Something I wanted to let you guys know : I won't be writing out Myst 5 End of Ages. As for my reasons:
1) EoA never felt like a true Myst game to me. The whole vibe was off. It didn't have the same story quality, the same heart the other games had.
2) EoA was set FAR into the future. I don't see Melody running around Ages as an old woman. In fact, I'm pretty sure she'd be dead by then.
3) I have something planned after the fourth game. It is hard to explain because I don't want to give anything away, but know that is will be 100% mine as far as storyline. I may steal the names of a few Ages from EoA and there will be appearances by the characters we all know and love (Atrus, Catherine, Yeesha, ext) but other then that it shall be mostly original.
I don't own Myst. If I did there would be a WHOLE lot more games and possibly a movie staring Gerard Butler.
When she opened her eyes she was standing on a rocky ledge. Ahead she could see the man racing around the corner. Without thinking she followed him as he darted up a ladder built into the rock and across a wooden bridge toward a small building. He darted inside and by the time she reached the door he had locked it. She tugged on the handle and pounded on the door several times but he didn't seem to hear her. Through the small window she could see him pacing around inside. There had to be another way into the building.
She stepped back and looked around. From atop the rock she could see the entire island that made up the Age. It was a small, rocky island in the middle of a vast ocean. A deep crater was in the center of the island, a blue lagoon at the bottom of it. Giant tusks rose out of the rocky cliffs. She counted three plus the one the building itself was built on. Peeking over the side, she could see another building had been built on at the bottom of tusk. She gulped. It was a long way down. With all the cliffs and natural stairways in the rocks she was sure she could make her way down somewhat safely.
As she made her way around the island, she noticed that the other three tusks were smaller than the one the building was built on. They each had doors, but when she tried one she found it locked. The rest probably were too so she didn't bother trying to get to them.
Something else strange that she noticed were several poles with reflectors along the path around the island's rim. Each pole had a different colored marble on top of it. Looking through one, she saw that it could be turned to face other colored reflectors. Melody frowned. She had been in enough of Atrus' Ages to know a puzzle when she saw one. Hopefully she could convince the wild man to give Releeshan back without having to go through any tedious logic puzzles.
Somehow she doubted it.
She finally found a natural stairway in the rocky wall leading downward. It was very steep and at times she was terrified she was going to fall. True if she fell she would fall into the lagoon, but not knowing what was in that water made her want to avoid it at all costs.
Across another bridge and down a ladder finally got her to the bottom. Pillars of rock in the water made stepping stones that led to the building at the base of the giant tusk. Thankfully the door was unlocked.
The room she found was small and circular. The supports were wooden but the walls were a hard white material. Marble maybe, or ivory?
She noticed another door across the way and ignored everything else in the room. The door turned out to lead to an elevator. During the long ride up, Melody forced herself to breath normally. It probably wasn't very smart to head into a confrontation with an angry wild man without some kind of weapon, but time was of the essence and she didn't have time to grab anything. Not that she would have actually been able to use it anyway. She doubted she could even muster a good threatening stance. As far as threats went, she ranked somewhere above Barney.
When the elevator halted at the top, Melody realized quickly she didn't have to worry about confronting Wild-Man. He was in the process of linking into another book that stood on a pedestal. She watched helplessly as a golden cage shaped like an egg closed around the book and the entire thing lowered into a large hole in the floor.
Opening the door of the elevator, Melody stared at the hole contemplatively. She could barely make out the cage in the darkness. Could she risk jumping down, hoping she'd land on the cage and be able to reach through the bars to the book?
With her luck, not a chance.
Next to the hole was a machine that looked like a scanner. A bright blue button sat beside it. Not knowing what else to do, she pressed it.
Three projectors appeared out of the walls, their lights trained upwards at the ceiling.
A man's face appeared, looking down at her.
"Atrus?!" Melody exclaimed in shock.
The familiar face smiled warmly down at her. What the heck was going on?! The face was a lot younger and the hair was not grey, but a rich brown color but the face was definitely that of Atrus.
"My sons," the recording began. "I promised to teach you the secrets of my ages. This world is the first step on your journey."
His sons? No wonder Atrus looked so young. The message must have been recorded long ago, before Sirrus and Achenar betrayed him. Somehow, this age had survived the destruction.
"Search the island," the message continued. "You'll find three linking books which connect to ages in which you…"
The message garbled and faded. Atrus' face was replaced by another man. Melody gasped slightly as she recognized him as the man she had followed here. The man who had stolen Reeleshan.
Now that she had a better look at his face, she stepped back a little. It was a harsh face, weathered by time and hardship. The man's long dirty blond hair looked as though it has never been combed. His mouth was set in a grim frown, his thick eyebrows pulled low over cruel eyes.
The face smiled, but the smile wasn't a pleasant one. "Hello Atrus. It's been a long time. Sorry I'm not there to greet you in person, but I didn't think it would be wise considering how long I've been stuck here." The smile faded and the hard face resumed its frown. "Trapped in these lesson ages by two… greedy… little… boys. Your sons Atrus. Sirrus and Achenar."
The way he said the names sent chills down her spine. Oh no…
"Of course they're not so little anymore," the man continued. "Not so innocent. I've thought about innocence a lot these past few years. And what happens when it is lost. Worried about Reeleshan? I have it. Worried about friends, relatives, people you can't get back? I know just how you feel. But if you want to do something about it, you're going to have to open this device."
Great, Melody thought sarcastically. He's probably messed with it.
"There's just one problem… I've changed the three symbols that do that."
Perfect, she thought just as sarcastically. How could she always guess these things?
The man laughed. "So if you want to reclaim Reeleshan, you're going to have to take your own class!"
Melody glared at the screen. "It's not funny you retard," she grumbled. "And you laugh like a horse."
The man suddenly stopped laughing. Melody squeaked. He couldn't hear her… could he…? This was a recorded message… right?
She was relieved when he continued. "Find the three symbols Atrus. And don't keep me waiting for long…"
The face faded and the projectors turned off.
Melody stared at the screen and blew out her breath in annoyance. To recap, a wild man with a serious grudge against Atrus had broken into their home, stolen Reeleshan and was threatening the lives of everyone in it and the only way to save them was to go through these 'lesson' ages that Atrus had set up to teach his sons the mysteries of the ages that they ended up destroying. Not to mention that the wild man thought she was Atrus and she didn't know what he would do when he realized she wasn't.
Why her? Why always her? Why did she always get stuck having to deal with the crazies?
Well the only thing she could do was explore. That plan of action had always worked well in the past.
Down the elevator led her back to the room she had run through before. Now that she had time, she went through it more carefully.
It was a circular room with a large curving desk in the middle. There was a lot of stuff on the desk so she decided to save it for last. A hammock made of animal skin was stretched between the wall and the desk. Next to the hammock were two tables. One held some kind of hangman mobile with one figure hanging from one end and two hanging from the other end, balancing each end. It was representing the principle that two objects of different weight could balance each other if placed at a certain length apart. As she studied the model, the wild man's words came back to her. Could the figures supposed to represent Atrus and his two sons? If so, it was very disturbing.
On the hammock itself was a journal. Opening it, Melody was relieved that she could read it:
I have done it. I have used his swirling linking book to follow him. I touched my palm to it's glowing panel and felt the tingling begin. There was a sudden, sickening lurch inside my stomach. Then I fell into the page.
This has happened before. I know it. It happened the first time I came to this place. When I followed his murdering sons from Narayan. It happened when I used his hidden books. And it happened when I finally opened the machine. Right before the fog first ate my mind.
The fog didn't find me this time. When I opened my eyes I was alone in a room. I was standing in the home of my betrayers.
I couldn't move. I was afraid. I thought they'd know that I had come and would be waiting for me. Just like they had waited inside this very tusk. I was afraid they would tie me up again. That the poison snakes would strike.
But the silence was unbroken. The whole house was still. And without knowing what I did, I began to search. Every room. Every floor. Every cabinet. I found his journals. Atrus' never-ending journals. I found the book that brought me back to this world. The lesson world he calls J'nanin.
Oh Tamra my love. How long have I been trapped here? How much of my life has been eaten by the fog? The face I see in the lagoon isn't one I ever remember wearing. It's so much older. So much more savage. But it is me. It is Saavedro. And I remember what they did. How they led my people to death.
I have returned several times now to Tomahna. I am searching for some sign of his sons. I was certain they would run back to their father, but so much time has passed. So many years in which to forget about my people.
Is that what happened, Atrus? Safe in your beautiful new home, enjoying life with your dear wife and family. Did you become so busy envisioning new worlds that you forgot about the ones you left behind?
I must be very careful. I must not let them know that I am free. I will read what journals I can find to figure out where his two sons are hiding. And when I've found the sons again... when I've got the whole family together... I'll bring them down. Atrus and his family will suffer. The way I have suffered all these years.
Sirrus and Achenar are not in Tomahna. Every day I become more and more convinced. Atrus' sons are not there.
What happened Atrus? Did you grow tired of them the way to tired of Narayan? Did you abandon them the way you abandoned my people behind their shield.
It does not matter. I can still take revenge against their father. Now that I am no longer stuck on J'nanin, I can avenge all the dead in my world. I have already reopened his other books. I have begun making changes in those worlds, using his own lessons against him. There is still much work to be done, but eventually I will lure him into this tusk. I will find some way to make his follow me here from Tomahna.
No! It cannot be true! Surely his journals deceive me! He says he's brought them back. He says he's given his D'ni breathren new life. But how? How can one man have so much power? How can one man's writings re-awaken a dead world?
I don't know what this means. By all that is sacred Tamra, what could it mean?
It doesn't change a thing. I still continue as I planned. I can still seek revenge for my people. I will make my enemies suffer.
It is finished. All is ready for Atrus' arrival. Tonight I will sleep among the ghosts. Then tomorrow I will link into Tomahna. When I link out, I will be carrying his book.
Melody lowered the journal, her eyes wide with confusion and worry. It was obvious this Saavedro guy wasn't all there, but having been trapped here for so long knowing that your world is gone is enough to drive anyone crazy.
Sirrus and Achenar. Why wasn't she surprised that they were the cause of all this? Those two selfish, greedy, bloodthirsty, black-hearted, scoundrels had destroyed so many worlds and now Atrus was having to pay for it.
Hopefully she would find Saavedro and tell him the truth before he damaged Releeshan.
The silence in the tusk made her nervous. She had gotten so used to having people around that the thought of going alone terrified her.
Where was Atrus? Where was Trace? Why hadn't they followed her?
The two men dug through the charred remains of what had been one side of Atrus' study. Catherine stood off to the side holding Yeesha.
"Any sign of it?" she asked worriedly.
"No," Atrus replied. "We can only pray it wasn't destroyed."
As he searched, Trace tried to remain calm. How could she have been so reckless? To follow an enemy into an unknown linking book alone, with no weapon to defend herself? When he got his hands on her, he was going to shake her until her teeth rattled. He was going to shout at her until she became deaf. He was going to…
"Here!" Atrus exclaimed.
Trace followed as Atrus rushed to his desk, a charred book in his hand.
"Is it whole?" Catherine asked.
"It is damaged, but still usuable," Atrus answered. "As long as…" he stopped abruptly as he opened the book. His face went pale. "Oh no…"
"What? What is it?" Trace asked and took the book from Atrus'.
The pages were burned beyond recognition.
Everything around him froze. He stared at the book with no expression on his face.
"It is as I feared," Atrus said. "The book is destroyed."
"Which Age does it link to?" Catherine asked. "We can look through your books and find another…"
"I'm afraid not," Atrus told her sadly. "The name has been completely burned. We have no way of knowing where Melody is and no way of following her."
"So…" Catherine's voice cracked and tears gathered in her eyes. "She's gone…? Melody is… gone…?"
Atrus rushed to comfort his wife. "Melody is a very resourceful young woman. She passed all of the puzzles and tests of Myst and braved the dangers of Riven. She saw through my sons lies and outsmarted my father. If anyone can find her way home, it's Melody. We can't lose hope."
Trace listened to Atrus' speech and Catherine's tears. He laid the book on the desk. "Where are your linking books?"
"What?" Atrus asked, looking up.
"Your linking books Atrus." Trace repeated. "Where are they?"
"On that shelf." Atrus answered.
Trace moved to the shelf and began removing the books, stacking them on the desk.
"Trace," Catherine asked. "What are you thinking of?"
"I am going to find her."
"But Trace," Atrus said. "I told you, it's impossible to know where…"
"Then I will search them all," Trace said sharply. "I will search them all and I will find her."
"Trace…" Atrus began, only to be stopped by Catherine.
"Let him be," she said. "It is what he must do."
She went to another shelf and pulled out a book. "This is a linking book back here to Tomahna," she told him. "Return here after each Age you search and let us know what is happening. We will stay here and keep watch should Melody or that terrible man return."
Trace nodded, took the book and linked into the first age on top of the stack.
Atrus put an arm around his wife and shook his head. "There is little chance he will find her. If there are linking books in the Age she is in, Melody could be anywhere."
"Tell me Atrus. If it was I who was lost in the ages, would you not search for me?"
"Of course I would. You are my wife. I could not live without you."
Catherine smiled. "I believe Trace is finally coming to that same conclusion…"
Aww so sweet! Trace to the rescue! :D
See ya next time! Don't forget to type in the little box below and click the pretty magic "post review" button...