# 001 **Time:** 22:10 **Temperature:** 61F/16C **Weather:** Hot I am the new state-appointed lighthouse keeper. I took this position readily and packed what little I had as soon as the letter arrived. My assignment is for five years with an option to extend it however long I wish. It has been hot today. The kind of heat that saps your strength during the day. At night, especially here at the edge, the cool air is a welcomed reprieve. I decided that, since I don’t have the energy, I’ll instead take a look around to see if there is anything that needs repair. Fortunately, the previous keeper did an excellent job at maintaining the place. I read this isn’t always the case. Anyway, I just did a bit of cleaning. There’s dust even out here so close to the void. --- # 002 **Time:** 21:03 **Temperature:** 63F/17.2C **Weather:** Stormy I had a fitful night and woke earlier than I wanted to. It is hard to tell as it is still dark here, though I can see a dimness out on the horizon. I drank two cups of coffee, but need to be mindful as supplies only come once every three months and I don't think I brought enough with me. I spent much of the day exploring the lighthouse. There are numerous floors and possibly just as many rooms all of which needs tidying up. While the light is never out (it has never gone out since its existence), it gets dim often. Yesterday it took more than a few tries to get the light shining brightly, but fortunately today I got it working on my second try. That done, I took the elevator down to the ground floor to have a pot of tea. I decided to clean the room adjacent to my bedroom. I noticed many books here. Is this possibly a library? Many of the books are old and the smell brought back a memory of when I was a child. I had to return a book (there was a chameleon on the cover) to the traveling library before it headed off to another school. I remember dropping it and worried that I'd be in trouble for getting mud on it. I loved that library and would wait impatiently for its return. --- # 003 **Time:** 20:23 **Temperature:** 54F/12.2C **Weather:** Warm Despite the cold weather, it's a bit warm inside the lighthouse. I decided to head up to the top, to gaze out into the darkness. Cosmic whales swim by at times and just my luck, I see a pod of them soaring through in the distance. Among the throng of whales I can see a flickering red light. It's a space-faring vessel of some kind. I grabbed my telescope and look through its eyepiece. They're still too far out for me to lend a hand but I signaled the coast guard to see if they could help. Many hours later I would learn of the tragic fate of the ship. A whale had slammed into it. A family of four along with the captain and her crew of five. None would survive. I thought my role here would be spent mostly in solitude giving me some time for reflection and rest. I did not expect tragedy and heartache. --- # 004 **Time:** 21:33 **Temperature:** 24C **Weather:** Stormy I felt the air crackle right before a reconnaissance ship materialized directly above the lighthouse. It gave me quite the scare. Fortunately there was no visible damage to the lighthouse (though I did spill my coffee). Sadly, reminders of conflict reaches even here so far removed from civilization, however there is an unspoken understanding that the lighthouse is impartial and serves all people. Still, the logs of previous lighthouse keepers note the occasional scout. --- # 005 **Time:** 22:11 **Temperature**: 18.9C **Weather:** Calm, clear skies Tonight’s night sky was clear but I smell moisture in the air. That usually means rain but I have been wrong before. Another night, another ship. A merchant ship by the looks of it, and I wonder if they have supplies for me. They’re still a distance away from the lighthouse’s beam of light but it’ll be more apparent in a day or two. --- # 006 **Time:** 21:11 **Temperature:** 25C **Weather:** Stormy Looks like I was right about stormy weather. I had a harder time keeping the light lit tonight but I eventually got it going. Despite the weather I saw a school of shimmering, iridescent fish swimming past. They look like meteorite when the sky here is at its darkest. I'm not sure what they eat or where they're going but it's a treat to see them. They scattered immediately when I restored the lighthouse's beam of light. I sat in the lantern room and listened to the passing storm. It's a bit comforting. --- # 007 **Time:** 21:20 **Temperature:** 21C **Weather:** Clear skies; cool breeze; calm night Today, I was a bit frustrated in getting the lantern lit. It took longer than expected and each time I failed the light grew dimmer and my anxiety worsened. With a deep sigh of relief, I got it going again. Fortunately it was a calm night tonight. As I sat enjoying my tea I noticed a flickering light. Flashing lights aren’t uncommon here as I often see distant stars flicker, but this was in a pattern I recognized. There were brief pauses like the dots and dashes of Morse code. Questions abound. Who is sending messages and why? What is the message? I ran to my office for something to write with and returned to the lantern room to record what I saw: `.... . .-.. .-.. --- -.-.-- / .- .-. . / -.-- --- ..- / - .... . .-. . ..--..` It read: “Hello! Are you there?” I wonder who this is for. Should I respond? --- # 008 Time: Temperature: Weather: