LOST Experience: Hole Clues
By far the hardest clue to crack to date, this picture found at hole2.thehansofoundation.org (see “Persephone’s Numbers Explained” post for explination on how it was found) has had LOST geeks, including yours truely, stumped for almost two days now.
Speculation has been rampant on the internet. Stenography decoders, ASCII, Binary codes, Q9 translators, and Base 64 cyphers had not been able to produce anything to crack this clue.
At the center of the speculation is the name of the image, “q9als2002″ which was discovered when you right click-”Save As” the image. The general consensus is that “als2002″ means “Alvar Last Seen 2002″. Another interesting observation is that “q9″ refers to the alphanumberic association of numbers and letters on the telephone keypad. However, like the other coding methods mentioned, “q9″ has not produced anything definitive.
One person on 4815162342.com speculated that the because the theme of twins has appeared in the ARG that the clue may lay there, so they Photoshopped the original image.
Compliments of gringosteve from 4815162342.com:
Compliments of ASR from 4815162342.com:
View uncropped image here.
UPDATE:
On May 31st, Persephone’s numbers were changed, and now reads “+1“.
Using this clue, we now go to hole3.thehansofoundation.org, and find the following image.
When you zoom in on the left eye, you will find some strategically colored pixels which spell out the message “Save Me”.
Uncropped images can be viewed here:
t9agen75
saveme1
saveme2
UPDATE:
On June 12th, a new set of numbers appeared from Persephone.
After translating the numbers, we find a message that leads us to thefollowing image on “Hole4″.
Click here to return to main blog:
Maybe it’s just me.. but that 2nd photoshopped image… kinda reminds me of Thomas Mittlewerk. Maybe that’s the clue?
Also those dots at the very top of the image… could they be a coded message somehow?
I wish I had more time to spend on this ARG.. thanks for the site NctrnlBst!
-RadioDave
Just been looking at the image in an editor and am wondering if the message is “I’m not faceless”
-I you look at the white blobs in the hairline they look like letters which have been heavily blurred and then the image has had it’s face erased.
Doesn’t really fit with all the code cracking that has preceded it, but thought I’d mention it anyway…
My guess is there will be another clue linked to this clue that will add up to an answer. That’s my guess anyway. I’m hoping the second part to this clue comes during a commercial tomorrow night or on Jimmy Kimmel.
I hope that something breaks soon because this damn picture is driving me nuts! That blank face is mocking me I tell you… He’s Mocking me!!! *crawls under the desk and starts humming the Jeopardy theme song*
Thing is, Speaker’s comment was, “People have finally found this. But they’re not looking at it correctly.” And that doesn’t tend to suggest there’s another piece to the clue. It suggests there’s an answer, and we don’t have it.
I continue to be partial to the answer being found by spelling out the filename — qninealstwothousandtwo — and then finding anagrams.
And we go into day three. *sigh*
I read a theory somewhere that “Henry Gale” will end up being revealed as the Lost Twin. Could the faceless graphic somehow be overlayed to prove it is Gale?
back to anagrams….I’m breaking out all possible Q words and working backwards.
I’ve got a long way to go. The most promising so far is:
HANSO TWINS DON’T EQUAL TWO
also feel like I’m coming close to something on the following:
WALTS DNA NOT ONE WHO’S QUIT