On the Subject of Pluto

Unable to feel the warmth of its mother, it slowly spins and spins around falling deeper and deeper into obscurity…

This module shows a small scale version of the planet Pluto. If there is a standard module background, or the planet shown is not Pluto, you are looking at the wrong module. Pressing the sphere near the status light will make the planet disappear, until said sphere is pressed again.

You are a member of Cicada 3301. Your mission is to remove Pluto’s dwarf planet status.

Here’s the gameplan:

1. Attach C4 to Pluto.
2. Make sure it’s on the back side so it’s launched closer to the Sun.
3. Do it at the right time or you’re going in the time out corner.
4. ???
5. Profit!

Begin operation BLXWXN

Open up your Plutonian Velocity Panel (PVP for short) using the button in the bottom-left. There will be 4 quantities being measured. Move the sliders on all of the components such that the sound created by each slider is the same. Once this is done you are ready to take on the Asteroid Field.

Dealing with the Asteroid Field

Oh goodness! Upon booting up your Plutonian Velocity Panel, you notice a thick layer of anti-C4 asteroids surrounding the atmosphere of Pluto (Does it even have one? Probably not as we live in a simulation). To resolve this conundrum, consult the Asteroid Striking Spreadsheet on the next page.

Let’s do this

The asteroid field is gone and it’s finally time to send Pluto closer to the Sun. Cicada 3301 is going to be very proud of you. Remember those letters that flashed when you destroyed the asteroids? Of course you do. Add your age and the sum of all of the letters that flashed, using A1Z26. If you miss any letters, remember that the letters will always form a word. Subtract your age and then modulo this number by 60. Select Pluto when the last two digits of the timer are this number. This will place the C4 in the optimal spot.

Conglaturations you have completed a very good module and saved the day.

Asteroid Striking Spreadsheet

Matt Parker would be proud.

Take the four asteroids with the corresponding color and shape in the diagram on the left. These four asteroids form a diamond shape. Find the asteroid in the middle of those four asteroids. If the last digit of the serial number is even, use the color of the middle asteroid, otherwise use the shape of the asteroid. Destroy the first asteroid when the last digit of the bomb’s timer is the corresponding number, the specific asteroid is irrelevant. Once any asteroid is destroyed successfully you can start to fire those we sent into space. The other three asteroids must be pressed when the parity of the number of seconds remaining does not match the parity of when we destroyed the first one. We need to be random just not too random.

The color of the asteroid will be spoken whenever you hover over it.
Oh, and you cannot turn that off, so you better get used to it or I’m calling the cops.