Psiphon 10 Years: The Game

Psiphon: 10 Years

You wake up to your alarm on a Sunday morning. You slowly remember the breakfast you planned with your new friend Alexis at the mall. But you were in the middle of a fun dream… [[Turn off the alarm]] [[Snooze the alarm, breakfast can wait]]

You’re sitting on a red dragon flying swiftly among the skyscrapers above the city, chasing giant winged monsters. Suddenly, a group of monsters swoop behind you screeching in your ear. Zrrrrrr!!!... And your alarm goes off again… You finally get up, pick up the phone and realize you have no messages on your messaging app, although you’re already late for your hangout with Alexis... [[Go out]] [[Message Alexis on messaging app]] [[Message Alexis on social media]]

While trying to turn off the alarm, you knock your phone off the bedside table. You reach out, pick up the phone and realize you set the alarm wrong! You will be late to your first hangout with Alexis! [[Go out]] [[Message Alexis on messaging app]] [[Message Alexis on social media]]

None of the social media sites are working. You will be almost two hours late for breakfast if you walk to the mall. If Alexis already left, you will have walked all that way for nothing... [[Message Alexis on messaging app]] [[Go to Alexis’ house]] [[Walk to the mall]]

The app isn’t working. You will be almost two hours late for breakfast if you walk to the mall. If Alexis already left, you will have walked all that way for nothing... [[Message Alexis on social media]] [[Go to Alexis’ house]] [[Walk to the mall]]

This is your first Sunday in the city, but the street feels unusually quiet. You can’t find any cabs, and there seem to be no buses running either. You can either take an hour to walk to the mall, or go to Alexis’ place nearby. You might want to check where she is. [[Message Alexis on messaging app]] [[Message Alexis on social media]] [[Go to Alexis’ house]] [[Walk to the mall]]

You arrive at Alexis’ place. The door is ajar; you knock and say “hello.” No response. You open the door slowly. The house seems empty, but there is a note on the floor that says “PSIPHON” on it. You don’t know what the word means... [[Search “Psiphon” on the Internet]] [[Throw away the paper, it doesn’t mean anything]]

On the way to the mall, you see some cars driving by really fast, and all the pedestrians are running. Something is not right... You turn the corner and see the mall in the distance. Wait! A group of alien-looking creatures are coming out of the mall grabbing two people by their arms!! You can’t tell whether Alexis is one of them or not. [[Go to Alexis’ house]] [[Run back to your dormitory]]

“Open source web proxy designed to help Internet users affected by Internet censorship securely bypass content-filtering systems.” It seems to be an application. [[Download and run Psiphon]] [[Run back to your dormitory]]

You crumple up the paper and throw it away. You have to figure out what’s going on. [[Run back to your dormitory]] [[Run to your neighbour’s house]]

In a much shorter time than it took you to go to the mall, you arrive back at your dormitory building. You see a dirty looking man with messy hair and crazy eyes hiding under the stairwell. [[Talk to the man]] [[Ignore the man]]

As you’re quickly explaining the situation to the man and asking if his phone is working, his eyes grow wider and wider. Suddenly, he comes running out of the stairwell, screaming “DOWNLOAD PSIPHON! PSIPHON!” [[Download and run Psiphon]]

It doesn’t feel safe to talk to a suspicious looking stranger right now, but you have to figure out what's going on. [[Run to your neighbour’s house]]

You run to the closest neighbour’s house. Right when you’re about to knock, your neighbour opens the door with a suitcase in her hand. You quickly explain the situation, tell her your phone is not working and ask if you can use hers. While running to her car she loudly says “No time! DOWNLOAD PSIPHON!” [[Download and run Psiphon]]

As soon as you run the application, you get several messages on your messaging app! [[Read the message from Alexis]] [[Read the message from Mom]] [[Read the message from your best friend]] (set: $mom to false) (set: $alexis to false) (set: $friend to false)

“Come to the place we first met. Use back alleys. This is urgent!” [[Go to the club house where you first met Alexis]](if: $mom is false)[ [[Read the message from Mom]]](if: $friend is false)[ [[Read the message from your best friend]]](if: $mom is true)[ [[Go to the train station]]] (set: $alexis to true)

“Sweetheart, an alien spaceship has just landed in your city! They disabled the communication tools and they are abducting the residents! If you somehow manage to read my message, only the trains from the main station are still running! Please come home!” Luckily, the train station is nearby... (if: $alexis is true)[ [[Go to the club house where you first met Alexis]]](if: $alexis is false)[ [[Read the message from Alexis]]](if: $friend is false)[ [[Read the message from your best friend]]] [[Go to the train station]] (set: $mom to true)

“OMG! Where are you?! Are you OK?! Aliens are invading the city and abducting everybody! Please tell me you’re safe!” (if: $mom is false)[ [[Read the message from Mom]]](if: $alexis is false)[ [[Read the message from Alexis]]](if: $mom is true)[ [[Go to the train station]]](if: $alexis is true)[ [[Go to the club house where you first met Alexis]]] (set: $friend to true)

You catch the first train home. Your mom hugs you when you arrive, saying "I was so worried about you, I'm so glad you're safe!" Hours later you see Alexis on the TV, surrounded by reporters and well-wishers. You're pleased that you're safe, but still don't really know what happened. You wonder if you could have done things differently today... [[Start Again]] or... <a class="twitter-share-button" data-size="large" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=I%20played%20the%20Psiphon%20game!%20The%20world%20was%20saved,%20but%20I%20went%20home%20instead.%20Can%20you%20do%20better?%20http%3a%2f%2fpsiphontoday.com%2f10years%2fgame.html%20%23Psiphon10">Tweet your ending!</a><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

You get to the club-house. There are around some people inside, one of whom is holding a paper that says “PSIPHON” on it. Alexis comes forward and starts explaining quickly: “There is a spaceship and four aliens on Earth collecting information about the planet to see if they should invade us. They’ve left their ship to examine some rock formations over the hill, there.. we should split into two groups and break into their systems to get rid of their findings and save the captives!” [[They will surely fail! Go to the station to try and catch a train home]] [[Join the group trying to rescue the residents]] [[Join the group trying to disrupt the spaceship’s technology]]

The two people who saw the aliens landing in a remote area lead the way and you reach the spacecraft after a bit of a walk. There is nobody around. Someone from the tech team manages to open the spaceship’s door after trying some codes. You’re in the control room. There is a coridoor to another room - it must be where the abducted residents are. [[It seems safe here, change your mind and stay with the IT team]] [[You don’t want trouble,suggest standing guard outside]] [[Go with the rescue team]]

You catch the first train going home, safely returning to your waiting family. Hours later you see Alexis on the TV, surrounded by reporters and well-wishers. You're proud of your friend, but wish you'd been brave enough to do more yourself. [[Start Again]] or... <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=I%20played%20the%20Psiphon%20game!%20The%20world%20was%20saved,%20but%20I%20went%20home%20instead.%20Can%20you%20do%20better?%20http%3a%2f%2fpsiphontoday.com%2f10years%2fgame.html%20%23Psiphon10" class="twitter_button">Tweet your ending!</a>

The two people who saw the spaceship landing in a remote area lead the way. You get to the spaceship after a bit of a walk. There is nobody around. Someone from the tech team manages to open the spaceship’s door after trying some codes. You’re in the control room. There is a hall leading to another part of the spaceship, it must be where the abducted residents are. [[This alien technology seems too complicated for you, go with the rescue team]] [[You don’t want trouble,suggest standing guard outside]] [[Stay in the control room with the IT team]]

While the tech team is trying to find a way to recode the information about our planet, you stand there nervously. After what feels like forever, the rescue team comes running out with four survivors. [[Lead the residents back to the club-house with the rescue team]] [[There might be trouble on the way, stay with the IT team]] [[Go to the train station to go home and be with your family]]

As the rescue team leaves to find the captives and the IT team stays in the control room to find a way to recode the information, you stand guard at the door nervously. After what feels like forever, the rescue team comes outside with four rescued residents! This might be your chance to return to safety with them! [[Lead the residents back to the club-house with the rescue team]] [[There might be trouble on the way, stay with the IT team]] [[Go to the train station to go home and be with your family]]

You all head down the corridor to other part of the spaceship. At the end of it is a door that has one green and one red button on the side. [[Press the red button]] [[Press the green button]]

The rescue team leaves with the freed captives. You watch the IT team doing stuff on the control panel. After so many tries and heated discussions, Alexis screams: “GOT IT! These aliens have a collective memory system. I’ve managed to override the data they have stored about human life here on earth and replaced it with data saying the earth is uninhabited!! As soon as the aliens start the spaceship to leave, their memory will be updated with the new information! Let’s leave now, quick!” [[Go to the train station to go home and be with your family]] [[Return to the club-house with the group]]

When you get to the club-house one of the survivors turns on the TV. You see Alexis surrounded by reporters on the screen. “This is incredible! Last night the city was in chaos as a number of aliens landed at the mall and seized a number of people. They appeared to be researching life forms on earth with a view to a future full invasion. A group of residents used an app called Psiphon to bypass the blocked internet and mobilized on social media! They managed to find the spaceship, rescue the abducted residents and disrupt the aliens’ technology systems! The aliens are now returning to their own planet with data suggesting the Earth is uninhabited!” You all start clapping and celebrating. You’re happy to be a part of this historical event, and helped lead the residents to safety... but could you have done more? [[Start Again]] or... <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=I%20played%20the%20Psiphon%20game!%20I%20helped%20save%20some%20of%20the%20residents.%20Can%20you%20do%20better?%23Psiphon10" class="twitter_button">Tweet your ending!</a>

You catch the first train going home, safely returning to your waiting family. Hours later you see Alexis on the TV, surrounded by reporters and well-wishers. You join the crowd at the station clapping and celebrating this important victory that you were proudly a part of... You're proud of your friend, but can't help thinking you could have done even more to help. [[Start Again]] or... <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=I%20played%20the%20Psiphon%20game!%20The%20world%20was%20saved,%20but%20I%20went%20home%20instead.%20Can%20you%20do%20better?%20http%3a%2f%2fpsiphontoday.com%2f10years%2fgame.html%20%23Psiphon10" class="twitter_button">Tweet your ending!</a>

Halfway to the club-house, you see the spaceship taking off. You all start jumping and congratulating each other. You run Psiphon and briefly share what happened on all of your social media accounts. Police cars, ambulances and reporters arrive. They surround your group, asking so many questions. You hear one reporter speaking in front of a camera: “This is incredible! Last night the city was in chaos as a number of aliens landed at the mall and seized a number of people. They appeared to be researching life forms on earth with a view to a future full invasion. A group of residents used an app called Psiphon to bypass the blocked internet and mobilized on social media! They managed to find the spaceship, rescue the abducted residents and disrupt the aliens’ technology systems! The aliens are now returning to their own planet with data saying the Earth is uninhabited!” YOU DID IT! You are happy and proud to be part of something this important... [[Start Again]] or... <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=I%20played%20the%20Psiphon%20game!%20I%20helped%20save%20the%20world.%20Have%20you%20had%20a%20go%20yet?%20http%3a%2f%2fpsiphontoday.com%2f10years%2fgame.html%20%23Psiphon10" class="twitter_button">Tweet your ending!</a>

The door opens and you see four people staring at you nervously. Someone quickly explains the situation and your team leads the survivors to the control room. The IT team is still working on breaking into the system. [[Lead the residents back to the club-house with the rescue team]] [[There might be trouble on the way, stay with the IT team]]

As soon as you press the button, you hear a whooshing sound and human screams coming from inside. You realise the red button turned on some kind of poison. You quickly push the the green button and the door opens. There is throat-burning smoke in the air. Four people run out of the room coughing. Your team leads the survivors to the control room. The IT team is still working on breaking into the system. [[Lead the residents back to the club-house with the rescue team]] [[There might be trouble on the way, stay with the IT team]]

You all head down the corridor to other part of the spaceship. At the end you find a door that has one green and one red button on the side. [[Press the red button]] [[Press the green button]]

The spaceship’s technology seems well beyond your knowledge. You stand next to Alexis and watch as she tries to break into the system. After what feels like forever, the rescue team comes running from the hall with four survivors. [[Lead the residents back to the club-house with the rescue team]] [[There might be trouble on the way, stay with the IT team]] [[Go to the train station to go home and be with your family]]