A memories of Myst and Uru Blog

Some of my memories of the games, and the events. Disclaimer: All of these posts are simply my recollections, and my imagination. Nothing here should be construed as fact. All copyrights of Myst, Uru, and any other intellectual properties pertaining to Cyan Worlds Inc. should be respected.

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Location: Gatineau, Quebec, Canada

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Tuesday, December 05, 2006

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Continued from Chapter 2

You set the carryall bag down at the mouth of the cave. "This cave is a bit narrow and you may well bang your head a bit, just after going in. But, don't worry, it's safe. There is a drop off a short distance in. I didn't have my climbing equipment with me, at the time, last time I was here." As you are talking, you are retrieving headlamps from the carryall bag. You help her get hers adjusted comfortably on her head. Her hair is soft to the touch and silky feeling as your hands adjust the lamp. You get your head lamp on next. "I'll walk ahead of you and you'll have to watch the head room as it gets a wee bit low early on."

"Are you sure it's safe?" she says, a nervous tinge in her voice.

"Yes, I'm pretty sure that I'll be able to see where the drop off is again. Then I'll get us set up safely." Your voice has a confident tone to it. You're sure of what you are doing.

"Okay, lead on then," she says, with a similar confident tone. You both proceed into the cave. As you had stated, it's a bit tricky just past the mouth of the cave where, indeed, the ceiling is low. You both have to stoop to get past it. The darkness, once past the initial mouth of the cave, is an inky blackness, which is broken only by the dim lights of your head lamps. It's warmish feeling in the cave, and you both perspire slightly as you walk along. It's not very far until you say, "Okay, stop and we're going to do some climbing now." Your head lamp shows her the inky blackness of a void ahead of it, indicating the drop off. You're busy taking out the ropes, the pitons, and the hammer, ready to get the climbing equipment set up. She feels a thrill of nervousness. Her stomach roils but she talks herself out of screaming that it's too dark, too close, too confining for her. A deep, steadying breath on her part goes a long way to calming her nerves.

"How are you feeling?" you ask her, sensing her mood, because of her silence.

"Nervous and scared and wondering how and why I got myself here, in this place," she replies, honestly. She does a shaky, nervous laugh. She says, "Nah, it's not that bad really, but yeah, I'm a bit nervous about climbing in the dark. How much climbing have you done?"

"I've done a fair bit of climbing over the years. It'll be okay, I'm sure," you say, soothingly, appreciating her courage in this adventure. You stop what you're doing, and give her a brief hug, which she appreciates. You get your climbing harness on and clip it to the rope. She is putting on her climbing harness. You help her with it. "Okay, then, this is it. Are you ready, as well?"

"Yes, lead on," she says, with a more confident tone, now. You disappear over the edge of the abyss and start rappelling down the face of the unknown, dark precipice. She follows you on a second, different line, plumb with your line.

"This is wild and crazy," she says, with a nervous laugh. You chuckle, appreciating her humour. It's very still in the cave with little to no wind and no sounds. It's a deep, profound lack of sound that you hear. The only noise is your feet touching the wall, and the whir and click of the rappelling clip. The light bounces crazily off all the surfaces as the two of you rappel down. Then your feet touch something solid. You explore gingerly with your foot, and find you're on a fairly large ledge, about three feet wide at its widest. She's almost down to your level, then she's there, beside you.

"This ledge is pretty wide. Just keep your harness on and don't go too close to the edge. I think we can take a little break here, and just relax for a few minutes, and have some water." You unsnap your canteen from where it was attached around your waist. You hand it to her. She drinks some, thirstily. Then, you have a long drink as well. It's dry feeling in here, as though the thought of water in this place had dried up long ago. Your feet crunch on something as you step sideways. After shining your light on it, you find it's a skeleton of a little animal. "Poor thing probably fell to his death long ago," you say. She nods at you, in agreement, her head lamp bobbing as her head moves.

After a short break, when you speak quietly to each other, you continue the rappelling down the next rock face. It's not long before you hit the bottom, this time. "Yes, this appears to be the bottom of that rock face," you say, after you peer around with the head lamp.

"Hurray, I've done my first cave rappelling," she says, with a cheer. You both climb out of your harnesses and leave them there, ready for the ascent. "Now, to explore this cave farther." Your hands clasp together and you venture into the unknown abyss that yawns in front of you. The light from your headlamps bounces off the walls as you gingerly walk. The cave walls are ragged rock with numerous rocks jutting out of the floor and walls. The ceiling is low and ragged. "This cave was likely created by water," you say to her. Your voice is a bit loud in the absence of sound that you are experiencing. It booms around and echoes off the walls.

"That's spooky when you talk," she says, with a nervous laugh.

After a few minutes of walking along, your shoes start to splash in some water. "Oh, there is some water here," you remark Soon your shoes are wet, and your headlamp picks up a wide expanse of water in a natural cavern. "Wow, an inland lake and I never knew it was here," you exclaim. The water is warm and brackish tasting as you sample it. She trails her fingers through it, as well.

"This is quite neat," she says, with her eyes wide in surprise. It's really quite a amazing site from what you can pick out from the lights you have with you. When you aren't talking, it's so still and quiet, one could hear a pin drop into the water, likely. It's a vast expanse of water in a small place, totally unexpected.

"Well, we didn't come equipped for swimming, did we?" you say, with a laugh. "So, I guess this ends our exploring for the day." You back up with her leading the way now, back to the ropes and the harnesses. Your shoes squish with the sound of the water in them. It's a loud sound, in the tight, small place of the cave.

"You know, this reminds me of the Lechiguilla cave system from pictures I've seen," she says, as she pauses before putting on her climbing harness again. "It's the deepest cave in the United States and it contains an inland lake as well. People skinny dip in the lake so as not to pollute it with external bacteria," she continues, with a laugh.

You pause, and look at her, and flash a smile at her. "Are you suggesting we go for a skinny dip then?" you say, with a twinkle in your eye.

"Oh no, sorry, that's not what I meant to suggest," she stutters out, then she realizes you're teasing her. She sees you grinning widely at her. "Ha ha ha, don't you wish!!!" she continues, laughing with you now and getting the joke. You smile at her, glad that she picked up on your humour.

"Mm, well, it might be fun to skinny dip," you say, with a hint of seriousness now, in your tone. Inside your brain, you're thinking of her with her clothes off. It's a pleasant fantasy, for a brief minute, where your eyes are traveling over her naked form underneath her clothes. Then, it's gone, just like that. As suddenly as it arrived, it's gone. She's noticed your silence for a minute and is wondering what's on your mind. You grin at her, not wanting to tell her that you've just undressed her for a minute. She is flustered, for a minute, and makes herself busy getting the rope snugged up for climbing. You get your harness on as well, and similarly, get ready to climb your way out of here. "Want some rosin for your hands?" you offer to her and she accepts. It's powder that helps the grip as you're climbing up. "Take it slow and easy and don't panic if you fall," you remind her.

"Okay, I'll take it slow and easy," she replies, already starting the climb. You pause for a minute, watching her go up. She's a good climber, in general, and is taking her time, slow and steady and measured in her actions. You start your climb up as well.

It's slow, steady, arduous work climbing back up. As she climbs, she's thinking, "why didn't that sexist crack of his about skinny dipping get my back up? Why did I feel a little thrill of excitement when he mentioned that? What is it about him that appeals to me?" This theme of asking herself questions continues as she climbs. You are thinking along the lines of "this handhold is nice and steady. Yes, that foot hold is good and solid."

When you reach the ledge you're glad to have a break from climbing. She isn't far behind you. Her light shines in your eyes, blinding you for a minute, as she climbs over the edge and kneels there, panting. "Here, have a drink," you say, offering your canteen, after she crawls over and sits beside you. The two of you sit there, catching your breath after the climb. She has a long drink from the canteen. It's warm and flat tasting for her, but it's wet and quenches the thirst.

"It's nice to have some water inside me, even if it is warm," she says. Her voice booms around the cave, echoing off the walls.

"How was that bit of climbing?" you ask her, in a quiet voice, trying to minimize the echoes.

"I didn't find that too bad at all. A little harder and dustier than climbing on a wall but not too much harder."

After sitting on the ledge for a while, you both snug up your ropes and start climbing up again. She tries to think of other things than why you interest her so much. "What is it about him?" is on her mind again, as she climbs.

It's another half hour before you reach the top of the that cliff. As you crawl over the edge, you stay there, on hands and knees, and pant with the exertion. She's about 10 minutes behind you, but you don't note the time. Taking a swig from your canteen, you can hear her climbing. You say to her, quietly, "no rush to get up here, take your time, I'm just sitting here catching my breath."

"Okay, thanks, yes, I'm almost there, I think," she replies, her voice sounding loud, echoing again, in the cave.

As she climbs over the edge, you reach for her rope, helping her. She kneels there, on her hands and knees, panting. "That," she says slowly, "was," and she pauses again, "hard work, that last bit." She sounds very tired out, and you realize she's winded.

"Yes, it was hard work. Well done for that! You've done a great job. I'm proud of you," you reply, smiling, in the dark. She looks up at you, her light shining on your face, blinding you again.

"Thanks!" she says, smiling broadly, obviously pleased at your admiration of her. "It's a relief to get up here and let my muscles relax a bit Ah, that's feeling nice now," she says, shaking out her hands and arms. "I got a bit tensed up there at the end, what with, holding on for so long, and so tightly."

"Yes, it sure feels nice to relax the muscles!" you reply. You hand your canteen to her again. She takes a long, slow drink of it.

"Ah, that feels good," she says, handing it back. You leave the piton there but gather up the ropes and stow them away in the carryall that's handy. You walk out of the cave in single file fashion. "Ah, fresh air again," you say, as you emerge out. But then you stop.

"Would you like to eat lunch just inside the mouth of the cave?" you ask Lesley. She replies "Yes, thanks, that would be lovely." You both settle down and start eating the simple food you packed. Somehow, the food does taste better after exercise. It's past noon hour and the sun is hot and bright now. The wind rustles the grasses and the hawk is giving its piercing cry as it rides the thermals above you.

"Wouldn't it be cool to be like that hawk," Lesley says, "and ride the winds above us, and see all the land laid out like a map?" She turns and looks at you with a smile. The two of you sit there, in the shade of the cave, after eating. A quiet time of relaxing.

"Yes, it would be rather neat! Have you ever done hang-gliding?" you ask.

"No, I haven't, but I've heard it's pretty neat," Lesley says. "You do feel like a bird up there, surveying all that is below. I'm a bit afraid of heights, so it's not the best sport for me."

"Let's get this stuff packed up," you say, indicating the picnic materials. She helps you.

"Um, I have to make a quick pit stop," she says, blushing. You know what she means. So, she disappears into the cave and reemerges a minute later. You take a turn too, knowing it's a long walk back, with no privacy, for a bathroom break. Then you set off walking, back to the Cleft. You are both walking back, slowly now, tired from the exertion. The sun is hot on your heads and it's a hot, dusty walk. "I'll be glad to get back to the Cleft," you say, truthfully. You pass the canteen back and forth between you a few times.

"Yes, it'll be lovely to get back there, but I need to go get my car," Lesley replies. "I can't leave it there indefinitely," she laughs.

"Yes, of course, your car will have to be looked at by somebody. I'll drive you there," you offer. "I have a 4 wheel drive pickup truck that's parked out at the road," you remark. Lesley didn't see it when she arrived.

"Oh, that would be lovely if you'd drive me," Lesley replies. She's feeling comfortable, in your presence, after a nice meal shared. "You are pretty self-sufficient out here, aren't you?" she asks.

"Yes, in the warm months it's quite comfortable here, but for the late fall and winter, I have to live in a regular house," you reply, in answer to her.

"Who owns the old trailer on your property?" she pipes up, after a brief silence, while you trudge along. It's just visible in the distance as you've crossed the ridge.

"Oh, that belongs to a friend of mine, who was killed, in an accident. He died in a rock fall, sadly, while exploring."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that," she replies. That topic is dropped because she doesn't want to stir up unpleasant memories for you. She doesn't ask any more questions now, she's content to enjoy the peace and quiet with you as you watch the hawk swoop and dart. Your mind drifts to Jeff, your friend, and why he died. It really was an accident, you hope. Not being there to witness his death first-hand, you only assumed that he had been killed. The two of you continue walking back to the Cleft.


Continued in Chapter 4

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