The Riven Expedition: Epilogue

We all sat around the coffee table in my den. Deforest, the Dean of Washington University, Watson, a graduate student studying human languages, Fryman, a metallurgist, Brandcamp, from the school's legal department, and Marty, a senior student in biology. In the past weeks, I had seen each one individually, but this is the first time we were all together.

I had just completed telling them the story of Myst and Riven. Up until then none of them had heard the full story. I wanted to get their reactions when they were all together. I also wanted them to take the time to examine some of the artifacts I had recovered before I told them of their origins. I didn't want to risk clouding their judgements with tales of other worlds.

Behind me was a blackboard with the words D'ni, Riven, Myst, Stoneship, Channelwood, Selentic, Mechanical. There were arrows between the words to show the relationships as to how you could reach these Ages with the Linking Books. On the coffee table were some of my sketches, and the journals I had written during my adventure.

"An impressive story," DeForest said. "But I can't say that I don't have my doubts about some aspects of it."

Ms. Hunt stepped into the room and dropped off a serving tray. "If you ask me, I thought it was all a bunch of hogwash," she said. "When I received his phone call over two months ago, I thought he had gone crazy, or had gotten himself into the usual trouble from one of his expeditions.

"Until I saw him bring in that monstrosity," she remarked. She pointed to the giant Moiety knife that I now had mounted in the corner of the den. "Then, I knew that this wasn't one of his usual trips abroad."

"Ah yes," DeForest said. He turned to Fryman the metallurgist. "No luck finding out what our mystery artifact is made of?"

"No, I'm afraid not," Fryman replied. "It has all the characteristics of metal, but it's unlike any metal I've ever seen. And my searches of the symbol itself have found no matches against any of the cultural records we have at the University."

DeForest turned back towards the aquarium setup that I had installed in the far bookshelf. "And then we have your mysterious frog to consider."

"Ytram is Marty spelled backwards," he said. "Are you sure you didn't just make this up?"

I laughed. I didn't even notice the connection until he brought it up. "No, I did not make it up. I found written references to the word, so I'm sure of the spelling. It's probably just a wild coincidence."

DeForest laughed. "Well, that should make it easier for you to justify a claim for discovering this creature," he said.

We all laughed at that. Marty had ambitions, but I told him up front that the creature would need to be kept a secret. I didn't know what the biological makeup or the life expenctancy of the Ytram was. It could very well die next week, so what would be the point of making an announcement. I also had serious concerns about releasing the Ytram into our ecosystem.

"I don't think I can tell you anything about it," Marty replied. "I've checked out every amphibian species, and every reptile species, but I can't find any creatures that are similar to this. There are only 3 possible explanations. One, it's a new undiscovered species; two, it's a mutation; or three, it really did come from another world."

"That's two unexplained phenomena," DeForest said. "And how about you Mr. Watson. How are you coming along with your analysis of the Books?"

Watson picked up a notepad he kept and opened it up. Next to him on the end table was the Myst Descriptive Book, the D'ni Linking Book, A couple of Atrus' journals, Catherine's journal, Gehn's journals, and two of the Linking Books Gehn had used.

"The paper and the inks are unlike anything I had ever encountered," He finally said. "The written language in the Descriptive and Linking Books is totally unknown. The style of the characters almost looked like a Hebrew script, but on closer examination it clearly isn't. There are 24 unique characters, and they are made from a common set of strokes divided into the top half of the letter and the bottom half of the letter.

"To translate this would take years, and that's optimistic at best. The one good thing is that apparantly Atrus knew the English language somehow. That has to point to some possible relationship with his people and ours. If we could find some examples of D'ni writing mixed with English writing, we could have better luck in the translation. The number system is also entirely unlike anything I have ever seen before either.

"Hmmm," DeForest thought about this. "This may be a mystery we will never solve in our lifetime." He returned to his chair and the others that were standing followed.

"There's more," Watson said. "The Books that aren't written records do contain the one image just as described, and they do appear to be more than just a simple photograph."

Watson held open the Myst Book for all to see. At my recommendation, the page with the Linking Window was covered with plastic to prevent anyone from accidentally Linking.

They were dumbfounded, all of them. None of them could explain the reasons as to why the image shifted like it did. DeForest actually flipped the page over just to make sure nothing was behind it.

Watson put down the Myst Book and picked up one of the Books for the 233rd Age. "When you told me that an electrical current was required for this Book to work, I tried an experiment. After creating a small electrical field around the Book with approximately two megawatts of power, an image started to appear, just like the other Books."

"But the Age was stable at the time. I'm pretty sure Riven has collapsed by now since Atrus has had no need to maintain the Book. The Book could lead directly to the Fissure, or it could lead to some kind of empty void."

"The best scenario would involve Atrus coming to Earth," I replied. "If Atrus could find a way to write a Linking Book to bring us back to Earth, and still have a way to bring it to us, then it would be safe."

"I'm not sure. Earth wasn't an Age he was aware of. There may or may not even be a Descriptive Book for it."

"Preposterous," DeForest said. He stood up from his chair. "Do you really think that this planet was merely written into existance by people from another world?"

"No, that's now how it works," I said. "The Descriptive Books merely create bridges to worlds that already exist. The D'ni had nothing to do with life on Earth or the creation of the planet."

When it appeared that his concerns were alleviated, DeForest sat back down. "Well, if Atrus ever tries to come to our Age, how would we know. He'd probably arrive on that island you were stranded on."

"I'm going to take another trip there in a month," I replied. "I plan to bring tracking equipment and communications gear to set up a system of detecting anyone. I'll also find a way to allow Atrus to contact me voluntarily if he does make the trip."

When my trip through the Star Fissue ended, I had somehow linked to another island. Later on, I would find out that it was a small island fifty miles off the coast of Isla San Felix. However, at the time I had no idea where I was. Earth? Somewhere else? Anywhere else? I was in a jungle in the middle of an island. About twenty feet away I could see a beach, and beyond that, a vast ocean.

The D'ni Book was there as well, along with portions of the wooden bridge, the scope, and even the giant Moiety knife. I was glad that I had a few more artifacts to add to my collection, but I was also relieved because their presence gave me a vital clue. This told me that my trip was on a fixed linear path. Everything that fell into the Fissue ended up here.

But did the Myst Book end up here? It had fallen into the Fissue over thirty years ago. What if the path had changed due to the instability of Riven. I had no idea where exactly the Miller Brothers (or perhaps someone before them) claimed to have found the Book.

Off in the distance I heard a laugh. I immediately ducked down into the bushes. On a path deeper into the jungle, I saw two women walking side by side carrying woven baskets. They had long dark hair and wore simple gray dresses. They looked familiar to me.

Long ago, Gehn had thrown Riven villagers into the Fissue for his experiments. I myself proved that a human could survive by traveling through the Fissue. If the path of the Star Fissue "was" constant, those same villagers must be here as well.

I discretely followed the two woman down the path. Soon I reached a clearing next to a lagoon. The two woman set their baskets down next to a conical shaped stone oven, identical to the one I had seen in the Riven village. In the distance, I could see mud huts, similar in design to the ones I found on Riven. There was even a large scaffolding which held some huts twenty feed in the air.

I sat at the edge of the jungle, and watched the huts from a distance. I had no proof or evidence that these people were from Riven any more than I was on planet Earth, and yet my gut instincts told me that they were Rivenese, and that I did make it home.

I counted over 30 villagers. There were about fifteen adults and fifteen children. They had the same dark hair and taned complexion common to the Riven villagers. The clothes were similar too, but some differences were found. Most of the adults wore garments that resembled Riven clothing, but the children wore garments that appeared to be made from other materials. The Riven outcasts had to make due with the resources this tiny island offered.

As I watched them I began to wonder if they had any desire to go home. I had the D'ni Book with me. What would happen if I were to let them use it? Atrus and Catherine would find them and then have them Link to Tay where the other Riven villagers lived. They could finally be reuinited with their loved ones.

But would they do it? They've been here for over thirty years and they seemed to have rebuilt their lives in spite of what happened to them. Did they have any desire to go back to Riven? Up until now they never had the option of going back. Deciding the future course of their lives would not be an easy decision to make.

But I felt that it wouldn't be right for me to deny them that decision. The next morning I would visit the village and present them the Book.

I continued watching them throughout the night, trying to get an idea of how the village operated. I needed to get an idea of how the village functioned socially. With a group this small, who was the leader? Was it one individual or many? Did they try to recreate a D'ni-like or Riven-like system of order, or was a new one created? Did these villagers have any concepts of law and order, or were they lucky enough that their small size made the process of peacekeeping as simple as being a united people?

I slept in the jungle that night, just like I had so many nights before. My gear had kept me warm and safe, just like it had in the Riven jungle. My sleep was so peaceful, I couldn't even remember what I had dreamed about.

The next day came sooner than I expected. I checked my D'ni watch and was surprised that it was just past the second period. Time was different here. I couldn't be sure, but it had felt like an Earth day.

I sat at the edge of the clearing and watched as members of the village began to leave their huts. It was the adults mostly. It was the start of another day, and no doubt there was work to do to provide for their families. In another few minutes who knew where they would be. I had to act now while they were all together.

I left my gear behind for safekeeping. The only item I carried with me was the D'ni Linking Book. It was an incredibly brave thing to do, considering this Book was my only means off the island.

I walked towards the village calmly and carefully. I wanted to make sure I was seen from a distance as non-threatening. I made my way through the jungle path and onto the clearing next to the lagoon.

The first villager that saw me was a woman who was gathering a set of stone pots and setting them outside to dry out. She dropped the pot she was holding and ran towards another hut. She was obviously scared, but not to the point of hysteria. She knocked on the door of the hut while pointing at me with her finger. The other villagers that were awake were turning towards me now.

I didn't move. I didn't want to frighten anyone, and it was of utmost importance that I was not viewed as a threat. I wish I had understood their language. I wished there was an easier way to communicate with them. The villagers that were already awake approached me, but kept a distance of five meters.

I held out my hands with the palms outward as a peaceful gesture. I realised then that my clothing may be a considered a threat to them. The clothing I had worn since my stay on Myst was mostly D'ni, but it wasn't anything like the full dress uniforms Gehn wore. They may assume that I was in alliance with Gehn, or perhaps I was someone else proclaiming to be a god of some kind.

Out of the gathering crowd, an older man stepped out and cautiously approached me. I slowly opened my pouch and took out the D'ni Linking Book for him to see. The man suddenly backed off. He retreated into the crowd and another man stepped forward in his place. This man was taller than the others, and he wore a necklace of decorated beads, more elaborate than the ones worn by some of the villagers.

He stood in front of me and held out his hand. I leaned forward and handed him the D'ni Book. He opened the Book and flipped through the pages. His face had no expression, and he didn't seem surprised in the least about what it was. He looked up at me and closed the Book. Then carrying the Book he walked back towards the center of the village. I followed him.

The villagers had gathered in a circle in the middle of the village. There were two circles of logs layed out around the perimeter to facilitate seating. Judging by the importance of the area I presumed that there were many meetings here. This was probably where the important decisions were made by the village as a whole.

One by one, the villagers left their huts and gathered into the circle. It turned out that the count of villagers was closer to 60. The age spans between villagers was so wide, I had no trouble easily identifying the ones that had been thrown into the Fissue, the children that they had, and the children their children had.

The leader of the group was clearly one of the first generation. He was also the tallest man, which gave him a commanding presence. He stood in the middle of the circle, next to a table. On the table sat the D'ni Book. I took a seat at the inside ring of logs close to him.

The leader held up the Book for everyone to see. He spoke out in Riven phrases that I couldn't understand. He then opened up the Book towards the page used for Linking and made sure all of the villagers had a good look.

Some of the villagers were amazed by the sight. Some of the older ones were fearful.

The leader continued speaking. After a few seconds, an old Rivenese woman stood up and argued defiantly with the leader. They exchanged words back and forth. I could tell the woman was either fearful or suspicious. The leader remained calm when it was his turn to speak. I could have sworn I heard the woman mention Catherine's name.

The leader spoke for another minute, and then there was silence. After a second or two, the villager next to me said a single word. Then another villager across the circle repeated the word. It sounded like they were voicing their opinions, or perhaps voting. Were they saying that they were willing to use the Book, or were they saying that this strange visiter's carcas would easily feed twelve children?

All the adults had clearly voiced their opinion to the leader, and they were all in agreement. Some of the children looked up at their parents, confused and curious. One by one, they left the meeting circle and returned to their huts. The leader of the tribe remained standing next to the table where the Book sat. A woman, probably his wife walked up to him and they kissed. She walked back towards one of the huts and went inside.

After a few seconds, the villagers exited their huts carrying sacks of belongings or their children in their hands. A line began to form at the head of the table. The first woman at the head of the line looked up towards the leader. He smiled at her as a signal of approval. She placed her hand on the window of the Book and Linked.

Some of the children were astonished by what they had seen, as were some of the adults. Not too many of the common people of Riven had seen the Linking Books being used. Maybe nobody here had ever really Linked to another Age before.

The line progressed. Someone new would touch the window and vanish. Parents had their children link through first. When the line had disappeared, I found myself alone with the leader of the village.

Before he linked, I gave him a note from me to Atrus. I wanted to explain my actions to him regarding the villagers and I wanted to let him know that as far as I could tell, I had arrived on Earth allright. The leader took the note and Linked to D'ni. Now I was truely alone.

For the next few days I spent my time on the island trying to find a way to get rescued. Using my old Earth watch, I had determined that I was either on Earth, or another planet that coincidentally had twenty-four hour days and a single sun and moon. While I was glad for the small miracle, I had never felt so tired before. I was so close to home, and yet so far.

I burned signal fires, I watched beaches for signs of ships. For the longest time I nothing happened. I wondered about the possibility of building my own boat, but I feared that my poor naval skills would be ill-suited for such a venture.

I spent my nights in the remains of the village, eating fruits and berries and whatever else the Rivenese didn't take with them. When the food ran out, I searched on my own. Luckily this island had provided more than enough food for the villagers. It would suit my needs just as well until I could find a way to be rescued.

I thought about the D'ni Linking Book. For awhile it had seemed like this would be my only means off this island. But if I used it, I may never be able to get back here. The only thing that kept me from using it was the strong belief that I was indeed home.

After about two weeks or so, I had managed to capture the attention of a passing freighter. A shipping vessil was heading south to Archipielago Juan Fernandez from San Isla Felix, and then further down to Punta Arenas. They had seen my fire, and upon a closer inspection saw me frantically waving from the beach. A boat was sent out and they picked me up. It took some convincing, but I had also managed to bring the Moiety knife on board, along with my gear bags.

I was dropped off at Juan Fernandez where I contacted the American consulate and had some funds wired to me. I made contact with Belinda to let her know that I was allright. From there, I took another boat to South America and chartered a plane to take me back to the States.

It was late now, and my guests were saying their goodbyes. They would leave tonight with a whole new viewpoint of me. They were all good friends, but I knew something like this was bound to change things in one way or another. Ms. Hunt already told me she believed me 100 percent. But I could tell that the others were skeptical. The brilliant scientific minds they possesed would take some time to understand this new concept of thinking. DeForest told me he enjoyed the story, especially the part about an Age inhabited by a superior breed of monkeys.

Sooner or later, they would come around. The evidence I had brought back would lead to increased curiosities, and future investigations. I had inadvertently discovered a whole new world, something never before seen by any other archeologist on Earth. I knew then and there that I wasn't going to let this gift go to waste.

Somehow I would try to learn as much about the D'ni as possible, and maybe I would risk taking a trip to D'ni. I had learned so much from Atrus, and yet I wanted to find out more. There were so many questions about the D'ni that went unanswered. I only hoped that within my lifetime I would be lucky enough to be a part of their world again.

Text taken from Wayback Machine's snapshot dated April 9th, 2009.

Restored and updated for modern rendering by Deka Jello. See the divergences page for known differences and alterations.