Return to Unfiction unforum
 a.r.g.b.b 
FAQ FAQ   Search Search 
 
Welcome!
New users, PLEASE read these forum guidelines. New posters, SEARCH before posting and read these rules before posting your killer new campaign. New players may also wish to peruse the ARG Player Tutorial.

All users must abide by the Terms of Service.
Website Restoration Project
This archiving project is a collaboration between Unfiction and Sean Stacey (SpaceBass), Brian Enigma (BrianEnigma), and Laura E. Hall (lehall) with
the Center for Immersive Arts.
Announcements
This is a static snapshot of the
Unfiction forums, as of
July 23, 2017.
This site is intended as an archive to chronicle the history of Alternate Reality Games.
  

The time now is Wed Nov 20, 2024 11:56 pm
All times are UTC - 4 (DST in action)		 View posts in this forum since last visit
View unanswered posts in this forum
Calendar
 Forum index » Archive » Archive: Perplex City » PXC: General/Updates
[EMAIL] August 12th: Scarlett found something important
View previous topicView next topic
Page 1 of 2 [16 Posts]   Goto page: 1, 2 Next
Author Message
neopuff34
Decorated

Joined: 27 Sep 2004
Posts: 163

 		[EMAIL] August 12th: Scarlett found something important
Quote:
Hi. My name's Scarlett Kiteway, I'm 20 years old and I live in
Perplex City, which is... well, it's not on Earth. If you're
wondering how I got your address - the truth is that I took it from
my dad, Sente. He doesn't know, but I just needed someone to talk to
- there have been some pretty weird things going on over here. I need
to talk about what's going on, but I can't really tell anyone in the
City about it.

We Perplexians have been following the goings-on on Earth for a
while, but we haven't contacted you until now. Why now? Well, last
year the Cube - a very precious object - was stolen from us and
concealed somewhere on Earth. We need to find it and get it back.

Or, wait, no, this isn't the right place to start. I should start a
long time ago, when the Cube was originally found, when the
scientists at the Academy tried to investigate it. They couldn't find
out much about it. Some of them died in the process. Or, no, maybe I
should have started by saying that my father, Sente, is now the
Master of the Academy, that he's been asking people on Earth to find
the Cube.

As you can see, this is a story that has a lot of starting places.
Perhaps the best thing is to tell you where it starts for me. It's
very simple really. I'm a student and I got a summer job. I started
last week, and now I find I'm on a journey. I can't quite explain
what I'm doing, even to myself, but I can't stop now. And because I
can't tell my friends or my family, I'm telling you. I'll send out an
email every week. There's a lot going on in Perplex City; who knows,
maybe by sifting all the clues that are out there, you'd find out who
stole the Cube. But as for me, I'm following my own lead. My story
starts here and you can follow it with me.

****

The Sentinel's a weird place to work. It's Perplex City's leading
newspaper, so everyone's serious and focused, but at the same time
there's an "atmosphere of trust", so it's OK to take long lunches and
wander off for hours at a time. Which, I have to say, I do tend to do
sometimes, being an intern. It's been kind of a dull week, all things
considered, only punctuated by long lunches with friends and
colleagues. Except for last night, which wasn't dull at all. But I'm
getting ahead of myself.

Monday was pretty standard. Iona Rodie, my friend here at the
Sentinel, took me round to introduce me to the staff as the new
intern. We passed by Pietro Salk's desk - he was a Sentinel reporter
who died a few weeks ago. It was really sad; he was young and his
death was completely unexpected, just a sudden stroke, they said. His
desk has a picture of him on it now, and some flowers. It's a strange
empty place in the middle of a busy office. People go quiet every
time they walk past his desk.

Wednesday, my sister Violet and her friend Kurt came to see me.
Kurt's one of the few other people in Perplex City to have a website
that can be viewed from Earth. We love to talk about the letters we
get from people on Earth and compare thoughts but on Wednesday Kurt
seemed sort of rattled, which was odd. Apparently last week one of
his Earth correspondents had asked him to find out what a "Reynolds
ionizer" was. He drew a blank, but his key (the all-purpose sort of
computer we use here) detected that a military trace was being used
to find out who he was. He thought he'd blocked it, but he's been
finding a couple of odd things on his key since then, which makes him
think that maybe something got through and he's being tracked.

I have to say, I didn't think much about it after that. Kurt's really
cool, and excellent with technology - I was sure that his key
couldn't have got infected with anything too damaging. Thursday, no
one came to see me Sad So I spent my lunch hour checking through some
of the email *I'd* received from people on Earth. Strangely, quite a
few people wanted me to go and have a look at Pietro Salk's desk, to
see what I could find out about him. I guess whenever someone dies
unexpectedly, you always want to know what they were like, to
understand what happened. Anyway, I didn't mind, but I thought I
should probably wait until everyone else had left the office.

That was the hardest part, really, staying in the building long
enough to do it. I often stay until 8pm or 9pm - everyone does, it's
just part of the job. When the first people left, I said I was
"finishing something up". Then when a few stragglers were leaving,
they kept asking what I was working on that was so urgent. I said it
was schoolwork, and they rolled their eyes. At 11pm, the Sentinel's
editor Michiko Clark herself wandered through the office; I think she
was quietly impressed to see me still working, but she didn't say
anything and I felt too guilty to say hello!

But by 11.30pm the floor was silent apart from the hum of the air
conditioner. I walked over to Pietro's desk. The office was eerie -
the only movement was my reflection in the dark windows. I kept
thinking that a security guard was going to find me, or that someone
in a neighbouring office block would look over and see what I was
doing. But the floor was quiet. I stood in front of the desk - there
was nothing on it apart from a floral display and a big picture of
Pietro, smiling. I turned the picture face down on the desk.

I sat down in his chair. That felt weird too. No one sits at this
desk now. I pulled open his file drawer. It was mostly empty. A few
old case files lingered at the back, for stories of his that are over
and done with: Zindian Trials, Tompeka and Lode, Five of Cups. I
remember that story - it's recent. A guy got murdered in his bar and
they found technological equipment stashed there. I pulled the file
out and opened it, but there was nothing in it. I don't mean that
there was nothing interesting in it - I mean that it was empty. I
didn't quite understand that. If someone had taken over Pietro's
files, why hadn't they taken the file folder out as well?

I put the file folder back down on Pietro's desk and stared at my
reflection in the window. Nothing seemed to make sense, and I'd
wasted a perfectly good evening searching through a dead man's desk.
I felt ashamed of myself. I went to put the file back in the file
drawer, to leave everything as I found it. Which was when I noticed
something. A tiny note written in pencil but definitely in Pietro
Salk's handwriting. On the back of the file folder, just by the metal
hanging rod. It said this:

Reynolds ionizers. Viendenbourg.

******************

Pietro's Five of Cups article in the Sentinel
http://www.perplexcitysentinel.com/archives/2005/08/police_close_ho.html

Here's what happened to poor Pietro Sad
http://www.perplexcitysentinel.com/archives/2005/06/salk_briefly_em.html

******************

I'm planning to send you an email once a week about my
investigations, but I won't be offended if you want to unsubscribe.
If you really don't want to hear about my adventures, just send an
email to newsletter-unsubscribeSPLATthescarlettkite.com.

If you think your friends would be interested in my emails, then you
can send them to www.scarlettkite.com and there's a signup box on the
sidebar.

Until next week.

Scarlett

scarlettSPLATthescarlettkite.com
http://thescarlettkite.com


I realize this was posted in this topic, but I figured it deserved it's own topic for spec on Pietro's note.

PostPosted: Fri Aug 12, 2005 3:49 pm
 View user's profile
 Back to top 
cassandra
Entrenched


Joined: 25 Mar 2005
Posts: 831

 		I'm sorry, but the thought of Scarlett going undercover to solve the mystery of Pietro/the Cube theft solo is...not reassuring. She'll get her brain washed out.

Should we give her all the information we have on the Maze, the Advisor, salklogs, etc? I don't think talking her out of it will work at this point. Do we tell anyone else?

PostPosted: Fri Aug 12, 2005 4:08 pm
 View user's profile
 Back to top 
tanner
Entrenched


Joined: 21 May 2003
Posts: 875
Location: (x,y,z,t,i, ...)+

 		i dont think we should tell anyone about scarletts spying -- its her business -- however there is a certain someone on UF who tells sente everything cos he thinks its his duty Very Happy
_________________
tanner³ -- Join the PXC team on SETI@home
"And the princess and the prince discuss what's real and what is not,
But it doesn't matter inside the Gates of Eden" - BD

PostPosted: Fri Aug 12, 2005 4:27 pm
 View user's profile Yahoo Messenger
 Back to top 
Macavity
Entrenched


Joined: 25 Jul 2004
Posts: 883
Location: UNSC Comm Relay Station Alpha, West Shokan, NY
tanner wrote:
i dont think we should tell anyone about scarletts spying -- its her business


I concur, Tanner. We need all the data we can get, and Scarlett's in a position to do that.

In fact, I even sent her this (rather lengty) email:

Quote:
xsend-to: Scarlett Kiteway ( scarlettSPLATthescarlettkite.com)
xsend-from: PFC. Peter Walker ( UNSM-255B-10359.apocalypso.UNSCchat
via thegovernmentSPLATwants-to-silence.us )
xtrans-version: UNSC Secure Chatter Protocol v 3.92.065 build 1015c Custom

+start of line+

Scarlett -

I don't knowe if you've heard about what hapeened with Kurt McAllister
yet; he's working on the stolen tech angle (namely the tech that the
police found in Bernardo Holyoke's bar, the Five of Cups) for us - us
being myself and my associates at UnFiction Cryptanalysis) - so I'll
sum up in a nutshell.

To begin with, we've recently unlocked some communications records
stored in a series of hidden directories the late Pietro Salk set up
on his family's webserver ( http://www.salkfamily.com - a discussion
on the commlogs can be found here:
http://forums.unfiction.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=11327 ). Long story
short, some of the tech found at Holyoke's bar was military equipment
- namely, the Reynolds ionisers you found referenced in the note in
Pietro's desk.

We know that the Reynolds ioniser is military tech not because of data
Kurt turned up - he didn't find anything - but because the Perplex
City military ran a trace on his query. The only reason their trace
was blocked and logged on Kurt's key was because he was using some
custom key-security software that he'd written himself.

I recommend you do four things immediately:

One, locate a source of disposable keys - ones you can use and then
throw away. I'd suggest you use the disposable keys to post messages
that contain sensitive data - and throw them away as soon as you have.
(Better yet, find somewhere secluded, smash the key into bits with a
blunt object - a rock or heavy boot would do fine - and then throw the
smashed bits in the trash, making especially sure to crush any
components that store information.)

Two, contact Kurt McAllister and ask him to install a copy of his
security stuff on your key. If he asks why, tell him the truth: that
you're working with us to try to find information on who killed Pietro
Salk and why, and that Private First Class Walker of the 255th UNSC
Marine Battalion suggested you talk to him about getting the security
stuff he wrote.

(My theory is that he was killed because his investigation into the
theft of the Receda Cube was close to revealing some kind of link
between certain high-ranking officials - whether government, military,
or some other kind of official is unknown at this time - and the team
who stole the Receda Cube; close enough that the only way they could
stop the investigation was to kill the investigator.)

Three, acquire and install a copy of Dirk Rijmenant's Enigma Simulator
(currently at version 4.0). I've found a working datalink for the
program here (http://w1tp.com/EnigmaSim.zip), but in case that's not
working for you, here's the homepage for the Enigma Simulator
(http://users.telenet.be/d.rijmenants/en/enigmasim.htm), which has
additional datalinks for program acquisition.

As the Enigma cipher is an older cryptographic system (last used by
the German military in World War II here on Earth), it's unlikely that
many people - Perplexian or Earth - will recognize it, and that fewer
would be able to decrypt it. I'd recommend that you use it to encrypt
any messages that you send if they contain something you think is
especially sensitive.

Four (and this one's most important): To quote The Cigarette-Smoking
Man's last words from the Earth television show "The X-Files":

"TRUST NO ONE."

Recent events reported in the Sentinel suggest that there may be a
cover-up going on - not only in regards to the Holyoke case, but in
regards to the Receda Cube theft itself. Considering the recent news
story about the Holyoke investigation and the military traces run on
(and blocked from) Kurt's key, this case may go deep - very deep. Be
careful out there, Scarlett - we'll do our best to keep things cool
from our end, but you and Kurt are on the front lines . . . in fact,
you may even be operating in hostile territory, and we can't guarantee
your safety during this case.

I hate to sound like a fearmonger, Scarlett, but I'm ex-military (I
used to be part of the Marine security detail aboard the UNSC
Reconaissance Vessel Apocalypso), and I've dealt with enough black ops
in my time to be able to tell you what you're likely to be getting
into.

If, after you read this email, you want to back out of the
investigation, go right ahead - I'm sure nobody'll blame you if you
do. (I certainly won't, that's for sure.)

But if you decide to continue, well, we'll do everything we can to
help you. We may not be able to do much, but it'll be better than
nothing.

Until next time,

PFC. Peter Walker
255 UNSC Marine Btln
Late of UNSCRV Apocalypso
Earth, 2005

+end of line+


FYI, I used thegovernmentSPLATwants-to-silence.us for the simple reason that it appears true. (It's a working email address, BTW:I just send it from my Gmail account, which a) tweaks the headers to make it look like it's comking from thegovernmentSPLATwants-to-silence.us and b) was given to me by my friend Decker Doodle of CounterNet, and any replies get forwarded to my standard email address. Another friend of mine who goes by the handle of Krayt set it up for me - you can contact him at the AIM address Eternal Krayt.)

tanner wrote:
however there is a certain someone on UF who tells sente everything cos he thinks its his duty Very Happy


Hey, I only told Sente about Aiko 'cos I thought she might be a security risk for the Project! If she'd been upfront about it when she joined the team, we wouldn't have had this kerfuffle with her being arrested and released because I told Sente about that memo we found!

Besides, I din't tell Sente "ZOMG AIKO STOLE TEH CUBE!!!1!!!1111eleven ARREST EHR!!!!1!1!111!111!eleventyone", I said "Here's some info we've uncovered, it reveals that Aiko's a Reconstructionist, I don't know if you already knew that, and I think it'd be a good idea to keep an eye on her just in case she tries to screw up the Project."

If you're going to blame anyone, blame Sente for jumping the gun.
_________________
You are likely to be eaten by a grue. If this predicament seems particularly cruel,
Consider whose fault it could be, with no match or torch in your inventory...
NP: Erase The Truth

PostPosted: Fri Aug 12, 2005 7:03 pm
 View user's profile AIM Address Yahoo Messenger MSN Messenger
 Back to top 
Scott
Entrenched


Joined: 11 Sep 2004
Posts: 1140
Location: 390 Chestnut Ridge Rd, Rochester NY, 14624, USA

 		Nice letter Peter.

Actually I wanted to point out (in a only slightly off-topic move): no "View fFrom Earth" this week. they must be all tapped out of good articles. which suggests, if you have something you want to get printed, it probably has a fFair chance of making the cut next week. (man, and here i cant think of a thing to write!! maybe i'll put some thought into an article this weekened.)
_________________
Perplex City is a game whose only rule is: There must be a party.
Balance of Powers is a game whose only rule is: There must be a political party.

PostPosted: Fri Aug 12, 2005 7:52 pm
 View user's profile Visit poster's website
 Back to top 
rose
...and then Magic happens


Joined: 26 Nov 2003
Posts: 4117

 		topics
Quote:
(man, and here i cant think of a thing to write!! maybe i'll put some thought into an article this weekened.)


Hey- my idea was to write an article explaining ARGs to them. I won't have time this weekend so anyone who, like me thinks that would be a great topic, go for it. I will think of something else. Smile
_________________
I love this site for being free, in every sense of the word~Spacebass

Mankind was my business, the common good was my business.~ Dickens

PostPosted: Fri Aug 12, 2005 11:06 pm
 View user's profile Visit poster's website
 Back to top 
neophoenix
Boot


Joined: 21 Mar 2005
Posts: 68
Location: where you can't celebrate the Kindling of the Flame

 		Did everybody get their own email from Scarlett? I checked mine, but no email from her (my email has been registered since the beginning of this year on Sente's list). Does that mean that Scarlett only took a portion of the emails on her father's list? Anyway, I entered my email address in the box on her blog.
_________________
neophoenix³ │ 023/100 Scarlett's card distribution challenge
Save the blue smarties, they are an endangered species

PostPosted: Sat Aug 13, 2005 6:13 am
 View user's profile Visit poster's website
 Back to top 
Devonlad14
Greenhorn

Joined: 27 Apr 2005
Posts: 3
Location: South West England

 		I only added my name to Scarletts blog yesterday but haven't recieved a email either. She may have sent it to a portion people but it seems unlikely as it is restricting her news to a few. (I know we can read the news from here, but it's better to receive your own email) Smile

PostPosted: Sat Aug 13, 2005 4:35 pm
 View user's profile
 Back to top 
Scott
Entrenched


Joined: 11 Sep 2004
Posts: 1140
Location: 390 Chestnut Ridge Rd, Rochester NY, 14624, USA

 		It's unclear who got this mail fFrom her. I've been chatting her up now and then in fFriendly manner fFor months and didnt get this message. So it appears to be just a sampling of a fFew people who got it. No big deal tho. The most important thing in any ARG is to share information, which has been done. So now probably whoever is adding to her list will get mail next week.
_________________
Perplex City is a game whose only rule is: There must be a party.
Balance of Powers is a game whose only rule is: There must be a political party.

PostPosted: Sat Aug 13, 2005 7:40 pm
 View user's profile Visit poster's website
 Back to top 
flicks09
Boot


Joined: 01 Jul 2005
Posts: 18

 		Sounds like it was random then. I went to Scarlett's site to sign up after someone posted the latest blog and the fact that she was planning to send out an email (didn't want to be left behind!). I got her email fairly shortly after that.

PostPosted: Sat Aug 13, 2005 7:50 pm
 View user's profile Visit poster's website MSN Messenger
 Back to top 
Seej
Unfettered


Joined: 30 Nov 2004
Posts: 614

 		You're funny Macavity Smile

PostPosted: Sun Aug 14, 2005 1:47 pm
 View user's profile
 Back to top 
Bahamoth
Boot

Joined: 07 Aug 2005
Posts: 24
Location: Reading

 		I got the email today (15th aug). Odd that I got it a few days after most others. Don't suppose this means anything, but thought it best to mention it in case the clever ones of you spotted something.

PostPosted: Mon Aug 15, 2005 4:27 pm
 View user's profile
 Back to top 
hannah
Veteran


Joined: 29 Nov 2004
Posts: 120
Location: Glasgow, Scotland

 		I got the email today also.

PostPosted: Mon Aug 15, 2005 4:29 pm
 View user's profile Visit poster's website MSN Messenger
 ICQ Number 
 Back to top 
RobPal
Boot


Joined: 14 Mar 2005
Posts: 68
Location: Norwich, UK

 		I also only recieved it today. Maybe there's a glitch somewhere in their bulk email prog.
_________________
Beware the Jabberwock my son, the jaws that bite, the claws that catch. Beware the JubJub bird and shun, the frumious bandersnatch.

PostPosted: Mon Aug 15, 2005 4:33 pm
 View user's profile
 Back to top 
wiglaf
Boot

Joined: 06 May 2005
Posts: 17
Location: Boston

 		I have gotten it twice now, once on Friday and again today. I signed up for the newsletter when Scarlet posted her last blog entry, but I had earlier entered in my email address on perplexcity.com so maybe there are two lists.

PostPosted: Mon Aug 15, 2005 5:41 pm
 View user's profile
 Back to top 
Display posts from previous:   Sort by:   
Page 1 of 2 [16 Posts]   Goto page: 1, 2 Next
View previous topicView next topic
 Forum index » Archive » Archive: Perplex City » PXC: General/Updates
Jump to:  


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
You cannot attach files in this forum
You can download files in this forum
You cannot post calendar events in this forum



Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group