CD-SHS04 (Oct 31, 1988)
Puzzle
"Shs: Sn Aahme Oidxl."
Cipher | 3 Words
Clue
Hover over the clues if you require!
Clue 1: Any idea what SHS means?
Clue 2: SHS05 refers to this meeting as a what at where?
Clue 3: Try Vigenere with the meaning of SHS.
Answer and Explanation
Answer: An Other World
Explanation: The 'SHS' receipt chain revolves around a meeting of the Princes of Hell on Samhain. In SHS05, it is referred to as a 'Summit' - making SHS stand for 'Samhain Summit'. Running the ciphertext through the Vigenere cipher, with 'Samhainsummit' as the key, gives 'An Other World'.
Summary of Receipt
Summary
Transcript
AND RECEIPT
RECEIPT NUMBER: SHS04
RECEIPT DATE: 10 31 1988
MANAGER TITLE: MON AMOUR
RECEIPT NOTES:
Well, that was about as fun as I’d imagined it would be. Apparently, Belphegor had already planned on calling a meeting—but if what you said is true, mon amour, she’s well aware of the Universe rewinding. Still, she brought something else to our attention. She claims there’s… another world. Or, maybe, an “other” world? Something parallel to the Otherside. I… suppose it doesn’t matter much in the grand scheme of things. Our goal is still the same, right? Stopping Fate.
Satan: If we’re meeting here in the Flipside, Lucifer, this had better be worth our time. I have campaigns demanding my attention.
Lucifer: And what good are campaigns if the Universe itself dissolves beneath your feet?
Leviathan: Dissolves? What exactly are you implying, Lucy?
Beelzebub: What’d you do this time, Peacock?
Lucifer: Me? I’ve done nothing. But I’ve noticed strange lights here in the Flipside. Lights from the Universe itself—bending. Breaking. And I’ve heard whispers—
Asmodeus: Ugh, whispers? Honestly, Lucifer, get to the point.
Lucifer: Haven’t you noticed it, Asmi? The Universe has reset.
Leviathan: Reset? What do you mean, “reset”?
Belphegor: Mm. More like rewound. She’s right though. This is the sixteenth incarnation of the Universe.
Mammon: Rewound?! What do you mean, rewound?
[Belphegor rolled her eyes.]
Belphegor: Gee, I don’t know, Mammon. Something caused the Universe to reset.
Beelzebub: And isn’t Time your domain, Belphegor? Surely you know more than that.
Belphegor: Something caused the prior Universe to end. I’ve got no clue what.
[Belphegor shot a quick glance at Lucifer.]
Belphegor: Normally, God creates the next Universe. For some reason, this time, He wasn’t… available.
Satan: Do you think… do you think father got to Him?
Belphegor: Yeah, probably. That’s usually how it goes.
Satan: But if father secured God and His tool of creation, wouldn’t he have remade the Universe in his image? Three planes as one?
Belphegor: Uh—huh. Someone didn’t want that to happen.
[Belphegor glanced briefly at Mammon.]
Belphegor: Someone like the Otherman.
Leviathan: The Otherman? God’s Reaper of Cycles?
Belphegor: Y—up. He’d know how to rewind the Universe, wouldn’t he?
Asmodeus: And why would he do that?
Belphegor: Dunno. But he did a sloppy job. I was about to call everyone here before Lucy jumped the gun. There’s an… “other” world—an aberration in the flow of time.
Asmodeus: Are you kidding me? I’m barely holding things together down below as is. Does this other world have souls?
Belphegor: Possibly.
Asmodeus: If there’s another world siphoning our souls, let me know now so I can stab it in the heart and get back to work.
Beelzebub: On that note, is this “other world” a buffet or a famine? Because if it’s the latter, I’d prefer not to waste my energy.
Mammon: Agreed. Is there anything worth taking? If we find this place, what’s the profit margin? Who gets the spoils? It’s only fair that we—
[Satan slammed his fist on the table and stood abruptly.]
Satan: This is no joking matter! Once again, our father was freed, and once again his freedom was denied! I won’t stand for it—
Belphegor: You know we can’t act until the Debt comes due.
[Satan sat back down in seething silence.]
Lucifer: What… what do you mean by an “other world,” Belphie?
Belphegor: Tsk. Always kept in the dark, huh?