The Mystery Behind the Meteor

Day 1

As I arrived on our moon, it was immediately apparent that Kreludor is much different from Neopia. There was a distinct lack of gravity, which became all the more obvious as I bounced around, trying to regain my balance. Also, the air was slightly less oxygenated than in Neopia, which made it easier to get out of breath. But, nevertheless, I had come here for a purpose: to discover the reason for the meteor. And so, there began my first day on Kreludor.

My first stop of the day was Booktastic Books. Here, I was able to interview a somewhat agitated Orange Grundo named Bernard.

"So, how long have you lived here on Kreludor?" I asked, beginning the interview process.

"Almost all my life. I was born on the Virtupets Space Station during Sloth's reign, and once I was able to bribe my way off that accursed place, I came here looking for peace and quiet," Bernard responded, sweating slightly and blinking constantly.

I scribbled some notes down on a napkin and asked another question, "What are your thoughts on this seemingly unknown meteor that recently hit?"

Bernard looked around nervously before leaning in to whisper an incomprehensible reply.

"I'm sorry... what was that?" I leaned in to hear him better.

"It was... him!" Bernard whispered harshly.

At this point I was thoroughly confused. "Who? Who was it?" I inquired.

Bernard's eyes darted around the room as he began to sweat uncontrollably. I began to get up from the table, deciding that this interview was going nowhere, when he quickly stood and muttered something. Just one word. But the implications from that one word sent cold shivers slithering down my back like snakes.

"Sloth."

After that insightful and chilling conversation, I decided to end my first day on Kreludor.

Day 2

As I awoke on my second day on Kreludor, I knew that I was on the trail of something big. From my interview with the crazed Bernard yesterday, it was apparent that there was something going on here that was much bigger than a freak accident. No, that meteor appeared on Kreludor for a reason. And I was determined to find out what it was.

I approached the Neocola Machine with some apprehension. After all, this machine had supposedly appeared on Kreludor one day with no warning, and no one knew why. In that respect, it was similar to the meteor itself. Which is why I felt that visiting it was going to prove valuable to solving this mystery.

The brightly colored machine innocently sat in a field not far from the Kreludan shops. At first glance, it seemed to be just another vending machine, capable of producing soft drinks with the deposit of a few Neopoints. However, as I looked closer, a small yellow label attached to the front of the machine caught my eye. It read, in big letters: Drink It Or Perish!

That's when I knew that I was dealing with no ordinary Neocola machine.

And as I examined the machine further, I realized something else. This machine did not accept Neopoints like most others do. No, this machine accepted another form of currency: Neocola Tokens. Which was very strange indeed; after all, everyone knows that Neocola Tokens had stopped being produced long ago, when Neopoints became popular. Suddenly, it hit me. The reason why this particular machine only took the kind of tokens that were produced in the Space Station. The reason why Bernard had whispered the name of the evil scientist that ruled the Space Station. Dr. Sloth was planning something.

And yet, it still didn't quite make sense to me. How were a Neocola Machine and a meteor supposed to help Sloth take over Neopia? It seemed like I had more work to do in Kreludor.

Day 3

I began my third day on Kreludor at the moon's only food shop, Cafe Kreludor. The owner, an Orange Grundo, was apparently also the chef. This made it rather hard to speak with him, as the cafe was very crowded with Neopets clamoring for food. So instead I headed to the back of the cafe and sat down at a table to review my notes.

"So, you're investigating the appearance of the meteor?" a raspy voice asked me.

I glanced around, wondering who the speaker was, and finally my eyes found an Orange Grundo sitting nearby me. He was leaning back in the chair, feet resting on the table, and seemed at ease. He was also sitting in an almost completely dark corner of the cafe, which is why I had trouble spotting him at first. It seemed as if he had seen my notes, and wanted to offer his input.

"Yes, I am," I replied, and continued on, wanting to know more, "Do you know anything about this meteor and its connection to Dr. Sloth?"

He laughed roughly and nodded. "I might."

I finally managed to get more than a couple of words out of him, and he began telling me his story. His name was Kent, and he had grown up on the Space Station like Bernard, but had been higher in rank. And he had heard of an evil plan involving Kreludor. However, Kent decided to go looking for this plan one night, but he was discovered by none other than Sloth himself. Knowing that he would be punished severely, Kent managed to escape from jail and get to Kreludor. Sloth had never found him.

"So, you believe that this meteor is part of Sloth's plan?" I asked.

Kent nodded. "I never did see that plan. But I worked near that evil man for many years, and this seems just like something he would do."

And so I ended the interview there, convinced now that Sloth was behind everything. This interview was also the end of my last day in Kreludor. I had discovered many new things about this mysterious large rock that appeared without warning, and so my visit was not unsuccessful.

However, a larger mystery still remains. Is this the beginning of one of Dr. Sloth's sinister plans to take over Neopia? Does the seemingly legitimate Neocola Machine have a part to play in all this? And why, oh why, is there a large meteor buried in the ground on Kreludor? Hopefully, some of the answers to these questions will come to light soon. But for now, all there is left to do is wonder.

Note: This article is merely an opinion; these suspicions are not necessarily true. Comments are appreciated!