Mission 2- The Hideout
With the release of Intel 3, Cadre members are informed about their next mission and given the link to sign up for a timeslot. After signing up, they are instructed to meet with their informant at the big tree in the Gardner Arboretum.
This video is a complete walkthrough experience of this mission. A member documented this mission for preservation and for uploading here. If you continue below, there is a full detailed explaination of this mission.
Once members arrived at their scheduled time, an informant greets them and leads the members to a room in the Lampe Building. At the door they are greeted by another informant who ushers them into a small room with empty bookshelves, a couple workstations, and several chairs. In the middle of the room sits a large glowing device that puts off a low constant mechanical sound. The members are asked to sit in the chairs as Mister E will fill them in on their assignment.
On the computer in the room plays another orientation video from The Institute. This video is labeled "Device Orientation 6 of 7: The Aperture". Similar to all previous orientation videos, Dr. Beldon proceeds to explain the purpose of the device and dangers of it.
The Aperture is described as similar to The Looking Glass, but able to temporarily create a transversable opening in space-time. It creates a "pocket universe" and to not get stuck inside when the device becomes unstable and eventually collapses.
After the completion of the Orientation film, Mister E appears on the screen with more instructions on the members' mission.
Mister E informs the members the Aperture opens to a storage room in 1974. It is believed that in this room, Emma has set up a small space to live and continue to research events leading to Jess' disappearance and now her own.
The member's mission is to search through Emma's hideaway, find Emma's Institute ID number, and discover any information they can about her disappearance.
Mister E informs the members there is a strict time limit inside the Aperture before it overheats and collapses. They do not want to get stuck inside.
After the message from Mister E, one of the informants reinforces what Mister E just said, they have limited time in the pocket, to try and find Emma's Institute ID, and find any information Emma has collected.
Walking through the Aperture, members find themselves in a small, cramped storage space in 1974. Inside the Aperture to the right, there is a bookcase with many books and continuing into the space there are several sets of shelves with boxes and other items being stored. In the back of the space it looks like someone has set up a small living space with a couch, cot, table, and stove. In this area, there is a large board attached to the wall with a combination lock. Throughout the space, a radio broadcast can be heard playing various songs with a DJ giving an interlude between each songs.
At closer inspection of the cabinet, above the combination lock are instructions on how to use this type of lock and a hand drawn piece of tape with three symbols separated by a dash. Each of these symbols seem to coordinate with one number to the lock.
Newspaper - Book with Music Note - File Box
On the table seems to be the starting point for several of these puzzles. On the table is a typewriter with a paper recently typed and several words blacked out, a crossword puzzle with a newspaper clipping, a black light flashlight, and a cassette tape player.
The path for each puzzle is broken down below by the coordinating symbol.
Newspaper
On the table there is a crossword puzzle with a newspaper clipping sitting underneath it. On the crossword puzzle, certain squares are colored yellow and have a secondary numbering besides the normal crossword indicators. The 16 clues are all individual words.
The clipping on the table with the crossword has the headline "Steinem." When the flashlight is shined on the clipping, the word "gynocracy" is highlighted. Steinem coordinates with 5 Down on the puzzle and the word gynocracy fits in the boxes given.
This leads the members to search around the room for the other newspaper clippings. Some obvious, others hidden, the members collect another 15 clippings. These articles cover various topics from political events to popular culture. Each clipping's title corresponds to a clue on the crossword and the highlighted word fills in the squares.
After filling in all answers, the highlighted squares show the following letters.
S H X Y I I R T T
When organized by the secondary number clues, the enneagram spells:
T H I R T Y S I X
This gives the members the first number to the lock.
Book with Music Note
On the bookshelf to the left when facing the Aperture, there is a bookshelf full of books. Among these books are eleven paper covered books with song titles and artists hand written on the spines. At the bottom of each book is one or two letters.
From the moment the Cadre members entered through the Aperture, a radio on the window sill by the table has been playing a radio broadcast. This broadcast seems to be playing a four songs with a DJ talking in between each song. The members soon find out the person who is speaking on the radio is Emma. The radio plays a total of 4 songs then seems to repeat back to the same speech Emma began with.
Left on the type writer is a typed out script of what Emma is saying on the radio, except the songs have been blacked out. This leaves the members to need to figure out what the songs are that have been blacked out.
The full audio and the transcript are below.
Full Radio Broadcast:
1974 Radio FullOnly Emma's parts of the broadcast:
1974 Radio Emma Only
Emma's Radio Transcript
That was, of course, “Paint it, Black” by The Rolling Stones. If you’re anything like me you’re anxiously awaiting the release of their new album. It’s incredible how they just keep releasing such great music. I’m not sure how much longer they can keep it up, but something tells me they’re gonna be around awhile. Anyway, enough about The Stones, good evening everyone, this is Progressive Radio 88 WKNC-FM, and I’m Emma B, here for the next hour to bring you the latest prog rock.
Normally I don’t dip into the ole personal life here but this day has been full of ups and downs for yours truly. In the plus category, it was announced today that sophomore Susan Kirks will be WKNC’s first woman News Director. So, congratulations to my pal Susan for all her hard work, I’m so happy for you! And here’s to more women like you in the media. On a more somber note, I got some really sad news today… So I hope y’all will indulge me tonight if things are a bit more chill than usual. In lieu of my typical onslaught of prog rock, I’m gonna be mixing in some other recent favorites in honor of my friend Jess. So, first up is Jim Croce’s “Time In A Bottle”.
--------------------------------Two Song Break---------------------------------
Welcome back, you’re listening to Radio 88 WKNC-FM, one of the Twin Voices of the Wolfpack, and that was “Time” from Pink Floyd’s, ever present, Dark Side of The Moon. Even though the album only remained number 1 on the billboard charts for one week, it’s remained in the top 100 since its release last year and doesn't look like it’s going anywhere anytime soon. I hope y’all are enjoying this beautiful August night. Next up I’ve got some Cat Stevens for you to continue with the mellow train tonight.
The songs that play throughout the broadcast are:
"Paint it Black" By The Rolling Stones
"Time In A Bottle" By Jim Croce
"Time" By Pink Floyd
"Oh Very Young" By Cat Stevens
When the books are stood in this order it spells E LE VE N.
Eleven is the second combo number
These books are labeled with:
N
VE
LE
E
File Box
Spread around the room are many different boxes on shelves, most of these boxes being file boxes. Inside seven of these boxes are green wooden blocks with notches cut in several places. On each piece has a label of "1 of 7" to "7 of 7". When the blocks are attached to each other in the specific orientation, with matching notches, they spell out the number:
34
This gives the members the last and final number.
Returning to the locked cabinet after retrieving what the members believe to be the code, they input the code:
36 - 11 - 34
The combination lock snaps open and the members open the cabinet, revealing what Emma believes is worth locking away.
Inside the cabinet, there is a detailed timeline of events and information regarding Jess' disappearance and her own.
Some of the pertinent information includes:
Jess' Disappearance Date
Emma's Disappearance Date
Founding of the Institute
Jess' death and Obituary
Among the timeline, many things are attached to the board:
The Hanged Man Tarot card
a cassette tape labeled "Recording From Jess" and "This Side Up"
a plastic bag containing a modern-day cell phone and an Institute ID card for Emma Beldon including her ID number: EB15397
On the center of the board, there are two items that seem to be of more importance, Jess' obituary and a cassette labeled "Recording from Jess".
Jess's Obituary
Prof. Jessica E. Reeves PHD
1902-1958
Prof. Jessica Reeves died on November 6th at the age of fifty-six. Her untimely death, due to a tragic fire in her home, came at a period when her research had become very productive, and has been a shock and great loss to all of her friends and colleagues. Prof. Reeves moved to Raleigh in 1922 where she later received her early education at North Carolina State College, becoming one of the first female students to be awarded a bachelor of science in 1927 specializing in mathematics and physics. In 1926 she was awarded honors in physics, and in 1929, despite reservations surrounding her gender, she was appointed a junior lecturer in physics. During this time she continued to pursue her doctorate in astrophysics and was eventually awarded the degree of doctor of science in 1933 for her thesis on this work. Also during her studies she met and was united in marriage to Sgt. Jack Reeves on Apr. 14, 1934. He died in the line of duty in 1942 during a bombing raid and was posthumously awarded a Bronze Star. Like her husband, Prof. Reeves volunteered her services to the war effort, serving in the allied Union Defense Force overseas.
Following the war, Prof. Reeves continued working overseas in a lab as a researcher and later rejoined the North Carolina State College staff in 1950. Despite the very heavy teaching duties which the staff undertook on account of the large number of ex-servicemen returning home from the war, she continued with her research into astrophysics and negative energies.
In 1954 the staff of the Department of Physics agreed to form a team working together in her specific field of experimental and theoretical physics, of which she was appointed chair, which she held until her untimely death. In addition to teaching and research, Prof. Reeves played a large part in other University activities, while outside the University she found time for many scientific and public services. Her most important cause and contribution being the recruitment of women into the various fields of science. Friends and colleagues will remember her warmth, lively wit, and perseverance.
A memorial service will be held November 16th at the First United Methodist Church in Cary.
Recording from Jess
On the table with the typewriter is a cassette player. when the members put the cassette into the player, it plays the following audio.
1974 tape.mp3Transcript of Cassette
EMMA: Uh, this is August 26, 1974 and today I found the holy grail! I have an actual audio recording from Jess! She recorded it for me and hid it somewhere she thought I would find it. And I did! It’s on a reel to reel and in pretty bad shape so I’m gonna have to make a copy from the original in order to preserve it. I’ll add it in after this. A while back I’d run into a wall with my search. I haven’t been able to find much more about her for months! And now I know why. She got married and changed her name! Duh. It’s so obvious now, but… anyway, now I can really dig back in and see if I can find her. She should still be alive…somewhere. … I haven’t given up either, Jess. Hopefully I’ll see you soon.
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JESS: Hey Emma, this is Jess. I don’t know if you’ll ever hear this… but I hope that you will. It’s October 10th, 1954 and I, uh… gosh, I dunno where to begin. Well… technology has finally caught up enough for me to be able to record this message for you. The last time I saw you was… oh wow, 32 years ago now for me. I’ve thought about this recording and what I’d say for many years. But here I am, finally doing it and I don’t know what to say. I guess I’ll just start by saying that I’m ok. A lot has happened since I arrived here. I got my PHD. I got married. I made it through World War II… even though my husband didn’t. I’m now back here at State, teaching and doing research. I think I haven’t wanted to stray too far from here to be honest. When I first arrived I had an unusual experience with a Spiritualist…Don’t laugh. You would have loved it. Anyway, it left me feeling certain that you, or…someone, was out there, somewhere, looking for me. I like to think that it was you. So, maybe I’ve been afraid to leave in case…I dunno. Maybe it’s silly. Maybe I’m being foolish. I don’t even know why I’m doing this. Hope is a funny thing I guess. It can propel you forward in so many wonderful ways, and it has! But it can also hold you back and keep you from moving on. I’m sorry, it’s very late here and I’ve had a glass or two of wine. Anyway, you don’t wanna hear about any of this. I’m sure you’d rather know what I’ve been up to.
Hmm, well I guess I should start at the beginning. When I first arrived here I was so confused… completely in shock. That’s some serious trauma right there! Not to mention being told that I was delusional. I’ve been processing that for a long time. They almost had me convinced… anyway… I also made some friends!…Daisy and Teddy were both so smart and so funny. They remind me a lot of you. Eventually they ended up together and moved back to Baltimore, where Teddy’s family is from. We stayed in touch for years but…eventually their family grew and the letters dried up. I still get an occasional letter…and a card at Christmas. As for me, I met a man named Jack Reeves, and we got married…eventually. We met in graduate school. He was very sweet and very charming. And so old fashioned, but in a chivalrous way, not a gross misogynistic way. There is plenty of that to go around though… Jack and I never had any kids of our own. I made sure of that. I knew that if I had a baby that I’d never wanna leave…I kept thinking, what if Emma or someone from The Institute showed up one day…what would I do then? Not to mention no one would let me back in a lab if I had a family. So I didn’t. Getting into a lab was hard enough as it was… And, well…then Jack went overseas during the war…and his lab in England was hit during a bombing raid…so… I guess that was that. I still miss him every day. Thankfully my work keeps me busy.
In many ways I haven’t changed at all. I’m still just trying to make a difference. That’s what I did during the war and why I’ve continued to study physics, and astrophysics…as well as quantum mechanics… as best I can, given the circumstances anyway. Luckily I had several books and my lab notebook from The Institute with me when the accident happened so… It’s definitely been useful. I’ve been researching and working on how to get home, almost my entire career. There’s that hope again. It’s been burning extra bright lately I guess. Recently, I’ve gotten extremely close to recreating some of The Institute's work. I think. I’ve discovered a substance that has negative mass and… the data looks promising anyway. Oh my god, you would laugh so hard at the size of the computers we have here! One system fills entire rooms! It makes me chuckle all the time. I’d laugh out loud if it wasn’t so damn frustrating and maddeningly slow. I mean, it’s better than when I got here! The only computer on the planet was my iPhone! Thank god I had my charger on me when I left. It’s not running so well anymore these days so I try not to use it very much, but… being able to listen to some Lady Gaga or something every now and again makes me feel less… alone. And reminds me that the future is still out there ahead of me.
Obviously The Institute doesn’t exist yet. But your Grandfather certainly does… and I’ve definitely kept an eye on him. I’m not so sure it’s wise but… I dunno. In my darker moments I’ve wondered if eliminating him would… fix everything… but… I don’t think I could do it. And there’s no strong evidence to support the theory that it would fix anything… so… I’ve been mulling over other ideas related to him… It feels a little like playing with fire…but maybe it could help. I dunno.
It’s getting late, I guess I should start wrapping this up… I just want to say that I miss you and I haven’t given up. And I just want you to know that…it's not your fault. Over the years I’ve thought about the fact that you’re probably out there somewhere possibly blaming yourself. I’m the one who asked you about the internship. You just did what any friend would. How could either of us possibly have known what would happen? Fault lies exclusively with Dr. Beldon.
Emma, I really hope you hear this message. I’m going to hide this recording in our special place in the hopes that one day you’ll find it. This way, no matter where or when you may be, you’ll know that I’m ok and living my life. Maybe I’ll see you soon… Captain Catastrophe out.
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EMMA: Maybe Jess is right. So far I’ve pretty much completely avoided my Grandpa. I’m not sure why. It’s not like he’ll recognize me. I dunno, it feels risky somehow… like I could screw up my own timeline or whatever… But… keeping an eye on him, like Jess, could be useful. And since I’m not a scientist it might be the only way to find a way to fix everything. But how will I get close…? Sounds like a problem for another day.
In this recording, Emma explains she found a recording from Jess to her . The recording was from the mid 1950s and is of a slightly drunk Jess explaining events in her life and her motivations for for doing the things she has done. Jess states that she tried to change the outcome of the future of Alister Beldon, but she felt it was not successful. At the end, Emma reflects on what she heard then decides it is a problem for another day.
After the completion of the audio, the members begin to take photos of the board and any other info they feel they need and soon after they are interrupted by the sound of the Aperture's alarm. The informant tells the members they need to collect the info they were there for and exit the time pocket. After exiting, the informant discusses their findings, tells them Mister E will be in touch, and lets them leave.