unforum

Arnold Rimmer · Greenhorn Joined: 16 Mar 2007 Posts: 8 Location: AZ

The Mystery Box of...Mysteriousness

**Posted:** Fri Mar 16, 2007 3:47 am

Esteed

I'm trying different decoding methods for all of the gibberish messages, but I'm not coming up with much.

**Posted:** Fri Mar 16, 2007 8:14 am

_________________
"The accumulated filth of all their sex and murder will foam up about their waists and all the whores and politicians will look up and shout "Save us!"... and I'll look down and whisper "No."" -Rorschach

furikku · Veteran Joined: 21 Feb 2007 Posts: 91 Location: Condovania

Were the messages written in one line like that, or were there line breaks?

**Posted:** Fri Mar 16, 2007 11:04 am

konamouse

Might help if you can post a picture or scan of the messages.

**Posted:** Fri Mar 16, 2007 11:27 am

_________________
'squeek'
r u a Sammeeeee? I am Forever!

Slyfingers · Veteran Joined: 12 Feb 2007 Posts: 110

Re: The Mystery Box of...Mysteriousness

**Posted:** Fri Mar 16, 2007 12:00 pm

_________________
Currently playing:
Heroes360, Deus City

Lurking:
SectorSeven

aninterloper · Decorated Joined: 20 Feb 2007 Posts: 182

The roman numerals are kind of interesting in that matching them with letter spells something pronounceable: cegaejadbi (the j could be a k or l depending on which Latin alphabet is used).

There are two conspicuous repetitions in the first text: QQLH and VLXQNPVEKZ. Unfortunately, they're one off each other in period. Perhaps this is a Vigenere with a couple extra characters thrown in to confuse?

**Posted:** Fri Mar 16, 2007 12:24 pm

ItWasntMeISwear

_________________
I no longer exist... have a nice day.

Sylvia · I Have No Life Joined: 21 Apr 2006 Posts: 2062

Re: The Mystery Box of...Mysteriousness

**Posted:** Fri Mar 16, 2007 10:35 pm

Arnold Rimmer · Greenhorn Joined: 16 Mar 2007 Posts: 8 Location: AZ

Pictures coming tomorrow. I'd do it right now, but I just got home, I need a shower, and it's 1:15 in the morning. No bueno. No return address. There is a postmark, it's very faint but looks to have been dated March 12.

Also, about the first, non-gibberish line. You're right! It is a song! I thought it sounded familiar and creepy beyond what it should be as just words stringed together. Google tells me it was used in an X-Files episode and is originally by Dennis Edwards. I'm kind of doubting either of those bits of information pertain to this though, because variations on the phrase "Don't look any further," seem to be fairly common in the ARG community. I don't know. Could be wrong.

Yeah, the numbers look like III, IV, etc.

I'm getting slightly more creeped out by this every day. I dabble in ARGs, but not exceedingly heavily, so I don't know why I would be getting trailheads. Especially in the mail. I guess my address is relatively easy to find once you know my name, though. What do I do if this ISN'T an ARG?

**Posted:** Sat Mar 17, 2007 4:24 am

Esteed

**Posted:** Sat Mar 17, 2007 7:32 am

_________________
"The accumulated filth of all their sex and murder will foam up about their waists and all the whores and politicians will look up and shout "Save us!"... and I'll look down and whisper "No."" -Rorschach

AtionSong · Unfettered Joined: 29 Aug 2006 Posts: 352

The fact that there were non-alphabet characters in the BPGA<_SBNY>MLLB_OI|~^ZVA_OLIOCX^ZCJKKMK<|NOVU string made me think that it could need a Dvorak decipher, but no luck. I also tried with replacing the characters with their non-shift ones, but no luck (by the way, without shift, the string looks like this:

**Posted:** Sat Mar 17, 2007 9:38 am

catherwood

Re: The Mystery Box of...Mysteriousness

**Posted:** Sat Mar 17, 2007 10:19 am

Rekidk

Um... Did you open the box the rest of the way? Or is that all there is in the box?

**Posted:** Sat Mar 17, 2007 11:45 am

_________________
iTube - iTweet - iNetwork

Falafel · Veteran Joined: 30 Dec 2005 Posts: 73

**Posted:** Sat Mar 17, 2007 2:52 pm

Esteed

Be sure the thing doesn't move. Wouldn't want a Cenobite waking you up in the morning, right? Laughing

Seriously though, a picture would be great. Also, examine the box as thoroughly as you can. Shine a black light on it. Shine a UV light on it, if possible. Look it over with a magnifying glass. Look for any indentations, especially if they seem like they form a letter. You could also take it to the post office and ask if they would have delivered it as it currently is. That would tell you whether it actually went through the mail, or whether someone made it look like it was delivered via mail but really just stuck it in your mailbox.

**Posted:** Sat Mar 17, 2007 3:01 pm

_________________
"The accumulated filth of all their sex and murder will foam up about their waists and all the whores and politicians will look up and shout "Save us!"... and I'll look down and whisper "No."" -Rorschach