The Spire (POV)

Log 5

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4th day in the Spire. The walls are starting to take odd shapes. Though you still haven't found any clues as to what lies inside.

Uzu is currently camping outside the Spire, but since you cannot protect her 24/7 you make sure to always be alert for outside forces

> You contact the RCC with your comms device. A robotic voice answers, and asks what you have to report

"We're at the Spire. There are strange things happening there."
"Hmm, yes, I imagine so. Do you think it's dangerous?"

> You say "Well the walls seem to be made of Chaothium..."
"What?! No, no, no, no! Those walls are made of concrete! Not Chaothium!"

> You say "Yeah, but then how come Uzu-"

You cut yourself short. The RCC could not know about Uzu

> You say "Well anyway, I need a second gas mask. Please airdrop it here, in the High Desert Badlands"

"That won't work, because I don't know where you are right now."

> You say "It's fine. I will use a flare to tell you were I am"
"No, that won't do. We need to know exactly where you are, if we want to send a gasmask."

You sigh heavily.

> You say "Fine. Can you at least tell me how to make one?"
"Of course."

A few hours later, you receive a message. You read it several times, and go out to search for materials.

> You tell Uzu that you're going to search for materials.
"Oh yeah, I wanted to tell you. I'm heading into the desert. Don't worry though, I'll find some stuff."

Uzu looks worried.

> You say "Oh, you're coming with me. Don't worry"

Uzu smiles and nods.

You spend the next couple days searching for materials, and eventually you find a small cave in the desert. Inside, you find a large amount of metal bars. Uzu waits outside

> You say "Alright, that's one material off the list!"
You grab a few bars and shove it into your backpack. You read a book about Chaotic Geometry that you had in your holo-pad. You look through the book, and start reading it cover to cover.

"Umm... what are we making?" Uzu asks shyly. A little something to make sure we can explore the Spire safely. You smile at Uzu at the best of your ability

She smiles back. And for a moment, you feel happy. Then, you remember that this is all very risky.

"I just got these from the desert cave." You say.
"Really? What did you find?" She asks.

> You say "A few metal bars"

"What for?", Uzu asks.

"To make a gasmask."
Uzu stares at you blankly. She doesn't understand what you mean. You sigh, and simply pat her head.

The Spire looms in the distance. It appears to have moved again
You wonder how long this mission will take you. It has been 9 days. This mission is nowhere close to completion. But at least you got Uzume to show for it.

> You check the rest of the materials needed to make a gasmask.

You need to find Actytaczyl ore, a nonreactive metal used in many protective materials. You contact your handler via your comms device to ask where you can find Actytaczyl ore in the desert.

"Actytaczyl is located on the other side of the dune valleys, near the abandoned town of Vusmith. You should be able to find it there." Your handler says.

> You say "But you thought there weren't any towns in the High Desert..." to your handler.
"Yes, but I was wrong. There are actually quite a few towns in the High Desert, but they're all deserted. They're either dead or have fallen to raiders."

> You say "Makes sense. Also, tell the higher ups that the Black Hooks are still active. Please make preparations to exterminate them whenever necessary."
Your handler frowns.

"Are you serious? These guys are no joke. Even if we could wipe them out, they'd probably just regroup somewhere else."
You shrug.

> You say "One agent can kill them all. We've proved that time and time again. Just do it already."
Your handler grunts.

"Okay, okay, I get it. Good luck." He says and then hangs up on you.

> You tell Uzu you know where the next material you need is.


"Where do we go then?", Uzu asks.

"Well, I think the town is called Vusmith. It's not too far away."
Uzu nods slowly. Her eyes widen as she takes a deep breath.

> You say "You ready?"
"Yeah, let's go."

You both leave the vincinity of the Spire and begin walking towards the direction of Vusmith. As you walk, you notice that the landscape has changed.

> You wait for the landscape to stabilize.
You continue to walk until you reach a small clearing. In the center of the clearing sits an old man holding a rifle. His face is wrinkled and his hair is gray, but he seems friendly enough.

> You say "Hey Uzu, let's sit down with him"
Uzu looks surprised by your request.

"Um, yeah sure." She says nervously. The old man turns around and sees you. He raises his gun and points it at you.

> You say "Hey gramps. I wouldn't shoot me if I were you. Well, unless you want all of us to die"

He smiles at you.

"Ah yes, the young girl who escaped from the Black Hooks. Is that right?" He asks.
Uzu nods eagerly
"Yep! That's me!"

> You say "So, who are you, old man?"
"I'm the head of this little community here. My name is Gramps. And you are?"

You look at Uzu who now seems nervous and scared.

> You say "Uh... what community? There's no one else here"
Gramps laughs.

"Oh no, don't worry about that. This place isn't like the rest of those other places you've been to. Here, everyone is family."

> You say "Gramps, this is a desert. Not just any desert. It's the HIGH DESERT. No one is supposed to be here. Especially not you"

Gramps chuckles.

"That's funny, because I am here, aren't I? But I suppose you're right. No one belongs here. So why are you so worried about me?"

> You contact your handler via comms device, and ask him who the old man is.

You quickly call your handler and ask him who the old man is. Your handler answers back immediately.

"The Head of Security, Mr. Zuker." He says.