Issue 2 Late Friday night Minicon Medallion Hunt Bulletin Cents of wonder The Cluemeister remembers this fondly. It’s the feeling of being trailed by hordes of suspicious children, just waiting for that tantalizing hint that won’t come, expecting they can trail you for long enough to see you check on your sequestered treasures, and enjoying the process of pumping you for info in the meantime. And to think he so recently harbored that equally familiar feeling that no one would care…! Ah, the glorious suscpents! (Too much?) The medallion hunt is always most popular with children, but adults should remember they’re encouraged to search, too. Some of the clues are pretty tricky, and the kids may need your help! Tales of triumph Four medallions so far have been discovered and redeemed… 3. Shortly before half past eight Friday evening, a mysterious yellow plastic Easter egg was launched into the pool. Although young pennyhunters Rand and Jerry were present, believing a medallion to be in the pool area, they didn’t take note of the egg actually in the pool. As it happens, the only occupants of the pool at the time were a father and son not attending the convention, who decided to leave the strange object for someone else. When more members of the family (or perhaps simple bystanders) dropped by, however, the egg was first removed from the pool, and then handed from person to person before eventually, in a touching act of cross-creed compassion, a mundane girl handed the fannish boys the egg, who recognized it as containing Medallion #3. They proceeded to spend the next hour playing Nim games with the Cluemeister while learning hexadecimal. But what did the clue mean, you ask? That, my friend, is still under wraps. 6. This penny was attached to the base of an ottoman in the shape of a recessed hexagon near the concierge’s desk on the first floor. Hunters Will K. and Lisa F. located the ottoman and upended it, expecting to find the loot underneath—to no avail, as it was still attached to the base. Informed that the penny was still unclaimed, they later returned to the scene and discovered their error. 10. The first medallion found by expert puzzlers Andy E. and Paul F. This one was slipped between where the countertops overlap in the patio of Room 101, a hotel storage room. Why there? The answer is linked to the location of a medallion whose whereabouts are unknown, and is therefore classified. 15. The next to fall to Paul and Andy. The given ciphertext was a bit more complicated than a standard substitution cipher, or cryptogram, in that the two sets of alternate letters were treated as different groups, each subject to its own encryption key. However, as implied by a hidden clue, both of these keys were simple Caesar ciphers—one interlaced group had to be moved forward twenty-one places in the alphabet, and the other back twenty-one places. Why twenty-one? Because that’s the number in the text itself: ON THE GRILL IN THE ELEVATOR EQUIPMENT ROOM ON FLOOR TWENTY-ONE. Add the fact that the room at the back of floor 21 doesn’t even have any elevator equipment in it currently, and you have an impressive achievement in finding this medallion. Both #10 and #15 were found within two hours of Issue 1 going to print. Between the cracks Medallions 1, 2, and 7 are not in their appointed hiding spots, but no one has yet stepped forward to redeem them. Medallion 4 was caught and released by a professional riddle fisher in it for the sport. Its location has changed slightly, but the original clue still holds. Medallions E1 and E2 are not yet in play…will you be ready when they are? % See BBT on reverse side!! % Office hours The next two hours during which you can redeem your medallions and make an official try for Medallion 9 are: Saturday 10–11 a.m. Saturday 3–4 p.m. More to be scheduled! CLUES: ROUND 2 Two new medallions join the mix for this round, bringing the total to a nice, unsatisfying nineteen! Say hello to F and G, and look for unexpected help in the poolside area. π. Searching for messages in the structure of the universe? Ascii and ye shall receive. 4. Some of the less fortunate among us need to use circles more often. This is a circle that anyone can use. 5. No clue should be necessary. The number itself conceals the answer. 8. A colony of triple trees may illuminate this quandary. 9. The box is real in scope, the spark is cast from a halo. A number of casualties never to be forgotten, the number of scenes in a heroic leader’s death, a nice self-maker of a figure. Guess during official hours of redemption! F. This prize can be only be claimed by those with the precise ability to control their own fate. G. Code monkey likes darkness! Code monkey likes surprise and mystery! Code monkey is itself a corrupted code, and likes sitting in the first spot available. H. If dividing the number of cards in three suits by the number of suits there should be doesn’t help, try just following the signs—exploring, creating, reconstructing! Q1. Where, at a place like this, can a person go to honor the only living movie star Christine Lavin ever adored? Q2. Question the window that doesn’t work. I hope you’re enjoying the vintage mimeo paper! —The Cluemeister The Bozo Bug Tribune The Transplanted Organ of Minicon 44 Vol. 44, No. 0.2 Corrections Closing ceremonies will be at 4 p.m. Sunday as listed in the pocket program, and not at 5 as in the program book. Laramie Sasseville should be listed as a participant on the panel How Not to Get Depressed When You Work Alone, at Saturday at 11:30 a.m. Personals: Please direct good thoughts toward Aaron Allston, writer of several Champions RPG supplements, X-Wing novels, Doc Sidhe, and Galatea in 3-D— and one-time Minicon attendee. He’s currently recovering from quadruple bypass surgery. It’s the perennial hello to those flowers of Tucson, Emma & Will! —From that ol’ bulb, Stephen. Announcements: As announced during Opening Ceremonies and on the convention website, GoH Stephan Martiniere will not be in attendance this weekend, due to a family crisis. His art is still featured on the convention merchandise, program books, and Dealer Dollars. Writers—if you want to schedule a reading or a signing for yourself, you can sign up to do so in the Green Room—Room 201. Sharon Kahn – Editor in Absentia Thorin N. Tatge – Editor in Fact © 2009 by the Minnesota Science Fiction Society. Any opinions expressed herein are those of the contributors, not necessarily anyone else’s.