View topic - [WIBS] [Update] - more letters from Dr. Martinez [SOLVED]

unforum
a.r.g.b.b

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.

Our Esteemed Contributors

The time now is Wed Nov 13, 2024 9:39 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: General » ARG: Who Is Benjamin Stove

[WIBS] [Update] - more letters from Dr. Martinez [SOLVED]

Page 1 of 1 [8 Posts]

Author

Message

rose
...and then Magic happens

Joined: 26 Nov 2003
Posts: 4117

[WIBS] [Update] - more letters from Dr. Martinez [SOLVED]

I didn't see this updated anywhere, but I know people are working on the puzzles..

Anyway, Tucker posted the second batch of letters today.

Here is the link to the thread where he put them up on WIBS forums

Unsolved puzzles:
birthday card

discussed here

college letter with code at bottom

discussed here

_________________
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

Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2006 7:53 pm

rowan
Unfictologist

Joined: 12 Apr 2004
Posts: 1966

Transcriptions thanks to the WIBS boards. Unless noted, the line lengths are not the same as the originals just to save space.

1970, "When I Grow Up" school paper: (1 | 2 | 3)

Transcription wrote:

Dear Dr Martinez
I got your letter about your newest adventure and i did have to go to the dictionary for the word coprolite. i think i have a new insult word to use. In school, we had an interesting assignment this week. We wrote out what we wanted to do with our lives when we grow up. I got it back from my teacher and i thought you might like to read it. Take care write back soon

Your pen-pal
Benjamin

(next page)

A
Nice Job! (written in left margin by teacher)

Benjamin Stove 2/5/70

I have given this assignment quite a bit of thought and come to this conclusion. I will never grow up. that is not to say that i will never become an adult, but I don't plan on any finite limit on when the task of growing up will end. Therefore instead of what i will be when i grow up the better question would be what are my goals and plans when i am an adult.

To start with, I will go on to college. I'm quite certain i want to study arecholgoy. I am lucky to have a professor of archeology as pen-pal. Throug h his letters i have become intrestead in the subject. I plan to choose a college that has a program in this and eventually become a professor my self. I will the rest of my life looking at old buildings and wondering about the people who used to live in them.

(next page)

I want a life of new challenges and discoveries, where every new relic unearth will pose more question than it solves. There are myestries in the ancient world and we still do not know all of them. Maybe we never will, but i am looking to be the person who helps solve them.

I dont want to be one of those people who thinks they have nothing more to learn. I am one of those people who feels that they hove so much more to learn i never want to lose desire. If i am an archeologist, I always be learning information, new history and perhaps even new people. My dream is to spend my life in the constant pursuit of knowledge.

_________________
follow @arg_deaddrop on twitter

Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2006 11:18 am
Last edited by rowan on Thu Feb 09, 2006 11:54 am; edited 1 time in total

rowan
Unfictologist

Joined: 12 Apr 2004
Posts: 1966

1976, letter from college: (1) (spacing kept in transcript)

Transcription wrote:

Dec. 14, 1976

Dear Dr. Martinez,

Wow, were you right. It really paid off to read extra when I was growing
up like you said. That has made a big difference. The classes I took this
year were much harder than high school. However, what an incredible difference
a real library makes. Newton's wouldn't fill one wing of this library.
Amazing. I'm including my new college picture.

I suppose the hardest thing to get used to is the lifestyle. Back on the farm,
I got up at 5 in the morning. My roommate goes to bed at 5 in the morning.
I'm fairly certain this has nothing to do with studying. The basic classes
are tougher than I thought, but my agro classes are king of easy. In some ways
they are harder, because there are technical terms that I never heard my
grandfather use. I've always known the word "germinate" but Grandpa always sai-d
"take." Grandpa checked the soil with his hands and nose. UN wants you
to look at it under a microscope. Then I made the mistake of telling Dr.
Ross in Soils that I could usually get pretty close using the old tried
and true method. So, he gave me some samples and asked me if I could tell
which ones were richer than others or which ones would be good for
growing onions as opposed to corn. It was pretty easy using the old way. I
thought I impressed him. So he says in front of the whole class (and when
I say class I mean a class as large as the entire student body in Newton)
that my nickname is now "the artist."

Now, sir, I thought that was just a compliment. Good nature teasing. Instead,
I got a life-changing lesson in arrogance. He held me after class to tell
me that I wasted class time. That my "stunt" didn't prove anything, but held
up HIS lecture to the other students. And that I owed them an apology for
wasting their time as well. Apparently, to him, an artist "feels" for the
right path. But a scientist tests it over and over in the most minute ways
with various instruments. Although that all makes sense to me, aren't
my hands and my nose instruments as well? According to the test, they were as
good as the microscopes. I believe I understand what you meant now by
Socrates dying twice.

Your pen pal,
Benjamin

p.s. Speaking of libraries, I feel like I've been following in your footsteps
by reading the books on the list you have sent me. Here's your Christmas
present, another simple little puzzle I made for you. From the message below,
can you tell me which of those books I've been reading lately?

BKMWFHAORRGHCTLIDDQNSSFEIZNQMCAOSPRLOLTLJIIWGNSPEI
VZOWMNVAVSHUREQTLIIGUNKXEOQZVOMSAKXYRYTMYIAVLNPKS
ESOZOPMFBCATWRHWTEIAUNNWECZIYVMEANYDRTYTSGIENAVE
KZIXXMNWCOAGPBRSBTCBDIHFNAPFESHKLZHDFMAAPKYKRGHD
TOLCXJIONDJPETOUZHMEBSAVRIXCKHTEIWDQFJONOEVZEMRGJ
VUAAJLRTTLCQIANNUGETZIMSAMSRITCLIHNEELBZL

~~This puzzle is still unsolved~~ Finally solved.

Spoiler (Rollover to View):

Btw, this puzzle is a pain in the butt without an accurate transcription.

Anyway, the bunch of letters at the bottom has "MARTINEZ" scattered throughout. You need to take the next letter after the letter in MARTINEZ. You can see a picture of the letters here.

This gives us 3 books:

Worlds in Collision - Velikovsky
Maps of the Ancient Sea Kings - Chas Hapgood
The View Over Atlantis - Michell

Based on the other clues we've gotten from the other notes, we believe that these are in a library in Detroit.

_________________
follow @arg_deaddrop on twitter

Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2006 11:26 am
Last edited by rowan on Thu Feb 09, 2006 6:48 pm; edited 1 time in total

rowan
Unfictologist

Joined: 12 Apr 2004
Posts: 1966

1980, calls off engagement, returns to farm: (1 | 2)

Transcription wrote:

March, 14, 1980
Dear Dr. Martinez,

It has been a while since I have heard from you. You have me starting to worry about you. I hope you got my graduation card. I had a chance to look at the similarities between the Olmec faces and those on the Sphinx and I do find remarkable similarity. It certainly is possible the two cultures are related, after all, Thor Heyerdahl could go long distances in his boat, I'm sure ancients could have navigated the Atlantic if they got lucky. Columbus discovered the West by mistake, maybe others did too.

But like they say in forensics, anecdotes are not proof, just evidence. Eye witness accounts, especially ones second hand, are not the most reliable source of data. Sometimes our desires make us fall prey to what we want to be true, other than the truth itself.

Ellen and I have called off the engagement. She says she is postponing, but I think it is over. She really believed that I wouldn't come back to the farm, even though I said it over and over again. And when it came time for me to go, that is when she tells me that she is going to go to grad school. I think more than being hurt by it, I am jealous. I'm jealous that she gets to go on and follow her dream. I've devastated, but I cope knowing it was her best decision. I just wish she could be more upfront. Upfront like my sister, who has upfront told me that I won't be able to just waltz back onto the farm and run it like I never left. I can't believe the girl I left behind in high school is now driving tractors and throwing around 50# sacks of fertilizer.

She had too, Grandpa is not as spry as he used to be. We've drifted apart, and I think she is angry that I got to "play" at college while she did all the work. If she only knew. She should have gone to school as well. When I get this farm up and running like it should be, she could go to college. If I'm able to implement my plans, one or two people should be able to run this by themselves. She would be free to go. Or maybe I let her run it by herself, and I'll go back.

I just thought life would be simpler than this. I envy you too, Dr. Off on another adventure like always. Well, write back soon and let me know how this one is going. It must be pretty exciting, otherwise, you would have written back by now.

Your pen-pal,
Benjamin

_________________
follow @arg_deaddrop on twitter

Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2006 11:49 am

rowan
Unfictologist

Joined: 12 Apr 2004
Posts: 1966

1981, Dr. M and Grandpa Stove both ill: (1) (spacing kept in transcription)

Transcription wrote:

July 15, 1981

Dear Dr. Martinez

It's no wonder you haven't written in a while. That is a horrible stroke of luck. I had no
idea where you were, and I was very worried about you. It looks like I had good reason
to. Instead of sending you worthless words scribbled on paper, maybe it should have been
mosquito netting. I'm glad to hear you are getting better. Maybe now you'll take it easier
and stop being such a world traveler.

You're not the only one having a touch time getting around. Grandpa isn't feeling too
good lately. He won't see Dr. Pampton[?]. "there ain't a Pampton[?] in Newton worth a darn, even
if his first name is doctor." I'm taking him out of town, likely to the capital nearby.
I'm not sure what is wrong with him, but he is having touble keeping food down
and has lost his appetite. Sure would be easier if he'd just see Dr. Pampton[?].

I found a new way to make sure I can get books. I call a library and ask a librarian about
a topic. She gives me a list of books. I ask for the publisher on each of them, then I call a
book store in Montezuma and special order it. I'd do it in town, but Grandma has some
issue with Mr. Fletcher that she wo won't explain, so I don't go there. It is too much hassle.
I actually like the idea of going to Montezuma to learn something new. There is another
connection for you, doctor.

Speaking of connections, these symbols are everywhere. Not our symbol exactly; I found other
ones as well. I found a couple articles in some science magazines about them, but I left my
notes somewhere. The thing is, the signs keep chaning. They keep evolving, becoming ever more
complicated. But they didn't appear i the same dramatic fasion. I wish there was a
way to index these symbols and see if the new ones are a coming maybe simultaneously
like ours. You have to get better, there are still more to find and time is
running out. The witnesses are almost too old now.

The ironic thing about my family is that now that I'm an adult, Grandpa treats me with
more respect, while Grandma still treats me like a kid. With this Fletcher hub-bub, all the
told me about it was "someday when you're older I'll tell you." Grandpa, on the other
hand, has been remarkably open to my new ideas. I'm not sure if it is because he is tired
and doesn't want to work as much, or if he just sees the light of it. Or, perhaps it was
because I explained my plans in details he can understand: this will save $$$. But the
good news is, he is treating me like a man and that is a whole new understanding in our
relationship. I'll work hard to make sure that is faith in me is well deserved.

Things are starting to get better between me an Betty. At least she talks to me now. She's
coming around. But I dont think her faith in me is as strong as Grandpa's. One more
person to make a believer of.

I'm glad your niece is taking care of you. Don't strain yourself too much, remember to let
Anita fluff your pillows and make a fuss over you. Your work can wait for your health.

Your friend,
Benjamin S.

In this letter there are a bunch of symbols written around the edges of the paper.

Spoiler (Rollover to View):

You count the number of dots in each grouping (including the middle one) and then count in that many letters from the appropirate edge. The first paragraph would be:

4 5 2 - 5 : n o t h
1 - 1 10 : i n g
8 - 4 : a b
2 5 7 - . : o u t
7 1 - . : p a

Decoding the entire message gives you:
nothing about palmer merrill ferry on woodward ave in nearby lIbrAries

_________________
follow @arg_deaddrop on twitter

Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2006 12:14 pm

rowan
Unfictologist

Joined: 12 Apr 2004
Posts: 1966

1983, Detroit visit:

Quote:

March 12, 1983

Dear Dr. Martinez

This could have been a fool's errand. You just have to understand the dynamic of the city. This is not a small town, people move around a lot here. That is why it was hard to find anyone who even remembered what the lot looked like before they built the Detroit Library. It's been here for over 60 years. So I went to the library itself. The librarians, surprisingly, were little versed on its history. Then I pulled the microfiche from that little paper you tipped me off on. Eureka! There it was. No picture, but a crude drawing kind of like Grandma's picture. And the date was right too. I took no chances. I pocketed the microfiche. There were some other books that I found there too that I hadn't seen before, so I made some notes. The local history is pretty sketchy, but from what I found, it looks like you are on to something. That makes four so far, any guesses on where to look next? I'll get you a copy of the fiche as soon as I can. In the meantime, I'm keeping it.

Your friend,
Benjamin

This has a diagram drawn underneath it with circles connected by lines.

Partial solve

Spoiler (Rollover to View):

If you fold the paper up, the circles and lines will overlap the text (see here).

This gives us 3 grouping of letters that can be anagramed:

EMORNTOSE -> "more notes"
HTIINWPTU -> "put within"
KBOODGPHA -> DGPHA "book"??

So right now we have: more notes put within ??? book. Possibly could be GAPHDBOOK referring to the GAP (Good Agricultural Practice) Handbook.

_________________
follow @arg_deaddrop on twitter

Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2006 1:10 pm

rowan
Unfictologist

Joined: 12 Apr 2004
Posts: 1966

1983, photo of Benjamin

----

1987, crops seized: (1 | 2)

Transcription wrote:

October 18, 1987

Dear Dr Martinez,

I'm sorry I can't help you right at the moment with you[sic] new idea. I think it is interesting to know that there are more connections to the symbol, but I simply don't have the time to commit to any sort of research. You always helped me, and I am sad that I can't help you right now. My sister needs me right now. As soon as she is better and the farm returns to normal, I promise I will help you with your work. You know that
I still believe in you. You've got to trust me that I am going to keep my word.

Betty is all I have right now. There is so much anger in her, much of it directed at me. She blames me for not being married. If I hadn't run off to school, she wouldn't have had to help Grandma and Grandpa out so much. She would have had a husband, kids, her own house. Instead, she feels that she has wasted her life. That's what is killing me inside, her thinking that she wasted her life. I don't have the strength to argue with her about the matter. She's the one who is sick. I'm just a helpless bystander.

And it gets worse. I took her to the university hospital for her check-up and treatments. We didn't get back until early evening and already there were a swarm of FDA people around the silo. I knew it would happen, but I think they waited until we were gone so I couldn't call my lawyer. He's angrier than I am, but he doesn't see the bigger picture.

They seized my crops, Doctor. Seized them! I thought for sure that all the rumors about my fertilizer was just town talk. Not anymore. Someone convinced them it was worth looking into. Next thing I know, agents are taking my harvest as a "precaution". Well, how about a precaution about the farm? If they hold my harvest for too long, it will spoil. I'll have nothing left. If I don't sell, I really have a problem. I need that harvest to cover next year's expenses. My insurance doesn't cover confiscation as a loss. I'll be in the same boat I was in after the tornado: unable to collect.

I have a number of decisions to make. I think the best thing to do is sell, but Betty insists that we don't. Despite some of the angry things she said, She did say one thing to me that is keeping my spirits up. She said she believed in me. She says she knows I'll save the farm. I wish I shared her confidence. And I wished we had talked more like this before she got sick. But if I'm burning wishes here, then I should probably just wish she wasn't sick.

No, Doctor. Not laying down at all. This fight is just beginning.

Your friend,
Benjamin

_________________
follow @arg_deaddrop on twitter

Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2006 1:21 pm

rowan
Unfictologist

Joined: 12 Apr 2004
Posts: 1966

1988, 75th birthday card: (1 | 2) (spacing kept in transcription)

Transcription wrote:

Happy Birthday!

Happy 75th Birthday! And very soon, you
may just get a surprise guest, old friend.
For better or worse, I didn't get the seeds in
this year, there is really nothing at all
keeping me here now. I've got a suitcase
packed and I am ready to come down.
Just a few things to do first and I'll be
a free man. Pack up, you old vagabond.
It's been 20 years since the first and only
time we ever met. I think it is high time
we changed that.

See you soon,
Your friend
Benjamin

> <brdegtodiNdoeterrheeeLhNALOiwvicti
eApoe2dNeiwcte> <

~~This puzzle has not been solved yet.~~ Now it's solved.

Spoiler (Rollover to View):

The > < means to look for the letters between each successive pair of letters (i.e. for the first coded letter, look between "b" and "r", and you get "i"

Happy 75th Birthday! And very soon, you may just get a surprise guest, old friend. For better or worse, I didn't get the seeds in this year, there is really nothing at all keeping me here now. I've got a suitcase packed and I am ready to come down. Just a few things to do first and I'll be a free man. Pack up, you old vagabond. It's been 20 years since the first and only time we ever met. I think it is high time we changed that. See you soon,
Your friend
Benjamin

br: i
de: v
gt: e
od: l
iN: e
do: f
et: t
er: a
rh: t (found in birthday)
ee: r
eL: a
hN: i
AL: l
Oi: w
wv: I (overlaps Oi)
ic: t
ti: h
eA: m
po: y
e2: n
dN: o
ei: t
wc: e
te: s

This gives us: Ive left a trail with my notes

One thing I don't get though - why the crazy capitalization in the cipher text?

_________________
follow @arg_deaddrop on twitter

Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2006 1:25 pm

Display posts from previous: Sort by:

Page 1 of 1 [8 Posts]

Forum index » Archive » Archive: General » ARG: Who Is Benjamin Stove

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