Scarlett's Blocky Lines

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This puzzle was on a piece of paper found by Scarlett in a secret compartment in Granier House. Also in the compartment was a message from Anthony Granier which suggested that it led to a place which contained more information about him.

The puzzle

http://thescarlettkite.com/archives/2006/09/success.html

The puzzle consisted of a piece of paper with twelve lines on it, each of which appeared to be a depiction of some sort of binary signal. Each line took up exactly the same width and height, and they were all aligned horizontally.

The accompanying message

This was transcribed by Violet to be:

My dear children, Edward and Amaithe - As I write this, my time draws near. I have passed too many hours away from you, indeed, and never conceived a manner in which to tell you of all I had seen and done. I am sorry for it. I love you and kiss you both. If your heart is in the matter and you wish to learn more of your father, there is a place which contains much knowledge. I cannot write its name, but this puzzle will lead you to it. I am confident you will find out its secret. Should you travel there at last, go safely and forgive me. Your ever-loving, Papa

It apparently also had a glyph hidden in it representing a rotation of 360 degrees, starting at due North.

Transcription

U95 D131 U434 D465 U569 D595 U611 D620 U634 D676 U686 D697 U714 D734 U738 D775 U782 D814 #
U274 D299 U364 D384 U393 D420 U446 D462 U465 D537 U576 D592 U608 #
D38 U40 D62 U75 D113 U133 D148 U149 D166 U260 D283 U656 D677 U741 D760 U771 D786 U808 #
D48 U66 D155 U159 D180 U218 D251 U348 D374 U479 D538 U588 D630 U652 D718 U790 D829 U861 #
U95 D133 U136 D175 U185 D196 U228 D266 U814 D865 #
U35 D105 U144 D166 U183 D227 U233 D268 U270 D283 U295 D306 U312 D336 U390 D415 #
U80 D128 U157 D208 U232 D268 U317 D425 U529 D553 U661 D692 U720 D747 #
U481 D500 U519 D552 U557 D574 U587 D656 U694 D727 #
D42 U58 D73 U680 D711 U721 D732 U741 D761 U778 D800 U821 D841 U863 #
U61 D116 U213 D287 U309 D358 U395 D432 U489 D498 U560 D608 U629 D644 U665 #
U162 D188 U220 D254 U261 D273 U277 D326 U340 D364 U419 D438 U444 D531 #
U187 D219 U312 D355 U395 D417 U500 D543 U555 D581 U591 D623 U632 D647 U659 D705 U799 D858 #

U indicates an upwards transition and D a downwards one, the number is the x co-ordinate of the transition, and a # sign indicates the end of a line. Lines start at x=34 and end at x=883

([source])

Theories

Electronics

• Binary data - line represents bitstream of 0's and 1's
• Bus - all 12 lines represent individual bits of a datastream (12 bit words or perhaps two 6 bit words)
• Pulse width modulation
• Sound waves

Cryptonomicon

Cabbage and others have speculated a relationship to a movement-based code in Cryptonomicon. {{WaybackS1|forums.unfiction.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=272575#272575 source]) This would then need a map such as aeromap.png or Perplex City Map

Solution

After some hints were made in this direction but no-one managed to figure it out, it was Kurt who finally solved the puzzle [1]. The person who made the puzzle stood at twelve different places, and at each he did a 360-degree sweep and drew a line showing where the horizon was obscured by other objects and where it was clear. To solve it, each line had to be bent into a circle, and then the circles had to be arranged so that the peaks matched up.

Kurt concluded from the resulting arrangement that the puzzle represented the views from the islands in the Lancewood Archipelago, more specifically that each line represented where the horizon was obscured by the other islands. He also concluded that it must point to the thirteenth island in the archipelago, Hobbs Island

References

• Quirky Acuity
  • blog, 11-SEPT-06 "Not good" link

• The Scarlett Kite
  • blog, 08-SEPT-06, "Success!" link
  • blog, 08-SEPT-06, "Curiouser and curiouser" link
  • blog, 13-SEPT-06, "Squiggle-squiggle" link
  • blog, 15-SEPT-06, "Sea Journey" link
  • blog, 20-SEPT-06, "Hobbs Island" link

• The Path of Least Time
  • blog, 15-SEPT-06, "Success!" {{WaybackS1|www.pathofleasttime.com/archives/2006/09/the_archipelago.html link]

Links

• Unfiction thread