diff --git a/source/engine/kim.c b/source/engine/kim.c
index abf5eba..a8cc3e2 100644
--- a/source/engine/kim.c
+++ b/source/engine/kim.c
@@ -1,14 +1,2 @@
 #include "kim.h"
 
-#define GETBIT(BYTE,BIT) (BYTE >> (BIT-1) & 1)
-
-char *c_to_kim(const char *c)
-{
-  
-}
-
-char *kim_to_c(const char *c)
-{
-  char buf[1024];
-  char *b;
-}
diff --git a/source/engine/kim.h b/source/engine/kim.h
index a087cf5..0f9ab31 100644
--- a/source/engine/kim.h
+++ b/source/engine/kim.h
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 #ifndef KIM_H
 #define KIM_H
 
-char *c_to_kim(const char *c);
-char *kim_to_c(const char *c);
+void write_kim_char(char c, char *into);
 
 #endif
diff --git a/source/engine/nota.c b/source/engine/nota.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9e6f381
--- /dev/null
+++ b/source/engine/nota.c
@@ -0,0 +1,145 @@
+#include "nota.h"
+#include "stdio.h"
+#include "math.h"
+#include "string.h"
+
+#define NOTA_CONT 0x80
+#define NOTA_DATA 0x7f
+#define NOTA_INT_DATA 0x07
+#define NOTA_INT_SIGN(CHAR) (CHAR & (1<<3))
+#define NOTA_FLOAT 0x40
+#define NOTA_HEAD_DATA 0x0f
+#define CONTINUE(CHAR) (CHAR>>7)
+#define NOTA_BLOB 0x00
+#define NOTA_TEXT 0x10
+#define NOTA_REC 0x30
+#define NOTA_ARR 0x20
+#define NOTA_INT 0x60
+#define NOTA_SYM 0x70
+
+int nota_bits(long long n, int sb)
+{
+  int bits = ilogb(n)+1;
+  bits-=sb; /* start bit */
+  int chars = bits/7;
+  if (bits%7>0) chars++;
+  bits = sb + (chars*7);
+  return bits;
+}
+
+char *nota_continue_num(long long n, char *nota, int sb)
+{
+  int bits = nota_bits(n, sb);
+  bits -= sb;
+  if (bits > 0)
+    nota[0] |= NOTA_CONT;
+
+  int shex = ~(~0 << sb);
+  nota[0] ^= shex & (n>>bits);
+  
+  int i = 1;
+  while (bits > 0) {
+    bits -= 7;
+    int head = bits == 0 ? 0 : NOTA_CONT;
+    nota[i] = head | (0x7f & (n >> bits));
+    i++;
+  }
+
+  return &nota[i];
+}
+
+
+void print_nota(char *nota)
+{
+  int chars = 0;
+  if (!(nota[0]>>4 ^ NOTA_TEXT>>4)) {
+    chars = nota_read_int(nota);
+    printf("there are %d chars in the text\n", chars);
+  }
+  char *c = nota;
+  do {
+    printf("%02X ", (unsigned char)(*c));
+  } while(CONTINUE(*(c++)));
+
+  for (int i = 0; i < chars; i++)
+    printf("%02X ", (unsigned char)c[i]);
+    
+  printf("\n");
+}
+
+void nota_write_int(long long n, char *nota)
+{
+  printf("number %ld\n", n);
+  char sign = 0;
+  
+  if (n < 0) {
+    sign = 0x08;
+    n *= -1;
+  }
+  
+  nota[0] = NOTA_INT | sign;  
+
+  nota_continue_num(n, nota, 3);
+  print_nota(nota);
+}
+
+long long nota_read_num(char *nota)
+{
+  long long n = 0;
+  char *c = nota;
+  n |= (*c) & NOTA_HEAD_DATA;
+  
+  while (CONTINUE(*(c++)))
+    n = (n<<7) | (*c) & NOTA_DATA;
+
+  return n;
+}
+
+void nota_write_float(double n, char *nota)
+{
+  printf("number %g\n", n);
+  nota[0] = NOTA_FLOAT;
+}
+
+double nota_read_float(char *nota)
+{
+}
+
+long long nota_read_int(char *nota)
+{
+  long long n = 0;
+  char *c = nota;
+  n |= (*c) & NOTA_INT_DATA; /* first three bits */
+  while (CONTINUE(*(c++)))
+    n = (n<<7) | (*c) & NOTA_DATA;
+
+  if (NOTA_INT_SIGN(*nota)) n *= -1;
+  return n;
+}
+
+/* n is the number of bits */
+void nota_write_blob(unsigned long long n, char *nota)
+{
+  printf("blob %ld\n", n);
+  nota[0] = NOTA_BLOB;
+  nota_continue_num(n, nota, 4);
+  print_nota(nota);
+}
+
+void nota_write_array(unsigned long long n, char *nota)
+{
+  printf("array %ld\n", n);
+  nota[0] = NOTA_ARR;
+  nota_continue_num(n, nota, 4);
+  print_nota(nota);
+}
+
+void nota_write_text(char *s, char *nota)
+{
+  printf("text %s\n", s);
+  nota[0] = NOTA_TEXT;
+  long n = strlen(s);
+  char *start = nota_continue_num(n, nota, 4);
+  memcpy(start, s, n);
+  print_nota(nota);
+}
diff --git a/source/engine/nota.h b/source/engine/nota.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3ce3042
--- /dev/null
+++ b/source/engine/nota.h
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+#ifndef NOTA_H
+#define NOTA_H
+
+void nota_write_int(long long n, char *nota);
+long long nota_read_int(char *nota);
+long long nota_read_num(char *nota);
+double nota_read_float(char *nota);
+void nota_write_blob(unsigned long long n, char *nota);
+void nota_write_array(unsigned long long n, char *nota);
+void nota_write_text(char *s, char *nota);
+
+#endif