Note 007
I dreamt about the first container last night. The one with the diaries wrapped in oilcloth, the ones that smelled like salt and something metallic. In the dream, I finally reached the bottom of the pile, only to find my own name on the last page. I woke up before I could read what it said. I haven’t told anyone. Some things are better left unlogged.
Note 006
They’ve started stacking the unopened crates in the corridor. The fire exit is blocked. I pointed it out to Supervisor Harkness. She just shrugged and said, “Prioritise the sealed ones first.” I asked what happens when we run out of space. She walked away without answering. I’m beginning to suspect we’re not meant to finish. We’re just meant to keep digging, like rats in a maze with no cheese—just more paper, more dust, more names we’ll never match to faces.
Note 005
Found a ledger today, half-rotted but legible in places. It listed names, dates, and a column headed “Status.” Most were marked “Terminated” or “Reassigned.” A few had “Pending” scrawled next to them in a different hand. I cross-referenced a few with the central database. No matches. Either the records were purged, or these people never officially existed. I slipped it into my desk drawer. If anyone asks, it was too far gone to save.
Note 004
Another batch arrived this morning - eight crates this time, all stamped with the same red “PRIORITY” labels. No explanation, no inventory list, just the usual order to “process and catalogue immediately.” I opened one. The papers inside were brittle, the ink bleeding into the fibres like old wounds. One page crumbled in my hands before I could even log it. I’ve requested more gloves and a dehumidifier. Again. I’m starting to think they enjoy watching us drown in this.
Note 003
More containers with more documents. I don’t know how many more there will be. We don’t get told where they come from. Some of them are in a very bad state, with water damage and mould. I have to be careful handing them as they literally look like they could fall apart. There are so many of them so far and it is getting just too much!
Note 002
Like yesterday, there was another shipment of containers. This time there were six of them. They are still sealed and waiting for decontamination. I don’t think we will keep up with all the necessary work if they keep coming at this rate. I still remember the first container we opened a while a go, and we’re not even done with sifting through the first half.
Note 001
I am not allowed to take any of the uncovered diaries with me to my living quarters. There is so much material to go through! Going through all those we have here so far will take us months, and I know there will be so many more.