2. Tomahna by night
Scene
1
It
is night-time in Tomahna. The STRANGER, having miraculously
avoided falling into the river after the walkway she was standing on
collapsed, lies unconscious on a ledge of rock. Eventually her eyes
flicker and open; the world looks wobbly and distorted.
STRANGER: (Groans heavily) Ugh. I swore I'd never drink this much again after that wedding reception last year…
She closes her eyes, then opens them again; now she can see more clearly. Her memory is gradually starting to return to her.
STRANGER: Yeesha… earthquake… explosion… (Suddenly realises where she is.) Oh, no…
She gets shakily to her feet and, with some difficulty, climbs up the rock wall to the conservatory. YEESHA is nowhere to be seen.
STRANGER (calling): Yeesha? YEEESHAAA?
There is no reply. The STRANGER clenches her fists.
STRANGER: Oh, I get it. So they think they're going to send me on yet another endless trek through deserted Ages filled with insanely convoluted puzzles, do they? (Marches towards the elevator.) Well, I'm not falling for that one again. I'm getting Atrus back here right now.
She takes the elevator up to ATRUS's lab, which is now fully powered. After messing around with the telescope in the centre of the room for a few minutes, she finally manages to turn on the roof antenna so that the crystal viewer will work.
STRANGER: Now where's that journal?
After searching for a minute she locates ATRUS's journal in a drawer. A few pages in is the crystal combination to Rime. The STRANGER takes a picture of it, then attempts to enter it into the viewer – which would be easy, except that several of the crystals are extremely similar to each other.
STRANGER: Damn! You always have to make things more difficult than they need to be, don't you, Atrus? (Tries yet another unsuccessful combination.) I mean, what's the point of having a secret combination anyway if you're just going to leave it in your journal for everyone to read?
Finally she hits on the correct combination. There is a crackle of static and an image of ATRUS appears in the viewer.
ATRUS: Ah, my friend, are you there? I hope you're getting this. (Looks around) I'm barely receiving you…
STRANGER: Atrus, I –
ATRUS (interrupts): Listen, there's a terrible electromagnetic storm here – I can't leave Rime till it's over. But if you're bored, feel free to read the commentaries on Haven and Spire in my desk.
STRANGER (frantic): ATRUS! Can you hear me?
ATRUS: Go ahead and help yourself to food from the larder. Oh, and tell Yeesha not to forget her homework, will you? (The image disappears.)
STRANGER (infuriated): Drat. Foiled again…
Scene
2
The
STRANGER emerges from the elevator on the platform by
ATRUS's bedroom, which is where the explosion happened earlier.She enters the room; nothing seems to have been disturbed or
sustained significant damage. A strange device, apparently some kind
of video camera, swivels around and hums softly.
STRANGER: A video camera in the bedroom? Wouldn't have thought Atrus would be into that sort of thing…
She looks around and suddenly stops, startled. A strange purple glow is coming from the fireplace.
STRANGER: Ah, yes, the fireplace. There's bound to be something interesting in there – this is a Myst game, after all…
She bends down and crawls inside the large fireplace. YEESHA's NECKLACE OF EXPOSITION lies in a corner.
STRANGER: Hmm. So she went inside here…
NECKLACE (tiny voice): Pick me up! I know what happened!
The STRANGER starts and bangs her head against the ceiling of the fireplace.
STRANGER: That explosion must have concussed me or something. Did I just imagine that the necklace spoke to me?
NECKLACE: I did speak. Pick me up, pleeeease?
STRANGER: (Stares open-mouthed) You can talk?
NECKLACE: Of course I can talk. Come on, I'll show you what happened!
Very gingerly, the STRANGER picks up the necklace and dangles it between her finger and thumb.
STRANGER: Go on then, show me…
A small image appears in the centre of the NECKLACE It shows a frightened-looking YEESHA running towards the fireplace; she is obviously being pursued by someone.
STRANGER: Right… Any chance you could show me who was chasing her?
NECKLACE (regretfully): Sorry, that's against the rules. I'm not allowed to show you anything that might be too helpful.
STRANGER: (Sighs) Somehow I thought you might say that. Anyway, I take it there's another way out of here?
NECKLACE: Yep. But you should look around the house first.
STRANGER: Oh, all right. (Puts the NECKLACE around her neck.) Might as well be prepared, I suppose…
Scene
3
The
STRANGER returns to the elevator platform and spots a lever, which
she pulls. A bridge swivels around from the other side of the river
to the platform.
STRANGER (bewildered): Why not just have two bridges? Wouldn't that be much simpler?
NECKLACE: Atrus designed this house, remember?
STRANGER: Oh, yeah. Silly me…
She crosses the bridge. The building on the other side appears to function as both living room and kitchen; a book lies open on a table outside, at a page showing the D'ni alphabet.
STRANGER: (Looks at book) 'D'ni for Absolute Beginners'. (Suddenly it hits her.) Oh, no. No. I am not going to learn D'ni, guys, do you hear me?
NECKLACE: (Sniggers) That's what you think…
STRANGER: (Scowls down at it) Shut up, you. Now, is there anything interesting to see here?
NECKLACE: Not really.
STRANGER: (Looks around in surprise) Not even in the fireplace?
NECKLACE: Surprisingly enough, no.
STRANGER: Wonders will never cease…
She goes outside and swivels the bridge back round, then walks down to the last building, which is YEESHA's bedroom. Various toys are scattered about the room; on one side is a bookcase filled with books with D'ni writing on the spines.
NECKLACE: Look under her pillow.
The STRANGER lifts up one of the pillows on the bed. Underneath is YEESHA's journal. As she opens it, the NECKLACE makes a strange tinkling sound.
STRANGER: What's that for?
NECKLACE: That means I've got something to show you. Would you like me to read the journal aloud for you?
STRANGER: Not desperately, no.
NECKLACE: Oh, go on. Please? I have no other purpose in life!
STRANGER (reluctantly): Oh, all right then. (She opens the journal.)
YEESHA (voiceover): Monday: Got a new journal today. I'm going to write everything down in it. When I grow up and become famous, it'll be worth millions!
The STRANGER turns over a page.
YEESHA (voiceover): Wednesday: Today Achenar gave me some bones as a present. Dad was cross but I don't think Achnear meant it to be bad. However, must gently hint to him that next time a Barbie doll would be preferable.
The STRANGER flips through a few more pages.
YEESHA (voiceover): Saturday: Today we visited a weird place called Serenia. There are women there who wear face-paint and flowers in their hair and sing songs about the Age of Aquarius. I asked Mom if we could go there too and she said "another time".
STRANGER: (Stops reading) Is there actually anything useful in here?
NECKLACE: Try the next entry.
YEESHA (voiceover): Sunday: Today we changed the lock on my bookcase again. The books have everyone's names in D'ni and I won't forget who's older. I still think an ordinary combination lock would be better, but Dad insisted.
The STRANGER closes the book.
STRANGER: That's supposed to help me somehow, is it? Why would I want to mess around with Yeesha's bookcase?
NECKLACE: Ah. Wait and see…
Scene
4
Back
in ATRUS's bedroom. The STRANGER turns on a lamp on
the desk and notices a picture above the fireplace.
STRANGER: (Walks over and looks carefully at picture) Hey, that's Myst Island! And are those little boys Sirrus and Achenar?
The NECKLACE makes that strange tinkling sound again. Suddenly a voice is heard; it sounds like a middle-aged woman doing a very bad imitation of an upper-class English accent.
CATHERINE: (Sighs) That was such a good day. Ai wish… ah, Ai wish so many things, Atrus. Tell me again we did the right thing?
STRANGER: (Begins to splutter) What the hell? If that's Catherine, I'm the Queen Mother.
NECKLACE: Look, don't blame me. I didn't choose the voice actors…
The STRANGER returns to the desk.
STRANGER: Let's just see if there's anything interesting in here… (She opens a small drawer in the top of the desk, and takes out the sheet of paper lying inside. It is a note from ATRUS)
STRANGER (reading out loud): 'FAO family and/or friends: Entry to Top-Secret Linking Chamber. Intruders DO NOT READ!' (She breaks off and rolls her eyes, then continues.) 'To activate fireplace elevator, switch on both lamps, then enter code on fireplace door. Switch off lamps to reset.' I wonder what that's about?
She switches on both lamps and enters the fireplace. Above the entrance is a button, which she presses; the door slides shut, revealing a grid with some squares lit up by tiny points of light. Cautiously she touches one of the squares; a few other squares turn red.
STRANGER: Oh, for the love of… not another bloody puzzle. (She pounds a few random squares angrily, trying to figure out how the rules work.) What is it about this place? Why is it that every time I visit Atrus I seem to end up decoding alien number systems and reverse-engineering ridiculously complex machinery for no sensible reason?
NECKLACE (awkwardly): Oh, dear… I don't think you're going to like Spire very much. Or Haven, come to that.
The STRANGER has figured out how the puzzle works, but by now she has already made a mess of it. She continues to work on it, muttering to herself.
STRANGER: I mean, does he not mind people breaking in as long as they have an IQ of 150 and brilliant abstract logic skills? No wonder this place is always being smashed up by twisted geniuses seeking revenge on the entire family...
Finally she solves the puzzle, and the elevator immediately moves down into the secret linking chamber. Inside is a hollow, gold-coloured globe with two linking books inside – one red, one blue…
STRANGER: This looks distinctly familiar.
She pulls a lever near the globe; it turns over and the door opens, giving access to the books inside. She turns another knob and the linking books open, showing pictures of Spire and Haven, Sirrus and Achenar's Prison Ages.
STRANGER (resignedly): Well, I guess I don't have much choice here, do I? (To NECKLACE) So which do you think I should go for first?
NECKLACE: Well, Haven is a gorgeous jungle paradise, and Spire is a lifeless rock where it's always dark and stormy. Up to you...
The STRANGER considers for a moment.
STRANGER: I think I'll go with Spire. Might as well get it over with…
She places her hand on the linking panel of the red book. With that strange 'fszhooom' sound, she links…
