Deagol says....

RE: Maddison Atkins Chapter 2.

deagol Posted:
Wed Sep 12, 2007 8:46 am

I'd like to propose a theory. Please feel free to shoot it down or expand on it. Think about this chain of events:

We sent Zipp that note by pigeon, the last part being "A4 tuned 15 Hz flat: feedback expected" which is just asking him what would happen on 4/25. Then on 4/22 we get his reply, in plain text: "six broken strings: mute them". And we're all like, huh?

So, on the 25th we advise Maddy to run due to Warpy's video from the previous day. Maddy takes off and gets murdered. But we've now learned that there was another vial and note in the warnook. I propose that that note arrived on the 25th, after Maddy had left, and later her mom found it and put it in the warnook. Or perhaps it was there all the time but Maddy just didn't see it.

The note said in plain text "don't run, you're safe." The cipher leads us to the Nashville drop, and check out the right side of that page, it's a "six-stringed tin Schwinn mandolin" with tab code over it. That must be our six broken strings! and we were supposed to "mute them" = do not play it, do not decode the guitar tab. The guitar tab gave us "staff g" = treble = the key to both ciphers, leading to London and Riverside. But why would Zipp tell us to ignore drop 4?

Ok, this now is quite a bit speculative, but it's making a lot of sense in my mind. Hear me out. I think Zipp changed his mind about us going for the London drop and/or the cult school and was telling us not to decode, or at least not to disclose and pursue those clues which led to the 5th drop, the final one, the coffer in our treasure hunt, with very sensitive information. Maybe he knew time had run out for him and Maddy, and that the bad guys were on to her, and if we decoded it they would get to it first and plug the leak. Maybe it was because we didn't reach the intended audience ("final check" was replied with "empty house!? like, "no, no final check, we can't go to London." Maybe the intended audience were the only ones who could make use and act upon the 5th drop info. Or, perhaps he even suspected that drop 5 would get jacked, or it was compromised already.

This might've been Zipp's plan: If Maddy had waited a bit and seen the note, she would've read it and would not have run. Then, we would've found the 4th drop and seen the six broken strings and would understand that we needed to sit on it, leave it alone, muted. Later, after regrouping and reseting the mission, perhaps finding a new "microphone" that was unknown to the bad guys, just like Maddy was for two weeks, and if we finally reached the right audience (Rachel, 15/15?) we could go ahead and decode drop 4 and retrieve drop 5 unnoticed, revealing some dirty laundry from this evil organization. Real, material proof, like documents, incriminating pictures of high-ranking officials, scandalous sex tapes , etc. Stuff that could be acted on legally to stop or at least disrupt them, and in the process liberating his only child from them.

As it happened, Maddy missed the 4th note and thus the dirty laundry remained hidden, until 3 months later Clara finds the note and we get drop 4 and attempt drop 5, but fail miserably. We find 15/15's letter and the rest is history. I think it's clear 15/15 has the original drop 5, the dirty laundry, but while trying to accomplish the second objective of saving Zipp's child who I believe is Rachel, she and Linc got abducted.

Maybe I'm trying to tie too many things in one swoop, but the basic two realizations I'm trying to sell here are:

1. The Nashville page was our six broken strings, which we got to through a note and vial that might have arrived on 4/25, consistent with our question about what would happen that day.

2. In that context, "mute them" means don't decode it, don't act on it, at least for now, until we find a new set of strings or get a new guitar, i.e. a new secure channel of communication.

Phew! sorry this was so looooong.

(Added from an additional post)

This is called "Your Actions Have Consequences," or Jeromy's "Choose Your Own Adventure Pages."
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Chapter 1, page 1: Retrieve 5 drops in 2 weeks, and get the right audience. Can you do it?

Yes: Uncover the big bad secret society, Maddison and Adam live and are considered heroes. Yay, you win!

No: Read along.

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Chapter 1, page 11: Retrieved just 3 of the drops? Haven't got the attention of the intended audience? Don't despair. You haven't lost yet, so don't run away. You have to get drop 4 and sit on it until we find a chance to get our intended audience interested. Protect the last drop secrecy, and don't alert the enemy. Can you sit tight?

Yes: Recover drop 4, sit on it, and wait for chapter 2. You haven't lost or won yet. Congratulations on staying alive.

No, you run: You miss the note and drop 4. Maddison and Adam get murdered. Sorry, you lose. However, the intended audience is still out there and drop 5 is safe. Wait for chapter 2. (ok I know this is very unfair to us as we made the decision without knowing if there would be another note, and the deadline was up. so yea J, Maddy should've found that 4th note).

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Chapter 2, page 6: You find the 4th note... it's game time! You need to retrieve drop 4 and remember to sit on it to protect the integrity of drop 5. Can you keep it on the down low?

Yes: Good decision. Now you realize you've been reading chapter 3 as well (yea 'cause this book is crazy like that, chapters 2 and 3 kinda happening at the same time). There's your intended audience, and they're watching your progress now. Drop 5 is safe with them. Congratulations! Keep reading. Oh and while you're at it, here's a hint: heart=5.

No: What? you say you asked and begged the whole world for someone, anyone to retrieve drop 5? Jeez, no way, I won't let you ruin this like that. Thankfully, our intended audience is now watching and got there first to protect drop 5. They left a note that says heart=5. They're the one's you've just started reading about in chapter 3. Keep reading.

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Chapter 2, page 11: Remember to keep quiet about the info in drop 4. Don't alert the enemy by walking in on them. They know about Maddison's murder, so they'll spot you a mile away if you come asking questions. Can you be like Fonzy?

Yes: Cool, your friend Duke helps poor Joel escape and you meet him in the creek. He spills the beans about the murders and stuff. You win! Keep reading chapter 3.

No: You went right up to the enemy asking questions and being nosy. Great, now they're watching your every move. Duke helps Joel out and you set up the meeting, but the enemy got there before you and killed him. Sorry, you lose again. Keep reading chapter 3.

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Chapter 3, page 4: Can you help Linc solve this phone mashup?

Yes: Good job! Meet 15/15, our intended audience. He's in charge now, and hired Linc to protect Rachel. Keep reading.

No: err... here, let me sit with you and plow through it: it's fuckin fractions, add them all up but don't make it whole. See? Oh yea, of course heart=5, because you read the note they left when you were all foolish during chapter 2, remember? Sure they would've told you anyway if you'd been sensible and kept quiet about London. Keep reading.

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Chapter 3, pages 5-11: Nothing for you to decide here. Just watch Linc and Rachel awesomeness and awkwardness. Awesomesauce.

Chapter 3, page 12: Again, Just watch. Linc saves Rachel. Badass.

Chapter 3, page 15: Warpy! Freak out.

Chapter 3, page 16: Is that... with the gun... !!! Faint.

Chapter 3, page 17: WTF? I hate to quote Madonna, but "Who's that girl?" Cassie? Op? Heart attack.

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Chapter 4, prologue: Take joy in the return of Oppy. Jump up and down.

Chapter 4, page 1: Can you help Linc get Buddy's help and get him to ask Terry to help rescue Zelda?

Yes: Good job. And you're a geek.

No: Try flirting with him. Yes, even if you're male.

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Chapter 4, page 2: Buddy finally opens up. You got the time? Call! You got the songs? Go tiny! Got the file? HAHAHAHA, suffer! Can you handle three 10033 friggin mashups?

Yes: You're not human. Congratulations! Tach's on it.

No: It's ok, you'll start liking music in no time. Give it a year or two and you'll be rockin and rappin again. Oh, and Tach? She'll do it anyway. Yea.

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Chapter 5, page 1: Where's this story going, nowhere? Well, why don't you come to the story? Yes, come to Nacodg... however you spell that, "the oldest town in Texas." You coming?

Yes: You're Marla. You're awesome.

No: You're normal.

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Ok I'll stop here. This is too much already, and it turned into a friggin personality quiz there in the end.