EDIT: Yes, the new drivers fixed the Rubik's effect. I havent played much further but so far, everything seems to be running fine.
Atrus didn't come back right away. In fact he didnt come back all day. I puttered around his lovely Family Robinson-style home, strung like gems along the cliffs overlooking the canyon river, looking for whatever it was I was supposed to fix. Yeesha wandered in and out playing an Ocarina. I had a mind to ask if she played Nintendo much ~ as she sounded like she was trying for one of Link's power songs.
After visiting with her a little, Yeesha explained that its a Serenia tune she's trying to learn. I opined a preference for the "Song of Time." I hummed it for her, which earned me odd looks.
Further discussions with Atrus' youngest have established it firmly in my mind that she is a sweet kid, but could possibly prove to be a bit of a loon. Her father had made it plain that he was still determining if direct physical contact should be made, and Yeesha spoke of her brothers as if they visited her home often or vice-versa. Maybe they are her imaginary friends? One hopes its something like that.
I really love that waterfall. Came in to get a closer view and finally found the path to the reset breaker, but it didn't seem to do anything. So I wandered around a bit more, bemused by my surroundings and more than a little puzzled. I figured, "Why not enjoy myself? There's no rush this time." Actually I'd prefer one of Yeesha's parents returned before I concentrated on any demanding task.
Its been HOURS. Wonder where Catherine is keeping herself so long? Long line at the grocery store?
Wandering back, I encountered Yeesha by her beetles, and she at last directed me toward the auxillary power box. I fiddled with it, and checked the plants & beetle aquarium. Looks to me like she is coming along nicely in her scientific/observational studies. Her prospects are promising. No wonder her father is proud of her.
Aha! Success! Finally found a method of puttering with the box that moved the power around. Once the box was happy, I was finally able to get the power going. My joy was shortlived, however, as some kind of mini-quake or explosion dropped the walkway I was on and knocked me out cold. I awoke this evening to find Tomahna deserted. Now that the power is on, I've been able to look everywhere: bedrooms, kitchen, greenhouse. But there's no Yeesha. No Atrus or Catherine either. Arent they overdue by now? Don't tell me they've all been kidnapped this time? No, that'd be ridiculous!
Finally got the viewer going and called Rime. Heard Atrus was held up by a massive storm. He clearly couldnt hear me, because his last words were babysitting instructions! AARrgh!
Well, at least he's okay & will be back eventually. That's some comfort.
Sounds like he isnt expecting Catherine home soon, for which I should be grateful. I would not enjoy telling her that I somehow 'lost' their only remaining child. She doesnt know me as well as he does. So where IS she then? Gone to Mysterium?
Exploring the rest of the rooms allowed me to check more journals & even open the way to Spire & Haven myself.
I cracked the D'ni lock into Yeesha's lower area near the river. Yeesha's drawing & diary entries are at a much lower level than her math & science work. Perhaps she's very logically-minded like my son? But, she speaks of letting her brothers join her club & writes as if her mother is aware of the contact with her brothers. Not sure how to interpret this. My son is also very creative, but his literal tendencies precluded imaginary playmates. If it were him, this would mean that there is already regular contact between the former prison Ages and Tomahna.
Still, she is effectively an only child. I was too & imagined hobbit-sized companions for my ramblings for some years. Why not bring her own brothers along? I think I understand why she might be fascinated with their character & with what happened to her brothers. I think it would worry me too. It'd be like worrying about a family curse that could strike you. One that started with Gehn perhaps? That would explain her determination to get lineage details straight.
Atrus seems to be left out of the loop in some of these developments. When he gets back, we had better have a long talk, I think.
Found the write-ups and gem codes for Spire, Haven & Serenia, though it took me awhile. (Some of those gem drawings were hard for me to guess.)
Spire was a shock, as instead of any real information of the Age, I encountered images that were definitely a message to his family. I also found a physical object, a blobby gem-statue, which Yeesha calls a gift from him. Could it be that he HAS been here? Sirrus IS a charmer. It would be his style. Nothing equivalent exists in this Age for Achenar. Decided to go to Spire first then. Yeesha definitely isnt here & I found her amulet on the way to those Ages. Its the most logical place to look.
The amulet held me up a bit. It does indeed seem to queue odd 'visions' & 'echoes' all over the place. I thought perhaps it would offer more clues to her disappearance, so I explored Tomahna all over again with it first. Not sure of its accuracy, however. I don't remember Catherine talking like that. No additional clues to where Yeesha or Catherine might be.
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Wrote Atrus a quick note and headed on to Spire.
Spire does not remind me of what he described at all! The book linked me to a broken observation area. Looks like there was a cage here? Also a locked book & a linking book to Tomahna! AHA! Sirrus HAS been in contact then!
I am now in the floating ruin of an enormous palace, very D'ni-esque, with gems and odd boulders floating throughout. The sky is quite pretty, and I love cathedral architecture but...is this really Spire?? It does remind me of an old D'ni description I once saw translated, but no one said that Age really existed anywhere. Perhaps Atrus was inspired by it?
Lovely how this place reminds me of classical music. It would suit this place.
The amulet lights up regularly & gives me odd glimpses into Sirrus' past here. It seems he HAS been in conversation with Yeesha. And he definitely was imprisoned here in years past. His 'slides' are fun too, though I feared I'd get a gem 'splinter' in an awkward place from the longest one! (Note to self: sit on a pillow next time.)
Played endlessly with a circuit board & a control thingy for a ball blob that goes up and down depending on how many lights I have on. whee! There don't appear to be any controls on the circuit board itself. Tried manually 'shorting' a few lines, but only got lightly crispy fingertips for my trouble. I can get the 'ship' to sit for long periods of time but it declines to fly when its on level with the dock.
The day is nearly over for me. I must rest soon. No sign or sound yet of anyone here & the most irritating thing is that I haven't found a way to return to the Tomahna book. Surely there's a way back up? Who gave Sirrus that book? Catherine?
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*Spire ~ day 2* First thing my eyes saw this morning was the pipe 'ladder' extending into the floor(s) above. AARRRGHHH! How could I miss that??
Explored the upper area that turned out to be Sirrus' main base. Interesting journal. It didnt say anything unexpected. Hasnt been updated in awhile, I see. No mention of how he got back in touch with Tomahna. The book he was looking for would have gone back to Myst Island most likely. As I understood it, Tomahna wasn't written until long after Sirrus' self-imprisonment. Studied the plants from which he drew his sustenance & was very glad I had some alternatives in my pack. Lets hope I don't stick around long enough to need them myself!
Finally found a second panel & got the 'ship' working. I was so pleased with myself to be 'going on' at last. Except I wasn't. At least the amulet enabled me to commiserate with the frustrations of Sirrus at the same discovery. At the time he built this ship, which doesn't appear to be that old, he was still trapped here.
The amulet discusses Sirrus gloating over a poor move made by his father on a chess board set on Spire. Atrus' honesty is not something I doubt but this is a puzzling bit. It could be that Sirrus is deeply unhinged or has been playing chess by proxy (via Catherine or Yeesha) or even that this chess set refers to a much earlier time. Sirrus is not here and has not been here for awhile. No sign of Yeesha. I found myself staring at a fan idly creaking back in forth in the enormous ceiling above me, stirred by the occasional passing breeze. I wonder where this place came from. Was it above ground? Was it from Gartenay?
I just encountered a spider chair, but it doesn't do much at present. Getting it on looks like quite an undertaking. I'd better ration supplies....
[stuck on the spider chair]
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