Further Adventures In No Man’s Sky

FURTHER ADVENTURES IN NO MAN’S SKY

I left the ruined monument and headed off in the direction of the coordinates I had been given. By now the sun was beginning to set and deep, dark shadows were beginning to stretch across the grassy land. The evening wind was blowing, causing the leaves of tall trees to rustle.

I became aware of a sound in addition to the wind and rustling leaves and crouched down lest it be from some dangerous beast. Sure enough, stalking through the long grass came a horned creature with viscous-looking teeth. My heart leaped to my mouth when it seemed for all the world to look right at me. But then, a sound to my left distracted it and it ran off in pursuit of some hapless little animal.

I journeyed onwards, the sun sinking below the tops of distant hills and bathing the sky in a glorious golden hue. All around me various plants of green and purple and red waved their leaves and stalks and here and there I caught glimpses of animals pushing their way through the tall grass.

Cries above me caused me to look up, and there in the sky was a flock of bird like creatures, flying in formation. I followed their flight with my gaze as far as I could, and when I could see them no longer I brought my gaze back down. There, on the horizon, was my destination.

I could make out a tall, stone structure, at the base of which there emitted a bright blue light. Every now and then it would pulse white, accompanied by a barely audible low hum. I approached the structure and noticed a pillar that rose to my waist, the top of which was covered in strange symbols. I placed my hand on the largest symbol in the centre, and immediately the pillar came alive, emitting a riot of colours.

I inputted the glyphs, and the sound emitted from the pulse of light coming from the larger structure changed. It seemed to be beckoning me somehow, and cautiously I approached. I felt a jerk run throughout my body as though an invisible hand grabbed me and pulled me toward the light. I felt...a hiccup in my existence, as if I had ceased to be for but a moment, and then I was in a strange new environment.

Red. Everywhere was so red. Before me, pulsating like a giant’s slowly-beating heart was this gargantuan orb. It levitated at the end of a path through metallic circular hopes that reflected the omnipresent red light. Gingerly, I approached that mysterious orb.

In front of the orb was a small pyramid. As I approached it split open like a wakening flower and a smaller orb, this one glowing white, rose from the base to hover above the three tips. Incredibly, a voice I could understand began transmitting words telepathically.

“We were once travellers. We once aspired to more than dust and dirt”.

Mentally, I requested that it show me something no-one had ever seen before. I felt...confusion, running through my whole being. But not my own confusion, it was as if somebody else’s discomfort had invaded my mind.

“2, 611, 384 actionable observations awaiting analysis. Sub-routine: SENTINAL. Status: ERROR (null value)” the voice in my head replied. “Subroutine: TRAVELLER. Status: OPERATIONAL. 458 critical error warnings. Eco-mind structural integrity compromised. Immediate repairs required”.

The white orb pulsated and distorted to become words. ‘Initiate personality interface/ Y/N’. My finger reached out to touch the Y. I felt reality itself fade away, along with everything else, my body, my voice, even my soul. I wanted to ask about Artemis, but something was happening to me, something both awe-inspiring and awful. I wanted to scream but had no mouth and then....

I was back at the foot of the monument, lying amidst damp grass with sweat soaking my body.

The adventure continued...

Thanks to Hello Games for the images.