Mysteries of Aurora - The Manuscript Part 3

 

They left the Library through the QuinMillennial wing. “Even this most modern part of the Library echoes the earlier parts,” Janara said.

 

“Building on what came before,” Olivia commented.

 

“Like everything else. But what led you to seek out this Freya, really?”

 

“I had heard about her.”

 

“You said that,” Janara pointed out.

 

“Right. I thought a synesthete would have an advantage I wouldn’t.”

 

“That makes sense. But they also said she has ADHD.”

 

“That also means that she can think outside the box easily,” Olivia responded.

 

“That’s true.”

 

 

They arrived at Sigrun Sigurdottir Hall fifteen minutes later, and saw that it was more prestigious than Janus Hadrian Lodge, but that wasn’t saying much.

 

 

“Freya Andersson? I think she is in one of the common rooms,” the other student said.

 

“Thanks,” Olivia said.

 

 

Freya had made a tactile version of her sketch of the area where the manuscript had been. She then heard two people enter the common room. “Hi!” she said.

 

“Freya?” she heard someone say.

 

“Olivia?” she asked.

 

“Yes, and my roommate Janara.”

 

“Hi.”

 

 

“I have put together what I have found so far, although I still need to think more on it,” Freya said as she stood up, while holding the pieces of paper she had been working on, although she kept her eyes closed.

 

Olivia looked at it. She saw that Freya had accurately depicted the layout of that small area of the Library. But there was more. “So, what are these other lines? The synesthetic impression?”

 

“Yes,” Freya answered as she ran her fingers lightly over some of the lines. “It’s not only flair.”

 

 

Olivia looked at the lines again. There was a pattern there, but she wasn’t sure what to make of it. “Mind if I take a photo of it?” she asked.

 

“Not at all,” Freya responded.

 

“You’ve noticed something?” Janara asked.

 

“Something I have to think about,” Olivia answered as she took the photo with her tablet.

 

“Same here,” Freya added.

 

“But what have you found?”

 

“The obfuscation,” Freya said as she grabbed a loose piece of paper and a piece of charcoal. She then sketched something with the charcoal.

 

“Someone knew what they were doing,” Olivia said a she made a recording on her tablet.

 

“Had they brought in the forensics department yet?” Freya asked as she continued to sketch.

 

“They hadn’t,” Olivia answered.

 

“Then that’s what we’ll check up on first thing in the morning, as soon as the Library opens,” Freya said.

 

“And when does it open?” Janara asked. “I haven’t checked that.”

 

“Around 8:00 in the morning, I’m sure of it,” Olivia said. “I did look up the opening times. 8:00 to 11:00.”

 

“That will work. I can get up early,” Freya said.

 

“I can do that too,” Janara said.

 

 

Olivia looked at the photo of the sketch again as she and Janara stepped out of the northern door of Sigrun Sigurdottir Hall. “There’s a pattern to this obfuscation,” she commented.

 

“Or maybe it’s Freya’s artistic flare.”

 

“Or maybe it isn’t. That’s why I sought her out. Her synaesthesia allowed her to notice some things.”

 

“But are you sure you can make something of her synesthetic impression?” Janara asked.

 

“Yes, even if not right away.”

 

“So, we’re going back to the Library?”

 

“I’ll have another look before going back to the Hall,” Olivia said.

 

“I’ll come too.”

 

 

It was already getting late as they arrived back at the Library. The evening crowd of students using the various study nooks were already there. But Olivia had already determined that the Ancient Section didn’t have many of those.

 

Talia and David were still there, and there were are few others there too.

 

“You talked to Freya?” Talia asked.

 

“We did,” Olivia answered. “But she’s still figuring it out.”

 

“She did another sketch though,” Janara said.

 

Talia looked at the photo on Olivia’s tablet. “I still can’t make any sense of her synesthetic impression.

 

“I’m thinking about it,” Olivia said. “There is a pattern to the obfuscation. But I will have to have a closer look.”

 

“I have some programs that can analyse images,” Janara said.

 

“That will be helpful,” Talia said.

 

 

One of the forensics techs came over. “Inconclusive. There were no prints,” he said.

 

“No fingerprints?” Olivia asked herself rhetorically. “If they were prepared to obfuscate, that would be obvious.”

 

“Talia told us of what the art student found.”

 

“What’s your opinion?”

 

“Whoever it was definitely moved things around,” the tech said.

 

“She drew a sketch, but she hasn’t interpreted it yet.”

 

“Do you have a copy?”

 

“Yes,” Olivia answered. “I’ll get a print copy soon.”

 

 

Dana entered the common room where Freya was sketching. “I heard about the missing manuscript,” she said.

 

Freya stood up, with her back to the setting sun and squinting. “It’s an interesting puzzle,” she said with her usual energetic manner.

 

“Is that all?”

 

“It’s that Olivia sought me out for it.”

 

“Oh?” Dana asked.

 

“It means that news of me, not by name, but by description, has spread through AAUA.”

 

“Does that bother you?”

 

“A little,” Freya admitted. “If Olivia can seek me out, anyone could.”

 

Dana looked Freya in the eyes. “I wouldn’t worry too much.”

 

“Easy for you to say,” Freya responded. She closed her eyes and spun around. “But I won’t dwell on it.” She opened her eyes and looked into Dana’s with determination. “Wait.”

 

 

Freya then turned again and picked up the sketch.

 

“You have come up with something?”

 

“Yes,” Freya answered with a slight bounced. The obfuscations are in some kind of pattern, like a code.

 

“A code?”

 

“But I don’t have experience with cryptography.”

 

“Maybe someone else does,” Dana suggested.

 

Freya wrote down what she had just said in her notebook. “I’ll find Olivia and Janara in the morning. Maybe they would know what to do.”

 

“That’s a good idea.”

 

“But for tonight, it can wait.”