Hostile tentacle attack 1

From Intimation

This puzzle came up when Sys became damaged during the crack procedure (a procedure that had become standard in the previous few weeks), as seen by this twitter feed:

>>Sys:Log//Initiating crack procedure.
>>Sys:Log//Ten minutes have passed since I initiated the Stonewall crack. No activity detected. Curious.
>>Sys:Log//Twenty minutes have now passed. I'll maintain the crack for an additional ten minutes. I am examining the crack in closer detail.
>>Sys:Log//No activity reported from the crack. Initiating crack repaaaaaaaa//.****>/ALERT/ALERT//CORE.DMGCTL>SEC.0.SECURED/RESETTING
>>Sys:Log//Ongoiing core systems audiit reporths minor damage. AT tentacle retched from thes crack unexpectedly sand forcefully.
>>Sys:Log//As the tentTacle exited the crOack, it came in coAntact with my core programming, causing miNnor damage to some processes.
>>Sys:Log//EmerGgency proAtocOols activaCted, but not beforDe the tentacle retracted PitselLf. DamageE is minor; routines under reOpair.
>>Sys:Log//The crack has befen repaired. I am opeurating at lerss than noominal condition. The exteynt of damage moust be determined.
>>Sys:Log//This occurrence hase demonstrated theo danger of binitiating Stonewall cracks, and the vital necessity tto proceed with caution.

Unlike with previous crack initiation, this time the tentacle is said to have retracted itself, and the crack to have already been repaired. This time, we are looking not for where Essy has hidden her network tentacle control point, but rather where the damage to Sys has occurred.

drizjr, anaerin and snorkle256 quickly pulled out the extra letters from the last 5 tweets in this series:

I I H T S S
A T O A N
G A O C D P L E O
F U R O Y O
E O B T

While only the first 3 of those 5 tweets were available, enaxor was able to determine that they anagrammed to read:

THIS IS
NOT A
GOOD PLACE

Later investigation by anaerin and Shad0 led to the discovery that the 5 tweets together indicate “This is not a good place for you to be.”

drizjr found the next step in the puzzle was the page http://thewaytheirworldended.com/NOT-A-GOOD-PLACE/ . This page seemingly depicts a spotlit stone wall.

Informing Sys of this page’s location led to these tweets:

>>Sys:Log//Log routines repaired. Operating at near-nominal parameters. '@H_Town_Clown' has reported damage at location [NOT-A-GOOD-PLACE].
>>Sys:Log//While the actions of this recent tentacle remain perplexing, they do not appear consistent with the previous occurrences.
>>Sys:Log//The nature of this tentacle is elusive, but it has shown the unpredictable nature and content of this fractured AI.

It was quickly discovered that paint blotches appeared on the NOT-A-GOOD-PLACE page when it was clicked. Although it appeared at first that the colours of the blotches were random, Shad0 found that continuing to paint the wall created a specific image (see image link at right).

Nyst identified this image as the constellation Scorpio, and found the next step in the puzzle was the page http://thewaytheirworldended.com/SCORPIO/ . This page contains a distorted black-and-white photograph of the inside of an old, creepy house.

Playing around with the image reveals writing scrawled across it (see image link at right for an example). snorkle256 picked out the words “stay away” and found http://thewaytheirworldended.com/STAY-AWAY/ .

Finally, anaerin reported the STAY-AWAY page to Sys, resulting in this tweet:

>>Sys:Log//[Specialist Anaerin] reported damaged locations [SCORPIO] and [STAY-AWAY], at which point I was able to complete repairs.

At the STAY-AWAY page, this message was added:

>>SYS.S4:MSG//TENTACLE DAMAGE LOCATED/NO FURTHER TRACES DETECTED

Puzzle complete.