The Curious Chronicles - digital adventures with The Curious Crew

The Typewriter's Secret Code

Chapter 1 - The Midnight Tap

The grand clock in the main hall of The Curious Lounge chimed midnight. Its deep, resonant tones echoed through the empty coworking space, bouncing off the glass meeting rooms and dancing between the lush green plants that filled the corners. The last human had left hours ago, turning off all the lights except for the small security lamps that cast long shadows across the wooden floors.

As the final chime faded into silence, something quite extraordinary happened. On the glass wall of the meeting rooms, black and white illustrations had been created by the talented tattoo artist Pia. On one of them a small black and white zebra began to wiggle First his ears twitched, then his striped legs stretched, and finally, with a little pop that nobody heard, Vinnie the Zebra stepped off the glass and onto the floor.

"Another night begins," Vinnie whispered to himself, shaking out his stripy mane. He trotted to the edge of the table and looked out across The Curious Lounge. The space always looked different at night—more mysterious and full of possibilities.

Vinnie was just about to jump down when he heard it, a faint but distinctive tapping sound coming from the far corner of the room.

Tap-tap-tap. Tap. Tap-tap.

"Hello?" Vinnie called, his voice a little shaky. "Is someone there already?"

The tapping paused for a moment, then continued, more insistent now.

Tap-tap-tap-tap. Tap-tap.

Vinnie turned back to the glass wall. "Wake up, everyone!" he called. "Something strange is happening!"

On the glass, three more illustrations began to move. A small black and yellow bee buzzed her wings and flew off the surface. A black and white puffin waddled forward, blinking sleepily. And finally, a pink octopus with long, curling tentacles stretched and oozed her way out of the glass.

"What's all the commotion, Vinnie?" asked Ursula the Octopus, using her tentacles to lower herself gracefully to the table. "Some of us were having lovely dreams about swimming in the deep blue sea."

"Listen!" Vinnie whispered urgently.

They all fell silent, and the tapping sound became clear again.

Tap-tap. Tap-tap-tap. Tap.

"It's coming from the vintage corner," said Bjorn the Puffin, pointing with his wing toward the area where the humans displayed old-fashioned items.

Beatrix the Bee buzzed excitedly around their heads. "Let's investigate! I'll scout ahead!" And without waiting for a response, she zoomed off toward the sound.

"Beatrix, wait!" called Vinnie, but she was already halfway across the room. "We should stick together," he muttered, as he jumped down from the table. Ursula and Bjorn followed close behind.

The vintage corner was Vinnie's favourite part of The Curious Lounge. It held treasures from times gone by—an old wooden radio with dials and buttons instead of a screen, a record player with vinyl records stacked beside it, black and white photographs in tarnished frames, and, in the very corner, an ancient typewriter perched on a small wooden desk.

As they approached, Beatrix suddenly zoomed back to them, her tiny face filled with excitement.

"It's the typewriter!" she buzzed, circling around their heads. "It's typing all by itself!"

"That's impossible," said Bjorn practically. "Typewriters need someone to press the keys. They don't work on their own."

"See for yourself!" Beatrix insisted, darting back toward the vintage corner.

The four friends crept forward, and sure enough, the old typewriter's keys were moving up and down, striking the paper with sharp metallic taps. The carriage slid steadily from right to left, and when it reached the end of a line, it made a satisfying ding! before sliding back to start a new one.

"Goodness gracious!" gasped Ursula, her eyes wide with wonder. "How is it doing that?"

They gathered around the desk, watching in amazement as words appeared on the paper:

Find what was lost to time, begin where stories are kept.

Then the typewriter stopped, the last key hovering in mid-air for a moment before settling back into place.

"What does it mean?" asked Bjorn, reading the message again. "'Find what was lost to time, begin where stories are kept.' It sounds like a riddle."

"Or a treasure hunt!" said Beatrix excitedly.

Vinnie read the message several times. "I think," he said slowly, "that someone or something is trying to communicate with us. And whatever it is, it wants us to find something."

"But what could be lost?" wondered Ursula, her tentacles curling thoughtfully. "And where are stories kept?"

The typewriter suddenly sprang to life again, making them all jump back in surprise. The keys clacked rapidly, and a new message appeared:

Seek help from your friends, for this task requires many hands, paws, wings, and minds.

"Our friends?" said Beatrix. "Does it mean the Academy Crew?"

Vinnie nodded firmly. "It must do. This seems important, and we'll need all the help we can get."

"I'll fetch them," offered Beatrix. "I'm the fastest."

"Good idea," said Vinnie. "Ursula, can you see if there are any other clues on or around the typewriter? Bjorn, let's you and I check 'where stories are kept'—I think that means the bookshelf by the window."

As Beatrix zoomed off toward The Curious Academy in another part of the building, the others set to work. None of them noticed the typewriter keys moving once more, adding one final line to the mysterious message:

Time is short, the secret long buried. By dawn's light, all must be restored.

Outside, clouds drifted across the moon, casting shifting shadows through the windows of The Curious Lounge, while inside, the adventure was just beginning.