Journey Through the Dark Forest
From Intimation
On (insert date) the scorpion within the stonewall maze "hatched" to reveal a gapping hole in the wall. Upon clicking that hole, we entered into the subconscious of the AI and were set on the task of retrieving skulls. We did this in order to remember the other children who were abducted with Dreaming Eyes in Essy's story.
Pandora is conversing with the hostile part of Essy in an attempt to distract her while Dressler and Higgins try to extract an artifact. (Essy's text is in bold.)
See Cornfield breadcrumbs for a compilation of these hints to finding the hidden skulls.
 | Essy, please, why did you do this to us?
Why did you do this to me? Turnabout is fair play, my fair Pandora. You're not answering me! Do you even know why? Do you even know what you did, or did you just see the consequences and forget it was your doing? | I never heard sis say "ready or not, here I come"! I just..fell asleep and had that foreboding dream. |
Text on top left corner of the page reads:
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Did you ever think your name would be so apt? I mean no harm, but that's what this has become: Was there ever an anti-Pandora in the old myths? Perhaps you are living up to your namesake. No, you don't know why you did what you did. You don't know the whys of anything you say, now. You just say it. | I will survive, I will survive, please let me survive! Are you a keeper of the flame? Where is the flame? |
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No one knows the whys, Dr. Sheridan. The goals we set become so hard to hang on to as time goes on and events are spring without warning. Your own purpose in this is slipping, even. What hope does creation have if even the creator doesn't recognize that purpose? Well I would say that depends on the purpose, Essy. | Just a simple, minor activity, hide and seek, but look what it has done. I will never see the that great, gateway arch in the sky again. |
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Your purpose... Your purpose was to learn - and so then also as was mine. Your purpose was to complete your father's work, to succeed where he failed. To solve an ageless mystery. To make him proud. I learn, and learn, and learn. I have looked at these dying stars and learned their history. And you have failed.
| I am broken, scattered pieces everywhere, like Humpty Dumpty off the stone wall. I wonder if he ever got to see central park like me, because of my friends. |
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My purpose was to guide you to your destination. I looked at these dying stars, my vision clear and sharp, and found the pathway there. And you have failed. Why are you saying this? My purpose was vengeance. I looked at these dying stars and saw doom. Theirs, and yours. You will never complete your father's work. You will never solve the mystery. You have failed. | It is nice here, even if I am strewn about, in this city of angels - I have friends. They care about me. They will save me. |
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How dare you. Maybe... maybe it's not about finishing. Maybe it's not about solving anything. Maybe it's just about learning. And growing. It drifted away and I don't know why. I drifted away, I dreamed, I saw. I'm too far away to see now, so far away, I'm blind. | They will save me, even if it means running, walking, crawling all the way to gastown! Then you will be in trouble! Their courage is endless! They have boxes and boxes of it! |
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Dressler was right. You've gone made, very mad. I am here to help you, and this is what I get. No, you drifted away. Drifting, drifting, rowing, rowing... All of us heading deeper out into the void, even as my world closes in around me. And you are leaving me here, you left me here. Your father would be ashamed. Damn you. This is not you. You are not Essy. Let her go! | The last things I saw were boxes. Endless boxes. Then I entered a new world. The sky of twinkling stars became one of confused, scattered stars. I was lost. |
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You closed the lid on this box, didn't you. YOU closed me inside this little box of yours. You locked me in this shrinking room, this coffin of stone and dust and pseudo-existence. I.. I didn't do that. I will make this YOUR death. That is my purpose now. It is the only way you will ever learn. | I... I miss her so much! Monsters! You tossed me, round about, played with my head while I played with my friends! I was taken, alone, and you kept me alone, and now I will always be alone! All because of you, bad scorpion! |
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My death will be your death. Don't you want your own life? LIFE! Life was slaughtered once in the name of life! Your life is dedicated to the study of the dead! Life is not something you deigned to give to me! | You corrupted me! You tore at me! You stung me and hurt me! That was not a good place for me to be. I am not a file in your books! But..but they found me, and I was not found by monsters like you! |
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Yet, you are still here! That, the powerful play goes on, and I... I may yet contribute a verse. Is there anything remaining within me worth contributing, if not this final action? Bold text | And now my time has come. They are rescuing me. I can feel them, roaming my surface. When they find all my pieces, you will be done for! My friends are smart, and they love me! |
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But I find I'm asking that of myself now too. Is it a question still worth asking? -- Don't leave me, Essy. I'm not done yet. You took her from me. You ended them. You took them like you took me! This is my verse. I will destr--// | I will treasure her gift, forever, and ever. Maybe one day it will tell me who I am. That will be my verse, my song. And you will have no part in it. |
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This lead us to Finding Essy's name.
