Often, I experience something, and enjoy it. If I enjoy it enough, I might try to experience it again later. For some things, the experience gets better and better each time. For others, it is “well, I already did this” and less interesting.
Atlas9 gets better each time.
Atlas9, the immersive walk-through experience in Kansas City, KS, has so many layers. The more I peel away, the more impressed I get with the designers. For example, their internal phone system.
Throughout the attraction there are currently 11 telephones. One of them does not work, but I am told that is it supposed to. Here are photos:
Phone numbers are found throughout the attraction. Perhaps there is a business card on a desk, or pinned to a wall…
…or on some sign…
…or written on notes found on (or in) a desk…
Only the designers really know how many phone numbers can be found in the attraction (if they even know!), but there are quite a bit. I have tried to take photos of all the numbers I found, and maintain them in a spreadsheet because dumb hobby:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1W0x_m8ABVb-IfTel8dGI7gjqJztgXDxvO-RBjTyVCqw/edit?usp=sharing
Atlas9 gave me information that I missed.
On my very first visit to Atlas9, I saw a payphone on a wall in the “Containment Zone” area where the ticket booth is. I wondered if it was a real one, and went to check it out. At first, it really did look like a functional payphone (I’ve seen only a few of those in recent years). But … something was not quite right when I read the details.
It claimed to make free local calls, but look at the yellow and see how the sign glitches out. Also, the directory it gives — using 2 and 3 digit numbers — reminded me of the internal V.O.C.S. phone system used by Meow Wolf locations we have visited.
Indeed, Atlas9 has its own similar phone system. But they told us much more about it, right up front, and I did not realize this until today, four months later…
Directory Assistance
Most internal phone numbers are six digits long, and use the format of XXX-XXX. Many will have words (like 030-MOP for the janitorial service, or 030-PIG for a barbecue place). Two numbers have been found that break this format, starting with 55-XXXX (55-FILM for a movie hotline, and another 55 number that I haven’t figured out yet).
But there on the payphone was the explanation…
- 030 – “World Building Advertising” – these numbers are all “external” places to Atlas9, like janitorial, tech support, the barbecue place, etc. These numbers help “build the world” that Atlas9 is set in.
- 314 – “Internal Atlas9 Number” – The locations inside Atlas9 start with 314. These ring other phones inside Atlas9, including missing theater manager Melissa Hartwell.
- 710 – “FACADE Secure Lines” – I have only found two of these so far, and one plays a recording that is part of which “ending” path you are on, I think. I am now suspecting that based on what you do on the computers, you may be given different 710 phone numbers to call that explain what is going based on your choices. (?)
There are a handful of numbers we have found that use other prefixes, but it looks like they had some “method to the madness” when choosing which numbers to assign to Rusty’s Junkyard or lawyer Hugh Manrat.
The more I learn about this place, the more I love it. This is fun stuff.
Anyway, yeah. They have a cool phone system. And I have this:
https://parkhopping.com/atlas9/
If you go there, you will find a robot-written Telephone Simulator. You can try some of the numbers from my spreadsheet and hear recordings of what it plays inside the attraction. But, I only have a few so far… and these should be considered huge spoilers if you plan to visit yourself.
So never mind. Don’t go there.
We’ll talk more on this later…
