 | Name | Ancient Log (Carter Scherbius) |
| Type (Ingame) | Quest Item | |
| Family | Ancient Log, Non-Codex Series | |
| Rarity |  |
Item Story
| ... ...We were assigned to the same lab. I was nervous at first, since everyone said that he was a child prodigy. Since the disaster, such people are more precious than ever. I had thought that an Institute star recommended by higher-ups might be more full of himself, but he's much better than I expected. He's just not the most sociable sort... No obvious symptoms. ... ...I made a huge mistake and knocked over an ancient geometry machine that took a lot of effort to bring back from the desert ruins. The machine came to life and made a huge mess of things... ...Though he's a lot younger than me, he's really smart. I can't believe that's how he managed to tame the machine. Maybe taming isn't the right word? Maybe the other engineers will look down on me for using it. But it really did feel like taming... I know modern clockwork machines well enough, so I can see the huge technological gulf between the two. Even disregarding construction, we will make little meaningful progress if we do not resolve the power issue... ...But I still have to be careful. I've never seen Alain angry, and I don't want to find out what he looks like when he gets angry. A few minor symptoms. ... Took the day off. ... I can hardly believe it! Alain came to visit me, and even brought his sister! She's a lovely little lady, and unafraid of strangers. A fine day indeed... ...We discussed the idea of a thinking machine based on gems and tape circuits. I used the word "discussed," but actually, I just said things like "Oh!" or "That's really amazing" or "How will you do that?" whenever he paused, and didn't make any real contributions. He was really into it, though, and he behaved very differently than he usually does in the lab. His little sister is probably way smarter than I, a research assistant! ...It seems there are interesting upsides to having my disease flare up, but I'd prefer to return to the Institute and help as soon as I can... ... ...The additional machines got here. The previous ones are no longer usable since they were completely dismantled... But it did clear up a lot of things, at least according to him. Something about it being driven by the elements in the ley lines, an interaction we cannot recreate with our current level of industrial precision and material science. I helped to compile the report, but there's so much I couldn't understand! ...Apparently, lots of people are secretly unhappy that Alain is getting more research resources than they are... But if you ask me, everyone's smarter than me, and they should all get along. We'll make the world a better place that way. ...His sister said that some of their friends will be joining the Institute. I'm looking forward to meeting them... No obvious symptoms. ... ...joined the lab as new partners! But now their conversations are doubly confusing! Oh, I understand every word on its own just fine, but once they string them all together, I can't make heads or tails of it! Jakob is really the only one even close to being on the same level as me... I feel ashamed just writing that. An adult looking for reassurance from a child as young as he is... I feel like I've lost all the self-respect a grown-up should have... ...Based on their research on Primenergy Machinery (seems like they decided to adopt this name), Alain and Rene are thinking about trying to use the characteristics of ousia and pneuma to construct a new kinetic core... A few minor symptoms. ... ...I may have contributed! Well, maybe? I went on a picnic with Alain, his sister, Rene, and Jakob. It was technically supposed to be field research, but the idea came from Alain's sister and me. We thought they lived all too little outside of their research, so we asked the Institute's director to arrange something... ...Petrichor's not exactly the most exciting place, but the scenery's quite lovely, since you can see the great waterfall. I brought a Kamera from the Institute to take photos for them. I do hope we'll have more outings like this one, especially since that means more opportunities to take photos of his sister. After all, Alain is always working. Given how he will not be with his sister as she grows up, these photos will come in handy later when he begins to regret not spending more time with her. Then he'll be able to see how she was at different times, and it won't sting quite so much! If only my family had enough money for a Kamera... and if only things hadn't gone so wrong. I'm sure my mom would have taken lots of photos of me... Rene and Jakob like Alain's sister a lot, too. When the four of them hang out, she sometimes acts like an older sister to them, despite being the youngest. A fascinating dynamic... ...Seem to be interested in the ruins and the stone statues here. Rene also mentioned something about a troupe and seals... Even though we went out there to have a bit of fun for once, they were still thinking about research... No obvious symptoms. ... Took the day off. ... ...Alain's sister came to see me, along with Jakob. Alain and Rene couldn't make it because their experiment is at a critical stage. They didn't have to tell me any of that, of course. That I was able to help at all despite my limited abilities is already fulfilling! ... I heard that Alain and the Institute's director came to see me (separately)! while I was unconscious. I feel bad that they came all this way for nothing. I wasn't even awake... Still taking time off, but I hope to go back and help them again soon. ... ...I found out that they were graduates from the Narzissenkreuz Institute, and that made me really happy. They talked about the director and the vice director, as well as their adventures, and it made me feel like a kid again. The only detail that didn't make sense was the cake the vice director made, because it felt like punishment when we had it... ...After the disaster, I lost contact with pretty much all my friends. I'm so happy that they were able to find each other again. I wonder how my friends are doing. They're probably trying to rebuild the Narzissenkreuz Institute! I've got to go check it out next time... ...Talked about the thinking machine again. I had an idea about making a thinking Kamera, so that it would take photos of those precious to him while he's busy. He thought it was kind of pointless, but that it had security and surveillance applications... ... ...They did it! The light bulb came on! I was lucky to have recovered in time to witness this historical moment... It's quite a pity, but I hope Rene and Jakob will make the breakthroughs of their own in their own research topics! Ah, I also hope they get better assistants than me! No obvious symptoms. ... Took the day off. ... There were several visits while I was unconscious. It's a shame, all I could do is read the letters they left behind. Jakob left me a note, inviting me to his and Rene's lab. There's something they want to talk to me about. I hope I can get out of bed soon. ... Ann brought flowers for me, but they had already wilted by the time I woke up. Took the day off. ... I was able to get out of bed today. This is where I first met Alain. For a time afterwards, I documented the experimental procedures and phenomena based on his oral descriptions while standing here for the first time. He was trying to start up the machinery below in an ill-fitting lab coat. Rene and Jakob later entered through that door, and Alain would temporarily forget to act the young genius, rushing towards them like an energetic kid. Here I bore witness to the first successful controlled annihilation reaction. The brilliant light cast a deep, dark shadow, and I believe history was made in that moment. Will someone like me, so excited I knocked over the ink bottle, play a role in an event that will go down in history? Behind the locked door on the other side is Rene and Jakob's lab. It seems access was limited due to the dangerous nature of their research. They are destined to become towering figures in history. I guess Alain moved to another lab. Based on his plan, once the energy problem was solved, he would study kinematics. I'll go greet him later. I wonder how Ann is doing now? What manner of beauty will she grow up to be? I'll stop writing here. I don't have much time left. I hope everything goes well. |
Jahoda icon missing.