From the Journal of Professor Cecil B. Heimerdinger
Day 1
Nighttime.
It seems I’ve landed in a strange place where Hextech doesn’t exist —or at least, the Hexgates don’t. I haven’t run into Ekko or Jayce and I worry that they might have been thrown into different parts of Runeterra or even different realities altogether.
It does present a veritable conundrum: without an invention such as the Hexgates, there is no Anomaly and, without it, is there a way to go back to where I’m from?
I do not despair though. This place is, after all, Runeterra and Runeterra is home.
Day 3
10:30
Meteorological conditions are optimal on this day in this universe. Impressively, so is the ventilation in the lanes. I have walked the streets of the Undercity for hours trying to find young Ekko without much success. Today I will venture into Piltover and seek Jayce there.
It is fascinating to see the inventions that took place here since Hextech wasn’t around to overcome some of the issues in the fissures. I could write about them for hours, but I’m afraid I must go and find my companions.
Day 7
8:17
A week without any signs of Ekko or Jayce. It is becoming increasingly likely that I have been thrust into a separate reality from them. Still, I must persevere.
Day 9
11:10
The Undercity is filled to the brim with young inventors. I have made the acquaintance of a particularly bright girl who goes by the name of Powder and I only met her after finally finding young Ekko. Or at least, one version of the young man. He does not know me and upon relaying the information I’d gathered so far about our situation, he seemed genuinely confused and out of sorts.
It is now confirmed: I am alone in this universe and I have no way to go back home.
19:25
Eureka! I have a hypothesis.
Well, Powder had a hypothesis. I spent all afternoon talking to the brilliant young lady, who seemed curious enough about my sudden presence in Ekko’s life, and she had an interesting hypothesis —hypothetically speaking I insisted and I think I managed to convince her it was just a thought experiment.
If this Anomaly moves across space, it is possible it moves across time, she said.
It means I could have been thrown at a moment in time before Hextech developed in this universe. Maybe my young pupils haven’t arrived at this point yet. Maybe the Anomaly, in its almost sentient state, is trying to show me something. Maybe the way to fix the Anomaly in the other universe is hidden here.
More tests are needed to disprove this theory.
Day 17
9:35
No word from Jayce yet. If I recall correctly, the Anomaly reacted to him in a way it did not react to Ekko or to me, but that does not mean he isn’t here. If this is truly an alternate reality where Hextech hasn’t developed yet, then Jayce could arrive at any moment with an alternate way to implement it.
In the meantime, I have a meeting with the Piltover Academy. There’s something I must amend before it affects this universe as well.
Day 29
9:45
Corin Reveck’s daughter is going to make a full recovery. I can only hope that my intervention was enough to stop the man from creating the drug that will ruin the Undercity in another time, another place. It seems there’s not much demand for such a drug when most people in the Undercity are not surviving, but thriving along Piltover.
A professor from the Piltover Academy has shown interest in my ideas and wants to meet for tea. I cannot, however, accept. It is likely that me taking a seat in the Academy detonates a series of events that could end in the development of Hextech. I cannot do that in good conscience.
Day 56
12:05
One of the Undercity’s schools is in need of a science professor. I don’t want to intervene, but hospitality will only stretch so far. I need to earn my keep, so I will accept.
Still no word of Jayce. Ekko is of no help in this reality. At least, not yet. His inventions are promising though. I really do hope it means something for the future of this city.
Day 87
09:20
Running my third trial for an alternate way to return to my universe. I have devised a machine that works like a compass, guiding me to places where the energy footprint is strong enough that I could recreate a smaller Anomaly to go back home. Singed my mustache quite bad. More tuning is required.
Day 102
19:10
Spent the day teaching at the square the basics of airships to a group of enthused young ones who were excited to learn about the theoretical framework for manned aircrafts. I’d forgotten about the joys of shaping young minds.
I wonder if… no, there’s no time to visit Bandle City. I must stay alert. I don’t know when Ekko or Jayce will make an appearance.
Day 158
10:40
Tenth trial for the energy compass came with a breakthrough: the coal in the Undercity’s mines is not a good source of energy for interdimensional travel. I still feel dizzy.
Day 212
15:50
I finally had access to my favorite invention in this universe so far: the big clock at the Bridge of Progress. What a fine piece of machinery. I had the opportunity to observe it during its cleaning and adjusting. The clock is precise enough that it only needs an adjustment of a fraction of a second per year. The technician explained that soon, the clock must be restored given it takes quite a bit of damage from the elements. I wonder if there’s anything I could do to help keep it working properly.
Day 360
14:30
It’s been almost a year since I arrived here and I still look for the lads in the crowded streets of Piltover. The Undercity has become my home but I feel as foreign as the first day I arrived at Piltover in my own reality, when it was nothing more than mountains and cliffs with magical views of the coast. It feels as if it is time to make peace with my fate and return to Bandle City, retire somewhere close to the river where sunlight is eternally golden, the waters crystal clear, and every harvest brings a fruitful bounty.
Day 420
16:20
Amazing news! Though I haven’t seen any signs that Hextech is being invented here, today I was talking to some of the young ones and I felt a pull. It was gone in a blink, but it induced in me the same effects of the Anomaly: a headache and a tickle behind the ears. I saw with my own two eyes, the patterns of the Anomaly in a window as I walked back home from the Main Square.
I am certain the Anomaly is somehow acting up here. I must figure out how.
Day 501
21:05
Still no sign of Jayce. I am now convinced the man never arrived at Piltover in this universe. Either he was thrust somewhere else or he perished in the trip.
Both options are terrible to contemplate.
Day 532
14:10
Some of the youngsters I teach at the Square have asked me for guidance on some of their projects. Though I’m still tinkering with the Localizator —my compass to locate the energy I need to go back— listening to them talk about energy input and desired outputs has been invigorating. One of them even has a prototype. Claggor is a brilliant young man. I wonder if I can find him in my universe to have him join the Academy. His inventions would make ripples over there, as they’re doing here.
Hmm, I wonder if the Piltover Academy would like to pursue a prize for young inventors. Something to strengthen the ties between the Undercity and Piltover.
Day 720
9:05
Meteorological conditions in Piltover are optimal to hold the young inventors’ annual prize. The Bridge of Progress has been teeming with activity the whole day. Young inventors have come from all the corners of the city to exchange ideas and make connections. I had plans to tinker with my Localizator, but I’ve been asked to give an open lecture at the Square before the final prize.
My old friend Corin has invited me to his lab as well. His team has developed a drug to improve the side effects of living in the lanes exposed to the toxic chemicals of the mines before they were closed down. Trials have given positive results and some people have already volunteered to test it. Corin thinks I should be given credit for my contributions since my help in curing his daughter was fundamental to the creation of these respirators.
I have refused to be named in any manner, but I’m eager to see the first implementation of the drug so I will attend after the award ceremony.
20:35
Spectacular! The respirators developed by Corin’s team dispense the medicine in controlled doses. The medicine’s long-lasting effect means the person does not need to use the respirator more than two hours at a time, twice a day. It’s an excellent device and Corin informs me his daughter has been eagerly waiting for the next update that allows her to use it without connecting it to a huge medicine tank.
One of Corin’s pupils, a brilliant girl named Ayla, is working on portable tanks already! She herself is a user of the medicine developed by Corin. We spent almost an hour talking about the advances in medicine that were taking place in Piltover. She regretted not being able to attend the Young Inventors’ Prize, but I told her all about it.
The first prize went to a team of three extraordinary young scientists who presented a low cost alternative for air filtering that could be fashioned by anyone with access to water anywhere in the Undercity.
Ayla lamented that she couldn’t be there, since she would’ve loved to see the demonstration. I showed her the experiment as best as I could with the little materials I had. Ayla became incredibly emotional, saying she could go down to the Undercity to help her family now. I didn’t know how to console her, so I promised my help to install the new filtering system. She was delighted.
Hopefully, the Piltover Academy will continue to hold the competition once I go back home.
Day 841
15:25
I have devised a solution to the Undercity’s public lighting issues.
The Bridge of Progress can be used as an anchor for aeolic contraptions that generate energy taking advantage of the Southern winds, since they’re constant and easily measurable. This energy is to be used exclusively for the Undercity’s needs and with this the lanes can become safe again.
I’ve had to disassemble the Localizator since some of its parts are crucial for this new contraption. I must test my new prototype at once. Soon it’ll be time to start preparing for the next Young Inventors’ Prize.
Day 967
18:20
Finally, I have been able to collect the remaining pieces for my string instrument. To call it a guitar would be a disservice to this fine piece of machinery. It can be folded in two and carried with ease. The wonderful Ayla has offered to introduce me to a luthier from Piltover. A dear friend of hers, she said. If things go well, my device will be functional by this time tomorrow.
Day 1000
12:55
The Main Square has become my favorite place in the city. Whenever I sing, the young ones gather round to listen and their laughter after a song is over is enough to bring anyone a smile to their face.
I no longer need to look for anything else. This place is, after all, Runeterra and Runeterra is home.