Beneath

Been hearing whispers about people leaving the Cavern lately. Some feel the DRC won’t be back with funding.

I’m not going anywhere, I have long felt we over rely on the DRC and although I find myself not being too fond of Yeesha these days, her words “find a way” has been a mantra that our group have worked with since the DRC first pulled out.

Back in 2003 we did just that, we made plans to meet up at The Cleft, Link to one of our Reltos before Linking back to our hood Tehren. From there it was just a matter of using the Links in our possession to extend our access into the City and Ages.

Course this time such actions are not needed, as over the years we have continued to gain access to areas and retain Links to them.

Some of the Archivers have been out finishing the documentation we had started, the Linking Books to places like Minkata, Jalak Dador and so forth have been put in the Archive in Tehren for storage just in case the books are removed from the Cavern (which has happened before).

Keira and Steve are off on a supply run later, Rob will be coming back with them as he will be joining us “full time” down in the Cavern. A lot of changes coming to the group, yet at the same time a lot remains the same. Same old crowd, sans Dave and James of course, same old projects, mind you Rob isn’t just helping with the funding he is taking a more active role in the group.

Sometimes I wonder if we could attempt what Yeesha did with Kadish to bring Dave back to us.

Work is progressing nicely with the window for The Cleft. Had to re make the symbol for the Journey however, the version I had envisioned in my design did not work out as I had expected.

I have been having some trouble trying to acquire the pieces I did for Eder Tsogahl and Eder Delin back from the DRC. In the end I decided that I would rather use all new developed windows for the Age and not include the restored windows. Which works for me seeming the new windows take a different approach to resembling the Ages/Areas, instead of being a representational view that was deployed in the Delin and Tsogahl pieces, I am working from actual KI images taken in the various locations.

I think the initial count of 15 windows was incorrect, I have a feeling if all the pieces are made as planned it may be more.

The Journey

• The Cleft
• Relto
• Gahreesen
• Teledahn
• Kadish Tolesa
• Eder Gira
• Eder Kemo

To D’ni

• Bevin Neighbourhood
• Kirel Neighbourhood
• Great Zero
• Ae’gura
• Phil’s Relto
• Descent

Path of Co-operation

• Eder Delin
• Eder Tsogahl

Path of Observation

• Negilahn
• Dereno
• Payiferen
• Tetsnot

Path in the Stars

• Minkata

Path of the Shell

• Watchers Sanctuary
• Ahnonay
• Ahnonay Cathedral
• Er’cana
• K’veer
• Myst

There should be 26 windows, maybe more if we included the Quest that Dr. Watson took but I am not sure whether that should factor in or not.

Still down in the cavern and its Ages, been collecting the images needed, I still have much to do.

The SR have a few projects going too, restoring some portraits seems interesting, might have to take that one up.

The team came back with the test results from Fahets, they were all green the Age is safe.

I returned without the Maintainer suit, despite it being one of the slimmer models of suits the Maintainers had I still find it rather restrictive.

I spent the morning down in the basin studying the various plant life and making notes for my ongoing flora and fauna classification project. The pod plants seem to be a large fruit of some sort. The centers are a similar structure to tomatoes but they have a very sweet scent to them. I harvested a collection of them at several stages of growth to run some tests on and see if they are edible.

It is very peaceful here, the sound of the waterfall and the birds, the occasional buzzing of insects. I did spy what appeared to be a beetle of some sort flitting around the rocks and settling on the trees. I am hoping I can catch one for further study.
I brought in a ladder with me to get up to the second level that surrounds the basin. It is an enclosed area with walls of rock but from what I can glimpse the Age expands out further through a forest like area. Perhaps I can see about cutting through the rock and opening a channel to this secondary area at some point.

In the mean time I have set myself to mapping the initial area. Sophie voiced an idea of setting a camera up on a helium balloon and letting it go to see if we can capture some images of the surrounding area. Evidently she had read an article about some school children doing something similar to take photos of Earth from the edge of space with great results.

I have put pen to paper. The first of many Garohevtee inscribed upon the whiteness of the page, the blackness of the ink almost burning into it. After long hours and longer days it is done. I have checked, double checked, and triple checked the Kormahn and everything is in order.

I have called the Age Fahets (D’ni for first), it seemed an appropriate name.

A Linking Book back is ready to be taken through lest I trap myself upon this new world and before me a blackened Linking panel awaits that first contact with my hand.

I felt the familiar electrical tingle in my hand, the lurching of my body as everything shifted. The sensation of my body shattering and coming together again, all things I have been through countless times before during my time in D’ni but this time it feels different somehow. I know it isn’t the process is the same every time one Links and certainly one gets used to it, but this is my Age and as a result there is a kind of mental conditioning that somehow it is different this time.

I arrived in a small rock basin peppered with moss growth and some sort of fungus. A small pond dominates the basin floor which is surrounded by a myriad of plant life and some strange pod like plants that remind me of cacti somewhat. Above the basin appears to be another level which as far as I can see is not currently accessible, perhaps I can get a ladder set up or carve some steps into the rock. Upon this higher level there are large trees and colossal blades of grass growing everywhere. I am curious how far out this Age extends and what manner of wildlife can be found there, but before I get too ahead of myself I need to gather the necessary samples to check to see if the Age is safe before returning without this Maintainers suit.

The initial surveying looks promising however.