The Last Nomai - An Outer Wilds fanfiction by Cravone
SPOILER WARNING: This story includes BIG spoilers for the entire ending of Outer Wilds. If you have not played Outer Wilds, it is recommended you come back after you have finished the game.
Eternity can be the loneliest place.
Hue blasted off from timber hearth for the second to last time. It was part of his farewell tour. He had saved a trip to Giant's Deep for last. Making his peace and saying farewell to fellow astronauts during the last cycle, there remained but one last astronaut to visit. The one astronaut that full understood. The other astronauts would not remember anything from the previous loop, but Gabro...Hue had put off the last journey.
He had spoken to Gabro more than any of his peers, because Gabro remembered. Hue knew, the last loop, would be the last loop, one way or another. Either he was going to find the eye, or the entire solar system would perish as he died trying. Either way, stuck in a time loop forever was no way to live, the cycle had to be broken. Hue did not know what entering the eye would achieve. But the universe was at its end. From thinking the nomai had brought about the destruction of the sun, and the end of his civilization, Hue had come to discover that the sun's death, while much earlier than expected, was natural, and there was no foreseeable way to prevent it, or to save everyone. His ship had enough thrust for 2 passengers, at a push.
The ship landed, and Hue stepped out, in his space suit. Gabro would be the only one to know that he would perish in the next loop, and Hue could not stand leaving his friend with that knowledge. He had prepared for the next loop. He had timed everything to the second. There was several minutes at the start of the cycle where Hue would have to just wait. He had calculated that there would be enough time to land on Giant's Deep and take Gabro with him. He would spare his friend a terrible fate.
He stepped up to Gabro, and took a deep breath. Gabro stopped playing his instrument, looking up, then frowning. "It's time, isn't it?" He asked. "You plan to go next time huh?" Hue did not respond, but eventually gave a small nod. "Well, I knew as soon as you told me about the Ash Twin Project, and what you found, that soon, everything would have to end. I don't mind my last minutes being here...its calm here." Gabro said, as a tornado swept up the island. Gabro as usual hardly reacted. Hue instinctively grabbed on to a tree to steady himself. When they had crashed back down and popped out of the water, Hue said. "Come with me. You are the only one that understands this. You will be the only one to know what is coming. I have planned it out, I have time to pick you up." He said quickly, but Gabro shook his head. "You're still a tadpole, too eager that you don't think of what you suggest is possible." He sighed. "A tadpole that will be the only hearthian or nomai to reach the eye, but a tadpole nonetheless." Hue looked at him, a little confused, and opened his mouth to speak before Gabro cut him off. "Gravity. Your ship would not get off the ground, let alone break orbit with us both on it." Hue frowned. He hadn't factored in the planet's doubled gravity. Even if the ship was launched, it would be pulled back. Gabro frowned too. "You wanted to at least save someone. Someone who would understand what's happening, and not suffer the anguish of loss, and what they leave behind." Hue nodded and sighed. Gabro cracked a warm smile. "You'll find someone, but make sure it's someone important." Hue nodded. "Everyone is important, I cannot choose one hearthian over another, who will be happy and oblivious to the fate of our kind. I...I will go alone." He said, sighing even more and sitting down on a tree trunk, his head in his hands.
He felt his helmet lifted off his head, finding he could breath. He looked up at Gabro, who also had his helmet off, and saw Gabro was offering him a stick with a marshmallow. "To friends. To family. To Outer Wilds Venture Co." The two cooked marshmallows together, until piercing blue light came through the clouds, putting with a heavy finality, their last meeting.
Hue yelled awake. It took a second or two for him to get orientated, then his heart started to race, a light panic setting in. He quickly started his wrist watch, and rushed to the elevator. He heard the call, "Hey, didn't you forget something?" Hue looked around, puzzled. "The launch codes." Hue sighed relief, turning back to the elevator, riding it all the way up. In the sky was Timber Hearth's two moons. Two moons. Hue placed the little scout, and took a photo before going up the pad into the ship, starting the engine at once, and blasting off, leaving Timber Hearth's orbit. Something was resonating in Hue's mind. "Didn't you forget something?" He looked at the two moons before him. "Make sure it's someone important." He glanced to the right, following the quantum moon's progress. Could he? Would it work? He had never calculated this. The quantum moon's gravity was light. But could it be done? Could the fact that he had never seen himself in the quantum moon mean that there was only one possibility for him on the quantum moon, so therefore, someone could leave it without breaking space time? It was too much to think. Someone important. Someone who, if he didn't go, would stay forgotten for eternity. He didn't know if it was possible, but he didn't care, his mind was made up. Truly, there was only one person that he should save over anyone else. The one person aside from him and Gabro that would remember him.
The last Nomai.
He would be cutting it very short. He gunned it for the hearthian moon, landing with a bit of a bumpy landing, holding the scout launcher's photo interface in front of his eyes the entire time. He put on his space suit and exited the ship, and quickly jet packed towards the quantum moon. Using the jets to slow his descent, he still landed with a bumping landing, stumbling at the south pole. His gaze fell upon the dead Solanum. He took a deep breath and ran, finding a spot on the equator, turning until he found the shrine, entering it. There was massive urgency to his actions, and once he reached the 6th location, he placed the scout down next to it, taking a photo, then sprinting to the south pole again. There, as before, was Solanum. Hue was running, and he beckoned her. She turned her head curiously. Once he got to her, he tried to gesture going, before grabbing her hand and trying to pull her. She stood still, but seemed to recognize his urgency. She used her staff to change the meaning of the tablets. There was one with "Go" and one with "You". Hue wasted no time, he didn't place them on the platform, but simply held them in front of her, and she got the message, following him at a hurried stroll. They reached the shrine, and Solanum hesitated, before entering when he beckoned. They went back to the Timber Hearth location. Hue gestured up, and flying. Solanum nodded, placing her staff against the ground, held in a way that appeared to be a steering rod. Small thrusters fired from a mechanism on her back, as Hue blasted off too, withdrawing the scout. He checked his watch. 7 minutes had already passed. They had missed the first pass of the sand. Hue had calculated a contingency, but with less information on dark bramble for that time frame. He would not have time to find life pod 3, but he had a good idea where the entrance to the Vessel was.
They came out of the quantum moon, facing the Attlerock. Hue guided her to the moon, and his ship. She looked up at the planet, before getting in the ship. Hue shook his head. They weren't going to his home. Once she was inside the ship, she sat down near the gravity crystal, as Hue took off, and they journeyed to the ash twin. Solanum was completely silent, looking around at the inside of the ship. As much as Hue had earlier been in awe at the Nomai ships, Solanum was equally in awe at the hearthian ship. They landed under the bridge, facing the ash twin teleporter. Hue rushed out, and Solanum looked outside the cockpit. The first sign of any reaction outside of curiosity set into her. She looked directly at the space suit of the fallen nomai, Yarrow. She got out of the ship, and looked at Hue, as he rushed into the teleporter to the ash twin project, the massive sand funnel passing overhead. Solanum stepped closer and bent over Yarrow, moving a three fingered hand to nudge at his head. She didn't move for a while, before she laid her staff down, and picked up Yarrow's, activating the pad. It seemed to fire a sort of scanning beam, making a low tone, much like a piano. She placed the staff gently down next to him.
Hue entered the Ash Twin project, and sprinted down the hall, noticing the tablets that the nomai had crafted, laying by the side. He skidding to a halt at the end of the chamber. He flicked open the core, and turned off the gravity, using his jets to get a quick boost to the core. He carefully withdrew the advanced warp core. The lights around him went out, as the Ash Twin Project powered down. He swam through the air to the tablets, picking up all of them, and all the scrolls. His arms were full as he re-entered the warp. He ran past Solanum, depositing everything in his full hands in the back of the ship, coming out again, holding the advanced core. He gestured to Solanum, who hesitated, before seeing the core in his hand. She looked from him to Yarrow, then picked back up both her own staff and Yarrow's staff, hastily going back into the ship. Hue blasted off. Solanum seemed very reserved, sitting, looking at the ground, glancing at the tablets and scrolls, and the display on the computer. She moved her staff over, which seemed to start reading the computer. Hue looked around as they auto piloted to Dark Bramble. Already they were a little bit off, the extra weight in the ship making small differences. He knew timing would be tight in Dark Bramble. The computer was racing through information and pictures, then stopped, frozen on the interloper. It hung there for at least 10 seconds, before rapidly moving on.
16 minutes had passed in total by the time they reached Dark Bramble. He piloted them into the first cavern. Finally Solanum seemed to realize what was happening outside the ship. She stood up, as they powered at 43% throttle at the red seed. It had been pre-calculated by Hue as the right amount of throttle needed, but there was very little room for error.
He then powered down the throttle completely, as they approached 3 massive angler fish. They were perilously close, and Solanum watched, the curious expression of her space mask always obscuring her true emotions, but the grip tightening on her staff gave it away. The first two passed very close, but they missed them, but the calculations had been off. The ship rotated, but the third angler fish was just always going to cross their path. Solanum typed something on her staff, and pointed it at a point to the far left of the ship. There was a piano sound in the ship that reverberated off one of the walls of the cavern. Suddenly the angler in front turned, and the two behind passed them at breakneck speed, going off to the source of the sound. They managed to find the seed leading to the vessel. There was only 1 and a half minutes left. They went fast to the vessel, getting out, and Solanum's staff seemed to take the scrolls and tablets with her. She looked at all the skeletons as she followed Hue into the vessel.
They entered the command chamber. Hue fit the new core, while Solanum went upstairs to look at a wall with scripture on. It was her own language. As the ship powered up, new writing appeared on the wall, a scrawl that started big and erratic, but got smaller and neater as more appeared. Hue inputted the coordinates of the eye. They had only 30 seconds left, as the sound of the sun shrinking down could be heard in the distance. Solanum tapped her staff, looking at Hue, and holding out a hand, as if asking him to wait. She wrote something quick, adding it to the wall, followed by a reply. Solanum wrote one final message, her head bowed, as Hue looked at her exasperated, before Solanum quickly pointed her staff at the ball behind the coordinates, and flicked it up. The sound of the supernova was all around them, then suddenly everything went black.
Hue took a deep breath, as he started awake. There was the familiar flash of blue light, and he wondered what had happened, if it had done anything at all. But there was no night sky, no Giant's Deep. There was a ceiling, and a dull thundery noise from somewhere. And nearby a small high pitched hum. He sat up, finding himself sitting in a bench. He realized his helmet was off, and he was looking at the upper deck of the vessel's command room. There was the end of the room was Solanum, her staff pressed to one of the trees at the end. Hue looked around to find his helmet beside the bench. He slowly got up, turning around slowly to gaze out of the big window. A dark seemingly endless void. But there was definitely solid ground beneath them. Storms seemed to be raging. He turned to look over at Solanum, who didn't seem to realize he had come to. She was still tending to the tree. Hue got up, and started heading over towards her. He glanced at the shelf, the scrolls and tablets neatly stacked. He wondered if she had read them. He then glanced at the massive wall of nomai writing. They were the radio transmissions from other nomai ships, but some of them looked different now. He pulled out his translator and hovered it over the messages. The last message he had read was 374 years ago according to the date of the next message. Hue read the wall, starting from the larger writing scrawls, the first, sent over 100 years ago.
TULIP: Is anyone out there?
TULIP: To any nomai that can hear this. I am alone, my clan has perished due to natural age. We took refuge in the gloaming galaxy. Mother always said that we were the last of the nomai, and that no other ships had come. I hope i'm not alone
TULIP: I assume there is no-one else out there. In case there is, this will be my log. I am Tulip, I am a nomai. We came together over 200 years ago, when the universe started dying. We nomai used to live in clans, but we joined as one.
Presumably for the first time in our history, we have settled and called a place home. I am the last one left. I always hoped that by the end, at least one nomai may have found the eye of the universe.
TULIP: I have been searching for the last years for the eye. The fabled legends of the Escall clan's fate do not deter me. There is a great deal to lose, but I believe there is very little to lose by searching.
TULIP: This will be my last log. It has been over 50 years since the last. I have failed. Supernovae everywhere, and still the eye eludes me. Now is too late, I have but days left before I succumb to age. Whoever finds this. Please, complete what my race started, find the eye of the universe.
SOLANUM: Greetings. I am Solanum of the Escall clan. We found the coordinates to the eye! Set your coordinates to this, and come meet us.
TULIP: Of the Escall clan? We assumed that clan Escall perished, or never existed. Thank you Solanum. Thank you for setting this old woman at peace, right at the end. A nomai has discovered the eye. I cannot go, age has all but taken me, but I leave in the knowledge that somewhere out there, there is a nomai still, who found the eye. Thank you Solanum.
SOLANUM: Farewell friend.
Hue looked up, and almost jumped to see Solanum right next to him, looking from the translator to the messages. He felt bad for her, he understood her loss. The two of them had now shared the same loss, both being the last of their race. Hue didn't know nomai customs for such events, nor did he care. He patted her back, comforting the nomai. She looked at him, still in her space suit, with the mask, while his helmet was off. He thought for a second she was about to remove it. If there was enough air for him to breath, surely she could. She started to type in her staff, before placing it on the wall, creating writing. Hue, aimed at the translator at the writing.
SOLANUM: When first we met, I expressed my gratitude for understanding my language. I do not believe that I am capable of understanding yours. It would please me greatly, if you would allow me to teach you to write in my language.
Hue nodded, not understanding how. Solanum removed the writing from the wall, and stepped over to the tablets, and against one of the walls was a staff. Solanum handed it to Hue, after a long hesitation. She then typed and posted on the wall.
SOLANUM: It is not the custom of my people to give a staff to an outsider. It formerly belonged to Yarrow, an accomplished scientist from Brittle Hollow. When we lose one of our friends, they are laid to rest with their staff.
SOLANUM: I think, given the circumstances, he would permit me to pass it onto you. My race has perished, I am the last of my kind. I am here, at the eye of the universe because one of the life forms so treasured by Coleus helped me.
SOLANUM: For that, I believe all nomai would be grateful. I wish to learn about your culture, just as you learnt of mine.
SOLANUM: Here at the eye of the universe, there is no passage of time, it would seem, just like the quantum moon.
SOLANUM: As eager as I am to discover the eye of the universe, I do not think I am ready. However, we have infinite time. If any of our friends should follow our path, we should not let our culture be lost in time.
Hue had never seen her so talkative. It was as if she were letting loose a flood of emotions, only, expressed in her own unique nomai way. He picked up the staff, having never held one before. It was a little big for him, and had an interface. There was so much information and so many buttons and settings. He noticed in one of the corners, a red flashing light. He used his translator on the interface. The light was an indicator for oxygen. Did this mean, while there was sufficient oxygen for him here, there wasn't enough for her? Suddenly he realized why she was tending the trees before he woke. The staff was truly alien. He walked over to the bench, hearing Solanum following behind. He sat on the bench, and looked at her. "Thank you..." He said, but she seemed to not understand. He gestured at the staff, then to himself, and then to her, giving a thumbs up. She looked at him curiously, and it was unmistakable, the look of a scientist of an explorer. Even now, she was observing everything he did, in an attempt to learn. Hue gave up, and looked at the staff and the translator. Solanum went back to attending to the plants, while Hue attempted to integrate the translator into the staff.
A long time passed, and no time passed. He had managed to crudely integrate the translator to activate with the staff. He carefully set it down, and got up again. He turned around, to see Solanum, standing on the edge of the upstairs of the command deck, looking out at the massive frontal window, seemingly transfixed. Hue had his first proper look at it now, moving over to stand beside Solanum. She glanced at him briefly, before looking at the eye once more. She had the awe of a child. Hue's thoughts turned to his own situation, it was oddly calming to look at the eye, which was anything but calm. He understood how Gabro felt on Giant's Deep now. Space was a scary, terrifying empty place, but every now and then, there came a place with pure serenity, in it's own way. He unzipped the front of his space suit, and took out of a pocket, a small photo book. It had been taken by the little scout. All astronauts carried one. It was to be a reminder for outer wilds ventures' astronauts, of how far they had come, to be exploring other planets. In the book were photos of every astronaut in the program.
Hue flicked to the photo of Gabro. Gabro who understood everything, who was his one source of guidance, almost like a mentor. He looked up to Gabro, and vaguely wondered, how had Gabro prepared for the end. Did he dive into the sea? Did he maybe roast marshmallows, as part of tradition? No. Gabro would certainly have sat in his hammock, playing the flute as he always did.
Hue turned the page. Chert. Little Chert, he was barely in the photo, seemingly struggling to be tall enough. Hue gave a smile. Chert looked so happy, so energetic. He reminded Hue of himself in so many ways, but Chert was never one to take too many risks. Hue had gone to see Chert, but he knew Chert would never have come with him. Chert knew what was going to happen, but it was too late. Hue had to admire the little guy's bravery for facing the end. He would definitely have been roasting marshmallows to the bitter end.
Hue flicked the page again. Feldspar was cool. If there were anyone Hue would want to make proud of him, it was Feldspar. All the great space stories came from him. Even in his photo, he looked rugged, but still cool-headed. Hue would never have tried to eat a jellyfish, but Feldspar was just that awesome. Hue sighed, Feldspar was his hero, and he had managed to meet him. Without Feldspar, Hue would never have made it here.
Hue flicked to the next page. Riebeck was photographed in his space suit, placing the banjo. So like Riebeck. He was the big gentle giant. Hue had never met an explorer with so much compassion. Riebeck would have been too scared to leave his safe spot on Brittle Hollow. Hue recalled the last time he saw Riebeck. He had known it would be the last time, and he had told everything he knew about the nomai to Riebeck, and Hue would remember Riebeck's sheer joy and enthusiasm forever.
Hue closed his eyes, fighting back tears. They were all gone. He was the last hearthian left. Then he felt the photo book slip out of his hand. He opened his eyes, looking up, to see Solanum with the photo book, looking at the photos. She didn't move, or even look away from the photo book, except every so often to flick the page. It was the first time she truly understood him, and where he came from. She would have thought of these creatures as wacky, if she wasn't fascinated by them. Coleus' excitement was clear now. After a while, she handed him back the photo book and picked up her staff, waving it, a projection of their solar system appearing before them, back-dropped by the eye of the universe. She gestured with her staff to ember twin, and turned to the wall beside them. She very deliberately showed him what she was doing on the staff, before she tapped it on the wall, a spiral appearing. Hue picked up the other staff, pointing at the spiral to read.
SOLANUM: Home.
Hue got the idea and pointed at Timber Hearth, and attempted to copy what she had done with the staff. His spiral was much bigger than hers, bigger even than nomai children.
HUE: Home.
Solanum then pointed at the photo book still clutched in Hue's hand. Hue understood, and he flicked to the picture of Gabro, then pointed at Giant's Deep. He went through the whole Outer Wilds Ventures gang. Including those on Timber Hearth. Solanum then pointed at the picture of Esker, who was the second to last page in the photo book, then wrote on the wall.
SOLANUM: What is his name?
HUE: Esker
Hue turned to another page. It still took several minutes in this timeless place for him to figure out how to write. His translator helped massively. He would never be able to do this without the translator.
HUE: Gabro
HUE: Chert
HUE: Feldspar
HUE: Riebeck
HUE: Slate
HUE: Gossan
HUE: Hornfels
He listed them off. Solanum turned the page to the final page, a picture of Hue, a bright wide youthful grin. There was an innocence in his expression that seemed to either be lost, or buried deep down. Hue picked the staff up again, but stopped, and instead he spoke. "Hue." He said, before raising the staff, and writing on the wall.
HUE: Hue
As Hue looked back at the projection of the solar system, the full impact of this exchange hit him. They both shared a home, they both were born and grew up in the same system, a far-fetched idea considering the nomai were nomadic in nature. He looked at her first spiral, a flood of emotions hitting him. Home. The simplest of words, with the simplest of meanings, but a concept that should be completely alien to the nomai, maybe the first time a nomai had ever used the word, and it happened to be the same place he called home. They were so different, yet he felt, was there really that much different deep down?
Solanum looked at him, then back to the photo. Being locked in a time loop for an unknown amount of time, and losing his own race seemed to have really taken its toll on him. She took one last glance at the photo, then she put it down beside Hue. She took up her staff, and pointed it to the empty space on the wall. What began to fill the wall was not a spiral, it was not writing. Hue placed the photo book back in his spacesuit, and looked up, watching her. She was drawing something, much in a similar fashion as the mural he had found on Brittle Hollow, beneath the escape pod. He watched as she progressed, and it was his turn to be curious. After a while it slowly began to take a form. It was a face, a face with three eyes, and somewhat similar to the statue that had sent him into the loop in the first place. The form had a surprisingly slender build, three fingers on each hand, and 3 clawed digits on each foot. It was wearing some sort of robe, green, and carrying a staff. Hue finally realized what it was. Of course, he hadn't recognized it before because he had only ever seen the skeletons of a nomai, or the spacesuit of one. The drawing was not what he would call a photo, more cave art. Solanum finished the drawing, and turned around to face him. He beamed at her. It was unmistakable, it was a drawing of her. Hue smiled, and took the photo book back out. He withdrew his photo, and placed it next to her drawing. It seemed to stick without any clear explanation as to how. After a moment, they both turned to look at the eye, the projection of their solar system starting to fade.
Solanum finished tending to the final tree. Hue was sure that she, like him, needed time to process it all. He spent time practicing with the staff. He had learnt how to erase things now. Solanum came over to the bench he was sat on, carrying what Hue recognized immediately to be the items used by the nomai to keep notes and logs. She handed him one and sat down. He watched what she did, and mimicked them, to activate the device. Then he pondered...what would he write? How would best define everything that he had lost, his home, his friends...his whole race.
HUE: Chert once told me, if he were ever to join Outer Wilds Ventures, he would make it his mission to cook marshmallows on every planet in the solar system. If you were to ever visit timber hearth, you would probably find something like a campfire, surrounded by a few friends, roasting marshmallows, playing music, with no worries or cares. My home, Timber Hearth, with its trees and geysers, was swallowed by a supernova. We were unfortunate to live right at the very end of the universe. Even those that knew of the fate to come, were at peace, never too concerned. What will be, will be. I am Hue, and I am the last hearthian. We evolved from aquatic life forms within the last 200,000 years. We had just started our own space program, Outer Wilds Ventures, within the last decades. Everyone looked up to the members, and everyone hoped to one day join them in space. We were curious, fascinated by the mysteries of space. I was set for my first launch, when I got stuck in a 22 minute time loop, unintentionally resulting from the leftovers of an ancient race called the nomai, and always ending in the supernova of our sun. They shared our home, although not at the same time. I lost count of how many loops I spent learning about who the nomai were. Soon I discovered the cause of the time loop. It was no life to just live in the same 22 minutes forever. There was no way for me to save my race or my home. All that is left is what I take with me, or leave in this journal. I can only hope, hearthians and nomai alike, are never completely forgotten.
It took awhile for him to finish it, but finally he was happy with it. There was sadness, the loss of his home. He felt he was almost ready to take the last leap, and see what could await him in the eye. He glanced at the staff. In the time it took to write his journal, the oxygen level was finally in the yellow, suitable for a nomai. Solanum seemed to be transferring everything from Hue's ship's computer, into the journal. She placed the journal down finally, when she was finished. She looked at the trees. It seemed it had been harder for her to relive all those memories, and all the history of her culture, and her race, than it had been for Hue. She didn't move for a long time. Hue watched her, not knowing what to do or say. He ended up putting his arm around her, and he gave the nomai a comforting hug. She eventually looked around slowly, before halfheartedly tapping the wall with her staff.
SOLANUM: What is this gesture? I do not recognize it, but it feels like it had meaning.
HUE: A hug. It means you are not alone.
Solanum looked at him, before raising an open hand and placing it on his chest. Hue understood, this was the nomai equivalent. It was fitting, a seemingly reserved gesture, for a race that seemed so grounded emotionally, but what he had read of their society could not convey one thing, that they were feeling, even though it was hard for an outsider to see that. He gave a warm smile. He looked over at the wall, her drawing, and his photo. Both seemed in their own way content and happy in their representations. He could not dwell on the past. They needed to move forward. They needed to reach the eye of the universe, but after everything he had learnt about the nomai, every experience he shared with them, in the form that he did, it felt RIGHT. It felt right that it should be a nomai to accompany him, the last of the nomai. His friends had perished, content with what they had accomplished, they were lost, but would never be forgotten. He had made sure of that. He heard a metallic thud beside him on the floor. He looked to see Solanum's helmet on the floor. He slowly looked up, seeing for the first time, the face of a race he had learnt so much about, and experienced lost, anguish, hope, curiosity, and a determination like no other. She was looking at him. Seeing him for the first time, without looking through the mask. It was a moment that communicated so much between the two, but that an idle observer would never have picked up on.
Her face was similar in shape to that of the nomai statues, her neck slightly hunched forward. She possessed three eyes, in a triangular pattern, the upper eye orientated horizontally. Her pupils were ovals, rather than round, and completely black. She had fur, white and surrounding her face, punctuated by tree-branch like antlers. They resembled very much the texture of branches. She had large ears. Hue had expected her not to possess ears, but on the contrary, he had to assume she did not have vocal chords, as she remained silent. It would have explained a lot about the lack of a verbal language. He beamed at her. He didn't understand why, but this moment, this special moment brought about joy within him, as they finally truly saw one another for what they were. She mimicked him, smiling too. It seemed both races understood this gesture. Right now, they seemed more alike that Hue could ever have imagined.
Then something came to him, something that he had to share while they had the chance. He didn't expect they would ever have the chance to again once they entered the eye of the universe. He rustled in his space suit, grabbing a small bag of white and pink marshmallows. He got up, and quickly gathered some dead wood and leaves from the trees. He glanced over at Solanum, who had started to read his journal. He brought the wood and leaves into a pile. But he had no way of lighting them. He had an idea. He grabbed his staff and wrote quickly, placing the writing on the ground as Solanum seemed to finish reading his journal, looking up at him, before putting the journal down and going over to read what he wrote.
HUE: Fire.
Solanum understood at once, tapping the wood with her staff, the pile of wood and leaves catching from a single spark, the campfire beginning to pick up. Hue quickly opened the packet, his excitement to show something so stereotypical of his race, something he had shared with his friends and companions, and now wanted to share with her. He sat down at the campfire, Solanum sitting down on the other side. He grabbed a marshmallow, and wrote on the ground.
HUE: Marshmallow.
He looked around for something to stick the marshmallow on, before looking at the end of his staff. He turned it around and pierced the marshmallow on the bottom end of the staff, before freezing, realizing what he had just done might have been rather insensitive to her. He looked at her, to find her lightly chuckling. He passed one to her, and she did the same. He hovered the marshmallow over the fire, staring intently at it, holding up his hand, almost as if a 'wait...wait...' before the marshmallow was nice and golden. He showed it to her, before he ate it. He watched as she tried. Her first one was a little too burnt. She ate it and seemed to chew a little more than one normally would for a marshmallow. He smiled at her, waiting to see if she liked it. She swallowed and looked up at him, smiling, taking another. This time she got it spot on. Once she had eaten the second one, she turned her staff around, showing him what she was doing, and soon the high tone of a piano started to play. It was a slow tune, but sounded very familiar to him. He had never heard the tune before, but he knew she had understood his people completely. He tried the same on his staff, and after a while, he started playing the lower chords of a piano. Their tunes worked perfectly in unison. They sat there for a long time, before Hue went to get the little scout. He placed it in front of them, and took a photo. He took out his photo book, and flicked to the now empty last page. He placed the photo in there, and beamed at her, before writing with the staff again.
HUE: Solanum, the newest member of Outer Wilds Ventures.
She smiled at him, as the last embers of the fire died out. Hue looked at it and gave an almost strained smile now, before looking down. Solanum looked at him as Hue wrote again.
HUE: We could stay here forever. I think...no, I definitely can count this as perhaps the greatest and most profound moment of my life. But what good would all of it have done if we never leave? We have to go to the eye of the universe. And I think the longer we stay here, the harder it will be to go forward.
SOLANUM: It has always been the greatest dream of all nomai, to witness the eye of the universe. Faced with it right in front of me, that desire has halted somewhat.
SOLANUM: I enjoyed this moment, but we owe it to our friends, and ourselves to see this through. I am ready to go.
Hue felt a lump in his throat, having hoped she would talk him out of it. They sat there for a few minutes longer, before Hue finally stood up, Solanum following suit. She picked up their journals, placing them neatly in the wall racks below the tablets and scrolls. She passed the wall, and stopped, looking at the picture of Hue, and the drawing of herself. She raised a staff, drawing a circle around them both, and beside it, a small mural representation of their solar system. She stared at it for a minute longer, before walking back to the bench. Hue watched, before running over to the wall, placing the remainder of his bag of marshmallows underneath. He turned, then stopped, before grabbing two marshmallows and stuffing it into his space suit. Just in case. He smiled back at the sight. Anyone that came across this after they left would maybe...just maybe get some understanding of what transpired here. He ran back to the bench, picking up his helmet, Solanum holding hers. They both looked at each other. This could very well be the last time they see each other face to face with their own eyes. He put his helmet back down, and walked over to hug her one last time. When they broke apart, his eyes were watery. He grabbed his helmet, and in unison, they placed their helmets back on, securing them. They grabbed their staves, and the little scout, walking down the stairs. Solanum drew the ball with her eyes into the socket that activated the black hole. She looked at him, as they stood close to it, side by side. She held out a hand. In case they got separated. He took her hand, and the two, head held high, walked into the black hole.
The sound of trashing thunder, of the electrical quantum storm raging around them was loud. They looked across at each other, both tentatively letting go of each other's hands. The lightning was more intense up ahead. Hue turned around, to see that the ship was gone. They were here alone, no turning back now. He took a deep breath, and they pressed forward. As the surrounding area became darker, terror started to fill the young hearthian. Then suddenly a flash of light then darkness, then another flash of light, and a piece of quantum rock appeared in front of him, and he jumped. Then another flash of light, the rock had moved to his right, blocking his view to Solanum. He tentatively stepped past it, peering around to see Solanum looking at him. She reached out a hand, and he took it, not wanting to end up separated. It gave him courage, and the two advanced forward, no matter what the quantum storm threw at them. Soon the lightning seemed to fall behind them and they reached the edge of a small crater located in a dead end, and above, in the sky was what appeared to be a wormhole. There were spires leading up to it that were thin, and would have space for only one to stand on at once. Hue did not see any obvious way forward. He began to write with the staff, tapping the floor, a spiral shining blue.
HUE: This must be it, but it looks like the quantum moon. What do we do?
SOLANUM: Above us is what appears to be a wormhole. Does the Eye want us to fall into that wormhole? I see no other way forward, other than to fall into the wormhole.
HUE: But how do we fall into it? It is above us, but maybe we need it below us. Lets both close our eyes.
SOLANUM: Perhaps, the lack of perception will move the wormhole below us? Let us try.
He held out a hand, and she grabbed it, both of them closing their eyes. After several seconds, they both opened them, and looked at each other. Much to their surprise, in this area of complete changeability, very little had changed. Hue looked down again, and got out the little scout launcher. He didn't know if this would work, or whether he would be able to recall it this time. He fired the little scout at the wormhole, but something strange happened. The scout went forward, then followed the spherical surface of the crater, doing a full circle before falling into the wormhole. As Hue expected, it was gone for good. Fearing that they had lost something that might be crucial later, he looked at her for ideas, but found she had already written something.
SOLANUM: Gravity did not act as I would have predicted. I believe we are safe to walk over this edge.
HUE: Okay, then we do it together.
SOLANUM: It would comfort me if we did everything together. Whatever fate is yours, will be mine also.
HUE: And your fate will be mine. I can live with that.
He then looked down at the crater, and as one, they took a step forward, and found there was ground there. But they couldn't see it. They took another step, and looked up. The wormhole was now behind them, and it seemed they were on the outside edge of this spherical crater. They both seemed to know what to do. They walked to one of the spires, before Hue let go, and wrote on the floor again.
HUE: We can't both fit on one of these spires. I don't want to risk us getting separated.
SOLANUM: I do not like this either. But, perhaps it is necessary just for this instant, if we are to proceed. This wormhole seems stable, and unchanging. I believe we will end up at the same place.
HUE: But what if we don't?
SOLANUM: I think our friendship so far is evidence that if we were to be separated, that neither of us would concede in our attempts to reunite. If time is infinite in this place, then eventually, the possibility of us reuniting is certain. That fact alone comforts me.
HUE: I...I guess. But, let's at least try to catch each other before we fall in.
SOLANUM: With that, I will agree.
Hue took a deep breath, as he went to the next spire, slowly walking up it, Solanum walking up hers. They were both at the end of their spires, looking down at the wormhole, before both looking back up at each other. Hue held up a hand
with 3 fingers. He counted them down slowly, 3. 2. 1. Then, they both stepped off, and fell, Hue activating his jet pack at full thrust, Solanum's thrusters activated too. They reached out... their fingers touched, and they scrambled to grab hold.
Then Hue landed, on a wooden floor, very much alone. He looked around quickly, no sight of Solanum. He trembled. "No." He breathed, falling to his knees. "No...Solanum." He said quietly, his eyes filling with tears. He stood slowly, and turned to face the blackness in which he had come, and attempted to walk through it. It was like going through a dark formless curtain. He was back facing forward. He finally realized where he was. It was the hearthian museum. There was no sound, it was completely void of any movement or sound. He was looking at the statue that had long ago had changed his fate. But still, even this familiar setting, he couldn't handle it. He had had misgivings about splitting. He had been too easily persuaded. But, she had the heart of an explorer, a scientist, more so than him. He knew, her curiosity had been even greater than his. Would he have held back what her and her people had set as their one true goal, for the entire lifespan of their civilization? He felt a lump in his throat. He held up the staff in his hand, looking at it. "Solanum. I swear on the memory of my home planet and all my friends. I will find you."
He took a deep breath and walked forward, and around the corner. He stepped into the main room of the museum. The exterior door that usually leads to the quantum shard was closed. It was eerily quiet, but also quite calming. His footsteps echoed on the wooden floor. He looked around, his first stop, the nomai artifacts. He examined them for ages, even tapping the staff on them. But nothing happened. He had hoped, maybe, just maybe he could find her using these, but now that he thought about it, he didn't know any force in the universe that could have achieved that. He sighed and tapped the staff once more on the wall.
HUE: Solanum. Are you there? I will find you, I swear it.
There was no response. He went over to the sun models next. He read the display. He picked up on the past tense. It was even more of a punch in the gut. This was the end, this was right at the end of the universe. The eye of the universe, at the end of the universe. He moved over to the angler fish next. It was just a skeleton. It brought back a memory of Solanum, saving them, in dark bramble from his mistake, to calculate for the extra time it would take with a passenger. He continued to move around the room, always glancing at the wall. It was like he didn't want to leave, until he saw something on that wall. He dared not go up the stairs. He felt that this would most likely be the way to escape this place, but he had all the time in the universe, and if there was even a chance she would appear here, or write on the wall, he would not leave so quickly and risk missing her. Eventually he came back around to the angler fish skeleton. It was in a familiar position. It looked very much like how he had found the angler fish skeleton on ember twin. He closed his eyes, picturing the skeleton on ember twin. He had searched for a way into the cavern, when finally the solution had come to him, on the advice of a younger Solanum. He remembered more writing in the sunless city, picturing it, hoping maybe, somehow it would help guide him to her. The significance of his current location gave him confidence that it might somehow work. Because that hope was all he had to hold onto. He remembered.
SOLANUM: I don't know why everyone says the Eye is important.
SOLANUM: They say it brought us to this solar system, but is that good? Dad told me lots of Nomai died when our clan came here.
SOLANUM: What if the Eye wanted that to happen?
SOLANUM: What if the Eye isn't something good?
Then he recalled his conversation with her on the quantum moon.
SOLANUM: Many in my clan have believed the Eye called to us for a particular purpose. When I was a child, I used to believe the Eye was malevolent, to have lured my clan to this star system only to then vanish from them so completely. But I don't fear the Eye, anymore. In fact, it became my fondest hope to see the Eye itself, someday, but I fear this may be beyond my reach. You may think I'm strange, but I have a hypothesis that I may not be entirely alive. Perhaps my journey has reached its end.
Hue's eyes filled once more with tears. He said determinately. "You are very much alive Solanum! The eye is within your grasp, I will make sure of that, and it is my fondest hope that you do see it. That we see it together." He said, before determinately opening his eyes, staring past the angler skeleton, at the nomai wall, a spiral slowly spinning out of his own. He walked over, and read it.
SOLANUM: Hue. I find myself home. Specifically, the shrine to the eye. My dearest friend, I hope that you are alright. I will find you, but if you are able to read this, please respond.
HUE: Solanum, I am seeing it! I will find you! I will find a way. I am in the hearthian museum.
SOLANUM: It comforts me to know that you are okay. It intrigues me that we have both been sent to locations specific to us, but presumably with the same meaning. Tell me, is there a model of the solar system there?
Hue remembered, upstairs. He ran upstairs, and looked to see the model of the solar system replaced by the universe. He rushed back down.
HUE: Yes, but it has changed to show the universe.
SOLANUM: Then I believe I understand what must be done. We must both interact with this representation. It appears to be the only way to leave.
HUE: Okay, maybe it will reunite us.
He nodded to himself, walking back up the stairs, and turning to face the representation of the universe. He took a deep breath and stuck his hand in. Some of the stars wisped away, and he watched as the one in the middle started to expand, and fade into complete darkness. He looked up, to find more lights around him, and trees. But hang on? He was just in the observatory. He looked all around. He was in a dark forest. He could hear nothing, but more of the lights were vanishing, representations of stars exploding. He started to walk. He would call Solanum, but the sound would not travel further than his helmet. He had an idea. He activated his staff to play the piano song they had practiced together. Then his signal-scope immediately picked up a nearby signal. He got out the signal-scope and checked it. Then his heart skipped a beat. He picked up her piano signal, a mere 100m in front of him. He knew it was hers because it was in a higher key than his. "Oh my god, Solanum!" He ran in the direction, not caring about the lack of light, or what he might run into. He was only 20m from her, and soon she came into view. He outstretched his hand, and the instant they touched, he fell...and everything went black.
He woke, aching all over. He was on his back, on what felt like earth. His head was tilted, supported by a tree stump. He was a little dazed, his head spinning. He opened his eyes, not that that had made much difference. There was something lit up just above him, from the light of his suit. He tried to make it out. His heart skipped a beat. It was the mask. A nomai mask, looking down at him. She seemed to be kneeling, and then he realized, his head was propped up by her. It was Solanum. He became aware that she had her arms around his waist. She tilted her head a little as he looked up at her. Here she was, at the eye. He didn't know what had happened to him, only that his friend had done like he had done on the quantum moon. She had not forgotten about him. She had found him, and perhaps even saved him? He looked up at the mask, almost seeing her face as if she were not wearing her space suit at all. He gave a smile, tears filling his eyes. "Solanum. I... I thought I had lost you." He said, knowing she couldn't understand. But it seemed even if she didn't understand the words, she understood the meaning. She hugged him, before letting him go. He struggled to his feet, helped up by her. He took a deep breath, and picked back up his staff that lay neatly beside where he had been. He wrote on the ground. In this place it seemed that earth could convey messages too.
HUE: Solanum! I am so glad that we are reunited!
SOLANUM: As am I. I was concerned. We fell when we made contact, but you fell on your back. I feared you were badly injured. I have lost almost all of my friends. I do not wish to lose the last remaining friend I have.
HUE: Solanum, I never never want to lose you again.
SOLANUM: I will assume your double negative was not deliberate. I believe we are here, at the end. My friend, shall we go forward and explore this together?
HUE: You bet.
Hue turned to look at her, and the two gripped each other's hands, a precaution against being separated by the quantum nature of his place. They were still in a forest. Stepping forward, the light of his suit faded, and he felt her hand grip tighter as they were left in pitch darkness. Then the light flashed back on, and a young sapling stood before them. Hue and Solanum looked at each other, then back at the sapling that had gotten smaller. Hue flashed the light of his space suit again, and this time the tree was a stump. He flashed it again, and saw an unlit campfire. Solanum moved her staff, and a spark caught on the campfire, which illuminated the emptiness around them. Across from the campfire, was a chair, rocking on it's own that neither had seen until the fire light the surrounding area. Solanum looked at Hue, an idea in her mind. She extended her staff, a small light flashed at them. Then she pointed the staff at the ground, slowly making a cave drawing, much like the self portrait she had done back on the vessel. She carved it into the ground, glowing a faint blue. Hue looked down, to see that she had drawn the two of them, side by side. Hue understood. She had captured their image. He assumed it must work that way, otherwise how would she have gotten to the quantum moon? As she finished, she looked up, and Hue trusted her, letting go of her hand. Then he could hear a sound across the campfire. It was strange, it was coming through his ears, and not the signal scope. It was Esker's whistling. He looked up, and sure enough Esker was rocking in his chair. Solanum watched as Hue approached Esker.
"Esker? Is that really you?" Hue asked, also realizing, he was hearing the crackling of the fire. Esker stopped whistling to look at Hue. "Yes lad, it's really me. Say...this is a rather interesting place. It looks like we are ready for a gathering, wouldn't you say?" Hue looked back at the campfire, and all the empty space between the trees and the campfire. They were in a clearing. He looked at Solanum, evidently already having taken her place. Hue looked to Esker. "I guess so. But, you're not real are you? You're just an echo of the real Esker?" He asked. Esker looked at Hue as if he had gone mad. "Of course I am an echo...lad! You've been in that space suit too long. As for if I am real… In this place, is anything real? You know...I think I am real, even if I am just an echo. I would hazard a guess to say, anything that you want to be real in this place...will be real." He said, and started rocking again, and whistling. He stopped after a minute and looked at Hue and laughed. "Well...aren't you forgetting someone? I don't think we can start without them." And as he started whistling once more, the signal-scope alerted Hue to several signals nearby.
There were drums, a banjo, a flute, a harmonica, and as he turned to face Solanum, a piano, but there was one more, that Hue did not recognize, a harp. Who could the harp be? He looked at Solanum, who was walking over to him. They both started together towards the sound of the banjo. They were meters from it, before a nomai building came into view. Solanum tapped a wall with her staff, but nothing happened. Hue then turned around, looking over as Solanum glanced at him, and did the same. They turned back to find parts of the building missing. They continued until there was enough space for Hue to reach in and touch the banjo. Then, all the light went out, and Hue was falling. This time he was ready and caught himself with his jetpack, to land softly. He looked around, Solanum was nowhere in sight. He opened the signal-scope, and found the piano to the right of the campfire. He walked over, his heart racing. Surely he hadn't lost her again, but as he got closer, he saw a light, and Solanum came into view. She wrote on the ground.
SOLANUM: I wondered where you had disappeared to. May I presume, you returned to our initial location?
HUE: Yeah, something like that. I think your drawing keeps us quantum locked.
He looked back at the campfire. There was someone new there. He walked over, Solanum following. Hue realized it was Riebeck, sat there, his hand over the banjo. He looked up, and would have smiled had his space helmet not obscured his face. "Where are we? This place seems calm... We aren't in a black hole are we?" He said. Hue smiled. "No...we are in the eye of the universe." Riebeck looked at Solanum. "Where the nomai were trying to get to? Say...is that her, the nomai you told me about?" Hue was surprised that Riebeck remembered, before he realized, this was an echo. His own echo of Riebeck. Would all the rest remember? What about Gabro? But regardless, Hue was overjoyed to see them, and finally excitement set in that he might be able to find them all. But...his excitement was diminished. He looked at Solanum, if only there were someone here of her kind. He patted her gently on the shoulder. Riebeck spoke to Hue again. "Very well spoken these nomai aren't they? She told me you inducted her into the Outer Wilds Ventures. Well, you made the right decision, I have always wanted to meet a nomai, and now she's part of us!" Hue was again, surprised. Hang on, he had spoken with her? Something unusual was going on, but given the extreme changeability of their environment, his surprise quickly dwindled. Apparently, at the same time as he spoke to the echo of Riebeck, so did Solanum. Hue smiled. "Well...she's been a great friend to me... you can tell her that if you want." He said, grinning. Riebeck shook his head. "No, you can tell her yourself." Hue looked at Riebeck with a little disappointment, before raising the staff, but Riebeck again shook his head. "You don't need that." Hue turned to Solanum. "I don't know if in this crazy place, that Riebeck is right, and you can understand me...but if you can. Know that you are special. I miss all of my friends at Outer Wilds, but not for one second, do I wish I had saved any one of them over you Solanum. I just wish there was one of your kind here too." He said, and took a deep breath, thinking it hadn't worked and that she didn't understand him, but then, she spoke. But not with words. He could hear her, but not with his ears, in his mind. "I thank you for your kind words. It is true, you are the only friend that I still have. However, I feel special, being a part of your group. Your ways are unfamiliar to me, but I want to learn them, and I am certain that your friends will also be my new friends. While I miss my own kind. Your kind has accepted me, and for that, I am forever grateful." She said.
Hue's eyes watered. They were beautiful words. He felt he had known her his whole life. He hugged her, and only let her go when a voice beside them could be heard. "Well...I don't mean to interrupt...but eh... aren't we missing someone?" Hue looked at Riebeck, then at Solanum. "Come on...let's go and find them!" He said. He headed towards the sound of the flute, while Solanum split and went towards the drums. Soon, they were back where they started. Solanum had stumbled after the fall, and Hue helped her back up. They joined their friends again. Gabro and Chert were round the campfire. Hue first went to Gabro. "I am sorry for leaving you. But at the same time, I do not regret it, but I think you understand that." Gabro looked at Hue. "Totally. You did the right thing. And hey, at least I am somewhere new. Okay...I am going to be honest with you. Giant's Deep was not calm. I hated it there. Glad it's over honestly." Hue smirked. "I knew you were lying about it being calm." Gabro gestured towards Esker and said in a quiet undertone. "Not entirely." Hue grinned and patted Gabro on the shoulder before speaking to Chert. "I lost my little scout...I think I explored too much with it." Hue said, and Chert took out a marshmallow, roasting it on the campfire. "So did I. That last cycle, when the sun went supernova for the last time. My scout went into it, I saw at least a fraction of the inside of a supernova. I bet no-one else in Outer Wilds has done that!" Chert said happily. Hue gave an uneasy smile. "You realize you're talking to someone that was caught in a time loop which ended in a supernova every time right?" Chert chuckled. "But I bet you never got the scout inside it eh! That nomai friend you have...she's from ember twin, she's just been telling me about the sunless city, it must have been amazing to look around!" To which Hue nodded and grinned. "You could say it was...illuminating." Solanum shook her head and spoke to him. "Your pun about the luminosity of the angler was fishy." Hue smiled at her. "We're going to have to work on your puns." He chuckled. The two of then headed towards the harmonica. As they walked towards it, a large angler appeared out of nowhere, Hue quickly pulling Solanum out of the way, but the angler vanished. Soon they found the harmonica. They returned to the campfire.
Now, Feldspar was among the group, but there still seemed to be 3 spaces that needed filling. Hue, Solanum and whoever was playing the harp. Hue walked up to Feldspar, and Feldspar looked up, simply saying. "It is good to be back among my friends and colleagues. But...we can't start yet, we are missing someone." Hue and Solanum looked at each other, before walking towards the signal of the harp. They reached a clearing, with a stump, and several nomai skeletons around the outside. Solanum stepped forward, looking at the skeletons, a serene silence filled the air. She looked at him, lighting her staff again, and he understood. This had to be her. He turned off the light of his space suit, and watched.
She flicked the light several times, and every time, one of the skeletons would appear on the stump, pointing up, climbing, trying to make a ladder. Then, at the last flash, a nomai ship appeared. Solanum looked at it for a while, before stepping closer. Hue watched from afar. This was her moment, he was sure, but she stopped, and looked at him. "Together." She said, and Hue nodded, joining her, both entering the ship as one. She stepped up to the control console, and flipped one of the nomai switches, and the ship jumped forward. Everything went black, then in the distance, something was spinning. They got closer, and the item became clearer. It was a nomai mask...but it was distinctively different to Solanum's. For one, it was not round, but in fact kite shaped, with the 3 eye holes at the top of the kite. Solanum reached forward to grab the mask, and everything went dark, before once more, the falling sensation they were both now used to.
They both landed smoothly this time, and looked at each other, before looking at the campfire in the distance. The newcomer was obscured by a tree. The two of them walked quickly towards the campfire. They broke through the clearing, to have a full view of their friends, around the campfire. There was one that Hue did not recognize. There was a nomai, in a navy blue robe, wearing a diamond shaped mask as part of their space helmet. They were leaned over a more advanced looking staff, as if relying on the staff's integrity to keep balance. Solanum stepped forward, and Hue followed. "Hello. I am Tulip." Said the nomai to both Solanum and Hue. She seemed very old. "I am grateful that you did not leave me behind." Hue then realized that he had a powerful emotional connection to his outer wilds friends, and they were all here. Solanum, witnessing the very last of her race perish, albeit over a long distance, must have been affected emotionally, far more than Hue had realized. There were no other nomai here. He felt guilty for not having remembered Tulip. He was lost in his thoughts when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked around to see Solanum staring at him. "I believe that we are all here. I do not know what happens now, but I feel that this may be the very end of our journey." She glanced at her staff. "It would seem there is sufficient oxygen here for us." Hue looked at his staff too. Indeed there was. He was hesitant though, but he felt it was only right. He unclipped his helmet, ready to clip it back on at an instant, but as he lifted it, it smelt like a pine forest, a smell that rang true to his origins on Timber Hearth. It was warm, the crackling of the campfire and the rocking of Esker's chair being the only sounds around. It was very peaceful, very calm. Solanum in turn removed her helmet. They smiled at each other. Neither seemed to care to notice that nothing around them was changing anymore. They existed in this small, static pocket, with their friends, and each other. Hue took Solanum by the hand, leading her over to the two empty spots by the campfire. They then sat down beside each other.
Hue looked around at his friends. He opened his space suit, to pull two marshmallows from his pocket. He said aloud to everyone. "I am sure...everyone has some of these." He said, and his Outer Wilds friends all had marshmallows brandished on sticks instantly. Tulip seemed to have fabricated one with her staff, putting it on the end of hers. Hue gave one to Solanum, beaming up at her. Sitting down, she was somewhat taller than him. They were the last two marshmallows he had. They roasted them, and ate them together. It felt like something very significant, and symbolic occurred, finishing the last of the marshmallows. There was somewhat of a finality to it, the last time it would ever happen, and what a last time. If the universe and everything were to cease to exist right now, Hue would not mind one bit, his last moments being the most profound, and ironically real moments of his life. Solanum was smiling back at him.
The moment was broken at last by a very familiar and homely sound, Esker's whistling. No-one said anything, as Esker whistled several bars, before the sound of Riebeck's banjo could be heard. Hue smiled, looking from Esker to Riebeck. After a few more seconds, seemingly when it felt right to interject, the sound of Chert's drums started to play, and underneath it, the sound of the flute. Hue looked to the side at Gabro who gave an enthusiastic wave, while playing. Then the harmonica. Hue looked around him, at his friends, a moment so special. Here they were, at the end of everything...and it felt right, to do what they treasured most, sitting round a fire, eating marshmallows, playing music and enjoying the company of their friends. Something so simple, and so homely, Hue never wanted this moment to end. Then Tulip spoke. "This song is unfamiliar to me, but I am glad to be a part of it." Then the harp placed, and Hue's eyes seemed to water. He felt his hand gripped by Solanum, gripped rather hard. He looked at her. She was smiling widely, it seemed her eyes were watering too. The two of them both understood the massive importance and significance of this moment. Hue slowly picked up his staff, and began to play the low piano chords that he had learnt to play with Solanum. He looked at her, smiling, but when he then heard her higher piano notes start to play, he broke. This was such a beautiful moment. The last moment. But was there really anything wrong with it all ending now? If the universe had to end, he could think of nowhere he would rather be than here, right now. He broke down, crying, but still playing. He felt Solanum's hand on his back, and the two hugged. Their simple song, shared with their friends, regardless of race, was a song, and a message that transcended all barriers. Regardless of the form of communication, this one small signal of the eye of the universe, could be heard, could be understood, but everyone. It would be a signal older than the universe itself, a signal the nomai followed, and a signal surely echoed by a group of friends doing something as simple as sitting down by a fire, and playing music, even before Hue and Solanum arrived. Because that was what the nomai heard. And the signal of the eye of the universe had gone full circle. This beautiful song of friends would go on. They logs were irrelevant, their tablets or photos were irrelevant, compared to what this one moment signified. Solanum and Hue as one understood the nature of the signal the nomai heard over 200,000 years ago.
A ball of mist lay before them, and the music faded into nothingness, along with their friends. All that remained were Hue, and Solanum, now holding hands, standing before a huge ball of mist. They were both teary eyed. Hue looked at Solanum. "I guess it's time." To which Solanum nodded. "It would appear so. Are you ready to find out what comes next?" She asked, serenely. Hue gripped her hand tighter and nodded. Solanum then said. "Then, let us find out together. My dearest of friends."
And with that, they stepped forward into the mist.
The End.