LT31: Lost Game Update

A WORD OF EXPLANATION

This summer game, The Lost Experience, just got way too difficult to try and stay on top of weekly. So, you can expect an occasional update, but more in the hit and miss style of the sister publication, Lost Tidbits.

LOST – THE TV SHOW

On September 22, 2004, a passenger aircraft left Sydney and headed towards Los Angeles. About six hours into the flight across the Pacific, Oceanic Flight 815 ran into trouble. Their attempts to radio for help were in vain, so they attempted to divert to Fiji. Minutes later the plane broke apart and crashed on an island somewhere in the ocean and a thousand miles off course.

Approximately 70 people survived the crash. It became evident that rescue wasn't coming. It was also clear that this island was unusual.

One of the unusual aspects was the discovery of a hatch. Inside were two important things: a man and a film. Between these two important items, the survivors of the crash learned that this island was the location some sort of science project called the Dharma Initiative. They further learned it was funded by an organization called The Hanso Foundation. The founder of the foundation was Alvar Hanso.

THE HANSO FOUNDATION

This organization exists for the "betterment of the human race". The Hanso Foundation funds scientific research into areas of life longevity, and other areas that often considered quasi-scientific.

Their pride and joy project has been the life extension effort. And the poster child is an orangutan named Joop who is over 100 years old.

As any good business realizes, public perception is critical to success (and further funding!). The Hanso Foundation determined to conduct its first advertising campaign to improve its public awareness. In May of 2005, the foundation launched a new website and released its first TV commercial.

THE HANSO COMMERCIAL

The commercial was nothing spectacular and reminded me a bit of the beginning of The Twilight Zone. The company motto was offered along with a phone number for more information.

This is where the Lost Experience begins. It didn't take long for someone with decent computer skills to hack into the website and the phone mail system! This hacker identified themselves as "Persephone".

THE HACKER HINTS

The phone number from the TV commercial connected to an automated phone mail system. Persephone seemed to suggest that there was another side to The Hanso Foundation then this ad campaign was offering. Instead of a scolding editorial, the hackers began to leave clues.

As mentioned, this exercise in hacking a hackers hack got to be daunting. Instead of showing you a step-by-step process of decoding the hacked website, let's highlight some passwords that serve as clues into the type of foundation we are dealing with here.

Breaking strain – the feeling I get is like a virus strain…it is linked to Joop.

Heir apparent – this is connected with Dr. Mittlework

The mouthpiece – this is connected with Hugh McIntyre which we learn is the official spokesperson for the Hanso Foundation

Inmate asylum – this is linked to Jacob Vanderfield and Lawrence Peck.

Heavy water – this is linked to a Hanso project called Worldwide Wellness and Prevention

Parthenogenesis – this links to the Hanso project, Genomic Advancement.

Conspiraspies – this links to the Electromagnetic project.

MOUSE REFERENCE

There are several references to a mouse in the game. For example, the hacker left a note about a mouse using more than one hole.

The most direct connection to Hanso comes from the Genomic Advancement hack. Odd references are made to mothers passing the gene to their children and something about a Japanese mouse.

A little digging reveals that the "Japanese mouse" refers to a mutation where the female mouse can reproduce without a male – parthenogenesis – the very word used as a password on this sight!

Here is one article about this topic: http://www.wired.com/news/medtech/1,63203-0.html

GARY TROUPE

The day that The Hanso Foundation launched its TV marketing campaign, Hyperion Publishing released a book by Gary Group entitle, "Bad Twin".

Other Lost Tidbits have given you the general plot in the book. In brief summary, Cliff Widmore hires a private detective to find his missing brother Zander (Alexander) Widmore.

Gary Troup finished the book in 2004 and sent a copy of his manuscript to Hyperion. Fortunate for us, since he soon went missing aboard Oceanic Flight 815. In the TV show, we learn that Gary was killed when he was sucked into the running engine on the beach.

In the meantime, Hyperion and Hanso launch a fierce battle in the press as Hanso claims the references in Bad Twin are false. In reality, there is very little about The Hanso Foundation in the book…directly anyway.

TIMELESS TOGETHER

In mid-June an anagram was revealed by Persephone, our hacker. It is generally thought to mean "Timeless Together", but has several possibilities including "Less Time To Get Her" and "Merge Those Titles".

The popular solution indicates that maybe the survivors went through some black hole/time warp. Remember the one theory was that they are in the South Pole, but somehow had to get there from the South Pacific. This might help explain the polar bear, the Nigerian drug plan, and so on.

THE MITTLEWORK LETTER

A letter written from some Asian country to Dr. Mittlework was leaked to the press. The letter suggested that the country could no longer turn a blind eye to the Hanso research station. While the country had suggested they appreciated the monetary incentives, something had to change.

One example of the financial benefits was the mention of a contract awarded to Paik Motors. Paik is Sun's father.

The letter goes on to describe abnormalities showing up in fish and nature due to the "antenna project off shore". Hmmm…

THE DR. ZANDER LETTER

Another letter was soon leaked written by Dr. Zander from the VIK Institute (a mental hospital). Please note that Zander is the name of the Widmore brother in Bad Twin book.

This letter warns Mittlework that the Hanso's agreement with the VIK Institute was in jeopardy due to hidden nature of the research being conducted on patients.

DJ DAN

DJ Dan is a conspiracy theorist – if that is even a title. Well, you must read this podcast of his:

D. J. Dan: Mind control, people. We're talking about mind control. Come on… we all know why MDMA and LSD and PCP and GHB and LMNOP are illegal. Because the man doesn't want you to have the very weapons he's dumping in our drinking water and our mac and cheese. So, I ask, have you been brainwashed? Are you being brainwashed? Do you wanna be brainwashed? We're taking your calls…Dubuque: Hi, I'm Dubuque from Albuquerque.D.J. Dan: You're kidding, right?Dubuque: Parents can be cruel, D.J. Dan. Anyways, uhh… Dan, I, I feel like you're right! We are being brainwashed. I mean, I'm pretty close to Las Alamos and all their nuclear experiments and I, I just feel this pressure on my brain, all the time.D.J. Dan: Yeah, uh that could just be your sinuses Dubby. Just throwin' it out there.Dubuque: What I'm sayin' here is that I notice somethin' when I was makin' my cinnamon raisin toast. My toaster… it blocked the rays. When I was toastin' I felt as close to clear as day.D.J. Dan: Fascinating, Dubuque. Turn down your toasters people. Next caller.

Franklin: Dan, this is Franklin. I teach bioengineering at a Big 10 University.D.J. Dan: Hut, hut, Franklin! Hike me the info!Franklin: Well, what I'm worried about is nano-technology.D.J. Dan: Uh, nano-tech-what?Franklin: Nano-technology. It's essentially the miniaturization of machines down to the molecular level.D.J. Dan: Uh, wait, wait, whoa, whoa! You mean robots so small they're invisible? That sounds awful! Why would anybody wanna do that?Franklin: Well, there's lots of useful applications. Medicine, computers… For example, you could capture billions of these nanites.D.J. Dan: Nanites? Nanites… is that geek for invisible tiny robots?Franklin: Right! You could capture them in an electromagnetic field and have them float over, say, wheat fields acting as a poison-free pesticide.D.J. Dan: Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Wait a minute! Wha… what does that even look like? If a, a, bunch of these nano-thingies got together? What are we talkin' about here?Franklin: Something like a stormcloud!D.J. Dan: (Laughs) O.K. Franky, sometimes a storm cloud is just a storm cloud. So, so wait a second. Wait a second! So, so you're saying that these tiny invisible robots can kill?Franklin: Yes! And they can think!D.J. Dan: Well, you heard it, folks, tiny invisible killer brains. And I was worried about the Hanso Foundation. D. J. Dan. Back in three… Have to slip into my impenetrable lead suit.

RACHEL BLAKE

Another personality reveals herself (could this be Persephone?). Her website is http://www.rachelblake.com/

Seems like a normal website, but there is plenty of hidden clues about The Hanso Foundation. The oddest of clues is a link to this site:
http://stophanso.rachelblake.com

FIRE AT THE VIK INSTITUTE

Authorities are reporting the Dr. Zander committed arson on his own hospital. He is now missing, but his confidant, Rachel Blake, is trying to locate him.

Rachel tells us that the images on the Countdown Clock have some link to the VIK Institute.

MORE DISCOVERIES

We have learned recently the following related events:

Mittlewerk is gone again. Rachel has linked to D.J. Dan's podcast which means she is listening. And the Valenzetti Equation looms heavier every day. And, wait for it… huge revelation… RACHEL is PERSEPHONE!! Remember we called it over a month ago!

THE PHILADELPHIA EXPERIMENT

Possible links to this event keep getting made. In brief, the Navy was attempting to use Einstein's theories about electromagnetic properties and gravity. The result would be invisible ships to radar and the naked eye. This highly classified test remains mostly a conspiracy theory to many, but the story goes on that the experiments were very successful. The drawback was that the men onboard got a sickness. See the connection?

FINAL WORD

Well, there you have your Lost Experience game update.

What have we learned? It appears that the stakes are rising. The more Rachel (Persephone) and DJ Dan talk, the more we learn, but the more danger they bring from The Hanso Foundation. Hey, these guys aren't going to take it lying down.

But in the end we are still left with money, electromagnetics, sickness and a lack of ethics. Gee, sounds like the Lost TV show!

Enjoy,
KC