The story (if you agree)

"I was set up....I swear!"

Lonnie had been working for the Shop for almost 20 years. His record was impeccable; his work ethic beyond reproach. He completed every mission he was ever assigned. All except one. And that one....well, that one may just be his downfall. It almost ended his career before it began. And it just may end it now. One of his first assignments. He remembers the day it happened like it was yesterday.

Walking into the Director's office, he was green and nervous.

"Yes, sir? You wanted to see me?"

The Director, an imposing figure behind his desk, was even more intimidating as he walked around the desk to greet Lonnie.

"Lonnie, you have a promising future here at the Agency. And we think we have found the perfect assignment for you to get your feet wet. Have a seat and I will fill you in."

As they both took their seats, Lonnie could sense that the Director wasn't sure if he really wanted to be giving this particular assignment.

"You are a new face," the Director began, "and the beginning to a new age in the Agency and we are very proud to see how well you did in your training phase. You excelled in every test we gave you and had the highest scores of any recruit we ever brought in. That is why we are choosing you to take on this assignment."

Not wanting to interrupt, Lonnie waited patiently for the Director to finish.

"There is a file out there," he continued. "Called Dossier #235ZK, this file holds many great secrets. It has been kept here at the Office for many years. Recently, that file has been stolen."

Lonnie gasps. Stolen? How could that be? This is one of the most secure buildings in the world.

"I know what you are thinking, Lonnie. How could this happen here? We thought the same thing until we realized that it was definitely an inside job. It was our own agents that got hold of this information. It was our own agents that secreted it away. So far, none of the information has been revealed, but that is irrelevant. The longer the info is sat on, the more it is worth. The greatest secrets in the world. Out there in the hands of rogue agents. We need YOU to find this file. None of the agents know who you are, you will be perfect. This info is not worth much now, but over time.....well it could be devastating.

"So, what do you think, Lonnie? Are you up to the challenge?"

"YES, SIR!" Lonnie exclaimed.

And so the bane of his existence was born....

Over the years, he has found clues and had many leads. It has been his main case for what seemed like forever. Shortly after their meeting, the Director passed away. It was ruled natural causes, but Lonnie always wondered. The next Director, who was more of a "man of the moment", not to concern himself with things of the past, did not have the sense of urgency about Lonnie's first mission that the original Director had. Eventually, although the case was never closed, it was pushed to the back burner for all except Lonnie. Other missions were assigned, but Lonnie never forgot or gave up on his first mission. It consumed him.

Recently some new info came to light. Whisperings of secrets. Murmurs of a certain dossier that could be very important. Lonnie found it most interesting and looked into it further. And then the phone call came.

It was a quiet night when his work phone rang.

"If you want information on #235ZK, that you have been seeking for so long, meet us in Lebanon, at Mayo's in one hour." Click.

Intrigued, he made the journey. As he stepped out of his car in the parking lot of Mayo's, he felt the bag over his head and was overwhelmed by the chloroform mask he was given. He awoke a few hours later and there was no one around. His car was still sitting there, the keys were still in his pocket. Confused and slightly disorientated, he started the car and started driving back to the Office.

When he arrived, he was immediately stopped on the way to the Director's office. Three agents surrounded him and put him in handcuffs.

"We are sorry, Lonnie, but you are under arrest. We know you have #235ZK and have had it for quite some time. Slick, you are, for playing like you are still looking for it. But your secret has been outed. Now you must pay."

He was brought to the Director, and although he pleaded innocence, it was to no avail. The evidence was overwhelming. He asked for the evidence to be shown to him, but never saw it.

And there he sits. No trial scheduled, no one knows of him at all. Except for those that set him up, there is only a handful of people that know who he is and can help him prove himself innocent. They must seek the agents responsible, and must find all the clues to bring them to #235ZK. Only this will save our hero......

childofatom wrote:Mmmm interesting... Nice set up. So... what is our outline from here? Are we writing from the perspective of the agents that are coming to help? The original portions of the mission that Lonnie completed prior to being captured? (Sorry if I'm dense and not seeing the obvious.)

childofatom wrote:I like the basic set up... but what if, rather than coming from a third person place you approach it from a first person perspective: "If you are reading this something has gone wrong on my mission and only YOU can help me!" Bring the player in as an operative.

muddy and amused wrote:Maybe that number could be the finals GC# (minus the GC) i.e. GC235ZK.

QandB. wrote:I like the idea of our caches being deaddrops containing clues/files to be combined to find the final.

Lefalaf wrote:Could the setup be written such that "pieces" the dead drops (our caches) contain, were separated way back when and have each been guarded for ages (centuries, millenia, ...) in various locations by various espionage rings through history.

childofatom wrote:

Lefalaf wrote:Could the setup be written such that "pieces" the dead drops (our caches) contain, were separated way back when and have each been guarded for ages (centuries, millenia, ...) in various locations by various espionage rings through history.

Sounds a little "Dan Brown" pushing it that far back... been reading The Lost Symbol?

I do know that at least two of us are considering using puzzle elements relating to historic spies from our immediate area. Of course not everyone is going to have that...

QandB. wrote:... If it is the last and has a more specific/less generic storyline, then the details of that specific storyline would need to be really "nailed down" so that we all make sure our story lines tie into it. Or at least don't conflict.

Richard

muddy and amused wrote:

QandB. wrote:... If it is the last and has a more specific/less generic storyline, then the details of that specific storyline would need to be really "nailed down" so that we all make sure our story lines tie into it. Or at least don't conflict.

Richard

I vote for "last to be released" but disagree with with the story having to be specific. The more specific/less generic the story line is, the less creative wiggle-room we have to come up with a unique and very difficult puzzle. My story line has specific key words and key phrases that must remain intact for the puzzle to work....well, part one of the puzzle anyway...

childofatom wrote: Sounds a little "Dan Brown" pushing it that far back... been reading The Lost Symbol?