Jessie Pollick - Kahlo

Jessie Pollock seemed unreasonably calm as we waited for the signal.  I couldn't help but continually check my KI.  The plan was not without faults.  D'veetah was a wild card and one that we would need to keep an eye on.  If she suspected our intentions there is no doubt she would throw a wrench into our plan.

I opened my KI.  There was the message from David Farewell.  He wouldn't be joining us, but would be working behind the scenes.  I wasn't sure how he planed to facilitate the necessary distraction if he wasn't here.  Perhaps it was better this way.  One thing less to draw D'veeta's suspicion.

"Any idea what he has planned?" I asked.  We were seated at a table in Kahlo pub.  Jessie Pollick leaned back and gazed at the light shining through the hole in the ceiling behind him.

"He said we'd know it when we see it."  How was he so calm?  My own curiosity brought me here, but surely his motivations were stronger; and yet, he seemed to be somewhere else.

Voices came from down the hall and entered the pub.  Five explorers congregated around the bar and began conversing along with the occasional drink order.  "You'll know it when you see it.”  I took a deep breath.  “I hope They notice it too.”

The gathering behind us swelled with laughter and before long the five had grown to ten and then twenty.  Who knew Kahlo had become such a popular hangout?  It would be rude not to mingle; if we were to wait, might as well try to relax.  Jessie Pollick was blending in easily enough.  I guess he needed to get out more than I did; after all, he had been exploring this mystery longer than either of us.

Music began streaming into the pub.  A D'niJ had set up by the store room and was well on her way to getting the crowd dancing.

“Ill wind blows the road to go.  How many times we've told you so

No rhyme or reason.  No way to make it easy 'til it's done

So you cross onto the other side of the street

Should know better but you keep turning up the heat”

The D'niJ took a break after her five song set and spoke over the PA to the gathered explorers.  "Lemme tell you: you've been awesome tonight.  To the guy in the back: keep that funky Bahro boogie going."  The crowd laughed.  "Up next I'm gonna slow things down before we get heated up again."  A few wayward cheers.  "D'ni.  You rock.”

 I crossed the crowd finding Jessie Pollick leaning against one of the great fallen stones that cut off the pub from the back.  He cut his conversation short and walked to me.  "This is part one."  What?  My look of confusion led him to elaborate.  "Explorers will be drawn here, but the ResEng..."

Beat.  I got it.  "David Farwell?"

Jessie Pollick nodded and we walked toward the exit. "We'll leave the explorers to their gathering."

"Part one, eh?" I mused as we walked down the hall toward the Great stair.  "Then, part two should begin any minute now."

We stood at the landing looking down the stairs to Takotah II and the docks beyond.  The ResEng sat by his tent working in his KI.  They always seemed preoccupied with their KIs.  I checked my KI again.  David Farwell was in his Bevin.  What exactly was he planning?

Two ResEngs emerged from the building and spoke with the one at the tent who jumped to his feet.  They ran down the stairs toward the docks.  Jessie Pollick rapped his knuckles on the railing. "That's our cue.”  He vaulted over the rail and jogged toward the unguarded Takotah.

I followed.  Jessie was already inside the building by the time I reached the tent.  What could have drawn the ResEngs so quickly?  I peered over the rail toward the dock.  The three ResEngs surrounded a flickering hologram that seemed to be speaking to someone not present.  Kakhki pants and a blue vest.  It was Dr Watson!  I turned and hurried into the building.

Jessie Pollick - Plots and Puzzles

Takotah alley. Usually empty, but the same cannot be said about the plaza it empties into. Takotah Plaza is quite possibly the busiest and most trafficked area of the cavern. It is host to a wide range of explorers from all over the world. Some live here in the cavern. Others just pass through.

The plaza gets its name from two if the surrounding buildings: Takotah and Takotah II. Years ago, the DRC took up residence in Takotah and every now and then explorers can be seen scaling the building as they try to sneak into the old offices. Takotah II is different.

Consisting of a series of interconnected buildings, Takotah II was inhabited by various explorers following the closing of the cavern under Cate Alexander. Eight months ago, the building was evacuated. The building was condemned. Rather than erect a barricade over the single entryway, just above the Ferry Terminal, has been under constant guard via a ResEng.

Kahlo Pub will serve as our meeting place. Jeremy Reinhold will be joining me shortly. His interest seems to be more than academic. Who could blame him? His encounter with the stranger in the worn Yeesha shirt is enough to intrigue even the most unimaginative explorer. Together, with the aid of Terry Suguino and David Farwell, we will make our way into Takotah II unnoticed.  

We'll need a considerable distraction. One at the Ferry Terminal and one above in the Takotah plaza.  If successful they should serve to draw the explorers and the ResEng from his post. The ResEngs are few in number so if we're lucky, we should be able to leave Takotah II unguarded - if only long enough to get inside without being spotted. And what will I find?

My hope is to find something that will point to the truth. If my thoughts on “Panta in Takotah II” are correct, we may find some clue in this: the origin of the story. There is the possibility that we will find nothing. As I said before, the building was evacuated. It would make sense for any explorers still living within to take their belongings with them. Regardless of the likelihood, I still must see what there is to be seen. There are no other paths open to me.

Jessie Pollick - Pieces of the Journey Part 3

A few days after an announcement from Ikuro Kodama that the cavern would be closing, a strange KI
message began to float around the cavern that read 02/09/04 The gathered will tell the path of the shell. 33359/ 58/ -81.  What followed were the first steps of Yeesha’s second Journey, the Path of the Shell.

Two journeys, or perhaps just one Journey.  Yeesha’s Journey and her Path of the Shell were both marked by symbols that outlined a message behind each.  Yeesha Prime taught her followers about the Least.  The Bahro; and their enslavement by the D’ni.  The Path of the Shell’s message was far grander and abstract.  Plenty of works have detailed the minutiae of each journey and its meaning so I will not expand much further.  I only wish to draw attention to the symbols connected to these journeys.

Yeesha’ Prime was not only designated by five ages, but also the five lines used to make the hand.  It doesn’t take much imagination to realize what each line represents.  Furthermore, as enigmatic as the Path of the Shell is, it should be noted that the shell symbol can be drawn from the Yeesha hand by dropping the fingers and drawing a line connecting the thumb to the center of the spiral.  This spiral is an important commonality.

An analysis of petroglyphs from around the world reveals the spiral to be a common motif; being one of the most ancient symbols.  The spiral can represent many things including growth and awareness of the one in the context of the whole.  The spiral also can be given the meaning of journey.  Assuming that the spirals found in both journey symbols are not there by coincidence but to symbolically represent the meaning of the journey they represent then the altering of the Yeesha hand to the Shell symbol is as Yeesha said: a tying of the beginning to the end.

There has been one additional journey symbol found by explorers.  It was first discovered in a garden age released by the DRC during the second restoration in 2006.  Eder Tsogal had been approved for release as a sort of sunny getaway for the explorer population.  Upon visiting the age the explorers found the age to be different from what the DRC had described.  Several journey cloths with a new symbol were scattered around the age.  When the garden age of Eder Delin was released later the same phenomena was observed.

It is assumed that these cloths and the associated journey were the result of Yeesha and the bahro though I have found no direct confirmation.  This assumption is supported by visible changes in one’s Relto after completing these ‘door runs.’  A comparison of this symbol with the previous two clearly shows the emphasis of the spiral in the design.  This strengthens my belief that the spiral is meant to denote some sort of journey.

This brings me to the issue of Pantaleon and the associated cave ins.  It is a commonly held belief by the explorer community that the cave ins and missing persons of the past year can be attributed to the activities of an explorer named Pantaleon.  Tracing the root of this belief reveals that this story originates from The Cavern Today following an interview with Pantaleon.  He claimed that his friends had been tricked into taking a journey they believed was meant to restore the Path of the Shell but would ultimately leave the cavern vulnerable to invasion from a conquering race.  The story he provided is as unbelievable as the details concerning certain associated cave ins is disturbing.

His knowledge of the circumstances surrounds the cave ins, understanding of how the cave ins were triggered, and the continued absence of anyone who can verify his claims serve to.  The explorers Esto, Dean, Adelia, and Laroon were all named by Pantaleon as being involved in this ordeal, but none have been seen in the cavern for quite some time.  First to go missing was Dean; there were also rumors of Esto having fallen into madness.  In the case of Adelia, her disappearance followed her recovery from injuries acquired during a cave in in descent that claimed the lives of many explorers.  Following her disappearance, a community effort began in hopes of finding her.  Again, Pantaleon can be found at the root as he is noted as organizing many of these searches.

Occam's Razor dictates that the the simplest explanation is often the most accurate.  Are we to believe Pantaleon’s story of an elaborate deception put together by the leader of a race of conquerors or is it more likely that this tale was a fantasy of a deranged explorer.  The crime of murder is an awfully heavy accusation to make especially in a community as tightly woven as the cavern community.  In truth, we have no evidence of deaths or intent.  The likelihood that Pantaleon is some sort of serial criminal with a penchant for elaborate story is as likely as the chance that his story is true.  While he may believe his story to be true, the actuality of the events is probably somewhere in between these two options.

Having lost his credibility, Pantaleon has left for the surface.  Any attempts at contacting him have been met with silence.  His absence has lead to the proliferation of the story of “Panta in Takotah II.”  The practice is regrettable, but it serves to educate and remind the explorer community of the recent tragedy and its perceived source.

The story Pantaleon gave to TCT involved an elaborate symbol that he described as a Triple Shell.  Regardless of whether his story is true, I am curious to see if this symbol shares the similarities noted from earlier journeys.  Finding a representation of this symbol in his notes could go a long way to revealing the truth of these events as similarities in the symbol may give weight and credibility to his story.  In the case that the symbol does not share these qualities it is more likely that we can discredit his tale as fantasy.

One thing more.  Jeremy Reinold has given me a page with an odd symbol upon it.  Like the Yeesha hand, the Shell symbol, and the garden age symbol, this symbol shares the spiral motif.  At first glance I found some familiarity in this design.  After some research I find that it is strikingly similar to glyphs drawn by the Hopi on the surface.  This "Hopi Spiral" is another curiosity I hope to investigate in the future.  Perhaps some field work is in order.

Jessie Pollick - Pieces of the Journey Part 2

The Great Tree Symbol

Phil Henderson may have been the first to take Yeesha’s Journey but by the time he returned he was not alone.  Many had taken Yeesha’s Journey and often spoke of what Yeesha had taught them; what she had shown them; and that they had seen her.  When asked about Yeesha, the DRC would avoid any real answer but refer to her as "that dead girl."  This seeming denial of Yeesha's involvement drove much of the cavern into two camps: those who sided with the DRC and those who followed Yeesha.  Yeesha’s followers found their ranks bolstered with those who disagreed with how the DRC had been handling the restoration.  These explorers made up a group known as the Great Tree.  It was this group that rallied against the DRC when Phil returned to the cavern.

Perhaps one of the most fascinating moments during this time occurred on December 2nd.  Phil had come to the URU Obsession Neighborhood and was met there by many explorers including Douglas Sharper and Brian Fioca of the Great Tree.  In an attempt to curtail the efforts of groups such as the Great Tree and the followers of Yeesha, whom the DRC found increasingly polarizing, the DRC began confiscating Journey cloths and Yeesha Pages that had been spread around the ages.  When asked about this act, Phil told the explorers that “She knows,” before vanishing and then appearing in a different location moments later.  His teleportation was erratic and based upon the accounts of those who saw him teleport it was unclear if he had full, if any, control over this ability.

After appearing in the light garden, Phil was told by an explorer that a page Yeesha had placed on the wall had been recently removed.  His response was that Yeesha would come to that location again and he asked the explorers to wait with him.  Chat logs show that Brian Fioca and Douglas Sharper remained highly skeptical about Yeesha but chose to wait in the light garden with Phil.  Phil asked those who remained to watch the stone.  Moments later, the page that had been confiscated reappeared on the stone wall.

It is important to note that at this time Phil did not have a Relto, a gift from Yeesha which serves as a junction to many ages in a similar manner as the Nexus, and as a result had to rely on other explorers to travel to different locations in D’ni.  Following the events in the light garden he sought out his own Relto and began to help others on their Journey.  Douglas Sharper was one of those he helped.  When the two returned, Sharper was a changed man.

After this event, skeptics Douglas Sharper and Brian Fioca were seen wearing the Yeesha shirt now believing fully that Yeesha was alive and could bring about the change the cavern needed.  With an increasing number of explorers showing their support for Yeesha, the DRC felt increasingly battered and often became frustrated with the explorer community.  Phil Henderson only exacerbated issues when he began climbing the Guild Hall.

Dr. Watson and a crowd of explorers pleaded with Phil to leave the dangerous location, but Phil replied that it was part of his Journey.  He went on to speak to the crowd who asked him about Yeesha and her plan.  “She wants you to know what D’ni was.  She wants you to know what power does, the power of books.”  Despite this message, there were still those in the cavern who did not trust Yeesha.

Eventually, Watson was able to encourage Phil to meet him at the bridge.  Sharper warned Phil not to go.  Sharper’s bad feeling about the situation worsened when Laxman showed up and onlookers called across the cavern for Phil to run.  He did not.  Sharper panic linked off the bridge hoping that Phil would follow behind.  Soon after, Laxman stole Phil's Relto book, forced Phil through it,and then followed after with Watson.  Phil was kidnapped and kept secluded in the Egg Room of Kirel for two weeks.

On Dec 26, 2003 Phil was released by the DRC.  Almost immediately he was climbing on the Guild Hall again.  The DRC pleaded with him to come down.  The explorers didn't understand what danger he was in saying "let us help.”  Laxman is noted to have told the explorers “There is no safe way to get up there.”  It seems the area around the Guild Hall was so unstable that even the nexus link did not work.

It is also of note that during this event many strange cries could be heard throughout the cavern.  When asked about these sounds Laxman is on record as saying “We believe Phil is effecting this somehow.”  Some explorers proposed these were the cries of the Bahro.

Regardless of the source the cavern was in awe when the section of the Guild Hall wall where Phil had been climbing collapsed.  Phil's KI went offline.  The cries had stopped.  When the DRC cleared away the rubble all they found was a smashed KI.  Phil was presumed dead and two months later, after much silence from the DRC, the Cavern closed.

Officially, the reason for the closing of the cavern was due to lack of funding.  Funding aside, it seems likely that the close had much to do with the death of Phil Henderson.  The cavern was divided but neither side wished to see Phil die.  Records show that Phil often told explorers "The journey continues.”  He was right.

Jessie Pollick - Pieces of the Journey Part 1

The cavern community is much like any other group.  They provide social function, entertainment, and support for its members.  As a society they are not terribly exclusive but membership is only there for those who find their way to the cavern.  Those who inhabit the D'ni cavern hold an enormous reverence for the city and the Journey.  This is the defining mark of this community.

For some, that Journey began nearly 20 years ago when the DRC contracted Cyan to produce Myst.  The subsequent releases all acted to inform the public about D'ni before the cavern was open.  The DRC knew that people would feel drawn to D’ni.  They took great care to hide the location of the cavern until they felt it was ready.  When the DRC finally did open the cavern in 2003 there were those who had already made the Journey.

I take care when using the word journey, as before in its generalized form it has such a general

meaning.  In this case it refers to explorers finding their way to the cavern.  There is another form.  Journey in it’s proper capitalized form is very specific in it’s meaning.

When explorers in the desert first came to the cleft they were greeted by a hologram of Yeesha, the daughter of Atrus.  Her speech is profound now as it was when it was first witnessed.  It is here we learn the second meaning of Journey.  To quote Yeesha:

It's as a fine tapestry. Complex beyond comprehension, but now torn.  We will show you remnants, pieces of the tapestry. Pieces of the Journey. Find these remnants, these Journeys. Seven. Seven in each age. Seven here in the desert. Consider it a quest; no a request.  Worship.

Worship.  Worship of what?  Yeesha sought to warn the explorers of the pride that had destroyed the city of her father’s father.  Her wish was that the city would not be restored physically but that through us D’ni could be reborn spiritually by learning how to right the wrongs of the past.

Perhaps the first to take Yeesha’s Journey was a man named Phil Henderson.  Phil was a Restoration Engineer for the DRC who had vanished while surveying Eder Kemo in September 2002.  When the DRC realized he had gone missing they called for a twenty-four hour search party but found nothing.  Phil’s KI signal would be picked up from time to time over the next few days.  Eventually an explorer was able to make contact with Phil.  The conversation was brief with the message ultimately being that he was safe but would not be returning to the cavern.

On November 20, 2003 Phil Henderson returned.  He was found in Eder Kemo by an explorer by the name of Zardoz.  He asked to meet with the DRC and eventually spoke with Victor Laxman in Ae’gura.  Onlookers overhead the conversation which began with a request to meet with Laxman and Dr. Watson and ended with Phil responding to a sound that only he could hear, apologizing for his mistake, and then running into the city.