==Video File==

http://assets.vanishingpointgame.com/loki_640_magicweb_011107.wmv 
http://vanishingpointgame.com/vidxlokixmagic111.htm
==Transcript==
Congratulations! That's twenty-four puzzles down. Only twenty-four before I disappear. I guess you're kind of a magician, too. You've sawed a lady in half. 
Alright, so where was I? Oh, right. So, I'm in this room with the one recruiter; usually these guys ask about your research or your grades, but this guy looks me in the eye and says, " Tell me about a time you made something disappear." I told him about disappearing my chemistry professor's office.

I took the door down off its hinges, laid up a little bit of dry wall...some white wash... and you can't forget about the base boards. And I hung one of those huge billboards across the walls advertising swim meets or book swaps.

So the next morning he shows up for office hours....no office. He turns around, I'm standing at the end of the hallway, trying to keep myself from laughing...he starts down the corridor...reading the name plates on every door. It took him about two weeks to think about crawling through the window.

So the recruiter says, "Wow, but can you top that if I hire you?" And I say, "Hey, give me the job and I'll even give you your watch back."

''Loki is much more animated in this video, moving her left hand in gestures. She is holding a magic wand in her right hand. ''

''Note:'' It may be worth mentioning that Loki's story, while interesting, is neither true nor original. [http://hacks.mit.edu/Hacks/by_year/1990/vest_bboard/ This is a rather famous MIT hack played on the incoming President]. Could this be a clue as to which school she attended?

White Box Phenomenon

2007-01-14T17:05:25Z

SuperRob:

Template:Puzzle Box 1

2007-01-14T16:56:59Z

SuperRob:

<center>'''Time passes...'''</center>
''Time is nature's way to keep everything from happening all at once...'' 
Puzzle Box 1 consists of 12 puzzles, four each of Easy (10 [[points]] each), Medium (20 [[points]] each), and Hard puzzles (50 [[points]] each). It will be opened on Monday, January 8 2007 at 6:30pm Pacific time. Footage of the event will be available.
====Easy====
* [[Mantle Clock]] - solved
* [[Watch Springs]] - solved
* [[Gears]] - solved
* [[Sundial]] - solved

====Medium====
* [[Airport]] - solved
* [[Cuckoos]] - solved
* [[Pocket Watches]] - solved
* [[Current Events]] - solved

====Hard====
* [[Starfield]] - solved
* [[Calendars]] - solved
* [[Repair Table]] - solved
* [[Hourglass]] - solved

Nine of the twelve puzzles had small white boxes. When clicked on, the box would disappear. Dubbed the [[White Box Phenomenon]] [http://forums.unfiction.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=17829], they have been shown to be linked to the [[Meta Puzzle]]. The boxes were not found on "Sundial", "Pocket Watches", nor "Current Events."

Meta Puzzle

2007-01-14T01:58:02Z

SuperRob:

Confirmation of a "puzzle within a puzzle" is confirmed in two locations.

In the [[FAQ]], Loki says:

<blockquote>"... but I'll let you in on a little secret. If you are the first person to find and solve my secret puzzle, you can have your name engraved and immortalized on an AMD chip for a production run through March 31, 2007."</blockquote>

The Rules state:

<blockquote>"Meta Puzzle Bonus: The first individual to correctly solve the Meta Puzzle will automatically receive the AMD Signature Chip Bonus, which means their name will be inscribed on each AMD Athlon 64 FX chip manufactured from the time of the award through March 31, 2007. If you are deemed the recipient of this Meta Puzzle Bonus, follow the instructions presented at time of notification or receipt. This Bonus has no cash value."</blockquote>

It is unknown at this time whether or not any of the clues in the original cypher, [[Video-Ignition]], [[Video-Loki]], puzzle mailings, or any other pre-awareness text and images relate to the Meta Puzzle. However, it is highly likely that the [[Video-Loki]] contains additional clues, since the video is now on the main Vanishing Point page, and has puzzle-like elements that have yet to be explained by the pre-awareness phase.

----

Finishing all of the Week 1 Puzzles gives a congratulatory e-mail from Loki. At the end of the video, the string "on_the_run" flashes on the screen. Going to this directory [http://vanishingpointgame.com/on_the_run/] on the Vanishing Point game's server yields the following message:

<blockquote>Good, you’re paying attention. 

You’ve found something that very few others will… 

This page is not part of the challenge to give away a trip into space….it’s something different. 

When I was hired to build the Vanishing Point, I realized it was an opportunity to build something personal that I’ve been trying to find a way to build for many years now, and that if players were smart enough to get through the puzzle suites, they might also be smart enough to help me with this. 

So let’s see if you can help. In return, I have one amazing bonus prize to give away. 

If you are the first person in the world to help me find my own vanishing point, I will print your name on the actual casing of every AMD Athlon 64 FX computer chip manufactured between now and March 31, 2007. 

When the time is right, I’ll ask you a question. For now, follow this trail to get the word it leads to. 

Contact me.</blockquote>

By "Contact Me" she means send a email to loki[at]vanishingpointgame.com, doing so gets you the reply:

<blockquote>Life is a mix of work and play. You've found play...

~L</blockquote>

So, if @vanishingpointgame.com is Play, then @microsoft.com is Work, right? Perhaps, doing so gets you the reply:

<blockquote>Hmmm. Not quite what I had in mind. Try harder - then listen closely.

~L </blockquote>
Which was sent from v-loki@microsoft.com 

If you called Microsoft and asked an operator to be transferred to v-Loki, you'll get the following message:

<blockquote>"'''A'''wesome '''w'''ork. '''A'''ll '''k'''nowledge '''e'''ventually '''n'''eeds '''e'''ffective '''d'''iagnosis."</blockquote>

Which leads to [http://www.vanishingpointgame.com/awakened http://www.vanishingpointgame.com/awakened].

You're given another phone number. When you call it, you have to provide a fax number. When you do, you get a fax document ...

<blockquote>Itinerary for: L Kitsune 

Date Flight Depart Arrive 
Jan 4 AW 291 12:05p 2:22p 
Jan 11 SW 608 7:00p 8:05p 
Jan 18 AA 1308 1:45p 6:40p 
Jan 24 UA 373/339 9:15a 1:07p 
Jan 28 AK 394 9:55a 12:08p</blockquote>

That last number, 12:08p is circled, and handwritten under it is the following:

Former AT&T Bldg.
x55654

<blockquote>

Flight: 394 Track this Flight
From: Seattle to San Jose, CA
Date: Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Page Last Updated: 9:57:14 AM update

Departure Scheduled Actual Gate Arrival Scheduled Actual Comments Alerts
Seattle 9:55 AM 9:49 AM D9 San Jose, CA 12:08 PM ETA 11:51 AM N/A

</blockquote>
The former AT&T building located in San Jose is AMD's headquarters. Call their main number (408-749-4000) and use the x55654 extention and you get a recording.

<blockquote>Hi, this is Loki. Or rather her electronic footprint left behind on this machine. 
Funny how the inanimate world retains traces of things long after they've disappeared, isn't it?. 
If you're calling about the murmuring rock project, it's on hold indefinitely ... unfortunately.</blockquote>

Here is a recording of it
http://www.windowsconnected.com/files/folders/misc/entry5565.aspx

Searching the internet for "Murmuring Rock" yields information about [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lorelei Lorelei], which is both rich in folklore, and fills in the missing part of the itinerary. It appears that Loki is the nickname of Lorelei Kitsune.

The trail appears to go cold here. Loki said earlier, "When the time is right, I’ll ask you a question. For now, follow this trail to get the word it leads to." It appears that "Lorelei" is that word. Now ... we wait.

----

At the end of Week Two's puzzles, a new video from Loki appears, in which she talks about her experience with the recruiters at Microsoft. At the end, the word "/collectionplate" pops up. Going to [http://www.vanishingpointgame.com/collectionplate vanishingpointgame.com/collectionplate] tells you that when the time is right, Loki will ask for a word. It then shows how many boxes (see [[White Box Phenomenon]]) you have found. Presumably, finding all 36 (9 per week) will unlock the next stage of the Meta Puzzle.

Meta Puzzle

2007-01-14T01:50:08Z

SuperRob:

Confirmation of a "puzzle within a puzzle" is confirmed in two locations.

In the [[FAQ]], Loki says:

<blockquote>"... but I'll let you in on a little secret. If you are the first person to find and solve my secret puzzle, you can have your name engraved and immortalized on an AMD chip for a production run through March 31, 2007."</blockquote>

The Rules state:

<blockquote>"Meta Puzzle Bonus: The first individual to correctly solve the Meta Puzzle will automatically receive the AMD Signature Chip Bonus, which means their name will be inscribed on each AMD Athlon 64 FX chip manufactured from the time of the award through March 31, 2007. If you are deemed the recipient of this Meta Puzzle Bonus, follow the instructions presented at time of notification or receipt. This Bonus has no cash value."</blockquote>

It is unknown at this time whether or not any of the clues in the original cypher, [[Video-Ignition]], [[Video-Loki]], puzzle mailings, or any other pre-awareness text and images relate to the Meta Puzzle. However, it is highly likely that the [[Video-Loki]] contains additional clues, since the video is now on the main Vanishing Point page, and has puzzle-like elements that have yet to be explained by the pre-awareness phase.

----

Finishing all of the Week 1 Puzzles gives a congratulatory e-mail from Loki. At the end of the video, the string "on_the_run" flashes on the screen. Going to this directory [http://vanishingpointgame.com/on_the_run/] on the Vanishing Point game's server yields the following message:

<blockquote>Good, you’re paying attention. 

You’ve found something that very few others will… 

This page is not part of the challenge to give away a trip into space….it’s something different. 

When I was hired to build the Vanishing Point, I realized it was an opportunity to build something personal that I’ve been trying to find a way to build for many years now, and that if players were smart enough to get through the puzzle suites, they might also be smart enough to help me with this. 

So let’s see if you can help. In return, I have one amazing bonus prize to give away. 

If you are the first person in the world to help me find my own vanishing point, I will print your name on the actual casing of every AMD Athlon 64 FX computer chip manufactured between now and March 31, 2007. 

When the time is right, I’ll ask you a question. For now, follow this trail to get the word it leads to. 

Contact me.</blockquote>

By "Contact Me" she means send a email to loki[at]vanishingpointgame.com, doing so gets you the reply:

<blockquote>Life is a mix of work and play. You've found play...

~L</blockquote>

So, if @vanishingpointgame.com is Play, then @microsoft.com is Work, right? Perhaps, doing so gets you the reply:

<blockquote>Hmmm. Not quite what I had in mind. Try harder - then listen closely.

~L </blockquote>
Which was sent from v-loki@microsoft.com 

If you called Microsoft and asked an operator to be transferred to v-Loki, you'll get the following message:

<blockquote>"'''A'''wesome '''w'''ork. '''A'''ll '''k'''nowledge '''e'''ventually '''n'''eeds '''e'''ffective '''d'''iagnosis."</blockquote>

Which leads to [http://www.vanishingpointgame.com/awakened http://www.vanishingpointgame.com/awakened].

You're given another phone number. When you call it, you have to provide a fax number. When you do, you get a fax document ...

<blockquote>Itinerary for: L Kitsune 

Date Flight Depart Arrive 
Jan 4 AW 291 12:05p 2:22p 
Jan 11 SW 608 7:00p 8:05p 
Jan 18 AA 1308 1:45p 6:40p 
Jan 24 UA 373/339 9:15a 1:07p 
Jan 28 AK 394 9:55a 12:08p</blockquote>

That last number, 12:08p is circled, and handwritten under it is the following:

Former AT&T Bldg.
x55654

<blockquote>

Flight: 394 Track this Flight
From: Seattle to San Jose, CA
Date: Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Page Last Updated: 9:57:14 AM update

Departure Scheduled Actual Gate Arrival Scheduled Actual Comments Alerts
Seattle 9:55 AM 9:49 AM D9 San Jose, CA 12:08 PM ETA 11:51 AM N/A

</blockquote>
The former AT&T building located in San Jose is AMD's headquarters. Call their main number (408-749-4000) and use the x55654 extention and you get a recording.

<blockquote>Hi, this is Loki. Or rather her electronic footprint left behind on this machine. 
Funny how the inanimate world retains traces of things long after they've disappeared, isn't it?. 
If you're calling about the murmuring rock project, it's on hold indefinitely ... unfortunately.</blockquote>

Here is a recording of it
http://www.windowsconnected.com/files/folders/misc/entry5565.aspx

Searching the internet for "Murmuring Rock" yields information about [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lorelei Lorelei], which is both rich in folklore, and fills in the missing part of the itinerary. It appears that Loki is the nickname of Lorelei Kitsune.

The trail appears to go cold here. Loki said earlier, "When the time is right, I’ll ask you a question. For now, follow this trail to get the word it leads to." It appears that "Lorelei" is that word. Now ... we wait.

----

At the end of Week Two's puzzles, a new video from Loki appears, in which she talks about her experience with the recruiters at Microsoft. At the end, the word "collectionplate" pops up. That directory on the VanishingPointGame.com site tells you that when the time is right, Loki will ask for a word. It then shows how many boxes (see [[White Box Phenomenon]]) you have found. Presumably, finding all 36 (9 per week) will unlock the next stage of the Meta Puzzle.

Cup and Balls

2007-01-14T00:42:28Z

SuperRob:

The substitution cipher on the page translates into:

THIS TRICKSTER SHARES HIS NAME WITH THAT OF A SILVER BANDED HOLY RELIC.

That yields the answer "Blackstone", who was both a magician and is a holy relic of the Islamic faith. However, it is unknown how this clue relates as the final clue from the Phoenix event has yet to be found.

2007-01-08T21:18:24Z

SuperRob:

Initial post: http://www.neowin.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=523893&st=1740&gopid=588203909&#entry588203909
<blockquote>"My job is to find the smartest people on the planet. My employers are rewarding them with outstanding prizes, including a trip into space to see the ultimate vista, and being immortalized in a computer chip around the world."</blockquote>

More info: http://forums.unfiction.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=292483#292483
<blockquote>"An audience of general spectators and key players arrive at the Bellagio Hotel on Monday night around 6pm and wait alongside the street in anticipation of something significant to take place. The general public will not be aware that something unusual is about to take place but the community will have deciphered the countdown and the precise time and showing location for this spectacular event. The famous Bellagio Fountains (Lake Bellagio), are renouned as the visual icon of Las Vegas are about to reveal the global challenge and deliver the first set of visual clues in a way no-one has seen before. Of course, there is still one big suprise they won't see coming. Countdown hits zero at exactly 6:30pm. I look left to right, scanning the audience.

Lights and music turn off (fountains stay on). Two more water curtains rise on the left and right side of the original curtains. As these curtains rise, they fill with multiple clocks and the sound of the original clock multiplies by hundreds revealing... (view full production notes)."

LOKI
My job is to find the smartest people on the planet. My employers are rewarding them with astonishing prizes ... including a trip into space to see the ultimate vista, and being immortalized on a computer chip around the ... world.</blockquote>
Both of the above transcriptions were from screencaps by [[User:X9]], and [[User:SuperRob]]. ([http://forums.unfiction.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=292490#292490 ref]). The folder shown in both these screenshots is called 'Windows Vista Game'. This almost certainly ties the VanishingPointGame to the Windows Vista launch.

This information was discovered, apparently, in a live video stream. Several screen captures exist:

Photos from the event ([http://www.flickr.com/photos/longzheng/350109125/ source])
<gallery>
Image:Keynote photo 1.jpg
Image:Keynote photo 2.jpg
Image:Keynote photo 3.jpg
</gallery>

Screencaps from the event's stream ([http://forums.unfiction.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=292483#292483 source])
<gallery>
Image:Keynote1.png
Image:Keynote2.jpg
</gallery>

Meta Puzzle

2007-01-08T20:22:31Z

SuperRob: /* Meta Puzzle */

Meta Puzzle

2007-01-08T20:20:19Z

SuperRob:

== Meta Puzzle ==

Confirmation of a "puzzle within a puzzle" is confirmed in two locations.

In the [[FAQ]], Loki says:

"... but I'll let you in on a little secret. If you are the first person to find and solve my secret puzzle, you can have your name engraved and immortalized on an AMD chip for a production run through March 31, 2007."

The Rules state:

"Meta Puzzle Bonus: The first individual to correctly solve the Meta Puzzle will automatically receive the AMD Signature Chip Bonus, which means their name will be inscribed on each AMD Athlon 64 FX chip manufactured from the time of the award through March 31, 2007. If you are deemed the recipient of this Meta Puzzle Bonus, follow the instructions presented at time of notification or receipt. This Bonus has no cash value."

It is unknown at this time whether or not any of the clues in the original cypher, [[Video-Ignition]], [[Video-Loki]] puzzle packages, or any other pre-awareness text and images relate to the Meta Puzzle. However, it is highly likely that the [[Video-Loki]] contains additional clues, since the video is now on the main Vanishing Point page, and has puzzle-like elements that have yet to be explained by the pre-awareness phase.

Meta Puzzle

2007-01-08T20:18:38Z

SuperRob:

== Meta Puzzle ==

Confirmation of a "puzzle within a puzzle" is confirmed in two locations.

In the [[FAQ]], Loki says:

"... but I'll let you in on a little secret. If you are the first person to find and solve my secret puzzle, you can have your name engraved and immortalized on an AMD chip for a production run through March 31, 2007."

The Rules state:

"Meta Puzzle Bonus: The first individual to correctly solve the Meta Puzzle will automatically receive the AMD Signature Chip Bonus, which means their name will be inscribed on each AMD Athlon 64 FX chip manufactured from the time of the award through March 31, 2007. If you are deemed the recipient of this Meta Puzzle Bonus, follow the instructions presented at time of notification or receipt. This Bonus has no cash value."

It is unknown at this time whether or not any of the clues in the original cypher, [[Video-Ignition Ignition video]], puzzle packages, or any other pre-awareness text and images relate to the Meta Puzzle.

Meta Puzzle

2006-12-29T16:17:46Z

SuperRob: