| Object 99: The Hermes Device |
| Class: Neutral | In possession of current owner | Transporting oneself to a level of choice |
| ↓??? | ↑??? |
Description
The Hermes Device undergoing testing.
The Hermes device is a powerful device designed for effective and fast transportation across levels. It is the only one of its kind, though there have been some attempts to replicate it (often resulting in disastrous consequences).
The design of the Hermes Device itself is rather rudimentary, being composed only of a few basic components. It takes the form of a computer module affixed to a cylindrical glass tank, housing a brain submerged in a highly potent bath of Memory Juice.
Properties
The Hermes Device operates as follows:
- The user enters the coordinates of the desired level.
- The device stimulates the brain within it to induce a dream related to that specific level, serving as a link.
- When the connection is established, the device distributes an electrical current through the brain, triggering an instantaneous teleportation to the destination.
The Hermes Device can transport up to 330 pounds of mass within a six-foot radius. Anything which exceeds these limits will only be partially teleported, if at all. Usage of the Hermes Device places immense strain on the brain within it, damaging its tissue. As such, a cooldown period is required between uses in order for the brain to fully regenerate.
The brain inhabiting The Hermes Device supposedly belongs to a terminated instance of Entity Χ. This is what makes the function of the device possible, and is the reason why it cannot easily be replicated.
Usage
The Hermes device has a wide array of practical applications, most notably:
- Escaping dangerous situations.
- Fast travel across The Backrooms.
- Delivering items.
- Deploying weapons from a distance of multiple levels away from the target.
Not unlike The Keymaster, those in possession of the Hermes device are near-impossible to track down due to their ability to travel to any level at will.
Creation
The Hermes Device was originally created by the Jupiter Finger of The Iron Fist, in an attempt to harness The Keymaster's abilities of instantaneous travel across The Backrooms.
The brain of a terminated instance, which had been in possession of the Jupiter Finger for several decades, was perfectly preserved and still exhibited neural activity — indicating that some part of The Keymaster's power/essence remained within it. Following several trials and errors in experimentation, the Mercury Finger successfully identified the part of the brain responsible for controlling The Keymaster's teleportation abilities, and found that it could be manipulated through electrical stimuli. The frequency of the electrical current, corresponding with the frequencies emitted by level keys, determined where the brain would teleport. This discovery prompted the construction of The Hermes Device's prototype model.
Before the design could be improved past the prototype stage, however, the Hermes Device was stolen. It has since changed many hands, between several different wanderers and groups — though it never retains the same owner for long, given its inherent properties and the degree to which it is coveted.