Prelaunch Summary

From WorldWithoutOil

[edit] Prelaunch Summary - Story So Far (short version)

(by rose, as of April 28, 2007)

Nico tells a group of people trapped in the Denver Airport by a blizzard that an oil crash is going to happen on April 30th. He warns them to get ready. Calling themselves eight to save the country (8TSOC), they decide to take it seriously, prepare for the crash. They set up live journal accounts and a website, post articles about oil and conservation and also chat with interested people (players). One of them posts an image of Nico on the worldwithoutoil livejournal comunity site. Nico leaves his job and goes off the grid. A video is posted by everysunday on youtube for Nico, telling him to come home, some of it in Bulgarian. Nico meets with gracesmom and tells her he needs money.

[edit] Prelaunch Summary - Story So Far (long version)

(by RedHatty, as of April 26, 2007)

In early March, the trailhead is found on the Destructo gaming blog as well as cards being passed out at ARGFest, leading to www.worldwithoutoil.org. We are introduced to a bunch of characters - Nico, the guy who shared the bad news while snowed in at the Denver Airport, Gala Teah, Gracesmom (Sharon), Grace (a 4 yr old), Inky Jewel, Pachinko, Local boy, mpathytest, txchuckles, dessum9, IllianaSpeedster, and Yuckymuck - they collectively call themselves the 8TSOC - The eight to save our country.

The news given by Nico is that there is an impending oil Crisis that will occur on April 30th, 2007 - the cause of the crisis is not shared.

The group writes:

We're preparing for a crisis

Imagine eight people brought together by trouble: trapped together (with thousands of others) in the Denver airport by a blizzard. We had a lot of time on our hands. We talked. We bonded. Awww. How nice.

One thing we talked about a lot: how the Internet scoops the official media. It's real obvious in a crisis. In Denver, as in the Katrina disaster, people found the true story on the Internet. News stories and gumment bulletins can never hope to match the agility of citizen bloggers and mobloggers, nor their honesty of people talking one to another. Internet people are the real first responders today, the boots on the ground.

Now, here's the thing. We eight have come to believe that a crisis is coming – on April 30, to be precise. (An oil shock, or something to do with oil.) We have no proof – it's just something a guy said in an unguarded moment. He may have been putting us on. But we don't think so. We have decided to prepare.

We're getting this website ready to be the nerve center. Come here to get the day-by-day. And this will be the place to tell your story, about your life once the crisis hits. Nobody else can tell your story – you're the authority on that.

If it is an oil shock, no one is going to be unaffected. There will be disruption and suffering, and probably chaos. Having a place to connect with others is gonna be vital. We will be in it together. Nobody should suffer in silence.

– Chuckles, Gala_Teah, Gracesmom, Illeana_Speedster, Inky_Jewel, LocalBoy, Pachinko, YuckyMuck with Dessum9 and mPathytest

Xnera then creates a Livejournal watching site

Quick Links are posted, courtesy of Rekidk

Many news links are shared through mpathytest's away messages, including:

http://comment.independent.co.uk/commentators/article2132501.ece

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/article2132574.ece

http://www.theage.com.au/news/Business/Iran-oil-exports-could-dwindle/2007/01/05/1167777251449.html

http://www7.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0702/feature3/index.html

http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200704/primarysources

http://www.lifeaftertheoilcrash.net/

http://www.anarkismo.net/newswire.php?story_id=5296

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/21/business/worldbusiness/21oil.html?pagewanted=3&_r=1&ref=business

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L20412417.htm

http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/Story.asp?Article=179704&Sn=BUSI&IssueID=30031

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2007/04/22/INGB5PACG91.DTL

http://www.321energy.com/editorials/cooke/cooke091506.html

http://www.og.dti.gov.uk/downstream/emergencies/down_emerge.htm

As tons of us are setting up our LiveJournals & Vox accounts, there are a few AIM conversations that give us an idea of the different personalities of the characters. On 4/24/07 Gracesmom (Sharon) gets an email from Nico

Dear Ms.________,

I trust you are well. I know you have been busy. Perhaps you remember me? I remember you and your little daughter so well. You seemed frightened of me but you needn't be.

I would like to establish your location is valid. It is so hard to trust sometimes, no? Circumstances force us together again. I will be in touch.

"Nico"

On the same day DarthBunny finds this video. It appears that Nico is wanted back home. Lubbarlubab realizes that the woman in the video seems to be the same woman found here. A transcript of the english portion of the video can be found here.

After some incredible use of various resources, Jegger confirms the language as Bulgarian.

We are still waiting for a translation.

On April 25, Gracesmom (Sharon) gets another email from Nico saying it is urgent that he meets her that evening. Grace blogs to tell us:

Well, here goes nothing

Nico says he needs to meet me tonight, says hes in trouble and we (8tsoc) need to help him. He promises that nothing bad will happen, and weird as it sounds, I believe him.

Uncle Frank's Army buddy Tom is here, he's going with me and Uncle Frank is going to watch Grace. So don't worry! Gala knows where Im going and I can call her on Toms cell if theres any trouble.

We need to find out wtf is up with this guy. After all, w/o him none of us would be here, doing this.

YUcky, DONT WORRY!!!!!!!! I will call you and Gala as soon as I can, once I find out what he wants.

Late that night, YuckyMuck tells us:

G's Mom called and said she's OK, she's home, and she's exhausted and going to bed. She'll fill us in tomorrow, she only told me that 'he's not a happy camper.' I'm not real sympathetic at the moment.

Then the next day, Gracesmom blogs to tell us:

Apr. 26th, 2007

Nico's story

mood: guilty

I don't know if I can remember everything he told me but I'll try to get all the important stuff down. He's been on the lam from his company hiding somewhere in Maine. Hes on the run because they are tracking him. They claim he imbezzled money but he says its because he told us what he did and they are mad. I dont understand it all something to do with OPEC and price supports and what he called "milking the old cow dry". He has more info but he needs something in return. The company siezed all his assets, he has nothing but the clothes on his back and a small bag. He uses public internet when he can find it. He wants money from us (8tsoc). We "owe" him. If we hadnt posted that picture (sorry Pachinko!) they would never of connected it to him. There is more to the story that we dont know yet and he will tell us if we help him. He will be in touch with me later to see if we agree but he cant stay in one place long so he's on the road again. He doesnt want us to post any more details about him because the company will track him down. I have told Gala and Yucky the rest of it, but please, dont press us for details yet.

Tom and I gave him what money we had but he says its not enough. I feel so guilty now. Hes in trouble because he tried to warn us and we totally blew it. I think we should help him now.

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