The Alameda Public Library looks to be a fine example of your typical California Public Library, built of bricks and full of books. As we walk in, I notice a poster for a traveling exhibit coming next week for the Lebanon Mucka Mucka Man of greater Wisconsin.
“Similar to Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster and the Hodag of Rhinelander, WI, the Lebanon Mucka Mucka Man is an urban legend. Descriptions from people who report seeing the Lebanon Mucka Mucka Man describe a strange man like creature with a ragged beard covered in muck, sticks and bits of shrubbery. Little is know about this creature other than his reputation for a grumpy demeanor and not liking to be disturbed. Over the years multiple people in Wisconsin have reported seeing the Lebanon Mucka Mucka Man.” - Urban Dictionary
“NS, I wish we were here next week so we could see that, I hear that in recent years the LMMM has taken over Sasquatch as the second most cited biped humanoid in Adams County, Wisconsin.”
“Hmm, I have not heard that, I but I have heard that if a dragonfly lands on your lips it will sew them together.”
“Well, I never.”
“NS, look computers, let’s worry about dragonflies and the LMMM later and find out what is on that flash drive.”
“Good point.”
We head over to the computers which have some form of electronic card catalog on them, I wonder if we will be able to access the flash drive without having to hack the system. NS plugs in the flash drive and I hear the sound of a duck quack.
“Quack, goes the duck and moo goes the cow.” reads the librarian reading to a small group of children nearby.
“NS, it looks like nothing is happening with the flash drive, any ideas on how to read it?”
“Maybe if we put the on/off switch to off position and then back to on, it will boot up to the flash drive instead of the computer.”
“Great idea, let’s try it.”
NS power cycles the computer and I hear the sound of a duck quack. No, this time it did come from the computer and not the librarian. It looks like we need to type in a password.
“Steve, from the number of blanks, looks like we need 8 letters, any ideas?”
“How about Livermore? That is where SNL is located.”
“That has 9 letters. How about National, it has only 8.”
“NS, good thing you can count.”
I type in Livermore and we hear the duck quack again and at the bottom of the screen it indicates two more tries before the drive is wiped.
“How about Lawrence, SNL use to be called Lawrence Livermore Labs before it became Sandia National Laboratories?”
I type in Lawrence and we hear the duck quack again and at the bottom of the screen it indicates one more try before the drive is wiped.
“Let’s think about this a bit Steve, maybe something else we have found will give us a clue?”
“That’s a great idea, we found that Coffee punch card with it. I really do think there is something important about the free tuba lesson.”
“Steve, I am not going to try TubaStan as the password.”
“No, not TubaStan, but what about TubaTuba?’
“I guess that is as good anything else, unless the password is Rasputin, as in Rasputin’s Visionary Coffee.”
We try Rasputin and do not hear a duck quack. I am guessing that is a good thing. On the screen we see what looks like a map:
“NS, I told you there was something to do with a Tuba, see right there in the middle of the map.”
“Also see there is an X near the Tuba building. I wonder if there is a door there that we can use the key card on.”
“I agree, but we need to get onto the SNL grounds first, I am guessing we can get in through the West gate.”
NS brings up an Internet browser and does a quick Google search for Sandia National Laboratories and sure enough, the public can visit the SNL grounds from noon until 5 PM on Saturdays and Sundays via the West gate.
“Steve, we can get in during visiting hours and then see if we can get to the back of the Tuba building.”
“Great idea.”
We print out a hard copy of the map and the visitor information, retrieve the flash drive, restart the computer so it is back to the card catalog and head for the door. As we exit, an elderly librarian quietly yells, “Make sure you come back next week for the Lebanon Mucka Mucka Man exhibit. The LMMM has taken over the second most cited biped seen in Adams County, Wisconsin.”
I quietly yell back, “We’re planning on it.”