March 22nd, 2004

I could tell something was amiss when I stepped into the hut on Relto, but it took me a moment or two to figure out what it was. Then I noticed it, a greenish leather bound journal sitting upon the shelf next to the “Journey Ages” journal. I wondered over and picked it up, Yeesha’s familiar monogram embossed on the cover and below it a rustic looking version of the DRC logo.

Ae’gura and Bevin

There were some who came here thinking they could build the tree. But only a dead tree is built. Life cannot be assembled from remains.

And now these builders are gone. What has happened to them? Are they now part of the remains or have they become part of the tree? For the tree does grow, the great cavern breathes, voices in places in the great void. The called continue their journey here. Building or growing it is their choice.

One new book…
given to
open up parts in the cavern
given to
open up the origin
given to
open up a glimpse of the future.

As I sat reading over the words again and again, trying to make sense of them, I noticed a new Linking Book upon the other shelf. The familiar blue leather with gold decoration down the spine told me it was to one of the D’ni Neighbourhoods. Is this why the new journal was here? Is Yeesha giving us access to the Cavern again? It seems odd given some of us already managed to get back in. No, knowing Yeesha there had to be something more to this.

The Linking Book took me through to not just any Neighbourhood but to Bevin, the first Neighbourhood opened to the Authorized Explorers several years ago. I began to explore the immediate area, nothing really stood out to me. Several images rotated through the community imager. I wandered over to the activity imager and was surprised to find Douglas Sharpers name on it, the date of his visit was recent too…he’s still in the cavern?
I guess it should come as no surprise, the explorers returned so why wouldn’t others…perhaps DRC members.
I decided to head to the Baron’s Office, hoping Douglas would be there. If no one else is aware of his return then I could perhaps get chance to speak to him without interruption.

Sadly he was no where to be seen.

Old habit die hard I guess, I noticed a new journal sat upon his desk and so decided to read through it. He mentioned talking with the other DRC members and their feelings on the restoration ending. He also listed what appears to be a KI-coordinate sent by Zandi.

“2475.58.-81”

If only the KI functions weren’t down, if the Great Zero was powered up again I could see where these coordinates lead to.
He also mentioned a “Spyroom”… It seems the Book is located in Teledahn near the slave cages. Is this the Book he mentioned in his other journal perhaps? Further reading mentions Kirel has access to the Great Zero..not sure how? But it seems Douglas an I are of similar ideas. We needed to get the Great Zero running and find these coordinates.

I ventured into Teledahn, and headed over to the caves. He was correct…if there had been two people here… I managed to open the hidden compartment but in doing so blocked access to it. Fortunately returning to Relto and Linking back to Teledahn via the Journey Cloth granted me access. Within the newly discovered alcove there was a Linking Book to a very small looking room. I placed my hand over the Linking Panel and arrived in a very confined space. A Relto Book sat upon a block of stone…Phil Hendersons I guess? Across from it a Linking Book back to Teledahn.
On the other side of the cramped room sat upon a stool was Sharpers infamous hat. I’m surprised he left it he was always wearing that thing. I decided to take it with me in case I saw him. Next to the stool was a telescope which granted the a view of the Tokotah Building and into the office space where the DRC held their meetings. Sharper you sneaky…

The board in the office had a name on it, Bob O’Goobo. I was half way through the process of trying to remember a DRC member with that name then I recalled something Sharper mentioned in his journal.

“G = Green. O = Orange, B = Blue.”

It’s was a combination code. The Light Garden in the neighbourhoods have orange, green, and blue firemarbles in them. That theory was going to have to wait as I decided I wanted to visit Phil’s Relto.

I missed him, I used to enjoy talking to him when he was around.

Phil’s Relto was not like mine, not like any of the others I had seen. His was a state of twilight with blue and purple skies, it was beautiful really. I walked up into the hut and was astounded by how many Linking Books he had acquired. It should be no surprise really given his work with both Yeesha and the DRC. All of the Books were locked but one was not, a green bound book with gold decoration down the spine. A neighbourhood Book but not like any neighbourhood I had seen previously.
The neighbourhood in question was Kirel, the DRC neighbourhood. I am familiar with this place of course, it is where the DRC took Phil after they kidnapped him and where Tink was brought by the DRC to see that Phil was ok.

Bob O’Goobo, I realized that it wouldn’t be a code for Bevin, why would it? No it would be a code for Kirel as it was written on the board in the DRC offices. Inputting the combination on the Light Garden buttons unlocked the Kirel Prayer Rooms. Inside I discovered that in each prayer chamber there were Bahro Stones Linking to various locations in D’ni.

Hypocrites…all this talk against Yeesha and the Bahro and they’ve been using Bahro Stones…

The Bahro Stones lead to several locations in Ae’gura; the library, Tokotah alley way and so forth. My interest however lay with the Bahro Stone that lead to the Great Zero Antechamber as that was the only access point I could not reacquire after the DRC shut everything down.
I arrived in the antechamber and placed my hand in the KI slot, the familiar change in the KI interface instructed me in what needed to be done. I would need to work my way through the Cavern collecting Great Zero markers to calibrate the Great Zero. I spent most of the day slowly working my way through the city, Bevin, and Kirel registering the markers needed. Once the KI notified me that I have registered all the markers I needed I returned to the antechamber to upload the results to the Great Zero interface. With the preliminary calibration completed the Nexus allowed access to the Great Zero courtyard. I always liked the courtyard with the architecture and vast map of the D’ni cavern upon the floor.
The final calibration machines were at the back of the courtyard, four in total each covering a specific section of the calibration. The machine sadly only allows for one section to be calibrated at a time, which is rather laborious but was needed if I was to find the coordinates that Zandi left.

It took me another two hours calibrating those final 4 machines. My memory from previously calibrating the machine was somewhat foggy resulting in my going to the wrong locations several times.

The machine churned to life, sparks of lightning arching out across the courtyard and the familiar blue beam casting itself out into the cavern once again. I never get tired of watching that machine do its thing.

I headed back to the Ferry Terminal, following the KI coordinates as I went where it lead me to the collapsed end of the Tokotah Alley way. But I could not see anything there. As I was looking through the rubble, thinking perhaps Zandi had hidden something there, the blue beam of the Great Zero swept over the area and in front of me a most curious thing, a shape started to form. But not just any shape one I had seen before from Yeesha after I had finished her journey and in James Rofen’s journal…the shell symbol.
As I approached it the familiar sensation of the Linking process took hold. Moments later I found myself in a room carved of rock. A small cot sat in the middle of the room with a book next to it.
The journal belonged to Dr. Watson himself…a chronicle of his thoughts after Phil’s disappearance. They all believe he died…No body, only a smashed KI? I’ve said it before and I’ll keep saying it, he is still alive…with the Bahro I bet. Poor Watson though, he raises good points we should have trusted the DRC more than we did.

So from reading his journal Watson has come to the realization that many of us in the explorer community reached long ago. He has decided to take the Journey and see what Yeesha has to show us. Better late than never I guess.

Is this what you wanted to show us Zandi? To give us closure on what happened to the DRC, to Watson? To show that Watson has had a change of heart? Not just Watson from what Douglas had written in his journal.

Take a leap of faith..

But I have already taken that leap, I took it the moment I came to the Cleft.

Very well Watson, I’ll take one more leap…

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