Chapter 6: Chert
Planetside, locked to Rimy Shade, is utterly inhospitable, with vast icy lakes, sheer cliffs, and jagged rock formations.
Curiously, there is life to be found even even here, under the frozen water's surface. But Lumenside, which faces outward
and thus experiences day and night cycles, is riddled with cracks and crevasses. Remnants of glaciers, perhaps, or the
effect or the effect of a planet warming and freezing at regular intervals...
There may be no sunrise or sunset in space, but a cycle is still a cycle no matter where they are, and the crew of the Traveler is governed by a routine of necessities. Sleep, eat, check the Traveler for maintenance issues, repeat ad infinitum. When Chert isn't being prodded by Gabbro to eat at regular intervals, they spend most of their time mapping the moon's surface with their Little Scout. It's good, productive work, despite their reluctance to ever set foot there again. Riebeck faithfully logs everything on the ship's computer, and through their combined efforts the curious moon starts to become knowable.
Meanwhile, Gabbro slopes around the ship, checking on all the countless systems keeping the four Hearthians alive. It's early in the mission, but these checks are vital for catching any potential problems before they can get worse. They've given every suit a thorough going-over, for reasons known only to them, and quietly replaced Feldspar's missing Little Scout. Despite Chert's misgivings, they have to admit that's probably for the best.
And Feldspar is… well, to put it politely, Feldspar is driving Chert to distraction. Since that first abortive foray down to Little Shade's surface, they're the only one to make the journey again. But they come and go at bizarre hours, and it's becoming an alarmingly regular occurrence to be shaken awake by the hollow clank-clank-clank of Traveler-2 decoupling. And when they return, they're snappish and sullen, responding to the others' questioning with monosyllabic answers.
The last straw is when Chert slips on a trail of slushy boot prints in the docking hatch, winding up in an undignified heap amongst Feldspar's discarded space suit.
"That's it," they seethe as Gabbro patiently untangles them. "I'm going to shove them out of this hatch head-first. I haven't had a decent sleep in cycles- "
"They just need something to occupy them," says Gabbro evenly.
"They are occupied, that's the problem! They're absolutely fixated on the Little Shade! I'd understand it if they were bringing back proper reports, but they're not even trying to be remotely useful." Chert is suddenly aware that Gabbro's expression has turned… uneasy. And perhaps a bit sheepish. "What?"
"Ah, nothing. It's Feldspar. They're always chasing that next big thrill."
"You're a rotten liar."
"But good at so many other things."
Chert lets out a snort. "Debatable." Gabbro slaps their hand to their hearts in mock distress, and they recognize a clumsy attempt to change the subject when they see it. But… honestly, the distraction is welcome.
"Ya know, maybe we ought to take a break from Little Shade. Find a change in scenery."
"I suppose." Chert turns Feldspar's helmet over and over in their hands. It wouldn't do to sound too eager to leave the frozen moon behind. But then again, there are other planets to explore, hopefully without unpleasant surprises. And there's always the option of returning to Little Shade later. Much later. "Yes, you're probably right."
"'Course I am." Gabbro gives them a sideways smile that they have to look away from. "Besides, you know what happens when Feldspar gets bored."
"Good point," Chert says darkly.
Because they do know. Bad things happen.
·◊◊◊·
They hadn't realized truly how tense they'd been the past few cycles, until the milky blue sphere of Rimy Shade is barely a speck in the distance. The mood aboard the vessel eases, too. It helps that everyone is finally able to get some uninterrupted rest once again. Even Feldspar is behaving like an adult again, though more than once Chert catches them staring through the viewport, an unreadable expression on their face.
Bulwark is, unfortunately, long gone, its orbit carrying it so far ahead of Rimy Shade that trying to catch up to it now would be an exercise in futility and wasted fuel. But the astronauts have had enough of giants, and besides, they've found something much more interesting.
Planet Number Three, pending a new name from Gabbro, is a small rocky planet with a single tiny moon. It's a deep burnt red colour, not unlike Ember Twin, with a bright nimbus of atmosphere. But as they draw closer, they realise it's nothing like that familiar scorched desert.
"I don't believe it." Riebeck's cheeks are flushed purple, their eyes shining. "That's a forest." It's hard to make out without a telescope, but the surface of the planet is covered in thick foliage, in fiery shades of red and umber. But where Timber Hearth has vast grassy plains and snow-capped mountains, here there are low, craggy hills, islands rising out of the sea of vegetation.
Chert flexes their toes, straining to get a better view. "It certainly looks like it, doesn't it? Assuming those are trees, of course."
"What else would they be?" Feldspar pipes up from the pilot's seat.
"Um, I don't know," Chert shoots over their shoulder, "maybe something that you wouldn't expect to see on Timber Hearth, seeing as how we're approaching an utterly alien planet?"
Theories fly back and forth as the Traveler drifts ever closer to the strange planet. Feldspar settles the vessel into orbit, and everyone gathers around Chert as they launch their Little Scout, letting it skim the atmosphere before dipping below the wisps of cloud. The forest opens up beneath it, vast and gently undulating. Chert lands the scout neatly on a rocky hill and turns the camera in a slow circle to take it all in.
"Yup," Gabbro's voice fills the awed silence. "Those are trees, alright. They've got leaves and branches and everything."
"Very insightful, Gabbro," says Chert, and Gabbro grins and offers a lazy salute.
"Hey, look," says Riebeck suddenly, stiffening and pointing at the scout's feed. "What is that?"
The shadow of a roughly-shaped object rises from the horizon, passing almost directly above the Little Scout. Chert frantically rotates the camera to keep it in frame, and as it draws nearer the pixels coalesce into a great hunk of crystalline rock.
"That is the weirdest moon I've ever seen," Gabbro remarks. And they're not wrong; it's rough, multi-faceted, with eggshell fragments of dull crust clinging to it in parts. A geode broken open, catching Lumen 282-b's light and shimmering, an imitation star in its own right.
"Weirder than the one that plays peek-a-boo with half the planets in our solar system?" Feldspar cuts in, a bit saltily. They've never quite forgiven Gabbro for discovering the Quantum Moon before them - though in Chert's opinion they're just being greedy.
"Okay, the second weirdest moon I've ever seen," Gabbro amends. Then, "Looks as if somebody took a hammer to it."
Riebeck considers this. "Maybe it was hit by a meteorite?"
Chert lets their voices fade into the background and recalls their scout, intending to make a closer pass at the oddly-shaped moon. But they're interrupted by a surprisingly gentle elbow from Feldspar.
"Hey, can I try?" they say quietly, and for a second Chert is so surprised they forget to reply.
"Oh, uh- sure?" They step away from the controls. "You don't really need to ask."
Feldspar's lip quirks wryly. "Well, I did crash mine. So, you know."
"Accidents happen," Chert tells them, feeling more charitable than they have in a while. "That's why Hornfels allowed for redundancies." Huh, did Feldspar flinch at the sound of Hornfels' name? Or are they imagining things? They try to catch the other Hearthian's eye, but their gaze is fixed steadily on the camera feed. "...is… everything okay?"
"Yeah." Feldspar says shortly. "Everything's fine." Ah. Chert knows that tone. So, the opposite of fine, then.
They launch the scout again, taking a different route across the planet's surface. What they lack in finesse they make up for in confidence, skimming the tree line and finding a gap in the canopy almost by instinct. A shallow river winds its way through the forest, cascading over rocky falls and cutting a path between the towering trees. The scout skims the top of the falls and clamps itself down on a mossy rock. The air around it mists with spray.
"Oh!" Chert claps their hands before they can stop themself. "Nicely done!"
Feldspar barely seems to register the praise. They're staring at the screen, frowning slightly. At first Chert wonders if they're still upset, but then they say slowly, "are you seeing what I'm seeing?"
Chert follows their gaze, and feels their breath catch in their chest. When they finally find themselves able to speak again, their voice comes out high and trembling. "Is that- is that a building?"
·◊◊◊·
They hadn't realized truly how tense they'd been the past few cycles, until the milky blue sphere of Rimy Shade is barely a speck in the distance. The mood aboard the vessel eases, too. It helps that everyone is finally able to get some uninterrupted rest once again. Even Feldspar is behaving like an adult again, though more than once Chert catches them staring through the viewport, an unreadable expression on their face.
Bulwark is, unfortunately, long gone, its orbit carrying it so far ahead of Rimy Shade that trying to catch up to it now would be an exercise in futility and wasted fuel. But the astronauts have had enough of giants, and besides, they've found something much more interesting.
Planet Number Three, pending a new name from Gabbro, is a small rocky planet with a single tiny moon. It's a deep burnt red colour, not unlike Ember Twin, with a bright nimbus of atmosphere. But as they draw closer, they realise it's nothing like that familiar scorched desert.
"I don't believe it." Riebeck's cheeks are flushed purple, their eyes shining. "That's a forest." It's hard to make out without a telescope, but the surface of the planet is covered in thick foliage, in fiery shades of red and umber. But where Timber Hearth has vast grassy plains and snow-capped mountains, here there are low, craggy hills, islands rising out of the sea of vegetation.
Chert flexes their toes, straining to get a better view. "It certainly looks like it, doesn't it? Assuming those are trees, of course."
"What else would they be?" Feldspar pipes up from the pilot's seat.
"Um, I don't know," Chert shoots over their shoulder, "maybe something that you wouldn't expect to see on Timber Hearth, seeing as how we're approaching an utterly alien planet?"
Theories fly back and forth as the Traveler drifts ever closer to the strange planet. Feldspar settles the vessel into orbit, and everyone gathers around Chert as they launch their Little Scout, letting it skim the atmosphere before dipping below the wisps of cloud. The forest opens up beneath it, vast and gently undulating. Chert lands the scout neatly on a rocky hill and turns the camera in a slow circle to take it all in.
"Yup," Gabbro's voice fills the awed silence. "Those are trees, alright. They've got leaves and branches and everything."
"Very insightful, Gabbro," says Chert, and Gabbro grins and offers a lazy salute.
"Hey, look," says Riebeck suddenly, stiffening and pointing at the scout's feed. "What is that?"
The shadow of a roughly-shaped object rises from the horizon, passing almost directly above the Little Scout. Chert frantically rotates the camera to keep it in frame, and as it draws nearer the pixels coalesce into a great hunk of crystalline rock.
"That is the weirdest moon I've ever seen," Gabbro remarks. And they're not wrong; it's rough, multi-faceted, with eggshell fragments of dull crust clinging to it in parts. A geode broken open, catching Lumen 282-b's light and shimmering, an imitation star in its own right.
"Weirder than the one that plays peek-a-boo with half the planets in our solar system?" Feldspar cuts in, a bit saltily. They've never quite forgiven Gabbro for discovering the Quantum Moon before them - though in Chert's opinion they're just being greedy.
"Okay, the second weirdest moon I've ever seen," Gabbro amends. Then, "Looks as if somebody took a hammer to it."
Riebeck considers this. "Maybe it was hit by a meteorite?"
Chert lets their voices fade into the background and recalls their scout, intending to make a closer pass at the oddly-shaped moon. But they're interrupted by a surprisingly gentle elbow from Feldspar.
"Hey, can I try?" they say quietly, and for a second Chert is so surprised they forget to reply.
"Oh, uh- sure?" They step away from the controls. "You don't really need to ask."
Feldspar's lip quirks wryly. "Well, I did crash mine. So, you know."
"Accidents happen," Chert tells them, feeling more charitable than they have in a while. "That's why Hornfels allowed for redundancies." Huh, did Feldspar flinch at the sound of Hornfels' name? Or are they imagining things? They try to catch the other Hearthian's eye, but their gaze is fixed steadily on the camera feed. "...is… everything okay?"
"Yeah." Feldspar says shortly. "Everything's fine." Ah. Chert knows that tone. So, the opposite of fine, then.
They launch the scout again, taking a different route across the planet's surface. What they lack in finesse they make up for in confidence, skimming the tree line and finding a gap in the canopy almost by instinct. A shallow river winds its way through the forest, cascading over rocky falls and cutting a path between the towering trees. The scout skims the top of the falls and clamps itself down on a mossy rock. The air around it mists with spray.
"Oh!" Chert claps their hands before they can stop themself. "Nicely done!"
Feldspar barely seems to register the praise. They're staring at the screen, frowning slightly. At first Chert wonders if they're still upset, but then they say slowly, "are you seeing what I'm seeing?"
Chert follows their gaze, and feels their breath catch in their chest. When they finally find themselves able to speak again, their voice comes out high and trembling. "Is that- is that a building?"
·◊◊◊·
They've all seen Nomai ruins before. Their own solar system is littered with their remnants, and Riebeck's gorgeous illustrations of the settlement on Brittle Hollow are detailed enough that Chert could get lost in them for hours.
This building is nothing like a Nomai ruin. It rises from the tangle of vegetation, elegant spires standing amidst the rest of its crumbling structure. With each pass by the Little Scout, the sheer scale of the ruin becomes clear- it straddles the churning river in tiers, sprawling amid the encroaching plant life and putting Chert in mind of the mountains on Timber Hearth.
"Riebeck, are you okay?" Gabbro nudges the bigger Hearthian in the side. It's a fair question - they haven't said a word since they laid eyes on the ruin. They're frozen, half-reaching for the screen as if they could touch the crumbling walls.
"There were people living there," Riebeck whispers. "I didn't really think- it's just-"
"It's alright, buddy. We know." Gabbro pats their back gently. "Makes space feel a lot less lonely, right? Even if they're gone."
Riebeck nods, tears welling in their eyes. "I wonder what happened to them."
"Only one way to find out!" Feldspar's already halfway into their space suit. Chert has never seen them suit up so quickly - not even in Gossan's emergency drills, which were usually accompanied by Porphy clanging an iron in their ears. To "lend an air of urgency", as they put it. But now it's as if someone has lit a campfire under their butt.
"Hold on, Feldspar!" they protest, in a futile attempt to calm them, "We haven't finished scouting the planet! We don't know what's down there."
"Sure we do. A whole bunch of trees, rocks, and whatever that is. C'mon, look at Riebeck. They're going to melt into a puddle if they don't get down there right now. Is that what you want? A Riebeck puddle?" At Chert's pursed lips and folded arms, Feldspar rolls their eyes. "Pfft. And you call yourselves adventurers."
"No, you call yourself an adventurer. Everyone else calls you 'reckless' and 'suicidal' and 'indescribably irresponsible'."
"That's a contradiction, you just described me perfectly." Before Chert can fire back a retort, Feldspar plonks their helmet onto their head and zips up the seal. A few seconds later, the Traveler's signalscope crackles into life. "So, are we doing this, or what?"
·◊◊◊·
It's one thing to see the 'building' through the Little Scout, but when Traveler-4 swoops below the upper reaches of the atmosphere and those distant towers grow on the horizon, its true scale makes Chert gasp. Literally - the sound makes Gabbro chuckle over the hum of the engine.
"Now there's something I never would have dreamed we'd see."
"It's beautiful," says Chert without thinking, but then they realize they mean it. Though certainly not as cozy as a sturdy Hearthian log cabin, there's a majesty to this place that rivals the hanging city on Brittle Hollow. Yet vines choke the lower tiers, climbing the pale stone and forcing their way into cracks and windows. Still, it's standing, and about midway up, on pillars over the river, is a wide, flat expanse of stone. The perfect landing pad, marked with concentric circles in different earthy tones.
Gabbro sets the ship down with impeccable finesse, and through the viewport Chert watches as Feldspar does the same with Traveler-2. Both ships' engines spool down, and Chert is unbuckled and tugging at the hatch before Gabbro has finished their post-landing checks. Their boots hit the stone below with a faint thud, the weaker gravity lessening the fall.
One by one, the four Hearthians gather, turning in small circles to take in their surroundings. Their landing pad is level with the tree line - it's alarmingly like standing in the middle of a forest fire. Overhead, the misshapen gem of a moon winks. Behind them looms a tower, ringed with balconies and snatches of ornate decor clinging to the walls where the moss hasn't yet managed to displace it. The Nomai loved their latticework and tiles, but this is something else.
Riebeck is practically beside themself. "Oh, stars! Look at this place! We could spend days here and not see everything!"
But Chert is barely listening. Their attention is fixed on their suit's atmospheric readings. As they had quietly hoped, the atmosphere is mostly nitrogen and oxygen - not as oxygen-rich as they'd thought, especially with the endless forest all around them, but still. It's astonishingly Hearthian-friendly.
They go to unzip the fastenings on their helmet, but their fingers hesitate. Readings or no, they are on an alien planet, and, well. There's always that last lingering doubt. Seeing this, Gabbro raises their hands to their own faceplate.
"Together?" they offer, and Chert's hearts give a tiny squeeze. Gabbro hasn't even looked at the readings yet. That they would trust Chert's judgment without question is… well, Chert isn't sure they have the words for it.
"Okay," they say gratefully. It's silly; if anything goes wrong Feldspar and Riebeck will have two astronauts to rescue. But Chert can't help but feel better, knowing they're in this together. "One, two, three- " the pair pull their helmets free in unison, drinking in the cool air that rushes in. It smells of leaf mould and fresh dirt. There's the faint burbling of the river from below, and a distant roar that takes Chert a moment to place - it's the sound of the breeze shushing through the vast forest all around them.
"Oh, oh wow." Gabbro grins widely, and it's so strange to see their face lit in Lumen 282-b's light, in the bluish tint of an alien atmosphere. It gives them a deep, healthy glow. "We're not asphyxiating. Awesome."
·◊◊◊·
As Riebeck said, the structure is vast enough that it would take days, perhaps cycles, to explore it properly. With this in mind, they split up, but not without a solemn promise to keep their signalscopes tuned to the same frequency in case anyone runs into trouble. They don't say it aloud, but no one wants a repeat of what happened on Little Shade.
It's an odd feeling, to explore such a place without a helmet on. Chert feels rather exposed, but it's also nice to breathe fresh air, despite the lower oxygen making them feel as if they've been running laps. There's also an odd metallic taste to the air, not entirely pleasant. The ruins are quiet and still, save for the occasional footstep or skittering stone that can be heard echoing through the stone halls. But after a while those sounds fade too, leaving only the distant murmur of trees that seems to be a constant on this planet.
After an hour or so of wandering aimlessly in and out of long-forgotten rooms, Chert is beginning to feel thoroughly disoriented. They seem to be in some kind of barracks, judging by the long, low furniture in each room. Tattered swathes of fabric hang from the ceilings, some completely ruined, others spotted with moss and mould. Vines pour through open windows, spilling across the floors. Much of what is left has gone to rot and ruin. Curious crystalline shards mounted on the walls cast purplish reflections in the sunlight. They're the exact same colour as the heart of the planet's moon.
At last, Chert comes to a vertical shaft, presumably leading to the floors above and below. They launch their Little Scout downward, letting it illuminate the way. Its camera shows another hallway not unlike the one Chert is standing in. What a labyrinthine place - the people who lived here must have had a better sense of direction. A quick experimental launch to the floor above reveals a mess of leaves and unstable, cracked stone. A descent, then. Chert takes a steadying breath and steps off the edge, using their jet pack to slow their descent. At least in this lower gravity they'll be able to make their way back up easily.
This hallway is in better condition than the one above, painted a deep umber and inlaid with stone in different colours. Chert trails a gloved hand along the wall, stirring up dust. How long has this place stood empty? Judging from the size of it, it must have once bustled with life. It's easily as big as the crater the Hearthians call home.
A tall archway opens out onto a narrow bridge. It connects the hallway to one of the towers, Chert realises with growing excitement. There has to be a reason for these grand spires. They hurry across the bridge, deliberately not looking over the sides - far below they can hear the river, but that doesn't mean they want to see just how far - and through the matching arch on the far side. The tower is riddled with cracks and climbing plants, and glass crunches beneath Chert's feet as they emerge on a half floor stacked high with shelves. Shimmering globes nestle in the shelves, though there are fewer than one would expect. Then they realize just what they're stepping on, and resolve to tread more carefully.
On the far side of the tower, where the floor drops away to reveal the room directly below, a vast mural takes up the entire width of the wall. It's heavily stylized, made up of almost concentric bands arranged around a large whitish-blue gemstone. Each band sports a stone of its own, some with speckles around them, others without.
And then it hits them; they're looking at a map of the solar system.
Chert claps a hand to their mouth as thrilled laughter bubbles up in their throat. The people who lived here, who built this place, must have been curious about what lay beyond their planet. Assuming their map is accurate, they've left behind an invaluable gift.
Chert fumbles for their signalscope, intending to call on the others, but a noise makes their ears prick up. The unmistakable sound of voices, but not via any frequency. They echo off the bare walls of the ruin - and they're getting closer by the second.
"-looking for something, weren't you?" That's Gabbro's voice. Chert peeks over the edge and sees their lean shape appear below them, followed reluctantly by Feldspar.
There's a long pause. Then, suspiciously, Feldspar says, "Why d'you ask?"
Gabbro lets out a short laugh, but it's a cold one and Chert already knows they don't like it. "Maybe because you've been obsessed with the place ever since we went down there?" Oh, they're talking about Little Shade, they must be. Chert had thought Gabbro's suggestion to leave was simply them playing peacemaker. But perhaps they were more worried about Feldspar's state of mind than they'd let on.
"Am I?" Feldspar fires back. "Or are the rest of you too spooked to do anything but look at it from a distance?" Chert can't help flinching at that. They've taken pains not to think of the 'echo', as they've come to think of that odd phenomenon, and by some unspoken agreement the others have been careful not to mention it. Hearing Feldspar speak openly of it feels like getting hit in the head with a brick.
"Can you blame us?" Gabbro says softly.
Feldspar makes a strangled noise of frustration. "Argh, I can't believe you! You're all about weird spooky science stuff. Aren't you the least bit curious about figuring it all out? What we heard? What you saw?"
Saw?
Already Chert has a distinct sense that they've waited too long to make themself known. But as bad as it feels to eavesdrop on their friends, something keeps them from leaving. Gabbro never mentioned that they'd seen anything out of the ordinary. Not to them, anyway.
"It was magnetic interference, as Chert said, and our own squishy Hearthian brains playing tricks on us. Don't look at me like that, it makes sense. Molten core, liquid water, magnetic field. And a lack of sleep on our part."
"When did you get to be so boring?"
Gabbro sighs, and this time Chert can tell they're getting irritated. "There's curiosity, and then there's taking risks."
"Oh," says Feldspar flatly. "So that's what this is about."
"I didn't mean-"
"No, I get it. Maybe I deserve that. Whatever." Feldspar rolls their shoulders, stretching their neck, and Chert takes a careful step away from the edge. Taking pains not to tread on any more of the broken spheres littering the floor, they let the others' voices fade behind them and withdraw to the bridge.
It's ridiculous, to skulk around in an alien ruin, hiding from their friends. But they've overheard something they shouldn't have, and they can't un hear it, much as they'd like to. Nor can they unthink the questions whirring around in their head.
What, exactly, is Gabbro keeping from them?
·◊◊◊·
Communication with Ground Control was always going to be nigh impossible once the four astronauts left their own solar system behind. Cosmically speaking, Lumen 282-b is a close neighbour to the Hearthians' star, barely a few steps beyond the back fence. Even so, any message sent across such a distance would take roughly sixteen hours to make the journey, and likely arrive at its destination a garbled mess, shredded by radiation into meaningless noise.
That left Outer Wilds Ventures with a problem; how would they know if the Traveler had made it through the warp? Waiting and hoping was never an acceptable option.
The answer is, naturally, stupidly simple. Every sixty seconds, each computer aboard the Traveler sends a single-bit ping toward Timber Hearth. A constant barrage of blips as if to say hey, we're here. And, because reassurance is never only for the Hearthians back home, Ground Control uses the Radio Tower to send a blip of its own in the other direction. Me too.
This process has been happening the entire time since the Traveler's warp, its computer steadily sending and receiving bits, though the first pings only arrived at their respective destinations sometime around when the astronauts embarked upon their first unnerving visit to Little Shade.
Of course, the astronauts don't know this yet - and won't until they finally notice the discrepancy, and skim through the ship's logs with growing alarm - but the last ping Timber Hearth sent was just over an hour ago.