Mystery Question

This is where you can post your Commander Keen related stories, artwork, or other stuff that is related to Commander Keen but otherwise doesn't belong in another forum.
User avatar
MortimerInBlack
Vortininja
Posts: 276
Joined: Thu Nov 01, 2007 1:57

Mystery Question

Post by MortimerInBlack »

Here's the deal: I would like to see how many solutions everyone can come up with for this mystery, because I have just realized that at least 2 exist, and it's ideal to have as little solutions as possible so that Keen's brilliance is evident when he solves it.

At this point in my story, Keen is trying to figure out how his friend could just disappear. It's basically like this. Presumably he disappeared in the middle of the night since no one saw or heard anything. The timeframe of disappearance was from one evening (9pm )to the next morning (6am). The police were called in and their hounds followed a scent to the middle of the backyard, where the scent trail just ended. Keen also knows that his friend left of his own will, because of a goodbye letter they found (or at least he has no reason to believe the letter is fake).

That's basically it, but keep in mind this is in Wisconsin, 1988. Keen is trying to figure out how to get from point A to point B without leaving any scent.

btw i hope this is acceptable in the other keen stuff category, cuz it has to do with fanfiction, which u know, usually goes here.
The Viking II lander actually did land on a 'rock' on Mars.
http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/masterCa ... =1975-083C
User avatar
KeenRush
Android Dummy
Posts: 2560
Joined: Sat Oct 27, 2007 20:57
Location: KEEN1.EXE
Contact:

Post by KeenRush »

Interesting. So did I get it correct, is he trying to get to the middle of the yard? :confused I'm not entirely sure what's he trying to do in here. He could send Spot to do something perhaps, or pogo there, perhaps.
My newest mod - Commander Keen: Sunset: viewtopic.php?t=8568 | codename H.Y.E.N.A.
User avatar
MortimerInBlack
Vortininja
Posts: 276
Joined: Thu Nov 01, 2007 1:57

Post by MortimerInBlack »

lol no, Keen's friend disappeared. All they know is the timeframe of disappearance, that he most likely left of his own free will, and that the scent the dogs were following stopped cold in the middle of the backyard. Keen is trying to figure out how his friend disappeared this way.

And dang, KR, u sure reply fast; it's the middle of the night here--u must live in Australia i take it.
The Viking II lander actually did land on a 'rock' on Mars.
http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/masterCa ... =1975-083C
User avatar
ckguy
Bipship Engineer
Posts: 1169
Joined: Thu Nov 01, 2007 17:56
Location: Wakefield, RI, US
Contact:

Post by ckguy »

Um ... given that this is a CK fanfic, the obvious answer is that his friend was abducted by aliens. Hmmm, although he wrote a (we're assuming) genuine goodbye letter. So maybe he called an interplanetary taxi. Or he used his Thumb to go hitchhiking.

Or he could have walked into the middle of his yard and then backtracked, but that would be a kind of weird thing to do. I don't really know. There doesn't seem to be any one obvious answer, although I expect that I'm missing a clever one ...
User avatar
KeenRush
Android Dummy
Posts: 2560
Joined: Sat Oct 27, 2007 20:57
Location: KEEN1.EXE
Contact:

Post by KeenRush »

Ah. I thought Keen was trying to get to the middle of yard without leaving scent. :lol

But anyways, why should we guess it before reading? Are you going to change it if someone guesses right? :confused It'd also help to know what he wrote in that goodbye letter. Does the solution involve only Earth-stuff of 1988, or is there also alien and Keen stuff? :garg Perhaps there's some hidden hatch on the ground...

And almost Australia, but not quite. 8) But close (in intergalactic scale).
My newest mod - Commander Keen: Sunset: viewtopic.php?t=8568 | codename H.Y.E.N.A.
User avatar
MortimerInBlack
Vortininja
Posts: 276
Joined: Thu Nov 01, 2007 1:57

Post by MortimerInBlack »

Well I post this because I want to see how many legitimate solutions there are. If there are a lot, I might have to go about my story in a different way. Because you see, I at first thought there was only 1 solution, and so when Keen solves it, it will be like he is a genius. But if Keen solves it and there are other solutions, then he won't seem so genius cuz there are other things that could have happened.

Yeah i figured u all would think alien abduction, which would certainly explain it if it was somehow voluntary lol. But there is at least 1 more. BTW i don't think backtracking is gonna throw off a bloodhound, and his friend had to go somewhere, which would leave a scent, so i rule it out.

The ground hatch is also not what happened, though it could have been possible. There is no secret underground stuff in the yard--the house is owned by Keen's friend's father after all.

Keen did not read the goodbye letter, thus the reader does not know what it says either. He did find it, but it would be rude to read it first--he let the family have it and there was basically pandemonium afterwards.

and u can safely rule out advanced alien technology beyond what Earth has (except alien abduction!), because with science fiction anything's possible.
The Viking II lander actually did land on a 'rock' on Mars.
http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/masterCa ... =1975-083C
Galaxieretter
Arachnut
Posts: 891
Joined: Thu Nov 01, 2007 2:35
Location: Lancaster PA
Contact:

Post by Galaxieretter »

Fan... FICTION!?

I say his friend got into the Bean with Bacon and took off, the exhaust from the engine burning any remaining sent of him that might of been left.
KeenEmpire
Intellectuality
Posts: 855
Joined: Thu Nov 01, 2007 0:38

Post by KeenEmpire »

Emergency Temporal Shift!

(seriously though, it's hard to tell with this question)

he could've just gotten onto a helicopter

are you saying can or can't rule out advanced alien tech?

Keen did not read the goodbye letter, thus the reader does not know what it says either. He did find it, but it would be rude to read it first--he let the family have it and there was basically pandemonium afterwards.
Wouldn't he be more worried about judging whether or not it's fake? I certainly would =P
"In order to ensure our security, and continuing stability, the Kingdom has been reorganized into the First Vorticon Intellectuality!" Image
User avatar
StupidBunny
format c:
Posts: 2155
Joined: Fri Nov 02, 2007 19:19
Location: The Centre of the Moon
Contact:

Post by StupidBunny »

Have we ruled out the possibility that Keen's friend has cool mystical powers that allow him to teleport or something?

I also like the helicopter idea. :)
Image
User avatar
Commander Spleen
Lord of the Foobs
Posts: 2384
Joined: Wed Oct 31, 2007 22:54
Location: Border Village
Contact:

Post by Commander Spleen »

He switched into Experimental mode, SimAnt style, of course.
User avatar
KeenRush
Android Dummy
Posts: 2560
Joined: Sat Oct 27, 2007 20:57
Location: KEEN1.EXE
Contact:

Post by KeenRush »

It looks like this needs Keen's genius to be solved. :disguised
My newest mod - Commander Keen: Sunset: viewtopic.php?t=8568 | codename H.Y.E.N.A.
KeenEmpire
Intellectuality
Posts: 855
Joined: Thu Nov 01, 2007 0:38

Post by KeenEmpire »

if we go back to the real world, he might've used a tightrope and possibly ladder if someone else were assisting him and removed it afterwards. not sure if that would shake off hounds.

he might also still be there!
"In order to ensure our security, and continuing stability, the Kingdom has been reorganized into the First Vorticon Intellectuality!" Image
User avatar
ckguy
Bipship Engineer
Posts: 1169
Joined: Thu Nov 01, 2007 17:56
Location: Wakefield, RI, US
Contact:

Post by ckguy »

Commander Spleen wrote:He switched into Experimental mode, SimAnt style, of course.
Or he used the grab-people tongs in Roller Coaster Tycoon. (And then dropped him in the water. Guest #314 is drowning ...)
User avatar
VikingBoyBilly
Vorticon Elite
Posts: 4158
Joined: Sat Jan 05, 2008 2:06
Location: The spaghetti island of the faces of dinosaur world for a vacation

Post by VikingBoyBilly »

Maybe he has psychic powers and teleported. Or alternatively a wormhole suddenly opened up and sucked him into another dimension and immediately closed afterwards.
User avatar
Commander Spleen
Lord of the Foobs
Posts: 2384
Joined: Wed Oct 31, 2007 22:54
Location: Border Village
Contact:

Post by Commander Spleen »

Nah, that's too far-fetched.
Post Reply