Liner notes:

The making of Visitor

**Journal Entry - Day 1**

There had been several homeless people living in the woods behind my house until the police recently cleared it out. I observed the event and felt a tinge of sympathy for these people who had nowhere to go. At the same time, I was glad they wouldn't be camping out so close to my residence anymore. I was working in the garage as I watched the police finish rounding them up, presumably to transport them to the nearest homeless shelter. I finished up what I was doing and put it out of my mind. I had to hurry off for my shift at work, so I hopped in my car and hit the remote close button for my garage as I drove away.

**Journal Entry - Day 2**

I had the day off today, so I slept in and then lounged about until almost noon. Finally, I convinced myself that I should probably do something productive, and the lawn needed mowing, so I set about gearing up for the task. As I entered the garage, I noticed a flurry of movement in the corner. My heart raced as I cautiously approached, unsure of what, or who, I would find. There she was, huddled amidst a pile of wires and circuit boards, her eyes wide with fear. It was then that I connected the dots. She had undoubtedly been one of the homeless transients from the day before. She must have hidden from the police and snuck into the garage at some point. In my haste to depart from work, I had left the door open and unattended for a brief period of time.

Despite her distress, communication was difficult. My attempts to convey the idea of calling for help were met with frantic gestures and pleas. Then, when I mentioned involving the authorities, her reaction was unexpected. With lightning speed, she moved, her movements fluid and precise. Before I knew it, she had me pinned against the wall, her grip surprisingly strong for someone of her stature. It was a sobering reminder of the dangers lurking beneath the surface of this seemingly innocuous encounter.

Reluctantly, I agreed not to involve the authorities, opting instead to diffuse the tension with a gesture of goodwill. I offered to order pizza, hoping to ease the tension and buy some time to figure out what to do next. As the scent of freshly baked dough filled the air, I watched her return to her work, her movements deft and purposeful. She had apparently been disassembling some of my old electronics, including some of my guitar pedals and processors. That was a little distressing since some of them were worth a good bit of money. It was a strange and unsettling situation, one that left me with more questions than answers. But for now, all I could do was wait and hope that some semblance of understanding would eventually emerge from the chaos.

**Journal Entry - Day 15**

In the past two weeks, the young woman – whom I've taken to calling Fade due to the difficulty of pronouncing her name – has made remarkable progress. Despite the language barrier, she's rapidly learning English and displaying a remarkable aptitude for electronics. When she tried to take apart my Visitor Parallel Multi-Modulator guitar pedal, I pleaded with her to spare it. It was after all my favorite chorus pedal. I demonstrated the pedal for her with one of my guitars, and suddenly she was transfixed. As I played a simple guitar part, she began to sing, overlaying a beautiful melody. We've spent our free time playing music together, and I've started recording our sessions.

**Journal Entry - Day 21**

Today, I learned that Fade is a quantum time-traveler from another dimension, on a mission to save her reality. Having learned English fluently enough to converse about this, she informed me of her situation over our favorite repast, delivery pizza. Our world, it seems, is just a stop on her journey. Apparently, she was taking apart all my electronics in an attempt to build some sort of quantum time machine/teleportation device so she could complete her mission. She had been building the framework and hardware interface for the machine, but now she had a part list that I glanced over. Having impressed upon me the vital importance of completing her mission, I handed over my credit cards, and we proceeded to order the necessary components.

**Journal Entry - Day 67**

Fade's project is nearing completion. We long ago maxed out the credit card and emptied my savings to obtain all the necessary parts. It was a crazy thing to do, but despite my initial reservations, I've become deeply involved in her mission. Also, I think I’m in love with her. The gravity of her objective is mind-blowing. She seeks to save both her and my universe from destabilization and certain destruction. I don’t understand the details or science behind what she’s told me, but I believe in her, and I’ve accepted it. Well, there is one point that doesn’t sit well with me, and that’s the part where she needs to leave eventually, teleporting to another dimension or time or both. After talking it over, we sat in silence for a long time. Then we played music together. I couldn't shake the feeling that our time together is drawing to a close.

**Journal Entry - Day 90**

The day has arrived. Fade's device is finished, and she's preparing to leave. She explained to me that there was a small chance she might be able to return after she’s finished her mission. But she’s also asked me not to get my hopes up. It’s a dangerous endeavor with a slim chance of success, and more likely than not, she’ll end up stuck between realities in some kind of quantum flux state where she simultaneously exists and doesn’t exist. Despite my protests, she insists that she must continue her mission, no matter the risks. We said our goodbyes, knowing that she may never return. As she disappeared into the unknown, I couldn't help but feel a mixture of hope and despair. I promised to wait for her return, no matter how long it takes.

**Journal Entry - Day 120**

It's been a month since Fade left, and I still hold onto hope that she will return. I spend my days recording music and searching the woods behind my house, hoping for a sign of her presence. Each passing day brings a mixture of longing and uncertainty, but I refuse to give up hope. Thinking of her, I ordered a pizza and played guitar in my garage, but the space now felt empty without her presence. I think she probably saved our world, or our reality or whatever. I mean, we’re all still here. I look at the quantum state machine she left in the center of the garage. It’s still powered on and active from when she teleported away. There’s a blinking light on it beside a button that is labeled “Reset/Recover.” I wonder what would happen if I pushed that button.