Mission Impossible

Friday, September 15 | 2:00 - 5:30 PM | Start at Beckman Tent

Game Description
Mission Impossible is a hilarious game of chase on the L.A. Metro system. ISP will help you get into teams, provide Metro day passes, and offer full instructions on how to play the game. Meet at Beckman Tent by 2:00 PM, after lunch, for game instructions. Dress comfortably on this day, and bring money for dinner in Los Angeles with your team. Participating teams must return to Sherman Fairchild Library Amphitheater by 7:30 PM for International Dessert Night, featuring delicious treats from Caltech's many international and cultural clubs.

REMEMBER

Your team must stay together until you return to campus.
Teams may not split up.
Individuals may not leave the team and return to Caltech alone.
All team members must return to Sherman Fairchild Library Amphitheater by 7:30 PM and check-in with ISP staff.

The Goal
Your group will try to "arrest" the X-Team. X is seized if any agent meets X at the same station or in the same bus or train. X is not allowed to hide or run away from the station by foot. Just driving by in a different bus does not count as arrest.

The Means
You are allowed to take any bus and subway (except the Blue Line) within the METRO system for which the fare is covered by your Metro Day Pass on your TAP (Transit Access Pass) card. The battle map of the game is confined by all stations (except Blue Line stations) on the established game map, to be provided to participating teams. Teams may ride basically everything within the constraints of the map except buses running on the freeway, regional buses (the non‐colored lines), and the Blue Line subway.

Agents and X‐Team can switch between different lines and directions anytime. All groups must stay in motion all the time. Waiting at a station is only allowed until the next line that you want to take arrives. The rule is intended to prevent Agents from loitering at important transit nodes and just waiting for X to come by incidentally. No walking is allowed between stations. When using the subway, the X‐Team must ride in the first compartment of the train.

Communication
All teams must communicate regularly with Headquarters and announce their current position and traveling direction. When you call, Headquarters will provide the last known location of X. When possible, updates may be sent via text message to and from teams. You must confirm receipt of messages, or call into Headquarters if you did not receive an update and inform us of your status.

Agent teams may communicate directly with each other.

The capture of X must be announced immediately to Headquarters. Headquarters will announce the capture to all Agents.

Positioning
Every metro rail station has a name that is labeled in the map. Tell Headquarters the name of the station and which direction you are moving. For example, "Team 5 is at Civic Center, riding the Red Line west-bound." Buses stop at every street intersection, but not all streets are mapped out in our handout. If you are riding a bus, tell us the Bus Line Number, direction you are moving "Team 7 is on Bus Line 210 south-bound." If you are waiting at a Bus Station, tell us the Street name and intersection (if known). For example, "Team 12 is at Hollywood and Vine, waiting for east-bound bus."

PLEASE ALWAYS KEEP TRACK OF WHERE YOU ARE ON THE MAP WHILE RIDING ON A BUS!

Identification
X‐Team wears bright orange shirts during the entire game to be easily identifiable by Agents.

Game Start & End
Agents choose their starting location on the map and communicate it to Headquarters before departing Pasadena. X chooses their initial location secretly and will only reveal it at the time when the game begins at 2:00 PM, after game instructions are announced and teams are confirmed. Every team is expected to be at their announced starting location at 2:30 PM.

The game ends if X gets caught or if X manages to linger undetected in the game area until 5:00 PM. If X gets caught very early in the game, we could choose to continue until a second team captures X.

All Agent teams are required to return to campus by 7:30 PM.

Bus Lines
Local lines: 1‐299
Limited stop: 300‐399
Express to from Downtown: 400‐499
Express Bus/Rapid Service: 700‐799

Game Tips
Some bus lines (some local lines) may not run on a fixed schedule. Instead, they may announce approximate intervals, such as "runs every 20 minutes."

Rapid Service are the fastest buses to get from one area to next, as they have very limited stops and usually run on a reliable schedule.

You may ask for help from bus drivers or fellow passengers if you need help understanding the Metro system.

Decide your team's strategy for how to intercept and capture X‐Team. Teaming up with other groups in a coordinated approach might help.

Mission Control Phone Numbers
626-395-6330 (call only)
626-395-3035 (call only)
626-395-2110 (call only)

Mission Control Text Contacts
818-795-4774 (text only)