Space Race (July 3 2010)

Greetings, people of Earth!

Our superior alien race finds your puny starships laughable. The extent to which you hu-mans rely on "dilithium crystals" is outrageous. Why, what will you do when the supply runs out in approximately 345.3 Earth years, or, as we like to say on Arcturus, 93 h'waxlobs?

I suppose you'll do as you did now, and send your eight mightiest teams out to search the galaxy for hidden caches of the compound you need so dearly.

Although all the teams provided outstanding examples of what you Earth creatures call "determination" and "intelligence", in the end, and there were many ways to achieve - teams who reached the caches second, teams who finished the entire hunt after the last cache had been found, teams who collected almost as many crystals - only one team could collect the most crystals.

I believe it is the Earth custom to say, "Congratulations!" to our winners. Many thanks to all those who joined our mission, and special thanks to Smoke's Poutinerie for their generosity and assistance.

The Standings

"Most Creative/Original Costume"... Team 1, for their space princesses, iron men, and robot
"Most Elaborate Costume"... The Red Squad, for their meticulous reconstruction of Starfleet uniforms and alien garments.

Team 4 (Captain: Chris S.) got to each cache right on the heels of the teams that found them first
Teams 2 (Captain: Natalie G.), 5 (Captain: Liz B.), and 6 (Captain: Harley P.) achieved the end of the hunt
Team 1 (Captain: Juliana B.) was the second team to achieve the end of the hunt
Team 7 (Captain: Angela H.) attained 15 crystals (3rd place) and achieved the end of the hunt
The Red Squad (Captain: Dave H.) attained 50 crystals (2nd place), thanks in part to a donation of 2 from generous Team 6

But the team so successful in their mission that it is easy to forget they're even hu-man, winners of the $100 Chapters gift certificate, with 80 crystals and almost as many psychedelic hairstyles, was none other than The Galactic GaGas.

The Clues

Teams received a mysterious DVD, a strangely glowing star chart, a Guide to the Known Galaxy (with instructions - don't panic!), and a mysterious ciphered message.

Each team also received an egg-shaped hyperdrive filled with space gunk, and one or two dilithium crystals to get them started.

Every clue a team solved led it both to the next clue and to a cache of dilithium crystals. The more clues solved, the bigger the caches. Teams had to choose whether to run for the immediate, smaller caches, or gamble on being the first one to reach the mother lode at the end of the hunt.

To Boldy Photograph What No One Has Photographed Before!

Bifid Cipher	Third Place!	There Can Be Only One	Metropasses For Humans Only
Hmmmm....	We Come In Peace	Take Us To Your Leader	I Got It!
Robots Need Hugs Too	You Wouldn't Say That To Their Faces...	Cylons?	Friendships Across the Solar System
The Red Squad	Zounds! Our Hero Survives!