2010 Mystery Hunt: Learning the coin had jumped back in time

After completing the first version of the first round meta, teams were sent a runaround. At the end of the runaround, teams were questioned in the manner of the bridge-keeper from Monty Python and Holy Grail. When they properly answered the questions at the end of the runaround with the below answers, they were brought to the stacks in the basement of Hayden:

1.) Whitney Comforth
2.) "To furnish such a general education, founded upon the mathematical, physical, and natural sciences, English and other modern languages and mental and political science, as shall form a fitting preparation for any of the departments of active life."
3.) Blue

In Hayden, teams encountered Emit and O'Doul. What teams saw depended on whether it happened before or after the 6 PM event on Friday in which it was revealed to all teams (that had not otherwise been told) what had happened to the coin. (The script for the 6 PM event is also below.)

In addition, teams were sent an email after finishing this encounter or after the 6 PM event (whichever came first).

Script for after the runaround (but before the 6 PM event)

Emit: Psst! Hey! Listen carefully; something's just gone terribly wrong, and I need your help in fixing it. I was put in charge of filling in the gaps in the Hunt archives, and to do that, I invented an amazing History Ray. Right as you were calling in that meta answer, I accidentally blasted the coin with it, and it vanished! I think it's been sent back in time. What's worse, from the strange way my colleagues at Hunt HQ have suddenly been acting, I think the coin's managed to change the course of history...

(O'Doul bursts out of a door or from around a corner.)

O'Doul: A-HA! I thought you'd been acting weird, Emit!

E: Imelda! Listen, I...

O: High Commander O'Doul, dammit. Don't get smart with me. You're in enough trouble as it is.

E: ...High Commander?

O: (to team) We haven't received a single correct answer from you. How did you know to come here? No, don't answer that. I already know. My assistant told me everything I need to know. (to Emit) This is unbelievable. I might expect a leak like this from a low-level archivist or an event drone, but YOU, Emit? And on the 300th anniversary, of all years? We even warned about this in the opening letter!

(O'Doul pulls out a copy and reads aloud:) "We feel obligated to warn teams that a repeat of the infamous 1979 incident in which a team bribed a constructor for answers will NOT be tolerated. Surveillance is in place on teams and staff alike to the full extent allowed by the International Enigmatology Bureau. Report any suspicious activity immediately to your nearest Hunt Security Station."

E: Surveillance? Hunt Security? The 300th anniversary? This... this is madness!

O: THIS IS MIT! You're all coming with me... (reaching in her pocket) Hang on. I'm getting a call. Hold this for me.

(O'Doul hands the letter to Emit and walks a few yards away. Emit skims the letter, then hands it to the team.)

E: (to team) Here, take this. I was right... and it's worse than I thought. We need to find a way to track down and retrieve the coin before...

(O'Doul walks back.)

O: Things just keep getting worse for you, Emit. One of the junior archivists just reported a major breach - we're missing the entire set of answer pages from the 2009 Core Reactor round.

E: Core Reactor round? There wasn't a... (to team) Do you remember a Core Reactor round?

O: (ignoring this) Looks like your incompetence just bought you a reprieve. I can't afford to take you off the job until those answers are restored. (to team) And you... Say goodbye to your chances of winning this year. I'm sentencing you all to help him instead, even if it takes all weekend. I'm going back to headquarters, but I've got my eye on all of you.

(She exits.)

E: This is bad... but I think I have an idea of how we can fix things. Go back to your base; I'll email you with more details. And hang on to that letter. I have a feeling it'll be a good idea to collect as many documents from this alternate timeline as we can.

Script for after the runaround (and after the 6 PM event)

Emit: Oh, good, you made it. I-

(O'Doul bursts out of a door or from around a corner.)

O'Doul: A-HA! I thought you'd been acting weird, Emit!

E: High Commander O'Doul! I... this team's been working with me to restore the missing answers in the archives.

O: At this year's coin site? Do I look stupid, Emit?

E: I... uh...

O: Don't bother trying to deny it - my assistant's told me all I need to know. Emit, what were you thinking? We even warned about this sort of thing in this year's opening letter.

(O'Doul pulls out a copy and reads aloud:) "We feel obligated to warn teams that a repeat of the infamous 1979 incident in which a team bribed a constructor for answers will NOT be tolerated. Surveillance is in place on teams and staff alike to the full extent allowed by the International Enigmatology Bureau. Report any suspicious activity immediately to your nearest Hunt Security Station."

E: That was in our opening letter?

O: See for yourself... Hold on, getting a text.

(O'Doul hands Emit the letter and checks her phone.)

O: I'm needed back at headquarters. Emit, just as soon as this mess with the missing answers is sorted out, you're fired. (To the team) As for you... Say goodbye to your chances of winning this year. You're spending the rest of the weekend working with Emit to find those missing answers.

(O'Doul exits.)

E: (to O'Doul as she leaves) But they already were... I mean... Er, oh no, not that, anything but that.

(Emit hands the team the letter.)

E: Here, hang on to this letter. I have a feeling it'll be a good idea to collect as many documents from this alternate timeline as we can. You can return to your base now; we still have a lot of work to do.

Script for 6 PM event

Emit: Are you all here for the event?

[wait for response]

Oh, thank God! That means you weren't affected by the incident! Listen carefully; something's gone terribly wrong, and I need your help in fixing it. I was put in charge of filling in the gaps in the Hunt archives, and to do that, I invented an amazing History Ray. A little while ago, I blasted the coin with it, and it vanished! I've somehow managed to send the coin back in time, and it's changed history. To everyone except you, me, and a few of my assistants, this isn't the 30th Hunt... it's the 300th! We're stuck in an alternate timeline with different history, different answers, and, more relevantly at the moment, a different set of events for the weekend. That's why I'm camped out here - I was hoping to find people who remember the old timeline. The first event in THIS universe is set to happen an hour from now. Every team here, please send a representative up to check in. After that, you can all go back to your bases; I'll email you with more details. And keep on working on those 2010 puzzles, too - I have a feeling something's going on with them.