Shadows

I returned to D'ni as a means of escaping the bizarre happenings that seemed to become a regular part of my life since moving to the town of Reality-on-the-Norm, but it seems that even in the depths of the Earth there is no way to keep such things at bay.

Something is going to happen very soon, I can feel it. All this talk of destruction, the Bahro war, rumours of Yeesha making a reappearance... and now the strange musings of a very good friend and confidante of mine, Miss McKenzie.

It's been a long time since last we spoke. Too long. I need to understand what these shadows she speaks of are. Maybe she can cast some light on my own.

Where I come from, tea doesn't do that...

I can't believe I got out of that incident with nothing more than a modest burn or two. Thankfully someone managed to pull me out of the hood lake during that disastrous press announcement though, the last thing I was expecting was a panic attack or whatever it was.

I don't know if it's because of my brush with death, but I've been in a reflective mood this past month. Whatever it is I'm doing, I've certainly had my fair share of opposition. Is this the way with all people in responsibility? Or is it because the things I am doing are genuinely unsound and wrong? If I relent now, will it show I'm receptive to the thoughts of others? Or will it just be construed as a sign of weakness and make things worse?

It might be an idea to test the waters slightly. Lets see what happens when I tell them about the office...

He wants to make cider out of my blood...

I find myself being taken more and more to task by Tyion these days. I really think I've hit a nerve by letting Ruby go for a while, and my recent faux-pas with her office hasn't done much to improve our relationship. There's nothing overtly hostile about his tone, but it's clear he's looking for ways to demonstrate I'm really not up to the job.

I know he's doing it, and by rights I should put him in his place, but it's odd. I find myself genuinely speechless at times. I've done absolutely nothing wrong, nothing I feel regret for, and yet when I try to convince him I can say nothing but stammer and wilt in the face of his scorn. Hah. After all the madness I've endured over the years, the plethora of impossible creatures and people I've faced down, the one thing that finally overcomes me are the stinging barbs of a co-worker. Fate better be enjoying this, because I sure as hell don't see the funny side of this hateful irony.

Damn the Guardians. Damn this whole wretched business. I wish it had never begun.

Crisis

I released a statement on Thursday to the community, sacking Ruby. What is happening to me? I watched with glee as she deliberatly riled up the antagonists of the Liason arguments barely a year ago, and now here I am giving her the walking papers. Is this my world now? Administration, paperwork, and the stifling of independant thought?

I may be able to justify my decision in a number of ways, but that still doesn't mean I am proud of it.

I need to find Echo. She will be able to make sense of it all.

Who is the boss of you?

ME! I AM THE BOSS OF YOU!

No, I'm not the Grand Inquisitor (but I'm sure it's only a matter of time). It's been a busy couple of weeks for me, full of crazy developments and the like. The upshot of it all is that I now find myself occupying an executive position in the Cavern Communication Network.

I'm pretty certain such things do not normally happen in a sane and rational world, but thankfully such concepts don't seem to apply to this wonderful group of individuals. So long as I don't let power go to my head, I foresee nothing but glory and win.

Now where has that pesky bot got to with my drinks cabinet...

Watcher's Sanctuary = The D'ni 'Drones'

It looks like activity from the DRC is on the cards again. The Zero's been activated, and the Watcher's Sanctuary has been opened for explorer access, complete with five volumes of the Book of Words. Er'cana is apparently slated for this week as well. Looking forward to visiting it, I've yet to see one of the D'ni food ages in person.

A report has also been completed on the collapse in the City last month. No structural damage prior to the collapse is the official conclusion. We all suspected it, but having it confirmed is chilling to say the least. Being careful where I put my feet in the future.

Had a quick poke around the Sanctuary. Definitely an up market watering hole for the intelligentsia, almost like a D'ni version of the Reform Club. I can see myself becoming a regular patron. Fascinating history of the place too, especially this so-called 'Path of the Shell'. The Watcher's 'Words' made interesting reading, and I even found myself making some connections to current events. I don't think it's wise to read too much into them, though. Ambiguous philosophies of their nature can be twisted and interpreted to fit any event. Still, Simpson's report mentioned that their words contain hints to Kadish's self-congratulatory puzzle he concocted, so when the time comes I may end up studying the texts in more detail at a later date.

Hope the DRC presence continues to be prominent this week. Be interesting to see if they've made any progress with the symbol found in Minkata.

My Path in the Stars

I had a feeling I would find something. And find something I did.

After taking the numbers for each bearing as time as opposed to steps, I came across one of the raised daises which were to my astonishment no only open, but held a ladder leading down. I was led into a small cave, containing some empty crates (DRC's?) and a Bahro stone. It was similar in shape and size to the one under the canopy where I linked in, but imagine my surprise when I found upon it a phrase carved in English.

Touching the symbol in the centre bought back memories of the Journey cloths. At least, for a brief second - next thing I knew, I was linking out, and when I linked back in the cave was dark and cold. Climbing back up, I looked out to see the desert illuminated by the night sky. Either I had been linked to a separate age, completely alike but at night, or the stone had changed day into night.

'Find my Path in the Stars'... looking up in the sky, I was stuck by the constellations, and how odd they were. There seemed to be five precise groupings, all with a varying numbers of stars and shapes making them up. Five sets of stars... five sets of way points? Looking up at the simplest of them, and comparing my sketches from the book of directions, I realised I was staring at my route from the canopy to the cave, depicted in the sky. Was this what it meant?

It was. And I don't quite understand what happened when I walked towards the stars and encountered the shape, but it is of vast importance I emulate what I have done for the other four sets of bearings. Only when the symbol is complete will this age's mysteries be unlocked.