Cybus Spy[1] while untitled in its original release, was fifth game and the twenty-fourth release launched on the Defending the Earth! website and across other BBC-produced Doctor Who tie-in websites, on 13 May 2006[source needed] to coincide with the release of Rise of the Cybermen. Cybus Spy — written by Joseph Lidster, produced by Rob Francis and developed by Sequence,[2] — was the first Doctor Who alternate reality game.
The scenario of the game, as revealed in part in the mini-episode Secret Code, involves you playing as an in-universe reader of the website, being sent to communicate — by sending messages in a chatbot — with "ChatGuest1" to take down Cybus Industries; essentially, you have to go on a minor scavenger hunt across various Doctor Who tie-in websites to find a special code to unlock access to the game Airships (as well as some bonus content), which sees you take control of a Cybus Airship to take down the Paris' Cyber-factory in Pete's World. Airships was made accessible to everyone, regardless if they played this game, upon the release of The Age of Steel, a week later.
Plot[]
Having been sent by Ricky Smith in the previous story, the readers of Defending the Earth! are sent to a chatroom to talk to an individual going by the name "ChatGuest1"; ChatGuest1's radio, however, is broken and they don't know how to fix it, so they send the readers to the International Electromatics website to find the solution. Speaking with International Electromatics' Automated Technical Support Service, the readers are told the solution may be that the batteries need replacing, but this isn't the case. As it turns out, the problem is solved by pressing the FM button twice.
Next, ChatGuest1 sends the readers to the Cybus Industries website, to the page advertising Vitex, to find a code that ChatGuest1 can use to tune their radio to a "special frequency or wavelength". After following an advert for the Cybus Fitness website, the code is discovered to be 657. ChatGuest1 goes to tune their radio but has to quickly leave due to a stranger arriving, so the readers are left to use the radio player next to the chatroom to tune into the wavelength themselves; upon listening in, an odd broadcast plays, with a voice questioning what "the secret of Henrik's surprise" is. After ChatGuest1 returns, he instructs the readers to go to www.henriksonline.co.uk, which then leads to the Millingdale website, and after finding their ice cream flavour called Henrik's Surprise which has the secret ingredient Gemini12.
ChatGuest1 determines Gemini12 is a password of some sort to presumably part of the Cybus website, following the advice of one of the reader's friends, although the friend didn't inform ChatGuest1 where, instead cryptically telling them that the password is the "secret to John Lumic's success". ChatGuest1 has an inkling that Lumic's new book, John Lumic: Man of Steel, has something to do with it and so tells the readers to investigate it. The description of the book mentions that Lumic considers the key of his success being "family"; returning to the Cybus website and going to the part of the website that mentions family, the readers launch the Cybus Industries Staff Intranet, and enter the Gemini12 code. Upon inputting the code, a second code is displayed: "binary9". After telling ChatGuest1 the second code, they tell the readers to remember the code as they will be needing it within the week.
Characters[]
Referenced only[]
Crew[]
Worldbuilding[]
- The chatroom operates on MediaPlay.
- The radio's product code is IE2306801.
- ChatGuest1 thinks that there may be a button to reset the radio.
- The IE ATSS is located within International Electromatics Customer Support.
- ChatGuest1 snarkily says that Henrik's surprise isn't their prices.
- Henrik's Surprise is exclusive to Henrik & Son. The flavour is specifically a sausage sorbet layered with caper cream, and a unique brulee of bacon toffee, which is kept crispy with Gemini12.
- ChatGuest1 doesn't believe Lumic knows the meaning of the word family.
- ChatGuest1 uses a ;-).
Other messages[]
- If the player sends certain messages, you will receive bonus replies from ChatGuest1.
- ChatGuest1 doesn't know any doctors and in turn asks if one is needed.
- ChatGuest1 refuses to reveal their identity or location.
- ChatGuest1 also refuses to talk about Ricky Smith, Cybermen, Pete Tyler, Jackie Tyler, Jake Simmonds, and Mrs Moore.
- ChatGuest1 assumes the readers know who the Preachers are and what Cybus Industries is, sarcastically asking if they are from another planet with the latter.
- ChatGuest1 doesn't know what Torchwood is or who Mickey Smith is.
- ChatGuest1 knows that Jackie Tyler owns a dog called Rose.
- ChatGuest1 also knows that Millingdale makes ice cream.
- ChatGuest1 warns the readers against using EarPods or visiting Battersea Power Station.
Notes[]
- While it is not explicit, it seems that the some of the websites have been secretly hijacked or altered by Pete Tyler, as the password "Gemini12" aligns with Pete's alias Gemini, under which he leaked confidential material to the Preachers.
- It is not explained, in this game or Secret Code, Operation: Paris, or Airships, how the readers of Defending the Earth! can access Pete's World through Mickey's website.
- This alternate reality game involves interactive elements spread across multiple websites: Cybus, International Electromatics, Cybus Fitness, Henrik & Son, and Millingdale.
- Due to an archiving error, parts of the game have broken since their upload to the Internet Archive.
- The webpages Intranet on the Cybus website and Product Support on the International Electromatics website form part of this alternate reality game only, serving no purpose outside of it.
Continuity[]
- This game is bookended by WC: Secret Code.
- This features the readers of Defending the Earth!. (PROSE: Have You Seen This Man?, etc.)
- The readers visit: the International Electromatics website; (PROSE: Corporate History, Latest Upgrade) then the Cybus Industries website, specifically the pages on Vitex and "family"; (GAME: Vitex, PROSE: Lumic, Our Family) the Cybus Fitness website; (GAME: Vitex, PROSE: Remember - Strength is Not a Weakness) the Henrik & Son website; (PROSE: The Bookstore, Food Hall, Pod Shop, Clothing) and the Millingdale website. (PROSE: Our Story, Our Flavours)
- ChatGuest1 says that the code will be important within the week. (WC: Operation: Paris, GAME: Airships)
- Gemini is also Pete Tyler's alias. (TV: The Age of Steel)
- Binary9 was also stored in the Lumic Family Database and used by Mickey Smith and the Tenth Doctor to deactivate the Cybermen's emotional inhibitors. (TV: The Age of Steel)
External links[]
Footnotes[]
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