Timeline

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Timeline of Events

Contents

  • Below is an outline of the events that have occurred since this campaign began.
  • For a summary of the game's story so far, see the Story page.
Phases
  1. Test Subjects Needed (May 24)
  2. Mission Icefly (June 30)
  3. The Genesis and Facility 1 (July 15)
  4. Extraction and Facility 2

Test Subjects Needed

Discovery of Testsubjectsneeded.com and the sensory evaluation test.

May 24

An ad printed in the Flashpoint comic series leads to Testsubjectsneeded.com

The ad in the DC comic was for 5 Gum and included a "wasp"-like icon and morse code, which decodes to Testsubjectsneeded.com. (see Print ads)

Additional print ads lead to subfolders on Testsubjectsneeded.com, though redirect to the home page

These include a QR code in the Seattle Weekly, and LA Weekly, leading to the /unknown subfolder, but redirects to the home page.

TV commercials for 5 Gum include a brief flicker in the last scene displaying Testsubjectsneeded.com

Closing text in the commercial is briefly replaced by "test subjects needed", leading to the website (youtube).

Testsubjectsneeded.com (and its mobile site) asks visitors to fill out a sensory evaluation test.

On completing the evaluation, visitors are prompted to create a profile, and provide details for the creation of a custom badge said to be mailed out in the near future. Answers to the sensory test provide the basis for a pentagon-like graph.

June 7

At E3 2011, black envelopes with a "CONFIDENTIAL" sticker on them are handed out.

Inside is a printed sheet of paper and a decoder plastic sheet of the same size. When the decoder is held over the paper, an image of an icefly and a link to Testsubjectsneeded.com becomes visible. (These envelopes are identical in appearance to the envelope in the background of the much-later-revealed "benevolence" subfolder).

June 13

At Bonnaroo 2011, crowds were treated to a surreal drop of blinking LED paper helicopters during the outdoor event.

Official Bonnaroo footage is provided in this video (youtube)

An ad in the June/July issue of Seventeen contains another QR code leading to Testsubjectsneeded.com, and highlighted letters spelling "destiny".

The QR code leads to the subfolder /query, and the highlighted letters "destiny" are also a subfolder. (see Print ads)

Users who completed the evaluation test and registered at Testsubjectsneeded.com providing a mailing address begin receiving mail.

Inside the package is an origami helicopter with a blinking LED light. On the copter is another QR code which decoded leads to Missionicefly.com. Packages were reported being shipping in either black or silver envelopes.

Missionicefly.com is discovered, including a countdown timer to 12:00pm Pacific June 30.

An Icefly buzzes around the web interface with the countdown and includes a link back to Testsubjectsneeded.com.

June 25

An updated video of the Bonnaroo 2011 helicopter drop is uploaded (youtube), but includes a brief, garbled phrase with actor Terry O'Quinn (Professor Traelek).

The professor is also seen at the end of the updated video, but the video and audio is to garbled to note for certain what is being said.

The footer of Missionicefly.com is updated showing the phrase "operation reboot", along with jumbled letters.

Over the course of a day or two, the footer of Missionicefly.com clears to reveal a list of 15 cities, implying a coordinated event on June 30th. Instructions are also added.

Through an email, a Twitter account @Mission_Icefly is revealed

June 29

Test Subjects Needed members receive an email reminding them that Mission Icefly will begin in one day.

Mission Icefly

June 30

The timer on Missionicefly.com ends, and Mission Icefly begins.

Once the timer ends, the iris on the countdown clock becomes clickable. The iris leads to Missionicefly.com/rescue, where mission goals will be posted. (The site initially launched with a graphic interface, but was changed to a basic HTML page shortly after launch to handle traffic load)
  • The site includes links to the previously discovered Twitter account (@Mission_Icefly) as well as a Flickr account.
  • When each city was activated, a PDF file was posted with directions to a location somewhere in the city. The first person who made it to the site acquired an envelope containing instructions to text a phone number for further orders. Once the text was sent, the player was given directions to another location, where they picked up their prize: a Human Preservation Project box containing an Icefly replica. When plugged in, the Icefly lights up and blinks, spelling out Survivalcode.com in Morse code.
  • After the first Icefly was discovered, a heavily garbled video appeared on the Mission Icefly website. As each location completed their objectives, more footage was added to the video, and once every city was finished, the final clip contained a URL: survivalcode.com/thegenesis.
  • '/thegenesis' features the full, undistorted version of the Mission Icefly video; when the video finishes, the image of a metal door in an arctic environment appears. A screen next to the door displays a countdown that ends on July 15. Clicking on the screen goes to the main Survivalcode.com page.
  • Players with Test Subjects Needed accounts can also use them on Survival Code. The profile page features the member's sense print, any achievements they have earned, and a "log file" - a five-page comic featuring several elements from the Genesis video.

Based on a reference found in prelude log file #2, Traelekinstitute.com is found.

The website includes a phone number that, when called, plays an automated message featuring a word association test. Each of the four words mentioned in the test - "decoy", "ascent", "blameless", and "misguided" - can be used as URLs to find hidden pages on the institute website.

July 2

Survivalcode.com is updated with mentions of two types of Keys.

Each account is given three "test facility keys" and the "Game Code Entry" page is launched. Codes can be found inside special packs of 5 Gum with an Icefly printed on the back of the packaging. When the code is entered, it can be redeemed for either another facility key or one of ten "constellation keys." The purpose of the keys is at this time unknown.

The Genesis and Facility 1

July 15

The countdown ends and forwards to new page (link) with placeholder text stating "Please Stand By. Transmission to begin in approximately 30 minutes."

The placeholder page is updated showing a large puzzle.

The image shown is an 8-spoked star composed of strings of colored nodes, each labeled with an A and a number. There are 15 shades of color, and each shade consists of pairs of numbered nodes from 1 to its max.

The puzzle is solved, after an error correction and a provided hint, leading to an audio sensory game.

On completing all 20 levels, users are forwarded to their profile and are awarded a new achievement and a new set of log files.

The newly accessible log files contained disguised keywords that lead to additional subfolders of Traelekinstitute.com.

Hidden subfolders include: /biophysicsmonthly, /longing, /benevolence, /aftermath, and /conduit - each expanding on the growing story

July 19

Logging in on Survivalcode.com now takes the player to explore Facility 1 which has several puzzles to solve, including the moved and extended audio sensory game.

Solving the puzzles unlocks new log files. Some of them require keys to unlock.

August 1

Players receive new regular mail packages which contain a message, free 5 Gum and an ID badge which also includes one piece of a QR code. There are different pieces on different badges and the players have to put together the code.

August 8

The QR is put together and decoded to reveal the Converge puzzle here. This results in the password "Extraction". The first person to decode it unlocks a poll on the Facebook page of 5 Gum (link). Players can vote for which 3 of 6 US cities will receive a drop in the second phase of Mission Icefly called Extraction.

Extraction and Facility 2

August 11

In Miami, Houston and San Diego three more iceflies are hunted down. New logs are unlocked and Facility 2 is scheduled to open on August 15..

August 15

Facility 2 has gone online, introducing several new challenges and puzzles.

September 2

5 Gum's Facebook page is had been updated with a new poll and countdown. Cities to vote for are Tampa, Philadelphia, Kansas City, Minneapolis, New Orleans, and Anaheim. Countdown ends at approximately 2PM on Tuesday, September 6.


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