Hints

Decoding the Aquarian Language

• The decoder disc will be your best tool for cracking the Aquarian code. Have you figured out how to properly set it yet?
• Check the back of the Supernova Fan Club membership card for help in setting your decoder disc.

• There are three passages of Aquarian language to decode:

  • the last issue of The Cosmic Adventure of Supernova page 9
  • Supernova figurine package
  • Rogues Gallery poster

Decoding the Void Language

• If you haven't decoded the Aquarian language and found the "truths" Supernova is leading you toward, try doing both of those first as it will make decoding the Void language much easier.
• As you read through the last issue of The Cosmic Adventures of Supernova, keep a sharp eye out for signs of the Void in the background. There's more Void language than just what's on the final few pages.
• When you find Void language letters in the backgrounds of the comic pages, you'll also find Aquarian letters. These pairings between Void and Aquarian are important.
• If you've solved the Aquarian on the Rogues Gallery poster, you'll remember that Aster and Oid warned about "red herrings" and "perfectly-matched" pairs. Not all Void-Aquarian letter pairs may be as "truthful" as they first appear.
• Have you figured out what to do with the "truths" Supernova and Gunny have led you to? They could have something to do with the Void-Aquarian pairs.
• You only have five "true" pairings. To get the rest of the Void language, you'll have to use context clues and your skills of deduction.
• Once you have decoded all of the Void language, you will have all of the information you need to solve for the combination of the locked lunch box.

Finding Supernova's Location

• Remember that your overall goal is to tell Gunny where he can find his sister. Have you found some way to talk to Gunny? Be warned, you only get one opportunity to talk to Gunny, so make it count!
• There's some writing on the back of the cut photo in the locked lunch box. Have you found any clues that could help with decoding it?
• Try looking to the dream journal page and Ruth's letter to you for help in decoding the message on the back of the cut photo.
• The code on the back of the cut photo is a shift cipher, but only the consonants move. Leave the vowels alone to decode the message.
• You now know where Halo wants Gunny to find her. You also know where Halo really is. It's your decision on what you want to tell Gunny. You only have one opportunity to tell him where to find his sister, so make sure your decision is what you really want him to believe.

Following Supernova's Clues

• Have you figured out how to decode the aquarian language yet? If not, doing so might help you figure out the next steps to take.
• Supernova is trying to point you toward the truth. Is she literally pointing at anything you can see?
• Beyond just what Supernova is pointing toward, pay attention to any times the words "truth" or "truthfully" show up in text. They might be giving you some help on what to look for.
• There are a total of five "truths" you are looking for.

• The "truths" you are looking for are located in the following places:

  • Truth #1

    • Supernova figurine package

  • Truth #2

    • member button and its backing card

  • Truth #3

    • mail-in merch page

  • Truth #4

    • Entertainment Monthly article and original ink comic page

  • Truth #5

    • letters to the artist page in the last issue of The Cosmic Adventures of Supernova

Truth #1

• What is Supernova pointing at on the back of the figurine package?

Truth #2

• Have you tried mounting the button on the alternate art display side of the button backing card? Make sure Supernova is oriented the same way as the art on the card (the long sides of the card should be on the top and bottom).

Truth #3

• Solving Professor Cosmo Naut's puzzle will help you reveal the "truth" of the heart (or the start) you're looking for.

Truth #4

• In the Entertainment Monthly article, Gunny says, "I think a lot of people would be surprised what secrets are hidden beneath the paper and glue..." Try following his advice on the original ink comic page.

Truth #5

• In the letters to the artist page in the last issue of The Cosmic Adventures of Supernova, Gunny "truthfully" reveals something. What is it?

Unlocking the Locked Lunch Box

• If you haven't already decoded both the Aquarian and Void languages, doing so will make finding the combination to the locked lunch box significantly easier.
• The four Void language messages that are full sentences are clues to the combination.
• Gunny mentioned something about a certain number being in the middle of something in his original letter. Have you used that clue yet?
• Can the concepts of infinity and nothing be represented with numbers?
• The dream journal page has a picture of a planet (or a "world") and four dashes above it. These can be used in conjunction with the Void language clues to discover the lock combination.

Reveals

Decoding the Aquarian Language

• The disc shows the pairings for every letter of the Aquarian language and its corresponding English letter. Anywhere you see an Aquarian symbol, you can replace it with the corresponding English letter above it on the set decoder disc to decode the message.

• Look at the back of the Supernova Fan Club membership card to see the proper orientation of the decoder disc.
• The disc shows the pairings of every letter of the Aquarian language and its corresponding English letter. Anywhere you see an Aquarian symbol, you can replace it with the corresponding English letter above it on the set decoder disc to decode the message.

• Here is all of the decoded Aquarian language in the story:

  • Last Issue of The Cosmic Adventures of Supernova Page 9

    • "Supernova is going to make sure we'll all be okay."

  • Supernova Figurine Package

    • "Supernova always points the way to the truth!"

  • Rogues Gallery Poster

    • "Pay no mind to flimsy red herrings, Supernova! You've got a perfectly-matched pair of superpowered stars to worry about."

• The Aquarian message on the Supernova figurine package translates to "Supernova always points the way to the truth!" This is a clue for how to solve the next major puzzle in the story.

Decoding the Void Language

• As you read through the last issue of The Cosmic Adventures of Supernova, pay attention to backgrounds. In them, you'll find pairings of Void and Aquarian letters.
• As referenced in the Rogues Gallery poster, some of these letter pairings are red herrings, and are not accurate. You need to find some way to determine which pairings are valid and which are not.
• "True" pairings can be found on pages 5, 12, 7, 16, and 3 - the "truths" Supernova and Gunny led you toward.
• The "true" pairings are as follows:

• Once you have the Void-Aquarian pairing, you can use the decoder disc to find the English letter that corresponds to the Aquarian symbol, allowing you to translate from Void to English. To solve for the rest of the letters, you'll need to use context clues and deduction to fill in the rest. All three alphabets have the same number of letters, and the pairings are 1:1:1, so there are no tricks with certain Void symbols meaning multiple letters or anything along those lines.
• The full alphabet of the void language is as follows:

Dream Journal Page Entry 1

• Dark words to open a dark place.

Note from Neighbor

• You are alone. One next to nothing.

Doctor's Letter Envelope

• Begin with infinity, end with nothing.

Last Issue of The Cosmic Adventures of Supernova

• The world is turned on its head.

Dream Journal Page Entry 2

• Sister.

Finding Supernova's Location

• There is a website mentioned in the Publisher's Letter. Go to www.gabwithgunny.com and enter the password "AV11viking" to find Gunny's contact form. But make sure you've solved everything else in the box before telling Gunny where to find his sister. You'll only get one chance to send him the answer.

  • Note: The website will ask for your information. This is for game purposes only; you aren't signing up for a mailing list or any unwanted services.
• The clues needed to decode the message on the back of the cut photo can be found in the dream journal page and Ruth's letter to the member.
• The clue in the dream journal page is "Consonants always shift, never staying constant" followed by the word "Sister" in Void language.
• The clue in Ruth's letter to the member is "Halo was the sounds that stop your breath, and she was always four ahead."
• To solve the cipher, shift the consonants by four, while leaving the vowels alone.
• The decoded message from Halo reads "Find me on Neptune."

• It's up to you what you want to tell Gunny. To complete this premium experience, either tell him to find Halo on Neptune, or tell him that Halo is dead. The decision to let Gunny continue to live out his remaining few days with the fantasy or with the truth is yours. You only have one opportunity to tell Gunny what you want him to believe, and your choice will affect the ending of the story.

Following Supernova's Clues

• The Aquarian language on the Supernova figurine package translates to "Supernova always points the way to the truth!" Pay attention to mentions of "truth" or things Supernova is pointing toward.
• On the back of the Supernova figurine package, Supernova is pointing at the number 5. Write this number down; it will be important later.
• In addition to the numbers Supernova literally points the way to, the words "truth" and "truthfully" also indicate particular numbers that are important. If you see either of those words in the text, keep an eye out for nearby numbers.
• There are a total of five "truths" or rather, numbers, Supernova and Gunny are trying to direct you toward.

Truth #1

• Supernova figurine package
• On the back of the Supernova figurine package, Supernova is pointing at the number 5.

Truth #2

• member button and its backing card
• Place the member button on the alternate display art side of the button backing card, with the card in landscape orientation (long sides at the top and bottom). The image of Supernova on the button will point to the number 12 in the text bubble.

Truth #3

• The number in the center of Professor Cosmo Naut's puzzle is the "truth" Supernova is trying to reveal to you. Here is one way of solving the math puzzle:

• To start, you can fill in the four outermost squares, as you know what the sums are of those single squares.

• At this point, you actually can solve for the center square, which is the one you need for Supernova's "truth". The sum of the center column is 21. The sum of all of the known squares is 14, meaning the "truth" number in the star is 7.

• If you want to keep solving the rest of the puzzle, you'll need to be a little more creative, as there isn't a readily solvable number.

• Labeling the empty squares A, B, C, and D, you know that A+B=14, A+C=11, B+D=17, and C+D=14. B+D is the most useful to you, as the only two single digit numbers that add up to 17 are 8 and 9. So either B=8 and D=9, or B=9 and D=8.

• It turns out that it doesn't really matter which is 8 or which is 9. The puzzle is solvable either way.

• If B=8 and D=9, then A=6 and C=5.

• If B=9 and D=8, then A=5 and C=6.

• Either way, the final solution to the number at the center of the puzzle is 7, which is the number needed for Supernova's "truth".

Truth #4

• Entertainment Monthly article and original comic page
• Following Gunny's guidance in the Entertainment Monthly article, part of the new original ink comic page can be pulled up to reveal different art underneath. In the newly revealed art, Supernova is pointing down to a message stating "Look at page 16". 16 is the "truth" you are looking for, and this message also gives you a clue as to what you will be doing with the "truths" you are collecting.

Truth #5

• Letters to the Artist page in the last issue of The Cosmic Adventures of Supernova
• In the Letters to the Artist page in the last issue of The Cosmic Adventures of Supernova, Gunny mentions in his response to Lynda B. that, "truthfully, I always start writing for Supernova on page 3". 3 is the final "truth" needed.

• The five "truths" you need to solve the next puzzle in the story are 5, 12, 7, 16, and 3.
• Using the clue given to you by the "truth" revealed on the original ink comic page, you can discover that the numbers you have been collecting are not for the locked lunch box - they relate to page numbers. The only document you have with at least 16 pages is the last issue of The Cosmic Adventures of Supernova, which is where you need to look next.

Unlocking the Locked Lunch Box

• The translated Void messages are clues to discovering the lock combination.
• The Void message that just says "Sister" is not part of the lock combination puzzle. It relates to the sentence above it ("Consonants always shift, never staying constant.") and is part of a different puzzle.
• In his letter on the back of the Supernova Fan Club letter, Gunny mentions that in his dreams "there's always a six somewhere in the middle of that darkness". This is part of the lock combination puzzle.
• Infinity represents an 8; nothing represents a 0.

• Using the drawing of the world on the dream journal page, the Void language clues, and Gunny's comment about a six in the middle allows you to discover the combination:

  • "Dark words to open a dark place"

    • The Void language is used to open the locked lunch box.

  • "You are alone. One next to nothing."

    • There is a 1 next to a 0 in the combination.

  • "Begin with infinity, end with nothing."

    • The first digit is 8; the last is 0.

  • "There's always a six somewhere in the middle of that darkness."

    • The final digit you need is a 6 in the last open spot.
• Writing these four digits in the dashes above the world drawing on the dream journal page gives you "8610".

• Then using the final clue "The world is turned on its head," turn the drawing upside down. This will flip the numbers over as well, meaning they now make "0198". The combination to the lock is 0198.

Transcripts

Cut Photo

• jirh qe or retxure

• Halo

Dream Journal

• I dreamed about the stars again, of where you were before we lost connection. But I still can't see where you've gone. What else can I do now? I've tried to listen closely. I've kept my mind open so that when you speak to me, I'll hear it. Please, Halo. Tell me what I need to do now.
• In my dream, you were shooting through space. Bright colors of stardust and tails of comets were bursting in contrast to the darkness of empty space. And then you were under water. You were diving deeper and deeper, and I helped on to your vision with all my strength.
• Maybe the water is what's interfering with our connection. Is Aquarian water thicker, denser than Earth's water? Or are you hidden, or imprisoned, in a lair far beneath the planet's crust? Is that where you are?
• My memory feels like it's leaking out of me day by day. I can't remember where Aquaria is anymore.
• In another dream, you were looking up from the bottom of the ocean, and I could see the surface. It felt like I was there beside you. My vision followed the air bubbles to the top, and that's when I saw the sky. It was nothing but darkness. And the darkness was moving. The stars in the sky went out like candlelight, one by one. It has to be The Void. Halo, if you're still out there, you must avoid it at all costs. Maybe just this once, you don't have to be the hero.
• My dream took me up into that dark sky. Stars popped and burst, then disappeared. It was as if they never existed. I'm frightened, but I can't lose hope.
• You're out there somewhere, I can feel it.

Gunny's Voicemail Audio Recording

Gunny: Hello, you've reached the Official Supernova Fan Club Hotline! This is Gunny Graham.

If you'd like to leave a message for Supernova after the tone, I'll do my best to pass it on to her when I get the chance. We both love to hear from boys and girls who are following her adventures across the cosmos.

Unfortunately, I can't always respond to every message, but if you're someone I can trust, you'll find out how to contact me.

May Supernova's light of truth guide your way, superfan!

News Report Audio Recording

News Anchor: The entertainment world is mourning the death of Gunther "Gunny" Graham, creator of the long-running comic series The Cosmic Adventures of Supernova. Graham's career spanned more than forty years, beginning in the world of newspaper comic strips and extending all the way into the era of the blockbuster superhero movie. Supernova ended in 2008 on a controversial cliffhanger that divided fans and critics alike, but its impact on the genre will not soon be forgotten. Tributes from Graham's fellow artists have celebrated him as "one of the unsung heroes of the art of comics". Graham's estate will be donated in its entirety to Heroes Over Hospitals, a nonprofit foundation that brings costumed crusaders to visit their young fans who are bravely battling pediatric disease.

In science news, an international team of astronomers at the Mauna Kea Observations in Hawaii announced the discovery of a new binary star. Dr. Kerry Kamaka of Oahu University said her team was "totally stunned" by their find. Dr. Kamaka told reporters the star "almost seemed to appear out of nowhere" in an area that lies behind the orbit of Neptune. As the Blue Planet moved along its orbit, it revealed the new star, which researchers claim was not known to science before the planet eclipsed it. The team anticipates that the opportunity to observe this new, young binary star system will yield many insights into the often-mysterious nature of twin stars.

On Wall Street today, the DOW closed nineteen points up following reports of a potential merger between The Whit Sidney Company and Wonder Entertainment...

Note from Neighbor

Hi, Gunny!

We noticed you left your front door open again last night. We poked our heads in, but it looked like you were out, so we just closed the door. Hope that's OK! Were you out stargazing?

- Rick & Bruce, Apt. 27

P.S. - Julie Newcat and Eartha Kitten are loving the catnip you gave them from your window box! Thanks again!

Ruth's Envelope

Gunny,

When you find someone you can trust, give them this.

-Your Mother

Ruth's Letter to Gunny

August 1, 2005

My sweet son,

Have you been receiving my letters? It worries me when I don't hear from you. With the entire Pacific Ocean between us, it's so easy for an ordinary silence to feel like a distress signal. Or maybe that's just because I have news that's been weighing heavily on my mind, and I can't find the right way to tell you.

My doctors say I don't have much time left. Knowing the end of my life is near has caused me to question so many of my choices, especially when it comes to you. I've always tried to do what was best for you, but I'm no longer certain I made the right decisions.

I thought I was helping you, but I see now how selfish I was. I let you believe in Supernova because I wanted to believe in her, too. If I'd really wanted to help you, I should have helped you face the truth long ago.

Would you have accepted it then? I don't know. You've held yourself at a distance from me for so long, it's not just the ocean that divides us. When you started believing in Supernova, you stopped believing in everyone else, including me. I'm afraid you also stopped believing in yourself.

What I wish most is that when I'm no longer here to support you, you can find someone you trust enough to confide in. I hope you can be at peace, whether that means accepting the truth or continuing to live in your daydreams.

Be happy, Gunny, whatever that means for you.

With all my heart,

Mom