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FEDERAL BUREAU OF CONTROL
Dimensional Research is going to change everything. The work we do there will be brilliant, dangerous, and revolutionary. So we'll need staff that meet the challenge.
So far I'm considering:
Carla Vaughn
Lorenzo Dunne
Hubert Tan
Edna Pierse
Either Beth Harrington or Abe Lewis if their departments can spare them for a bit.
Emily is an obvious choice, but who knows what will come out of the doorways we open. Perhaps it's better to keep her somewhere where the work is less unpredictable. But she won't like that.
And there's no way she won't notice a secret new research department. She's too sharp.
FEDERAL BUREAU OF CONTROL
All Bureau personnel are reminded to kindly NOT SMOKE in the Quarry.
Even though the Quarry area is technically an outdoor space, it is still a part of the Bureau and therefore the no smoking rule does apply.
Not only is it considerate towards your fellow employees to refrain from inflicting the harm of second-hand smoke, it is also prudent to avoid any risk of gas fires, unforeseen Threshold reactions, and possible creation of altered receptacles (UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD CIGARETTE BUTTS BE LEFT IN THE QUARRY).
Thank you for your understanding.
FEDERAL BUREAU OF CONTROL
We need additional diamond blades ASAP, continuous rim this time to get the clean cut Research wants. This Black Rock shit is tough. We're going through blades like we're made of the damn things. The dimensions for these slabs of Black Rock they want are outrageous. For all the grief they're causing me, these Firebreaks better fucking work a treat.
Go ahead and double the last order.
COMPILED BY
Malcolm Milosz, Threshold Safety Inspector
BY ORDER OF
n/a
INCIDENT REPORT
RE: QUARRY OPERATIONS
SUMMARY:
During my weekly safety inspection to the Quarry Threshold, I discovered the entire crew in a state of catatonia?. The whole team was standing still? chanting? doing some other weird thing?, aligned and staring in a uniform direction; the City in the distance. Despite my most vocal efforts to gain their attention, they remained doing what they were doing for more than way too many - I sure hope this is written out and not a ten-digit number minutes until I had to resort to literally slapping them across the face? dragging them out of the Quarry?. Afterwards, they were dazed and could not provide any rationale for their behavior or any specific memories of engaging in it.
My official recommendation for any crew working in a Threshold area is to either shorten the length of their shifts or to carry out mandatory psychological evaluations on a weekly basis — or preferably both.
And maybe we should order another expedition to the City.
Refer to file 5-58-3096 for full report.
I believe that the incident described here was previously alluded to in a letter from Salvador (Head of Security) to Arish that we saw back in part 5, which is the second document in this collection.
FEDERAL BUREAU OF CONTROL
Linda,
I saw David last night. I was working late in the Quarry when he stumbled out from behind some Black Rock. Looked like hell.
I called up to medical right away. He was half-starved. He's been missing for two weeks, so I guess it's not a surprise. While I was waiting for someone to come help, he kept telling me about some carvings. Something about an "ancient tree". I couldn't really understand him.
When the medics came, they brought security. They grabbed David and hauled him off. They interrogated me for a couple hours about what David had told me.
Anyway, I know you're on the next shift so thought I'd leave this for you. He was your husband, you have a right to know. The way security was acting, well, I don't know if we're gonna see David again.
I'm so sorry, Linda. Burn this after you read it.
- B