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| the-b-n-t-g Product ID: 70 | Status: UNAVAILABLE | ||
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| Product Name: | Bulb–BugsTM — "An Ecosystem of Light!" | ||
| Price: | Trade incentive | ||
| Stock: | Eradicated | ||
Warning: This file contains outdated information.
Description:
Product 70; Male.
Product 70 is a colony of mundane, yet useful, Photinus fireflies contained within glass jars for ease of transport. The product comes with a bi-monthly trade subsidy of earthworms and mulch for feeding and mating, respectively. This species seems unaffected by the negative effects of Synthesial Reversal and has no known adverse effect on people. Though sharing most features of a nonanomalous specimen, two key distinctions separate Product 70:
• An abnormally long lifespan. Typical fireflies will only last for two weeks once hitting maturity, whereas Product 70 can survive for months into adulthood, potentially years.
• They stay in a constant state of bioluminescence. Product 70 instances undergo a continuous luciferase-catalyzed chemical reaction within their lanterns. The light produced by this reaction has shown no adverse effect on humans.
Product 70 is an ideal solution to the ever-vexing darkness; when occupying a space in large enough numbers, this product can provide a dim, but consistent, light source. Outdoor areas are far easier to traverse when guided by this safe and natural bioluminescence. The jars used to transport Product 70 can be retrofitted into various light-bearing apparatus. Sufficient colony growth could lead to a population large enough to sustain many additional uses for these creatures.
This is finally it! This could be our big break. We've been testing them for weeks; no noticeable side effects. This can be the thing we've been looking for, that slice of home—or whatever you want to call what we have here in the Backrooms. If we can breed enough of them, we can light this whole level up, at least somewhat. Anything is better than this. But we can't be too cautious; this is still unknown territory. We've decided to trade the first matured batch of Product 70 to Outpost K for some much-needed foodstock. But fear not, we will have them too; hopefully, by this time next year, the whole level will be a beacon for all those people lost in the dark.
– Margaret Hanz; B.N.T.G. Manager
Outpost K Receipts:
November 17th
| Clientele: Outpost K | Product(s) Traded: Product 70, Product 1 (5), and earthworms (7.5 kg). | ||
| Merchant: Alonso Diez | Payment: Grain (45kg), microgreens (30 kg), Product 74 (6). | ||
| Merchant Notes: The folks at Outpost K were in high spirits when they received Product 70. It's the first time some of these folks have seen light in months. As much as I wish we kept them, right now, we needed this food more than anything else. | |||
January 1st
| Clientele: Outpost K | Product(s) Traded: Wool blankets (25), 950 mL glass jars (20), eathworms (10 kg) | ||
| Merchant: Alonso Diez | Payment: microgreens (60kg), ammunition (assorted). | ||
| Merchant Notes: Product 70 seems to be working quite well; with how accustomed to darkness I've become, Outpost K was lit well enough to see half a click out. It's almost nostalgic approaching a somewhat well-lit area without fear. I'm looking forward to our eggs hatching so we too can enjoy this same comfort. This outpost has begun negotiations with several other outposts for new goods to exchange for our shipment; this seems like it's working out for everyone. | |||
March 23rd:
| Clientele: Outpost K | Product(s) Traded: earthworms (15 kg), Shenandoah mulch (70 kg) | ||
| Merchant: Alonso Diez | Payment: Product 51 (4), microgreens (25 kg) | ||
| Merchant Notes: Outpost K is preparing for mating season; the whole place is abuzz with excited folks and even more excited bugs. Our own larva should be fully matured shortly after the next delivery; I'm looking forward to having this slice of normalcy back home. Using Product 70 as a bargaining chip, they've secured a deal with Outpost M for goods to exchange for the next shipment. They put in a special request for zinc oxide cream for a rash that's going around. | |||
May 13th:
| Clientele: Outpost K | Product(s) Traded: Products Lost | ||
| Merchant: Alonso Diez | Payment: Null | ||
| Merchant Notes: We were hoping for some happy ending, some level of comfort; we should have known better. It's all gone to hell for Outpost K, I've never seen anything like this in all my years here. I've always heard some pretty brutal stories, but maybe the B.N.T.G. sheltered me in a way; I was ignorant to how bad it can get here. Outpost K is in ruins; we need to get rid of the bugs back home before its too late for us too, if it isn't already. | |||
On May 14th, Alonso Diez returned to the B.N.T.G. Unit 230 outpost and immediately made his way to the Product 70 hatchery. Using bleach, he destroyed all of the larval colonies before attempting to set fire to the hatchery. Alonso was detained by onlookers, and the following interview was conducted shortly after:
B.N.T.G. Interview Log
Interviewed: Alonso Diez; B.N.T.G. Merchant
Interviewer: Margaret Hanz; B.N.T.G. Management
[BEGIN LOG]
Margaret: Do you have even the slightest fucking idea of what you've done here!
Alonso: […]
Margaret: Silence, christ; what happened out there? Or are you just losing it like Billy, just can't handle the dark anymore?
Alonso: I'm not crazy—it had to be do done. I–
Margaret: Not crazy? You just destroyed months of work, trading is hard enough with how shitty everything is and you've gone and destroyed the best asset anyone's had in years!
Alonso: […]
Margaret: And now we have to start all over; back to square one. We needed those bugs to trade for supplies—you just better pray Outpost K has enough–
Alonso: There is no more Outpost K—they're all dead.
Margaret: Excuse me?
Alonso: Your heard me, Margaret, they're all dead.
Margaret: Start from the beginning; what happened?
Alonso: I first noticed them when I was half a click from the base—glowing orbs floating above the building. Big ones too, I thought it was a whole swarm of fireflies… God, I wish it was.
Margaret: So the bugs got bigger? (Cough) That doesn't make any–
Alonso: It wasn't the old bugs we gave them, it was the recently hatched ones… They're different, we didn't know what we were dealing with.
Margaret: Cut the shit, Alonso, just spit it out. What did the fucking bugs do?
Alonso: They must've been laying eggs for weeks without the people there noticing, well except for the rash that is. Maybe they did it while they were asleep, laid the eggs that is. I mean sure, it must've itched, but how were they supposed to know?
Margaret: They laid the eggs in the people? Christ, we thought–
Alonso: Well, we thought wrong, Margaret. The folks there looked like they've been put through a paper shredder—the parts of them they didn't eat at least.
Margaret: […]
Alonso: These new bugs were huge—like two or three feet tall. They had arms—not bug arms—people arms, and too goddamn many, all jutting out from the body at weird angles. It… It doesn't make any sense.
Margaret: Nothing makes sense anymore…
Alonso: […]
Alonso: So, what now?
Margaret: (Throat clear.) We need to warn the other outposts in the area—both us and Outpost K have been trading these bugs for months.
Alonso: You mean, there's more out there already? How could you just give this shit away without knowing–
Margaret: How the hell were we supposed to know—we studied them, we were pretty sure, we… We needed the food—and we wanted to see the long term effects—before we fully implemented the product here.
Alonso: Holy shit—You fuckers did know! How–
Margaret: Enough, Alonso; (Cough) I know you're upset but we are just doing what we can to survive. This hellhole was barely tolerable before the blackout– we're just feeling around the dark like everyone else.
Alonso: Yeah, well I don't know how much longer I can do this… Everytime we think we've found a solution, every modicum of comfort… Every fucking time.
Margaret: We can't afford to dwell on it, Alonso. There are still people we can help– (Cough) we can still right some of our wrongs.
Alonso: Whats the point, it's not like we're hanging on to much here. Maybe it's time to throw in the towel; there's nothing left to fight–
Margaret: Not yet. Not as long as there's people still out there, struggling to survive, everyday putting their lives on the line to try and persevere. There's a light out there, in each and every person still fighting, and that's all the motivation we need to keep going—cause all we have left– (Coughing fit) –is eachother.
Alonso: Are… you okay?
Margaret: Yeah– (throat clearing) Damn, I had something in my–
(A loud tearing sound resonates, followed by a loud thud and guttural gurgling. There is a wet splashing noise and the rending flesh commences.)
Alonso: (Unintelligible screaming.)
(The fluttering of wings overwhelm the audio.)
Alonso: Get the fuck away from me!
(The shuffling of feet and panicked shrieks echo through the audio feed. The screaming fades and the chittered gnawing of meat can be heard. The sounds of fluttering wings, splintering bones, and chewing continue for several hours.)
[END LOG]
