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Sylocat

Okay, I've gone over the info, and here's a few things I am certain of:

1. The tapes Mark stole from Tollevue contain Lutwidge's voice, so we know it's really his voice in the puzzle boxes, and on the tapes.
2. We know the diary is Lutwidge's own writing, because it was in the Rubix Tube, which Mark got from none other than Lutwidge himself.
3. We know that Lutwidge wasn't making up the trip to Rapture or deluding himself, because too many of the names and dates in his "Utropolis" stories match, plus the scars are consistent with (relatively mild) ADAM addiction.

So, the basic timeline of Lutwidge's journey seems accurate.

So, now I want to find out where Mark found each of the puzzle boxes. I know he found the jewelry box at one of the warehouses, and the Rubix Tube at Tollevue, but where did he get the lunchbox and the... whatever the metal cube is called. Cataclysmic, you with me? Very Happy

**Posted:** Fri Oct 23, 2009 6:44 pm

Cataclysmic V

Absolutely. Also, Lutwidge's trip to Rapture is referenced by the Audio Log on Mark's desk. Email me an IM address so we can figure stuff out in real time.

**Posted:** Fri Oct 23, 2009 6:46 pm

gb14 · Boot Joined: 22 Oct 2009 Posts: 44

I would love to help but I haven't been following this from the beginning so I wouldn't want to give mixed information. What I'm pretty sure of is that the box showed up when his apartment got broken into, right? I think I remember reading that somewhere.

**Posted:** Fri Oct 23, 2009 8:30 pm

Sylocat

A new phone message from Stango... looks like he believes Mark now...

**Posted:** Fri Oct 23, 2009 11:59 pm

mmm · Veteran Joined: 26 Aug 2009 Posts: 82

The Big Sister drops the lunchbox off, or so Mark assumes. It may very well be Lynch, because Mark found it after returning from trying to photo the Big Sister. It's the first puzzle to arrive, I believe.

**Posted:** Sat Oct 24, 2009 12:16 am

Caffiend

**Posted:** Sat Oct 24, 2009 6:40 am

_________________
SEE!!! I told you, always burn all the books.
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Long awaiting : Rachels Walk

MickeyG42 · Boot Joined: 19 Jun 2009 Posts: 60

more of my "trying to find the twist" mind kicking in...how old is Amanda? Any chance she could be Big Sister? Screwing with mark, wanting to get her own daughter back as a new little sister? Yet feeling bad for mark losing her so trying to help him join her in rapture? I kn ow tis prolly not even close to possible...still...the thought crossed my mind.

**Posted:** Sat Oct 24, 2009 8:00 am

mmm · Veteran Joined: 26 Aug 2009 Posts: 82

That's the thing I don't understand about the Big Sister being a little sister rescued by Jack: if Jack rescues the little sisters in 1960 and they're all 7-8 years old, in 1968 the Big Sister is no more than 16. So Mark got his ass handed to him by a 16 year old girl. Granted she probably had a bunch of adam and was wearing her suit, but still, it's a little odd, you'd think she'd be older.

**Posted:** Sat Oct 24, 2009 9:48 am

Guest · Guest

**Posted:** Sat Oct 24, 2009 11:59 am

Sylocat

**Posted:** Sat Oct 24, 2009 12:29 pm

Sylocat

All right, Cataclysmic V and I spent a couple hours digging through the archives and swapping theories via IM, and we think we've figured out what Lynch's goal is.

Let's start at the beginning:

We worked backwards from the puzzle boxes. Mark found the metal box by following clues on a tape he found in Lutwidge's office... which he found because he looked at a newspaper clipping regarding Lutwidge, because he was looking for people connected to the Vanishing (starting May 29-June 12th in the archives), and found Lutwidge amongst the names mentioned. So far no input from Lynch...

But why did Mark first start researching the vanishing? A suspiciously "offhand" remark in one of Lynch's letters, and from the first Utropolis short story that Lynch also sent him.

So yes, Lynch is at the root of Mark's hunt for Lutwidge.

As near as we can tell, Lynch hasn't actually faked any of the puzzle boxes. He's merely been dropping major clues into our lap as to how to open them. He's the one who first brought up the Alice in Wonderland connection, too.

So, here's our theory: Lutwidge really did leave this trail for someone else to follow, but Lynch is the one who nudged Mark onto it.

Now, as for why Lynch would do that? Well, take a look at the twenty-first therapy session for "Quain" at Tollevue:

**Posted:** Sat Oct 24, 2009 5:21 pm

Cataclysmic V

Lutwidge goes to Rapture, meets Fontaine, and tells him about Lynch, a con man who could help his business. Fontaine, on one of his smuggling runs, meets Lynch, and they talk about Rapture, Lutwidge, etc... Later, on a different run, Fontaine brings back Lutwidge all doped up on Adam. Lynch finds out Lutwidge is back, and tries to find out how to get to Rapture. But Lutwidge, a scholar on Carroll, starts speaking in riddles about Rapture, it's secrets, and location. Lynch goes as far as he can based on the knowledge he has from Fontaine and Lutwidge, but can't solve all the puzzles.

That's where Mr. Mark Meltzer comes in. Mark starts looking into these mysterious vanishings in fear for his own daughter. His daughter ends up getting taken. Because of his daughter, Lynch prods Mark on to Lutwidge. Lynch is now just waiting for Mark to solve the 5x5 puzzle. The last part of the sevenfold lock...

**Posted:** Sat Oct 24, 2009 5:32 pm

Guest · Guest

**Posted:** Sat Oct 24, 2009 6:21 pm

gb14 · Boot Joined: 22 Oct 2009 Posts: 44

So let me just get this story straight. Lutwidge has been to rapture and is leaving clues so that someone else can get there? These two people happen to be Lynch and Mark, Lynch can't figure them out so he's nudging Mark to figure them out so he can find his daughter? correct?

btw, great work guys. I wish I coulda helped.

**Posted:** Sat Oct 24, 2009 6:21 pm

Cataclysmic V

**Posted:** Sat Oct 24, 2009 6:26 pm