Archive Reference: BTS-TUN-JRN-008
Archivist Note: After locating the following in the back of another journal I’m confident these are the next entries of Uncle Bertie’s journal, following on his expedition on Tuntuket Island.
After squeezing through a very narrow passage I’ve made it to another, much larger chamber; and unlike the previous room this is not like anything I have seen before.
Yet again this island reveals more of its marvels.
The markings on the wall are intriguing.
I am baffled as to what, who or even how these have been made.
They don’t appear to be any essence of language per se; but that is not to say there isn’t some sort of pattern here. I can’t quite shake that even though there are no clear symbols or typography, that there isn’t something to decipher here.
Archive Reference: BTS-TUN-SKT-002
Recovered sketches of what appear to be the cave markings
Archivist Note: Notes along the side show some of uncle Bertie’s workings to try and decipher what these markings are – he comments they are ‘not like hieroglyphs’ or even ‘ancient cave drawings’ but notes they appear to be ‘similar to grooves on a record’.
He then proceeds to pose some questions; do they represent sound? how does it transmit? how might that have been created; would I even understand what it would communicate?
The grooves in the markings; some much deeper than others, offer refuge for cave insects that could be mistaken for Cicadas or Mantises.
Or even another hybrid cross with Isopods.
Cicadas are not known to live underground as adults. They can spend on average 15 years underground as nymphs but they typically do so in soil, feeding off sap from tree roots.
They are not known to live in caves.
Mantises too are not known as cave-dwellers; preferring highly vegetated areas like tropical forests or meadows.
Which brings me to Isopods; which can thrive in caves and play an integral part in the cave ecosystem feeding on dead plant and animal matter.
Archivist Note: Noting a couple of names in the margin, ‘Sand Runner (Desert Mantis)’
and ‘Egyptian Flower Mantis’.
I have researched that these are adapted to more arid conditions; hiding in rocky crevices.
Perhaps this was a note here that there are some exceptions with Mantises’ habitat.
Another margin note details ‘Isopods’; circled and underlined I believe Uncle Bertie must have been trying to make a point here.
These specialised cave dwelling Troglobites; if I am right to assume they only exist in here and not above ground; are most unusual for two reasons.
Their striking colours.
And most unusually they appear to see. Their eyes seems to track me as I move.
Archive Reference: BTS-TUN-SKT-003
Recovered sketches of Tuntuket cave creatures
Archivist Note: Annotations around the sketches detail the most unusual colours for cave dwelling insects; ‘crimson’, ‘turquoise’, ‘lime green’ ‘sunshine yellow’, ‘fuchsia’ with an additional note ‘adapted species for this environment?’
Perhaps they have not needed to fully adapt to complete darkness.
There is a faint glow in the chamber though strangely I can’t seem to locate where light could be radiating through or from.
Perhaps my eyes are just adjusting.
Or is it the creatures themselves that are emitting the light.
They appear to glow more when resting in the grooves of the cave walls.
Almost as if they are recharging.
But that seems unusual too, doesn’t it?!
Archivist Note: These species of Troglobites; if indeed that is what they were really seem to have left Uncle Bertie quite perplexed. He seems more sure of what they ARE NOT than what they ARE. The rest of the page here is an illegible jumble of species names and musings; many words circled and crossed through as if he had gone back and forth to try identify these creatures.
I will need to rest for the night soon.
Climbing and squeezing through some of these corridors has been rather exhausting.
Let alone trying to understand what these new creatures are that I have encountered here.
Though I could quite easily rest here I can hear what sounds like water cascading just beyond these walls.
I’ll find my next route to the other side and hopefully camp out within the next couple of hours.
Archivist Note: This entry really starts to unfold a series of rather fascinating encounters – I am left feeling as perplexed as Uncle Bertie appears to be here but my curiosity is peaked and I must now work to gather the next entries and learn more about what he experienced in these caves on this rather intriguing island.
Location: Tuntuket Island – Madguer – Bermond Sea
Date: Unknown
Documented by: Bertram Thomason Stone
Curated by: The Archivist
The adventures of uncle bertie 
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