Artifact Research Notes v1
Artifact Research Notes
Physical Properties
Every attempt to analyze the artifact has failed in an interesting way:
- Spectroscopic analysis: instrument returned readings of "null" across all wavelengths
- Core sample drilling: drill bit broke. Replacement drill bit broke. Third drill bit broke. Surface shows no marks.
- Mass measurement: varies between readings. Not measurement error. The artifact's mass appears to change.
- Temperature: exactly matches ambient temperature at all times. Placed in a freezer, it read -20C. Placed in an oven, it read 200C. Response is instantaneous.
- Acoustic analysis: when struck, produces no sound. Accelerometers attached to the surface detect no vibration.
Electromagnetic Properties
The artifact produces no electromagnetic emissions except during the single transmission event. It does not reflect radar. It appears perfectly black in all lighting conditions, not because it absorbs light, but because it seems to exist in a space where light does not apply.
Researchers have reported difficulty looking directly at the artifact. Not pain or visual disturbance. More a sense that the eyes slide off it, that it occupies a space the brain declines to process.
Interaction Log
| Date | Researcher | Event |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Dr. Chen | Touched artifact surface. Described it as "warm, like skin." Artifact surface temperature was -12C. |
| Day 3 | Dr. Okafor | Reported hearing a low hum when alone with artifact. Audio monitoring detected nothing. |
| Day 7 | Dr. Chen | Requested to sleep in the artifact lab. Request denied. |
| Day 12 | Dr. Okafor | Stated artifact had "moved" overnight. Security footage shows no movement. Position measurements confirm no movement. Dr. Okafor disagrees. |
| Day 15 | All staff | Artifact exposed to sunlight. Transmitted signal. All researchers reported simultaneous headache lasting exactly 4.7 seconds. |
Conclusion
We do not understand the artifact. The artifact may understand us. Further research requires proximity to the second artifact, which is why the Discovery Mission exists.