Textbook case : The sum of all fears
Well my dear students... This can be considered as a final lesson in geocaching mysteries. It's not a cache of mine, but I've been asked to take care of it and show it as an ultimate puzzle challenge.
This is an extreme puzzle; I can assure you nothing is what it seems, and it has nothing to do with the movie bearing the same name. Actually, this cache was called "maximum frustration" in the old days. All I can say right now is that there is a good reason the original owner named it like that, but I feel that the new name is more appropriate.
So, I hope you have paid attention to the previous textbook cases, and also to the ones I haven't published yet. Ooops. Anyway, have fun and don't get ... frustrated.
frus·tra·tion /frʌˈstreɪʃən/
noun
- act of frustrating; state of being frustrated: the frustration of the president's efforts.
- an instance of being frustrated: to experience a series of frustrations before completing a project.
- something that frustrates, as an unresolved problem.
- a feeling of dissatisfaction, often accompanied by anxiety or depression, resulting from unfulfilled needs or unresolved problems.
The only rule of this cache is that there's actually no rule, as opposed to changing rules, missing rules, incomplete rules or who-the-[beep]-cares-about-them rules.
And it will stay that way; you do whatever you need to do to crack this one, not being limited to the following list of good examples : mail your friends, mail the owner, text the owner (if you have his number), call the MI6, talk to the hangman, bribe the owner (let me share a secret... he's a sucker for Ingelmunster bruin liquidity), torture whoever finds it ahead of you, say "please" to the owner (who knows, it may even work), try the easy way, the hard way, the stupid way, the nice way, the good way, the bad way, the ugly way (no wait... that was almost a movie title... oops), the Stasi way, the KGB way, maybe even the Securitate way... you name it.
Let me see what your devilish little minds can come up with... 'cause you're facing mine !
... and don't expect things to be crystal clear, although there may be some logic involved... you can call it the dark side of the logic.
Be prepared... because when you reach your maximum frustration level, just remember, there's more to come. When you will think you got it, well... that's the next frustration level, because you probably just lost it...
... and I'll be watching you from my high tower, enjoying my bruin stuff.
And oh... the hint, a checker... yeah, well... do you really need any of those ?
Now go get ... frustrated. Mu-ha-ha-ha-ha...
A hint is generally provided, either for the puzzle, the container or both. The hint can be very explicit, like in this situation, or very obscure; that's up to the cache owner. I have chosen to give a very explicit hint here, so please be sure NOT to reveal it if you want to solve the puzzle on your own; there is also a hint for the container location, but I say again : do not reveal the hint unless you're stuck and totally desperate. Once you have solved the puzzle, you may look at the hint for the final location.
When the problem cannot, or is very unlikely to take you to the wrong location, a geochecker is generally not provided. The problem at hand falls into this category, so there isn't any; if you want to see how a geochecker looks like, you will have to attend one of the previous classes.
Disclaimer
- This geocaching series IS NOT a complete reference for mystery ideas.
- You WILL NOT find references to other caches that share the same or similar ideas; if there are any, you will need to figure it out by yourself.
- Once you will solve the puzzles, you will get an access code to a library of mystery ideas (not yet online, but it will be soon).
- The ideas behind these caches are generally not original, so credits go to my predecessors.
- Some of the textbook cases will have a name, some will not, depending on whether this will be a substantial hint or not
- Try to solve the puzzles in order, as some may contain useful information for later ones; however, this is not a requirement, as you may find later puzzles easier than earlier ones.
- Once you have solved a puzzle, remember what you have learned, as you may need it for later caches.
- Some you may find these puzzles trivial, but remember, it's all about having fun
Enjoy your adventure.
The cache professor
Images used in these listings (C) respective owners.
