Thirty seconds of not being there, scaled off intelligence — a stat Carl now regrets neglecting.
It is the last item in Carl's hotlist, and he slams it as he rolls clear of the Station Mimic's tongue, which smacks into the spot he was occupying. The notification reads: Dude! Where'd you go? You are invisible for 30 seconds. (Your Intelligence X 2). Carl's immediate reaction is that he should have put more points in that damn stat.
Thirty seconds is enough to escape the tongue, cross ground between cold engines, and consider hiding — until a Jabbering Jibber-Jabber blocks the gap while the notification starts to blink. Invisibility does not stop him being cornered, and it does not stop Grull stepping on him later; it only buys him the time to keep moving.
Carl's escape from the opening move of his own death match.