[Balin] Dial the operator

[BalinTheDwarf]

Why was Wilbert surprised to find an identification code etched on his newly-purchased Blackberry?

[Sarisberie2]

Wilbert = HAM etc? 'Blackberry' = the smartphone? Relevant which edition, when this takes place, who the seller is, which software, Wilbert's location? Does Wilbert or anyone else relevantly dial the operator or the manufacturer at any stage?
Was the ID code a standard serial number? Owner's, manufacturer's, factory number, other? Did he request a personalised inscription? Newly-purchased = brand new? boxed or unboxed?
Did he buy it for himself? Is he suspicious, happy, unhappy, something else?

[JenBurdoo1]

Method of etching relevant? Anything illegal going on?

[BalinTheDwarf]

Wilbert = HAM etc? Yes 'Blackberry' = the smartphone? No Relevant which edition, when this takes place, who the seller is, which software, Wilbert's location? FA, modern day, Yes, FA, No Does Wilbert or anyone else relevantly dial the operator or the manufacturer at any stage? No/FA
Was the ID code a standard serial number? Yes Owner's, manufacturer's, factory number, other? I'm not sure Did he request a personalised inscription? No Newly-purchased = brand new? Yope boxed or unboxed? Neither; method of container is relevant
Did he buy it for himself? Yes Is he suspicious, happy, unhappy, something else? Nothing more than confused

Method of etching relevant? Yes Anything illegal going on? No

[Sundowner64]

Did Wilbert purchase the Blackberry from the manufacturer? from a dealer? from the previous owner? did he order it online? was it delivered to him? did he pick it up somewhere?
Did he buy it from the government? (i.e. customs confiscated stock)
Was the Blackberry in use before Wilbert bought it?
Was the Blackberry in a container of some sorts when Wilbert got it? packaging material wrapped around it? no packaging at all?
Was the ID code directly on the Blackberry? on the container? on the packaging material?
Was the ID code printed? engraved? laser engraved? chemically etched? scratched into the surface?
Did Wilbert not expect the Blackberry to have an ID code? not to have it in this place? Is it a Blackberry bicycle?
Was the ID code put there by the manufacturer? by the dealer? by the previous owner? by the police? by someone else?
Was this Blackberry involved in criminal activity?

[Sarisberie2]

Was this a blackberry plant? A new variety? Did the code denote the variety? Did he expect to be getting a plant, seeds, phone, other, non-plant item? Is the seller a scientist, friend, famous person, internet seller, greengrocer, horticulturist, garden centre? Was the etching on the blackberry itself, label, box, instructions/insert, other? Is this a joke? Something on TV?

[BalinTheDwarf]

Did Wilbert purchase the Blackberry from the manufacturer? from a dealer? from the previous owner? FA
did he order it online? No was it delivered to him? No did he pick it up somewhere? He made the purchase in person
Did he buy it from the government? No (i.e. customs confiscated stock) No
Was the Blackberry in use before Wilbert bought it? No
Was the Blackberry in a container of some sorts when Wilbert got it? Yes packaging material wrapped around it? Yes, but not "wrapped" no packaging at all? No
Was the ID code directly on the Blackberry? Yes on the container? on the packaging material? and Yes
Was the ID code printed? engraved? laser engraved? This chemically etched? scratched into the surface?
Did Wilbert not expect the Blackberry to have an ID code? This not to have it in this place? Is it a Blackberry bicycle? No
Was the ID code put there by the manufacturer? This, FA by the dealer? by the previous owner? by the police? by someone else?
Was this Blackberry involved in criminal activity? No

Was this a blackberry plant? Yes A new variety? No Did the code denote the variety? No Did he expect to be getting a plant, seeds, phone, other, non-plant item? He expected to, and was, buying the fruit Is the seller a scientist, friend, famous person, internet seller, greengrocer, horticulturist, garden centre? Grocery store Was the etching on the blackberry itself, label, box, instructions/insert, other? Blackberry itself & packaging Is this a joke? No Something on TV? No

[JenBurdoo1]

Was the etching in the cells themselves? The DNA? Is genetic modification relevant?

[BalinTheDwarf]

Was the etching in the cells themselves? The DNA? Is genetic modification relevant? No to all

[Sarisberie2]

Was it a numerical code? QR code? Barcode? Sticker? Had it transferred to the blackberry itself? Was he expecting more? Was the code transferred in reverse? Was there a reason for him only receiving one, as opposed to a bunch? Was there an error on the till, price screen etc, such that it charged per blackberry?

[trebor2]

Was the engraving on only one blackberry? On several in the package? On all blackberries in the package? Did he specifically search out blackberries that had this marking? Did he buy only one blackberry?

Is the packaging a plastic box-y sort of thing? Plastic bag? Cardboard-y little holder? Other? Relevant?

Would he have found ID etched onto any blackberries he bought? Any other fruit? Is it relevant where he bought the blackberries from? Grocery store? Farmers' market? Fruit stand? Billy Bob's Berries and Etchings Emporium?

Is this modern day? In our world, as we know it? During war-time? Is the etching meant to convey information to without detection? Is it there for some reason related to the store? To stocking? Scanning? Keeping inventory? Is it meant to convey information to someone unaffiliated with the store? Is it in the form of letters?

Perhaps this is less difficult than we're making it. Is he surprised to find an ID code on a blackberry simply because it's quite weird to see an ID code on a blackberry?

[BalinTheDwarf]

Was it a numerical code? QR code? Barcode? Sticker?[ None of these Had it transferred to the blackberry itself? Yes Was he expecting more? No Was the code transferred in reverse? No Was there a reason for him only receiving one, as opposed to a bunch? Yes (one code - he did get a bunch of blackberries) Was there an error on the till, price screen etc, such that it charged per blackberry? No

Was the engraving on only one blackberry? Yes On several in the package? No On all blackberries in the package? No Did he specifically search out blackberries that had this marking? No Did he buy only one blackberry? No

Is the packaging a plastic box-y sort of thing? This Plastic bag? Cardboard-y little holder? Other? Relevant?

Would he have found ID etched onto any blackberries he bought? No Any other fruit? No Is it relevant where he bought the blackberries from? A bit Grocery store? This Farmers' market? Fruit stand? Billy Bob's Berries and Etchings Emporium?

Is this modern day? Yes In our world, as we know it? Yes During war-time? No Is the etching meant to convey information to without detection? No Is it there for some reason related to the store? Yes To stocking? Scanning? Keeping inventory? I'm not completely sure Is it meant to convey information to someone unaffiliated with the store? No Is it in the form of letters? Yes

Perhaps this is less difficult than we're making it. Is he surprised to find an ID code on a blackberry simply because it's quite weird to see an ID code on a blackberry? Yes - the question now becomes "how did the code get on the blackberry?"

[Sarisberie2]

Is The Two Ronnie sketch relevant?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAG39jKi0lI

[Biograd1]

Was the code originally on the package? and then heat caused the ink to liquefy and transfer to one of the berries? or maybe the letters of the code were raised and made an impression in the surface of one of the berries?

[trebor2]

Was the code also on the package? Had the blackberry been out of the package at some point (relevantly)? Is the code etched on by: laser? Pen? Pencil? Fingernail? Pricing/label gun? Was it etched onto the blackberry when it was a seed somehow, and then it grew that way?

Was this one blackberry poking up against the container, and got etched by something through the holes in the package?

Was this all a mix-up on the store's part? Like some produce boss said to worker, "Put these codes on the blackberries," and the worker misunderstood?

[JenBurdoo1]

Was the etching by acid? Metal? Was the blackberry juicy, adhered to the packaging, and got "inked" into the etched letters?

Would this have been possible with other, similar plants like raspberries?

Were the berries fresh, or frozen? If fresh, how fresh were they - just picked or been sitting on the shelf for a while?

Were they etched at the grocery? after purchase? Before picking? After picking but before packaging? During packaging? After? During transit to the grocery? During storage? During purchase?

[BalinTheDwarf]

You're all gathered around the answer, so here's the

****SPOILER****

The blackberry was in a package with a production code etched on via a carbon dioxide etching device. The berry was pressed against the part of the package being etched, and part of the code transferred onto the outside of the blackberry.