The Mystery Experiences Company

TODO

• Add categories to all related pages.
• Make a quote or quotations template.
• Go over the newspapers website for /jan2017.

Organizations

Forrest City Post

• Volume 5, Issue 32 (January 2017): Shipped with The Eleventh Hour box.

Characters

Casey Cavanaugh

• "Tech entrepreneur"

Mr. X

• "I am in a unique position to see and know many things about Forrest City's dark secrets."
• "Although I have chosen to remain anonymous, I will, from time to time, pass along to you information".

Timeline

• December 31st, 2016
  • "The Eleventh Hour" occurs on Savage Island.
    • The Eleventh Hour's shipping date was "last week of December, 2016".
    • Which would typically mean an arrival of January for players.
    • The included Forrest City Post had URL of "/jan2017".

The Eleventh Hour (December 2016)

Case files

Letter from Mr. X

File:TMEC-The Eleventh Hour-Letter from Mr. X.png

Letter from Mr. X.

The residents of Forrest City are living in dangerous times. I am in a unique position to see and know many things about Forrest City's dark secrets. Although I have chosen to remain anonymous, I will, from time to time, pass along to you information useful in solving some of the mysteries of our very unique city.

In this box are items and documents relating to a recent sinister occurrence that has been kept hidden from the general public. You will not see accounts of it in any newspaper. The Forrest City Police Department and the FBI will deny any knowledge that these events occurred. But given the nature of what happened on Dec. 31 on Savage Island, I could not in good conscience allow these events to remain shrouded in secrecy. I have chosen to call this mysterious episode THE ELEVENTH HOUR.

I would suggest that you begin by doing a quick survey of the items in the box. Next you should read the Forrest City newspaper. It will provide you with the necessary background information. Then begin with Page 1 of the notes taken by Christopher of Christopher's Curiosities. His notes will provide you with a guide to follow the course of events that transpired.

Use your powers of observation and intellect to solve the challenges you will encounter. If you can successfully reach a conclusion to this mystery, you will be one step closer to understanding Forrest City.

Good luck, Mr. X

Forrest City Post, Volume 5, Issue 32, January 2017

Page 1: Cover

Forrest City News           VISIT US ONLINE: www.ForrestCity.info/jan2017           $4.95

Volume 5, Issue 32           SPECIAL EDITION           Your Forrest City News Source

An Interview with Tech Entrepreneur Casey Cavanaugh PAGE 5
Guide to Forrest City: Neighborhoods and Resident Profiles. PAGE 6
The Restoration of Bedford Manor on SAVAGE ISLAND

• The correct URL is http://www.forrestcity.info/jan2017.html

Page 2: Ad for The Lancaster Museum

The Lancaster Museum - Forrest City

Alice: An Exhibition on the Works of Lewis Carroll - Now a Permanent Exhibition
The Lost City: Is An Ancient Mayan City Hidden in the Jungles of Central America? - Now a Permanent Exhibition
Mysteries of the Ancients - Permanent Exhibition
Michael: The Archangel - Permanent Exhibition
Tombs of the Pharaoh - Permanent Exhibition

100 South Palm Avenue
Downtown Forrest City

HOURS:
Mon thru Fri 11:00 am to 5:00 pm
Sat and Sun 8:00 am to 6:00 pm

Page 3: Savage Island Vacant No Longer

Bedform Manor and Savage Island Sold to Unknown Buyer

SAVAGE ISLAND Vacant No Longer

Savage Island was named after industrialist William Savage who purchased it in 1930. Savage used the island as a retreat, building cabins and other small structures on the twenty-three acre island off the coast of Forrest City.

In 1941, Savage sold the island to Nathaniel Bedford, heir to a mining and railroad fortune. Bedford chose the island as the location to construct a magnificent manor house as a gift to his betrothed, April Heart. It was Nathaniel's intention that the home would be a wedding gift to April on the day of their nuptials.

Sadly, April committed suicide only ten days before the wedding that was to occur on New Year's Eve on the island. She hung herself from the rafters of her bedroom. No specific motive for the suicide was ever revealed.

Nathaniel halted the final steps in the construction of Bedford Manor and never took up residence on Savage Island. He lived the remainder of his life in seclusion and very little is known about him following the death of April Heart.

Savage Island remain unoccupied, and Bedford Manor vacant, until an unknown buyer purchased the island from the trust that Nathaniel Bedford used to buy it from William Savage. Bedford Manor and its surroundings have now been renovated and restored, but no one associated with the project has been willing to reveal any details.

The island's unique history renders its legal status ambiguous at best. William Savage purchased the island from the federal government, but the 1930 contract for sale stipulated that the island would remain under the jurisdiction of the federal government (as opposed to local or state authorities), and the U.S. Department of Defense would have the first right to purchase the property if it were ever offered for sale by Savage.

A legal expert consulted by The Forrest City Post confirmed that these stipulations "run with the land" and were therefore included in the sale of the island from Savage to Nathaniel Bedford, and would continue to be a condition of any subsequent sale. Though the federal government had the legal right to purchase the island when Savage sold it to Bedford, it evidently chose not to do so.

There have been rumors of other secret stipulations placed on the initial sale of the island to William Savage in 1930, such as the ability of the government to continue to utilize parts of the island for some unspecified purposes, but these rumors have never been confirmed and are dismissed by most as nothing more than fanciful speculations.

In 1975, a joint task force of the Forrest City Police Department and the Forrest City F.B.I. field office attempted to search Savage Island in conjunction with a manhunt for a serial bank robber, but were intercepted and turned away by a U.S. Navy Frigate.

Page 4: Ads and News In Brief

The Basilica of St. Michael
The Catholic Diocese of Forrest City
Sunday Mass: 9:00 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.
370 Fourth Street, Downtown Forrest City

Bacchus Wine Bar
It's all about the grape.
1721 Main Street, Downtown Forrest City

Archon Genomics
The future is now.
www.ArchonGenomics.com
64 Archon Parkway, Forrest City

NEWS In Brief

BENEFACTOR HONORED BY UNIVERSITY
Forrest City's Drake University will recognize hedge fund manager Julie Bull for her recent $500,000 donation by renaming a campus building in her honor. The building currently known as "Walters Hall" containing lecture halls and classrooms will be renamed as "Julie C. Bull Hall" early next year. Julie Bull, wife of Senator John Bull, started hedge fund OX Capital in Forrest City six years ago. Some of the fund's biggest holdings include local companies Archon Genomics and DaVinci Systems.

NEW CURATOR AT THE LANCASTER MUSEUM
The Lancaster Museum has promoted Sonya Grant to the position of Curator. Grant, who has worked at the museum for the past five years as an assistant curator, was named Curator with the unanimous support of the museum's board of directors. Grant was responsible for the acquisition of several of Lancaster Museum's new exhibits including Mysteries of the Ancients and Tombs of the Pharaohs. The Lancaster Museum was endowed by the prominent Lancaster family in the early 1900's. With both permanent and temporary exhibits on display, the museum houses considerable collections in natural history, ancient civilizations, local history, and more. Faculty at Drake University often partner with museum staff in undertaking archaeological expeditions.

BIOTECHNOLOGY COMPANY EXPANDS CAMPUS
Biotech pioneer Archon Genomics currently occupies a highly secure, thirty-acre campus on the outskirts of Forrest City. This campus will double in size next year as the company's CEO, Robert MacKenzie, finalizes the acquisition of an adjacent thirty acre parcel that is currently undeveloped. One of the world's leading biotechnology companies, Archon Genomics specializes in genome sequencing, transgenics, and genetic engineering. It is rumored that much of Archon Genomic's research includes covert projects for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).

FORREST CITY HISTORY PROJECT
Journalist Marta Perez is undertaking a research project of tremendous proportions. Funded by a grant from an anonymous benefactor, Perez will be working with the Lancaster Museum to conduct a review of the museum's local history archives. Documents and objects from Forrest City's long history have been stored out of public view in the basement archives of the Lancaster Museum for over a hundred years. Most of the items in the collection haven't been touched or seen since they were first acquired by the museum. Perez expects to write a series of articles and a book about the history of Forrest City based on her findings in the archives.

REVISITING AN ALARMING STUDY
Last year, researchers at Drake University concluded a longitudinal study of levels of violence in Forrest City dating back to the late 1800's. Sources for the study included police reports, newspaper archives, hospital records, and federal databases. The alarming conclusion of the study was that violence in Forrest City occurs at a rate at least fourteen times higher than any other city of comparable size. Furthermore, the extremely high levels of violence were observed as far back as available records permitted study, dating back to at least 1875. Scientists involved were unable to identify any contributing cause that could explain these disconcerting results. Johnson Savage, grandson of recently deceased heiress Agnes Savage, has publicly called for further investigation into the results of the study and has offered to contribute $250,000 toward the effort. The original researchers will meet with Savage next week.

Page 5: Interview with Casey Cavanaugh

FCP: For our readers who may not be familiar with your name, please remind us of your current position.

CC: I'm the founder and CEO of DaVinci Systems. Our campus is located here in Forrest City.

FCP: And what does Davinci Systems do?

CC: We specialize in making communications and data safe from criminals and hackers. We develop encryption tools and methods that companies and governments can use to protect information.

FCP: And you recently announced another project?

CC: Yes, we've hired some of the world's leading researchers in the field of artificial intelligence. They are part of a new department that will pursue the use of artificial intelligence in encryption and cryptography.

FCP: There was an article circulating online recently claiming that the artificial intelligence project is really aimed at cracking the codes of foreign governments and that your biggest customers are the National Security Agency and the CIA. Any comment?

CC: [Smiling] You shouldn't believe everything you read online.

FCP: Many people have described you as a true mathematics prodigy. Is that a fair characterization?

CC: I've always had a special ability when it comes to math. I'm generally able to see solutions to mathematical problems in unique ways that other people can't. I'm very visual when it comes to equations and constructs. I see mathematics in my mind in colors and shapes. It's not anything that I created — it's just how my brain works.

FCP: You're being modest. Isn't it true that you graduated from MIT with doctorate degrees in both number theory and fluid dynamics at age fifteen?

CC: Fourteen. I turned fifteen two months later.

FCP: And you published a breakthrough paper on abc theory? What is that exactly?

CC: It's difficult to describe in words. It has to do with integers and prime numbers, and letters that represent mathematical variables used in equations. My paper proposes what you might call a new language — a whole new universe of mathematical objects — in order to describe the known universe.

FCP: Did your parents know that you were a math genius when you were still very young?

CC: My mom likes to tell a story about a time when I was four and she found me writing out a rail fence cipher with a blue crayon. So yeah, I guess it started pretty early on.

FCP: What did you do after graduation?

CC: I took a year off and went back home to live with my parents. I continued my studies on my own and attended several conferences around the world to present my most well-known paper.

FCP: And after that?

CC: I went to work for the National Security Agency. The NSA saw some unique applications for my work that I hadn't yet considered. They couldn't figure out the math, but they were pretty confident that I could. So I spent a few years at the NSA. I can't really talk about it, but it was very productive.

FCP: And then you started DaVinci Systems.

CC: Right. With the help of some advisors and investors, DaVinci Systems hit the group running. I've been very fortunate. It's an exciting place to work and we're doing some very cutting edge research.

FCP: You don't look like the typical technology CEO.

CC: [Laughing] Well, for starters, I'm female. That's not very common in our industry. But I'm guessing you mean the hair, the tattoos and the flannel shirts. This is who I am. I'm young. I'm a free spirit. I don't feel the need to conform.

FCP: How did DaVinci Systems end up in Forrest City?

CC: From the beginning, we started doing some joint projects with Archon Genomics. It made sense to be in close proximity. And Forrest City is a very unique place. There's a lot going on here.

FCP: Do you have a favorite tattoo?

CC: All of my tattoos are meaningful to me. Each one has a special significance or a hidden meaning.

Page 6: Ads and Forrest City Neighborhoods

Dante's Bookshop
An extraordinary selection of rare books and first editions.
68 N. Orange Ave.

Oglevie, Thorn & Sharpe
Attorneys at Law
112 McAnsh Square
Downtown Forrest City
www.OTSfirm.com
OTSfirm@gmail.com

Sky Bar
Come and get in the groove
Bang Ladies Night Fridays
Ladies No Cover All Night
Downtown Forrest City

Kennedy Plastic Surgery Institute
Dr. Michael Kennedy
400 Dolphin Lane
Downtown Forrest City

Forrest City Neighborhoods

FORREST CITY was incorporated in 1835, but the land on which the city is located has been occupied since at least the 1600's. Forrest City has had a long history replete with remarkable adventures, dark tales, and mysterious events. Today, Forrest City is home to many different neighborhoods with distinct personalities that have evolved from its unique past.

DOWNTOWN. The downtown district is home to most of the city's government buildings including the Forrest City Police Department headquarters, the Coroner's Office, and the F.B.I. field office. Also located downtown are Drake University, Forrest City College, and the Lancaster Museum. The district is home to several banks including American National Bank and Forrest City's oldest law film, Oglevie, Thorn & Sharpe. Other notable downtown businesses include Cecil's Cafe, Bacchus Wine Bar, Dante's Bookshop specializing in rare books and first editions, and Christopher's Curiosities which offers for sale a collection of rare and unique items. Two of Forrest City's historic houses are also located downtown: Lancaster Manor and Savage House.

THE NARROWS. Most of this economically impoverished neighborhood in Forrest City was built long before the invention of the automobile. The area is nicknamed the Narrows due to its narrow, winding streets. Much of the architecture of the Narrows is a throwback to the early days of the industrial revolution: grimy buildings, dark alleys, and crowded spaces. Notable places in the Narrows include the Crown Pub, Sinner's Alley, Five Points, and Trinity Church.

SILICON ALLEY is the nickname for the area to the north of the downtown district that serves as Forrest City's growing high-tech hub and start-up ecosystem. Notable businesses include XO Capital, the iBar, and DaVinci Systems. Archon Genomics is the largest company in the area and is located on its own thirty acre campus on the north end of Silicon Alley. A team of researchers led by Dr. James Blusson at the Archon Genomics was the first group to sequence and map the entire human genome.

THE HARBOR DISTRICT began in the 1800's as a working port populated primarily by sailors and dockworkers. It is now a mix of condominiums, deteriorating buildings, and a variety of businesses catering to either end of the economic spectrum that exists in the area. Notable places in the Harbor District include the Blue Martini, the Ericson Art Museum, the Forrest City Science Center, the Bull Theater, and the historic Lancaster Hotel.

CAVANAUGH KEY is home to some of Forrest City's most expensive residential housing, public beaches, and a small commercial district that functions as the Key's unofficial downtown. Cavanaugh Key is accessible only by a single bridge from the downtown district. Notable places on Cavanaugh Key include the Casperson Hotel, McKendrick Beach, and the historic Thorn Lighthouse.

THE FRENCH QUARTER. Forrest City's French Quarter is a smaller version of its namesake neighborhood in New Orleans. In the late 1600's, a settlement of French trappers and traders was located in the area that would later become Forrest City. Many of the descendants of the original French settlers stayed in the area as the settlement became a small town. When ownership of the region was granted by treaty to England, over half of the French residents remaine, and Forrest City grew up around them. Over time, the original French town became a neighborhood within Forrest City. Notable places in the French Quarter include Antoine's, Olivia House, Jacmel Inn, Court of the Three Sisters, and Royal Square.

CHINATOWN. For decades. Forrest City's Chinatown district was a safe, desirable area. In recent years, however, Asian crime groups have taken control and Chinatown is now plagued by criminal activity. Forrest City residents and tourists generally avoid Chinatown except during heavily policed events such as the annual Dragon Boat Festival. Notable businesses in Chinatown include the Haidilao Hot Pot and the Hutong Jade Restaurant.