Riaan 
Sivula ngokudubula kwedolobha eliseduze nechibi, nomshumayeli efundela umhlambi wakhe wesAmbulo esivela eBhayibhelini emhlambini wakhe wabantu abadabuke kakhulu nababukeka bekhathele. Intombazane encane ibuza ukuthi uzokwazi nini ukungcwaba uyise. Umshumayeli, ogama lakhe linguDavid, uthi kuzomele kulinde kuze kufike intwasahlobo. UDavid ukhuluma nomunye umlandeli ogama lakhe linguJames ngaphandle, odlalwa uTroy Baker, oveze uJoel Miller emidlalweni yevidiyo. UDavid angase abonakale engumshumayeli ophuma phambili, kodwa ukusebenzisana kwakhe noJakobe kuphakamisa uhlangothi olucashile. Lapho uDavid ebuza uJames ukuthi “usenami yini,” u-James ka-Baker akanqeni nje ikhanda, akhiphe “yebo” obuthakathaka. Ukwenza kuka-Baker okuzolile lapha kusitshela ukuthi uJakobe uyamesaba uDavide, noma umbona ngendlela azizwa engenakwenzeka ukubaleka. Kubonakala kusebenza okufanayo kuwo wonke umhlambi kaDavide.
UJoel usalulama ekulimaleni akuthole eziqeshini ezimbili ezedlule, kanti u-Ellie unquma ukuzingela ukudla njengoba sebedle izicucu zenyama yenkomo. Lonke lolu chungechunge lokuzingela luyasuswa kugeyimu yevidiyo, lunikeza abadlali nababukeli ithuba lokubona u-Ellie eshintsha ngendlela exakile esuka ekubeni yinyamazane aye esilwaneni esizingelayo. Ngokungakholwa kwakhe – futhi ngenxa yokuqeqeshwa kukaJoel kwangaphambili – ushaya inyamazane. Isidumbu senyamazane sitholwe uDavid noJames, abahambe bayozingela ngoba ukudla kwedolobha labo kuncipha.
Ngaphambi kokuba bathathe inyamazane, u-Ellie ubabambe ngesibhamu futhi uthi basuke. U-David ubonakala emangele ngeminyaka ka-Ellie – futhi mhlawumbe nobulili bakhe – njengoba ekwazile ukunyonyoba kuwo womabili amadoda ngokuthula. Ukulandelana kwezingxoxo okulandelayo nakho kuyaphakanyiswa umugqa ngomugqa kusukela kugeyimu, u-Ellie wazama ukuhwebelana ngomuthi. UDavid ucela uJames ukuthi abuyele edolobheni. Ubuso bukaJames bubonisa ukuthi akavumelani, kodwa uyadlala noma kunjalo, eshiya uDavid no-Ellie bodwa endlini eseduze ukuze bafudumale eduze komlilo.
Lapha, uDavid no-Ellie bayazana. Emdlalweni, lesi sigcawu siphazanyiswe ukulandelana kwesenzo nama-Zombies atheleleke. Embukisweni, esikhundleni salokho sithola isizinda esithile ngokholo lukaDavide, nokuthi waba kanjani umshumayeli. Uthi uthole uNkulunkulu ngemva kokuphela kwezwe, futhi washiya indawo ehlukaniswe yedwa yasePittsburgh neqembu labantu; ekugcineni bahlala endaweni eqhele ngezinkulungwane zamakhilomitha.
Khona-ke, uDavid uwisa ibhomu: Amadoda ahlasele uJoweli no-Ellie esiqeshini sesi-6 ayevela eqenjini lakhe, futhi indoda eyahlwithwa intamo uJoweli yayinguyise wale ntombazanyana kusukela ekuqaleni kwalesi siqephu. UJames ubuya nomuthi kodwa ubambe u-Ellie emkhomba ngesibhamu. UDavid ugcizelela ukuthi uJames ehlise isibhamu anikeze u-Ellie umuthi. UJames ubuza uDavid: Ngabe bazomyeka ngempela u-Ellie abaleke?
“The Last of Us” kube yisiteji esihle sokulingisa ngobuso. UDavid Shepherd no-Ellie kaBella Ramsey bobabili benza umsebenzi oyingqayizivele lapha. Ukuklolodela nokushwabana kukaDavid kuyaziphikisa izinhloso zakhe zangempela, kuyilapho ungabona ngokucacile ukuthi unogada ka-Ellie ehliswa … ngaphambi kokuba avele aphakame ngemva kokuqaphela ukuthi usenkingeni. Ngokushesha u-Ellie ubuyela kuJoel ukuze ajove ukulimala kwakhe nge-penicillin. Bagoqana ndawonye.
UDavid ubuyela ehholo lokudla lesikhashana ledolobha lakubo, indawo eyayiyindawo yokudla inyama yenyama, kanye nezinyamazane. Umhlambi wakhe wonke uthule futhi uphonsa amehlo kuJames. Kuyacaca ukuthi uJames watshela wonke umuntu edolobheni ukuthi bathole umbulali womngane wabo. UDavide uqinisekisa wonke umuntu ukuthi bazofuna ubulungisa, bese intombazanyana ikhulume ithi: “Kufanele ubabulale,” isho. UDavid ushaya intombazane ngesandla esinonya, uphawu lwethu lokuqala olusobala lokuthi uDavide ubusa phezu kwalaba bantu ngokuhlukumeza nokukhanyiswa ngegesi. Wonke umuntu uhlala phansi adle ukudla kwakhe. U-James uyaqhubeka nokungakhululeki, ngenxa yezizathu esizozithola kamuva.
Idolobha likaDavid lihluke kakhulu kuJackson kaTommy, eWyoming. EJackson, lapho wonke umuntu abelana ngakho konke, izingane zahleka, zenza ubuciko, futhi kwakukhona utshwala, izitolo ezisebenzayo nokudla. Ayesethubeni lokufuya izingulube zebhekoni. Khonamanjalo, ngaphansi kobuholi bukaDavid, izingane ziyakhala, futhi izidumbu zabantu abadala zibunile ngenxa yendlala. Uma uJackson eyisithombe sempumelelo, iqembu likaDavid liwumfanekiso womphakathi ohlulekayo.
Ukusa kuyafika, futhi iqembu likaDavid lilandele u-Ellie emuva endaweni engaphansi kwedolobha lapho yena noJoel beboshelwe khona. U-Ellie uhlomisa uJoel ngommese; ubonakala ephumile kuyo futhi akakwazi ukuzibamba. U-Ellie ugibele ihhashi futhi udubula iqembu ukuze alihuge lisuke endaweni kaJoel yokucasha. Lo mzamo awuphumeleli, njengoba uJames edubula ihhashi. UJames kanye nawo wonke amanye amadoda kaDavide bahlose ukubulala u-Ellie, kodwa uDavid uyabamisa kungazelelwe. Kubonakala sengathi uyayikhathalela inhlalakahle ka-Ellie ngezinga elithile, futhi uphikelela ekumbuyiseleni edolobheni, kuyilapho eshiya amadoda athile ukuze azingele uJoel.
La madoda akazi ukuthi uJoweli useluleme, okungenani kancane. Abalandeli balo mdlalo bakhale ngokuthi uJoel uzizwa engenalo udlame kulolu hlelo njengoba ebenjalo emidlalweni, okuzwakalayo; imidlalo yesenzo ngokuvamile inabalingiswa bayo ababulala amakhulu abantu. Kodwa kufanele bajabule ngalesi siqephu, lapho uJoweli ethumela ngokucophelela amadoda amathathu amzingelayo. Ngokushesha abulale omunye wamadoda akwazi ukuthola indawo yakhe.
U-Ellie uyaphaphama azithole evalelwe, egqolozele uDavid. UDavid uyamncenga ukuthi amtshele igama lakhe, kodwa u-Ellie uyenqaba. UDavid uzama ukwenza umlingo wakhe, ehlose ukukholisa u-Ellie ukuthi ajoyine iqembu lakhe. Uyamkhipha umoya, ebonisa ukuthi ayikho enye indlela angayenza.
Sibuyela emuva kumbono kaJoel njengoba ekhubaza amanye amadoda amabili amfunayo. Lapha sinesithombe sesibuko sesiqephu sakhe sesi-6 sokunamathelana nombhangqwana woMdabu waseMelika. Kuleso simo, uJoweli wayemnene. Lapha, sibona ububanzi obugcwele bezindlela zikaJoweli “zokuphenya”. Ukuhlushwa nje; lesi esinye futhi isigcawu esisuswe ngqo kumdlalo. Lesi yisikhathi lapho kubacacela khona izethameli ukuthi uJoel akayena impela ubaba onempilo. Ubulala womabili amadoda – naphezu kokubambisana kwabo. Umuntu kufanele azibuze ukuthi ngabe lokhu kuqubuka kodlame kuvela kuJoel ebona ukuthi akakwazanga ukuvikela u-Ellie, futhi.
Sihlehlisele emuva ku-Ellie ngokubona ukuthi iqembu likaDavid belidla inyama yomuntu ngemuva kokubona indlebe – nezinye izingcezu zenyama yomuntu – phansi. UDavid uthi kungenxa yokuphelelwa yithemba nokuthatha izinqumo ezimbi. U-Ellie uphenya uDavid mayelana nezisusa zakhe. UDavide wathi ama-cordyceps, hhayi uNkulunkulu, amsiza ukuba afundise izindlela zezwe. Ukutheleleka kwefungal akukona “okubi,” uthi; kumane kuyimvelo eyenza umsebenzi wayo. Lokhu kwaphefumulela uDavide ukuba athathe “noma iyiphi indlela edingekayo” ukuze asinde, ehlanganisa nokuba ‘nenhliziyo enobudlova.
UDavid uncenga u-Ellie ukuthi amjoyine ekuholeni iqembu. Kuzwakala njengesithombe sesibuko esisontekile sesikhulu se-FEDRA sincoma ikhono lika-Ellie “lobuholi.” Ubeka isandla sakhe ngobumnene ku-Ellie, izinhloso zakhe zobuntwana zidaluliwe. U-Ellie uthinta emuva – isikhathi esingakhululeki kakhulu – ngaphambi kokuthi siqaphele ukuthi u-Ellie ukhohlisa uDavid emcabangweni ongamanga wokulondeka. Ahlephule umunwe azame ukuthatha okhiye bakhe kodwa ahluleke. UDavid uyayeka ukushintsha umqondo ka-Ellie futhi ahambe. U-Ellie uyabona ukuthi ayikho indlela yokuphuma kulokhu.
Njengoba uJoel elibangise edolobheni eyofuna u-Ellie, uDavid noJames bayabuya ukuyonquma u-Ellie abe “izicucu ezincane.” Kwesinye isigameko esisusiwe emdlalweni, ukucabanga okusheshayo kuka-Ellie kumholela ekugcineni amemezele kubantu angabazi ukuthi unegciwane. Ukungena kumethusa kakhulu okwenza amadoda angambulali, ikakhulukazi njengoba u-Ellie ekwazile ukukhipha uDavid ezama ukweqa. Ephazanyiswe indlela ukutheleleka kwakhe okubukeka “kwangempela” ngayo, uJames uthola umbese entanyeni njengoba u-Ellie ebalekela endlini yenyama.
Izicabha zikhiyiwe, u-Ellie uthatha ukhuni oluvuthayo ukuze athungele indlu yenyama. U-David no-Ellie badlala igeyimu ebulalayo yekati negundane, ukulandelana kokudlala okuthathwe ngokuqondile kugeyimu. Umdlalo ulingisa umdlalo ka-Ellie enyonyoba ethule futhi ezihlomisa ukuze ahlasele uDavid. Imigqa kaDavid nayo iqonde ngqo emdlalweni, okuhlanganisa nokuthi: “Akekho umuntu onaleli gciwane olwa kanzima ukuze aqhubeke ephila.” UDavid ube esethi uzodlala “njengobaba” ka-Ellie. Ungakuzwa ukucasuka nokunengeka okwakha ngaphakathi komdlalo kaRamsey njengoba eshaya uDavid ngommese wenyama. Ugwaza, uDavida wawisa ucelemba.
UDavid ugibela phezu kuka-Ellie futhi ngokusobala uhlose ukumhlukumeza ngokocansi. U-Ellie uyadazuluka ngenxa yokwesaba, kodwa uyakwazi ukubamba ucelemba kaDavid amphendulele wona. U-Ellie kaRamsey ulahlekelwa nguye ngokuphelele njengoba egwaza uDavid izikhathi eziningi. Ubuso buka-Ellie, nekhamera, kugcwele igazi. Ukukhala kuka-Ramsey kukhumbuza izethameli ukuthi wake waba ngu-Lady Mormont we-“Game of Thrones,” futhi uma kunokungabaza ngokulingisa kwakhe, ukwenza kuka-Ramsey kulesi siqephu kufanele kugcine kukusule.
U-Ellie uphuma esakhiweni esivuthayo emangele, egcwele igazi. UJoel uyamthola kodwa u-Ellie uyamemeza eziphindiselela njengoba esesesimeni sokuqala sokusinda. UJoel uyamqinisekisa – “Yimina” – futhi amanga ngokuphelele. Umbiza ngokuthi “ingane yentombazane,” okuyigama elifanayo lothando ayenalo ngoSara. Ngokwamukela kukaJoel u-Ellie njengendodakazi yakhe ephelele, laba ababili bahamba bayongena ebumnyameni basebusika futhi isiqephu siyaphela.
Amanye amanothi nokubhekwa:
- Emdlalweni kwachazwa kuphela ukuthi uDavid wayengumholi wehlelo. I-pedophilia yakhe yayivele isikiselwe. Nokho, ngaphambi kokushona kwakhe kulolu hlelo, uDavid Shepherd kaScott kusobala ukuthi usezoqaqa uziphu webhulukwe – isenzo esishaqisayo ebesingekho emdlalweni. Nakuba kulula ukuzonda emdlalweni, unengeka ngokungenakuthethelelwa embukisweni, ngesikhathi ebonakala Okuningi unomusa ekuqaleni kwesiqephu.
- UTroy Baker ngokusobala ungumdlali onethalente, kodwa ukudonsa kwakhe eNingizimu lapha kuzwakala kusondele kuJoel wasekuqaleni ovela emdlalweni. Komakadebona balo mdlalo, kuzohlekisa ukuzwa izwi lika-Joel livela kumlingiswa ohluke ngokuphelele.
- Kubalulekile futhi ukuqaphela ukuthi lapho u-Ellie ebulala uDavid, emdlalweni ukugwaza kwakhe kuphazanyiswa uJoel. Embukisweni, u-Ellie uyakwazi ukuhlukumeza ngokukhululekile umzimba kaDavid ngaphandle kokumvimba uJoel. Kusobala ukuthi lesi sinqumo senziwa ukuze kuphinde kugcizelelwe ukuthi u-Ellie wayengamdingi u-Joel ukuthi “amsindise” noma “amvikele” — ngisho nasengqondweni yakhe ewohlokayo. Ukuthukuthela kuka-Ellie kuboniswa ngokunganqamuki futhi ngaphandle kwesihlungi.
