Solution: Flight of the Babelbees
Answer: SPEED EATING
Written by Yanaphat Hemrattaphan
This puzzle first contains an example diagram, and twelve colored hexes. After some inspection, solvers may realize that the hexagons represent the hexagon rooms of the library, and each hex code is the hex number of that hex. The example diagram also suggests that the three bees are heading towards the flowers at #112bee. Following the same logic, the twelve bees should also be heading towards the flowers.
To actually make sense of where each bee is, we need to use a coordinate system. In this solution, we will use cube coordinates as shown here. An explanation and calculator for the conversion between hex numbers and cube coordinates is provided in this sheet.
Converting the hex codes from the puzzle to cube coordinates we get the following values in the table.
After we know the coordinates of the hex the bees are occupying and the orientations of the bees, we can find the locations where these paths intersect. These locations are where there are flowers since bees are always oriented towards them. The following table summarizes this data.
| Hex Code | Cube Coordinate (q,r,s) | Flower Coordinate (q,r,s) | Flower Hex Code |
|---|---|---|---|
| 51d9d3 | (725, -10077, 9352) | (7925, -2877, -5048) | 346tan |
| ae9601 | (14475, -8117, -6358) | (-6573, 2407, 4166) | 256dis |
| 53363e | (9578, 547, -10125) | (-7414, 9043, -1629) | 422ces |
| 2a5ebd | (-278, 6782, -6504) | (4618, -3010, -1608) | 123fly |
| 71665b | (7925, 3981, -11906) | (7925, -2877, -5048) | 346tan |
| ea8d18 | (-4670, -12298, 16968) | (4618, -3010, -1608) | 123fly |
| eef37e | (7994, 9043, -17037) | (-7414, 9043, -1629) | 422ces |
| 955e7e | (-8527, 13575, -5048) | (7925, -2877, -5048) | 346tan |
| 2d0fa9 | (2733, -6899, 4166) | (-6573, 2407, 4166) | 256dis |
| e9f33a | (16954, -9178, -7776) | (4618, -3010, -1608) | 123fly |
| f66293 | (-7414, -10073, 17487) | (-7414, 9043, -1629) | 422ces |
| fd7c4e | (-6573, 17599, -11026) | (-6573, 2407, 4166) | 256dis |
There are 4 points where 3 lines intersect each other. Finding the hex numbers of those positions gives 123FLY, 256DIS, 346TAN, and 422CES. The last three letters of each hex number, ordered by the numerical value of the hex, spell an intermediate phrase “FLY DISTANCES.”
Finding the distance between the bees and the intersection, in base 36, using the body length of a bee as one unit length (as hinted in the example diagram), gives us bigrams followed by a zero. Using the presentation order, the bigrams spell the answer phrase “GOOD JOB CALL IN SPEED EATING” giving us the final answer.