Krystal Kidnapping
From ARG Guide/Trail Wiki
Herewith a basic summary regarding Krystal and her kidnapping. (Note: other parts of the game are omitted or glossed over. Errors should be pointed out by posting below and I will update.)
- When the AWARE pregame began, a player named Krystal appeared, she was very active and enthusiastic and even agreed to host and assist in writing the guide.
- Time passes and we are introduced to an in-game character called the Professor or William Roddington. (He was the college professor of three students: Marcus, Marty and Jude, who were expelled when the software they developed caused a major problem and the Professor lost his job.) Marcus is the spokesperson for the three who have gone on to found the company Ideltech. Ideltech uses the software the three developed, now called Tobi. Ideltech is looking for employees. NOTE: The Professor uses several aliases such as Dexter Maddison and Clifford Worly.
- Krystal continues to be very active and posts a chat in which she agrees to go visit the Professor in Oregon. He pays 1/2 the airfare.
- Krystal disappears. We assume she has been kidnapped by the Professor making her "in-game" and therefore a player-character hybrid. Spec as to whether she was always in-game and opinionated reactions are posted.
- SpaceBass, the unfiction site administrator, clarifies that in-game characters are not to post on the boards.
- The game continues and somehow the narrative thread gets lost. (Note: that is my opinion) A character named Melody goes to Eugene to investigate the Professor almost simultaneously with Krystal's disappearance. Melody is a reporter for the Amboy Monthly, the online paper of the town of Amboy. We get some odd, conflicting information and there are odd interactions and chats between the Professor and players.
- Confusion continues. We can't find Krystal. We get a video of a kidnapped person from a website created by the Professor, but don't know whether it's Krystal and wonder if it was "planted" on the Professor's site by Marcus in an attempt to discredit him. We solve a coded message but it doesn't help us find her.
- Myssfitz (a player) begins to unravel something strange about the professor. She specs that there may be two people playing the professor: an imposter and the "real" in-game professor.
- Krystal suddenly emerges from the ether to tell us this: She was hired by Nash Carey, the PM of AWARE to pretend to be kidnapped by another person hired by Nash to play the Professor/ kidnapper. The pretend kidnapping has gone horribly wrong. She is now really kidnapped and we need to find her.
- Spec flies about what is in-game and what isn't. More opinions on what should be and shouldn't be in-game are aired. SpaceBass reiterates his rule that the unforum is not to be used by in-game characters.
- Marcus organizes a chat to explain that AWARE was being used by Ideltech to screen employees. This has now ended. Why? Joseph Palser, the actor hired to play the Professor has gone overboard and has now really kidnapped Krystal. We should not trust the Professor or any of his websites for information. We should look out for this person as he is dangerous.
- Marcus also promises to help us find leads about Krystal.
- All of the stuff Melody found was staged as part of the AWARE game. Melody didn't know about this and is still mad at Marcus for tricking her.
- Bill gets an email from Nash Carey explaining that AWARE was being used to screen potential employeees for Ideltech. He confirms the information from the chat with Marcus.
- Through YIM chats, Marcus gives us information on the last purchases, a puzzle and a video of Krystal to help us find her. The puzzle turns out to be a driver's license.
UPDATE:
- Krystal is rescued; Palser escapes and the REAL professor works as a consultant at Ideltech.