The Casper-Bray Numbering System (CBNS), also known as the Database Classfication System (DCS) is a system widely used by those within the Backrooms in order to classify levels.
The practice of numbering levels far predates the Casper-Bray Numbering System. In the early 1900s, the M.E.G. switched from a name-based classification system to a number-based one, following the wake of the discovery of hundreds of new levels, most of which did not have a widespread name yet.
This numbering system, named the "Major Numbering System", was a classification system based on the date they were discovered in chronological order, meaning that levels discovered earlier had lower numbers, and ones discovered later had higher numbers. At the time, the usage of the term "level" had not been popularized yet, with levels instead being referred to as "Areas".
Attached is an archive of the placement of the first 10 levels under this system:
However, this system was soon to change. In the year 1965, Impresario H Judah Casper, along with Impresario K Sarah Bray, would discover a striking property of Level Keys.
The Level Key of Area-003 (named Level 1 as of the current day) seemed to emit a variety of radio waves with varying frequencies (all simultaneously playing from 1-1000 MHz) , which could be picked up by any radio within 10 meters of the Level Key.
When a functioning radio was placed near the key while within Level 1, and tuned to 1 MHz, it was discovered that the radio transmission somehow played back any sounds made near its vicinity. A similar effect would become apparent when the radio was tuned to other frequencies, with higher frequencies revealing audio that would commonly be heard within other levels.
The duo later discovered that this property extended to the Level Keys for other levels as well.
After this discovery, a hypothesis was made that the "areas" of the Backrooms were ordered in some fashion, similar to the levels of a building. They set out to prove this hypothesis later in 1967, when a formula was made to determine the ordering of levels.
This resulted in a hypothesis being made that Level 400 (which was as of yet undiscovered by the M.E.G) was an aquatic level, based on the audio from the radio signals at exactly 400 MHz. After years of searching, the level would finally be discovered, confirming that this system could predict the properties of future levels and causing the M.E.G to adopt the original Casper-Bray system and to switch to using the terminology "Levels" to refer to parts of the Backrooms.
- 1 MHz is equal to one "level' of the Backrooms, as determined via the audio of each level heard via a radio placed near a Level Key. For example, if a level's audio was heard at 462 MHz, it would be classified as "Level 462".
- Some levels' audio can be heard in a frequency which is not an integer on the MHz scale. These were initially a mystery, but were later classified as sub-levels, following the discovery that most of these levels were related to another level. For example, if a level's audio was heard when a radio was tuned to 1.62 MHz, it would be classified as Level 1.62, and would be a sub-level of Level 1.
- Other levels' audio does not play at any radio frequency. These were to be classified as "Anomalous Levels", and given a name within the database instead of a number.
In 2017, the discovery of Negative Matter (along with the discovery of Level -1000) would usher in the classification of Negative Levels. Shortly after the discovery of negative levels, it was discovered that the Level Keys of the negative levels had properties similar to their positive counterparts, resulting in the creation of the modern Casper-Bray system, with negative levels being included within the system in a fashion mirroring that of positive ones.
As the M.E.G.’s classification system for levels was being rolled out, the Backroom Colonists found that there were 24 levels which had not been classified yet, and had no clear number that could be determined. Due to fears that if they were assigned a number the lack of communication between the Backroom Colonists and the M.E.G. would mean that another level had already been assigned to that spot, they were given Greek letters. Although some of the Greek levels' numbers were found after a while, this naming system was made permanent due to general convenience.
Attempting to use the Casper-Bray system to hear the audio from levels beyond Level 999 has shown inconclusive results. Tuning any radio near a Level key to 1000 MHz has simply shown the audio of what appears to be Level 0, and tuning the radio to even higher frequencies yields nothing but static.
Author/Wikitexter: Stormy