|
PERPLEX CITY, SEASON ZERO
Project Syzygy
Life without cards
|
General
Long ago, in 2004, long before the Puzzle Cards were introduced, the Perplex City website looked quite a bit different. At one point in the site, it appeared there was nothing more to see aside from amessage from S Marchant (who we would later discover to be Susan Marchant). However after printing the quote from S Marchant a page containing errorlogs was discovered.
This page originally contained 10 error messages, but was later updated with an 11th item.
The original 10 were titled:
- 1817413596.cache
- 2470936999.cache
- 2662497757.cache
- 4274663919.cache
- 4590452353.cache
- 5957496696.cache
- 6290435729.cache
- 6303535475.cache
- 8525166427.cache
- 9457138217.cache
These are all sequences from the number e, as was the title of the final errorlog, which was added on the 14th of October and entitled 0595630738. All the security logs from Gatehouse 24 give a security code to each individual:
- 995ae - S Ling
- 640ea - Lyssa Ling
- 489ae - Fran Mendling
- 529ea - Henrik Tanner
S Ling and Fran Mendling open the gate on each occasion. This indicates that the "ae" represents a higher level of security clearance, either due to rank, or more likely a specific role as a gatekeeper.
Gatehouse Discource
1817413596.cache
[ GATEHOUSE 24 ]
- :: start 074302 +000000
- :: start 074412 +000000
- :: archive location { dev 4 }
- :: index { no }
- :: retention { 1 }
- :: processing time { 0.45 }
- ::
- A
- // labeled A;
- // triangulated location mapped;
- // passive badge { present }
- // badge query { mendling, f {489ae} }
- Mornin[g], Sir [.] Name and badge [,] please
- // not yet reviewed
- B
- // labeled B;
- // triangulated location mapped;
- // passive badge { present }
- // badge query { tanner, h {529ea} }
- Morning, Fran. Tanner, Henrik.
- // not yet reviewed
- // 89% positive emotional state
- // cross reference surveillance footage
- { extrapolated: badge {line 16} extracted }
- { gatekeeper system 24;
- active badge interrogated, passed }
- MENDLING, F
- Please place your hand on the scanner [.]
- // not yet reviewed
- { gatekeeper system 24;
- biometrics interrogated, passed }
- Good morning Henrik [,] please pass through the gate.
- // not yet reviewed
- [ LOG EXCERPT ENDS ]
|
6290435729.cache
|
[ GATEHOUSE 24 ]
- :: start 184302 +000000
- :: start 185212 +000000
- :: archive location { dev 4 }
- :: index { no }
- :: retention { 1 }
- :: processing time { 0.48 }
- ::
- A
- // labeled A;
- // triangulated location mapped;
- // passive badge { present }
- // badge query { ling, s {995ae} }
- Waiting long [,] sis [?]
- // not yet reviewed
- B
- // labeled B;
- // triangulated location mapped;
- // passive badge { present }
- // badge query { ling, l {640ea} }
- Oh [!] You surprised me.
- // not yet reviewed
- // 15% positive emotional state
- // cross reference surveillance footage
- { extrapolated: badge {line 16} extracted }
- { gatekeeper system 24;
- active badge interrogated, passed }
- LING, S
- Are you mooning on about James again [?]
- // not yet reviewed
- LING, L
- I was thinking about [.] You know [,] them [.]
- // not yet reviewed
- LING, S
- Yeah [?]
- // not yet reviewed
- [ LOG EXCERPT ENDS ]
|
Shoes!
There are then some snippets of a conversation between Elizabeth Lee, Sarah Covington, Lyssa Ling and Juliane Pero. It seems like they're discussing shoe designs they've unearthed while researching contemporary Earth culture, and are joking about getting them made. In the correct order, they read:
2662497757.cache
|
From: Elizabeth Lee
To: Sarah Covington, Lyssa Ling, Juliane Pero
Subject: Shoes!
Date: xxxxxxxx
Have you *seen* these?
So cute! Especially the green.
Okay, I *know* this would be a gross misuse of project resources, but do you
think we could try to get, I don't know, patterns for them or whatever? They
must be out there somewhere.
(Anyone know a good shoemaker in the Old Town?)
Liz
|
2470936999.cache
|
From: Juliane Pero
To: Sarah Covington, Elizabeth Lee, Lyssa Ling
Subject: Re: Shoes!
Date: xxxxxxxx
Lizzie, you are too much!!!
I think I'd break my neck in those, but imagine the fashionista points we'd win.
'Who designed those fabulous shoes?' 'Oh, no-one *you'd* have heard of.' Hah!
|
5957496696.cache
|
From: Sarah Covington
To: Elizabeth Lee, Lyssa Ling, Juliane Pero
Subject: Re: Shoes!
Date: xxxxxxxx
I'd say we could even expense it -- just need to form an anthro research team
looking into that consumer habit of theirs :) "Subject: Civilisation and Late
Stage Urbanisation, A Phase 2 Consumer Transition" must be in the offing :)
Sarah
|
Dinner?
4274663919.cache
4590452353.cache
|
Hesketh Zeller
b. xxxxxxxx
d. xxxxxxxx
Brief Biography
Most schoolchildren know the story of Hesketh Zeller, if not for the vast
strides he made in the pursuit of Cube knowledge then at the very least for the
circumstances surrounding his noble death.
Born into one of the City's more respected families, upon entry into the
Academy, Hesketh displayed what is arguably an unrivaled appetite for research
that at times (and ultimately) verged on the lethal.
|
Job Strife
6303535475.cache
|
From: Henrik Tanner
To: Sarah Covington
Subject: Access data
Date: xxxxxxxx
Sarah, I just looked over the logs for so far this month, and I've found three
distinct instances where the equipment wasn't shut down properly. Is there a
maintenance problem we need to look into, or are you force-quitting to shut down
at night again?
I understand you can be in a hurry on your way out, and it's been long days for
everyone. You aren't the only one who's got a family to get home to, and you
certainly aren't the first person whose work has made a huge impact on their
personal life.
I've got S breathing down my neck, and this really isn't something that I want
to have to be dealing with.
Please sort this out. I don't want to have to drop you another line about this.
Henrik.
|
9457138217.cache
|
From: Sarah Covington
To: Henrik Tanner
Subject: Re: Access data
Date: xxxxxxxx
Look, first it was making sure that the shipment manifests had the correct
"cover sheets", and now you're railing on at me about shutting down the test
equipment "properly". You might have S breathing down your back, but that
doesn't mean I need you breathing down mine.
How carefully did you check the logs? I wasn't the only one running tests at the
time, are you sure it wasn't Lyssa? Stop jumping to conclusions and pointing the
finger at me all the time.
If it was me, I apologise. I'll make sure it doesn't happen again.
Sarah
|
8525166427.cache
|
From: Henrik Tanner
To: Sarah Covington
Subject: Re: Access data
Date: xxxxxxxx
Look, I'm sorry about earlier this morning. Come by when you get in tomorrow
morning and we can talk about it. I'm a little stressed out at the moment.
Sorry.
Henrik.
|
BONUS!
An extra 11th errorlog appeared a short while later.
0595630738.cache
|
From: Sandbox Mail Transport Daemon (build 19650602)
To: xxxxxxxx
Date: xxxxxxxx
Subject: Message Undelivered: Project Syzygy Completed
Hello,
This is the mailer daemon at incoming.sandbox.academy. I'm sorry, but I have
been unable to deliver your message (subject: Project Syzygy Completed) for the
last 24 hours. I shall keep trying every hour for the next 7 days. If you don't
hear from me again, you may assume your message has been delivered.
The reason why your message hasn't been delivered so far is that data integrity
transport checksums have failed on all transport attempts. Preliminary diagnostic
information available to me indicates that there has been a failure in Sandbox
Mail Transport Daemon (daemon subprocess 3ea5).
Should you wish further information on this error, please access your designated
support resource. Unfortunately, the security context for this instance dictates
I may not disclose your designated support resource.
--- Your original message follows:
Received: (Sandbox Mail Transport Daemon 4928 remote invocation); xxxxxxx
Received: from xxxxxxxx (HELO xxxxxxxx)
Date: xxxxxxxx
Subject: Project Syzygy Completed
To: xxxxxxxx
From: xxxxxxxx
Sente,
I am pleased to inform you that milestone 24 (Project Syzygy) has concluded
successfully. The team over here has now been assembled and you'll get a chance
to speak to everyone over the next week or so. We're all very excited to be
working with the Academy on this.
Yours,
xxxxxxxx (xxxxxxxx)
|
This addition coincided with the addition of the Project Syzygy Complete image to the Project Syzygy page.
