iPod Touch Prank

Summary

The iPod Touch Prank was an elaborate four-month workplace operation orchestrated by Dayna and colleagues targeting Vaheed at an engineering company. As described in Session 10, the prank involved concealing multiple iPod Touch devices throughout Vaheed's workspace and using them to produce random sounds over an extended period. The devices, characterized as "phone size, but they're not a phone," were hidden in locations including inside dividing walls, taped behind shelving units, and behind Vaheed's desk. Each device was assigned a unique iMessage number and programmed with distinct sounds such as birds, bees, and initially a "creepy child laugh" that was ultimately deemed too unsettling to use.

The prank relied on systematic gaslighting: when Vaheed reported hearing bird chirps and other noises, his coworkers consistently denied hearing anything. Over the four-month duration, Vaheed became convinced that chickens were nesting on the roof. The operation was terminated when their boss overheard Vaheed saying he needed to schedule a doctor's appointment because he believed he was hearing things.

Details

The technical execution of the prank required careful planning and coordination. Each iPod Touch was kept continuously charged with assistance from George, a colleague from another department who provided access to power sources in the various hiding locations. The devices were configured with different iMessage numbers, allowing participants to remotely trigger sounds throughout the workday.

The sound selection process involved multiple options. As Dayna explained, "They attached their phone numbers or their I number or whatever it is to different types of sounds. Like birds, bees." The bird sounds, described as "little bird sheeps," became the primary audio used during the prank. The creepy child laugh, while initially programmed, was rejected as excessively disturbing and never deployed.

The prank's duration extended across major calendar periods, beginning "a little bit before Christmas" and continuing for approximately four months total. The random timing of the sound triggers prevented Vaheed from establishing patterns, while the collective denial from multiple coworkers reinforced his confusion. The systematic nature of the gaslighting—with all participants refusing to acknowledge hearing the sounds—led Vaheed to develop an elaborate alternative explanation involving roof-nesting chickens rather than suspecting workplace manipulation.

The prank concluded not by voluntary revelation but by intervention. Management discovered the situation when Vaheed's comments about seeking medical attention were overheard, at which point Dayna and the other participants "were told that we had to tell" Vaheed the truth.

History

Session 10

The iPod Touch Prank was recounted during the pre-session conversation in Session 10 of the campaign, serving as a major storytelling focus that illustrated workplace dynamics at Dayna's engineering company. Dayna provided the full account of the prank's conception, execution, and eventual discovery. The story demonstrated the playful but potentially excessive culture at the workplace, with Dayna and colleagues maintaining the deception for months despite Vaheed's increasing concern about his auditory experiences.

The revelation came only after management became aware that Vaheed was considering medical consultation for what he perceived as auditory hallucinations. The prank's connection to Brad was established through the related entities, though the specific nature of Brad's involvement was not detailed in the session discussion.