The Evan Smith Situation

Final Copy

2009-02-07T22:56:00.000-08:00

Kenny has finished his account of the case. It is simply titled Save Evan Smith. (Download it here.) I find that Kenny's book helps to clarify many of the confusing aspects that have occurred during our race for answers.

Once again, thanks to everyone who helped us along the way. Even the smallest of clues help us prepare for future attacks. We can always hope that our troubles are over but I doubt mother_nature is done with his work.

Cunningham

Conclusion?

2009-01-19T12:51:00.000-08:00

Well I'm sorry to say there aren't any clues as to where m_n and his gang are headed...

I have gotten in touch with a good friend, Kenny Katayama. He's willing to type up a summary of the entire case for free as long as I put up one of his ads. That's why you see a red box in the sidebar now.

If anybody involved with the search would not like to have their username mentioned in the summary, let me know. If you do want your name in this horrible event, well then, pat yourself on the back because you'll probably be mentioned. I will post the eBook version up when it's finished.

Sadly we have lost but not everything was a waste. With the beauty of the internet, we are now able to put it all together and hopefully understand the big picture. Who knows? This documentation could prepare us for the dreadful games m_n plans to carry out in the future...

Cunningham

Received a mail

2009-01-16T16:32:00.000-08:00

From mother_nature - 5 minutes ago:

THANKS FOR HELPING ME OUT. I WASN’T EXPECTING MY FRIEND SMITH TO SUPPLY HIS REAL NAME BUT THAT’S OKAY. IT MADE THINGS ALL THE MORE INTERESTING.

YOUR SEARCH NOW COMES TO A PERFECT END MR. CUNNINGHAM. WE HAVE WON AND WE WILL WIN AGAIN.

M_N

Cunningham

Should have expected this... (Pages 26-29)

2009-01-14T15:14:00.000-08:00

Beverly Hills Police Department - 1/14/09 - 11:27 AM

Mr. Cunningham? We're calling with information about Evan, Pamela, and James Smith.

At around 4:00 in the afternoon yesterday, neighbors reported seeing them leave their house with a load of equipment. Since then, they have not returned.

Due to the suspicious activities involving the Smiths recently, we inspected the residence and found no noticeable clues apart from some designs for a cube-shaped object.

The department is puzzled as to why they would voluntarily disappear and ask that you please help by supplying any additional information you can offer.

I think it's all pretty self explanatory now... I thought I was saving Evan Smith... Instead, I helped his killer(s) get away. Never have I hated myself so much...

The final pages to this sad sad story:

Cunningham

Schmoo

2009-01-13T16:28:00.000-08:00

Cunningham: Okay... Schmoo... I'm guessing that's not your real name first of all. Is there anything else you would like to go by?
Schmoo: Well my real name is Logan Barth but pretty much everyone calls me by that nickname. I like it better than my real name anyway. Schmoo was some old cartoon character but I think we spelled it differently the first time we wrote it... It sounds better the way it-
C: Well let's not get too carried away in the history of your nickname... I'm going to ask you a series of questions. I need you to answer with complete honesty.
S: Can do.
C: First of all, were you ever friends with a Fred Davis?
S: Mhm... I heard what happened and I was just dazed by the hell he must have been through... I'm still not over it. It's pretty hard to take.
C: Sorry I only have a few questions Mr. Barth... I mean uh, Schmoo.
S: The last time I saw him was the night he disappeared. Me and some other high school friends threw him a big party. He was really glad. It was a great way for him to see everybody again cause he had gone to university in the east. I went to the same university but the others hadn't seen him in like forever.
C: Okay. Do you know an Evan Smith as well by any chance?
S: Well yeah, of course.
C: What do you mean of course?
S: Fred is Evan Smith. I think he legally changed his name three or four years ago.
C: He changed his name? Please elaborate.
S: Yeah. During our university days we all had nicknames. I was Schmoo and it stayed with me since.
C: And how did Fred... or Evan get his name?
S: We had- well he had a psychology teacher by the name of Fred Davis that he absolutely admired. Evan would memorize his words and often quote him. As a joke we called him Fred Davis Jr. and I guess... it just stuck. Why?
C: So he changed his name?
S: Well it wasn't just that. He was part of some journal psychoanalysis club and decided he would go by that pen name. I guess that's how it really stuck. Not just to his writing but to his life...
C: Yes about that club...
S: They were a group of students all from the same dorm. Each member had a journal for writing stream of consciousness, dreams, or ideas that ran by them. They would meet regularly and discuss exactly what their feelings and ideas meant and would try to delve further into how the human mind worked and interacted with the environment.
C: And there wasn't a mother_nature? A crazy or distinctively cynical member among this group of people?
S: Mother nature? Well I wasn't in it myself so I wouldn't know... most of those kids were pretty crazy anyway. I wouldn't be able to narrow it down for you.
C: Interesting... I know it was a lot of trouble to get such a short interview going, but I don't really have anything left to ask you... You wouldn't know anything about Grand Gaia Industries by any chance?
S: It was Fred's new company. That's all I know.
C: Well... thank you very very much, Schmoo. I hope I wasn't too much of a hassle.
S: No. It was good talking. Keep me informed about what's going on. What happened completely destroyed my faith...
C: Will do. Once again, thanks.

Cunningham

Grand Gaia + Who is Smith/Davis? + Pages 21-25

2009-01-12T16:51:00.000-08:00

I've got some really strange info guys. Let me start from the beginning...

I should have known you can't use the internet on the plane. Sorry but I rarely get out of state. Not up to date with these things.

Well I talked with the manager of Grand Gaia Industries. He was a very charming man. What he told me was not so charming. Long before Fred Davis went missing, a group of employees was sent over to the west coast to explain the basic systems of the company to the California division. Problem is, they never came back... A few days after their departure, it was discovered that blueprints, for a Grand Gaia machine that compresses cars, had disappeared along with them...

Take note: The manager was really sorry about not posting any of this on the site... he said that "potential criminal information open to the public eye could easily shut down the entire company". I hope you guys appreciate the fact that I'm leaking all this info so you can help.

It doesn't take much to understand that whoever headed over to California was out to kill Fred. The question is why? And was it even Fred???

Pages 18 and 19 completely contradict the beginning of the notepad because Davis declares himself as Evan James Smith. I don't know why so because Grand Gaia and Fred's family seem to address him by the name Fred Davis...

I'm very confused (as usual).

Speaking of strange names showing up in the notebook, I made a quick phone call asking about this Schmoo guy. I got his email and home address and, hopefully, will be able to talk to him by tomorrow night...

Just so you guys know, the scanning isn't finished but almost. Here are the next five pages:

Cunningham

Pages 16-20

2009-01-11T22:39:00.000-08:00

Guy had nothing to do with the case. I'm pretty sure. Going to be heading to Grand Gaia's eastern quarters soon. Hopefully they will help me out there. I'll post again when I'm on the plane.

Cunningham

Pages 11-15

2009-01-11T10:22:00.000-08:00

I've got a possible lead on mother_nature. This was mainly thanks to a rudimentary list of people who were in Fred's journal club. One man was recently placed in a psychiatric hospital. That doesn't mean he has anything to do with the case but who knows.

Cunningham

Pages 6-10

2009-01-10T17:52:00.000-08:00

I met Fred's mother and brother today. It was the saddest sight I had ever seen... They offered me a room for the night but there was no way I could stay there staring at their lost faces...

More pages:

Cunningham

Busy

2009-01-10T10:27:00.000-08:00

I'm going to be on the road these upcoming days. Trying to find people who could be associated with both Evan and Fred. Please come up with typed versions of the first five pages. I just don't have time.

Cunningham

Pages 1-5

2009-01-09T19:19:00.000-08:00

I just received Fred Davis' notebook. The investigators said it did not contain any important information so I was free to do my own inspections. Hopefully we'll find something they did not...

I'll go ahead and post the first five pages so you guys can help me. The continuation will be added whenever there is time.

The writing is really hard to read so please help me in typing this thing out. Thank you all by the way for being so helpful in the progress of this sad and disgusting story.

Cunningham

This is fucking disgusting

2008-12-30T12:04:00.000-08:00

Simplicity - simplicity was the key.
Who would have thought it was so... simple. I'm in no mood for jokes.

I know what the machine was for.
I know why he sent us an image of a crushed stick figure.
I know the reason why he's "ALREADY WON".

After the grueling effort of trying to figure out what Thoreau was right about and what all these, charts, binary codes, and rebuses meant, the log-in worked. The desktop had only two icons: one being the recycle bin, the other simply titled EXE. Being a very foolish and curious human being by nature I clicked this EXE to see what happened. Nothing.

Nothing... that is until a few minutes later when a cop asked me "what the fuck I just did". The 'machine' began steadily moving and everybody in the building panicked, expecting an explosion or the triggering of something deadly. What we found was not something deadly but something dead.

Yes. We had found Fred Davis, manager of the new Grand Gaia division. A sudden whiff of decaying flesh infested our noses as the six walls retreated. He was neatly crammed into the shape of a 2x2x2 cube: crushed bones and gore. This machine was not meant to contain... it was meant to crush.

In between the remains of his arms was a notebook. A simple paper pad of 20 or so pages. Fred had filled the entire thing with frantic scribbles, barely legible in the red of his blood. The experiment, the construction of the facility, even the creation of this internet network. It was all horrifyingly genius.

"MY 'TRAPS' ARE NOT MEANT TO CHANGE PEOPLES LIVES. THEY SERVE ONLY TO ANALYZE THE MOST COMPLEX OF MACHINES: THE HUMAN MIND... EVAN WAS ONLY AN APPETIZER. FRED WAS MY MASTERPIECE."

It's abhorring. I was wrong in calling him a Jigsaw-copycat. This... thing has no morals. Only an addiction to attention and psychoanalysis.

No leads. I have no leads left and the clues we have are all solved. I still don't know what GG has to do with all of this or why mother_nature chose Fred, let alone Evan. All I have is this damn notebook. I have failed in saving Fred but this chase must go on...

Cunningham

Fuck... I can't read as single word of this thing. It's going to take forever to translate.

New blog

2008-12-28T21:43:00.000-08:00

Mother_nature is back with a new blog. I don't really know what to make out of it. I looked around a bit and found four pictures. The first shows two tables with numbers. The three others each have one table labeled with C, P, and L.

Why are the first two tables full and the rest almost empty? Why are some cells highlighted? And what the hell do the letters above them stand for??? Somebody please help me out.

Cunningham

Update: mother_nature updated his new blog with another picture. Is there a point or does he just really like Thoreau?

An interview with Evan Smith

2008-12-21T16:00:00.001-08:00

Cunningham: Well it's real nice of your parents to let me do this.
Smith: They would do anything for you. You saved me.
C: Honestly, I didn't do much... are you ready for do this?
S: I'll provide the little I can.
C: First of all, how did it all start?
S: I was on a camping trip with my girlfriend and her brother.
C: Were you attacked?
S: No. It wasn't like that. Everything went fine during the trip but then they both left together and I had to walk a couple yards alone to my own car. It was dark so I couldn't see where I was going but I could definitely hear something. You know like in the movies when the girl hears walking and she stops and the walking stops a split second after.
C: Yes. I know what you mean. Continue.
S: Well the difference was that I didn't stop, I just kept walking and increased my speed. When I finally did stop to listen a hand came from the left and cupped over my mouth. Then I just passed out.
C: I assume he then took you to the place where we found you.
S: I have no clue what happened in between but when I woke up I couldn't see anything. I had a like a bag or some clothing over my head and my hands and legs were tied to a chair.
C: Did you hear anything?
S: Well yeah. There was a humming... a constant, mechanical humming. Sometimes I heard faint screams.
C: Is that it?
S: Not at all. There was a voice. It wasn't natural so I couldn't tell if it was a guy or girl.
C: A voice changer right?
S: I assume so. He.. or whatever it didn't say much. Kept throwing proverbs at me...
C: What kind of proverbs?
S: I don't remember. Like something about fools making rules and how the heresy of his actions will once be the saying of a wise man. The first one is not that but along those lines; the second is pretty accurate.
C: Did he say anything else?
S: No. He... it wouldn't respond to any of my questions or insults. Nothing at all.
C: Well-
S: Sorry. That's it...
C: One last thing. You didn't work for a Grand Gaia Industries by any chance?
S: No. Not that I know of...
C: Did you ever know a Fred Davis?
S: Where did you get that name from?
C: Did you?
S: Yes... he was my roommate in college... Why?
C: He has recently gone missing and we think it might have to do with the same person that kidnapped you.
S: I didn't know him very well. He was always working in his corner.
C: Working?
S: Can you believe it? Someone was actually working in college. No, but yeah, he would sit at his desk every night and keep a journal of everything that happened to him during the day. Apparently it was for a club he was part of. He invited me to participate but I told him I was never really into writing.
C: That's it?
S: Yeah that's it. I hope he's okay.
C: I wouldn't worry too much. Once again, thank you so much...

What do you guys think?
Cunningham

Update:
News about the machine. It seems to be an elaborate container. There's a construction crew working on it but they don't want to dismantle anything in case there is a bomb of some sort inside. I guess we're going to have to test this thing for chemical or bomb threats. The problem is, the police still isn't recognizing this as an important case. I doubt we'll be able to get our hands on some bomb specialists or such. WHY CAN'T WE JUST OPEN THE GODDAMN THING?

A little news

2008-12-18T17:55:00.000-08:00

Checked up on the Smiths today... Evan was returned to his house this afternoon. The doctor said he did "not need medical attention. Simply some sleep and quiet".

Both parents work full time and they'll resume tomorrow morning. Mrs. Smith worries about leaving Evan alone all day. "He's a grown man but I just don't want to take any risks. Especially now that he's so weak."

I offered to watch over him this weekend but the parents said they already had some friends in mind. They have nobody for tomorrow but Fridays are really busy for me... this sucks. Don't worry guys, I will try my hardest to visit him either tomorrow or this weekend, even if the parents don't need anyone.

No news from the police. They talk to me as little as possible since I lack "expertise".

The computer we found is still a mystery. I was hoping a team of forensic scientists would come help us out but the police think this is "not that big of a case since nobody was hurt". I tried some possible passwords including 'thoreauwasright' but that's way too obvious.

If you have any leads, please comment. I'm pretty sure m_n didn't just leave his computer lying around.

Cunningham

Far from over?

2008-12-17T16:28:00.000-08:00

Excuse me guys, I tried posting earlier but my wireless card thing was not working (as usual). I had to wait until I got home to post this. I HAVE SO MUCH TO TELL YOU!

The address I was sent led us to a closed storage facility. We asked around and managed to get a few words from a guy working in the office on the other side of the road. The guy told us that this storage company went out of business two months ago and sold the building to a company known as Grand Gaia Industries. I looked this company up and found a small Grand Gaia website. Later, though, I tried finding the site again but it had disappeared from my search engine. I remember it was made on SynthiaSite but I haven't gotten the time to really look it up yet.

That was pretty much all the guy told us. He mentioned that a man was often seen entering and exiting the storage but it was always assumed that he was hired to maintain the place.

To me, it seemed that the place had barely been touched for a good length of time. It would make sense that mother_nature was misleading us as a method of stalling our efforts. Nevertheless, we went to check the storage out. The cop told me to stay outside while he checked the place.

At first there was nothing but then I heard him curse very loudly and ran in out of fear for him. He was fine but in looking around the room I immediately knew why he had exclaimed such an obscenity out loud...

The police forbade me from taking pictures but I did manage to sketch the basic top-down view of the chamber:

1) This is the mechanical door seen in the pictures. I'm pretty sure.

2) This seems to be the place where the car was in the corner. Not sure though...

3) EVAN SMITH - yes we found Evan Smith with his face covered and his arms tied to the back of his chair. He was facing the corner of the room screaming a muffled "help" when we entered. Behind him was a tripod and mounted was a gun and a camera. The gun's trigger was rigged with a pressure system. Both the pressure system and the camera were connected to a timer designated to activate at 1:23AM on January 11th. Jan 11 obviously alluding to in the 1-11 sign the victim was holding.

Evan was too weak to say much. He thanked us and immediately collapsed in the cop's arms. Not long ago, he woke up and has recovered slightly but nobody is able to make conversation. He refuses to speak.

4) There was more to this place than just Evan. At the corner across from where we found Evan, we found a table with a laptop computer and a message from our mysterious mother_nature:
More games... the computer was password locked (of course). I assume he is giving us some kind of code. If anybody can help me out with this, feel free to leave a comment.

5) Just boxes. After we called the police department for an extra hand, a group of the men screened them for anything informative but they are most likely related to the storage company from before.

6) I doubt a storage company would need a tool like this. I didn't notice anything about this giant piece of machinery at first since it matched with the color of the walls. When I fully grasped it's complexity, though, I realized that nothing like this had ever been built before. Here's my "artist's rendition" of whatever it is... the drawing sucks:

1) The main parts of the thing. They seem to be walls made of something really solid... I'm as much a construction specialist as I am an artist.

2) The small spherical pillars that come out of the ground (and roof) have giant screw-like objects extending into the walls that I mentioned in 1. There are six in total and they seem to control the movement of the walls. I have no clue how this works...

I'm extremely confused as to why mother_nature would build such an enormous thing, especially after finding Evan undamaged. I hate to say it but this mad man just may be right in saying that it isn't over. With such a mysterious machine suddenly coming into play, this search for answers seems anything but over.

Cunningham

Recieved an address. What is going on?

2008-12-16T20:39:00.000-08:00

If you are reading this, than you have most likely heard about the incident involving a certain individual who goes by the title mother_nature as well as his website: www.saveevansmith.blogspot.com.

The purpose of this blog is to try and explain exactly what has been going on lately to the few who have been following this supposed ARG. Unfortunately this is no ARG at all… this is the “boy-who-cried-wolf situation” thebruce spoke of.

I learned about this crisis through my office in the Beverly Glen area. One of my employees knew Evan Smith but could not explain much more than what the website offered. He was very helpful though in telling me that the Smiths live in Beverly Hills which is very nearby. I am no detective but such peculiar cases -especially those internet related- have always intrigued me. I immediately reached the Smiths by phone offering them the little help I could give in finding their only son.

As stated earlier, the man who created the Save Evan Smith website goes by the name mother_nature. I know as much about this character as those following this sickening "ARG". After some persuasive discussion, though, I was able to obtain mother_nature’s gmail account (mothernaturesmessenger@gmail.com) thanks to a friend I have at Blogger. This minor piece of information seemed pretty insignificant but faced with a Saw-like character, I decided that sending him an email would maybe produce some kind of a reaction. I received nothing for a day and expected my efforts to be pointless. Obvioulsy that isn't the case since I'm posting this. A few hours ago, a message finally appeared in my inbox which had three lines:

-The first line simply read: “I STAY TRUE TO MY WORDS”.

-The second line was his blogger account and password.

-The third was an address.

I’m currently seated in the back seat of a local police vehicle hoping that we arrive in time to the destination indicated and that this mother_nature truly does “stay true to [his] words”. Even if this isn't some kind of Jigsaw copycat scheme, I have no way of knowing where this is leading or what I am getting myself into. I’ll let you know exactly what is going on as soon as I can. Make sure you check back.

Cunningham

Edit:
Tried to send him more emails. Not answering.
That was kind of expected.
Typing quickly because I'm in a hurry.

Sorry guys...

2008-12-16T19:55:00.000-08:00

I have too much to say and there is too much happening at the same time but check back in around an hour. I need to write this stuff before I can post it. Scary scary business.

Cunningham