The Fair’s Last Testimony¶
Interview Transcript: Subject #872-B
Conducted in Compliance with EarthFair Regulations §14.7
Interviewer (Renzo): State your name and role for the record.
Subject (Fumiko): [REDACTED]... Fumiko Sato, Assistant Concessions Manager, Jefferson County Fairgrounds.
Renzo: You were present on the final evening of operations, August 12, 1957. Describe the closing procedures.
Fumiko: Standard shutdown. Vendors secured their booths by 22:00. The Ferris wheel stopped at 21:47. We counted till receipts in the administration trailer.
Renzo: And the anomaly?
Fumiko: [PAUSE] Regulation §14.7 states: “All irregularities must be reported to the Fairgrounds Commission within 24 hours.” We... [REDACTED].
Renzo: Continue.
Fumiko: At 20:03, a vendor—[NAME REDACTED]—reported a “humming” from the vacant lot behind the pie-judging tent. We investigated. Found a metallic object, half-buried. Circular, approx—
Renzo: Description?
Fumiko: [REDACTED]. It resembled a manhole cover, but warm to the touch. Engraved with symbols like... like Braille, but raised.
Renzo: Protocol?
Fumiko: Per §14.7, we should’ve notified the Commission. Instead, we—[NAME REDACTED]—joked it was a “UFO toilet lid.” We [REDACTED] it into a wheelbarrow.
Renzo: Why?
Fumiko: The fair’s centennial celebration was pending. A “discovery” would’ve shut us down. [PAUSE] We needed the revenue.
Renzo: And later?
Fumiko: 23:15. The object began to... vibrate. Not sound, but a pressure in the ears. [NAME REDACTED] touched it. Reported “seeing” a corridor with “no floorboards, just stars.” Then—
Renzo: Then?
Fumiko: He [REDACTED]. Simply walked into the corridor. No resistance. No heat. Just... stepped through.
Renzo: Recovery efforts?
Fumiko: We [REDACTED] the object. Buried it beneath the cotton candy stall. Filed no report.
Renzo: And the missing person?
Fumiko: [NAME REDACTED] was written off as a drunk who wandered into the woods. His wife received a flag and condolences.
Renzo: Final statement?
Fumiko: [REDACTED]. Sometimes, I think the corridor’s still open. That if I dig under the new concession stand, I’ll hear him humming that stupid carnival tune he loved.
Renzo: Interview concluded. 23:59.
Note: All references to the “metallic object” and “corridor” have been redacted from audio recordings per EarthFair Directive 14.7.4.