**PERSONAL LOG: "THE MALL" & NOSTALGIA** **CLASSIFICATION:** PERSONAL / THERAPEUTIC **DATE:** July 04, 2026 **AUTHOR:** Specialist "Luca" (A-992-L) **NOTE:** Recorded via HBI Voice Note per Dr. Thorne's request. *** ### **I. ENTRY START** "Dr. Thorne said I should talk about the Mall. The big discovery. Everyone else is writing reports about 'spatial anomalies' and 'threat vectors.' Wulfsige is busy making sure the security team has enough ammo. But me? I just... I couldn't stop looking at the neon. When we walked in there, past the shutter... it didn't feel like a trap to me. I know Wulfsige says it's a hunting ground, and he's probably right because he's always right, but... it felt like a memory I forgot to have. There was this fountain. Tiled blue. No water, just dust. But I could *smell* the chlorine. Ghost chlorine. And there was a store called 'Suncoast.' I don't know what that is, but seeing the sign made my chest hurt in a good way. Like I was supposed to meet friends there on a Friday night." ### "I found the arcade. 'Time-Out Tunnel.' Most of the machines were dead, but one... a racing game... was flickering. I sat in the plastic seat. It was too small for me now—my knees hit the steering wheel and my tail got squished—but for a second, I wasn't a biological asset. I was just a kid trying to beat a high score. Wulfsige found me there. I thought he'd be mad. I thought he'd yell at me for breaking formation. He didn't. He just walked up, put his hand on my shoulder, and squeezed. He didn't say 'Move out.' He asked, 'Did you win?' I told him no, because the machine ate my quarter (metaphorically). He laughed. A real, deep laugh. Then he said, 'Come on, Luca. We have to clear the upper deck. But we'll mark this spot. When we secure the zone, I'll find a generator. We'll play a round.' He won't, though. He's too busy protecting everyone. But he said it to make me happy. That counts." ### "The Mall is dangerous. I saw the Shadow thing. I know it wants to kill us. But... can we maybe save the arcade machines? Is that allowed? I think having a high score board in the breakroom would help morale. I'm gonna put that in my official request form. Wulfsige will sign it if I ask him nicely." **End of Log.**