I spend my days cataloguing and taking photos of various features of The Tower and the artifacts it contains; when I weary of that, I explore more of the surrounding country. As to why there should be an apparent collection of the human past in The Tower, on this side of the rift -another place altogether- is a mystery I cannot fathom. I discovered the rift some years ago while hiking in a remote area. I decline to be specific about the location, for fear of the inevitable official reaction. My disclosure of the existence of the rift would have instantly resulted in its being made government property and classified as an utmost secret, and in all probability in my disappearance. For these same reasons, this writing will not be read by anyone until after I have moved through the rift- permanently.

This world, the world on the Tower side of the rift, is full of organic life....but it's not the life of Earth. Earlier, before I discovered The Tower, I took samples back with me and had them analyzed. Some plants that had apparent edible structures contained nothing digestible, while others appeared normal in some ways but contained toxins in their natural state, perhaps like manioc on Earth. One of the labs doing the testing sent me an letter after testing one sample, offering cash for a larger quantity, as the sample showed immediate and positive effect in alleviating inflammation of various kinds. I sent the lab an ambiguous response, then proceeded to systematically have other samples analyzed elsewhere, patented the resulting compound, and sold it to a major pharmaceutical manufacturer. The proceeds from that one sample from the other world has enabled me to devote all my time to its exploration.

I have not moved more than ten miles in any direction from the rift. The country is quit rough and steep. I must move slowly and take great pains to be safe, as there would of course be no possibility of assistance if I were to be injured. Further, since I have no sustainable supply of food here (although the water is perfectly potable), supplies of all kinds must be brought from Earth. I have thought about the possibility of the rift closing while I am here, but the presence of The Tower leads me to believe that the rift is permanent, or at least that I run little risk of being trapped here.