Is it just wild theories or the truth?

When Zach comes home he goes through his father’s old stuff. His father’s name was Xavier Ulysses Lightman. His mom kept all of his father’s belongings in cardboard boxes in the attic. It includes a collection of old video games, VCR, VHS tapes, old clothes, old cards and letters, and old role-playing game materials.

Mixed in the role-playing game was a particular notebook with the title, PHAËTON. It contained a global conspiracy that Zach’s father believed in. It involved top-secret projects involving video games and the US Military. In the front of the book, it had a timeline it’s posted below. It seems like Star Wars was the main focal point for the timeline.

CHRONOLOGY

1962 — Spacewar! — First videogame (after OXO and Tennis for Two)
1966 — Star Trek premieres on NBC TV (airs from 9/8/66–6/3/69)
1968 — 2001: A Space Odyssey
1971 — Computer Space — First coin-op arcade game — port of Spacewar!
1972 — Star Trek Text Game — BASIC program for early home computers
1975 — Interceptor — Taito — combat flight sim with 1st person perspective
1975 — Panther — First tank sim? PLATO network
1976 — Starship 1 — earliest FPS space combat videogame — Trek inspired
1977 — Star Wars is released on 5/25/77. Highest grossing movie in history. First wave of brainwashing in prep for invaders arrival?
1977 — Close Encounters released. Used to program the populace not to fear their impending arrival?
1977 — Atari 2600 video computer system released, placing a combat training simulator in millions of homes! Ships with the game COMBAT!
1977 — Starhawk. First of many videogames inspired by Star Wars
1977 — Ender’s Game short story. First instance of videogames as training simulators in SF? Published same year as Star Wars — coincidence?
1978 — Space Invaders — inspired by Star Wars — first blockbuster game
1979 — Tail Gunner, Asteroids, Galaxian, and Starfire all released.
1979 — Star Raiders — released for Atari 400/800 — ported to other systems.
1980 — Empire Strikes Back released in movie theaters.
1980 — Battlezone by Atari — first realistic tank simulator game
1981 — March — US Army contracts Atari to convert Battlezone into “Bradley Trainer,” a tank training simulator. Army claims only one prototype was ever made, but control yoke design used in many future games including Star Wars and PHAËTON!
1981 — July — First Polybius sightings at MGP in Beaverton. Mid-July.
1982 — E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial — out-grosses Star Wars.
1982 — The Thing, Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan
1983 — Return of the Jedi!
1983 — Starmaster — space combat simulator for the Atari 2600
1983 — Star Wars: The Arcade Game by Atari & Star Trek: Strategic Operations Simulator by Sega — cabinets simulate cockpit
1984 — Elite — released on 9/20/84
1984 — 2010: The Year We Make Contact — sequel to 2001
1984 — The Last Starfighter released on 7/13! Videogame tie-in canceled?
1985 — Explorers, Enemy Mine
1985 — Ender’s Game (novel) published — same premise as ’77 short story
1986 — Iron Eagle, Aliens, Flight of the Navigator, Invaders from Mars
1987 — The Hidden, Predator
1988 — Alien Nation, They Live
1989 — The Abyss!
1989 — PHAËTON cabinet sighted at MGP on 8/8/89. Never seen again.
1989 — MechWarrior released — another training sim for military use?
1990 — Wing Commander — released by Origin Systems — training sim?
1991 — Wing Commander II
1993 — Star Wars Rebel Assault, X-Wing, Privateer, Doom
1993 — The X-Files — fictional alien cover-up created to conceal real one?
1994 — Star Wars: TIE Fighter, Wing Commander III, Doom II
1994 — The Puppet Masters, Stargate
1995 — Absolute Zero, Shockwave, Wing Commander IV
1996 — Marine Doom — Doom II modified for use by the USMC
1996 — Star Trek: First Contact, Independence Day
1997 — Men in Black, Starship Troopers, Contact
1997 — Independence Day videogame tie-in released — Playstation and PC
1997 — X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter
1998 — Dark City, The Faculty, Lost in Space
1998 — Wing Commander Secret Ops, Star Wars Trilogy Arcade
1999 — Star Wars: Episode I
1999 — Galaxy Quest

He then goes in detail of the fictional name POLYBIUS. It was an urban legend that had been debunked many times. Its origin takes place in Malibu Grand Prix, which is the local arcade in his town. It’s an actual urban legend and is not just made up for the story. His father’s notes were:

- No copyright or manufacturer info anywhere on game cabinet.
- Reportedly only seen for 1–2 weeks in July 1981 at MGP.
- Gameplay was similar to Tempest. Vector graphics. Ten levels?
- Higher levels caused players to have seizures, hallucinations, and nightmares. In some cases, subject committed murder and/or suicide.
- “Men in Black” would download scores from the game each night.
- Possible early military prototype created to train gamers for war?
- Created by same covert op behind Bradley Trainer?

His father then believes that he saw PHAËTON. It similar to POLYBIUS. An arcade machine that only existed for a day. It had a cockpit-like interior completed with all the switches that an plane would have. His father’s notes were:

- Only seen at MGP on 8-9-1989 — removed and never seen again.
- No copyright or manufacturer information anywhere. Plain black game cabinet — just like the eyewitness descriptions of Polybius.
- First-person space combat simulator — gameplay similar to Battlezone and Tail Gunner 2. Color vector graphics.
- “Men in Black” arrived at closing time and took game away in a black cargo van — also very similar to Polybius stories.
- Link between Bradley Trainer and Polybius and Phaëton? All prototypes created to train/test gamers for military recruitment?

The reader finds out that Zach’s username is IronBeagle. He then decided to take a break from the game. However, he has to play one more game since it is an annual event. After reading the Journal he realizes that he late for work.