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Forum index » Archive » Archive: General » ARG: Geist

[GEIST] Story So Far

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RomanRazor
Greenhorn

Joined: 01 Jan 2007
Posts: 7
Location: Manchester, UK

[GEIST] Story So Far
A concise account of events so far...

Hi there, as Geist has been given full ARG honors, I thought it might be
useful to try and tie up the initial trailhead post into something a bit more
concise for new players.

I'm basically posting a slightly tidier version of my own notes. I've striped
out all the chatter, conjecture, false trails and "hi I'm new" posts from the
opening thread and put it into a more orderly format. This isn't meant to be
a get-out-jail-free-card for the lazy reader, you should go back and read
everything anyway. This is simply to help tidy your brain up afterwards. Wink

If you think anything SUPER important is missing from here, just give me
a shout. I'll try to keep it up-to-date as we go along.

Contents:
-- 01 - TIMELINE
-- 02 - CHARACTERS
-- 03 - PUZZLES

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

01 -- TIMELINE

*20th Dec 06*
ilikepucks starts a thread about an email received containing this URL
http://www.enter-geist.com and the date "Jan 07."

The website features a signup page and an image containing binary
code (see Puzzle 01).

The page itself announces it to be an ARG from
http://www.licoricefilm.com.

*21st Dec 06*
Russell_k points out a scrabbled URL at the bottom of the main page
(see Puzzle 02).

The puzzle is cracked later that day Lucy.

The URL points to a video of a news broadcast, about fictional film actor,
Melvin Geist.
(See http://forums.unfiction.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=17865 for transcript).

Anonymous Reply no the video post page:

Quote:

Is there anything that Melvin Geist won't do!?
I'm getting sick and tired of stories like this. For a Hollywood actor he
has his fingers
In far too many pies!

*11th Jan 07*
Lola_66 points out changes to the enter-geist front page.
The text XIII Janurius MMVII and MeiGeist has been added to the
main image.

XIII Janurius MMVII translates

Spoiler (Rollover to View):

13 January 2007.

*11th Jan 07*
A number of users receive the image Coreoutput.jpg on their mobile phone.
The Image features the eye from the main Geist page, with the reflection
of a cat in it. In the bottom corner is the word "Ewrin".

All messages appear to have come from the same phone number
"+447789757825" Ringing the number reached a voicemail with, as
Russell_k puts it, "lot of noise with repeating tones overlaid".
(See Puzzle 03).

Darkstar October points out that the image may refer to Schrodinger's Cat
a paradoxical thought experiment put forth by Erwin Schrodinger.

*11th Jan 07*
Russell_k post transcript of song lyrics from Giest main page.

Quote:

It was moving under
By cover
Unseen
Crawled in behind the epidermis
Stolen and clean
Broke out the other side
Leaving
A gaping wound
Disappeared into forever
Never do we talk about

Ill never be the same again
Ill never be the same again

Left me muddy and cold
Camping again
I saw the light for a moment
But decided to back away
Brew pain
My fear and Shame
My whole world of emotion slowly ebbs away

Ill never be the same again
Ill never be the same again
Ill never be the same again
Ill never be the same again

*12th Jan 07*
A number of users receive an email with a video attachment from
coreSPLATsubject180287.net

Video contains the eye from the geist main page, the image of the cat
that was reflected in the Coreoutput image, and some spiraling text that
reads...

Spoiler (Rollover to View):

lostyourpet.net

A search for Erwin here leads to this:

Quote:

Message Posted on: 06/12/2006 13:36:00
LOST . Always disappearing and appearing - where to?

Hi this is Eva McGill. I'm glad you've found this message, now please
help me find Erwin. He

was last seen going down a rabbit hole. Contact me on my blog evamcgill.co.uk

Ewrin the cat appears to belong to Eva McGill. Her blog has quite a
backlog. http://evamcgill.co.uk

A Number of users decide to email her at meSPLATevamcgill.co.uk.

(See http://forums.unfiction.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=17864 for replies).

A check on http://www.subject180287.net/ (the domain from where
the video was sent) reveals an unusual countdown or locking mechanism.
(See Puzzle 04).

*15th Jan 07*
A new video is posted by Eva. While out looking for Erwin, Eva hurts her
foot. She doesn't remember how it happened, and stranger still, doesn't
know who bandaged it up afterwards. However, Prof. Wilson is leaving her
food parcels until she get back on her feet.

A comment post on her blog by a Keir Jones points to a web site
with eight puzzle on pieces of parchment (See Puzzle 5).

*16th Jan 07*
Eva McGill posted a new video to her blog: http://www.evamcgill.co.uk/3.html There, she asked us for help with a
research project that Professor Wilson assigned her to complete. She
needs to research a company called Youkin that produces a producked
called Youshi. This assignment needs to be complete within a week,
according to Eva.

This leads to the website; http://www.youkin.org/ -which features a Youshi promotional video and a bacterial mascot chatbot called Yuki. -Which gives some interesting answers eg. "Do you know Eva?" is answered with; "I can not talk about Eva Mcgill".

Hidden within the page is the text "Core Legacy interface open." This is similar phrasing to the subject180287 auto-replies, and so jwiv enters "//input.core" and is given the link http://www.subject180287.net/input1.html in response. (See HERE and HERE.) In the source code is...

Code:

!--
Digital Life Spawn- (Modified from Open source)

JRM Williams
--
!-- saved from url=(0013)about:internet --

*17th Jan 07*
Eva adds a new entry to her blog, thanking us for the help with her essay.
She mentions that Prof. Wilson is an eccentric and a bit of a joker and has
sent Eva something through the post to help her out.

Eva also says she has sent some letters in the post to some of us.
One of which might be THIS as received by Buma

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CHARACTERS

*Melvin Geist*

Melvin Geist is a rather eccentric Hollywood actor, born in South Africa
and became a US Citizen in 1987. He claims that he was experimented on
by aliens, and has the power to manipulate others through mind control.
He currently lives in Malibu Beach, CA, and is being sued by the residents
of that community for building some sort of large, imposing structure in
that community.

*Eva McGill*

The somewhat lonely owner of Erwin the cat. With both her parents
dead, she lives alone in the flat that once belonged to her mother. She
apparently once lived in the USA, but returned to England where her
mother used to lecture at SRI until her death [cause not yet revealed].
Her mum's old friend Prof. Wilson now appears to have taken her under
his wing, inviting her to study in his department and giving her Erwin to
keep her company. (D.O.B 18 February, 1987).

Eva is currently distressed over Erwin's recent disappearance.

Eva has a website containing her blog http://www.evamcgill.co.uk/

*Erwin the Cat*

Erwin was a gift from Professor Wilson to Eva McGill, and was probably
named after Erwin Schr�dinger, because of the Schr�dinger's Cat thought
experiment. Erwin is currently missing, having last been seen crawling
down a rabbit hole after jumping out of Eva's window.

*Professor Wilson*

Eccentric friend of Eva's late mother, Prof. Wilson has taken it upon
himself to watch over Eva. He has gone so far as inviting Eva to study in
his department at SRI , giving Eva a cat for company (Erwin), and leaving
her food parcels while she is incapacitated.

He has recently asked Eva to do research on a company called Youkin

*Keir Jones*

No bio as of yet.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PUZZLES

*Puzzle 01* SOLVED
Binanary code on http://www.enter-geist.com translated by
ilikepucks reads:

Spoiler (Rollover to View):

"Love pain envy hate infatuation fear warmth devotion awareness tears laughter trutheva"

*Puzzle 02* SOLVED
Russell_k pointed out a scrabbled URL at the bottom of the main page.
shot://kilrs.tjmnlx.gw.hp/vbxehxznd?hoted=-3927131100214991715

Code is cracked by Lucy...

Spoiler (Rollover to View):

key: lovepainenvyhateinfatuationfearwa
plaintext: http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=-3927131100214991715

URL points to a video of a news broadcast.
(See http://forums.unfiction.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=17865 for transcript).

*Puzzle 03* SOLVED
A number of people were sent an image on their mobile phones from the
number "+447789757825"

Ringing the number reaches a voicemail with, as Russell_k puts it,
"lot of noise with repeating tones overlaid".

The repeating tones were worked out to be binary, which in turn resolved
to the email address coreSPLATsubject180287.net

*Puzzle 04* UNSOLVED
http://www.subject180287.net/ reveals an unusual countdown or
locking mechanism.

*Puzzle 05* UNSOLVED
The mysterious Keir Jones drops comment on Eva's blog.

Quote:

Hello Eva

I've got some information you need to see. It's really important that
we get in touch. It's not just about Erwin.

http://www.keirjones.co.uk
Posted by Keir Jones at Monday, January 15, 2007 18:55:15

The link leads to eight puzzles on pieces of parchment.
(see http://forums.unfiction.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=17897 for
puzzle thread).

eta: The blue text copied from the wiki updates that day.- drizjr
edit 2: Changed topic name at player request.

Posted: Sun Jan 14, 2007 4:05 pm
Last edited by RomanRazor on Wed Jan 17, 2007 7:04 pm; edited 12 times in total

Jediwannabe
Decorated

Joined: 11 May 2006
Posts: 282
Location: Lincoln, UK

I think you can mark puzzle 03 as solved.
The repeating tones were worked out to be binary, which in turn resolved to the email address coreSPLATsubject180287.net

Posted: Sun Jan 14, 2007 4:15 pm

RomanRazor
Greenhorn

Joined: 01 Jan 2007
Posts: 7
Location: Manchester, UK

Great, I knew somebody was working along those lines but I never saw a final confirmation.

Posted: Sun Jan 14, 2007 5:03 pm

Rekidk
Entrenched

Joined: 19 Dec 2006
Posts: 992
Location: Indiana, USA

Can we sticky this, please?

_________________
iTube - iTweet - iNetwork

Posted: Sun Jan 14, 2007 6:02 pm

yanka
Fickle

Joined: 06 Oct 2003
Posts: 1214
Location: undesirable

I un-stickied this as per a request in chat; if anyone decides to update this thread further, I will sticky it back up.

EDIT: stickying this back up by another request... aww, someone start updating this alreeeeaaady...

_________________
Annushka has already bought the sunflower oil, and has not only bought it, but has already spilled it.

Posted: Thu Jan 25, 2007 4:01 pm

drizjr
Unfictologist

Joined: 28 Nov 2003
Posts: 1700

Warning: There are spoilers to puzzles in here.

Copied and edited from the meigest wiki.

*18th Jan 07*

Eva posts new video http://www.evamcgill.co.uk/4.html thanking players for help with her essay.

The following comment is posted for the video:

Quote:

"Dear Eva,

While you're thinking about your essay; we'd like to help you find out where Erwin is - we're concerned for the little fella - and for you. Don't worry,the mystery is practically solved: we're experts in BATTLING WITH THE BAFFLING!

http://www.timehole.co.uk "

Timehole is the home of conspiracy nuts Pat and Dave, and is host to a forum, gallery, and many amusing videos about their various theories.

A puzzle is found on Timehole's YouTube page; a message with the clue "speilwerk speilwerk speilwerk" leading to the message being deciphered from triple hex. Which led to: http://www.timehole.co.uk/Truthisinhere.html -with the highlight message:

Quote:

"We apologise if this sounds like a clich� but we alone know the truth. There is more going on then you realise and the conspiracy we have found may have terrible consequences for all of us. DO NOT TALK OF THIS OUT LOUD. Do not e-mail us about it�. They are watching. Lots of love Pat and Dave."

*19th Jan 07*

Players continue to talk to Pat & Dave in the Timehole Forums. http://www.timehole.co.uk/forum/index.php

The Timehole shop opens. With logos on t-shirts sporting the url; http://www.welovebeef.co.uk/

*20th Jan 07*

Eva posts new video & blog. http://www.evamcgill.co.uk/5.html Players discover access to Eva's private email account; http://www.evamcgill.co.uk/email/ See here.

From Eva's emails to and from Keir Jones, the final part of the http://www.keirjones.co.uk/ puzzle is worked out: http://www.keirjones.co.uk/ipcressfile/ See here.

In one of Eva's emails from Bryan (Professor) Wilson there seems to be a cryptic puzzle as to the whereabouts of the new sri website:

Quote:

"From Srilanka you can dash to Phuket and dote on their organic lettuce. The first three come with a line, which leads to a place for a period and ends almost with a member of a church!"

This is worked out as http://www.sri-uk.org/. Players Enrol for SRI student placements by filling in a somewhat odd questionnaire. http://www.sri-uk.org/enrol.html

*23th Jan 07*

4 new videos on Timehole: http://www.timehole.co.uk/videos.html

*24th Jan 07*
Eva posts new video of her tasting Youshi: http://www.evamcgill.co.uk/6.html

2 new emails between Eva and Keir Jones: http://www.evamcgill.co.uk/email/kj6.html & http://www.evamcgill.co.uk/email/em5.html

Keir updates his http://www.keirjones.co.uk/ipcressfile/ blog with the following message.

Quote:

"So listen, I was pretty taken aback by all the messages which suddenly appeared here. I only expected Eva to be seeing this site from now on. Eva tells me you are all trying to help her so I'm just going to go along with that. You have to understand though that I'm not quite sure what's going on myself. But I am looking into it and will somehow try to let you all know what I know, or what we need to find out. As to answering your questions - I can't talk to you about Youshi or YouKin right now. As for me, I'm not so good at going out - I'm agoraphobic - so I work from home as tech support. It would normally have to be a pretty severe circumstance to get me out of here but the way things are going at the moment that might change."

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

*25thth Jan 07*

Eva sends out "Erwin is Missing" posters to players.
On the envelopes are Mystery Letter Number Combos and the word "Gronsfeld". Eva knows nothing about them.
Players put it all together as NLPEXP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming EXPeriment) and find ....
http://www.subject180287.net/NLPEXP.html

This video shows Eva falling down stairs; this must have been how she hurt her ankle.
Quick flashes at the end, show another person, and an image of Erwin. (See this thread.)
Who is that person? Who filmed the video? And who or what is behind http://www.subject180287.net/?

Emails are sent to Eva about this video, but she replies

Quote:

I went to that site you mention but I couldn't see anything at all, it was just black with a kind of white noise sound.

Is there more hidden in this video, maybe in it's odd audio file?

*26th Jan 07*

Eva posts a new entry and video to her blog. She's drinking up the Youshi, having Bad Dreams about a fall down the stairs that she doesn't recall. Something unseen (Erwin?) knocks a book off the shelf, and leaves a ghostly trail.

*27th Jan 07*

*Eva new vlog: Help me! , tells us (see transcript) that Keir has emailed her again with a ZIP attachment. He says that it is about her and that "it may have something to do with Professor Wilson". The attachment is password protected.
*Keir updates his blog with

Quote:

"Often you find that people comment on the darkness at the root of our problems."

Sylvia spots that http://www.keirjones.co.uk/ now has a black box on it's background: http://www.keirjones.co.uk/dark.jpg . Hidden in it's source code (See view-source:http://www.keirjones.co.uk/dark.jpg ), is the password to the attachment.

Spoiler (Rollover to View):

corelvl01logbkup

Once opened, it reads :

Quote:

Corelvl01
LOG X.12.06

subject180287>sri-uk.st.no.Gen3MIL-STD-ISO.RFID>output
201206 1403 topsh 2399
201206 1310 henne 999
201206 habit 1599
211206 1040 costacoff
211206 1135 jsains 2933
211206 1841 texac 299
221206 930 hsahid 468
221206 borde 1699
221206 fop 899
221206 1906 thresh 1295
231206 1342 jsains 848
231206 1841 hsahid 678

Dates, time, place, and amount spent from 20th to the 23rd of December. Could it be that Eva has a tracking chip in her !? How did Keir come into possesion of this information?

*Players begin to get phone calls from SRI recruiters.

Edit: I've edited the top part of this post to fill in the gap to the story so far. Many thanks to RothkoWoofed's work on the wiki.

Posted: Sat Jan 27, 2007 7:27 pm

drizjr
Unfictologist

Joined: 28 Nov 2003
Posts: 1700

Jan. 28, 29 and 30

*28th Jan 07*

A new KLV Radio Seattle broadcast is found on google. Phil McIntyre (clad in a beaver costume) and Caroline Warburgher talk about Melvin Geist; actor/ director/producer/businessman, being involved with a shady conglomerate..

Caroline reports wrote:

Well, Phil, the company in question has funded research which they call far reaching, but which Mr. Geist's opponents are labeling "an irresponsible use of technological advances". The prosecution claimed that Mr. Geist is using the finances of this shady conglomerate, to build his controversial spiritual center in Malibu Beach.

Aww, and there's a black & white cat outside the studio. Oh, and Geist is allergic to cats.

drizjr leaves a comment on google video asking about the cat and linking to an image of the poster.
MdmSpirit/Melissa emails Eva to let her know about the broadcast.

*29th Jan 07*

* Update on Eva's blog.

She writes that the "file from Keir was my Christmas shopping. I'm sure information like this is available about all of us but why have I been singled out? " and about Melissa's email that Erwin is in Seatlle.
In her vlog entry, She sits in the dark, looking forlorn, and holding a bottle of Youshi in her hand.

Poor Eva. She is full of doubts; questioning all that she thought she knew .... she doesn't know who to trust. Professor Wilson? Keir?

Comments on her blog: Many strongly urge her to stop drinking Youshi.
Dan comments on a new answer from Yuki when asking it Who is Brian Wilson?
"Professor Wilson is.....Connected to Youkin.
(uF post)

* [Update] Eva's Private Email

Email exchanges between Eva and Keir:

Eva didn't use her credit card for all of those purchases.
Keir is sure the info from the attachment file comes from Professor Wilson. He can't tell her how he got the information as it would make things bad for them both. He doesn't know how they tracked her. "It goes back further than SRI but I can't say where yet."

And One from Prof. Wilson saying

Quote:

Dearest Eva,

Don't worry about not finishing your assignment, it was a means to an end.

Eva, I have been looking at your blog and I have read the messages from your friends. I can see what you are going through. My dear girl, I am sorry. I've known this day would come for many years and please believe me, I have been dreading it. I will try to come up with a way of helping you more in two days time. Please take care of yourself.

Yours,

Bryan Wilson

* Timehole Forum :
Pat and Dave write on their forums denying any knowledge of welovebeef.co.uk

Quote:

Timehole Productions is not running a 'grassroots' Alternate Reality Game of any kind./.... something might happen in the following week if you were to check the site, or something. / this is not a game.

Remember that it was the timehole shop that lead to http://www.welovebeef.co.uk ; the ilovebees parody site with this in it's source code:

Code:

|WeLoveBeef| A TIMEHOLE ARG PRODUCTION| -(Pat make sure you delete this!)

An ARG within an ARG...hmm, possibly. We'll be keeping an eye out for the "countdown to wide awake and milking".

Players' SPEC: Might this be the site where Pat and Dave can give us secret information?
Is FEED BEEF FACE a clue?

*30th Jan 07*

*[Update] Eva's Blog: Feeling Better Thanks to You!
Eva is feeling better. She has finished all the Youshi drink and has just a few more sweets left. She asks for more photos of us "pleeeeaasse" as we are the only people she sees at the moment, and to see where the posters of Erwin have been hung. (There's only text on this entry. ...no video.)

*KLV Seatle leaves a comment as a reply to previous comment

Quote:

Well he did look like that yes. Kinda wise and grumpy. We didn't get a photo though - we will if we can!

Could it be that Erwin is half way across the world?

* Players' Spec/ Discussion:
Given what Prof. Wilson wrote to Eva about reading her blog, we decide that from here on out, we need to consider carefully what we post to Eva's public blog that is of a sensitive nature.
So what's been publicly posted: Keir's hidden blog (solve = "ipcressfile") and the password to Keir's Zip attachment. Have we accidentally exposed Keir?
Oh, my.... who to trust?

eta: Jan 30th updates.

Posted: Tue Jan 30, 2007 1:23 am
Last edited by drizjr on Thu Feb 01, 2007 10:30 pm; edited 1 time in total

Derek007
Boot

Joined: 11 Jan 2007
Posts: 10

Eva's latest video blog
transcript

I know that I posted this on another thread but I thought that it should be on here as well.

On her Blog Eva reveales that she has recieved a package from the United States. She decides to open it on live camera as part of her next video blog.

When she opens it she first pulls out a card with a picture of Dorothy's ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz. Her initial happiness turns to shock as she sees that the gift is in fact from her dead parents. In the card is a letter:

Quote:

Hi Eva,
I think these belong to you. I found them in your old house where you lived as a child. Happy Birthday on the 18th of February. If you need anything contact me.
Yours,
Dr. Frankie Francis.

After reading the letter, she begins to open the wrapped present. When she finishes unwrapping the gift, the camera loses focus, and then goes dark. Before the screen goes completely black, however, the inkblot from the SRI institute flashes for a quick second then darkness

Posted: Thu Feb 01, 2007 2:47 am

drizjr
Unfictologist

Joined: 28 Nov 2003
Posts: 1700

I'm sorry that I haven't been able to update this thread.
If anyone else is willing to do so, please, feel free.
In the meantime, let me just point to the wonderful work that Thunderwolf has been doing on the wiki.
Look there for the latest updates.

Posted: Mon Feb 19, 2007 3:18 pm

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