Report 1 — 17 August, 1932
Today marks the formal commencement of our charge: to maintain a precise and unflinching record of the subjects’ progression under the Universal Knowledge Programme. The directive arrived through proper channels — transmitted via morse from Director Gleb Bokiy himself. One does not question such instructions. One records. One obeys.
The communiqué from the Altai Mountain Unit arrived in the early hours of the morning, received at 04:15. Decryption was concluded at 06:10. The conclusions therein were methodical:
The designated experiment chamber is to be lined entirely with lead, floor to ceiling, without exception.
Three personnel are to be transferred from Solovetsky Island, Facility No. 4, and will serve as the programme’s initial subjects.
Oversight of all procedural matters shall fall to Dr. Pyotr, effective immediately upon the order’s receipt. This will be my first time overseeing a project of this scale.
The subjects are not expected to arrive for another three days. This interval is not to be treated as respite — the preparation of the lead-lined chamber must be completed within this window, without delay.
I have since communicated with the Logistics Department regarding the requisition of necessary materials. They have assured prompt procurement. The required resources are as follows:
- Lead — chamber lining
- Brass — to be fashioned into head gear for the subjects
- Salt
The logistics officer gave no indication of difficulty. We shall see.
Personal notation: I find myself, against all professional composure, in a state of considerable unease. This is my first appointment as principal recorder on a project of such magnitude — one issued, I am told, under the direct cognizance of the Centre, Comrade Stalin. The weight of that provenance is not lost on me. I will conduct myself with the full discipline this institution demands. I must.
