Day 589,

We finally found a way into Cloud Tower.

As much as Maiko and I want to go on in, Lin and Cass insisted that we take a break for lunch outside first.  As much as Lin insisted it was because exploring an unknown space on an empty stomach is a bad idea (and, to be fair, she’s not wrong), it’s obvious that she’s stalling.  And I can’t say that I’m surprised or entirely blame her.  That semi-irrational “tower fear” has been hitting both of them pretty hard since we landed at the base of this impossible structure - even harder than when we rode the floating island close to it.  

I said it yesterday and I’ll say it again: It’s unsettling  watching two normally vibrant, courageous people go from being excited to go on this venture to being uncomfortable looking up from the ground.  Just as unsettling is that pull that Maiko and I are both feeling, even stronger now than we’ve found the entrance.  I shudder to think how I’d have reacted to it were I not already practiced in recognizing such influences from the nature sprite and… other things.

But as to our discovery.  I’m not sure what’s more surprising, that the entrance was so hard to find (and figure out how to open) or the way that we found it.  

No, it’s definitely the latter.

We found a pile of rocks that were obviously artificially stacked.  Honestly, I half suspect they may have been dragged over from the main island given how flat and bare this mossy rim of an outcropping is.  But that top rock of the pile had words scratched into its surface.

“For Maiko”

We were stunned by that development, to say the least.  Maiko was the first to recover, if “recover” is an appropriate word to describe the ensuing frenzy of removing stones from the pile to find what was hidden beneath.

And what was beneath was a shiny brushed metal box, untouched by dirt or moss.

And inside the box were folded papers finer and whiter and more regular than any the Village has ever produced.

And on those pages were words in a script so even so regular that they could only have been typed and printed.

And in those words was a message.  From Maiko’s mother to her.

She’s not let go of the papers since she opened the box, so an exact transcription will have to wait.  Even now she’s sitting away from the rest of us, rereading the words over and over again without even touching her lunch.

Truth be told, I owe the length of this rambling entry to her (understandable) absorption in her mother’s message and to Lin and Cass’s stalling.

But as for the content of the message, I can at least summarize.

It seems that Maiko’s mother meant to bring her here one day and she had hoped the message we found would be unnecessary.  But if not, then she left another message that promises to explain more inside and instructions on how to find it, assuming the internal layout hasn’t changed.

The instructions included a warning that the shades do not consider the inside of Cloud Tower a home, and while they still obey their regular schedule, she will not have the mists inside as a warning before they begin to appear.  She also advises bringing several days’ worth of food and water on the way in, just in case she gets lost, but once she finds the room with her mother’s second message there will also be instructions on how to acquire food and water from inside the tower.  Also, the room with the second message is two floors up, so it may take some time to get there.

The message also speaks of machines inside the tower - “constructs” she calls them at one point - that appear to maintain the tower’s inner workings.  Allegedly they are harmless so long as you do not try to harm them or the tower and will even stop what they are doing to allow one past or for inspection, ignoring people otherwise.  Still, she advises against poking or prodding at them too much lest you accidentally lose a finger from getting caught in their mechanical limbs.

She ended the message with an apology to Maiko for not being here with her and an affirmation that she loves her.

I’ve drawn this entry out too long.  I shouldn’t make her wait anymore.

Camping for the night at the foot of stairs.  Or as best we can guess is night.  It seems to always be evenly lit in here.  We’re all tired enough though.

Just making a short entry to jot down status.  Promised Cass that I would give my full and undivided attention to keeping watch for my shift.   Took notes in my other notebook as we went anyway.  Will write down more detailed impressions later.

This place is equal parts amazing, alien, and unsettling.  Hoping next floor will be better.