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Deciphering "Message X-1"

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#61
ElSupreme said:
Would this work as an attack method to getting the alphabet? Sure we would have to guess at the key but it may be easier to check an alphabet. I would assume the alphabet will follow the following format "[WORD]rest of alphabet in order". The real important bit being 'alphabet in order'.
Click to expand...

Looking at this a bit deeper I don't think it will work. You have to fill in a 26x26 grid so you could produce any number of alphabets that could work.
 
#62
Maybe we should just wait a couple of days and see if some "Drive" or "Goes to 11" icons show up on some of our recent posts in this thread. :) At least we would know if we are on the right track. Currently, there are way too many variables to crack this code in an efficient manner.
 
#63
I think the common tools tend to append an ordered alphabet (with used letters missing) when using an alphabet key < 26 letters.
But, I don't think that is required. I think the rest of the alphabet could be scrambled if they wanted. Then you would have to type the whole thing each time, not just the short keyword.
 
#64
TEG said:
I think the common tools tend to append an ordered alphabet (with used letters missing) when using an alphabet key < 26 letters.
But, I don't think that is required. I think the rest of the alphabet could be scrambled if they wanted. Then you would have to type the whole thing each time, not just the short keyword.
Click to expand...

Yeah the alphabet wouldn't need to be rolling from line to line, or even symetrical like it is now. I am seeing some serious power behind this type of encryption.

But as for what we are working with I think the only assumption is a rolling forward pass code of "teslabcdfghijkmnopqruvwxyz" we could do some attacks and try to decode the message from the middle or guess the key. But if that isn't producing anything good then I think we need a better idea to pull up the correct alphabet.
 
#65
I am thinking we were intended to find and use the web tools that do the auto alphabet fill-out for us.

So, I am thinking educated guessing using alphabet_key+ordered_alphabet_remnants & passphrase ought to be what works.
I am going to focus my attention to contemplate good keywords rather than working up some "brute force" attack against the encryption.
 
#66
I've been thinking that the key to the cipher must be embedded in the clue. I pulled the image of the text into Photoshop and pulled out the background data behind the text. Odd that it's there given that there could be just a simple white background. I'm not sure if the pattern necessarily means anything but the banding and white space is suggestive.
Message X-1 contrasty.jpg


Most interesting is, if you blow up the image a little more, that you can see a pattern of Xs around certain letters, most notably below the Qs. I don't believe this is an artifact.
Look under the Qs.jpg


I haven't been able to play long enough to see if there is meaning nor cleaned up the image sufficiently to see precisely how many Xs are buried in the noise and next to which letters. This may be a red herring ...
 
#68
Fixed formatting of the message, correct capitalization, better readability.

Goes-to-11.png
Sorry for the absence! We had a small meltdown here when our gasoline generator caught fire and fried every circuit in the place. Everyone’s OK and now I’ve rigged up a spare M S unit as a slick pseudo V 2 G to get us by for now. Great news! We came up with a name for our transmission! Anteny and I want to make a big deal about the announcement so put up an Info Clock for the big reveal. This project is going to be exciting as we get the word out to the members. We both have some amazing ideas for it and want everyone's input. To that end he has asked that the rest of the parts be sent. He needs forty more to determine if his build will work. He did say it would be hard! I say, it will be worth it. Nick, I need a report. We are launching this project and you need to be here for it. Last drop you said there was a raft of mechks after you - again. If they are indeed YCs you can use almonds to keep them away. What? Nuts? Crazy. Right? Almonds is like kryptonite to them. I found out when I was at conical in the lab where we were working on the 22 model efficiency. I was eating a PBJ with Trader Joe's Almond butter. One of the YC's flies by me and started a violent shutdown. It was sputtering out oil like it had downed a bottle of ipecac. Revolting actually. Since you are hounded by them on your way here and a weird as it sounds, you should get some almonds. Raw are the best. Good for you and bad for the YC mechks they wretch when they smell them. And yes they can and do smell!
Click to expand...
-------------------

Such a let down... I put the cipher in PureAmps link above, put key letter "T" and clicked "Encrypt" (not decrypt!). We've been overthinking it...
 
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#69
Goes-to-11.png
Woah...

- - - Updated - - -

I tried T and it didn't work for me. Weird.

Ah, that's why. The puzzle master messed up (or the web page is backward, or that's what 'X-1' means). It only works if you "Encipher" the encrypted message.

- - - Updated - - -

Quick request:
If this "adventure" of puzzles starts bringing up text like "Greetings, Professor Falkin" please stop playing immediately. kthxbye
 
#71
Goes-to-11.png
TEG said:
Yeah, not encrypting/decrypting with "T" for me either. Hmmm... Well the word "Transmission" is in the text Johan supplied...

Any chance Johan just made up this whole answer? :eek:
Click to expand...

I just copy-pasted tje text into the input box on the web page. Did it on my iPhone while eating breakfast :)

My thought was that maybe the first line would be decoded by T, the next with E, then S etc. But it all came out decoded when i clicked Encode. Wierd if noone else is able to reproduce. Will try from a PC later. Someone please try on an iPhone :)
 
#73
Probably not related, but I was searching some things in the message and thought they were interesting:
...I found out when i was at conical in the lab...
Click to expand...
http://www.conical.co.za/

...One of the yc's flies by me and started a violent shutdown. It was sputtering out oil...
Click to expand...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCdxqn0fcnE

- - - Updated - - -

Johan said:
...Such a let down... I put the cipher in PureAmps link above, put key letter "T" and clicked "Encrypt" (not decrypt!). We've been overthinking it...
Click to expand...
Ah OK, the confusion. PureAmps posted a different decoder. I think you meant to say the one DrComputer posted.
 
#74
Drive.png
TEG said:
Ah OK, the confusion. PureAmps posted a different decode. I think you meant to say the one DrComputer posted.
Click to expand...

Yes correct, DrComputer's link.

Also, about the whole message and also thinking about the earlier one's, it seems the whole theme of the story is that the person who is writing these messages (Juliet Watthouse isn't it?) to someone called Nick used to work for this "evil coorporation" but now she has turned against them and is now being chased/followed by them. She knows the "in and outs" of the mechanical robot-creatures ("mechacons" "YCs" - some kind of flying mechanical robot creatures?) from working with them "in the lab". What does "conical" lab mean? The lab shaped like a cone? Could there be a misspell here?

Also, I'm kind of getting the vibe that she is using language like "sputtering out oil" and suchs in a derogatory fashion, similar to how we EV enthusiats sometimes talk about ICE's, right? They are full of oil, gasoline, diesel, unclean, dirty, emitt exhaust, thousands of mechanical parts etc. etc. Again the steampunk assosiations come to mind, just as TEG pointed out a while back. On the other hand, Juliet, Nick and the other (?) good-guys are working on their project ("build") which is apparently nothing like that - it's "slick", the had a gasoline generator (that broke down) for it, but when the generator broke down what happened was that it "fried every circuit in the place". So this implies a much more high-tech, cleaner, newer technology. Kind of like Tesla EV v.s. the old generation ICE's.

Now what is it again that they need 40 of? "To that that end he has asked that the rest of the parts be sent. He needs forty more to determine if his build will work.". 40 pics of Model S's???
 
#76
Goes-to-11.png
...i’ve rigged up a spare m s unit as a slick pseudo v 2 g to get us by for now...
Click to expand...
Model S as a Vehicle 2 Grid. (Using the battery pack and inverter to provide AC power since their generator went out.)
Maybe calls it "pseudo" since they are just powering their lab, not the whole grid...

...rest of the parts be sent. He needs forty more to determine if his build will work...
Click to expand...
Maybe those sets of Tesla car part pictures that spell out "T-E-S-L-A"?
Would he need 40 sets or 40 parts (8 sets)?


...I was eating a pbj with trader joes almond butter....
Click to expand...
OK, the reference to "trader joes" means this is likely contemporary (not a message from the distant past), and located in USA...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trader_Joe's
 
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#78
Johan said:
With the (uneccesarily advanced) cryptological knowledge we have been attaining while (over)working this last clue, I think we can handle anything the game throws at us, as long as it's not too simple :tongue:
Click to expand...
Another lesson from War Games:
Do not type "Joshua" into any edit boxes anywhere, ever*.

* Unless your name is Joshua and you're ordering something.
 
#79
Goes-to-11.png
decrypted!

SORRY FOR THE ABSENCE!
WE HAD A SMALL MELTDOWN HERE WHEN OUR GASOLINE
GENERATOR CAUGHT FIRE AND FRIED EVERY CIRCUIT
VN THE PLACE. EVERYONE’S OK AND NOW I’VE RIGGED
UP A SPARE M S UNIT AS A SLICK PSEUDO V 2 G TO GET
HS BY FOR NOW. GREAT NEWS! WE CAME UP WITH A NAME FOR
OUR TRANSMISSION! ANTENY AND I WANT TO MAKE A BIG
QEAL ABOUT THE ANNOUNCEMENT SO PUT UP AN. INFO
CLOCK FOR THE BIG REVEAL. THIS PROJECT IS GOING
TO BE EXCITING AS WE GET THE WORD OUT TO THE MEMBERS.

JE BOTH HAVE SOME AMAZING IDEAS FOR IT AND WANT
EVERYONE'S INPUT. TO THAT END HE HAS ASKED THAT
THE REST OF THE PARTS BE SENT. HE NEEDS FORTY MORE
TO DETERMINE IF HIS BUILD WILL WORK. HE DID SAY IT
WOULD BE HARD! I SAY, IT WILL BE WORTH IT. NICK,
V NEED A REPORT. WE ARE LAUNCHING THIS PROJECT AND
LOU NEED TO BE HERE FOR IT. LAST DROP YOU SAID THERE
WAS A RAFT OF MECHKS AFTER YOU -AGAIN. IF THEY ARE
INDEED YCS YOU CAN USE ALMONDS TO KEEP THEM AWAY.
WHAT? NUTS? CRAZY. RIGHT? ALMONDS IS LIKE KRYPTONITE
TO THEM. I FOUND OUT WHEN I WAS AT CONICAL IN THE LAB
WHERE WE WERE WORKING ON THE 22 MODEL EFFICIENCY.
I WAS EATING A PBJ WITH TRADER JOES ALMOND BUTTER.
ONE OF THE YC'S FLIES BY ME AND STARTED A VIOLENT
FHUTDOWN. IT WAS SPUTTERING OUT OIL LIKE IT HAD
DOWNED A BOTTLE OF IPECAC. REVOLTING ACTUALLY.
FINCE YOU ARE HOUNDED BY THEM ON YOUR WAY HERE AND A
JEIRD AS IT SOUNDS, YOU SHOULD GET SOME ALMONDS.
EAW ARE THE BEST. GOOD FOR YOU AND BAD FOR THE YC
MECHKS THEY WRETCH WHEN THEY SMELL THEM. AND YES
THEY CAN AND DO SMELL!
 
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#80
Ok I found the site (linked from the Wikipedia Page) but I can't do it by paper, or on the Rumkin site. We obviously got the correct message, but I am somewhat curious about how the SectretCodeBreaker site ran it's algorithm.

Anyway I might look at the text later today.
 
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