Brief Overview
This is a fictional adventure about a character named Beatrix who is the Chief Timer of the Ministry of Time Travel (MoTT) who are recruiting new agents. The Ministry of Time Travel is a secret organisation based at the heart of the National Archives – they safeguard the sands of time. This is a training mission and will introduce you to the world of the MoTT. It will take place on your computer screen, but will also ask you to use your phone at certain times. You can take it at your own pace.
Detailed explanation of the experience
- You will be asked to enter the website, and given instructions on how to navigate.
- The first video sees the Chief Timer introduce the MoTT, she is nervous on camera but then is able to explain how the training works. She is supported by her assistant Kevin who is off camera. She will tell you that time is in danger, which is why she is recruiting new recruits to the MoTT. She will introduce TADAH, the nemesis of the MoTT.
- Your first challenge is found by clicking on Challenge 1: Code Breaking. It is an unscrambling challenge where you’ll learn some facts about the MoTT by working out what the words are. There are hints if you are struggling to work them out.
- In the video, the Chief Timer will reveal some of the history of the MoTT. The MoTT was established at The National Archives in 2003. She will tell you that the MoTT must break codes and interpret the past before moving you onto Challenge 2.
- In Challenge 2: Fog Clearing you need to look at the images that come onto the screen and work out the answers to the questions. You are looking for numbers that will form the code to complete the challenge. You can replay this challenge as many times as you need to.
- In the new video, the Chief Timer introduces the Signal Fire System (SFS), which is how the MoTT receive messages from the future. The SFS sends warnings through time to the MoTT. The future can’t use The National Archives for a reason we don’t know. She explains that the SFS sends through messages in mysterious ways sometimes and talks about a pigeon that spoke french to them at one point. She then instructs you to do the next challenge.
- In Challenge 3: Signal Fire System you need to decode a message that has been sent back in time. It requires you to look at an image and work out what the code is – you will be given hints on how to decode it. You will learn this was a tactic used in the 15th century to keep information safe and that TADAH used it to pass messages. The message when uncoded was about TADAH trying to stop crumpets – the MoTTs favourite food – being made.
- In the video she introduces Nudging – the way the MoTT protects the past by keeping the moments in time that need to happen in the past. She uses examples of times Nudging happened but the MoTT fixed it. If things change in the past, it changes the future. She introduces the next challenge about nudging.
- In Challenge 4: Time Nudging you need to register with the SFS by using your phone. You’ll have a set of security questions to answer, by texting IGNITE to 0748-078-6415 (this is a phone platform that is run by The National Archives and Coney who made this game). On your phone you will be asked to answer questions about the MoTT code of conduct, which is on the screen. You must answer these to get the codeword to move on.
- In the following video, the Chief Timer will tell you about TADAH, who are a mischievous group who are trying to disrupt the past. She accuses TADAH of stealing her crumpet, but actually she ate it. She reveals that TADAH wear silly ruffs and we see Kevin. We hear TADAH’s theme tune, which is a set of trumpets. She will introduce the last challenge where you need to go on a Training Mission which will pull together all of your skills.
- The final challenge will be on the screen, it will require you to load the tutorial mission and the screen will change colour. You will get the chance to pause here and come back to the final mission. The word to remember if you do this is BAGUETTE so you can come back to the final mission.
- In the Tutorial Mission the Level 5 Alarm is going off and you receive a message through the SFS which is in French, before it is translated for you. It reveals some that something has changed with Napoloean and you need to look for George Scovell. George Scovell will be introduced, a codebreaker who used to decipher codes. Scovell worked with the Duke of Wellington and should have decoded important documents in 1812, but it is revealed TADAH distracted him so he couldn’t do this. You will be asked to break the codes for him and help stop TADAH. It is revealed that if TADAH succeeds then we would all be speaking French and then eat baguettes and not crumpets. The chief timer will keep slipping into French.
- When you have deciphered the code you will be asked to send this information over to Wellington to help Scovell. You will do this using the SFS and your phone. You’ll send the word SCOVELL through to 0748-078-6415. You will need to respond with the words on your phone from the message you have deciphered on screen.
- You will be congratulated that you completed the tutorial mission and it is explained that Scovell will not remember that you nudged the past.
- In the final video the Chief Timer will congratulate you herself and reveal that future missions are incoming and that she needs new time agents to stop TADAH. She anoints you new Time Agents and that new missions will arrive soon.
- You’ll see a certificate that you can take a picture of it to receive a log book and agent badge next time you go to The National Archives by showing the picture at the shop.
If you have any questions about the experience in advance or you would like more information about certain moments, then get in touch with us at The National Archives: whats.on@nationalarchives.gov.uk