ANTARCTICA — An ordinary geological survey in Antarctica took a subtle yet perceptually jarring turn when a team from Miskatonic University identified a rock formation that seems to eschew light with an almost bureaucratic efficiency. Named the “Vantablack Vestige,” in reference to its extreme light absorption qualities (and a nod to the known darkest man-made substance), this geological entity defies photography and, it seems, basic understanding.
Professor Cedric Holloway, who spearheaded the expedition, calmly noted, “In my extensive career, light has generally behaved predictably around rock. This is, of course, a polite exception.” The professor’s new penchant for wearing sunglasses indoors, post-discovery, remains politely unremarked upon by his peers.
Photographic Anomalies and Chromatic Shifts
Attempts to photograph the stone consistently yield uniformly black images, with the occasional disconcerting silhouette. Some suggest this could be an equipment malfunction, though why multiple cameras would all choose this moment to “act up” is anyone’s guess.
Several students on the expedition have since reported a shift in their color perception. While some might consider seeing their morning coffee as a shade of turquoise alarming, it’s taken with academic stoicism here. One student reflected, “I always thought the world needed a new perspective. I just didn’t expect it to be mine.”
The university’s esteemed medical wing has received the cases with customary nonchalance. Dr. Madeleine Carter, Chief of Ophthalmology, stated, “The eye is a complex organ, and the brain even more so. Changes in perception? An interesting puzzle, indeed.” When asked for a remedy, she handed out color charts and recommended “a touch of adaptability.”
Implications of the Black Rock and University Response
Other university departments eye the stone’s potential with restrained curiosity. The Art Department expressed a muted eagerness to study the formation, contemplating its impact on future art movements.
In other, only slightly less peculiar expedition news, it’s been noted that several members have developed an unusually keen sense of direction since exposure to the rock, leading them back to camp during whiteouts with uncanny accuracy. Whether a newfound survival instinct or another side effect of the Vestige remains a topic for debate.
The team is anticipated to return shortly, with the navigational assurance that can only come from a geologist who now sees north as a shade of mauve. Safe travels indeed.
