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English
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Rational Fiction Fest 2024
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Published:
2024-08-30
Updated:
2025-06-30
Words:
118,908
Chapters:
6/15
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79
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119
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32
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The Dark Forest

Summary:

The Orbital Probe Cannon never found the Eye. The Sealed Vault aboard the Stranger stubbornly denies entry. But the Hatchling is not known for giving up.

Notes:

Response to a prompt for Rational Fiction Fest 2024.

Major spoilers for Outer Wilds, both the base game and the Echoes of the Eye DLC. As in, the core concept spoils major endings for both major. Do not read this unless you are comfortable that you have learned everything you were ever going to from playing the game.

With a few obvious exceptions, all detail referenced in this fic is game-accurate. I've done the legwork. Trust me. Except for when I've changed things up to mess with you.

There are many intentional typos in Act 1, and there will probably be some more in the rest of the fic. I cannot promise that there are no unintentional typos, but I've done my best to eliminate them.

Certain parts of this fic use custom fonts. I've tried to get Ao3 to interpret Space Mono correctly, with little success; I've left it in the relevant font family just in case. Realistically, if you have both Consolas and Courier New installed, you ought to be fine.

This fic is optimized to be read in white text on a black or dark grey background (I use the Reversi theme). It grudgingly supports black text on a white background. If you read in any other combination of text and background colours, you may end up seeing complete garbage.

Note also that DarkReader appears to overwrite the drop shadow setting I use. If you don't see the drop shadow and want to see it, check that extension, and if you see it but don't want to, grab DarkReader; it'll kill the drop shadow effect without affecting the rest of the work skin.

Yes, this is a response to one of my own prompts. Yes, it got away from me a little. No, I don’t regret it.

Commissioned art done by Nelyar. They've been incredibly patient with me, and a pleasure to work with. Images hosted by Beacon515L. Thanks to Beacon515L and Hyallow for general beta reading, to Rovandi and AceBit for lore and continuity checks, and to Beacon515L for significant help with CSS wrangling.

My preferred writing music throughout was a selection of the calmer works by nervous_testpilot. Perhaps these will work as reading music, too.

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Chapter 1: Act 1 - The Lock

Chapter Text

A clever little thing, the Lock,
It bars the way through gate or rock.
It lays its whole self on the line;
It calls for help, it buys you time.

The Lock to some a challenge brings:
Before its tumblers, pins, and springs,
The wise and clever both stop short;
The nimble make of it a sport.

The best locks, though, are not quite there:
A gap concealed in thin air,
A clever-laid and deadly snare;
A trap, for any who would dare
to bring their might and skill to bear —

to chant a quiet, fulsome prayer,
to make a showcase of their flair;

and see a masterwork laid bare.

Act 1 - the Hatchling, helmet off, stares up at the Vault.