Beyond URU:  The Web Series

Episode 4

Riffkin and Bryan are in their city and they walk up the stairs of an apartment complex.  It’s pretty late at night and they go up to a friends house, knock on the door, and a stout, bald man opens up with a goatee and a smile.  His name is Joe.

The camera cuts to the 3 of them in Joe’s room, discussing their plans to all go on a trip together.  Joe is excited about the idea and tells them that he’s willing to leave as early as they want to, expecting this to be a road trip.  Riffkin and Bryan chuckle a little bit and pull out a couple of books.

“Where do you want to go?  A tropical environment, by the beach, in a forest, in a rocky desert, in the badlands or on the sea?”

Joe looks at Riffkin and the camera for just a second and look down at the books placed before him.  Joe asks what they are and Riffkin answers all of his questions.  In a state of disbelief, Joe decides he’d like to take a trip to the ruins of Jalak.  They all touch the linking window and the camera fades to black.

The camera opens up to Joe by some ancient ruins, freaking out at the concept.  Riffkin keeps repeating to Joe that he’s gonna be alright and they can head back when he wants to leave.  The camera cuts off.

The camera turns back on and Joe seems to be more interested in the area than he was before the journey.  He gets really intrigued at everything around him and Riffkin explains that he needs to keep his eyes open for anything that might be different, most specifically a small wooden box.

They all walk around the ruins, go their separate ways as they explore and since both Bryan and Riffkin brought video cameras, more scenery is able to be filmed.  They both videotape as much of the ruins as they possibly can and meet back up at the top of a pyramid. 

Riffkin explains that where they’re at is called Jalak Isul, and that if its anything like its predecessor age, Jalak Dador, then there’s nothing here to find.  He explains to both Bryan and Joe what Jalak Dador was like, how there was a giant mechanism that would raise or lower giant pillars to create an obstacle course, within a Jalak arena.  Riffkin tells Joe and Bryan how he had been there many times before, but no matter how many times he would return, there was never anything waiting for him.  All he could do was play in the obstacle course he designed and kick around holographic, geometrical shapes.

They each continue to look around and Bryan finds another wooden box lying against the stone wall, at the top of the Pyramid.  Inside the box is another linking book and a small cassette tape.  Riffkin explains that since they could not bring the Jalak book with them when they linked, that maybe they can’t bring this book back with them either, if they link from the pyramid.  Joe is excited to link to another world, so he volunteers to go first.  Bryan decides to link at the same time he does, so they both leave together.

Riffkin watches as they both disappear and is now all alone on top of the pyramid.  He takes one last look out to the jungle surrounding him and picks the book up from off the ground.  He sets it back into the wooden box and links with the book inside, leaving the linking book in the box to remain on top of that pyramid.  The camera goes black.

The scene picks up again when Joe, Bryan and Riffkin all find themselves on what seems to be a ship.  The ship looks very advanced, since the vessel is made mostly of white metal and isn’t an antique wooden ship.  They all explore as much as they can but there’s nothing to do.  All they can do is look out to the open ocean.

The scene cuts to what is apparently later in the day.  Joe, Bryan and Riffkin are all sitting against the wall, staring out at the open ocean.  The sun is down and the horizon looks beautiful.  Joe admits that he’s bored and decides to wander around.  Neither Bryan, nor Riffkin complain.  The two of them stare off into the sunset and talk about all they’ve done.  Riffkin says he misses doing this and would give anything for the DRC to reopen the caverns.

The scene cuts and Joe returns with a tape recorder in his hand.  The recorder looks to take the same tape that was found on Jalak.  They decide to play the tape.

It was Dr. Watson, the leader of the DRC, explaining how everything has fallen apart, the Restoration effort, saving the Bahro, illuminating the lake… all of it is over now.  The recording shuts off and restarts with Watson telling the recorder that Yeesha actually came to him and told him to keep the D’ni alive, the city must be full of life.  Watson then says that he will do whatever possible to get the people back, but his efforts may prove to be futile now that all linking books are regulated by the Government and that the DRC regrets ever shutting down the project and that they are doing whatever they can to bring it back.

The camera cuts to Joe, Bryan and Riffkin on the deck at night.  The sky is black and they’re each getting tired.  Bryan tells Joe that in order to get home, he has to go to New Mexico, and that they have a hotel there.  Joe is fine with this idea and they all link back.  The camera fades to black and the episode ends.

Episode 5:  Bryan and Riffkin link to the Age of Mem’ur, which is a tribute world to all the civilizations the D’ni have come across.  The age holds a long pathway that runs past different areas with different monuments erected in respect for those civilizations.  While inside, Riffkin discovers another linking book to a special age that holds particular value to him.