaster and Flax are in there!"

"Bad luck!" Said Ash
"Don't insult me!" Sighed Dac...
We crossed the girder in single file. After a while it led to a catwalk that went to the Tower. There were many walkways leading off ours but strangely enough there were no Sligs to be seen except one who was sleeping on the job in the distance.
The odds were in our favour.

"Thank God!" I sighed "We're finally safe for a while"
"Let's rest a while" Said Ash
"Agreed" Said Nat and Scar-eye
Dac was quiet, he seemed deep in thought.

We sat with our backs to the handrails. I sat with Nat and Ash on one side while Dac and Scar-eye were on the other.
Nat dozed off into a snooze along with Dac who was half asleep most of the time. Me and Ash were well awake but relaxed unlike Scar-eye who was keeping an eye on Dac.

Ash sensed he was uneasy "What's wrong?" He asked.
"I have a bad feeling" Said Scar-eye.
"Don't be silly!" I said "What could possibly happen?"


"Oh my dear boy! A lot could happen and it will! Your group of clowns is cursed!" Came a strange whisper in my head.

"Rob? is that you"

The voice spat. "Fool, I am no do-gooder!"

"That voice! Isn't that..."

"Ice?"

"No way, how is that possible!"

"A lot is possible by way of fate! You will see what I mean!"

"What are you talking about!"

"In a few minutes... you will see!"

"Jim What's up" Said Nat.

The entire group was looking at me, I was vissibly shaken.

"N..Nothing!" I managed.
"This cold is no good, let us go inside!" said Ash.

We headed for the door the sleeping slig far away to our left.
It was silent and our footsteps made no noise until.

"Aagh!" Yelled Dac.

He had fallen through a trap door and was holding on for his life.
The slig jumped up and we were bombarded with gunfire. Assault teams appeared and shot at us. The odds were suddenly the complete opposite...
I turned to see that I was in a completely different place. I was sitting on a leather seat in some Glukkon lounge. My heart stopped as my eyes fell on the body of Nat. He was dead. Full of bullets. Ash and Scar-eye were missing, while I felt a tug on my wrist.
I was wearing a handcuff on one wrist that was attached to Dac's wrist. Dac, racked with bullets but alive was sleeping and from the looks of things having a bad nightmare. I appeared to be completely untouched by the bullets not having a single mark on my body.

Dac rolled and dragged me with him "Keep him alive" He muttered as he slept.

"Oh we will!" Said a Glukkon voice...
A Glukkon approached us. "Just as he says you shall be spared"

"What the hell," I stuttered, lost for words with the death of Nat and this sudden appearance.
"why is Nat dead?" I asked.
"He isn't, just yet, nearly though"
"What?"
"He is being simulated by a supercomputer, unless you do as I say the computer will be shut down along with him!"
"You Bastard! why are you doing this"

I pointed and glared at him.

"Hah, you shall never defeat the mighty Flax! unless you want to die yourself!"
"You're Flax?"
"Yes, I'm the defiant vice-owner of this very facility"
"I bet it shook you when floor eight blew up!" I laughed.
"No, in fact we knew all along that you were trying to escape and believe me, it took some trouble getting you!"
"What?"
"Well, allow me to explain, you have two towers and a lot of ground space in this brewery. Somwhere within it you have a group of targets you can't find. One is the greatest mudokon katana user ever on oddworld, another is a blind old mud with enogh knowledge to destroy this brewery at any moment, the youngest member is a victim of severe fits and if provoked could kick the life out of any Slig or Glukkon. And finally there's you, the invisible target that Sligs aren't allowed to shoot. A quite hard to reach group, it took the sligs twenty five hours to get you"

I was lost for words, what did he mean 'not allowed to shoot'.

"Well, that isn't for you to know"
"Can you read my mind?"
"No, it's this!" He pointed at a small microchip on a table.
"You too are joined to a supercomputer that is connected to one of those chips. I have one implanted in my brain, it lets me tell what you are thinking"

I suddenly felt very small...
"How long have you been able to see what I think?" I asked.
"In the last hour the chips were implanted in us" He answered.
"This brewery is falling apart! We'll all die soon"
"It is true that the other tower and much of the ground zulags have been damaged or destroyed, but our work teams are around for fixing that now. Come with me and I'll show you something!"

He called over a slig who undid the handcuff from Dac and secured both of my wrists.

"Now follow me" Said Flax leading me out of the lounge and into a service lift. It took us down to a computer programming floor.
Sligs, Vykkers and Interns were sat at desks and programming some sort of file. One computer was free. He led me through into a noise proof office. My eyes fell on a massive computer chip. It was twice as tall as Flax.

"This," he said "is the original chip, mine and yours are made from the same technology however, this one deals on a much larger scale".

"What's it for?" I asked, still amazed by the ingenious of the chip.

"You cannot know that, not even they know!" He said pointing his head towards the sligs, Vykkers and Interns.
"They are mindlessly programming what could be their own death!" He laughed.

"Why are you showing me this?"
"We need your knowledge of Abe to finish the data file"
"you shall have nothing from me"
"Do as I say or else Nat will die!"

I was lost in thought, to save the life of Nat and probably the others too I had to co-operate with this mad man. But Rob had said my destiny and fate was to spread the words of Abe beyond Mudos, not to some Glukkon who would most likely use the knowledge against Abe.

"Jim, it's me Rob, Do as he says and be not afraid!" said Rob.

"Jim is your name huh, well like your angelic friend says you should do as I say"

"Well clown, I see you're up to your neck in it now. Whatever will you do!"

"Hah hah! You really are a mess. Your best friends and worst enemies speak to you from the grave!"

I had no choice.

"Ok, I shall tell you"
"Good, now go on the free Computer and type in everything you know"

I walked over to the computer and began what could have been the saviours down fall...
Obviously, It seemed impossible for me to escape. It was impossible to put one foot out of line without Flax seeing and thinking whatever I planned to do.
All I could do was mindlessly type away at the file, at least if it was finished I would have some kind of bargaining chip for the others' lives.
It took two days for the file to be finished. When I was ready I had to upload it to the chip. I was very curious at this point as to why they wanted my info on Abe to be included in the chip.
Even though I was finished with my work Flax persisted that I stay. He let me read magog monthly magazines to pass the time. I had little choice but to read them. It turned out that there wasn't many there. This was because Sligs and other workers were pouring over them for info to upload to the chip.
The rest of the time I slept. I think the chip had something to do with that. Anyway One night I just woke up for no reason. I wasn't having a dream or nightmare, nobody had shook me or roused me. This left one answer, Flax had purposely woken me up.
I imediately heard Robs voice.

Jim, hurry the chip is almost ready get in the lab and see what's going on!

I walked into the room with the computers, it was empty except for one lone Slig typing away vigourously. The noise he was making covered my presence. Flax was nowhere to be seen.
A nearby screen said 99% upload for the chip. I suddenly understood that this was my only escape chance. If I could possess the Slig I could find the file for unlocking the doors and rescue the others.

I began to chant...
I had never possessed anything before. It was kind of strange controlling some mindless creature from my own mind. I wasn't so good at it, the slig immediately ended up on his back. I got him up on his feet again. Unfortunately, looking at the screen it wasn't going to be easy to open the doors. The upload had to made before the program could be closed. I had to be quick. I began the upload. Suddenly the slig just exploded. I was back controlling myself again. The intercom buzzed and then Flax's voice came through.

"All employee's make your way out of the main Brewery, repeat, All employee's evacuate the building. The doors will all lock down in ten minutes from now"

I ran to the door which led to the room Nat and Dac had been in.
Dac was pacing up and down, there was no sign of Nat.
"Dac!, where is Nat!" I yelled as Dac looked at me.
"Jim, you're alive!" He cried running to me "we have to leave now, they took Nat"

He ran towards the door and I followed him. He suddenly stopped and fell to the floor. He had been shot with a snuzi and now was fast asleep.

"Jim" said Flax's voice in my head.
"It's time I told you why you lived so long, I'm guessing you'll soon be dead so this is your last chance. The truth is we have been using you as a carrier and finder of information we needed for our project"

"Project...?" I wondered what he was talking about.

"All you can know is that we were trying to create the ultimate living weapon. It has the same chip technology as you and I. That supercomputer the chip was linked to transferred uploaded information into the creatures chip. Even though you only typed about Abe we were able to get your life story through the chip. We know everything about you. Your friends were useful too, but lets begin with you. We now know through you how Mudkons act in situations. All of them were especially staged for you and adapted for what had already occured. In fact this entire Brewery is nothing more than a decoy for the magog's weapon creation. We planned everything carefully. We knew that the mining of Mudokon bones would attract unwanted saviour wannabe's so we predicted that Abe would turn up. Ice had been hiding in our facility for sometime praticing his magic. We knew that your team could destroy him and gain knowledge of black magic, also added to our file. We staged situation upon situation including Ian and Leo to lure you into showing us Mudokon thinking and emotion. Your friends were also good sources for basics that were hard to cover. For instance, being Blinded and still keeping your guard, excellent agility, coping with depression. All were added to our data base"

"You... used us?" I stuttered

"Yes, sadly it is almost over for you. Dac is in a state of deep sleep. He can't be woken until the effect of the shot wares off. He is also fitted with a sensor that will trigger a senquence of exolsions in the main building. It looks like he kept his promise, he is the unluckiest thing alive for you"...
I had act quickly. Almost mindlessly. I had about five minutes to get Dac and myself out of the tower and down to the underground area. On inspection the device attached to Dac had five second timer. The amount of time that I touched him would be deducted each time.
I ran to the lift which I had seen Sligs go up and down in a few times. I pounded the button and waited for the lift to rise.
I kind of threw Dac into the lift when it came as it would deduct less time than carrying him. I set the panel for the first floor basement and climbed into the lift. The descent seemed to last forever. Dac was the same as ever and I was careful to avoid his writhing in case of destroying the building. It was now that I thought I had made a mistake. I had no idea what was in store for us at the bottom.
I had an idea, I would hurl Dac out first as whatever was at the bottom wouldn't touch him hopefully.
The floor was rapidly approaching. Suddenly we were there and the door burst open. Sligs rushed at us in rows as I threw Dac into the centre of the small room. They avoided him and surrounded both of us.
The familiar figure of Flax stood behind them.
"Very good you'd make a great infiltration expert If I couldn't see what you were doing at all times"
He walked to the side, behind his tall figure was Nat asleep on a chair.
"He too is asleep, he was shot at exactly the same time as Dac. I think it will be an interesting reunion when they wake up, which should be any minute now in fact"

Nat stirred as did Dac. Nat opened his eyes and yawned.
The snuzi drug created atificial sleep and the effect wore off instantly after waking up. Nat, now fully awake set eyes on Dac, now also fully awake.

"Dac!" He cried rushing to him.
"No!" I yelled as they touched

Every Slig and Flax suddenly dived for cover as the sensor beeped. I was left standing with my eyes closed expecting to be swept of my feet by a large explosion. It didn't happen I opened both eyes suspiciously. Some of the sligs were getting up again now.

"Boss, you said it was a threat!" said a slig to Flax
"It is!" Said Flax now standing nearby.

All was quiet, Dac noticed the sensor and pulled it off throwing it in a corner.

Then it came. An almost silent rumbling noise echoing continuously everytime getting slightly louder. We all cowered together as the noise got as loud as someone speaking. It passed slowly over and rubble gathered in the lift shaft.
It started pouring in.

The sligs now stood up and pointed their guns at us three muds.

"You have surved your purpose here it is time you stop..."

The door on the left hand wall fell in and Scar-eye burst in followed by a bunch of other muds.
They moved swiftly all the muds apart from Scar-eye went straight for a Slig wrenching his gun from his hands and pointing it at his head. All the sligs were now not harmful. Turning around I saw Scar-eye slide behind Flax and push him over. He swung his sword down and placed it neatly on the back of Flax's neck.

The odd's were now much in our favour...
"Nobody move!" said Scar-eye to the Sligs.

The intercom muffled through a damaged microphone.
"Doors prepared for lock down. Locking will be carried out in one minute please evacuate"

Sacar-eye nodded to me gesturing towards the open door. I nodded and led Dac and Nat through.

"Kill the Sligs" Scar-eye told the other muds as he led Flax through the door.
The Sligs were executed with their own guns and the other muds entered the room as well. As the last one closed the door it locked.
The room was square in shape with the lift room we had been in a central separate room. It overlooked, through a large window, a vast cavern. The other walls were equipped with computers and other technological devices. On a nearby office chair sat Ash, our group was reunited.

"Jim," said Scar-eye, "These Mudokons helped me and Ash to escape. They were testing and info gatherers just like us"

One lone mud walked up to me. "Hi I'm Ben and these are Tom, Bob, Jak, Edd and Joe. Sadly I'm the only one of our group who can still speak, thanks to him" He pointed at Flax.

"Hang on now" Said Scar-eye looking at Flax.
"We want some anwsers, what is this place?"

Flax raised his head to look at us.
"This is the control room, the most important part of Soulstorm brewery or, The Soulstorm Weapon Project! It was from this room that we Tracked you and your friends throughout your journey. As you can see, this room overlooks an underground cavern. Somewhere in that cave is the product of all that reasearch I had all you guys do. We discovered this cave and its resident years ago. Then when the Glock Stars decided upon this weapon project we came across an egg. We had already encountered the mother an..."

I stopped him.
"Wait a minute, what is it your talking about here?" I asked

"Dragons, or something like that. It's an old Mudokon tale that made no sense until we discovered this lair. We think it's the last one left which makes it a perfect weapon as only another Dragon can stand up to it"

A muffled roaring noise came from within the cave.
Flax sighed then spoke.

"Ah, the beast awakes"...
We rushed to the window staring into the cavern. We could see an empty area and then darkness. Suddenly, but slowly came the glow of it's red eyes in the gloom. The light became clearer until it's head appeared. It had two large horns pointing forward and it's mouth spurted flames. Smoke came through it's nostrils when it breathed out. It's legs were huge and thick, it shook the cave when it moved. It's body was massive, connecting to it's long neck and tail and sporting lots of spines on it's back that stuck up into the air. It let out a mighty roar and flames shot high from its mouth. It was definitely a dangerous beast and combined with the Knowledge it had been given it was a weapon to be frightened of.

"Well," smiled Flax "There you have it, the result of our project. Of course it isn't all brute force and Knowledge, it is equipped with all manner of gadgetry. Such as it's weapon defense system. It is with a magnetic force that makes all weapons useless even atomicboommissiles wont stop it!"

"But you still have us to deal with!" said Ash

"That's right, I'll dispose of you then I'll be ready to attack Oddworld with my weapon!" Said Flax in a sly voice.

"Hang on," said Ben "Didn't you say the weapon was for countering the magogs enemies?"

"I changed my mind!" He laughed

"You're telling me you've completely lost sight of your bosses ideas!" I said

"I have here the ability to let loose an attack anwhere on Oddworld with an unstopable weapon, I don't need bosses pushing me around!"

"What if we kill you?" asked Nat

"You won't!"

"We will!" shouted Scar-eye leaping suddenly at Flax surprising him.

"Jim don't!" Said Rob

"Don't do it!" I cried

"Why not!" Said Scar-eye "It's got to end here, think of Oddworld, this freak could desroy the lives of generations for years to come!" He raised the sword for the strike.

"Jim, Flax is equipped with a sensor if he dies..."

The sword hit and Flax was dead. It should have ended then but sadly it didn't, I felt myself falling with the others...
I awoke several minutes later in the shadowy corner of some damp place. I was not alone, Ash, Nat, Ben, Tom, Bob, Edd, Jak and Joe sat around me. Dac stood over me.
"Jim..."
"What is it Dac?" I asked him
"Well, I just wanted to say... thanks, my friend. You saved my ass back there and I want you to know.. I'm eternally grateful"

Nat spoke up then,
"I'm glad I met you as well Jim. I may be useless and I would only way you down but I would have followed you anywhere Jim..."

Ash nodded his head.
"Me too, it's not everyday an old man gets so much excitement. I'm happy you could give me that"

I was about to thank them but Ben butted in.

"Listen, how long are you guys gonna babble on and on like you ain't seen each other for fifty years, eh? I hate to be rude but we need some action before that fat ass dragon toasts us all!"

The silent muds clearly agreed. But I had forgotten about the dragon.

"Are we like, in the dragons cave?" I asked.
"I don't want to be negative Jim," said Ben "but were in deep and we need to get out"
"I see..." I said

Scar-eye walked into the group.
"Find anything?" asked Ash
"One exit to the west, we'd never all make it past the dragon at once and it'd easily intercept one Mudokon"

We sat in thought for a while. I played with a small rock hiting the other rocks with it.

My head began to hurt. "Jim, you fool! The answer is all around you!" said Ice

I looked around me there was nothing except rocks. Across the cavern was a large metal support structure. It appeared to be holding large sections of the cavern roof in place.

It suddenly clicked, If we were to destroy the pillar to roof would collapse on the dragon!

I looked at the others to find them all staring at me.
"What's wrong?" I asked bewilderedly.
"You just said that out loud" said Nat.
"And what did you think?" I asked
"It sounds like a good idea" said Scar-eye.

I was pleased that they agreed with me but I was feeling strange, almost tired and I felt like I was losing control of my body.

"Jim! you're in trouble!" Came Robs distant voice in my head."Flax had one last trick up his sleave! A failsafe. Before he died he infected the chip system with a computer virus, Jim it's corrupting your mind!"

I stumbled into the open I had to move quicly this was my last chance...
We quickly discussed our ideas, my head was spinning.
We decided that we would have to melt the pillar using the dragons own firey breath.
We began to talk about who would get the Dragons attention to breath fire on the pillar.
Ash believed that he should do it as if he died it wouldn't matter as much as we had our whole lives ahead of us. My vision was starting to become blurred, I hoped the same thing was happening to the dragon as we shared the same chip technology.
I recall Scar-eye dissagreeing with Ash saying that he should do it as he had more chance of survival.
An argument insued, Ben said that he should do it so Nat and Scar-eye could lead his friends out of there.
I was worried that the dragon would hear our rowdyness and come to investigate.

"Shut up!" I called out
"What's wrong?" said Nat

I sat down and told them of Robs message and how I was feeling.
I persuaded them to let me do it.

"After all", I said
"Nat, you must travel and see the Wonders of Monsaic Lines, And you Ash," I laughed
"must go into retirement in marvelous wilderness or the temples with other Mudokons"
I turned to Scar-eye "And You must go for your freedom while you have the chance friend, Ben, you and your friends deserve at shot at real life, life in the real world may be cruel but it is life".

Lastly I turned to Dac
"And you would kill us all Mr Unlucky, if you were to do what I must" I joked.

We continued speaking like this for some time until we were ready to begin our escape.

I looked into the open with my weak vision.
"You never know guys, I might make it through this too we could all be out together"

They wished me luck and I ran into the open cavern. I couldn't feel my feet as I looked through tunnel vision for the monstrous beast. I could see my companions back in our corner egging me on.

I waited for a short time, I was going to go back to the others but then it came...

It moved slowly, staggering around thanks to the virus I think. I threw rocks at it to get it's attention and slowly it crawled towards me.
As it approached I could feel the heat from it's breath. I closed my eyes but I could still hear it's clumbering feet. It made a kind of growling sound as it breathed out. The tension was high as I opened my sore eyes and came face to face with the Beast....
The Creature looked at me and smoke poured from it's mouth and nostrils. It began to open it's mouth.

"Jim step back!" came Robs echoing voice as the dragon opened it's mouth.

I stepped back as flames came out, I took a few steps as I felt my body heat up. On the fifth step I tripped over a rock and landed on my back.
The flames shot over my head and met the pillar. It looked red hot and I heard rumblings above.
I looked at my friends as they began to run from the darkness.
The Creature shielded me from a lot of falling small chunks of rock.
It's hard scales resisted the small bits.

"Jim!" Called Nat, "Run quickly!"

I glanced quickly at the pillar, it was glowing white hot at the base!
I heard it buckle and more rocks fell.

"Jim, now!" came their voices.

I rolled from under the Dragon and scrambled to my senseless feet. I began to limp towards my companions. I turned round and saw why they had called me, a large piece of rock was becoming dislodged.
It fell onto the back of the Dragon. I saw no more as Scar-eye grabbed my hand and pulled me away from the scene. As we turned the corner to the west I heard rocks and walls begin to collapse. We ran through the western checkpoint door and fell to the floor.

"This is a different structure we will be safe here!" said a breathless Ben.

Noone else said anthing except Scar-eye who offered to watch out for us while we rested up.

I sat in my new surroundings, feeling amazed that I was alive.
The door we had entered through was built on a makeshift steel wall the other two walls were the same. The roof was exceptionally high, a few meters lower than the cavern roof. The corridor, for that's what it was, was quite wide. You could get about three Glukkons lying on their sides across it's width.

I listened for the Dragon but couldn't hear it. It was no longer a threat. We were safe, for now at least...
I awoke on the hard, cold steel floor. Scar-eye sat near the doorway to the cave, his sword lay by his side. I crawled to where he was sitting.

"Seen anything?" I asked
"Nothing, It must be dead"

Everyone else was asleep, I looked up the passage. There were lights on the walls and ceiling but I could see no end in front. I still felt strange, like something was taking over my mind.
I threw the thought aside as paranoia and leaned back against the steel wall.

A sudden chill ran down my spine, but not because the wall was cold. It was warm, and getting warmer.

Scar-eye noticed the look on my face.

"Something wrong?"
"It's the wall..."

He put his paw on the wall.
He took in the situation then looked back at me.

"This is bad, real bad!" he said
"Wake them, everyone!"

I crawled to Ash then Ben and his friends while Scar-eye woke Nat and Dac.
As they yawned and groaned I listened for noises. I could hear none yet but the heat was increasing.

"We must move!" spoke Scar-eye
"Jim and myself have sensed a strange prescence coming from the cave"

"You're saying the Dragon's not dead!" said Ben

He needed no answer for right then as we peered into the gloom of the collapsed cavern two red glints appeared in the blackness and footsteps approached us.

"Quickly!" yelled Scar-eye and Nat began to run with Ash.

The steps indicated that the beast was now dashing towards us, the dash became running. I could see a huge bulky figure running for us about a hundred meters back from the doorway. I began to run.
The feeble steel wall was punctured by two horns on the Dragons head before it's entire body ripped through it and it was reduced to tatters.

"Shit! Run!" cried Dac as the Monster charged after us. The corridor was only just big enough for the Dragon to move in and the floor shook as it ran.

I felt myself beginning to slow down and wear out. Scar-eye pulled me over his shoulder as he sprinted further up the tunnel I thanked him but I wondered how much longer we would survive....
We were getting much further away from the Dragon as it was in the same state of mind as me. I had no idea how long we had been running or how far we had gone. No-one spoke, we just ran and ran. I was half asleep as Scar-eye carried me until we suddenly stopped.
As everyone was too out of breath to speak I looked in front to see why we had stopped. We had reached a Slig checkpoint. On each side of the tunnel was a small room with a space in the middle. The barrier was down in the centre and beyond, several feet in front was a large build up of debir and rocks where the roof had given way. I glanced into the small cabin type rooms, the Sligs inside were dead. One had shot himself with his gun and the other was slumped over a bowl of pills and other drugs. The television in the left hand room was still on, The Magog on the March news bulletin was running. The Newscaster was saying something about the Brewery being screwed. The Sligs must have realised what was coming for them.

"It's a dead end" yelled Dac
"Odd save us..." Prayed Ash

"Jim! Chant, all of you, now!" Said Rob

The Dragon was rushing at us now a few hundred meters away.

"Woah!" Said Nat

I turned to see that a group of birds were sqeezing through a small crack in the rocks.

"Everyone Chant!" I wispered weakly to Scar-eye as my voice was going.

We began to chant the scriptures as loud as we could, I prayed once more and looked down the corridor to see that the Dragon was almost upon us.
It opened it's mouth and flames shot at us. I turned I shrank in fear to see that the portal was forming. Just as we were engulfed in flames I felt myself being sucked into a blinding whiteness. We were all there, suspended in motion. Then we fell, into darkness until we dropped and landed on hard ground. My ears could hear a muffled applause but that was all. I opened my eyes to the most amazing of sights.
We were on the podium in Monsaic lines surrounded by our Mudokon Brothers. I felt barely alive.
The Bigface stood nearby with a Blurry Blue figure.
I guessed it was Abe.
We had made it, we were safe, though I was in no state to enjoy it.

"May we introduce Jim!" cheered Abe and Bigface.
That is all I remember as then I blacked out.
I was seriously infected by Flax's Virus at this point but,
as you will soon find out,
my story was only Half Done...
Dear Friends

Things are going well here now. We've been living in the Caves for a few weeks now since I escaped with my new companions.
Firstly there's Nat, he was a little worse for ware after the escape from the brewery, Ash is fine even after all that work he's still tickin'.
I suppose you remember Ben. He helped me escape with some new friends of his. Dac is amazed by the aspect of being free; he wanders the Caves all day. I guess that leaves the guy who helped me, saved us all. It's a shame really considering all the trouble we went through that he is getting worse everyday.
Yes, Jim is not very good at all. It's all that microchip business and Flax's Virus affecting his brain.
All the work he did for us was brilliant, but he cannot escape his destiny, he is trapped within his own mind.
Someday we hope to find a solution that will save him, until then I shall protect him with my life.
I hope you are all well with this entire Brewery incident, I hope you got out of the brig. I hope someday you will join us here in Monsaic lines.

Yours Sincerely,
Fin (Scar-eye)

THE END

Thank God, No more Copy and Pasting.

Rich...