Myst: The Stranger's Return
Prologue
"Oh, come on, Atrus, you've been writing in that journal for ages!"
Atrus cast his bleary eyes up at Catherine. "But I must write in my journal, my love- I need to."
Catherine sighed. "Whatever for? You haven't exactly done anything interesting today other than install a papier-maché spaceship in the garden!" She sat next to him, and put her arm around his shoulders.
"Somehow I get the feeling you're hiding something from me, Atrus."
Atrus put his pen down and buried his head in his hands. "I am not hiding anything from you, Catherine. We are husband and wife, we keep no secrets from each other."
"Then why," she purred menacingly, "is there a bloody great spaceship in the garden?"
Atrus froze, not knowing what to say next. "Maybe it's time we went to bed- we've got a lot to do tomorrow."
He pulled a handle above his head, making the desktop tip back. The drawers slid out, creating a set of steps leading down to the bedroom.
"Goodnight, my love."
As they were settling down to sleep, Catherine switched the lamp on.
"No, Atrus. I want to know what you're doing."
There was no way out now. He had to tell her.
"Catherine, I've been thinking. Wouldn't it be better if we could...utilize Myst island? We could open it up to the public- I'm sure there are people in other worlds who have never seen anything like what we have here."
Catherine was shocked.
"Atrus, this was supposed to be our island! A place just for the two of us, where we could escape the terrible things that happen on other worlds!"
"But Catherine! Look around you! Look at the birds in the air! Look at the trees! Look at the outstanding graphics quality!"
"Graphics quality! You talk as though everything were just a... a big machine!"
"But people could come and look at it all! They could even play a game while they're here! They could pretend they were helping us in a crisis, or something!"
Catherine was beginning to understand. "So that's why you got the spaceship. It's all just a game to you, isn't it? You didn't even think to ask me."
"I've written some music that the visitors could listen to as they explore." Atrus produced a roll of paper with the notes written out in the D'ni style. Catherine stared at it, setting out the notes in her head.
"But... but this is awful! It's all... sad, and dreary! This doesn't express the spirit of the island at all!" Catherine started to get up, but Atrus grasped her arm. She turned to face him.
"Catherine, I have plans for this island. There is so much we can do."
Tears prickled Catherine's eyes. "Who are 'we', Atrus? If you want to destroy the island, do so, but do not expect any help from me."
Wrenching her arm out of his grip, she clambered out of the bed, wrapped her robes tightly around herself, and ran back up the steps to the library.
"Catherine!" Atrus jogged after her, in time to see her grab one of his Linking books and slam her hand onto the panel. He picked the book up from the dusty floor, and glanced at the title.
Riven.
Prologue
"Oh, come on, Atrus, you've been writing in that journal for ages!"
Atrus cast his bleary eyes up at Catherine. "But I must write in my journal, my love- I need to."
Catherine sighed. "Whatever for? You haven't exactly done anything interesting today other than install a papier-maché spaceship in the garden!" She sat next to him, and put her arm around his shoulders.
"Somehow I get the feeling you're hiding something from me, Atrus."
Atrus put his pen down and buried his head in his hands. "I am not hiding anything from you, Catherine. We are husband and wife, we keep no secrets from each other."
"Then why," she purred menacingly, "is there a bloody great spaceship in the garden?"
Atrus froze, not knowing what to say next. "Maybe it's time we went to bed- we've got a lot to do tomorrow."
He pulled a handle above his head, making the desktop tip back. The drawers slid out, creating a set of steps leading down to the bedroom.
"Goodnight, my love."
As they were settling down to sleep, Catherine switched the lamp on.
"No, Atrus. I want to know what you're doing."
There was no way out now. He had to tell her.
"Catherine, I've been thinking. Wouldn't it be better if we could...utilize Myst island? We could open it up to the public- I'm sure there are people in other worlds who have never seen anything like what we have here."
Catherine was shocked.
"Atrus, this was supposed to be our island! A place just for the two of us, where we could escape the terrible things that happen on other worlds!"
"But Catherine! Look around you! Look at the birds in the air! Look at the trees! Look at the outstanding graphics quality!"
"Graphics quality! You talk as though everything were just a... a big machine!"
"But people could come and look at it all! They could even play a game while they're here! They could pretend they were helping us in a crisis, or something!"
Catherine was beginning to understand. "So that's why you got the spaceship. It's all just a game to you, isn't it? You didn't even think to ask me."
"I've written some music that the visitors could listen to as they explore." Atrus produced a roll of paper with the notes written out in the D'ni style. Catherine stared at it, setting out the notes in her head.
"But... but this is awful! It's all... sad, and dreary! This doesn't express the spirit of the island at all!" Catherine started to get up, but Atrus grasped her arm. She turned to face him.
"Catherine, I have plans for this island. There is so much we can do."
Tears prickled Catherine's eyes. "Who are 'we', Atrus? If you want to destroy the island, do so, but do not expect any help from me."
Wrenching her arm out of his grip, she clambered out of the bed, wrapped her robes tightly around herself, and ran back up the steps to the library.
"Catherine!" Atrus jogged after her, in time to see her grab one of his Linking books and slam her hand onto the panel. He picked the book up from the dusty floor, and glanced at the title.
Riven.