Aug 19, 1997
The Marathon's Story page is closed for a summer vacation until the 8th Sept... BUT...

...to keep you dazed and confused until then here is

Seven HoT questions to sort the men from the boys, the Story freaks from the Sunday readers. You think you're Big Time, you're going to... yeah... yeah... yeah... get on with it... where are the questions?

...err... OK... but I warned you... here are the Seven HoT questions...

1. Under normal solo play how may terminal messages are impossible to read in all three Marathon games (88 solo levels)? For each unreadable message please give the terminal no. and level name.

   
   

2. From what Bungie level does this map screenshot come from?
   

   
   

3. What was 2nd to last one way, but 2nd the other way?

   
   

4. Three thousand and forty four pieces. Of what and where?

   
   

5. The number thirteen is unlucky for some! But reversed it reveals a lie. What was the lie and where was it said?

   
   

6. Throughout the three Marathon games a number of the colonists are actually named. Can you list them all? First or last names will do. Could there be more than seven? ;-)

   
   

7. There were ten altogether, three were different and eight were the same but on what level?

   
   

Sept 8, 1997

Was the The Summertime Blues Competition too hard? Yes, judging from the number of incorrect answers. Where have all the Marathon Story gurus gone? Somewhat unsurprisingly Jim Mitchell <BobJam@aol.com> got the most correct answers, getting three of the seven questions right. Special mention to Morgan Catha <rblake@slc.shorelin.wednet.edu> for getting two right. Lots of people got at least one right. Well done all. :-)

The seven questions and their answers:

1. Under normal solo play how may terminal messages are impossible to read in all three Marathon games (88 solo levels)? For each unreadable message please give the terminal no. and level name.

   This should have been an easy one. Some have been mentioned on the Story page. The terminals and levels are as follows:

   "Cool Fusion" (Terminal 2: 'Unfinished' message). The only Marathon terminal that cannot be read under normal solo play even if you don't get the fusion pistol.

   "What About Bob?" (Terminal 2: 2nd message).

   "Curiouser and Curiouser..." (Terminal 2: 1st Message).

   "Eat It, Vid Boi!" (Terminal 4: 1st message).

   "Robot World Arena" (Terminal 0). Can be read while playing co-op but not during normal solo play.

   "Poor Yorick" (Terminal 2). See if you can find it. ;-)

   "Confound Delivery" (Terminal 1). Another mysterious terminal. Confound it!

   "Where Some Rarely Go" (Terminal 1: 1st Message). Another strangely elusive message.

   "Naw Man He's Close" (Terminal 0: 1st Message). Yet another strangely elusive message.

   "Foe Hammer" (Terminal 2: 1st message).

   
   

2. From what Bungie level does this map screenshot come from?
   

   Most people got this one. It's from the level that works with the Marathon alpha/beta? entitled "marathon.alpha.fat". You can find it on the Marathon CD (it's invisible though) or on the Trilogy CD.

   
   

3. What was 2nd to last one way, but 2nd the other way?

   Carroll Street Station. On the New York City Subway Map (see the What's in a Name section for details) Carroll Street Station station is the second last subway station on line G. Thus it is the 2nd station when travelling the other way. Yeah a sneaky one I know. ;-)

   Thanks to Nick <Jinnmaster@aol.com> for pointing out that G is the seventh letter of the alphabet. =)

   
   

4. Three thousand and forty four pieces. Of what and where?

   Arms and legs in hangar ninety six. On "Where are monsters in dreams (Terminal 0: 2nd Message)" it states:

   Seven hundred and sixty one armless and legless corpses float inconspicuously around the inside of hangar ninety six.

   761 times 4 = 3044 arm and legs. Gruesome but true!

   
   

5. The number thirteen is unlucky for some! But reversed it reveals a lie. What was the lie and where was it said?

   There are thirty power switches throughout the cone. You must deactivate them all to access the basement level, where the master generator is located.

   Stated by High Admiral Tfear on "A Converted Church in Venice, Italy" (Terminal 1: 1st Message). In fact you need to deactivate 31 power switches before you can access the basement level not 30. Hence Tfear lied to us. Count them and the tru7h will be revealed. Thirteen reversed is 31.

   
   

6. Throughout the three Marathon games a number of the colonists are actually named. Can you list them all? First or last names will do. Could there be more than seven? ;-)

   An easy question or was it? Let's list the names:

   Bernhard Strauss and the variations Bernard and Berhnard

   Robert Blake, a mechanical engineer on Tau Ceti and leader of the remaining colonists on Lh'owon. There is also reference to a Cmdr. Robert Blake on "You're Wormfood Dude" (Terminal 0) which is presumably the same person.

   Johnny, crushed by a Hulk on "Defend THIS!"

   McYultry, mentioned on "Shake Before Using..." (Terminal 3). First name appears to begin with H.

   Lt. Kent, mentioned on "Naw Man He's Close" (Terminal 1: 1st Message).

   Jetty, mentioned on Naw "Man He's Close" (Terminal 1: 1st Message).

   Bob, mentioned by VacBobs when they cry "He Killed Bob". Infers that one (or more) of the colonists was actually called Bob.

   Arther Frain (and the variation Frane), Chief Petty Officer, USEC Marathon, mentioned on "You're Wormfood Dude" (Terminal 0).

   Security Chief Jones, mentioned on "You're Wormfood Dude" (Terminal 0).

   Volker Von Müller mentioned in the Lost Network Packets. Remember this is bona fide Marathon Story text from Bungie Software which helps explain the Marathon timeline correctly.

   
   Some other names mentioned by people but who are not colonists.

   Geoff Hultin, is not a colonist but a real person.

   Estasia Orestes, Dominick I. Plackar, and Ursa Simbalzi mentioned in the Marathon Internal Engineering Documents on "Bigger Guns Nearby" (Terminal 2). The Doors Manual was written up in 2402 AD seventy years before the launch of the Marathon. It's highly unlikely that these individuals would have been of a suitable age for the Tau Ceti trip.

   Gheritt White, a 20th century pugilist? But was he our true identity? We may never know.

   Mjolnir Recon 54, our cyborg identity? Possibly but surely not our real name.

   
   

7. There were ten altogether, three were different and eight were the same but on what level?

   On "Foe Hammer". There are a total of ten terminals visible on this level. Three display different terminal messages, eight display the same annoying message from Tycho.