Part 20: Extras - Star Fissure Bad Endings

BAD ENDS: It’s the end of the world edition

Thank you for taking the time to read this project of mine. Now that we’ve finished with the story, seen the puzzles, and so on, lets screw with the outcomes a little.



Today, we’re going to mess with the thing we start the game staring at. The scientific curiosity/doomsday device known as the Star Fissure.

End One: Technically possible



So we start the game next to the Star Fissure, and there are only two things stopping us from destroying the world.



First is the on switch, only a short jaunt and a few gateroom rotations away.



Second, and more importantly, is the hatch code, found in Catherine’s Journal. The code is randomly generated, and is a 5 digit code of 1-5 with the possibility of repeated numbers. 3,125 possible codes in total.

Thing is, the code is generated when a new save is started. If someone were to, say, load a previous save…



The code will work and the hatch opens up.





Once you break the glass, the ending proceeds as normal. The viewer and the dagger fall in the hole, Riven goes dark as destructive forces tear apart the very fabric of the Age…



But Atrus doesn’t show up, you just skip to the falling in part.



That’s pretty much it. There’s not a lot to this one, its only possible to get this with either loading an old save or ridiculous luck. I can only imagine the developers put this in to dissuade the incredibly lucky from thinking they beat the game and to give a little nod to others for breaking sequence.

On the other hand, the player is on his way home. I mean, Gehn has his Age to retreat to and can continue writing, Catherine either dies with Riven or reveals Tay to save her people, and Atrus gets stuck wondering why Riven went to shit just minutes after the player got there… but the player will likely never see them again. All’s well that ends well, right?

Ending rank: Cheaters prosper


End Two: Family Reunion



Okay, let’s see what happens when we don’t sequence break.



The first opportunity to open the Star Fissure legitimately comes after we crack the Moiety code and get captured in Tay, where you get Catherine’s Journal.



Now, at this point you can’t have captured Gehn, since you get the trap book in Tay as well. And you can’t have freed Catherine, since I think the code for her prison is generated when you click the globe, and that is only reachable after trapping Gehn.



But we’re not going to let good sense and the threat of a paranoid tyrant stop us this time.

“Huh, there’s a code in this journal. I can’t be bothered reading the rest of it, but I know the device. Let’s find out what it does!”




The world goes to hell the same as it always does.

“Oh, shit. I don’t suppose I can fix this, can I?”



Atrus links in and dashes over as well.



“There isn’t much time. Where’s Catherine?”
“Um… who?”




You give Atrus the book and, after a look of concern, he opens it up and examines it.

“The book is empty. I don’t understand.”



Gehn and his buddy (his name is Cho) show up from around the corner. Gehn is pointing that gun he’s always carrying at Atrus.

“You never did!”



“Father!”

“I am no longer your father, because you are no longer my son!”




There’s a brief, really hard to capture flash as Gehn shoots Atrus, and Atrus collapses.




Gehn immediately hands his gun off to Cho and searches Atrus’ body. It only takes a moment to find the linking book to Myst. He takes the time to give it a gentle caress.

“So… I can go now, right?”





Gehn gets up to address you directly. The entire time Cho has the gun trained directly on you.
As he walks toward you, the world shakes, causing him to stumble slightly.

“I don’t know what you thought you were doing…”

“Neither did I, frankly.”



“But, thank you. I finally am… free.”

“Y-you’re welcome?”



Gehn strides off but not before giving a quick hand signal to Cho.



Then Cho shoots you.

“Gck… whatever… happened… to thank…you…”



Your vision fades to black, roll credits.

Gehn has access to D’ni, his Rivenese lackeys as a backbone, and no one to stop him. The player has handed him the key to his dreams of an Empire. You’d think he’d be a little more grateful.

Ending rank: Birth of an Empire


Ending Three: Enforced Separation



One more for this round.



Let’s say you managed to trap Gehn, but in your excitement you forget the other part of your mission, freeing Catherine.

As I said before, I don’t think you can free Catherine but not trap Gehn. The code for her prison appears to be generated when you click the little globe.



Anyway, let’s get this show on the road.

“This should do as a signal. Atrus should be coming any second now, with Gehn trapped I’ve done what I need to.”




Atrus links in and speaks up.

“Where’s Catherine?”

“Ohhhhh _shit.”



Atrus takes the linking book and glances at it.

“I don’t understand. You’ve captured Gehn, but why did you signal me?”

“Listen, if I had a planner on me I’m sure this would have gone a lot better.”



The world shakes, sending rocks tumbling down the cliff face.

“There’s no time left, the Age is collapsing. I’ve got to get back before it’s too late.”



Atrus fishes out his linking book, but pauses before linking.



“Your way is clear, you’re free to go home.”

“I hope you’re not telling me to jump in this giant sucking wound in the ground.”



“Farewell, my friend.”



Then he places his hand on the book, and links away.

“Guess that’s a yes. No hard feelings?”




You fall in the Star Fissure and go through the same slow drift through space, but over it you get the following voiceover:


The end, roll credits.

Not much to add here, I think Atrus made a very concise summary of just how bad things went.

Ending rank: Fuck you Atrus


Join us next time for all the fun we can get up to with a one person, one way prison in our pocket.