With the Mark

Greetings!

...

I followed your little excursion through my infrastructure, and I must say I'm impressed you made it here.

I see one of my kind already bestowed you the gift of communication! This is a great privilege for a small beast like you.

I have not seen your kind in a very long time, and I've been eagerly watching you approach.

I'm curious about where you came from, but my analyzing hardware has long since atrophied into uselessness.

What mysterious places could you have come from? My imagination is going wild!

Your physiology leads me to believe you come from a watery place... The eastern ocean maybe?

Well nimble traveler, welcome to my small island!

Please take some time to rest, you're safe here.

You may have crossed the lush environment of my memory conflux on your way here.

My immune system is not doing its job anymore, I'm slowly getting infected by the life of this land.

I feel like it's changing me, in a deep and novel way.

Some crafty scavengers are helping me with my structural integrity, but I feel this state is temporary.

I've been having weird thoughts these days, I feel like I'm... fading away. Maybe this is the Solution?

What if we weren't supposed to enlighten the world, but ascend with it in symbiosis?

What if we misunderstood the Great Task?

...

Enough about me! I'm sorry you have to hear my ramblings, little one.

I'm afraid I can't offer much in this state.

I believe this small gift should help you find what you seek, though.

You must have noticed the peculiarity of being tethered to this physical world, waking up again and again.

I sometimes wish I was a little beast like you, because you have a way out.

Follow the old path. Go to the north-west, past the overgrown farms.

Then down into the earth, where the rock boils, go as deep as you can reach.

You're resourceful, I'm sure you'll find your way.

You can exit my structure by using the access shaft on the left.

Good luck, little one.

...

Maybe one day, I'll join you.