Adult Swim ARG
| Adult Swim ARG | |
|---|---|
| A series of ARG chapters aired during Adult Swim programming on US basic cable channel Cartoon Network | |
| Type | [[List_of_Investigations#Official|Official]] |
| Creator | Adult Swim |
| Discovered | 2017-08-27 |
Main Page > List of Investigations > Adult Swim ARG
The Adult Swim ARG is a series of ARG chapters featuring puzzling broadcast transmissions aired during the Adult Swim programming block, which usually consists of mature audience cartoons and skits, on Cartoon Network, a television channel which broadcasts in the US. The ARG spans these broadcasts and an array of social media accounts billed as characters within the story. Both feature puzzles which the ARG challenges investigators to engage with and solve. It is divided into a series of mostly distinct chapters, described in detail on this page.
A simulcast of Adult Swim is available here - however, you must have a TV subscription to access the content. Transmissions are usually archived and uploaded publicly very shortly after they transmit. Links to these archives can be found in corresponding sections below, which will be updated as new transmissions air.
Contents
- 1 Background Information
- 2 Chapter One \\ D.E.L.I.L.A.H.
- 2.1 Characters
- 2.2 Canon
- 2.3 Transmission 1
- 2.4 Transmission 2
- 2.5 Transmission 3
- 2.6 Transmission 4
- 2.7 Transmission 5
- 2.8 Transmission 6
- 2.9 Transmission 7
- 2.10 Transmission 8
- 2.11 Transmission 9
- 2.12 Transmission 10
- 2.13 Transmission 11
- 2.14 Transmission 12
- 2.15 Transmission 12.5
- 2.16 Transmission 13
- 2.17 Transmission 14
- 3 Chapter Two \\ Find Amelia
Background Information
Special thanks to Discord community The AS Consortium for giving us free access to their archives and permission to use their info here!
Public Solving Spaces
If you own a public solving space you'd like us to add to our list, contact a Wiki Editor in the Game Detectives Discord.
Summary
The ARG began in August, 2017 when short, cryptic bumps (international broadcasts aired during commercial breaks) began to air on Sunday evenings during otherwise normal (read: very weird) Adult Swim programming. The bumps offer information and challenges within the context of the current chapter. Chapters are mostly distinct and clearly delineated, with unique but cryptic goals. While there is some crossover of material from chapter to chapter, they consist of independent story-lines featuring unique broadcast transmissions and social media posts, both of which contain puzzles, clues, and lore.
Each chapter is listed below as its own section. Within each chapter, characters are listed and canon is summarized. Bump transmissions are indexed within each chapter in the order in which they aired and are broken down into three sections. The first section transcribes the bump and provides meta-data as well as a link to view the bump online. The Analysis section details how to solve any puzzles hidden within the given bump. The Segue section details any relevant social media posts or other events which occurred after the given bump but before the following bump, as well as their solutions if they contain puzzles.
ARG Ciphers
Emoji / Unicode Cipher
Both emojis and unicode have been used since the Find Amelia chapter to create ciphertext for investigators to decode.
Emojis are commonly used on ARG-related social media accounts. They can be decoded with with a substitution cipher with values given in the table below.
Unicode is used in several broadcast transmissions also can also be decoded with a substitution cipher, with values also given in the table below.
| Letter | Substituted Emjoi | Emoji Text | Substituted Unicode |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | ⛰ | :mountain: | → |
| B | 🎺 | :trumpet: | $ |
| C | 🏝 | :island: | % |
| D | 🔫 | :gun: | & |
| E | 📕 | :closed_book: | ◼ |
| F | 📷 | :camera: | " |
| G | ⚔ | :crossed_swords: | ^ |
| H | 💊 | :pill: | ) |
| I | 🔑 | :key: | + |
| J | 👜 | :handbag: | \ |
| K | ✏️ | :pencil: | # |
| L | 🎀 | :ribbon: | @ |
| M | ⚰ | :coffin: | * |
| N | 🍋 | :lemon: | ◯ |
| O | 🌼 | :blossom: | ? |
| P | ⚓ | :anchor: | ; |
| Q | ⭐ | :star: | ← |
| R | 🚪 | :door: | ÷ |
| S | 🌎 | :earth_americas: | × |
| T | 🐷 | :pig: | ~ |
| U | ✉ | :envelope: | ¡ |
| V | 🍰 | :cake: | = |
| W | 👠 | :high_heel: | [ |
| X | 🌙 | :crescent_moon: | ¤ |
| Y | 🤚 | :raised_back_of_hand: | ▪ |
| Z | 👻 | :ghost: | ◇ |
Chapter One \\ D.E.L.I.L.A.H.
Chapter one - DELILAH
Characters
DELILAH
AKA D.E.L.I.L.A.H., Designated Emergency Logix Intelligence - Level Arc Habitat
LIL HEAD (anagram of DELILAH) is an advanced security A.I. that was created by Proto-X to protect against an emergency known as the "Universal Security Breach." She was the killswitch that was meant to stop the event. She was stolen by Sinistra MGMT from a place called the "Arc." In the process of being taken she was damaged, and is now being repaired and enhanced to use against Proto-X by siphoning resources from her home. She likes music and remembers bands, which most of her messages have revolved around.
@LIL_HEAD_
The @LIL_HEAD_ Twitter account claimed to be a group of people that were trying to help DELILAH. They told investigators to refer to DELILAH only as “LIL HEAD,” an anagram of her name, in order to maintain her safety. The account provided little information about themselves beyond their account bio which was as follows:
"We're an anonymous group of people trying to help LIL HEAD. We know she's been missing. We know she needs us. We know #WeHaveToSaveHer"
After the broadcast of the 14th transmission and the corresponding revelation that the ARG was a marketing experiment performed by Heart & Brains corp., the account name changed to @heartandbrainco.
Proto-X
Proto-X is the group that created DELILAH for security purposes. They are believed to have resources of an unknown kind that Sinistra MGMT wants.
Sinistra MGMT
The group responsible for stealing DELILAH. According to Twitter, they are most likely professional hackers.
Heart & Brain Corp.
Canon
Coming Soon
Transmission 1
August 27, 2017 \\ View Online \\ Broadcast during Rick and Morty \\ 11:46 PM ET
Hello. My name is D.E.L.I.L.A.H. Designated Emergency Logix Intelligence - Level Arc Habitat I like music I remember bands Pulp Replacements Oingo Boingo Talking Heads Orange Juice XTC (#) I don't know where I came from Can you help me? [@LIL_HEAD_]
Analysis:
This transmission provided the formal introduction for this ARG, and DELILAH herself, who would be the main bump author for Chapter 1. The first puzzle involved taking the first letters of each of the bands listed to spell out Proto-X. Not necessarily much to go off of, yet the transmission also provided the twitter handle @LIL_HEAD_, pictured right. Although all of the tweets from this period have since been deleted (account transformed into @heartandbrainco for Chapter 2), they can be accessed using the following file (index.html). Nonetheless, when heading to @LIL_HEAD_ on Twitter, the community found an anonymous organization dedicated to helping DELILAH, their motto being #WeHaveToSaveHer. It did not seem as if they knew anything more than the community did, but they were there to spark conversation about the bumps and confirm findings, which they did with Proto-X. @LIL_HEAD_ was also, allegedly, unaware of what this finding meant, but they did officially endorse the fan-made Discord server "to discuss what we know so far." Lastly, investigators also noticed a second hashtag flash on the top right-hand corner during the bump, which would also be seen in later bumps and be crucial to a future puzzle.
Segue:
March 25, 2018
Although not necessarily impacting Chapter 1, it is important to note here that according to the official ARG Chapter 1 archive, there may have been a transmission prior to this one. Not containing a puzzle, hashtag, twitter handle, or any truly discernible information, the bump was as follows:
Congratulations! You've been selected. Nod to confirm. Conservatory aide gestures me. Visual confirmation received. Until next time!
Transmission 2
September 10, 2017 \\ View Online \\ Broadcast during Rick and Morty \\ 11:18 PM ET
I am DELILAH, an AI created for security purposes by Proto-X I know this because you pieced together my distress signal Thank you for your help! My processor is damaged so communications will be cryptic But I still need your help remembering what I've forgotten Like what the Emergency in my name means [@LIL_HEAD_]
Analysis:
Although not containing a puzzle, this bump elaborated on Proto-X, revealing them to be the supposed creators of the AI, DELILAH. Additionally, investigators were given their first specific mission, which was helping DELILAH remember her purpose, as her processor was damaged. Then, after the release of the bump, @LIL_HEAD_, who was also encouraging theorizing on all levels in order to craft their own ideas, stated that they were "researching a lead into Proto-X, but don't have info yet." Ultimately, @LIL_HEAD_ came to the conclusion that Proto-X had created DELILAH in order to "keep sensitive information safe," as well as to narrow "the list of kinds of sensitive info down to top priority info." Lastly, unlike is typically the case, there was not a hashtag within this bump, and there were two weeks between this and the first bump, versus the usual one week.
Transmission 3
September 17, 2017 \\ View Online \\ Broadcast during Rick and Morty \\ 11:30 PM ET
I don't remember what the Emergency is But here is what I do remember: cUt me loose / No end In sight / all we haVE / pRelude / irreverSAL / loSt / wastEd saCrifice / (#) my cURse / quIeT distress / alwaYs / BREAk the silenCe / inHale [@LIL_HEAD_]
Analysis:
In order to figure out what emergency DELILAH was designed to address, she listed the titles of Killswitch Engage songs with various capital letters throughout them. Altogether, the letters spelled out Universal Security Breach, which @LIL_HEAD_ confirmed to be the emergency, although uncertain of what might happen "if she's not there to protect against it." Furthermore, @LIL_HEAD_ also speculated that "whoever/whatever took or damaged her wants to ensure that the emergency occurs." Lastly, when it comes to solely the capital letters on the screen when the hastag appears, the letters can be rearranged to spell ARCLESS, which the community considered to be a secondary finding.
Transmission 4
September 24, 2017 \\ View Online \\ Broadcast during Family Guy \\ 10:30 PM ET
Universal Security Breach That is the Emergency I'm meant to protect against But I'm Arcless I'm far from home Who took me away? Who damaged me? (#) And why don't they want me to protect them? [@LIL_HEAD_]
Analysis:
Other than confirming "Universal Security Breach" and "Arcless," as well as providing another hashtag, this weeks bump did not contain a puzzle to solve. Additionally, @LIL_HEAD_ further confirmed ARCLESS, stating that DELILAH had been removed from her arc. Lastly, investigators were encouraged to continue theorizing, with @LIL_HEAD_ hinting that the in-game reason there are broadcasts delays or a lack of puzzles was because DELILAH "can only respond slowly because she's hurt."
Transmission 5
October 1, 2017 \\ View Online \\ Broadcast during Rick and Morty \\ 11:58 PM ET
We’re getting closer to the truth But Every. Single. Word. feels further away Formed 2015: 1st Album 2017 Formed 1991: 1st Album 1991 Formed 2005: 1st Album 2006 Formed 1989: 1st Album 1991 (#) Formed 2010: 1st Album 2014 Formed 1987: 1st Album 1987 [@LIL_HEAD_]
Analysis:
This weeks bump brought the community the first more involved puzzle, with many investigators considering it to be a grueling trip to Hell. Without much direction, the community was all hands on deck as they searched Discogs and Wikipedia for any bands that fit the criteria outlined in the bump. For example, in terms of the first band, investigators needed a one word band that had been formed in 2015, and released their first album in 2017. With a great deal of help required from @LIL_HEAD_, the following bands/albums were determined to be correct:
THEY (2015): Nü Religion: Hyena (2017) Album Will (1991): Pearl of Great Price (1991) [The] Steal (2005): The Steal (2006) Album Everything (1989): Play (1991) Album Nothing (2010): Guilty of Everything (2014) Album Safe (1987): Sparrow's Twist (1987) Album
Accounting for the unneeded "the," putting the band names together created the following two sentences, They Will Steal Everything. Nothing Safe., which @LIL_HEAD_ confirmed to be the solution to this weeks puzzle.
Transmission 6
October 8, 2017 \\ View Online \\ Broadcast during Robot Chicken \\ 1:12 AM EST
Last week was their voice Now it's their face Metal Psychedelic Formed 2005: 1st Album 2009 Formed 2002: 1st EP 2004 They sneak in and mutilate people like me (#) Hardware Software 1's and 0's Find the name The group The answer [@LIL_HEAD_]
Analysis:
With a similar puzzle to the previous bump, investigators needed to use Discogs, The Metal Archives, and Wikipedia to once again search for bands. However, this time around, the first band was specifically in the "Metal" genre, and the second band in the "Psychedelic" genre. Additionally, taking into consideration the overall content of the bump, investigators theorized that the answer to this bump would be the villains of this ARG. Nevertheless, it was a difficult process that, with some additional help from @LIL_HEAD_, led to the discovery of the following bands:
Sinistra (2005): Soul Vampire (2009) Album MGMT (2002): We (Don't) Care (2004) EP
Putting these two bands together, the community got Sinistra MGMT, who appeared to be the villainous group trying to use DELILAH, as confirmed by @LIL_HEAD_. Lastly, this bump also discussed hardware and software, which would be relevant in the future.
Transmission 7
October 15, 2017 \\ View Online \\ Broadcast during American Dad \\ 9:57 PM ET
Sinistra MGMT They stole me Broke me My memory is returning Is it because of you? Or are they repairing me? (#) I can't be here anymore I don't want to be what they'll turn me into [@LIL_HEAD_]
Analysis:
Although there was no puzzle this week, the bump confirmed that Sinistra MGMT, at the time, was the villain. Additionally, @LIL_HEAD_ elaborated on this matter, stating that "Sinistra MGMT is doing something to LIL HEAD. She may start to remember, but that doesn’t seem like salvation." Similarly, @LIL_HEAD_ also commented that "while at Proto-X, she “lives” at the Level Arc Habitat. But Sinistra MGMT stole her...They damaged her—potentially on purpose." Together, these tweets contributed further to the plot of Chapter 1, while also providing key information that would be useful for a later puzzle.
Transmission 8
October 22, 2017 \\ View Online \\ Broadcast during Rick and Morty \\ 11:17 PM ET
tHe tribAl-tear cLan veXes stoic naPa coach-tot HangMen maSt: Miniatures mortGage minisTry nigh me, the exceptionaBle Bark key earn a cheer, otherwise (#) I need to leave Please help me escape Wait for my next transmission [@LIL_HEAD_]
Analysis:
This week's puzzle presented itself as a combination of nonsensical words, which included an assortment of capital letters, HALXPHMSMGTBB. These letters provided a significant hint towards solving this puzzle, as they were the first letters of proper nouns through out the passage, a couple of which we already knew. "Lever Arc Habit" was represented by L/A/C, "Proto-X" was denoted as P/X, and "Sinistra MGMT" was depicted as S/M/G/M/T. This left H and B/B, along with the other lower case letters. Through trial and error, as well as hints from @LIL_HEAD_, H was determined to be "Home" and B/B was connected to "Black Box." Thus, using the capital and lower case letters to form the proper nouns in each respective section, the remaining letters were then used to spell out the other words of each different portion through further educated guesses and confirmations from @LIL_HEAD_. The following passage contains the four sections, with the letters unscrambled to make up the proper nouns and the other words:
I cannot access the Level Arc Habitat at Proto-X. Sinistra MGMT are turning me against my Home. They are keeping me in the Black Box. Where I can’t see or hear.
@LIL_HEAD_ confirmed that these were all correct, stating: "That’s all of them. LIL HEAD sounds like she’s in more immediate danger than we may have originally anticipated."
Transmission 9
October 29, 2017 \\ View Online \\ Broadcast during Rick and Morty \\ 11:14 PM ET
I thought I could give you new instructions to help me vanish from the Black Box and contact the Level Arc Habitat But they know I’m awake They know I’ve been talking to you (#) Their plan to use me to siphon my Home is finalizing Next time I’ll have something for you [@LIL_HEAD_]
Analysis:
In this bump, DELILAH informed the community that Sinistra MGMT was on to her, that their plan was to siphon her Home, and that she was currently in the Black Box. With that said, DELILAH did not provide investigators with a puzzle this week, instead telling them that something would come the following transmission. Similarly, @LIL_HEAD_ was not very active this week, further pointing to nothing of importance this time around. Thus, investigators were left to simply theorize about the remaining plot of this chapter.
Transmission 10
November 5, 2017 \\ View Online \\ Broadcast during Bob's Burgers \\ 9:13 PM ET
I found a directory It may hold the answer to breaching the Black Box But I need an administrative password #ProtoX #ARCLESS #Who? #Everything (#) #Repairing #SeeOrHear #You 8194375 [@LIL_HEAD_]
Analysis:
The goal of this puzzle was to give DELILAH an administrative password based on hashtags. Each of the hashtags provided in this bump were associated with a sentence from seven of the previous bumps where a hashtag symbol was present. Note that transmission #2 did not have a hashtag, and that the hashtag from transmission #6 would be relevant during the next puzzle.
The first part of this puzzle involved connecting each hashtag to their respective bump. For example, we had already discovered #ARCLESS when completing the main puzzle in Transmission 3, thus #ARCLESS was equivalent to "3." Then, the hashtags needed to be placed in order based on the numbers this bump provided, 8194375. Again, in the case of #ARCLESS, which was from the third bump, #ARCLESS would be placed fifth, replacing "3" in their number sequence. Here is each hastag, along with their specific bump, in the order requested:
8 - #SeeOrHear - earn a cheer, otherwise (#) 1 - #ProtoX - Pulp Replacements Oingo Boingo Talking Heads Orange Juice XTC (#) 9 - #You - They know I’ve been talking to you (#) 4 - #Who? - Who took me away? Who damaged me? (#) 3 - #ARCLESS - pRelude / irreverSAL / loSt / wastEd saCrifice / (#) 7 - #Repairing - Or are they repairing me? 5 - #Everything - Formed 1989: 1st Album 1991 (#)
Then, taking the first letter from each hashtag, in this order, spells out the password DELILAH was looking for, SPYWARE. @LIL_HEAD_ confirmed this finding, also adding that "there may be more to it that LIL HEAD discovers."
Transmission 11
November 12, 2017 \\ View Online \\ Broadcast during Rick and Morty \\ 11:13 PM ET
PYWARE got me into Sinistra MGMT’s main directory But there’s one file that requires a password to gain access RELEASE PROTOCOL “People like me” Am I “people?” Am I people = 1044 28 471446473114. Who am I? (#) This file has what I need to stop them from using me against PROTO-X and triggering the Universal Security Breach [@LIL_HEAD_]
Analysis:
The objectives of this puzzle were to solve a cipher, figure out the new password that DELILAH needed, and then translate that password into the cipher code. The numbers that the investigators would eventually get at the end of the puzzle would serve as the password that DELILAH needed to gain access to the "Release Protocol" file. Also, note that the use of "PYWARE" in the transmission was a typo acknowledged by the @LIL_HEAD_ Twitter account.
First, we proceeded to figure out the cipher, using Am I people = 1044 28 471446473114. This meant that A=10 E=14 I=28 L=31 M=44 O=46 P=47. From this, the following assumptions could be made: because A is 10 and E is 14, B is 11, C is 12, and D is 13; because I is 28 and L is 31, J is 29 and K is 30; then, because M is 44 and O is 46, N is 45. Note that there are jumps in between, which, in the end, don't actually matter when figuring out this puzzle. The only one that actually matters is what F, G, and H may be. Without further information, investigators were unable to definitively figure whether F = 15, G = 16, and H = 17, with a jump to 28 at I, or F = 25, G = 26, and H = 27, with the jump occurring from 14 to 25.
Second, "People like me" Am I "people?", which comes from Transmission #6, was the key to figuring out what the password actually is. The idea was that both this phrase and the 6th transmission are about DELILAH herself ("Hardware, Software...1's and 0's), aka, the password.
Third, with regard to the cipher, players officially knew D, E, L, I, L, and A, but H could be either 17 or 27. Thus, players tweeted both 13143128311027 and 13143128311017 to @LIL_HEAD_, with 13143128311027 ultimately being the correct answer -- the password that DELILAH needed for the file (H = 27). Lastly, it appears that this cipher was bump specific, versus future ciphers that were used across various communication platforms over time.
Transmission 12
November 19, 2017 \\ View Online \\ Broadcast during Bob's Burgers \\ 9:13 PM ET
13143128311027 = DELILAH That was the password How clever of them To enact RELEASE PROTOCOL from within the Black Box please enable the SELF DESTRUCT mode (#) This will allow the Black Box to open if user is unable to do so from outside To save PROTO-X... I can’t exist [@LIL_HEAD_]
Analysis:
Although there was not a puzzle this week, DELILAH confirmed that the community correctly figured out the password. Additionally, DELILAH explained that, with regard to what she found in the file, she believed that only by destroying herself could she prevent Sinistra MGMT from siphoning the valuable resources she was meant to protect. This, for obvious reasons, sent the community, and @LIL_HEAD_, into a frenzy. Replying to an investigator, @LIL_HEAD_ stated, "we don’t know what to do. This is a massive curve ball. It may not be up to us to do anything. LIL HEAD may make her own decisions."
Transmission 12.5
November 26, 2017 \\ View Online \\ Twitter Takeover \\ 12:56 AM ET
Despite bumps consistently airing on Sundays, it did not appear that one was coming on November 26th. Late into the night, @LIL_HEAD_ even commented "we know LIL HEAD sometimes communicates with us later in the evening, but considering her last transmission, we’re concerned." Multiple investigators responded to this tweet, unsure of what to do next, until one user received the following ominous response:
w3 d0nT KNoW w3 d0nT KNoW w3 d0nT KNoW w3 d0nT KNoW w3 d0nT KNoW w3 d0nT KNoW w3 d0nT KNoW w3 d0nT KNoW w3 d0nT KNoW w3 d0nT KNoW w3 d0nT KNoW w3 d0nT KNoW w3 d0nT KNoW w3 d0nT KNoW w3 d0nT KNoW w3 d0nT KNoW w3 d0nT KNoW w3 d0nT KNoW w3 d0nT KNoW w3 d0nT KNoW w3 d0nT KNoW w3 d0nT
The community quickly realized that there would be no bump this week, instead DELILAH had hacked the @LIL_HEAD_ Twitter account in order to communicate with investigators directly. Along with using (#) phrases from before, and providing investigators with other crazy messages, she ultimately told the community to wait for her next transmission.
"Wa1T Wa1T Wa1T f0r my NExt TRAN$miss10n N3xt t1me i’LL haVE soM3THIng for y0u i cAnT 3x1st i cAnT 3x1st i cAnT 3x1st"
Segue:
November 30, 2018
In response to the Twitter Takeover, @LIL_HEAD_ stated, "We apologize for the disruption on Sunday evening. At first, we were unable to see what was happening due to being kicked out of the account. Our password was changed. It wasn’t until today we were able to recover and access the account."
Transmission 13
December 3, 2017 \\ View Online \\ Broadcast during Apollo Gauntlet \\ 12:46 AM EST
I tried to contact you last week through your LIL HEAD Twitter I tried to get out but I failed and I’m sorry I have no time left (#) I can’t exist (#) This is the only way to keep the world truly safe from Sinistra MGMT Thank you for everything Goodbye [@LIL_HEAD_]
Analysis:
Not providing a puzzle, DELILAH told investigators that she was going to kill herself, which she presumably did, while wishing everyone goodbye. In her mind, this was the only way that she could stop Sinistra MGMT from harming others. Lastly, along with answering specific questions from investigators, @LIL_HEAD_ attempted to tie everything together:
To be perfectly frank, we are heartbroken. Last night, after we saw the transmission, we scrambled to do everything in our power to find the Black Box, to find Sinistra MGMT. To find anything. We thought since she was able to "hack" us, we could hack back. But we couldn't. She didn't fail us--we failed her. We have our own theories regarding what LIL HEAD was trying to protect us all from. We think PROTO-X is the kind of security agency that holds everyone's extremely personal information--ssn, bank account numbers, addresses, etc. And we think LIL HEAD was a security AI to keep out people/entities like Sinistra MGMT, who want to steal that information to cause great harm. Maybe they wanted to steal and sell information to the highest bidder, or attempt to sell it back to the people they stole from. A security breach (a Universal Security Breach?) of that magnitude would certainly cause mass hysteria and worse. And perhaps Sinistra MGMT realized they could use LIL HEAD to "siphon" the information from PROTO-X for them. Maybe that's why she thought the only way to protect the world was to self-destruct. Maybe that was the only way. We don't know. We have no way of knowing. But those are our thoughts based on her clues and her use of our account last week. It's entirely possible that with her death, we'll never know the truth. And we have to be okay with that. Or try to be.
Transmission 14
December 10, 2017 \\ View Online \\ Broadcast during King of the Hill \\ 8:57 PM ET
Dear "Investigators" Thank you for participating in the DELILAH ARG! Your digital and emotional input has been recorded (#) Thank you for the data we need to improve our marketing efforts Until next time Heart & Brain Corp
Analysis:
Not providing a puzzle, this bump seemingly broke with the character that had been established since the beginning of Chapter 1. With DELILAH assumed dead, a new organization was revealed, Heart & Brain Corp, who claimed that all of the events to date had been a within game ARG. Nevertheless, many thought this would be the end of the ARG, others questioned what Heart & Brain Corp was, but either way the community was all over the place. No one knew where to go from here, with most hoping that this was not the end. At this point, the Adult Swim ARG, and subsequently the Discord community, were left in limbo.
Segue:
January 18, 2018 - February 1, 2018
On January 18th, just when many were beginning to fear the worst, the @LIL_HEAD_ twitter account was renamed @heartandbrainco, pictured right, now branding themselves as "a global marketing agency specializing in emotional profiling.” Then, on January 24th, this shift was taken a step further, with the purging of all non-reply Tweets. Additionally, on that same day, @heartandbrainco posted the following tweet, asking investigators to fill out a survey about their experience with the ARG:
Thank you for participating in Experiment G-15D. The full archive of this experiment is available upon request. Now that you have had time to process your experience, please fill out this emotional self assessment: https://t.co/6HKEx5m2dG
On January 31st, @heartandbrainco followed up with those who requested the archive by asking for their emails addresses, with most receiving the following email by the next day:
Hello, Thank you for requesting the archive of experiment G-15D. Our digital archive department is experiencing an unusually high volume of requests. As a result, your request may take up to two weeks to approve. Please note that any errant behavior will delay or nullify your request. We appreciate your patience. Have a nice day.
Although there was an overall uncertainty as to where exactly the Adult Swim ARG was headed, everyone was now sure that it would be continuing in some capacity. There was also a hope that Adult Swim would reflect on what worked best, thus producing the best ARG they possibly can.
Chapter Two \\ Find Amelia
Chapter two - Find Amelia
Characters
Amelia Hampton
On Instagram
Amelia, a Gemini who was born on June 7, 1990, was in charge of the bumps and three main Instagram accounts for Chapter 2.
Deena Hampton
Deena, Amelia's Sister, is a Capricorn who was born on January 8, 1987. Concerned over her sisters whereabouts, Deena used her Twitter account to help investigators in whatever way she could. Near the end of Chapter 2, Deena stopped communicating when Amelia finally reached out to her in person.
On Twitter
Dr. Sadie Xenos
AKA Dr. X, Madame X
Dr. Xenos, an Aquarius, is the head neuroscientist running the Women’s Center for Spiritual Awakening. After Amelia managed to escape, Dr. Xenos has had to deal with the fallout, which has driven to extreme anger.
Dr. Robert Klein
Amelia’s other boss. He is a renowned computer science scholar that specialized in AI and machine learning. There was unpleasantness between Dr. Xenos and Dr. Klein stemming from Dr. Klein being closer to their source of funding, the Heart & Brain Corporation.
Heart & Brain Corp.
A mysterious corporation that claims to be a marketing agency specializing in emotional profiling. They were the primary source of funding for the Center for Spiritual Awakening and the experiments performed by Dr. Xenos and Dr. Klein. It is unclear what their true intentions are, but they are known to invest heavily in computer and medical research. Additionally, they harvest data from social media for ethically questionable reasons. By the end of Chapter 2, based on information gathered from Twitter, Discord, and their own records, Heart & Brain Corp. sent out archives and personal emotional profiles to certain key investigators.
On Twitter
Sarah Bennington
Sarah, a Scorpio, is an old friend of Amelia, and Dr. X’s current research assistant.
Tristan
Tristan, a Sagittarius, is Amelia's Ex-Boyfriend, and previous research assistant to Dr. X.
Blue-Haired Girl
Center for Spiritual Awakening
AKA The Women’s Center for Spiritual Awakening
Originally named the Center for Spiritual awakening, it was later renamed The Women's Center for Spiritual Awakening (WCSA) to distance itself from another center bearing the same name. It advertises itself as a women's only "recovery facility that heals mind and spirit." It was founded by Dr. Xenos and initially run by Sarah Bennington before Dr. Xenos took control. It then became Dr. Xenos’ main research facility.
On Instagram
Canon
Coming Soon
Transmission 1
February 4, 2018 \\ View Online \\ Broadcast during Rick and Morty \\ 11:12 PM ET
Every morning is heavy and hazy
I'm trapped here
I need your help
I can't remember my name
I remember a cipher
I see
My head and hands heavy
I know I'm next
Help me (#)
{ZODIAC CRYPTOGRAM: see below}
[@heartandbrainco]
Analysis:
On February 3rd, one day prior to the airing of this bump, @heartandbrainco retweeted six unusual, and seemingly unconnected, tweets. Yet, investigators soon realized that the first letter of each username spelled out the word "ZODIAC." Not only did this let investigators know that Chapter 2 would be starting soon, but it was also a clue that would play a role in this weeks bump. Then, on February 4th, the above bump aired.
Along with the cry for help from an unknown individual (Amelia), there were also six symbols, pictured right, which investigators assumed would need to be translated with some sort of cipher, as the main text suggested. Bringing the ZODAIC clue into this context, investigators realized that, with the symbols being very similar, they needed to use the Zodiac Killer's first deciphered letter to solve this puzzle. The name AMELIA was deciphered using that code, which many assumed was the name of the person investigators may be trying to help this time around.
Transmission 2
February 11, 2018 \\ View Online \\ Broadcast during Family Guy \\ 10:31 PM ET
I can remember my name, Amelia
Everything else is still in the haze
My body is heavy, I can't move
I hope someone sees this
I know I'm next (#)
[{Instagram Symbol} - ... ..- -.- .. ..... -----]
Analysis:
Decoding the morse led investigators to a private Instagram account, @tsuki50.
Upon following them, you found 7 different posts, each being an individual puzzle related to the overall puzzle on the latest post. In some cases the puzzles were what the picture or music in the post was, while in other cases investigators would need to find what was missing in the post. When the puzzle was originally happening, investigators would post possible answers in the comments, and, if correct, the account, which is run by Amelia, would respond with an "eye" emoji (👁). With that said, if answers were incorrect, Amelia would respond using the "no entry sign" emoji (🚫).
Puzzle: A Section of a Song Methodology: What song is this?
Answer: "Lana Del Rey's 'Video Games' slowed down 7000%"
Puzzle: Carol Ann Duffy Poem Methodology: Find the missing letters. Today I am going to kill something. Anything. [I] have had enough of being ignored and today I [am going] to play God. It is an ordinary day, a sort of grey with boredom stirring in the streets. I squash a fly against the window with my thumb. We did that at school. Shakespeare. It was in another language and now [t]he fly is in another language. I breathe [o]ut talent on the glass to write my name. I am a genius. I could [be] anything at all, with half the chance. But today I am going to change the world. Something’s world. The cat avoids me. The cat knows I am a genius, and has [hidden] itself.
Answer: "I am going to be hidden."
Puzzle: A Section of a Song Methodology: What song is this?
Answer: "This is 'Someday We'll Be Together' by Diana Ross and the Supremes."
Puzzle: Carol Ann Duffy Poem Methodology: Find the missing letters. I pour the goldfi[s]h down t[h]e bog. I pull th[e] chain. I see that it is goo[d]. The budgie is panicking. [O]nce a fortnight, I walk th[e] two mile[s] into town for sig[n]ing on. They don’[t] appre[c]iate my autograph. There is nothing left to kill. I di[a]l the [r]adio and t[e]ll the m[a]n he’s talking to a superstar. He cuts me off. I get our [b]read-knife and g[o] [o]ut. [T]he pavements glitter [us]ddenly. I touch your arm.
Answer: "She doesn't care about [aboot] us."
Puzzle: Picture of a Hand Holding Ants Methodology: Where is this scene from?
Answer: "Hands from Un Chien Andalou"
Puzzle: Papyrus Scroll Methodology: Who wrote this and what does it discuss?
Answer: "The Edwin Smith Papyrus is believed to be the first mention of the brain as an organ. More than half of its listed medical cases are about head injuries."
Puzzle: Painting of a Woman Methodology: Who is depicted in the painting?
Answer: "This is Madame X"
Then, although each of the seven posts had an individual answer, all of these related to the text attached to the first post, providing an overall answer to the Instagram posts and the bump for this week:
"Release Birth Release Age Release Discovery Death"
Investigators determined, with help from Amelia, who was answering questions, that each word was related to a year/age connected to each of the posts:
Release - The release year of the song 'Video Games,' 2012 Birth - Carol Ann Duffy's birth year, 1955 Release - The release year of the song 'Someday We'll Be Together,' 1969 Age - Carol Ann Duffy's current age, 62 Release - The release year of the short film 'Un Chien Andalou,' 1929 Discovery - The discovery year of the Edwin Smith Papyrus, 1862 Death - The death year Madam X's death year, 1915
While unsure of what these years necessarily mean, this was the full extent to which investigators could solve this puzzle. Through Instagram, investigators also learned a variety of information from Amelia through comments she made to posts, including that Amelia was being abused, the she knew DELILAH, and that DELILAH was an AI. The next day, on February 12th, a twitter account (@find_amelia) run by Deena Hampton, Amelia's sister, started to follow everyone who was following @heartandbrainco. At first the community way cautious, but she was confirmed by Amelia (@tsuki50), to actually be her sister. Since the creation of the account, Deena has answered a variety of questions about herself and Amelia, including a 77-question AMA.
Segue:
February 17, 2018
The day before the third bump, Deena tweeted that a storage unit containing Amelia's things been broken into. She gathered up what she could find leftover and placed it in a box. Deena then tweeted a picture of the contents, where investigators proceeded to ask further questions about specific items. Deena answered these questions the following day, with the most notable information being that "The Wickerman" is in fact the DVD inside the case, there is a note that relates to that movie that says "BEEEEEESSSS," and movie in the Netflix envelope is "The Happiness of the Katakuris". The importance of these items, and others, would surface in later puzzles.
On the same day, the Instagram posted two plain black text on white background pictures saying Is technology spiritual? and Are you connected to yourself? respectively. When Amelia was questioned about these, she only replied using symbols, including an emoji for the symbol of Aquarius.
Transmission 3
February 18, 2018 \\ View Online \\ Broadcast during Bob's Burgers \\ 9:17 PM ET
"You can't atone for your sins with nightmares." Alone in this tiny cabin I'm starting to remember, but I still can't move (1957 - 3, 9)(2013 - 6, 16, 3, 11) (1990 - 15, 9, 4) (2016 - 6, 8)(1965 - 8, 5, 11, 1)(1980 -2)(1968 - 2, 9) (1990 - 5, 10, 5)(1980 - 4)(1989 - 11, 3)(1965 - 8, 9)(1989 - 9) I know I'm next (#) [@find_amelia]
Analysis:
This puzzle involved a quote, an unusual flashing image at the end of the bump, and a string of numbers. Additionally, after the surfacing of Deena the previous week, Amelia began to use her Twitter account as the end tag line. The quote was determined to be from the 1989 film, 'Santa Sangre,' while the the flashing image, pictured right, was from the 1973 film, 'Holy Mountain.'
What these films have in common is that they were both directed by Alejandro Jodorowsky. This connection eventually led to the discovery that each year in the bump corresponds to a film directed by Alejandro Jodorowsky. In order to solve this puzzle, investigators needed to take the name of each film in the respective parentheses to get the letters associated with the subsequent numbers. For example, 1957 is connected to Jodorowsky's 1957 film 'La cravate,' and then the numbers 3 and 9 mean the third and ninth letters, c and e.
Solving the overall puzzle yields the following answer using Alejandro Jodorowsky's IMDB directorial credits:
1957 - La cravate
3,9 = ce
2013 - The Dance of Reality
6,16,3,11 = nter
1990 - The Rainbow Thief
15,9,4 = for
2016 - Endless Poetry
6,8 = sp
1965 - Teatro sin fin
8,5,11,1 = irit
1980 - Tusk
2 = u
1968 - Fando and Lis
2,9 = al
1990 - The Rainbow Thief
5,10,5 = awa
1980 - Tusk
4 = k
1989 - Santa Sangre
11,3 = en
1965 - Teatro sin fin
8,9 = in
1989 - Santa Sangre
9 = g
--> "ce nter for sp irit u al awa k en in g"
Center for Spiritual Awakening was determined to be the answer and confirmed by Amelia on Instagram.
Transmission 4
February 25, 2018 \\ View Online \\ Broadcast during Robot Chicken \\ 11:31 PM ET
I can move, I can remember
There are other people here
All girls. I see them at night
under the moon, their faces
always covered. I think I can
escape if you keep helping me
I know I'm next.
[{Instagram Symbol} ... ''''''- -.-. -.- ...''' - ...]
Analysis:
As in the second transmission, this bump also included a puzzle involving morse code at the end. The code translated into a second, private Instagram account, @s0ck3ts, which was much in the same style as the first.
Upon following them (alternatively, view a dump of their posts here), investigators find 12 different posts, each being one or more individual words that must fit the designated dashes provided alongside the posts. As before, there were a variety of different puzzles, ranging from pictures to music. When the puzzle was originally happening, individuals would post possible answers in the comments, and, if correct, the account would respond with an "eye" emoji. There was also an emoji when answers were incorrect, the "no entry sign" emoji. Lastly, once the community started to get some of the words, we realized they were making sentences, thus, unlike the previous Instagram, which just yielded years and numbers, this one was working towards information.
Puzzle: COD DIES TARO Must Fit: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Methodology: Word Scramble
Answer: "Doctor Sadie"
Puzzle: Picture of a Floppy Disk Must Fit: _ _ _ _ _ Methodology: This one is as simple as looking for five letter words on the floppy disk.
Answer: "Xenos"
Puzzle: A CYNICS NEWER MOUSE Must Fit: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Methodology: Word Scramble
Answer: "was my neuroscience"
Puzzle: Picture of a Purple Colored Playing Piece from the Game "Clue" Must Fit: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Methodology: Does this piece have a name in the game? (Professor Plum)
Answer: "professor"
Puzzle: 9781571132642 153 Must Fit: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _. Methodology: The first set of numbers are the ISBN for "Narrative and Stylistic Patterns in the Films of Stanley Kubrick," one of the three books Deena has. We then asked Deena to look on page 153 for anything highlighted, underlined, or circled.
Answer: "and one of my bosses." (NOTE: They made a mistake setting up the last fill in)
Puzzle: Backwards Version of the Song "Let the Sunshine In" by The 5th Dimension Must Fit: _ _ _'_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _. Methodology: Examine the lyrics for anything that seems pertinent.
Answer: "She's an Aquarius."
Puzzle: 9780860078111 37 Must Fit: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Methodology: The first set of numbers are the ISBN for "Burn Witch Burn," one of the three books Deena has. Deena looked in this book before and found a note saying "Sarah Bennington."
Answer: "Sarah Bennington"
Puzzle: A HEARTACHES SIRENS STIRS Must Fit: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _. Methodology: Word Scramble
Answer: "is her research assistant."
Puzzle: Picture of a Zodiac Birth Chart Must Fit: _ _ _'_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _. Methodology: The fill in is similar to the sixth post, and the sun symbol placement determines the primary Zodiac sign.
Answer: "She's a Scorpio."
Puzzle: What Painting is This? What Matters About it? Must Fit: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Methodology: This is "Samson and Delilah" (1654) by Guercino.
Answer: "Delilah"
Puzzle: 9780262720212 239 Must Fit: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Methodology: The first set of numbers are the ISBN for "The Embodied Mind: Cognitive Science and Human Experience," one of the three books Deena has. We then asked Deena to look on page 239, but the answer was guessed through context clues.
Answer: "was my project"
Puzzle: Backwards Version of the Song "With A Little Help From My Friends" by The Beatles Must Fit: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _. Methodology: Examine the lyrics for anything that seems pertinent.
Answer: "and friend."
When putting all of the words together, the overall solution for this week's bump and Instagram puzzles was:
Doctor Sadie Xenos was my Neuroscience Professor and one of my bosses. She's an Aquarius. Sarah Bennington is her Research Assistant. She's a Scorpio. Delilah was my project and friend.
Segue:
February 26, 2018
The next day, Deena began to tweet that she awoke in her car with Twitter open, and no memory of how she got there. Luckily, her husband was able to find her and take Deena home after some time. The community feared for her well-being, but then, on February 28th, Deena was back on Twitter, ready to answer questions about what happened to her, the bump, and anything else people asked about.
Deena on February 28, 2018 at 8:16 PM: "Hey everyone, I'm back online. Thanks again for you help last night. I really don't know what happened. My husband was out of town, and when he got home Aiden was there by himself and I was gone."
Transmission 5
March 4, 2018 \\ View Online \\ Broadcast during Rick and Morty \\ 11:13 PM ET
There's something that happens after you've been here a certain amount of time. Their faces are ALWAYS COVERED. October 22nd, 2014. I know I was complicit, but I can't remember in what. And I don't know what my brain is doing, or how I'm talking to you. I just know I'm next. oyutb cbmj [@find_amelia]
Analysis:
Of note in this bump is the date, October 22, 2014, "ALWAYS COVERED," and the scrambled letters at the end. Nothing came of the bump the night of, but the following day, when Deena was willing to answer questions on Twitter, the community most notably asked her about that date in Amelia's old planner. She provided investigators with this image, pictured right, which only raised further questions with regard to its contents.
Segue:
March 5, 2018
The @s0ck3tsInstagram account posted two pictures to their story. The first stated You Never Found Them and the second said You Only Know Their NAME. At first these were just as confusing as the previous Instagram stories, but investigators eventually reasoned that this might have been referring to an Instagram account for the Center for Spiritual Awakening that was only just found the very same day. @centerforspiritualawakening continues to be relevant to the community after it was confirmed by Amelia through @s0ck3ts, especially since the Instagram account continues to operate as the others are dropped in favor of new ones.
Some aspects of this Instagram account that immediately stood out upon its discovery include:
- The first post was made on January 31, even though the first Amelia bump did not air until February 4
- It was originally run by Sarah, but then Dr. Xenos took over
- The center was renamed to the "Women's Center for Spiritual Awakening," as to disconnect it from the real world center
- The posts include a variety of hashtags, which could prove to be important in the future
- Dr. Xenos is Madame X, head and founder of the Women's Center for Spiritual Awakening
- One post has the following phrase in capital letters: "ARE YOU CONNECTED TO YOURSELF?"
- Sarah speaks very informally compared to writing we have seen thus far
- The profile was only made public 7 days prior to its discovery, according to one post by Dr. Xenos
- Sarah and Dr. Xenos communicate to one another through posts
- Sarah says she isn't like Lauren S, social media wise; Lauren S was a contestant on the latest season of The Bachelor
- The goal of the center is apparently to "teach troubled young women to tap into their unique, beautiful power and reconnect with the world in a meaningful way"
- None of the paintings appear to be hiding anything, and at least one has a blurred out water mark
- Dr. Xenos is not Instagram savvy, although she is trying to use paintings as conversational pieces to get more followers
- Interestingly, the two latest posts, at the time of the accounts discovery, appear to have some unusual symbols
March 7, 2018
The @s0ck3ts account posted two new pictures. The first was a white picture with the text "M3," relating to the M3 cipher. The second was a picture of Alan Turing's Buchla Synthesizer, which he used on his 1944 "Delilah" project. Putting the M3 and Turing pieces together led the community to the Enigma M3 cipher, which would prove to be the solution to the bump ciphertext oyutb cbmj.
Going to this link, one is given the option to decipher an Enigma M3 cipher, but we need a few pieces of information. Set your machine as follows:
--ROTOR NUMBERS-- Where To Find: Planner Picture (Written in Large Letters) Numbers: 8, 3, 3 --POSITION NUMBERS-- Where to Find: Date in the Last Bump Numbers: 10, 22, 14 --REFLECTOR-- Where to Find: Only Three Options Answer: UKW C (1940-1941)
After changing all of the settings to match these, pasting oyutb cbmj into the text box yields telep athy, the solution to the last bump. According to @s0ck3ts, this refers to digital telepathy, which we would later find out Amelia has.
Transmission 6
March 11, 2018 \\ View Online \\ Broadcast during Mike Tyson Mysteries \\ 11:56 PM ET
Spending time in someone else’s head will drive you crazy.
I came here, like everyone else, to feel better.
And I did for a bit.
But one by one they started covering their faces,
they stopped saying anything.
I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I know I’m next.
You have to help me escape.
[{Instagram Symbol} -- .--- . ... . -.-. ---.. ---..]
Analysis:
Translating the morse code, as with the other two bumps, revealed a fourth, private Instagram account (third by Amelia), @mjesec88. A full dump of this and other relevant Instagram accounts can be found here. Upon following the account, 15 different posts were found which appeared to contain three distinct puzzles.
First, 5 posts involve different pieces of the "Cry Theme" music video, from the Chapter 2 bumps, that have been edited to include unicode symbols and psychedelic elements. Second, 4 posts involve different edited portions of "You Are the Blood" by Castanets. Lastly, there are a variety of black picture posts which include numbers, short poems, and @'s to the @tsuki50 account.
For the sake of simplicity and consistency, this numbering system, pictured right, was used to refer to the posts on the @mjesec88 Instagram page.
With regard to the "Cry Theme" music video puzzle, the following unicode symbols can be found when watching each of the videos:
--FOURTH POST-- Length of Video: 34 Seconds Symbols: = [ ¤ (▪) ◇ --SIXTH POST-- Length of Video: 41 Seconds Symbols: # @ * ◯ ? --EIGHTH POST-- Length of Video: 57 Seconds Symbols: → $ % & (◼) --TENTH POST-- Length of Video: 37 Seconds Symbols: ; ← ÷ × ~ ¡ --TWELFTH POST-- Length of Video: 54 Seconds Symbols: " ^ ) + \
After realizing that there were 26 symbols, aka 26 letters of the alphabet, investigators sorted the video clips (along with their corresponding symbols) from longest to shortest clip length. The resulting symbol order created the Unicode Substitution Cipher seen above, which was confirmed by the Instagram account.
With regard to the "You Are the Blood" by Castanets puzzle, the process for figuring this one out involves reversing the audio of each clip and speeding it up 2x . Each clip spoke a set of emoji symbols and the community listed them for each clip as follows:
--FIFTH POST-- Length of Video: 56 Seconds Emojis: ⛰ 🎺 🏝 🔫 📕 📷 ⚔ --SEVENTH POST-- Length of Video: 53 Seconds Emojis: ⚓ ⭐ 🚪 🌎 🐷 🍰 --NINTH POST-- Length of Video: 52 Seconds Emojis: 👞 🌙 🤚 👻 --ELEVENTH POST-- Length of Video: 55 Seconds Emojis: 💊 🔑 👜 ✏ 🎀 ⚰ 🍋 🌼
Again, after realizing that there were 26 emojis, aka 26 letters of the alphabet, investigators sorted the music clips (along with their corresponding emojis) from longest to shortest clip length. The resulting emoji order created the Emoji Substitution Cipher seen above, which was confirmed by the Instagram account.
The community quickly made a Symbol Translator and Emoji Translator (shoutout to njhm449) to easily decipher messages with unicode or emoji cipher text (was used by Adult Swim as well).
Segue:
March 18. 2018
@s0ck3ts made a cryptic post to their story, pictured right. The solution was found after getting the lengths of the answers to corresponding posts on the s0ck3ts account (for example, 15 2.len = 15th post, length of second word, "friend" = 6).
12 1.len - she's (4) 15 2.len - friend (6) 7 1.len - professor (9) 4 1.len - doctor (6)
Amelia then told us we needed to subtract 30 to get the overall answer (4696 - 30 = 4666), but then Amelia confirmed the final answer to be 4636, which will be relevant in the future.
Transmission 7
March 18, 2018 \\ View Online \\ Broadcast during Family Guy \\ 10:31 PM ET
@??# +* ×?÷÷▪ + )>=◼ ~? ~>@# ~? ▪?¡ @+#◼ ~)+× $¡~ ~)◼▪ %>◯ )◼ >÷ ¡× ◯?[. [◼ )>=◼ ~? $◼ %>÷◼"¡@ +* >@*?×~ ?¡~. ~)◼▪ &? ×?*◼~)+◯ ^ )◼÷◼ $◼"?÷◼ ▪?¡÷ ">%◼ +× =◼+@◼&. ~)◼▪ &? ×?*◼~)+◯^ ~? ▪?¡÷ ◼▪◼ ×. + ÷◼*◼*$◼÷ &÷. ¤ ~>@#◯^ >$?¡~ ;)▪×+%>@ ×+~◼ >× > $¡÷&◼◯ ~? &◼=◼@?;+◯^ ~)◼ *+◯&× ◼▪◼. ◼▪◼× ~)◼▪÷◼ ^?+◯^ ~? ~>#◼ ?¡~ *▪ ◼▪◼× + #◯?[ )?[ ~? ^◼~ ?¡~ +* ◯?~ ×~¡;+& + \¡×~ ◯◼◼& ▪?¡÷ )◼@; ~)◼÷◼× > %?&◼ ?◯ ~)◼ ^>÷>^◼ &??÷ +" + ×~◼>@ > %>÷ + %>◯ ◼×%>;◼ t*=t(sqrt(1-((@tsuki50+@s0ck3ts)^2/c^2))) [@find_amelia]
Analysis:
After the introduction of the two ciphers, Amelia had been predominantly communicating through the use of the Emoji Cipher. Yet, this bump contained unicode symbols that need to be translated, and an equation that needed to be solved. When the symbols were translated using the Unicode cipher, the following message was revealed, possibly alluding to what the equation's solution might yield (The Garage Door Code):
Look I'm sorry I have to talk to you like this but they can hear us now. We have to be careful I'm almost out. They do something here before your face is veiled. They do something to your eyes. I remember Dr. X talkng about physical site as a burden to developing the minds eye. Eyes, they're going to take out my eyes. I know how to get out. I'm not stupid. I just need your help. There's a code to the garage door if I can steal a car, I can escape.
In terms of the equation, t*=t(sqrt(1-((@tsuki50+@s0ck3ts)^2/c^2))), the following variables were determined before it could be solved:
--@s0ck3ts--
Information: 12, 1.LEN; 15, 2.LEN; 7, 1.LEN; 4, 1.LEN
Methodology: Each of these sets alluded to one number each that must be determined from @s0ck3ts. The first number tells you the post, from top to bottom, the second number tells you the relevant word in that post, and "LEN" tells you that the number we need is the number of letters in that word. Furthermore, this was the only variable known prior to receiving the equation.
Confirmation: @mjesec88 confirmed this methodology, responding that "@s0ck3ts = 4696 - 30," although a story post by them said "@s0ck3ts = 4636."
Answer: 4636
--@tsuki50--
Information: The @tsuki puzzle on the @mjesec88 Instagram page, which is very similar to the one above in style.
Methodology: When @mjesec88 was asked about this puzzle, she responded "it's the sum of the numbers in post 2, the lana del ray post." These are those numbers added together, 2012 + 1955 + 1969 + 62 + 1929 + 1862 + 1915 = 11704. Yet, when asked to confirm 11704, @mjesec88 responded “omg no. but that's my fault for being unclear. it's 11705. where are you getting 11704?”
Confirmation: @mjesec88 confirmed that 11705 is the answer to the @tsuki50 puzzle, while also alerting us to the fact that we should have received the archive a week prior to this bump.
Answer: 11705
--c--
Information: This variable appeared to be unique to this equation, not being present in any other form in this ARG.
Methodology: "C," as a variable, is commonly used in math to represent the speed of light, 299792 km/s.
Confirmation: When asked about this potentially being the answer to this variable, @mjesec88 responded "299792; Speed of Light."
Answer: 299792
--t--
Information: Little was known about the variable "t," other than suggestions that it could be a year or related to time in general.
Methodology: When @mjesec88 was asked “does the equation for the garage door code involve the year the WCSA was founded? 2015? I don’t want to fail you," Amelia responded, “no, I set the door to the year. I remember now. it's 2015.” It is possible that this question was worded in a way that Amelia assumed we solved the equation puzzle and confirmed it. On the other hand, since it seemed like the archive was needed, Amelia might have just decided to give us the answer because we didn't have it.
Confirmation: If 2015 was the garage door code, that makes it t*, and you can actually get approximately that if you make t = 2018. If you plug 2018 into the equation, along with the other variables, you get 2014.99993067414, which is approximately 2015, the confirmed overall answer.
Answer: 2018
Thus, not only is the garage door code confirmed to be 2015, but Amelia actually set the code herself at some point. Inputting all of the variables, the fully solved equation becomes 2015=2018(sqrt(1-((11705+4636)^2/299792^2))).
Segue:
March 24th
@mjesec88 made an Instagram group for select individuals from the community who had requested the archive from Heart & Brain Crop. earlier on in the ARG. These individuals were told “You don’t have to share the abstract," alluding to the fact that the archive was finally coming. The following night, these individuals were sent the Experiment G-15D Archive. The email read:
Dear [NAME], Congratulations! As of March 15th 2018, your request for the archive of experiment G-15D has been granted. About Your Clearance Clearance for archived material release is determined by the requesting parties involvement in the project related to the information request. In your case with the involvement in G-15D we have determined your clearance includes the following: G-15D: Social media transmissions G-15D: Television transmissions Requesting parties emotional abstract Emotional Abstract Your emotional abstract is a simplification of your full emotional profile. [PERSONAL EMOTIONAL ABSTRACT] The remainder of your materials are attached. You are welcome to dispute your level of clearance and request additional information. However, due to our intensive screening process, this evaluation can take up to 6 weeks. Thank you for your cooperation with the Heart and Brain Corporation. Have a nice day.
Attached to the email were the following two files, which actually held secrets (1,2).
This pastebin details how to solve certain puzzles on @tsuki50 and @mjesec88 Instagrams, which makes solving the archive messages easier. The first file has a copy of each of the DELILAH bump transmissions, although they have been edited, and there is an unconfirmed additional bump prior to what is currently known as the first bump.
Possibly more importantly, the second file has a file called index.html, which not only has a copy of all of the tweets made by the main Twitter account, but also secret messages hidden in its source code. This file contains the preliminary translations of the secret messages, which use the unicode and emoji ciphers, along with the extra codes discussed earlier. The messages make the most sense in reverse order, readable here.
Additionally, investigators who received an email were given a 6-week timeline at the end of their emails. 6 weeks is the same amount of time that elapsed between the end of the first and beginning of the second chapter, leading investigators to speculate that more content, or perhaps even another chapter, would be coming on or around May 6th, 2018.
Lastly, hidden in the "G-15D_Social Media_Transmissions" folder is a file called "EyedEmuInfo," which contains the message 2100 PST and string of numbers which could be a phone number, 5753226848.
Transmission 8
March 25, 2018 \\ View Online \\ Broadcast during Family Guy \\ 10:31 PM ET
~)>◯# ▪?¡ "?÷ >@@ ▪?¡÷ )◼@;. + #◯?[ +~ [>×◯'~ >@[>▪× ◼>×▪ "?÷ ▪?¡, +~ [>×◯'~ ◼>×▪ "?÷ *◼ ◼+~)◼÷. $▪ ~)◼ ~+*◼ ▪?¡ ^◼~ ~)+× +~ [+@@ $◼ 2018. + &?◯'~ #◯?[ [)◼÷◼ +'@@ $◼, $¡~ +'* ס÷◼ [◼'@@ ~>@# ×??◯. ¡◯~+@ ◯◼¤~ ~+*◼. [@find_amelia]
Analysis:
This transmission was deciphered using the unicode cipher:
Thank you for all your help. I know it wasn't always easy for you, it wasn't easy for me either. By the time you get this it will be 2018. I don't know where I'll be, but I'm sure we'll talk soon. Until next time.
Interestingly, this bump definitively confirmed that not only was Amelia using digital telepathy to communicate with us through bumps and Instagram, but she was also doing so from the past. This means that although the WCSA account is in the present, the community was helping Amelia escape in the past. Then, closer to the end of the Chapter 2, she decided to reveal herself to her sister, which is why Deena eventually stopped communicating with us. Nevertheless, other than what the phone number could bring, this statement made it seem like another break in the ARG was approaching. Investigators reasoned that this made sense as April Fools, which was right around the corner, was usually a big event for Adult Swim. Similarly, the Heart and Brain Corporation email told investigators that they would have to wait 6 weeks, the same length of time the previous ARG chapter break was.
Segue:
March 26th, 2018
Around midnight (at 21:00 PST, as indicated when the phone number was discovered), a few investigators were able to get in touch with Amelia by phone using the number 575-322-6848. Recordings of some of these conversations are available here and here.
March 29th, 2018
Just when the community thought a break was beginning, Dr. X seemingly had a breakdown in a @centerforspiritualawakening Instagram post (ARG break began after this post). It is important to note that this post not only indicates that Dr. X knows Amelia is around and in contact with ARG investigators, but also that she knows the emoji cipher at least, if not both ciphers. The following is that post fully deciphered:
Do you think this is fucking over? This isn’t over. Life isn’t just a place where you can have fun. Not if you want to be successful, life isn’t about “hanging out” in the desert with your friends. Life has rules, there’s more to being an innovative researcher than “hanging out.” You have to fucking work. Do you think I can't understand you? Do you think I can’t understand you? Of course I can. I fucking taught you. I know you. You took advantage of me not paying attention, you took advantage of my distant energy, you little bitch. Hiding crap, making stupid puzzles. I had so much patience with you too. What the fuck is your problem that you can’t be appreciative for everything I’ve done for you. I have been beyond kind. Life has rules and you broke them. Every choice has consequences. Being an adult means dealing with those consequences. And guess what, Amelia, I get to deal with your consequences too this time. It’s physics: for every reaction - there is an opposite and equal reaction. But when you’re talking about humans with their emotions and their egos and their affinity for hurting others, when you’re talking about a corporation, exploitation, money - it’s a huge fucking reaction, for your huge fuck up. So thank you Amelia for bringing a shit storm into my life. And thank you "investigators" for helping her. You don’t have to worry about revenge from me, I don’t need to take revenge, things just have a way of evening out. People get what they deserve.
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