Sphere of Weirdness (11/2012)

Conspiracy Board
aka Investigator Board
A board, sometimes physical, sometimes digital which is used by an investigator to 'connect the dots' in a conspiracy which has several different, seemingly unrelated individuals and activities.

BLACKDEV
A secret device, often created by an intelligence agency whose existence is denied or disavowed.

Deep Throat
A secret informant with intimate knowledge of a situation. From the Book “All The President's Men” by Woodward and Bernstein.

Ingress
A means or place of entering.

NIANTIC
Word of unknown significance. A project controlled by the
NIA. Last known project, Project Whydah. Mission
unknown.

P.S.D.
Personal Surveillance Device
It used to be 'wearing a wire' or a hidden camera. With
the advent of cell phones, nearly everybody has one.

Hidden information

At the bottom of the page the following text appears:

Rme syufram ni gs qdw rm amzsmnikw szsk mssese ni hs xdalsfse amni lnims bik rff nags. Mi, A
ndamv an al amluakrnaim ndrn qrl xrunokse hw ndsls rmxasmn gamel. Qdafs A xrmmin ukizs
an, ik szsm ukslsmn r qikvamc dwuindslal, goxd fsll r nsln, A lolusxn ndrn qkanamc anlsfb gacdn
drzs hssm r nkrmleagsmlaimrf cabn…

Xsknramfw an xrmmin hs esmase ndrn nds aesr ib ukslskzamc ndiocdn bik uilnskanw drl hssm
dsfubof ni iok Ldrusk bkasmel.

Synkrxn bkig Xrkkas Xrguhsff Marmnax Ukipsxn Fic

This translates to:

And explain to me why an inventory ever needed to be chiseled into stone for all time. No, I think it is inspiration that was captured by these ancient minds. While I cannot prove it, or even present a working hypothesis, much less a test, I suspect that writing itself might have been a transdimensional gift…

Certainly it cannot be denied that the idea of preserving thought for posterity has been helpful to our shaper friends.

Extract from Carrie Campbell Niantic Project Log

Inverse surveillance
When those who are usually watched begin watching their
watchers. A form of Sousveillance.

URB Drone
Small drone used to spy on civilians. Considered to be a
Blackdev. Captured Urbdrones have been explained away
as toys.

Pareidolia
The human brain's ability to see patterns even if they are
suggested by the weakest of lines and shading.

Hidden information

The apostrophe in “brain's” links to db2.mp3.

MOSAIC THEORY
The “mosaic theory” describes a basic precept of
intelligence gathering: Disparate items of information,
though individually of limited or no utility to their
possessor, can take on added significance when
combined with other items of information. Combining the
items illuminates their interrelationships and breeds
analytic synergies, so that the resulting mosaic of
information is worth more than the sum of its parts.

GHOSTING
* The act of being a ghost
* Writing or other creative work that appears under another name.
* A distorted image.
* An image that persists after the object has passed.

HUNCH
An intuitive feeling. A suspicion. Something that is strongly felt
but can not be rationally defended.

CLARKE'S 3RD LAW
Theory of Everything or Final Theory
Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable
from magic.

NON-BARKING DOG
A reference to the Sherlock Holmes story 'The Silver
Blaze' in which Holmes makes a deduction based on the fact
that a dog didn't bark, and thus knew the intruder.

XM
Exotic Matter
A transdimensional substance discovered as a byproduct of the Higgs Boson research at CERN. In theory, XM is both matter and energy, and simultaneously exists in multiple dimensions. Exact knowledge of the nature of XM is currently classified.

QUANTUM MECHANICS
Exotic Matter
The discovery that particles are discrete packets of
energy with wave-like properties led to the branch of
physics dealing with atomic and sub-atomic systems which
is today called quantum mechanics.

SENSITIVES
People who are 'sensitive' to the effects of Exotic Matter,
whatever those may be…

Under this definition, in the margin there is hidden text that reads “UJZZ UBK6” Meaning is still unknown

RANDOMNESS
A non-order or non-coherence in a sequence of symbols
or steps, such that there is no intelligible pattern or
combination, eg. enlrau7iaon15vcld8

Hidden Info

This is a combination of two codes, calvin57e and roland81u.

SHAPERS
Name ascribed to the patterns found to be emerging in
Exotic Matter which some believe to be indications of an
intelligence of unknown origin.

SENSITIVE ARCHAEOLOGY
Locating ancient sites by studying exotic matter cluster dispersal. Very weird stuff.

Hidden information

The x6w3w and 2uh2 are too small to read, but you can find them by copying the line or looking in the source.
Switching them round and keeping exotic in the middle gives you 2uh2exoticx6w3w; a passcode for use in-game.

NUMINOUS PLACES
Places on the Earth previously associated with divine or
creative inspiration. Mystical Places. Most famous
numinous places have been mapped to Exotic Matter
anomalies.

QUANTUM TELEPATHY
Where do ideas come from? Inspiration. Some are
beginning to argue that Exotic Matter might explain
ephemeral mental states such as artistic inspiraton, ESP,
sudden scientific breakthroughs.

Hidden information

The E in “Exotic” is a hyperlink to**The Enlightened** faction logo

ANALYTIC SYNERGIES
The more pieces of the puzzle you put together the easier
it is to place the next one.

VOX CLAMANTIS
The voice of one crying out.

BRAINWAVE
A sudden stroke of inspiration, formerly believed to have
come from the gods (see Afflatus), that reflects an idea
which seems to have no parent and no context. A new
idea.

Hidden Information

The link has the tag 9zc2brain and url has wavez9p8r (which does not feature on the connected website) at the end.
Putting the 2 together you get 9zc2brainwavez9p8r which is a passcode.

TROJAN HORSE
A ruse which is invited into an environment because it
appears desirable, but actually contains hidden attackers.
From Homer's Odyssey.

PANDORA
According to Greek mythology, Pandora opened a jar and released all the evils of mankind into the world. Once she had closed the jar, only hope remained trapped within.

MKOFTEN
Defense project created to “explore the world of black magic” and “harness the forces of darkness and challenge the concept that the inner reaches of the mind are beyond reach.”

HUBRIS:

Extreme pride. Arrogance.

An overestimation of capabilities by someone in a position of power.

NEMESIS:
An enemy created out of Hubris.