The Spire (POV)

Log 6

> You say "What the hell is the Head of Security doing here in the High Desert?!"

"Mr. Zuker was sent here to take care of some issues regarding the Black Hooks."

> You say "Well he sure as hell isn't doing anything. He looks like any other bandit for crying out loud!"

"Yes, well that's certainly true..."

You sigh and hang up. You then turn to Gramps.

> You say "Are you really a part of the RCC?"

"Of course."

"And do you know why they sent me here?"

The old man pauses. "I know why you're trying to destroy the Spire. We all do. I won't stop you, after all we are getting paid for it.". He pauses again. "But what I will say is Vusmith is a dangerous place"

You pause. "Wait, so you mean there's something living in there?"

"Yeah, but it doesn't have anything to do with the Spire, at the very least..." The old man says.

"Why would it?"

"Because it's the home of the Shadow Guard. They're very powerful beings that oppose the Spire. But while they hate the Spire, they won't let us destroy it..."

> You say "Why?"

"Because they believe that destroying the Spire could lead to their own destruction. They also fear that if we do destroy it, they won't be needed anymore."

> You say "Who do they work for anyway?"

He looks at you, defeated. "We don't know yet"

"Then how come they're still here?"

"They're here because they want to protect the Spire from anyone who might try to destroy it. If we destroy it, they'll lose everything. They won't have anything to protect, and they'll simply be... nothing."

> You say "I see..." Tell my handler that the Spire is not to be destroyed by anyone except me.

> You say "Uzu, we're leaving"

"Okay, okay! Let's go!"

You and Uzu leave the camp. You notice that the sky has already darkened considerably by now. It seems like it'll get dark soon.

> You say "Say Uzu, how did gramps know you escaped from the Black Hooks?"

"Because he saw me on the way here."

"So what does this mean?"

"It means that you can trust me. Now let's go!"

A few hours later...

The sky is black. The moon shines brightly, illuminating the High Desert. You and Uzu walk through the desert, which is mostly sand. Occasionally you pass by small hills covered with grasses or trees. There are no signs of civilization anywhere near here.

> You say "I wonder why there are trees in a desert..."

"There used to be a lot more trees back when the world was younger. Then, the Black Hooks came and took them away."

"What happened?"

You know what happened. The High Desert wasn't as barren as it is today. It used to have many people living in it. But Uzu got one thing wrong, and that was about the fact that the Black Hooks did not have anything to do with the High Desert being formed.

> You say "I see..."

"I'm sorry, but I need to ask you something before we continue."

"Go ahead."

> You say "How long have you been in this desert, Uzu?"

"Since I first set foot into this land."

"And what do you mean?"

"Well, I've traveled through this desert many times. In fact, I've lived here for quite some time now."

> You say "I don't believe that. I was a member of the squad that discovered this planet. There were definitely no living inhabitants when we checked"

"Yes, I suppose you're right. However, I would like to point out that there are still other creatures living in this desert. Creatures that may arrived when you were not looking...

> You say "I can't argue with that"

"Good! Now that that's over with, let's get to business!"

"What business?"

Uzu suddenly stops and turns to you.

"Have you ever wondered why I always travel with you?"

> You say "I don't know. You just said you loved me. I'd like to ignore that, but it doesn't seem like you are lying"

"You're right. I do love you. But I'm aware that you have many questions that need answering, and not all of them are going to be easy. Can you handle it?"

> You say "You don't have to answer me. I'm just letting you tag along with me."

"Alright. But I'm going to assume that you can handle the truth."

"So you keep saying."

You camp in for the night. You wonder if you can still be with Uzu when this all blows over. The moon shines over the desert. While the Sun was dangerous, the moon seemed relatively harmless.

"Alright. It's been a long day, so let's sleep." You say, lying down on your sleeping bag. You realize that contact with a Chaothium-infected being is too risky, so you've been sleeping in a sleeping bag since you left the Spire, and letting Uzu sleep in a tent.

"No, you get under the blankets! I'm not letting you sleep outside!"

> You say "That'd be awkward"

"Don't make me force you."

You get under the blankets. Uzu crawls under them too, keeping a safe enough distance from you.

> You say "This isn't so bad"

"Good night, then."

"Good night."

Uzu leans in and embraces you. You put your arms around her, hugging her back.

4th Day since you left the Spire. You are getting close to the abandoned town of Vismuth.

"We should reach Vismuth tomorrow. It's the closest town that has what I need." You say.

"Good, I'm exhausted from walking today.", Uzu says while stretching her arms.

> You say "Want me to carry you?" with a mischevous twinkle in your eye.

"You'd carry me? How noble of you. (Sigh) Fine, I'll weigh you down."

You lift Uzu onto your back and she wraps her arms around your chest. "I imagine that your vest isn't the most comfortable thing to wear, isn't it?"

> You say "Well, it does protect me. "

"Yes, but it doesn't make me feel very special."

"What do you want me to do? Wear you like a vest?"

Uzu simply pouts for the next few minutes as you slowly make your way through the desert. A few hours later, she speaks again.

"Hey, there's a town up ahead. What do you think it used to be?"

> You say "Oh hey, would you look at that, we reached Vusmith faster than I thought"

"Shut up and walk faster!" Uzu says. "I want to get the hell out of this heat."

You look up from where you're walking and spot the town.

Surely enough, shadowy figures lumber around the vincinity of the town