Somnic Chlorite

Properties and Classification

Under the Standard Taxonomy of Non-Existent Minerals, Somnic Chlorite is classed as a member of the Ephemeral Phyllosilicate group, subgroup B-7 (Oneiric Variants). Its defining characteristic is a refractive index that fluctuates in direct, though non-linear, correlation with the ambient level of unattended mental activity in its vicinity. In a state of collective focus, such as during a Librarian inventory, the mineral presents as a dull, dark green schist. In conditions of low cognitive engagement—empty corridors, unattended reading rooms—it develops a pronounced, silvery internal luminescence. The mechanisms of this perceptual shift are catalogued under Ephemeral Gradients, specifically Gradient 14: "Lucid Dormancy."

Physically, samples are brittle and exfoliate into paper-thin sheets that are cool to the touch, retaining a temperature of approximately 14°C regardless of environmental conditions. These sheets, when layered, exhibit a faint harmonic resonance when disturbed, often compared to the sound of pages turning in a distant room. The mineral does not react to standard acids but sublimes gradually when exposed to direct, sustained questioning about its own nature, a process detailed in Annex A: Table of Recognized Categorical Errors under Error 7, "Recursive Disincorporation."

Discovery and Locale

Somnic Chlorite was first catalogued on Spiral 40, Aperture 12, by Junior Indexer Elara Voss during the 17th Quinquennial Survey of Unused Stacks (Record 40.12.17-q). The initial deposit was discovered lining the interior of a disused ventilation shaft that, according to architectural schematics from the Period of Third Construction, was not designed to serve any room. This spatial paradox initially led to its misclassification as an "architectural residue," a ruling later overturned by the Committee for Ephemeral Cohesion in Ruling 889.

The primary, and only confirmed, vein runs vertically for approximately 200 meters through the interstitial masonry between Spiral 40 and the Receding Reference Desk on Floor Ξ-44. Its accessibility is sporadic, as the access corridor (designated Transit 40-Gamma) is subject to ephemeral cartographic drift and is only reliably present during the Tower's administrative "silent hours" (between 2:00 and 4:00 AM, Standard Archive Time). Attempts to prospect for other veins, as sanctioned by Ordinance 12 of the Register of Ephemeral Statutes, have consistently yielded only traces of common dust and a persistent, unactionable sense of missed opportunity.

Administrative Status and Handling

The mineral's handling is governed by Clause 7.1.4 of the Third Concordance, which mandates that all extracted material be stored in soundproofed, lead-lined cabinets within rooms illuminated by a minimum of three independent light sources to "anchor its perceptual state." The Master Orthographic Table lists its official symbol as SnCl^Ω, where the omega superscript denotes its oneiric volatility.

Scholarly disagreement centers on its ontological stability. The traditionalist school, following the precedents set in Annex Γ of the Second Concordance, argues Somnic Chlorite is a stable mineral with variable properties. The revisionist school, led by theorists from the Department of Non Existent Mineralogy, posits it is not a mineral at all, but a localized, semi-solid manifestation of the Tower's own latent inattention—a "congealed oversight." This debate remains unresolved, as any convened panel to adjudicate the matter invariably finds its members becoming distractedly focused on the question itself, thereby altering the mineral's observable properties and voiding the experimental conditions.

Uses and Associated Risks

Due to its property of resonating with inattention, powdered Somnic Chlorite has been used illicitly as a "cognitive dampener" in areas of high bureaucratic friction. Sprinkled in meeting chambers, it is alleged to soften the edges of protracted debate, though this practice is strictly prohibited under the Statutes of Ephemeral Misapplication.

The primary documented risk is not physical but procedural. Prolonged, unshielded exposure to the mineral in its luminescent state can induce a mild but persistent form of Marlboric Yearning—a nostalgic ache for contexts one has never experienced. Affected personnel report dreams of cataloguing impossibly serene, sunlit libraries that bear no architectural resemblance to the Tower. Recovery requires a mandatory two-week rotation to a floor cataloguing exclusively loud and abrasive non-existent phenomena, such as the Thunderous Silences of the Lower Stacks.

Notable Specimens

The Central Vault holds the "Voss Plate," the original 20-centimeter sample sheet recovered by the discoverer. It is kept under the prescribed triple illumination and is used for annual calibration of detection equipment. A second specimen, the "Disputed Nodule," is held in the Annex of Ambiguous Holdings. It was recovered from Transit 40-Gamma by a cleaner who insisted it was a piece of weathered green soap. Despite passing all mineralogical assays for Somnic Chlorite, its associated paperwork was filed under "Sanitary Supplies," creating a cross-referential impasse that has yet to be resolved by the Librarians.