Object 1516: The Holder of Innovations Past

In any city, in any country, go to any library you can get yourself to. Go in the evening, before closing time even, but never enter during the day. When you reach the front desk, ask to visit someone who calls himself "The Holder of Innovations Past". The worker will point at a door on the right. He will claim that the room is for conferences and special events and give you a key to unlock it. While he's probably correct, you must deny it or you will not make it to the door. Do not mind the key's detailed features or you will find yourself dazed when you enter. Unlock the door and step inside. You will find the room well-lit but empty. Enter then close the door but do not lock it yet. Turn off the lights for 10 seconds, no less and no more then turn them back on. They will be dimly lit.

There will be an incomplete space shuttle replica model and a toolbox in the center of the room, and also a man of indeterminable stature and facial appearance. Ask him, "Can they be hindered forever?" If he says "yes", leave immediately and don't look back; the answer you seek is wielded by another Holder and the man speaking to you is an impersonator with deadly intentions for you. If he says "no", lock the door with the key. Ask him, "Where did They begin?" He will then explain the history of NASA, human civilization, and the possibilities of space travel. You must listen intently or you will forget everything you learn from him from this point on. The man will then ask you why the shuttle is unfinished. Tell him, "They must be kept from transcendence." He will confirm your statement and then offer the replica to you as a gift. Decline. He will then reach into the toolbox and take out a flashlight (it's heavier than it looks) and offer it to you. Accept it.

As soon as you take it from him, the lights will go out. Then you will be beaten by an unseen force, continuously struck in your left eye. You will feel a burning sensation in your mouth and on your tongue like fire, and you will hear excruciating screams of dread and terror ringing in your ears. These will go on for 5 minutes but you must not react to these experiences or let go of the flashlight. You must maintain a steady breath and if you cannot, you must hold it. If you resist the entity, you will be maimed and die from that combined with the eye-bleeding. If you gasp for air, you will drown in your saliva. If you make any sound, you will go up in flames. And if you drop the flashlight, if you dare release your grip on it, you will regret it when the time comes.

After the 5 minutes are up, the experience will subside and if you did well, you will be left with nothing more than a black eye and a throbbing head. And you will be exhausted. Now drop the flashlight, but do not doze off as you will never see another light again. Ask him, What can undo Them?" The man will then elaborate on the dimming lights and their eventual failure and explain to you what they represent. He will then flip a switch, causing the lights to come back on at their brightest. Quickly look away from him as he prefers dimness for a reason. He will bid you farewell as he walks toward the door. Say goodbye or some other kind word but do not ask him another question. He will grasp the door's handle and furiously try to open it despite having seen you lock it. You must never gaze in his direction until the rattling noise dissipates.

When you look, he will be gone. Open the door and you will find the library's main lobby pitch black. Go back to where you left your flashlight; you cannot go into the darkness or you will disappear before dawn, never to be heard from again. If the flashlight is still there, venture out of the well-lit room, turn your flashlight on, and explore. Otherwise, accept your fate as the new Holder. You must look for and find an eerie white glow emanating somewhere in the library before your flashlight battery runs out. Do not attempt to locate the entrance as it will be locked and you will be wasting battery power. Nor should you look for anything else in the darkness. Anything you imagine existing in the dark will be manifested physically and destroy you if you do not maintain your focus.

If your battery runs out, quickly run back into the room and lock the door with the key you received. It may take another century before you can safely leave the room as this darkness is perpetual. When you have found the glow, it will start dimming before fading away. Immediately turn off your flashlight, get on the floor, and start fumbling. If you feel something metal, firmly grasp it. If anything else, there's no point in running. It will get you. When you have found the metal Object, it will be daylight by then and the main lobby lights will come on. Pick it up and run past the worker out of the library. Do not look at the Object, not even after escaping the library, until the day it beckons.

The metal you picked up is Object 1516 of 2538. Store it well for it will be your bargaining chip in the second day of Depression.