Year Zero (alternate reality game)

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Year Zero is an alternate reality game based on the Nine Inch Nails concept album of the same name, its expected follow-up, and a possible accompanying movie project.[1] Although the album is to be released on April 16, 2007 in Europe, and the following day worldwide,[2] the game has been underway since roughly February 12, 2007 and is expected to continue for another three years.[3] The game was created by 42 Entertainment, the same group responsible for the Halo 2 promotional alternative reality game I Love Bees.[4][5]

Although it could be argued that the Year Zero game is merely a form of promotion for the Nine Inch Nails album,[6] frontman Trent Reznor has stated that "The term 'marketing' sure is a frustrating one for me at the moment. What you are now starting to experience IS 'year zero'. It's not some kind of gimmick to get you to buy a record - it IS the art form... and we're just getting started. Hope you enjoy the ride."[7] Reznor has also called the Year Zero game "a new entertainment form."[4]

Contents

[edit] Premise

Reznor said that Year Zero is a concept album,[8] "could be about the end of the world," and marked a "shift in direction" in that it "doesn't sound like With Teeth."[7] The 2006 tour merchandise designs featured overt references to the United States military, which "reflects future directions."[7]

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

[edit] Campaign timeline

The following is a basic, real-world time line of the major events, releases, and dates of the Year Zero game:

An image file found on the February 25, 2007 USB in Manchester, England, titled "invitation.jpg."
An image file found on the February 25, 2007 USB in Manchester, England, titled "invitation.jpg."
The billboard in London leading to Operation Swamp 0000, with a cameo by Nine Inch Nails frontman, Trent Reznor.
The billboard in London leading to Operation Swamp 0000, with a cameo by Nine Inch Nails frontman, Trent Reznor.
A lithograph leading to The Mailtrsom (see highest resolution possible, in the upper left corner).
A lithograph leading to The Mailtrsom (see highest resolution possible, in the upper left corner).
  • February 22, 2007 – A teaser trailer was released though the Year Zero website and featured a quick glimpse of a blue road sign that says "I AM TRYING TO BELIEVE" and a distorted glimpse of "The Presence."[14] Additionally, one frame in the teaser points to the url http://yearzero.nin.com/0024, which presented an image named "yearzero_cover.jpg," which was later confirmed to be the album cover.
    Red fliers are handed out at a concert in Paris, France with the words "Art is Resistance," leading to http://artisresistance.com.[citation needed]
  • April 16, 17, and 18, 2007Year Zero album is set to be released in Europe, the United States, and Japan respectively.[2][21]

[edit] Fictional characters and organizations

[edit] Solutions Backwards Initiative

A group of students, professors, and IT specialists who devise, and succeed, in sending information back through time. The information sent back is theorized to be the websites that are connected to Year Zero.

[edit] The Presence

The Presence is visible on the cover of the album...
The Presence is visible on the cover of the album...
...and in a spectrogram of the white noise at the end of the pre-release MP3 of "My Violent Heart." (listen (help·info)).
...and in a spectrogram of the white noise at the end of the pre-release MP3 of "My Violent Heart." (listen ).

The last few seconds of the "My Violent Heart" file found on the USB drive is static; spectrogram analysis reveals an image resembling an arm extending down from the sky. This arm is known as "The Presence." This spectrogram image is later put at the end of "The Warning" and doesn't appear at the end of "My Violent Heart" on the album. The Presence has been a recurring image in the media surrounding the album, including the trailer and album cover.[4]

"The Presence" is seen in the video for "Survivalism," in which a man is seen sitting at a laptop computer with a series of photos affixed to the wall in the background. At about halfway through the video, "The Presence" appears in a photo in the upper left-hand corner of the "monitor" in which the man is seen.

[edit] Cedocore

A large pharmaceutical company that is the creator of Parepin and other drugs such as Anphylox, Amproprax, Avoprem, Niraderm, Phenylpro, Prozira, Sariferm, Xarylax, Zalaflo and Zynacor. They are also, covertly, the sole manufacturer of Opal, distributing it illicitly.

[edit] 105th Airborne Crusaders

Alongside the Church of Plano, the 105th Airborne Crusaders, a unit of soldiers whose purpose is to protect and police "God's green Earth" is further propagating the government's political and religious control of the nation. This faith-based squadron was created in -13 BA as a response to the bioterrorist attacks in Los Angeles. The 105th was formed by "those men and women who kept a personal relationship with our Savior the Lord Jesus Christ and allowed the Holy Ghost to guide their rifles true."[10]

[edit] Bureau of Morality

A government agency whose task is to control numerous aspects of American life and to prevent and stop all instances of subversion by citizens.

[edit] "Angry Sniper"

A former member of the 105th Airborne Crusaders, he conducts a terrorist act at Wrigley Field, presumably as an act of revenge against the government. He is also speculated to run the Be the Hammer resistance website.

[edit] Church of Plano

A sola scriptura organization that threatens "Whoever Resists the Authority Resists God" to legitimize and support the Year Zero govermnent. Not much is known about the Church, but it has taken a special interest in The Presence and is sponsoring a "Neighborhood Cleansing Program" so members can "put their faith into action."[citation needed]

[edit] Judson Ogram Correctional Facility

Judson Ogram is a correctional institution, referring to its inmate populous as "offenders." However, indications suggest that Judson Ogram does not differentiate between criminals and people with psychological dysfunction.

Examination of profiles at Judson Ogram indicates that anti-psychotic substances are needlessly used on inmates, displaying no signs of elevated excitement, self harm or psychotic tendencies. Speculation would suggest that this is to make inmates so docile that they are willing to accept the mistreatment that goes on inside the facility - indeed, the staff page suggests that inmates are used as guinea pigs for the pharmaceutical outfit Cedocore, leading to the discovery that Cedocore's "Xerimax" product causes renal damage and pulmonary edema.

[edit] Fictional drugs and bodily augmentations

Parepin
A psychotropic drug released into American water supplies, purported to reduce the risk of bioterrorism by bolstering the immune system. However, the creator of I am Trying to Believe claims to have debunked these myths as a conspiracy; parepin is actually a sedative, known to affect serotonin and dopamine levels. The drug is also known to reduce the sex drive of anyone who has ingested the drug, cause facial ticks and constipation, as well as subduing resistance to authority. Some people under the influence of the drug are known to have had hypnagogic hallucinations, particularly that of The Presence.
Opal
A new drug, supposedly "the new crack," as it is cheaper to distribute and more widely available. Dispensed in a small, pressurized glass tube with a syringe on one end, the drug, which appears as a black liquid, is dropped or injected directly into the eyes, or absorbed through the skin in powdered form (with the aid of a solvent). While initially developed as a hallucinogenic sedative, it has become popular as a recreational drug, with users often experiancing an intense, often religious, state of mind. At least one website notes a correlation between Opal use and sightings of The Presence.
In a recently discovered, top secret internal memo from Cedocore, Opal is revealed to be a product of Cedocore, being distributed through organized crime.
Nerochip
The nerochip is a tiny red device, implanted in the right wrist of all convicts of violent crimes, which traces the whereabouts of the person who carries it.
Others
  • Anphylox
  • Amproprax
  • Avoprem
  • Niraderm
  • Phenylpro (believed to be Phenethylamine)
  • Prozira
  • Red Horse virus
  • Sariferm
  • Xarylax
  • Zalaflo
  • Zynacor

[edit] In-game websites

The story of Year-Zero is primarily told through the Year Zero album and a number of fictitious, in-game websites. These numerous sites all have a very distinctive, "hacked" or "corrupted" appearance to them, with the exception of the Open Source Resistance site. They were registered through a company that protects site owners' identities.[22] Domains by Proxy, Presented is a list of the most relevant websites, in the rough chronological order in which they were discovered.

[edit] I am Trying to Believe

The first website discovered, I am Trying to Believe is primarily concerned with the fictional drug Parepin as well as its relationship to sightings of The Presence. On one of the pages, an email is provided as contact information to the "creator" of the website (water@iamtryingtobelieve.com), and upon sending an email to this address, an auto-reply is returned:[10]

Auto-reply from water@iamtryingtobelieve.com wrote:
------------------------AUTO_RESPONSE--------------_--

Thank you for your interest. It is now clear to me that Parepin is a completely safe and effective agent developed to protect us from bio-terrorism. The Administration is acting purely in the best interests of its citizens; to suggest otherwise was irresponsible and I deeply regret it.

I'm drinking the water. So should you.

[edit] Another Version of the Truth

Composite image of two versions of Another Version of the Truth opening page
Composite image of two versions of Another Version of the Truth opening page

Another Version of the Truth is primarily an in-game forum in which characters discuss varying topics of resistance and life within the world of Year Zero. The opening page resembles a picturesque, propagandistic picture of an American farm, but through Flash the user can reveal another, bleaker picture of a destroyed wasteland. This picture in turn links to an in-game forum.[10]

Thus far postings on the forum have lead to three MP3s and a brief time line of the Year Zero world, beginning from Year 0:

Like the opening page, the "America Unites the World / Another Version of the Past" page, which initially displays an "official" account of history since Year 0, with the implementation of Flash, the user can drag an alternative, satirical, and highly critical version of the same timeline into view.

[edit] Be the Hammer

A resistance site apparently maintained by the "Angry Sniper."[10][23] The site was first discovered via the Another Version of the Truth message boards. The site contains seven different sections or "entries," which serve as an insight into the character's past and his own personal views on his contemporary, Year Zero society.

[edit] Consolidated Mail Systems

Consolidated Mail Systems is the result of an amalgamation of all private and government run mail services, both paper and electronic. However, there are actually only two versions of the site available: one which corresponds to "citizen_unknown" [1], which is completely inert and unusable, and one which corresponds to "nooneimportant" [2], which leads to an inbox of sorts with a piece of mail offering brief insights into the drug Opal.[10] Upon any link being clicked, however, the following error message is returned:

WARNING CODE 24.10.4 (All page functionality disabled): You are not the citizen assigned to this account. Close this window immediately and stay where you are. Authorities will be in contact shortly for appropriate reeducation.

[edit] The Mailstrom

Main interface of The Mailstrom
Main interface of The Mailstrom

The Mailstrom is an in-game search engine designed to eavesdrop on messages contained in the Consolidated Mail System. Operation of The Mailstrom consists of two text input boxes, one labeled "Wreckage" and the other labeled "Shard." The Mailstrom is said to be a "decryption field" which, seemingly at random and only rarely, is able to intercept emails being sent through the government-controlled data stream, the Consolidated Mail System.

The "Wreckage" and "Shard" combinations discovered thus far include:

[edit] Open Source Resistance

Unlike the rest of the Year Zero sites, Open Source Resistance is set in present day (2007, -15 BA). The appearance of the site reflects this, particularly since it doesn't carry the "corrupted" appearance of the sites set in the Year 0. Also unlike the other Year Zero sites, Open Source Resistance is interactive: participants in the game can submit artwork, videos, and messages related to the game and story.[24]

[edit] Grace The Teacher

An online journal from a kid that moves into the country. He notices changes in himself, while unaware that it is the water that is responsible for such changes.[citation needed]

[edit] In-game phone numbers

Spectrogram analysis of "2432.mp3."
Spectrogram analysis of "2432.mp3."

[edit] 1-216-333-1810

The MP3 file of static found with "Me, I'm Not," "2432.mp3," when analyzed through a spectrogram, reveals the phone number 1-216-333-1810. Calling this number returns a wiretapped phone conversation which is described from a different perspective at U.S. Wiretap.com (Case No. - 71839J).[25]

[edit] 1-310-295-1040

A Nine Inch Nails tour T-shirt contained highlighted letters that spelled out another phone number: 1-310-295-1040.[26] Calling this number plays a series of clips, including a clip of the album's first single "Survivalism."[4]

[edit] 1-866-445-6580

A phone number was also noticed on an image that supposedly is the CD release of Year Zero, displaying a different cover than the one that was previously suggested. On the back it has a sticker from the fictional US Bureau of Morality with the phone number 1-866-445-6580. This leads to an official recording from the Bureau.[27]

[edit] In-game timeline

The following is a fictional account of the Year Zero scenario, as described by Year Zero websites, the album, and other sources. Presented are dates in both AD and BA ("Born again," a fictional, in-game epoch, with year 0 occurring in 2022 AD). Many of the dates and specifics are incomplete or vague, given the nature of their fictional documentation.

Year Zero timeline, as posted on Another Version of the Truth (in reverse chronological order).
Year Zero timeline, as posted on Another Version of the Truth (in reverse chronological order).

[edit] Historical in-game events

Although the fictional time line of Year Zero begins in 2007 (-15 BA), a number of actual historical events are also considered continuous with the storyline, according to in-game time lines such as the one on Another Version of the Truth (pictured to the right):

  • August 1990 (-32 BA) - March 1991 (-31 BA) – In response to the invasion of Kuwait by Iraqi forces, the United States and its allies attack Iraq in the first Gulf War. Afterwards, many combatants report illness, supposedly as a result of their service (commonly referred to as the Gulf War syndrome).
  • April - July 1994 (-28 BA) – Approximately 1 million Africans die in the Rwandan Genocide. The genocide is largely ignored by the international community, while the Yugoslav wars garnered considerable international attention, including NATO intervention.
  • September 11, 2001 (-21 BA) – Terrorism strikes the United States in the September 11, 2001 attacks. The attacks are largely politicized by American politicians.
  • October 2001 (-21 BA) – The United States and its allies invade Afghanistan in response to the terrorist attacks of September 11.
  • March 2003 (-19 BA) – The United States and its allies invade Iraq, as a part of its continuing War on Terrorism. The war is largely criticized for the its lack of pretense or direct connection to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.
  • January 2005 (-17 BA) – Oil company profits continue to increase, despite economic decline in the United States. ExxonMobil becomes the first company in history to break the $10 billion mark in quarterly earnings. Meanwhile, the political administrations of the time refuse to sign the Kyoto Protocol and seems to ignore evidence of global warming.

[edit] Pre-"Year 0" events

  • March 2009 (-13 BA) – The United States initiates nuclear strikes on Iran and North Korea in retaliation for the ricin attack on Anaheim. It is publicly contested whether there was evidence as to who was actually behind the ricin attack.
  • September 2009 (-13 BA) – Congress passes laws further limiting freedom of speech and making U.S. Military personal governmental property.
  • May - September 2013 (-9 BA) – Many African governments fall apart. Calls for help from the African Union go unanswered.
  • November 2018 (-4 BA) – The first female President of the United States is impeached and convicted of treason. As a result, legislation is passed that ends free elections and allows the President to be chosen by a congressional panel.
  • April 2019 (-3 BA) – Bioterrorism "attack" on Seattle. The government states that the populace was saved by Parepin in the water, while others contend that the attack was staged by the government.
  • 2020 (-2 BA) – Belize completely recovers from Hurricane Imagard, and later solicits "citizenship bonds" in spam e-mail to Americans wanting to escape the United States.
  • February 2020 (-2 BA) – An American diplomat by the name of Jed Mather is exposed to the Red Horse virus in Algeria by terrorists, and subsequently dies. The resulting "Mather Law" further strips Americans of their civil rights, particularly Muslim-Americans.
  • July 2021 (-1 BA) – International corporations and world governments form the "Coalition for Peace."

[edit] Year 0 and beyond (Born Again)

  • January 2, 2022 (0 BA) – The United States (with the aid of the Coalition for Peace), establishes a new international calendar, called "Born Again" (BA for short), and declare 2022 as "Year Zero."
  • January 16 - January 18, 2022 (0 BA) – A two day riot is instigated by police in Brixton, England when they sweep the area for so-called "chip pullers," or people who have attempted to remove their nerochips.
  • February 2, 2022 (0 BA) – "Cetacox2 Viral Therapy" (a drug developed by Cedocore) is approved by the Food and Drug Administration.
    Bethehammer.net updated.
    Kyle Bilgare goes missing, possibly last seen in Boise, Idaho. (As reported on Another Version of the Truth by user angelfood).
  • February 3, 2022 (0 BA) – Prozira is approved for use with children two years and older.
  • February 4, 2022 (0 BA) – Message posted on "Another Version of the Truth" message board, which is obscured and largely unreadable.
    105th Crusaders spot "The Presence" from a rooftop. This is the first reported appearance of The Presence.
    Cedocore acquires GenenSyst Labs and Genome Restructuring Technology.
  • February 5, 2022 (0 BA) – Raid on the Quaker Outreach Center at the University of South Florida. Dylan Chast goes missing, he is last seen possibly around Quaker Outreach Center during the raid. (As reported on Another Version of the Truth by user AVT021).
  • February 7, 2022 (0 BA) – An underground nightclub dubbed the "Star Chamber" is attacked by some law enforcement organization.
    John Ferminger, also known as "John of Boston," is admitted into the Judson Ogram Correctional Facility, claiming not to have slept since February 4th.
    Cedocore 2:1 stock split announced. The Wall Street Journal reports that "America is bullish on Cedocore."
  • February 8, 2022 (0 BA) – Another Version of the Truth user Sunset Clause, Parepin-sober, reports to have seen The Presence: "It came down maybe three blocks away. When it was over I had pissed myself and I was crying like a four years old."
    IT specialist Francisco Parro receives an e-mail from the Bureau of Morality concerning his clients' questionable bandwidth usage. It's probable that this deals with the activities on the Solutions Backwards Initiative website. He explains the letter in an auto response from his work e-mail address written two days later, just before he is arrested.
  • February 9, 2022 (0 BA) – "Angry Sniper" shoots people at a baseball game in Chicago in an act of "resistance."[29]
    Another Version of the Truth poster QuiteContrary, real name Vince, is shot while stealing a car. His sister, Another Version of the Truth poster musiclover06, speculates she thinks he saw The Presence before the owner of the car shot him.
    Another Version of the Truth poster 8ballz reports to have seen The Presence after quitting Parepin.
    Another Version of the Truth poster lovemonger reports to have seen The Presence while on Opal, and then decides to go sober saying "Maybe I’ve only got a little time left to make up or all the shit I done wrong."
    Cedocore extends its partnership with the Bureau of Homeland Security Health Management to continue work on "immunological protections."
    At 11:30, "Carolina" from Solutions Backwards Initiative is scheduled to support "Miguel" on a pre-test "Georgetown remote run."
  • February 10, 2022 (0 BA) – Another Version of the Truth message boards updated with readable messages.
    "Angry Sniper" sends message to "NoOneImportant" via Consolidated Mail Systems.
    PFC T. Leyton confesses to Father Steven Sokowski that he's afraid to come home from Yüksekova to his family because after shooting a Kurdish kid, he's not the same and can't feel safe around family anymore.
    Blake Bessarion writes to the Denver Animal Society about the government's mistreatment of police dogs, which led to the mauling of six-year-old Misha Delmore.
    The Solutions Backwards Initiative crew run their "test". It appears to be an experiment with quantum computing, involving "subversives" from around the world, to send banned information back through time. The test seems to work, before the operation gets ambushed.
  • February 13, 2022 (0 BA) – FECP sermon on "Whoever Resists the Authority Resists God."
  • February 18, 2022 (0 BA) – Stonewall anniversary meeting scheduled; an hour later than last time.

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Kerrang discusses movie possibility with Trent Reznor. Kerrang! (2007-03-06). Retrieved on March 13, 2007.
  2. ^ a b nine inch nails: current. NIN.com (2007-02-05). Retrieved on February 13, 2007.
  3. ^ RIAA Goes After NINE INCH NAILS Fans Over Deliberate Leak Campaign. Blabbermouth.net (2007-04-03). Retrieved on April 4, 2007.
  4. ^ a b c d e Reuters (2007-04-02). Cryptic Web sites build buzz for Nine Inch Nails. CNN. Retrieved on April 6, 2007.
  5. ^ 42 creates viral campaign for Nine Inch Nails. digitmag.co.uk (2007-02-14). Retrieved on February 16, 2007.
  6. ^ Jay Shukla (2007-03-26). Nine Inch Nails - Pretty PR Machine. STV. Retrieved on April 8, 2007. “In appropriating the methods of the PR companies to promote his own art, Reznor is not only leaving himself open to attack, he is raising serious questions about control, manipulation and authenticity.”
  7. ^ a b c The Spiral (registration required). Retrieved on February 5, 2006.
  8. ^ NINE INCH NAILS Mainman On New CD: 'I Wrote The Soundtrack To A Movie That Doesn't Exist'. Blabbermouth (2007-01-03). Retrieved on February 9, 2007.
  9. ^ New tour t-shirts. theninhotline.net (2007-02-12). Retrieved on February 13, 2007.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g James Montgomery (2007-02-15). Weird Web Trail: Conspiracy Theory — Or Marketing For Nine Inch Nails LP?. MTV News. Retrieved on March 11, 2007.
  11. ^ New Nine Inch Nails song found on a USB drive in a bathroom in Portugal. Digg.com. Retrieved on February 16, 2007.
  12. ^ My Violent Heart leaks, Year Zero discussion forum. The NIN Hotline (2007-02-14). Retrieved on February 14, 2007.
  13. ^ Me, I'm Not found on flash drive in Barcelona. theninhotline.net (2007-02-19). Retrieved on February 19, 2007.
  14. ^ Year Zero preview and possible album cover. theninhotline.net (2007-02-22). Retrieved on February 22, 2007.
  15. ^ The contents of tonight's USB key.... theninhotline.net (2007-02-25). Retrieved on February 25, 2007.
  16. ^ Survivalism video found on USB drives. theninhotline.net (2007-03-07). Retrieved on Error: invalid time.
  17. ^ NINE INCH NAILS : YEAR ZERO. NIN.com. Retrieved on April 7, 2007.
  18. ^ Limited Edition Lithograph with Year Zero. theninhotline.net (2007-03-03). Retrieved on April 6, 2007.
  19. ^ NIN fans receive cryptic email. theninhotline.net (2007-03-27). Retrieved on April 6, 2007.
  20. ^ Nine Inch Nails: Entire 'Year Zero' Album Available For Streaming. Blabbermouth.net (2007-04-04). Retrieved on April 8, 2007.
  21. ^ Japanese Year Zero is delayed. theninhotline.net (2007-03-29). Retrieved on April 6, 2007.
  22. ^ Michael Melchor (2007-03-30). Full Breakdown Of Nine Inch Nails Year Zero "Web Story". 411mania. Retrieved on April 8, 2007.
  23. ^ "Year Zero" Project = Way Cooler Than "Lost". Rolling Stone (2007-02-22). Retrieved on April 6, 2007.
  24. ^ OpenSourceResistance.net. theninhotline.net (2007-04-06). Retrieved on April 6, 2007.
  25. ^ Third Nine Inch Nails Track ‘Leaked’. dogmaticblog.com (2007-02-20). Retrieved on April 6, 2007.
  26. ^ 1-800-Survivalism (DO NOT CALL THIS NUMBER, IT'S JUST A HEADLINE!!). theninhotline.net (2007-02-14). Retrieved on February 16, 2007.
  27. ^ New Year Zero cover art posted. theninhotline.net (2007-04-04). Retrieved on April 6, 2007.
  28. ^ Unless Bush were to leave office prematurely for some reason, this is technically incorrect since American Presidents do not officially leave office until January 20 of the year following an election, which in this case would be January, 2009 (January, -13).
  29. ^ Under the current Major League Baseball schedule, there are no major baseball games played in February. This anomaly may be an error by those creating the websites which reported this event (either in-game or out of game), or may signify a shift in baseball schedules in the world of Year Zero perhaps due to global warming.

[edit] External links

[edit] Year Zero phenomena