A grassroots alternate reality game about Koatoa Marine recently launched by shipping a puzzle alongside empty cans of the company's Razorkan fish. To date, gameplay has focused on exchanging emails with employees from this off-world fish cannery of the future.
By Michael Andersen, originally posted at ARGNet
The 23rd century is finally upon us. Humankind has mastered interstellar travel and has spread out to colonize 12 brave new worlds, forming a Union of planets with a vibrant trade network. Taking advantage of these breakthroughs in technology, someone went through the trouble of shipping empty cans of fish to me, courtesy of the fine folks at Koatoa Marine in Kariyo, on the planet Oceanus.
Along with a handful of others, I received this highly curious package in the mail from Yimmu Logistics. launching this particular alternate reality game last week. Buried beneath a sea of packing peanuts was a small crate bearing the Koatoa Marine logo, with a copy of Charles Darwin's The Origin of Species firmly tied down with twine, covering up eight empty cans of Razorkan Fish, priced at 3 credits per can. The graphic sensibilities of the 23rd century are apparently equal parts Dharma Initiative and IKEA, with the heavily branded products evoking a utilitarian disposition.
An invoice from Koatoa Marine CEO Akamu Hale informed me that, after adding on the highly reasonable 11 credit shipping fee, I owe Koatoa Marine 59 credits for the 16 cans I should have received. The copy of Darwin's Origin of Species seems to have been slipped in instead of half my order of fish. Luckily, the presence of the book would prove useful, as a secret message on the bottom of six of the cans spells out UNITED. Going to KoatoaMarine.com/united led to an Arnold cipher using Darwin's book as the key, spelling out the message, "to those born from the Earth: we will be there in due time."
During this first week of gameplay, activity has been focused almost entirely on email communications with Richard Kai, a Koatoa Marine representative dealing with the fallout from these mysterious packages. Koatoa Marine CEO Akamu Hale also started communicating with players, offering vague warnings about the Earth-based company Horizon Industries, which is soliciting applicants for a six-month off-world contract job on Atlas.
It's too early to tell what the curious tale of Koatoa Marine is about or even what form gameplay will take, but this early peek into the inner workings of a future interstellar fish cannery have left me curious for more.
Check out the Unfiction forums for further discussion and additional pictures of the packages, and head over to KoatoaMarine.com and HorizonIndustries.org to get in on the action.
