Solutions Backwards Initiative
Discovery
Piecing together the login dialog and clicking the "submit" button at the Secure Broadcast Informatics site (http://www.securebroadcastinformatics.com/) directs you to the Solutions Backward Initiative page.
Content
The /pilgrims website mentions Mallett Rings. Further research indicates this may be a reference to Ronald L. Mallett, Ph.D., Professor of Physics at University of Connecticut. Some of his research includes time travel and rings of light. http://www.physics.uconn.edu/~mallett/main/research_activities.htm
Furthermore, the name Chiarello is mentioned in the logs. This is a direct reference to Fabio Chiarello, who since 1992 has been involved in major research in the field of Quantum computing. Currently, Fabio Chiarello right now is the major researcher in the field of SQUIDs or Superconducting Quantum Interference Devices. For more info on Chiarello's work
It seems that a group of self-described "pilgrims" working for a quantum encryption company have devised a method of sending information from Year Zero back through time to the present, in the hope that we will change their reality. This suggests that the Nine Inch Nails album Year Zero is an artifact from 15 years in the future.
IRC Transcript
From IRC at http://www.solutionsbackwardsinitiative.net/pilgrims/
keyed by ap4thy20
edited by Keiichi-san, contingencyplan, and ap4thy20
(Carolina: thE HOUR IS AT HAND) (WAYNE: w8ting w8ting 4 what?) YI: Who is there? JORDAN: Wayne & Carolina @ SBI. Carolina's in the tarpit. Frank is relaying. I'm @ McGill. I've got a class writing an exam--may have to jump out. MIGUEL IS NOW ONLINE MIGUEL: I'm representing for Georgetown. Sorry I'm late. EVA: my palms are fucking drenched. WAYNE: No problem Mikey. You good and secure over there? MIGUEL: As secure as it gets. FWIW. EVA: this is all pointless, i'm telling you this is an inside job. WAYNE: Eva thinks we're screwed. EVA: toller. i bet toller ratted us out. YI: You are young. You want it to be an enemy. It isn't like that. It's the cafeteria worker, the neighbor, the janitor, your boss, the telecomm repairman. It's not a matter of "who." Just "when." MIGUEL: Wow. Cynical. YI: No. Just old. KALPESH IS NOW ONLINE. KALPESH: What have I missed? (CAROLINA: thE HOUR IS AT HAND) YI: When I was 13, I was a Red Guard. I rode the train to Beijing to hear Mao speak. I told on people who were reactionaries, including my parents. I tried to change the world. MIGUEL: Hi, Kalpesh. How are things on your side of the pond? KALPESH: Bloody crazy. Let's get this over and done with and shut down for awhile. FRANCISCO: I'm back. Carolina's in the tarpit. MIGUEL: And feeling Biblical! YI: You do not have to join an organization. Sometimes if you just wait, times will change. The hard part is not doing things that later you are ashamed of. ALICIA IS NOW ONLINE ALICIA: you folks need me? JORDAN: Is Carolina running her stuff, Wayne? WAYNE: Yes. ALICIA: really, do you need me? bad time here at Fermi. FRANCISCO: You're worried about security, A? ALICIA: to put it mildly JORDAN: Then go. Burn this log, but watch your instruments. If we get something, it may move the needle over there. ALICIA: tx JORDAN: burn this log, obviously ALICIA: y ALICIA IS NOW OFFLINE FRANCISCO: C has just asked me to run calibration. EVA: i cannot believe you guys chose her. i'd be faster. JORDAN: Eva, if they are coming to audit tomorrow, and they find something, it would be stupid to have all three of you onsite at SBI. FRANCISCO: Doctoring the access logs now. As far as they know, Wayne and Carolina never came back into the building. WAYNE: skilz, Frankie! EVA: This was my last fucking sick day. (WAYNE: w8ting w8ting 4 what?) YI: No one believes Carolina is a subversive FRANCISCO: Hm. Shit. KALPESH: We'll see if that's still true tomorrow. MIGUEL: What's our key text? (CAROLINA: thE HOUR IS AT HAND) EVA: don't get me started. FRANCISCO: Wayne, you're bleeding data somehow. JORDAN: We mined a few banned books/songs. WAYNE: Eva didn't like my choice. EVA: jesus christ. why not send back "winnie the pooh"? WAYNE: When they ban Piglet, I will. (WAYNE: w8ting w8ting 4 what?) EVA: wayne shut the FUCK up MIGUEL: Banned books? Oh, THAT was a good idea. WAYNE: It's not me, I swear. There's some kinda glitch, it keeps reposting. FRANCISCO: Wayne, this login is bleeding onto the main page. JORDAN: Sorry. KALPESH: Shit I keep thinking I hear someone on the roof of my apartment. MIGUEL: Boo! WAYNE: What? KALPESH: <kalpesh gives Miguel the finger> (CAROLINA: thE HOUR IS AT HAND) FRANCISCO: Carolina's running now. Suerte, chica. (WAYNE: w8ting w8ting 4 what?) EVA: at least i used music from someone who's alive and fucking kicking. MIGUEL: Was alive when he went to prison. Who knows now. WAYNE: What do you mean "bleeding data?" KALPESH: heard it again FRANCISCO: Carolina says text is in the bed. WAYNE: Sandwich 1/2 done. JORDAN: Shut up Wayne. (WAYNE: w8ting w8ting 4 what?) EVA: I'm going to pull your fingers out of their sockets, wayne. WAYNE: IT'S NOT ME!! FRANCISCO: SHIT. I scrubbed out logon off the main page but it's back again! Wayne, stop screwing around! WAYNE: I'M NOT DOING ANYTHING!!!! YI: could it be carolina's machine? EVA: Christ you're right it's on the front page. If someone sees what we're fucked. (CAROLINA: thE HOUR IS AT HAND) KALPESH: shit I think
thtjm8b8b8uiitb8itb8itrnbu8jjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjj KALPESH IS NOW OFFLINE YI: ah MIGUEL: FUck EVA: It's official JORDAN: they got kalpesh?! EVA: how much longer, frank? (CAROLINA: thE HOUR IS AT HAND) FRANCISCO: Parsing. JORDAN: god damn it. Wayne, Eva -- any of you in the States, you've got to abort. Get out of there! MIGUEL: I can't believe it. FRANCISCO: 30 seconds. Blackbox logon reposting on the front page AGAIN. WAYNE: sirens JORDAN: test bed's too deep WAYNE: Fuck! Suits! All over the place! EVA: goddamn theyre not supposed to search till tomorrow FRANCISCO: 10 s (WAYNE: w8ting w8ting 4 what?) FRANCISCO: Should I yank her out or what? JORDAN: HIT THE BUTTON! TELL C TO HIT THE BUTTON! EVA: keep her in there! tell her to send send send. Send everything JORDAN: oh my god EVA: TELL HER TO FUCKING FLOOD IT WAYNE: Jesus god. I locked the doors cause, hey, I'm fucked anyway. Might as well get an extra 3 mins. WAYNE: Carolina says bye. [the chat box for the window starts slowly typing in the following phrase:] CAROLINA: thE HOUR IS AT HAND MIGUEL: Sirens in front of my building. Shutting down. It's been real, guys. MIGUEL IS NOW OFFLINE FRANCISCO: No response from C ALICIA IS NOW ONLINE YI: America is not the world. The work will continue. JORDAN: wayne are you still there (CAROLINA: thE HOUR IS AT HAND) ALICIA: what the HELL is happening??!? Our instruments just went crazy WAYNE: They're coming through. I'm cutting power. WAYNE IS NOW OFFLINE (WAYNE: w8ting w8ting 4 what?) (CAROLINA: thE HOUR IS AT HAND) FRANCISCO: This is pulling way more data than it should. YI: What? EVA: remoted in to check arrays ALICIA: server brownout EVA: She put everything through the bed holy shit !!!!!!!! FRANCISCO: EVERYTHING I'm watching the data rate, it's through the ceiling. YI: I'm going to miss my granddaughter. EVA: THROUGH! FRANCISCO: Something went through. ALICIA: Spike! JORDAN: Depth????? EVA: STRONG (WAYNE: w8ting w8ting 4 what?) JORDAN: what happened to carolina! EVA: you did good, C FRANCISCO: channel snapped. I think C's just waiting for them to break through the doors. ALICIA: Oh my god. ALICIA: Oh my god. EVA: WHAT ARE YOU SEEING????? FRANCISCO IS NOW OFFLINE YI IS NOW OFFLINE JORDAN IS NOW OFFLINE ALICIA IS NOW OFFLINE EVA IS NOW OFFLINE (WAYNE: w8ting w8ting 4 what?) (CAROLINA: thE HOUR IS AT HAND) (CAROLINA: thE HOUR IS AT HAND)
Theories
It is speculated that the above mentioned music ("at least i used music from someone who's alive and fucking kicking") is in fact Year Zero and that the "someone" is Trent Reznor. Further evidence for this can be found in the music video for Survivalism, in which a SWAT team member is seen dragging Trent's corpse down a hallway.
It is also speculated that all of the "world of Year Zero" websites are in fact sent back in time from the year 2022--Year Zero, by Solutions Backwards Initiative. This is strengthened by the graininess of the background of the sites, as well as the reflected text, etc. This distortion could have happened when the sites were being sent through time.
The literature mentioned in the irc conversation, then, would be the quotes from Slaughterhouse-Five, etc. that have been found in broken text in the background of the sites.
Note that the website refers often to cryptography. In standard cryptographic examples Alice broadcasts texts to Bob and Eve is the person trying to intercept. Here we have Alicia and Eva? Can this be coincidence -- also eva is the last person to go offline. Perhaps this is a hint that she is not what she seems?
Hidden Numbers
The number sequence 24.19.12 is found hidden on the Solutions Backwards Initiative page.
Hidden Text
Additionally, there is hidden content in the form of fragments of obscured text embedded the background of the site. These five bits of text directly reference a line from Huck Finn. The passage that is quoted in the fragments:
'It was a close place. I took it up, and held it in my hand. I was a-trembling, because I’d got to decide, forever, betwixt two things, and I knowed it. I studied a minute, sort of holding my breath, and then says to myself: “All right then, I’ll go to hell”—and tore it up. It was awful thoughts and awful words, but they was said. And I let them stay said; and never thought no more about reforming.'