1.11.01 Intense Secrets

Order

1.05.02

Status

::POLISH::

Location Status

?

GC Point of Contact

?

Location Notes

Anywhere

Type

Optional Puzzle (JOURNALISM)

Plot Setup

Wherever the players are in the plot, the time machine is having more problems.

Props

Two sheets of paper.

Plot Point to Convey

None

Short Description

A pulp science fiction story written by Doctor When/Professor Chronos is discovered in the past.

Detailed Description

After the accident, a scan of the historical record discovers a 1930s pulp science fiction story written by Doctor When or Professor Chronos (depending on whether the puzzle is delivered in Act I or II). Perhaps the Doctor/Professor hid a message in it!

This puzzle is intended to engage the skills that a team of journalists are likely to have.

How To Give To Teams

Over the phone a lab assistant tells them words to the effect of,

During our research we noticed a strange anachronism: a story in a 1930s pulp science fiction magazine...written by a "Wesley When." Is it just a coincidence...some other Wesley When from the past? Or was it our very own Doctor When leaving us a helpful message (but doing so in a way that is so subtle it won't corrupt the timeline)?

Would you please analyze the story and then call the Institute and speak to any lab assistant?

If the puzzle is being given in the Role 1 slot, lab assistant then says

Please go to the Noisebridge Laboratory at 2169 Mission Street in San Francisco. Ask the lab assistant for the "Pulp Science Fiction" research project. There is metered street parking nearby as well as the garage on Hoff Street between 16th and 17th, and the Mission Bartlett Garage at 3255 21st Street.

If the puzzle is being given in the Role 2 or 3 slot, lab assistant then says

Please go to the lab assistant at your current location and ask for the "Pulp Science Fiction" research project.

If the puzzle is being given in the Role 4 slot, lab assistant then says

Please go to the steps of the California Academy of Sciences San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. As the lab assistant for the "Pulp Science Fiction" research project. There is some street parking on John F. Kennedy Drive as well as the Golden Gate Park Garange, one entrance of which is at 800 10th Avenue.

SUPPLEMENTAL EMAIL ROLE PUZZLE SLOT 1

Research Project Title: Pulp Science Fiction

Objective: Analyze 1950s pulp science fiction story to determine if it's a secret message from Doctor When

Location: Noisebridge, 2169 Mission Street in San Francisco; entrance is through a nondescript metal gate; there's a red graphic on black vinyl above the gate; the gate is just to the left of the Mi Ranchero produce market; walk up to the third floor

Upon Completion: Call the Institute and speak with any lab assistant

Parking: Metered street parking nearby (some free, some $2/hour coin meters) as well as the garage on Hoff Street between 16th and 17th, and the Mission Bartlett Garage at 3255 21st Street

Bathrooms At Location: Yes

Food At Location: Numerous stores, restaurants, and cafes on Mission and Valencia Streets, as well as every side street

SUPPLEMENTAL EMAIL ROLE PUZZLE SLOTS 2 OR 3

Research Project Title: Pulp Science Fiction

Objective: Analyze 1950s pulp science fiction story to determine if it's a secret message from Doctor When

Location: current

Upon Completion: Call the Institute and speak with any lab assistant

SUPPLEMENTAL EMAIL ROLE PUZZLE SLOT 4

Research Project Title: Pulp Science Fiction

Objective: Analyze 1950s pulp science fiction story to determine if it's a secret message from Doctor When

Location: Front steps of California Academy Of Sciences in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park

Upon Completion: Call the Institute and speak with any lab assistant

Parking: Some street parking on John F. Kennedy Drive as well as the Golden Gate Park Garange, one entrance of which is at 800 10th Avenue

Bathrooms At Location: No

Food At Location: No

Lab assistant on site merely hands out the puzzle. The puzzle instructions say to call in the solution.

Puzzle Answer

CHECK FERMI DECOUPLERS

Puzzle Solution

- All verbs in the story have past, present, or future tense (time).

- For each sentence, count the number of verbs in past, present, and future tense (time), and form a three-digit ternary number, with the past verbs forming the 9's digit, the present verbs the 3's digit, and the future verbs the 1's digit.

- (Sentences end if and only if a period (not an ellipsis), question mark, or exclamation point appears.)

- Verb counts are as follows (format is past/present/future):

- Paragraph 1: (202,022,100,200,011)

- Paragraph 2: (110,012,202,202,012,200)

- Paragraph 3: (001,020,202,012,200)

- Paragraph 4: (010,120,111,111,001,201)

- This translates to THIRDLETTERAFTERCOMMAS.

- Reading the third letter after each comma (not counting spaces or punctuation) gives CHECKFERMIDECOUPLERS.

Budget

None

Credits

Initial concept by Allen Cohn, revision and execution by Erik Stuart

Manager

Erik Stuart

Hints

- If the players are completely stuck, remind them that the last part of the About the Author section says that the author worked really hard on the title - maybe that contains a clue.

- If they're still stuck, note that the lab computer has done a grammar analysis and, strangely, there are no participles, gerunds, infinitives, or other verbal forms - just regular verbs.

- If they're looking at verb tenses but are trying to put them in groups of three (or something similar), remind them that the About the Author section says something about working carefully on each individual sentence. Maybe the verbs are grouped by sentence...

- It's possible that some teams may not know enough, or know too much, about verb tenses. All verbs in this story appear (are meant to be) either in past, present, or future TIME, and forms such as "will succeed" and contractions such as "I'll kill" are considered part of the same verb. Aspects are irrelevant - "he ran" and "he was running" both count as past verbs.

- It's also possible that there may some confusion about what constitutes a sentence, especially within quotes (or in the sentences describing the sign). The demarcations here are simple - a sentence ends whenever a period, exclamation point, or question mark appear.

- Since there are three tenses (times) - past, present, future - could that suggest a ternary code?

- As an extra hint, the first letter after each appearance of the word "secret" spells TERNARY.

- VERY COMMONLY, teams may be looking at verb tenses and sentences correctly and be thinking about ternary, but be stuck on the idea of "past = 0, present = 1, ...". Remind them that a good ternary code not only uses three values (0, 1, 2), but also has three digits/places. Maybe the three tenses correspond to places/digits (9's place, 3's place, 1's place) instead of the numerals (0, 1, 2) in those places.

Response to Correct Answer

Lab assistant over the phone says words to the effect of:

Check the Fermi decouplers? Let's see... wow, good thing we checked them! They were about to blow, and no good can come of blown Fermi decouplers. Okay, it looks like the machine is running more smoothly now.

[Lab assistant needs to check the scheduling app to see where to send teams next - since this is a role puzzle, the next step can vary.]

To Do

Final internal playtest, or simply verify final mockup; find location and place in game.