New Year, New Blog

Good evening. The primary purpose of this blog is to document my involvement with the enigmatic organisation known as Neurocam. I don't know exactly what Neurocam is (here's a list of things they purport not to be) but whatever its underlying purpose - if there is one - there's some indication that the 'Cam wants its operatives to keep blogs, detailing any relevant activities and thoughts.

So here's mine. Hello.

I've been sniffing round what fellow new recruit - and Neuro-theoretician nonpareil - Lady J refers to as 'the Neurocam hole' for almost exactly a month now, so some quick 'n' dirty initial catchup is in order. (Despite the date tag, I'm actually writing this on the 20th of January.)

Neurocam first penetrated my consciousness via this Metafilter thread of December 18, which links to this article (free registration required) from that day's edition of Melbourne's premier daily broadsheet The Age.

I was inclined, like this Metafilter poster, to call 'bullcrap art project' on the whole thing, but my curiosity was piqued nonetheless. As bullcrap art projects go, this was a singularly labyrinthine and intruiging one.

The Age article pointed to Neurocam's official website, a couple of amorphously related other sites (including Shelly Innocence and Who is Robert Henley?), and the blogs of a few established Neurocam operatives, notably Graham Henstock (now retired) and EgoTript. I read, was fascinated, but remained uncertain about whether or not I actually wanted to get involved.

But I couldn't stop thinking about it. I poured over Neuro-discusions on various fora (such as 23rdian and "alternate reality gaming" board unfiction), and scoured a few other operatives' blogs: Xade, HamishJ and Q (who is not technically an operative but who Knows Something), as well as pages about other projects by apparent Neurocam 'puppetmasters' Peter Burke & Robin Hely.

Finally, on December the 19th, I took the plunge and filled in the online registration form.

A few hours later, I received the following autogenerated response:

From: Neurocam Enquiries
Reply-To: Maxwell Knight
To: Teigan
Subject: Your Neurocam Application
Date: Sun, 19 Dec 2004 19:20:24 +1100

Dear Applicant

Thank you for expressing interest in Neurocam.

Your application has been forwarded to a designated officer within the Human Resources Security Division so that our organization can further evaluate your suitability for recruitment.

In the interest of facilitating an expedient assessment, the Human Resources Security Division is currently implementing a series of background checks. We apologize in advance for the potentially intrusive nature of these checks and assure you that Neurocam International only undertakes this course of action in the interest of protecting our propriety operational procedures. Any information gathered from this historical evaluation will be treated as strictly confidential.

If your application is successful you will be contacted by Mr. Charles Hastings, Head of Neurocam International's Operations Division. Mr. Hastings will further inform you about the nature of the tasks Neurocam requires you to complete.

An unsuccessful application will result in the cessation of all further correspondence between Neurocam and yourself.

Neurocam appreciates that in 83.6% of instances, new applicants experience a desire to enquire about many issues which may further enlighten them as to the true nature of Neurocam. Due to the need to maintain a high level of operational security Neurocam is unable to provide much of the information desired by entry level participants.

We can, however, inform you of the following - Neurocam is a process which you are already part of.

Having said this, if you do have any questions, please feel free to contact me directly. I will endeavor to answer as many of your enquiries as Neurocam's Organizational Security Guidelines allow.

Thank you once again for expressing interest in Neurocam. I hope that your application will be successful and that I will soon have the pleasure of working with you.

Warm Regards,

Maxwell Knight
Head, Human Resources Security Division
Neurocam International

Three days later, on the 22nd - my 'sec check' presumably complete - I received another:

From: Neurocam Enquiries
Reply-To: Neurocam Operations
To: Teigan
Subject: Completion of Neurocam Application Process.
Date: Wed, 22 Dec 2004 23:26:31 +1100

Dear Applicant

To conclude Neurocam's application process ALL APPLICANTS are required to complete the following questionnaire and perception-based assessment.

An assessment of the applicant's suitability for operational deployment will be made following the fulfillment of these non-negotiable pre-requisites.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

NEUROCAM QUESTIONAIRE - NCI-1001/02

1. How did you hear about Neurocam?
2. What are your expectations of Neurocam?
3. What is your lucky number?
4. Do you instinctively turn left or right?
5. Complete this sentence - "Neurocam is."

END NEUROCAM QUESTIONAIRE - NCI-1001/02

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

APPLICANT PERCEPTION ASSESSMENT NCI-2001/01

(A) MISSION.

Assess applicant's perception abilities.

(B) EXECUTION.

1. Write a detailed account of everything that happens between 4pm and 9pm on Monday January 3, 2005. Pay particular attention to any occurrence which may be deemed "out of the ordinary". Include in your account two images that represent the best and worst things that happen on Monday 3, 2005.

2. Submit this report via email to operations@neurocam.com by close of business Friday January 7, 2005.

(C) OPERATIONAL SECURITY.

Not Applicable.

(D) GUIDELINES.

As with all Neurocam assignments, you will be assessed on the manner in which you complete this assignment.

Intelligence and creativity are traits highly valued by Neurocam and a demonstration of both of these will expedite your further advancement within the organization. Your application and aptitude in this assignment will be the basis for consideration for operational integration.

ENDS APPLICANT PERCEPTION ASSESSMENT NCI-2001/01

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Regards,

Charles Hastings
Head, Operations Division
Neurocam International

My beloved little sister arrived in town for Christmas on December 24th. She'd never heard of Neurocam, but she was reading The Magus by John Fowles, a book pointedly namechecked by masked Neuro-representative 'Neville Harris' in the Age article. I took it as an omen.

On new years' day, I answered the questionnaire:

From: Teigan
To: Neurocam Operations
Subject: Re: Completion of Neurocam Application Process.
Date: 1 January 2005 3:03:14 PM

NEUROCAM QUESTIONAIRE - NCI-1001/02

1. How did you hear about Neurocam?

From Marc Moncrief's Dec 18 article in The Age, via metafilter.com.

2. What are your expectations of Neurocam?

I have no concrete expectations. The Age article was intriguing, and had me chasing down myriad online trails trying to get a better handle on the whole thing, which was entertaining and intrigued me even more.

Given the substantial number of new signups one presumes Neurocam has received recently, I reckon it's unlikely I'll be selected as an operative. If I am, maybe the assignments will help add some colour to my currently rather lacklustre existence. Maybe I'll be kidnapped and horribly tortured by ruthless sociopaths, which would make for an entertaining dinner party anecdote or two. Maybe my involvement with Neurocam will help me to gain greater self-knowledge, and ultimately
crack the baffling puzzlebox of my own tortured psyche. Maybe it'll drive me hopelessly insane.

Perhaps I will discover that time, the self, physical matter, and everything else that goes into making up this shallow world of forms in which we all naively "believe" "we" "live" is nothing but an illusion, engineered by intelligent machines as a power source. Woah.

Perhaps not.

Who knows?

3. What is your lucky number?

Until recently I'd have said 27, but for now I don't have one.

4. Do you instinctively turn left or right?

Left. I think. No, right. Maybe. Depends on what's triggered my instinctive turning reflex, and why.

5. Complete this sentence - "Neurocam is."

.. asking me questions.
.. an immersive, interactive, theatrical art project / largescale public headfuck / prank masquerading as something darker and more sinister than it really is.
.. bizarrely well-funded for an organisation with no obvious revenue stream.
.. none of the above.
.. not what I think it is.
.. a proper noun with no known referent.

"Neurocam is." is not a sentence. Or is it?

1. Write a detailed account of everything that happens between 4pm and 9pm on Monday January 3, 2005.

*Everything* that happens? Does this include things that happen in other timezones? If so, should the account refer to everything occurring between 4pm and 9pm in those locales, or in mine?

Happy new year.

- T

.. and received the following reply from Operations Division head Charles Hastings within the hour:

To: Teigan
From: Neurocam Operations
Subject: Re: Completion of Neurocam Application Process.
Date: 1 January 2005 3:56:09 PM

Dear Applicant Teigan

An eye for semantics is trait highly valued by the management of Neurocam International. You are quite correct in your supposition that the act of detailing "everything" that happens between 4pm and 9pm would be remarkably difficult.

Does this mean that we intend for you to document events which only occur in your immediate vicinity? Unfortunately this is a question I am not permitted to answer.

The interpretation of the instructions contained within Neurocam Perception Assessment NCI-2001/02 is entirely at the discretion of the applicant. The manner in which you choose to apply that interpretation will further allow Neurocam International to assess your suitability for operational deployment.

In response to your query about time zones - Neurocam International would prefer that you complete the assessment during 4pm and 9pm of the time zone in which you are physically present during that period.

Regards,

Charles Hastings
Head, Operations Division
Neurocam International

The game was afoot.