the story: CHapter 6
ANONYMOUS JOURNAL
Artist sketch: Approaching the Azimuth Lab
FINDING THE LAB
February 16, 2041
The lab was more like a cabin and had been cleverly blended into the mountainside. Its orientation rendered it invisible to satellites and could remain undetected and off the grid.
The main structure was charred black to withstand the harshness of the mountains. A small, clear stream cut through the property and a modest array of ultra-black solar panels fed a quiet current of electricity into the house.
Behind drawn curtains, a muted light burned inside. We entered, softly announcing our presence, peeking around corners expecting to find a group of grizzled GEMINI soldiers.
THE MEDIUM IS THE MESSAGE
February 16, 2041
We hoped for someone to give us answers. Instead, we found racks of analog audio equipment, speaker arrays, and a record player endlessly spinning a manilla disc off into the run-away groove.
A solitary piano and sheet music stood in the middle of a large open room. On top of it, we found some lab notes of the Gemini’s research and a handful of sketches by someone who had recently completed the journey. There was a book open to a page with a simple set of instructions:
HOW TO USE OMNI
Use diagram to position OMNI array
Adjust until sound attains physical presence
Open journal to this page for others behind you
PLAY OMNI record
Lie down
Test/repeat process until you reach the Valley of Mercury
Planets end phase on May 20, 2041
Artist sketch: OMNI listening room
Piano scores for OMNI found in cabin
