The Background
In high school, I was given a bobble head Alf for Christmas. He’s stuck around through the years, adorning the dash of my first car, second car, my 3rd car’s trunk, my closet, my shelf at home, then after a “suggestion” from my wife, my desk at work. Last year, I got engaged in a contest, a rank race for Content Writing Advice and I decided that the person in the office leading the race would get to have Alf at their desk, as a physical reminder of the contest. He has now gone missing! At first I just believed he would be returned shortly… but then I received a cryptic (and encrypted) note…
The Victim
Have You Seen This Bobble Headed, Cat Eating Alien?
The (Presumably) Ransom Note
This is the cryptic note that appeared on my floor several days after he disappeared.
Please Help!
If you’re familiar with this particular font, can you let me know? If you’re good at cracking codes, give some tips or let me know what it says so I can save Alf!
My assumptions:
- It’s a type of font- but not web dings, or wing dings(at least not ones that were loaded in my MS word
- I don’t even know if I’m looking at the note upside down…
- Most likely the word ALF was used in the note
- The note is most likely in english, transposed into those characters…
UPDATE
I spent my lunch pouring over the note, and used Alf as a clue, and was able to crack the code….Others in my office are now pointing out that it was Kryptonian used for an english translation.
I have ALf if you want him back send email to alftheft gmail
I immediately grabbed the email and sent a message: I beleive it was an auto responder but it says:
I almost sold Alf on Ebay yesterday; he ate my cat and I thought you
were probably glad to be rid of him.Your next assignment:
http://www.picvalley.net/v.php?p=u/2735/768608741844430896.JPG
Which is another clue in another translated language
Now this one I recognized right away as Klingon!
Off to find a translator!
Update (1:50 Pm March 17): Looks like I’m getting some Twitter help from a twittering Klingon named Qurgh!
So with those clues I think it should read
About time I was thinking you did not want alf back respond with pizza
Aight, so emailing “pizza” back to alftheft… Lets see what’s next!
Ransom Update:
Well done!
I guess Alf on Ebay got you nervous?This one will reveal the approximate location of Alf; after that you are on your own.
Oh geez… This one looks a bit more complicated- Post up if you have tips or suggestions, looks like I might get Alf back soon!
Update: Victory is Mine!
I got this message below shortly after Corey in my office sent me a tip that it was the Futurama Alien Language, then about 5 mintures later @shirleytipsy got finished before me and asked if it was under my desk… I looked..but it wasn’t under my desk– but the message read really strange due to being part left, part right, part upside down!
I know the third encryption is harder. It is meant to be. Are the words going up and down? Left to right? All of the above? Do words really merge like that of a crossword puzzle? That is for you to find out and for me to know; truth is, even I have a hard time reading it after I carefully crafted it.
Because this has been an absolute thriller experience for me; whoever cracks this puzzle and e-mails me what it reads, I’ll treat them out to lunch next week. Of course they have to be working at the same company or be willing to come out to Anahiem Hills during my lunch hour to cash in on the prize.
Oh and of course, this only applies if you this entire e-mail message on your blog.
I have figured out the message to be something close to
“I’m impressed with your skills.
Can Find Alf Under desk in Box.”
I did just a little hunting in our office and found my Alf stashed under the spare desk in the office, stored in a box full of random computer parts. Hooray!
Whodunnit!?
I got an email from the Alf Napper, giving me a clue to their identity! This one’s tough though, it looks like it’s in all three of the alphabets that the previous clues were using! Help me solve this one too!
24 responses so far ↓
John Jones // March 17, 2009 at 3:48 pm |
A couple of two letter words are in this note. There are also two single letter words used which are probably going to be “A” or “I”, just not sure which is which. I also agree Jeremy that “Alf” is probably in their somewhere.
Mike Wilton // March 17, 2009 at 4:07 pm |
First off let me say to John: THANKS CAPTAIN OBVIOUS! That aside I have NO idea what this says, but I’ll take a stab at finding out when I get home. I will say this though, this post has opportunity to do REALLY well based on the concept of it alone. Ever consider some sort of reward for the person who cracks it? Might make it a bit more viral.
Sufferkins // March 17, 2009 at 4:13 pm |
It’s upside down. I recognized one of the symbols and it gave the whole thing away. Plus the one other person who commented. Do I even have to say that it’s Kryptonian?
Translation: “I HAVE ALF IF YOU WANT HIM BACK SEND E MAIL TO ALFTHEFT GMAIL”
Though I’m sure you really don’t have to at this point.
John Jones // March 17, 2009 at 5:33 pm |
So many people in the office have told me they know what the font / language is. It actually isn’t too terribly hard to figure out what language if you look close enough.
However why not try cracking it on your own without finding the font or perhaps translations? – Just a thought but would definitely be more amusing.
John Jones // March 17, 2009 at 5:55 pm |
Someone else in the office suggested that Jeremy heavily moderates comments. Not allowing people to tell the language or the actual translation.
There is a call to action in the ransom note and it would be hilarious if 100 or more people cracked this and followed up per the notes instructions.
Misty // March 17, 2009 at 6:23 pm |
I don’t know the font or anything else but it took me less than 5 minutes to figure it out.
Brian Harnish // March 17, 2009 at 7:07 pm |
Got it. But, I won’t leave any details here. You’ll still have to figure it out on your own.
John Jones // March 17, 2009 at 8:13 pm |
So apparently I’m not loved. Both Brian & Jeremy so far have cracked the code and responded to the ransom note. So have I but the difference is that I didn’t get the second clue like they did. I had to have it forwarded.
Another clue is given via e-mail when you respond to the first ransom letter. If you’ve solved the first one, be sure to grab the second one by responding to the first one per instructions. Maybe you’ll have better luck than I have.
qurgh // March 17, 2009 at 8:33 pm |
The pIqaD says:
about tIme I was thIn_Ing yo
DID not want al_ ba__ reSponD with pI__a
The _ are letters that aren’t in Klingon. So they would be c, k, f, g, z and x
Sufferkins // March 17, 2009 at 9:10 pm |
Damn. Is that last one oriented left to right or up and down? I’m not finding anymore matches for alien languages. Or maybe I’m just not sure which kind to look for.
Shirley Tipsy // March 17, 2009 at 10:07 pm |
It’s the Futurama Alien Alphabet.
Apparently they are impressed with your skills.
And its under your desk???
aldo // March 17, 2009 at 10:23 pm |
i object to the many boners used in the original cypher !!
jeremypenguin // March 17, 2009 at 10:24 pm |
@sufferkins it was oriented upside down, upside right and left right- in the end!
It was hidden in a box under the spare desk in our office, VICTORY IS MINE!
Sufferkins // March 17, 2009 at 10:24 pm |
Can we say PWN3D?
Shirley Tipsy // March 17, 2009 at 10:33 pm |
Sure, sure, no credit.. I see how this fascist site works!
jeremypenguin // March 17, 2009 at 10:45 pm |
Oh and thanks Shirley Tipsy!
How the Internet Community Saved Alf | Musings For A Darkened Room // March 20, 2009 at 11:56 am |
[...] a blog post titled, Help Me Crack the Code to Save Alf, he shared the back story to the Alf bobble head as well as an image of the ransom note asking [...]
Sufferkins // July 2, 2009 at 5:24 pm |
Totally cracked the final code and John Jones is made of suck! He owes me lunch and he’s denying it. Cheapskate.
John Jones // July 2, 2009 at 5:34 pm |
I’m not denying anything, I simply need to remember what exactly I said in the code before I commit to you who isn’t even the owner of Alf.
In the e-mail that I sent to Jeremy I wrote:
“Your free lunch is almost at hand. Solve this with your Twitter and blog cronies and you’ll get lunch anywhere you’d like one day during the week that you solve this. ”
So now I need to check the code to see if I sweetened the deal. I apologize for forgetting to do so yesterday evening but that is just the way it went.
Sufferkins // July 2, 2009 at 6:59 pm |
You can look up right there listed on the blog is the original notes and all the deciphering step by step. the 2nd to the last one reading:
I know the third encryption is harder. It is meant to be. Are the words going up and down? Left to right? All of the above? Do words really merge like that of a crossword puzzle? That is for you to find out and for me to know; truth is, even I have a hard time reading it after I carefully crafted it.
Because this has been an absolute thriller experience for me; whoever cracks this puzzle and e-mails me what it reads, I’ll treat them out to lunch next week. Of course they have to be working at the same company or be willing to come out to Anahiem Hills during my lunch hour to cash in on the prize.
Oh and of course, this only applies if you this entire e-mail message on your blog.
He *did* post it on the blog and I *did* crack it.
You’re still a cheapskate punk. “Dishonor! Dishonor on you! Dishonor on your cow!….”
Sufferkins // July 2, 2009 at 7:08 pm |
Oh snap. Apologies. Apparently that part wasn’t even encrypted. That was the Email sent explaining the final cipher. Hence don’t know what code youre looking up since that part wasn’t even coded to begin with. It was right there in plain english.
John Jones // July 2, 2009 at 7:34 pm |
Crystal,
I’ll take you to lunch next week but to be perfectly clear on something… that invitation was for whoever cracked the second to last puzzle not the LAST puzzle.
That being said, when the second to last puzzle was cracked, the results were posted BUT Jeremy had neglected the part saying, “Oh and of course, this only applies if you this entire e-mail message on your blog.” – He added it AFTER I pointed it out via e-mail.
In any event; let’s drop this and so long as you are driving or willing to wait for one of the days I have the car; I’ll take you to In & Out which is where you requested to go.
Sufferkins // July 2, 2009 at 8:06 pm |
GFY. It wasn’t about the stupid in-n-out. I wanted the triumph which you stubbornly denied me. I’m pissed. What’s the point in eating my burger when you left a bad taste in my mouth? WTF? Go shove it.
Shezaad // October 15, 2009 at 1:53 pm |
Hi there,
can anyone decrypt this code?
its a convo between two people.
gh5rr t4Y 5rr t?gg5nt 6n 00Y n?sv?rr
1ts??d!!!…. h? n??dr g6 t?g 1 35f
=?? :4c’?d =5gh h5rr h??1d r6 004ch !
i00 t65nt g6 r5??*. 36v? 3635!
PLease help