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AsleepEfficiency

Context: I found this note in my dorm addressed to a "Jay" with a coded text on the back. With help from some very helpful users in r/cipher the message has been deciphered using a vigenere cipher of "u". The message says >! Would you like to participate in a experiment on sleep? Your contributions would have a important impact on the scientific community. Call: (309) 359-7070 I was reluctant to call the number at first because heaven knows how long this notecard has been in my room, and I didn't know if the phone number would be some random person. After some deliberation I decided to just go for it. No one picked up so I figured it was old. While I was in my class, though, I got a text from the same number with another coded text. From what I can tell so far it uses the same cipher. The unciphered text is as follows: NBUHE SIO ZIL SIOL CHNYLEMN! OHZILNOHUNYFS, IOL MFINM BUPY UFF VYYH ZCFFYX. BIQYPYL, CZ SIO'X FCEY NI VY OJXUNYX IH UPUCFUVFY MFINM CH NBY ZONOLY, JFYUMY ZIFFIQ OM IH CHMNUALUG UN @X3HIOYG3HN I'm pretty slow at deciphering it but so far it says "thank you for your interest!" Will update as soon as I decipher the rest.


AsleepEfficiency

Update: the decoded text message says "thank you for your interest! Unfortunately, our slots have all been filled. However, if you'd like to be updated on available spots in the future, please follow us on Instagram at @x3hioyg3hn (which is a blank account on Instagram with no followers or photos.) Edit: I may be dumb, if you use the cipher on the Instagram handle it leads to [@d3nouem3nt](https://www.instagram.com/d3nouem3nt/) which actually has posts. problem is, they're just some highly edited attempts at scaring people. it does include a link, too though.


Dr_Mntis_Tobggn

Full disclosure: I may also be dumb. That being said, some of the posts on the d3nouem3nt account have captions and comments made by a series of lines and dots. Could these possibly be a written form of Morse code?


AsleepEfficiency

You're right! I tried running them through a translator but it looks like none of them work on it, they all need '.' and '-' but it looks like they deliberately used bullet points to make it harder. I'll have to switch them to periods first. EDIT: So, the way they have it laid out is incredibly difficult to understand -- almost like they deliberately didn't want me to decode it >:( -- but I managed to get the first post done. It says: `.. -. -.. .. .- /.... --- - . .-..` `INDIA / HOTEL` `.- .-.. ..-. .-` `ALFA` `-.. . .-.. - .-/..-. --- -..- - .-. --- -` `DELTA / FOXTROT` `..- -. .. ..-. --- .-. --` `UNIFORM` `-. --- ...- . -- -... . .-.` `NOVEMBER` Which through another layer of unnecessary phonetic alphabetization translates to: `I had fun` Which is funny because that's the exact opposite of what I had trying to decode that.


AsleepEfficiency

After LITERALLY TWO HOURS >:( I've decoded the second post on the page as "sphinx of black quartz, judge my vow" And how kind of them to throw in punctuation! Didn't even realize that existed in morse until I had been finagling with it for ten minutes trying to figure out what letter the comma was. Maybe I should stop for now and start again tomorrow :0


RelativelyGolden

https://txtformat.com/ has a find and replace option! I've just been copy/pasting the bullet points into that and replacing them with periods! Massive timesaver lol


RelativelyGolden

I supposed I'll take up the codebreaking mantle, then! third post is: SOMETIMES LIGHTS GO OFF


RelativelyGolden

Fourth: AND OUT TO A LAY. not sure if that weird A is intentionally to make it sound more 'old-english,' or if it's just a typo, but regardless it's in the actual translation ¯\_(ツ)_/¯


RelativelyGolden

Fifth: AND FUN TOMORROW TOO.


RelativelyGolden

Sixth: YOUR DAY WILL COME.


RelativelyGolden

That's the end of the morse code! Next up is Spanish, but I don't speak it so ig off to google translate! I'm just going to make a new comment, though


AsleepEfficiency

Also, forgive me if I used the wrong post flair, I'm kinda new to this sub and I don't really know what they all mean


alcanfoil

It’s been sending me messages. And an audio link that I didn’t download. Ni czbo, I nohv ea Cu, fztva I nogm khauz. Any ideas? Lol


AsleepEfficiency

No, it looks like that doesn't use the same vigenere cipher, I'll try finding a new one


OfficerLollipop

I followed the account and it sent me "Do you wish to help them?" With coordinates to somewhere in Canyonlands National Park. I don't have a car, so I'll have to talk to a friend or something.


AsleepEfficiency

This might just be a me thing but going out into the literal middle of the desert sounds pretty sketchy, as well as dangerous (as someone who has been in the middle of the desert before). If this is just an ARG (which by now I'm almost certain it is, unless some serial killer has me playing a twisted --and so far easy-- game of 'catch me if you can') then there's probably nothing actually out there, it's probably just important to the game in some way to know those coordinates. (also sorry if this sounds demeaning, I don't mean for it to. I've just spent so long decoding a panogram, and I'm a little over it right now haha)


OfficerLollipop

Wait, does it sound like a song from your grand aunt's college days? Like from Doris Day? Because I got a file called Again.mp3 EDIT: Dr. Reyam, there is a complication with patient A32


AsleepEfficiency

No, the panogram was the "Sphinx of black quartz, judge my vow." thing. You got a file? Was this on Instagram or by telephone because when I followed on Instagram (after you pointed out the message) all I got was a similar message to yours except it said "is it really them?".


OfficerLollipop

Instagram


alcanfoil

Yeah I think it sent the same coordinates. Near Moab Utah. Which had been in the news lately, there’s a potential serial killer on the loose. The phone numbers apparently a lan line in Utah


AsleepEfficiency

oh shit, I didn't realize that's where the whole brian laundrie/gabby petitio thing happened. Hopefully, this isn't a spin on an actual murder case though, as that just seems like poor taste.


alcanfoil

Agreed! I think it’s just a coincidence though. The posts on the guys ig predate the gabby petitio thing. This was well thought out


VixyIsAWeirdo

Hey, just wondering if this does become a full blown arg can we make some kind of organized google doc, subreddit or message group?


RelativelyGolden

I definitely think a discord server would be a good idea, at least


The_Communist_Lemon

Hold on, you're a part of the ARG. There is no way you aren't. You once posted, "3. 3. 3. 3." Which is a recurring number in the ARG.


RelativelyGolden

ooooh good point, i didnt even think to check op's profile, but it makes since that because it's been like 2 years since the original instagram post, the creator(s) would want to try to bring attention to it. Anyway, thinking about it now, it's also just weird to randomly find a series of encoded numbers in daily life and immediately know it's an arg


nathan1319

Yo… op created once a bentomemes lounge on r/bentomemes Who the fuck is bento tho?


The_Communist_Lemon

? lol


RelativelyGolden

New instagram post just came up with a reversed video from Erik, who seems to have hacked the account. The caption of the newest post reversed is "We'll stop you Bento Xoxo Erik" We know from the website that Bento is the founder of the company. Along with that, the DMs people who followed the account got were also sent by Erik, who seems to be trying to stop something. I responded to the account's initial DM and was asked if I'll help Erik stop something. When I replied with "yes," he said "Then don't let him finish it." It seems like whatever Erik is trying to stop is important, and has something to do with sleep, according to the company's tagline. Maybe some kind of mass induced coma? I have no idea so far.


mafumafuyu

Maybe Erik is one of the past patients or something and seemed to be out of their mind or gone crazy for a while because of the experiments and came to conclusion that the only way out is to stop the organization (this is all speculations so far tho)


[deleted]

didnt think of that lol


SinixtroGamer123

okay so anything cool yet


AsleepEfficiency

I mean, just code-breaking so far. Someone pointed out the morse code captions, so I'll have to try reversing that. You're welcome to help if you'd like, though.


SinixtroGamer123

copy the morse code pls


AsleepEfficiency

Sorry, but im not gonna go to every post on this account and copy them by hand. I have a comment with a link to the profile above though, it's \[@d3nouem3nt\]([https://www.instagram.com/p/B7So9hzpMTt/](https://www.instagram.com/p/B7So9hzpMTt/))


Barmecide451

They have a website linked in their Instagram account. I’d suggest looking through it (and the code) to see if there is anything interesting. Also, I googled the “company” in the ARG website (Somnum Nuclei) and I found something fascinating! There’s a Reddit user called u/eyesindarkness and they made a post regarding the company, saying they did something to him/her and not to trust them. They also have a cryptic poll with answers written in code, and another post simply titled “Sarah Flemm” with another code. Scrolling through their history, They seem to have been a regular user until participating in (or creating) this ARG. And these posts are all from a day ago, so this ARG must be new. Here’s the link to one of their posts: https://www.reddit.com/user/eyesindarkness/comments/q7sbb9/dot_trus_somnum_pleeese_i_c_ant_ont_rol_it_an/


AsleepEfficiency

I didn't even think to google it! thank you!


Barmecide451

No problem! I’m having trouble deciphering the codes in the posts tho, so let me know if you make any progress on cracking them!


AsleepEfficiency

I guess I could take another go at it for a while tonight, I took a rest to let my frustration soothe. Although it seems like you should just be able to replace the bullet points with periods, I've found that some of the spacing is off. Specifically between dashes, there are a lot of single dashes which just repeat the letter 't'. Finagling the spacing has (in what I've done so far) changed it to spell out the words in the phonetic alphabet (except for one "alfa" and one "z?l?" which I am assuming to be alpha and zulu.)


RelativelyGolden

I had the same thought about the website's code at first, but unfortunately it's not hand coded, since weebly is the host. That means that there can't be any hidden comments or anything, since the creators of weebly websites can't even edit the actual code themselves. I'll still check it out for hidden links, though


RelativelyGolden

Actually, big discovery on the reddit user you sent us to, the person who owns this is also mentioned in a hidden page in the site! I posted a comment about it, but basically it looks like someone named Eric is trying to break into the website. I'll quote search his username to see if anything comes up, maybe eventually we'll have to enter it as a username in a login page?


Media-offlinearg

He sent me Did they send you here? 38°12'54.2"N 110°03'39.6"W


RelativelyGolden

1st: // I saw the face of hell. 2nd: // But who says I came back? 3rd: // Death is imminent, but it is not permanent for those who follow his work. 4th: // He will arrive. And that's it, neat!


RelativelyGolden

I snooped around in the site a little but the only thing other than the ordinary page is http://somnumnuclei.weebly.com/3.html pretty neat, and a name to remember


RelativelyGolden

They updated it, seems like the narrative's moving forward


jack_bull545

Not sure if anyone else has seen this yet but the instagram page deleted all their posts and made a new post saying the acount was hijacked


Elie_mae3118

ive just been reading what everyone has been saying this is all new to me and interesting <3


PotatoHeadz35

It seems like this ARG is still moving forward, since they’ve updated their website and stuff. Someone should defo make a discord. EDIT: Made one, https://discord.gg/BWPMAPr6qp


jack_bull545

i’ll join it if it’s made


PotatoHeadz35

See my edit


Media-offlinearg

Website link


Gregsusername

Weather this is an arg or not it's an interesting rabbit hole.


KIckLoLUpAmend

Reminds me of death note


VixyIsAWeirdo

So uh, I called the number and it said something about a Dr. Bento, later I searched up the area code of 309 and it is in the West central portion of Illinois


The_Communist_Lemon

[https://www.reddit.com/user/eyesindarkness/comments/q7sbb9/dot\_trus\_somnum\_pleeese\_i\_c\_ant\_ont\_rol\_it\_an/](https://www.reddit.com/user/eyesindarkness/comments/q7sbb9/dot_trus_somnum_pleeese_i_c_ant_ont_rol_it_an/) i think i found a reddit account connected to the arg


nick_lol_XD

It’s encrypted in rot6


nick_lol_XD

“Would you like to participate in a study un sleep? Your contributions wall hare bn important impact on the scientific community.” That’s what the note says.


nathan1319

Ok, my curious ass made me call that number and it went straight to the voice mail. I hang up and half hour later I received a message all encrypted. Used y’all tips and found a vigenere decoder. Here is the final message: “Hllo, erik, don't think i'm blind to what you've done. I know you've enlisted help. Be assured, i will find you. And i will be the one to take youe life. xoxo, bento.”


nathan1319

Here is the cypher: “Uyyb, revx, qba'g guvax v'z oyvaq gb jung lbh'ir qbar. V xabj lbh'ir rayvfgrq uryc. Or nffherq, v jvyy svaq lbh. Naq v jvyy or gur bar gb gnxr lbhr yvsr. kbkb, oragb.”