Approaching the Final Test

After surpassing the mental and physical hurdle that was the Girl Power Station, the sweet taste of a mem cake was all that I desired. I clutched the helicopter-shaped pastry in my hand and walked over to my usual "sleeping" spot only to find a pale pink fish in a business suit taking my place. Although this action violated my sense of order and routine, I did not wish to disturb this denizen of the deep; they appeared to be sleeping, albeit with their eyes open. Besides, I never formally announced that I had my own seat on the train. Would it really be fair to get riled up over this reasonable ignorance? Thus, I sat in the empty seat opposite of the snoozing creature, although I did so with slight disdain. Still, I was glad to be in possession of a new sweet, so I happily removed one of the soft blades and commenced eating.

I appeared in a scene set thousands of feet in the air, being carried around in a medium-sized UFO piloted by artificial intelligence. I smiled gleefully, clasping my hands together in excitement. In a few moments, I was going to be dropped off at Mount Nantai, a location on that was not so far from where the Inklings lived. My job was to collect data about the location and act as a lookout point in case the Inklings decided to attack our home, or so Commander Seaban said. Speaking of him, he was looking at me as I bounced slightly with anticipation. "Say," he stated, "You're looking very excited, Brine. You must be stoked, as the kids say, for this mission, right?" I nodded enthusiastically and answered, "Yes, Commander Seaban, sir! I know how important this role is, and I truly hope that I may do what is needed." My commander laughed to himself and said, "Yeah, good for you, private." I looked out the window, watching the ground beneath me turn into a blur as we reached high speeds. "Yes," said Commander Seaban as we traveled, "Your work here will be a major help in our plan to strike back against the Inklings. You have the right to be proud; not many Octolings are allowed to do much outside of the underground. Yet here you are, scouting one of the most important locations near Inkopolis. DJ Octavio would be proud." Indeed, our great leader would greatly appreciate my efforts. He had been defeated by an Inkling by the name of Agent 3 recently, as was revealed by Commander Seaban. Though our kind endured that setback, we will certainly bounce back. My commander then went on a tangent to pass the time, but I was too deep in thought to remember the exact details. Soon, we arrived at the mountain. "Well," said Seaban, "This is where you get off. Good luck out there." I grabbed my Octobrush and gear before walking over to the now-open hole in the floor. I looked back and gave a salute, saying, "I sincerely hope that you and the rest of the squadron will not miss me. I shall do my best in this survey work!" Commander Seaban gave a simple nod in response. With that, I jumped out of the saucer, flying through the air as I heard the hole slam shut behind me. "Is it just me," I thought to myself, "Or was Commander Seaban happier than usual? That is unusual for him. He must be extremely proud to have an outstanding Octoling such as myself on his team!" As I fell towards the ground, the world started to fade away as the effects of the mem cake wore off.

I regained my consciousness and stared at the floor, my mind racing. "Okay," I said to myself, "Today I have learned a bit more about this Agent 3 person. Apparently, the reason why he is wanted is because he defeated DJ Octavio, who is my leader. Hmm, this Agent must be very strong; I remember Octavio being quite a formidable foe." Just then, I felt an unsettling feeling. Whatever thoughts were forming about Agent 3, however vague, were certainly not positive. But were they negative? I could not say for certain. As I was struggling with my feelings, Iso Padre spoke up and stated, "Excuse me young squire, I have something that I want to tell you. Oh, but I hope that I am not interrupting a sophisticated train of thought. I would greatly abhor taking away from you that which I do not possess." I turned around to the isopod and responded, "No, you are not interrupting much. What did you want to converse with me about?" He grabbed and opened his briefcase, showing off all of the mem cakes that I collected. "Do you see all of this?" he said in a quiet awe, "These are the fruits of your labor. This is what you worked so hard to collect. I will be honest, young one, I envy you. Even when I was in my prime and full of spirit, I could never bring myself to go the distance that you traveled. With that being said, I believe that a reward is in order." He reached beside him and pulled out a bag full of black clothes and a helmet. "Here," said Padre, "I was saving this reward for last. You may recognize this as the Null Armor you get in those tests. Fortunately, I was able to, *ahem* acquire a set. Unfortunately, they seem to lack their protective powers. Oh, well, I suppose that you would still find a use for them, yes? Kids your age love motorcyclists, do they not?" I picked up the black clothes and laid them on my knees. While I did not have much of an interest in these "motorcyclists", I still admired the look of this gear. The helmet, however, was problematic; my hair style simply did not allow for anything to be worn over it, especially not something so tight-fitting. Nonetheless, I smiled at the bespectacled benefactor, saying, "Thank you, Iso Padre. I will cherish this gift greatly when I leave this place." The isopod waved his hand and replied, "No, it is I who should be thanking you! You have served as a beacon of hope for my old soul; you proved that nothing is impossible with the right amount of perseverance. In fact, after meeting you, I may finally get off this train and get my life on a different track! Although, I suppose that means we shall be going our separate ways. A pity, that." I crossed my arms and looked down solemnly. "That is true." I responded. Iso Padre then stated, "Do not think of this as a sad goodbye. See it as a new beginning. We are headed to a bright future, you and I. All I pray for is that we both make it there." For one of the first times, he smiled, continuing, "Oh, and you can keep the last mem cake you find. It will be the 80th one you find; that is important to you as an octopus, correct?" I chuckled at his joke before answering, "I suppose that you have a point." I gave him a wave and said, "May we both be successful in our ventures." Iso Padre waved back before pulling out a small book and relaxing.

Feeling content, I activated my CQ-80 device and navigated to a flashing dot on the map. I took a deep breath in. This was the moment. Finally, all my hard work would lead to a satisfactory conclusion. I began to imagine what Inkopolis would be like. Would it be intriguing? Would I fit in? Truly, I thought, only time would tell. With that, I selected the glowing point, causing the train to speed over to its final destination.