text; un: alenko

[majorbiotic]

If anyone is investigating the mines, be careful around the ore they take out of there. My co-workers at the Trading Post have warned me that it's very dangerous. I tried to confirm this by scanning some with my omni-tool but it doesn't even register that there's something physically there when I try. And my tool does work-- I tested it on a chair just to make sure and the readings were normal.

But back on the subject. They tell me that the ore is made into something they call "pulsefire". All three of my co-workers agree it's nothing good. One of them said that if you use it as flint, it'll create a pulsefire storm "as big as a whole town" and then said it killed her grandmother. Another told me that it's "pure evil" and "only kills living things in its path".

Has anyone else come across this "pulsefire" in their investigation? I would suggest trying to sprinkle it into your conversations with the locals and gauge their reaction. The comment on a storm "as big as a whole town" really set off alarm bells, considering everything else we've discovered so far.

There's also something else that's been troubling me. Whatever is happening is affecting our technology and even our perception. Words blur and start to look like gibberish if we focus on it for too long. My omni-tool didn't register the ore as a physical object and when I tried later, it just turned off. And of course we have the locals who repeat themselves or just look blank if we ask them certain questions. It feels... too familiar to things I've seen back home. I don't like it. I really, really don't like it.

Comments

text; un: stargirl

[bossily]

The mention of pulsefire as big as a whole town that only kills living things in its path is a bit concerning. Especially since I was considering the possibility one of the children at the school may be exempt from the blank staring and looping we see everyone else here doing.

[majorbiotic]

Only one of the children? Does anything else stand out about this kid?

[bossily]

His family name. Branson.

[majorbiotic]

I see. I don't want to involve a kid if we don't have to.

[bossily]

Thank you. I've grown fond of him since we've been here. I'd prefer to not involve him or any of the other children unless it's absolutely necessary.

[majorbiotic]

I agree with you. I just wish we had more answers on what's really going on.

[bossily]

Give it a bit more time. I'm sure the answers will start to reveal themselves. Especially if you went around talking or asking about pulsefire.

Did you happen to get the name of the grandmother who was killed by it?

[majorbiotic]

That's the hope.

No, I didn't want to upset her further. Her name's Mrs. Blazkurn, if that helps, and my other co-worker remarked that her family was pretty old in this town. I know we can't really trust the word of these people completely, but it's still something to go on.

[bossily]

And here I was hoping it would be Branson. Not that I'm hoping for anyone to be killed in such an awful way. It's just the only family members we haven't managed to spot or hear much about yet are Wilford jr. and his mother.

[majorbiotic]

I can try finding out more next time I see her. She takes the morning shifts due to her feelings about the ore we export.

[bossily]

Okay, you've lost me. Why would the morning shifts be better for her in that regard?

[majorbiotic]

They bring the ore down from the mines later in the day.

[bossily]

Is it the same time every day?

[majorbiotic]

I think so, yes. Maybe a few minutes give or take.

[bossily]

I wonder if that time is relevant to anything that might've happened before we arrived. Something related to the last time a pulsefire was seen here.

or if it's just when they've always finished and sent the ore into town.

I'm probably overthinking this

[majorbiotic]

Overthinking.

The ore is used to make other things. It's part of the structure of this town.

[bossily]

Yeah, I tend to overthink when I'm grasping at straws.

[majorbiotic]

It wasn't a bad thought. I do think the ore is connected to what happened here, so we should pursue that line in other ways.