5. Serenia, part 1

Scene 1
The STRANGER appears back in the Tomahna linking chamber.

STRANGER: (Yawns) Right, that's quite enough puzzling for today. I'm going to bed.

NECKLACE (shocked): But what about Yeesha? For all you know she may be undergoing horrible torture!

STRANGER: Look, I've learnt by now that it doesn't make any difference how long I take to do things in a Myst game – I always arrive just in time to save the day. It's almost as if time were standing still for me...

NECKLACE: But –

STRANGER (threateningly): Listen, I've had a long, hard day and there's no way I'm going to solve any more puzzles without getting some sleep first. I'm going to bed, OK?

NECKLACE (backing down): All right, if you say so.

She leaves the chamber and takes the elevator back to ATRUS's bedroom, where she flops down on the comfortable-looking bed.

STRANGER: Ah, that's better. Hope Atrus doesn't mind me sleeping in his bed...

She pulls the covers around herself and falls asleep.

Scene 2
When the STRANGER wakes up, it is still dark outside.

STRANGER: Is it still night-time? I'd swear I've been asleep for hours!

NECKLACE: Remember what you said about time standing still?

STRANGER: Oh, yeah. (She stands up, rubbing her eyes.) OK, I guess I'm just about ready to face Serenia now. Let's go!

They leave and cross the bridge over to YEESHA's bedroom, where the STRANGER had seen ACHENAR earlier. The room is a mess – chairs knocked over, toys scattered around the floor, and smashed panes of glass in her bookshelf. Something is missing...

STRANGER: The linking book! That must have been what Achenar dropped. (Pauses) But how do I get down there?

NECKLACE: Take a closer look at the books in the bookcase.

STRANGER: The books? But they're all in D- (Suddenly realises) Oh, no...

NECKLACE: (Sniggers) You didn't really think you'd get away with skipping the D'ni for Dummies course, did you?

STRANGER (desperately): Look, couldn't I just climb over the rail and drop down onto the dock? It's not that far down!

NECKLACE: Sorry, no dice. Better get on with learning that alphabet!

With a disgusted groan, the STRANGER returns to the kitchen where she saw YEESHA's D'ni book. She takes a picture of the alphabet, then returns to the bedroom.

STRANGER: Now, what was it Yeesha said in her journal? All their names in order of age...

Eventually she manages to translate all the names on the books. She pushes those corresponding to ATRUS's family members in the correct order, and the bookcase slides down to reveal a ladder down to the dock. The Serenia linking book lies by the waterside.

STRANGER: Good thing he didn't drop it into the water, isn't it? (Opens the book.) Ah well, guess it's now or never. Serenia, here I come...

She links.

Scene 3
The moment she arrives in Serenia the STRANGER is greeted by the sound of a female choir, accompanied by tinkling New-Agey music.

CHOIR: Sereee-niiiaaaa! Sereee-niiiaaa! Sereee-niiiaaa! Sereee-niiiaaa! Seee-re-ni-aaaaah-

STRANGER: SHUT UP! (The music stops.) That's better. (She looks around.) Hmm, this place looks... interesting.

She stands in a dark, sheltered cave. Ahead of her is a forest of strange stone pillars, with numerous paths and waterways winding their way between them. She turns around, and notices that the Tomahna linking book nearby has fallen off its pedestal...

NECKLACE: Ting!

The STRANGER sees a vision of YEESHA grabbing at the book on the pedestal. She cries out as a pair of hands seize her and drag her away...

STRANGER: Ah. The trail is heating up...

She wanders into the maze, pausing to glance at a large wooden waterwheel churning away nearby. As she turns back, she suddenly sees ACHENAR running through the forest ahead of her.

STRANGER: Hey! Come back!

She chases after him, but he has disappeared into the maze. Sighing, she wanders onwards until she reaches some steps leading down to a large stone archway; as she approaches it, she sees a young WOMAN up ahead. She is wearing the weirdest costume the STRANGER has ever seen – a sort of toga over a blouse and bell-bottom trousers, and a large, floppy hat on her head. As the WOMAN turns and walks towards her, the STRANGER sees that she has a line of white paint running down the middle of her face, and that she is wearing a necklace just like YEESHA's.

WOMAN: I was starting to worry about you. (Draws closer) In the dream you always arrived before third bell had rung.

The STRANGER takes a step backwards.

STRANGER: Er...

WOMAN: Welcome to Serenia! (Smiles) I am Anya, one of six now serving as Protector here. You may find this hard to believe, but my sisters and I dreamed you would be coming.

STRANGER (uncertainly): Uh... right. (Quickly changes the subject) Listen, would you happen to have seen anything unusual around here lately? Like, say, a crazy-looking man dragging a screaming little girl around with him?

ANYA: You are searching for Yeesha. (The STRANGER nods.) I fear she may be in trouble... but we have not seen her since we gave her the necklace two weeks ago.

STRANGER (bewildered): But surely you must have seen something? This place is practically crawling with Atrus's kids!

ANYA (gravely): I will gather my sisters to help find her. In the meantime, you should consult the memory chamber – she always knows more about what's going on in this land than we do. (Flings out an arm.) Follow the ceremonial alleyway to her doors, and see what insight she has to provide!

She turns away and begins to ring the large bell in the centre of the archway.

STRANGER: Yeah, well... thanks anyway. (She walks on, shaking her head.) OK, Necklace, I think I begin to see what you mean about this place...

She walks through another archway and down a flight of steps, at the bottom of which is a small pool. As she approaches, a strange spherical contraption rises out of the pool, and she sees a grinning SIRRUS inside it. He steps out of the sphere, throws one of his home-made bombs into it, and runs off as it explodes.

STRANGER: Hey! Come back! (She runs after him, but by the time she reaches the bottom of the steps he has disappeared.)

STRANGER (confused): Where did he get to? There's nowhere to go from here.

She spots the Memory Chamber nearby and wanders into it. SIRRUS is not there, so she takes a look around. When she touches one of the strange stone carvings at the side of the chamber she sees several disturbing visions – ACHENAR carrying away some kind of stone, SIRRUS holding a globe in his hand, and finally YEESHA, tied to a chair and struggling desperately.

STRANGER (guiltily): Oops... maybe I should have come earlier after all.

She leaves the chamber and walks back up the steps. Near the top, staring in horror at the broken bathysphere, is another Protector wearing a similar costume to ANYA's; with henna-dyed hair and the general air of a high-school cheerleader, she makes for an even less convincing mystical figure than her 'sister'.

GIRL: Oh no! What happened? (She looks accusingly at the STRANGER.)

STRANGER (defensively): I didn't do it!

GIRL: This is terrible! (She runs down the steps to inspect the damage.) How are we supposed to maintain contact with the Ancestors if we can't harvest any globes?

STRANGER: Um... can't help you there, I'm afraid. Listen, I'm searching for a little girl who's been kidn-

The GIRL swings round, shaking her hair out of her eyes.

GIRL: You've been inside the memory chamber? You've seen the colourful lights crowning her walls?

STRANGER: Er... yes?

GIRL: These are the memories of my people, taken from their bodies after their spirits moved on!

STRANGER: You don't say. (Tries not to roll her eyes.)

GIRL: Empty globes for storing the memories are stored underwater, and we gather them using the harvester. So if I'm unable to fix it... (Her voice trails off.) I must see how bad the damage is!

She runs off down the steps, the STRANGER following close behind.

GIRL: (Looks at the damaged harvester.) This is sooo not good. I'm not sure how we'll be able to repair it. Maybe... (Thinks for a moment) There's an older harvester near the chamber my ancestors used many years ago. Maybe... we could take the parts, and use them to fix this one!

STRANGER (politely): Why don't you do that. (She attempts to leave, but suddenly the GIRL turns back to her.)

GIRL: Oh, I was supposed to tell you... A few of my sisters have gathered in the Hall of Spirits to dream. If you go there after they've awakened, you may be able to learn more about what happened to Yeesha. Good luck! (She smiles at the STRANGER, then turns away again.)

STRANGER (drily): Thanks, you've been very helpful. (She walks away until she is safely out of earshot, then begins to mock the Protector's voice.)

STRANGER: 'This is sooooo not good.' Am I playing a Myst game here or watching an episode of Friends?

NECKLACE (sympathetically): I know, I know...

Scene 4
Further around the coast, the STRANGER comes to a stone dock with some kind of strange wooden pole at its edge. The pole is hollow and in carvings.

NECKLACE: Ting!

YEESHA's voice is heard, talking to ANYA.

YEESHA: You mean you have to signal somebody every time you want to go home? Why don't you just sleep here?

ANYA: We have families too, you know! And the ones who are still alive sleep in the village.

YEESHA (confused): So... you only protect this place during the daytime? But what if someone comes here at night?

ANYA: Er... you may have a point there, actually...

The voices fade away.

STRANGER: Ah. Well, that explains how Sirrus managed to set up his base of operations here without anyone noticing...

She walks up the steps at the other side of the dock. As she reaches the top she sees a wild-looking ACHENAR on the other side of a broken bridge, carrying a large cone-shaped stone. He looks up and starts when he sees the STRANGER.

ACHENAR: Wait... please. Listen to me! (He holds out a hand.) OK, I know it doesn't look good... but I'm just borrowing it. Really!

STRANGER: Uh... right. (She backs away slightly.)

ACHENAR (leaning forward): It's the Plan... Sirrus's plan. He's got Yeesha! (Snarls in frustration.) I just want to stop him. He's a nutcase!

STRANGER (under her breath): Jesus, talk about pot and kettle.

ACHENAR: He's here. He's – (Suddenly begins to jab his finger at the STRANGER.) Don't. Let. Father. Come. Here! Or you'll screw up everything!

He turns and runs off, carrying the heavy stone with him. Shaking her head, the STRANGER returns to the dock, where she sees an older Protector blowing into the wooden pole she saw earlier. The woman looks up as she approaches.

OLD WOMAN: There you are! (She looks the STRANGER up and down suspiciously.) My sisters say you are a friend... but if that is true, why has everything fallen apart when you are here?

STRANGER: I'm sorry?

OLD WOMAN: The life-stone is missing. Someone diverted the water-course and took it out of the root chamber.

STRANGER: So what's so important about this stone, exactly?

OLD WOMAN: The memory chamber needs that stone to survive... it nourishes her, keeps her strong and healthy. (Dramatically) Without it, we may never see our loved ones again!

STRANGER: You mean the dead 'loved ones', right? You know, I hate to sound unsympathetic, but where I come from that's pretty much the norm.

OLD WOMAN (offended): You are a stranger here... you cannot begin to imagine the threat this poses to my people. It is the greatest disaster since the invasion of the Blue Meanies ten years ago!

STRANGER: Yeah, well... sorry, but I have slightly more important things to worry about right now. You know, like the crazed murderer who's kidnapped my friend's daughter?

OLD WOMAN (huffily): I must alert the village. If you truly are a friend, you will go to the Hall of Spirits and alert my sisters. (Mysteriously) Although, if they are still travelling in Dream, they may already know...

STRANGER: (Sighs) Whatever. (She leaves the dock and begins to walk back towards the Hall of Spirits.)

Scene 5
As the STRANGER approaches the Hall of Spirits, she sees some of the Protectors sitting on benches inside, wearing elaborate masks. In the centre of the hall is a large stone slab with a cloth spread across it. The Protector in the centre removes her mask as the STRANGER enters.

WOMAN: Do not be afraid. My sisters and I can speak with you now. Anya told us you needed help, so while you were exploring this physical manifestation of Serenia, we decided to travel her mirror realm – a world which we call... (Dramatic pause) Dream!

STRANGER: Wonderful. Listen, did you find out anything about Y-

WOMAN (gravely): We asked the Ancestors to reveal what happened to Yeesha – but the things they showed us did not make any sense. We think it's because the message is intended... (Dramatic pause) For you!

STRANGER: Huh? Oh, no, don't tell me this means –

WOMAN: It means that you must travel to Dream. (The STRANGER groans.) Something which you must never do without... (Dramatic pause) A spirit guide!

There is a long pause.

STRANGER: Please tell me you're joking.

WOMAN: Nope. Place your hand on the cloth. It will allow us to know which guide you seek – Fire, Water or Wind.

STRANGER: What happened to Earth?

WOMAN: We couldn't be bothered to think of another personality profile.

STRANGER: Right, OK, whatever...

Cringing with embarrassment, she places her hand on the cloth. A cloud of dandelion seeds emerges from the mouth of a stone carving on the wall.

WOMAN: The weave of your actions has spoken. You are a child of Wind! (Looks at the paper in her hand.) Attracted by challenge and diversity, always moving swiftly to the heart of the matter, yet willing to take the time to understand it.

STRANGER (drily): Thank you, Mystic Meg.

WOMAN: You must seek a Wind guide to accompany you. Give him the offering that most pleases his senses, and he should agree to accompany you in Dream. Once you have succeeded, proceed to the memory chamber – Zanika will be waiting for you there.

She sits down and replaces her mask. The STRANGER leaves the chamber.

STRANGER: Spirit Guides? Sheesh... (Rolls eyes in disgust.) This place gets cheesier by the minute, doesn't it?

NECKLACE: (Smirks) Heheh, just you wait. You ain't seen nothin' yet...