Dear reader, it was such a blessing to be inside Scripture, to be surrounded by it. I was successful in retrieving the information that I needed, but it took some effort. I have taken some notes, which I plan to transcribe to this log in the coming days.
The older parts of the Book are well defended and cared for. Looking at the building visible above ground one would never guess the massive defenses in place, nanite and plating reinforcements, shielding, heavy artillery placed in the neighborhood, and a garrison of elite soldiers about which I am not allowed to give any details.
Of course, you cannot enter the building from the front door above ground. That front door is just part of the facade - on the other side is just the wall of a massive vault. There is only one entrance, underground. You enter via a vault door leading into an old basement of the ancient building.
You do not enter before you have been thoroughly screened for weapons or explosive devices. I had to wear a tracking device at all times, and a subcutaneous chip that can release a strong tranquilizer. Some people get so overwhelmed by their visit they become psychotic and have to be stopped. Also, it is yet another fail-safe against terror attacks.
Once the vault door closes behind you and your Guide, you feel as if you have entered a new world. There is a certain smell of old books, old paper. Not moldy - the atmosphere is controlled - but... dusty? The smell of old books is hard to describe, but anyone who has been to an old library and wandered between the stacks will recognize that smell. Or you could take an old book, one that has been on a shelf for a long time, and then open its pages and sniff it. That cherished smell, the librarian's favorite perfume, was my first sensation in this holy place.
My Record Guide was carrying a heavy backpack, almost larger than herself. Along our route there is a stack that has collapsed, and she was carrying materials to build new shelves. Elleka Maslan is small yet wiry and must be very strong - I felt ill at ease to be carrying so little weight while she took so much.
-to be continued-
