I was now convinced if there was another Easter egg left to find it would be tied to Kira's epitaph. Since travel was so difficult in the OASIS I tried to focus on learning as much as I could without moving. Dune was first published in 1965 and was instantly regarded as a classic. Movie rights bounced around for almost 20 years before David Lynch made his infamous version in 1984. Crystal Castles first hit arcades in 1983.
My immediate list of OASIS spots to explore included: Arrakis, the desert planet from Dune; Crystalis, a planet of all crystal, including some crystal castles; Titan, a barren replica of Jupiter's moon (included simply because of the Vonnegut novel, Sirens of Titan. I was brainstorming here); Anorak's Castle, even though I could no longer enter it, the courtyard (or bailey) had become something a mecca for Cataclasts and might hold some clues; and of course Leucosia, a planet tailor made by Halliday in memory of Kira. I didn't know what I was looking for, but figured I would know it if I saw it.
First, I would hit the Dune-related location. For one, it seemed the most obviously relevant, but it also wasn't being guarded by the Cataclasts.
Arrakis had only one instance in the OASIS but it needed only one. Dune geeks had spent years perfecting and balancing every grain of sand on the virtual planet. People had really worked to make the desert a living ecosystem that was capable of becoming a garden planet... in about 100 years.
There were several quests available on Arrakis, lowest being level 30+, so it was a high-level hangout for some Cataclasts. I chose my gear carefully so that my avatar wouldn't appear too rich or flashy. Without looking too close I would appear to be just another ex-gunter trying to make his way in the world, thank you very much.
It took 3 weeks and an assist from Art3mis at the end (so much for subtlety), but I hundred-percented Arrakis and was still no closer to anything approaching a clue. There had been a devilish linked quest that ended in the Fremen's underground water caves that seemed promising, but it simply led to a "vision of the future" when Arrakis would come to bloom.
Next I tried Titan, which was something of a lark. I had few expectations, but the reality was even more desolate than I had imagined. I confirmed with my computer that the entire surface of the planet was directly mapped from NASA's imagery and had no subterranean features or quests at all. Another dead-end.
Crystalis didn't seem to have anything for me, either. Halliday had nothing to do with it and it seemed like a stretch, anyway.
It was time to call in some favors. I needed to get back to Anorak's Castle to check out the remains of the crystal gate. I hadn't looked at it since I walked through it, and there was no telling what inscriptions or clues might be there now. Ogden himself had mentioned it as a possible clue, so i simply had to see it.
"Aech, my man!" I said in vidchat.
"What do you need, Z?" he laughed (Aech was still a 'he' online, for me and everyone else).
"Aw man, I was going to butter you up first."
"Sounds serious."
"Serious as a heart-a-clast," I punned, terribly. "Any chance I can mosey on up to the Crystal Gate for old-times' sake?"
"Z... You know the Hunt is over, right? I mean, maybe it's time to unplug for a bit?"
"Aech, man, I get it. I see the looks you and Arty give me," I noticed Aech shift his weight awkwardly. I knew the avatar was mapping Helen's actual stance through her new, top-of-the-line, full-body haptic suit.
"Look, I can't explain it, but I feel like I have to check out this last thing. I don't know why. I just feel like I do," I said lamely.
"I can't say I understand any of this, Z, but I owe you a ton. I don't know any way around the Cataclasts but—" and his grin widened, "maybe there's a way through."