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 Forum index » Archive » Archive: General » Old News & Rumors
[Trailhead] Message from Z
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_june
Boot


Joined: 27 Feb 2008
Posts: 47
Location: San Francisco, CA, USA

[Trailhead] Message from Z
Strange poster and site, San Francisco based

We were walking down Valencia Street last night between 16th and 19th streets (can't remember the exact location), when we say this odd "poster" taped to a power pole.

It says:
Quote:
Hello, my name is Z.

I have a MESSAGE for you.

www.messagefromz.com/begin


http://www.messagefromz.com/begin/ leads you to a site with the following message:

Spoiler (Rollover to View):
READING YOU LOUD AND CLEAR

My name is Z.

I have an important message for you, a message containing several important pieces of information that's being actively SURPRESSED. Information they do NOT want you to know.

But it's too DANGEROUS just to share openly. Even I don't know what they're capable of doing to protect their SECRETS.

My message requires a series of "decoding sequences" to ACTIVATE. You will need to be able to move about SAN FRANCISCO to perform all necessary decryption. Decoding sequence UNU can be DOWNLOADED here:

DECODING SEQUENCE: UNU

Please follow the directions carefully. You must print out this sequence. Have a pencil handy, and tread LIGHTLY everywhere you go. Spies are everywhere, stay ALERT at all times.

You're on your own here, but if you really get into a jam, e-mail me at zSPLATmessagefromz.com and I MIGHT be able to help you out.

Sincerely yours,

Z.


Photos of the poster:
Whole poster

Greeting

URL


PostPosted: Sat Apr 09, 2011 8:32 pm
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xomunkixo
Veteran

Joined: 13 Apr 2009
Posts: 140
Location: Los Angeles, CA

This looks awesome! Too bad I'm in southern cali. Sad
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Lurking - What is Elephant?, Marble Hornets
Played - cassieiswatching, I'm Sorry ;_;


PostPosted: Sat Apr 09, 2011 8:55 pm
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catherwood
I Have 100 Cats and Smell of Wee

Joined: 25 Sep 2002
Posts: 4109
Location: Silicon Valley, CA

There is a link on that webpage to a .pdf file, which in turn reads like a scavenger hunt. You have to go to specific locations in the city and find words and numbers which you write down to use later. A phone number must also be called. After it all, you calculate a passcode, then go to http://www.messagefromz.com/dolores/ to submit it.

The site's root directory is forbidden, with the message "This page was BLOCKED from your eyes by Z Enterprises."

The site's domain was registered almost a year ago.
Creation Date: 21-Jun-2010
Expiration Date: 21-Jun-2012

I tried finding other people working on this, and found a Craigslist ad which was recently pulled. I'll keep digging...

PostPosted: Sat Apr 09, 2011 9:37 pm
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fezzik
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Joined: 02 Sep 2004
Posts: 131

My gf and I did this "Decryption Round" this morning. If you go out to do it - and I recommend it - plan on about 45 minutes or so, mostly because of the walking involved. The puzzles are very simple and mostly involve being observant. Only one was a bit tricky and we figured it out. I have the answers if anyone would like them (like, say, if you don't live in SF and thus have no prayer of doing it), but it's definitely a participatory exercise. It distinctly reminded me of Jejune both logistically and stylistically. Answering all the clues correctly and filling in the website leads you to a new video, whose contents I won't give away but which largely just tells you to hang out and wait to be contacted again.

I am amused by the faux-Bond story and I thought the puzzle was well done so definitely in for this one.

PostPosted: Mon Apr 11, 2011 1:01 am
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fezzik
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Joined: 02 Sep 2004
Posts: 131

I was now sent a new link, so there is at least a second set of puzzles...again I am not posting answers here because I recommend that, if you live in SF, you do the puzzles yourself. But if anyone wants them please PM me. This next set of puzzles is again in SF so it definitely appears this will be SF-centric, for better or worse.

PostPosted: Mon Apr 11, 2011 3:39 pm
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rumorhasit
Boot

Joined: 09 Mar 2011
Posts: 34

@fezzik can you send the information. I go to SF every so often but wont be out there for a little bit. It would be awesome if you sent me the info.

PostPosted: Wed Apr 13, 2011 10:35 am
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fezzik
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Joined: 02 Sep 2004
Posts: 131

gf and I (she's quite a trooper) went out last night to do part 2. Still very fun, perhaps a little harder/less obvious. But we still finished in about an hour and a half. Submitting this code sends you to yet another video and the promise of a third puzzle.

Anyone else doing this? Seems like it would be right up unfiction's alley.

PostPosted: Wed Apr 13, 2011 12:36 pm
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revsleestaxx
Decorated


Joined: 19 Aug 2008
Posts: 184

jejune institute?

This looks like it might be tied to the http://www.jejuneinstitute.org/
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PostPosted: Wed Apr 13, 2011 1:22 pm
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Psiclops
Guest


The Games of Nonchalance, (jejuneinstitute.org and Elsewhere Public Works Agency) ended in early April. This should not be related, and I've seen nothing so far that indicates its part of the same arg.

PostPosted: Tue Apr 19, 2011 4:05 pm
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ilookedinthebox
Boot

Joined: 07 Jan 2011
Posts: 20

fezzik wrote:
gf and I (she's quite a trooper) went out last night to do part 2. Still very fun, perhaps a little harder/less obvious. But we still finished in about an hour and a half. Submitting this code sends you to yet another video and the promise of a third puzzle.

Anyone else doing this? Seems like it would be right up unfiction's alley.

Dude I am all over this. I was in SF earlier today and I passed one of the posters on Hayes. I sort of forced the fam to pass by it again so I could get a pic and the website. Its the first trail head I've ever found in real life so I was ecstatic. going back next weekend for both part 1 & 2!

PostPosted: Tue Apr 19, 2011 8:00 pm
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Psiclops
Greenhorn

Joined: 19 Apr 2011
Posts: 8

This is my first one, I'm in.

I live in the San Jose area, but I am going to make a special trip up to SF on Thursday to work through the first couple of steps.

I've already completed a good majority of Sequence UNU using only web based data, like google maps, street view, and some word search tools.

I even got through the phone system, using a teeny bit of ingenuity and backtracking the letters from street names. I only had to make about 13 guesses to fill in the blanks I had from the manhole cover clue. (if you pay attention, the auto response system gives you a very subtle hint about incorrect entries.)

Here's hoping I can work through the first 3 puzzle sets while I am up there.

PostPosted: Tue Apr 19, 2011 8:28 pm
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fezzik
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Joined: 02 Sep 2004
Posts: 131

I, sadly, have not heard yet about part 3. But hopefully soon.

PostPosted: Wed Apr 20, 2011 12:36 pm
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Psiclops
Greenhorn

Joined: 19 Apr 2011
Posts: 8

So I took my trip up to the city to work on a couple of things. First I completed my application to the Elsewhere Philatelic Society over near the Embarcadero.

Then I headed up near Dolores park to work on the message from Z. I managed to finish off the first section, and get my instructions for part two, but due to the timing and traffic and parking regulations (which suck in SF btw), I was unable to work on part 2 at all.

Part one was fun though, well put together and fairly easy.

PostPosted: Fri Apr 22, 2011 1:31 am
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Psiclops
Greenhorn

Joined: 19 Apr 2011
Posts: 8

some second step info

I tried the following, to no evident effect yet.

Spoiler (Rollover to View):

Used the submission form on federalinfo.org to inquire about the open job listed for the SF area for Assistant Intern Detective. I did this yesterday morning, and I have not yet heard anything back. We will see. I have not yet completed the second decryption sequence, so it's possible I am getting ahead of myself.

www.federalinfo.org is the website for the FIA "Federal Intelligence Agency" that is supposedly host to Agent Tom. Tom is the one that contacts us immediately following completion of sequence UNU, and provides a link to a PDF which is a semi-redacted copy of sequence DU, and a request that we provide assistance to Agent Tom in tracking down the mysterious "Z".


PostPosted: Sun Apr 24, 2011 9:50 pm
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Psiclops
Greenhorn

Joined: 19 Apr 2011
Posts: 8

Well, perhaps it wasn't to no effect after all...

Spoiler (Rollover to View):

I received the following reply this morning, which makes sense, during business hours and all.

""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Hello Psiclops,

Yes absolutely, but that's not my department. You'll want to contact Sandy in HR. Send her a note asking for the internship job application form.

Sandy's e-mail address is: hrSPLATfederalinfo.org

--
Agent Tom
Investigator
Federal Information Agency
http://www.federalinfo.org
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

and here is my original posting to the generic submission form, no specific agent name was listed... minor continuity error in that Agent Tom replies personally and says it's not his job.

""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
I was wondering if there was further information available for the assistant intern detective position. Thanks!
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

Obviously I subsequently sent an email to "Sandy" in hr. I await a reply.



PostPosted: Mon Apr 25, 2011 3:59 pm
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