Mission 1- The Looking Glass
At the completion of Intel #2, new Cadre members recieved a postcard detailing a seance happening in 1922. At the bottom of the card was a QR Code that allowed them to sign up for their first official mission as new members. An email was also sent by Mister E to the new members of The Cadre informing them of their first official mission and inviting them to sign up for a slot.
This video is a complete walkthrough experience of this mission. A member documented this mission for preservation and for uploading here. If you continue below, there is a full detailed explaination of this mission.
After signing up, members are told to meet their informants at their respective times at the end of Stinson drive near the staircase to Cox Hall.
At this time, an informant comes to greet them then guided the members into Broughton hall and into a large, echoey space where a computer terminal and a large mirror looking device sat. A constant hum can be heard from the device.
After settling in several chairs, the informant begins a video on the computer screen. Mister E's voice can be heard along with a static image coming from the monitor on the desk. Mister E informs the participants the importance of the device in front of them, The Looking Glass, to the Cadre's Mission and the hope of acquiring the location of missing students. Mister E informs the members of a needed password and sends a print to the neighboring printer.
This password would allow them greater access to the computer systems.
The paper that prints from the printer is a long paragraph of some kind with what looks to be letters mixed around and arranged weirdly.
When held up to a light backwards, the paragraph is able to be read. It is a paragraph from H.G. Wells' "The Time Machine." This excerpt is the main character describing the feeling of traveling through time.
Periodically throughout the paragraph, words are obviously misspelled. When the misspelled letters are put together, they spell the word "Lookingglass"
Once the password is inputted into the computer interface, a video proceeds to play titled, "Device Orientation 2 of 7: The Looking Glass".
This is another orientation video by Dr. Beldon explaining a new device. This device, The Looking Glass, had the ability to observe past events in history. He also explains the dangers and pitfalls of manipulating time through The Looking Glass by interacting with the people they see through the mirror.
After the orientation video, Mister E returns and explains that the Cadre members are there to help locate one of the missing students, Jess Grayson. Mister E believes Jess is in attendence at the event on the postcard and their mission is to use the Looking Glass to observe the event that evening and acquire any information they can from it, primarily Jess' Institute ID Number.
Once Mister E concludes, the computer terminal appears open to a desktop with several folders, files, and an icon that says "Mirror Module"
Once they open the Mirror Module program it brings up a text based terminal called Temporal Lab Integrated Systems Administrator (L.I.S.A.) and it asks for them to enter password. (This is the same password as previously used.)This logs them in and allowed them to type "help" which gives several options including a directory with several .txt files and an option labeled "target Initialize Temporal Targeting of Mirror Module".
Once they entered "target", a new command line came up saying...
--PLEASE ENTER TEMPORAL TARGETING DATA--
MM-DD-YY
The targeting data they are looking for is the date that Jess would be at the reading. On the back of the Professor Zohar card they recieved from the museum (there is also one on the desk in the room) is a note from "T" to Jess asking her to be at the event. the date on the note is 10-29-22 (meaning October 29th 1922)
Once they enter "10-29-22" into the LISA terminal, a red Hourglass logo appeared on the screen and the mirror device in the room began to power on.
As the device powers on, an image appears on the mirror of 4 people sitting around a table in a dark room with one overhead lamp. They seem to be in the middle of a Tarot reading. We soon find out the people around the table are (left to right) Professor Zohar, Teddy, Jess Grayson, and Daisy.
After a bit of convincing on Teddy's part, Jess agrees to have a Tarot reading for herself. Professor Zohar starts to perform the reading by explaining her aura as "distinct and different than any he has seen before". He asks Jess what her question is, she replies "I just want to know if there is a way for me to go home," He then proceeds to lay out a 10 card spread of cards in a Celtic Cross layout and explains them as "a situation at odds with itself." He then proceeds to explains them one at a time to her.
1)The Hermit(reversed)- "You had set forth with noble intentions, searching for truth but, because he is reversed, your path would seem to have unknowingly been filled with danger and now you feel trapped and alone. Lost."
2)The Hierophant- "Tradition, pre-existing rules, or social structures stand in your way. But he can also be an expression of a person; a mentor perhaps…or someone you look up to who is in opposition to you and not your friend. Most likely a man"
3)Four of Wands- "you wish for a reunion, a time of togetherness with friends and family. In this case perhaps a return to your community or home."
4)Wheel of Fortune (reversed)- "You mustn’t cling to the illusion that you have any control in your circumstances. There are forces that cannot be moved by human will and action alone, and you mustn't blame yourself for your current predicament. The wheel is always in motion and sometimes we are on the bottom, and luckily as it turns you will be on top again."
5)The Tower- "A radical change occurred that has shaken you to the core...These kinds of foundational changes can clear the way for something wonderful and new. Even though you may feel like the Tower has crumbled around you, there is still hope."
6)The Lovers- "Perhaps a new man in your life? Or a reunion with the man from before?...It could also signal an important partnership. A union of two powerful forces."
7)The Chariot- "You may feel as though you have much willpower, control, and confidence"
8)The Magician (reversed)- " But here a man appears again as The Magician. However, when reversed he is deceptive, manipulative, and reckless."
9)Seven of Swords- "And here you either hope for or fear scheming and lies with the 7 of Swords."
10)Death- "a symbol of transition and transformation. Whether or not that transition is good or bad is to be determined by you. It could possibly signal another great upheaval in your life, which could be either welcome… or not."
At the conclusion of the Tarot reading, the medium offers Jess more clarity by performing a seance. Daisy is very hesitant and skeptical of these actions, but is quickly shut down by Teddy's curiosity and Jess' need to know what happened to her.
Professor Zohar begins to commune with the spirits at which point he connects with what he believes are spirits. After a short period of time, Cadre members in the room realize Professor Zohar has connected through the Looking Glass device and is talking directly to them. Professor Zohar proceeds to ask the "spirits" yes or no questions to identify the "spirits." Zohar continues to question the spirits and establishes they want to speak to Jess.
Throughout these questions, the Cadre members are answering yes or no to each of Zohar's questions, causing the rock in front of him to move. Once it is established who the "spirits" are there to see, Teddy interrupts the commune by exclaiming to have felt something touch him. The rest of the party brushes it off, and continues with the seance, Jess now being interested.
The Seance continues with Zohar trying to establish the relationship of the "spirits" to Jess. After 2 questions, Jess starts to believe the "spirits" may be Emma from the future. This idea is quickly shot down by the Cadre members exclaiming they are not Emma.
At this moment, Zohar believes they have a strong enough connection and believes they can speak freely and tells the "spirits" he will speak for them to Jess.
The Cadre members claim they are looking for Jess' ID number. Both Zohar and Jess are confused by this, so Zohar asks for them to elaborate on what they want.
They repeat they are looking for Jess' Institute ID number. Zohar claims they are with an institution and Jess understands they are looking for her Institute ID number.
At this moment, the Looking Glass device starts to make noises, identifying it is overheating and beginning to shut down. At the same time, Professor Zohar exclaims that Jess needs to hurry, he is losing connection with the spirits.
Jess quickly says her Institute ID number as JG68495. At this moment, the device shuts down and the monitor on the computer goes haywire with many symbols.
At this moment the room is quiet. After a moment, the printer comes to life and prints one more paper. On this paper is a copy of a Tarot card "The Hanged Man".
After this happens, the informant returns and explains to them that The Institute has been notified of the device and they need to leave before they arrive. Quickly ushering them out the building a different way than they came in, the informant asks to make sure the Cadre members have gotten the ID number and the Tarot card and tells them Mister E will be in touch then leaves them.