Author
Message
ariock
Has a Posse
Joined: 11 Aug 2004 Posts: 762 Location: SF East Bay
Solution Found After poring over the codes with hmrpita, we tried a few different things.
I guessed the text was a vigenere cipher, based on the rumors that Benjamin was involved with John Wilkes Booth and had the key to a code he carried.
I had gotten slightly a different text from my work on the morse. While comparing mine and ahecht's codes, pita guessed the first word might decode to "Instructions." Once we did that, we got the key phrase:
Once we got that, we went through and got the rest of the text using sharkeys tool
From the eventual solve we were also able to figure out the actual morse code. First, the corrected Morse:
Spoiler (Rollover to View):
to j benjamin, secretary of state. per your unfvyyummfod, have iwiqrrf tebhv gbelnhw shnsmntr, wmzlnim aevppdxvp, to take qzmxjesvqu of fdhgbboy wzznrt isfgmv cwoj waiting in nzdvcu vaoii. will izfi for smvnn jvwp and wgfncfq oaeiv.
Using this and the key phrase ONLY ON THE CIPHERTEXT, we get the plaintext:
Spoiler (Rollover to View):
To J Benjamin, Secretary of State. Per your instructions, have ordered Major Patrick Sullivan, Florida artillery, to take possession of blockade runner Bonnie Blue waiting in Indian River. Will hold for naval crew and special cargo.
_________________"It says, 'Let's BEE friends'...and there's a picture of a bee!" -Ralph Wiggum
When the Apocalypse comes, it'll be in base64.
Posted: Sun Nov 13, 2005 11:01 pm
Ranger D
Unfettered
Joined: 24 Aug 2004 Posts: 522 Location: Nor Cal
Nice works guys. Really nice work.
I was pulling my hair out just trying the get the damn thing converted to a digital form....
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Posted: Sun Nov 13, 2005 11:23 pm
krystyn
I Never Tire of My Own Voice
Joined: 26 Sep 2002 Posts: 3651 Location: Is not Chicago
Wow.
Nice job, guys!
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Posted: Sun Nov 13, 2005 11:27 pm
Arana
Unfettered
Joined: 20 Aug 2004 Posts: 353 Location: shallow grave
Amazing!
Excellent solve ahecht, ariock and hmrpita!
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Posted: Mon Nov 14, 2005 12:43 am
Nadif
Unfettered
Joined: 20 Jan 2005 Posts: 318 Location: Brazil
Absolutely impressive solve.
You rule guys!
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Posted: Mon Nov 14, 2005 2:35 pm
Shad0
I Have No Life
Joined: 20 Jun 2004 Posts: 2180 Location: Southern California, USA
Re: Solution Found Brilliant!
(So that's where we were supposed to get Sullivan's first name.)
_________________These were the puzzles that would take a day, these were puzzles that would take a week, and these puzzles they'd probably never figure out until we broke down and gave them the answers. ... The Cloudmakers solved all of these puzzles on the first day.
Posted: Mon Nov 14, 2005 3:11 pm
ariock
Has a Posse
Joined: 11 Aug 2004 Posts: 762 Location: SF East Bay
Naval Crew and Special Cargo.... Damn...wish I had realized that the title of the code was Naval Crew and Special Cargo...would have meant several fewer false starts...
_________________"It says, 'Let's BEE friends'...and there's a picture of a bee!" -Ralph Wiggum
When the Apocalypse comes, it'll be in base64.
Posted: Mon Nov 14, 2005 5:46 pm
Chewy
Decorated
Joined: 27 Sep 2005 Posts: 236 Location: In the ass-groove of the Couch
So this means we're STILL missing a piece to the puzzle, correct? I assumed we would be getting a new card from this, since we only have 7 as of now. There is still one missing from the Saturday update, correct?
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Posted: Mon Nov 14, 2005 7:38 pm
thunderclap8
Entrenched
Joined: 24 Sep 2004 Posts: 1139 Location: Chapel Hill, NC
My guess is that Grouard is our 8th card. His page's format did change and update, after all.
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Posted: Mon Nov 14, 2005 8:46 pm
ariock
Has a Posse
Joined: 11 Aug 2004 Posts: 762 Location: SF East Bay
Chewy:
I think this would merely have given us Sullivan's first name. Since SOMEone guessed Patrick before the code was solved, they got the card.
_________________"It says, 'Let's BEE friends'...and there's a picture of a bee!" -Ralph Wiggum
When the Apocalypse comes, it'll be in base64.
Posted: Mon Nov 14, 2005 9:25 pm
jamesi
Sentient Being
Joined: 25 Sep 2002 Posts: 2195 Location: Canadia
ariock wrote:
Chewy:
I think this would merely have given us Sullivan's first name. Since SOMEone guessed Patrick before the code was solved, they got the card.
I can taste the bitterness.
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Posted: Mon Nov 14, 2005 11:10 pm
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