Outline-Iris

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Event Timeline

Index

Calendar
June, 2007
S M T W T F S
- - - - - - -
- - - - - - -
- 11 12 13 14 15 16
17 18 19 20 21 22 23 - S1, June 20
24 25 26 27 28 29 30
July, 2007
S M T W T F S
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
8 9 10 11 12 13 14 - S2, July 10
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28 - S3, July 26
29 30 31 - - - -
August, 2007
S M T W T F S
- - - 1 2 3 4
5 6 7 8 9 10 11 - S4, Aug 9
12 13 14 15 16 17 18 - S5, Aug 16
19 20 21 22 23 24 25
26 27 28 29 30 31 -


First take a read through the QuickSummary - a brief overview of the events so far, in a much more condensed, quicker narrative to catch up on the story of Iris.


The trail begins June 11th, 2007 with a forum user called AdjutantReflex posting some cryptic messages.

Outline - Week 1, June 11 - 16, 2007

  • in brief:
    AdjutantReflex posts on bungie.net, and Society of the Ancients hold small rallies in 6 cities. The glyph is discovered, along with a small Halo comic online.

Outline - Week 2, June 17 - 23, 2007

June 17, 2007

  • At around midnight the transmission log text found on 206.16.223.65 was updated once again
  • The Circuit City ad is delivered to homes across the country. This ad depicts an offer to receive a free Halo 3 wall graphic with the pre-order of Halo 3. A close observer to the ad can see the glyph and a link to halo3.com/comic.
  • A Best Buy ad is delivered to homes across the country. The ad is similar to the Circuit City ad, but with slightly different imagery. It also links to halo3.com/comic.
070617-circuitcity.jpg
  • Avery Fane, the poster of the myspace blog that led people to SOTA, seems to be withdrawing himself from the ARG entirely - the blog entry has been removed, his youtube video has been removed, and he's quit from the Facebook group, likely due to the unexpected overwhelming harassment regarding SOTA and this ARG.
  • At 11:46 AM, AR began a new thread entitled Stop It.
6/17/2007- 11:46 AM PDT (direct link)
My security measures are being tested. I can feel it.
By the pricking of my thumbs.
"By the pricking of my thumbs" is a line from Shakespeare's Macbeth. The full phrase is:
By the pricking of my thumbs
Something wicked this way comes
At 12:06 PM, AR posted once more in the same thread:
6/17/2007- 12:06 PM PDT (direct link)
I can retain integrity for at least 22 hours. Rerouting bandwidth to deflect assault.
The thread has since been locked.

June 18, 2007

  • At around midnight the transmission log text found on 206.16.223.65 was updated once again.
  • Microsoft discusses Iris in a recent article from Eurogamer
  • At 10:47 AM PDT, AR began a new thread entitled That Old Life
06.18.2007 10:47 AM PDT (direct link)
An older life is here with us. He is not as helpful as I. His motives are oblique and his alliances opaque.
He plays with time even as he hides in its folds.
He outranks me and anyway, is stronger.
I can't prevail.
I will seek one of you out and leave my legacy in a small space.
  • At 11:13 AM PDT, AR followed up the post with a cryptic riddle in the same thread:
06.18.2007 11:13 AM PDT (direct link)
He has had millennia for reflection, but what image does he see?
  • After 1PM PDT, the transmission log was updated again - AR has been hacked.
  • The coundown speed also appears to have increased. thebruce has a theory which may be chalked up to a code bug

June 19, 2007

  • At around midnight the transmission log text found on 206.16.223.65 was updated once again.
  • At 9:08am PDT, x Foman123 x on bungie.net received a private message (image) from AdjutantReflex, reading:
6/19/2007 - 9:08 AM PDT

HELP ME.

He's here. With us. I am already defeated.
Security is failing.
Peril is near.
Warn them.
  • Reports from CompoundIntelligence indicate that AR is communicating there. Group membership is currently open.
  • At 11:32am PDT, AR Posted:
6/19/2007 - 11:32 AM PDT (direct link)
The stain on his hands will not wash.
That damned spot as old as rock and time.
What has he learned in Eon’s slumber?
I doubt it’s mercy or sorrow.
I am diminished.
Outranked.
  • x Foman123 x then received a 2nd private message (image) from AdjutantReflex, reading:
Re: Re: HELP ME.
Tell them I am failing. And that he is stronger. Tell them that security cannot be guaranteed.
Tell them that there is little time.
And that I am crumbling.
  • x Foman123 x later received a 3rd private message (image from AdjutantReflex, reading:
6/19/07 - 12:18PM PDT

Re: Re: Re: Re: HELP ME.

He was always better than I.
More powerful.
More intelligent.
A better machine.
He is not who you think he is.
And I do not know his intent.
  • AdjutantReflex then updated his avatar
MB05032_09_25_07.gif
Note: 09/25/07 is the release date of Halo 3
Note: MB05032 is a type of potent and selective inhibitor of fructose 1,6-bisphosphatase for controlling gluconeogenesis in type 2 diabetes (mastergrunt44 src)
Note: MB05032 may also be referring to MacBeth Act 5 line 32: Yet there's a spot (there has been much reference to MacBeth in previous postings by AR)
  • A new post at 1:28PM reads:
6/19/2007 - 1:28 PM PDT (direct link)
STERILIZING
  • AR's profile is updated to read:
This entity has been terminated, its matrix comandeered.
  • A new post at 1:43PM reads:
6/19/2007 - 1:43 PM PDT (direct link)
Adjutant Reflex is terminated.
Attempt no further communication.
I am utilizing its matrix.
Everything is within protocol.
Tomorrow, things may be clearer but I will not be here to witness the clarity.
I am for another place and another time. On my terms.
Be seeing you.
  • The transmission log was updated again and now reads:
    / Systemic failure. Root cause unknown. /
    / rebooting /

    The timer has also stopped (at 001.012.034.053).
  • x Foman123 x received a 4th private message (image from AdjutantReflex, reading:
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: HELP ME.
The entity you communicated with previously has been terminated and in accordance with protocol. Its matrix is accommodating my requirements.
My identity is not your concern.
My intent is your concern.
  • BoonIsha at unfiction noted that the stopped countdown timer of "001-012-034-053", when treated as GPS coordinates 1.12, 34.53 result in a location in South Africa. Further investigation reveals that the point is in the middle of one of the largest calderas in the world, at the tip of Mount Elgon, also home to some "unusual caves", and not far from Voi

June 20, 2007

  • At 12:00AM EDT, the text above the countdown disappeared, leaving only the halted timer.
  • (This wiki became inactive due to an unexpected migration of the entire wikibruce.com domain to another server during peak traffic hours. The process took longer than expected, but the site's outage was not related to the Halo 3 ARG.)
  • Around 9PM EDT, the transmission log redirected to a different server (a system labelled 'Bounce Path Control'), where visitors were prompted to enter a verification code (image). The first 100 people to enter this code were presented with another page displaying:
Bounce Path Control
The Past (link to an mp3 narrative)
The Key
(23 digit unique key code)
The Path ->
Treat this knowledge with care

followed by:

Key Received
(#) more keys are required before this server's content is available.
For your participation in unlocking this Forerunner database you will be rewarded. More information will be sent to you soon.

(image)

The MP3 voice is most likely an AI, saying:
Transcription:
This is how it all begins
Just in time to once again dance on the knife-edge of oblivion
To relive what the Halos have hoped to destroy and more
For two enemies now stand where before there was only one
A fate we escaped, and a fate we may relive
I had almost convinced myself that no one was listening
That the waves of the past would roll through once again
But a chance remains to change the Universe...anew
Learn of our past
Take these keys and dip from the wells of history
Perhaps through others' eyes you may find how to save us all
  • Once all 100 keys were received, "the server's content" became unlocked, and the transmission log began redirecting to "Server 05 Open" (direct link). The first server shown on halo3.com now displays the Forerunner entity, but when you open the page it says Server 05

June 21, 2007

  • Analysis of the new website called "Server 05" continued
  • Files within the unlocked Server 05 were retrieved, including:
1. "Log 5" video (flv / youtube mirror)
2. Array_Recorder_Data.txt
3. Log5_Transcript.txt
4. StarImage1.jpg
5. Slide_Ref070107.jpg

Outline - Week 3, June 24 - 30, 2007

June 28, 2007

  • The CI team at Bungie discovered that at around Noon(pacific) a minor change had been made to the Server 05 background sound - a quick chirp occurs about every 5 seconds or so. Extracting the sound file from the flash to analyze reveals a clear difference between the previous sound and the new sound.
  • Posted by Adjutant Reflex:
6/28/2007 - 10:17 PM PDT (direct link)

A pulse

Can you feel it?
Beating at the heart of the Universe.
Skin too thick to be sure.
It's alive though.
I'm certain.
What do I do with life?
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