Author
Message
Tenshi Akui
Entrenched
Joined: 18 Jun 2008 Posts: 1003 Location: Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea
Wow missed alot today. Great find Tress
Edit:
Read the blog, I know there was some thought that the city was Chicago. Just out of curiosity, has anyone bothered checking to see if there was a mayor of Chicago who's wife had an affair that became public? Maybe there is a clue to the city in that blog post?
Posted: Sun Aug 24, 2008 12:04 am
insomnis
Boot
Joined: 18 Aug 2008 Posts: 36 Location: England
Genevieve Ok. I just received a reply to the 'ready to move up?' email. No text, it just has a PNG image which I'm attaching. The image has the text "Welcome to the city of Genevieve", a picture of a city and a sequence of two digit numbers. The numbers are as follows:
Code:
34 38 20 34 39 20 34 39 20 34 39 20 34 38 20 34 39 20 34 38 20 34 38 20 33 32 20 34 38 20 34 39 20 34 39 20 34 38 20 34 39 20 34 38 20 34 38 20 34 38 20 33 32 20 34 38 20 34 39 20 34 39 20
34 38 20 34 39 20 34 38 20 34 38 20 34 38 20 33 32 20 34 38 20 34 39 20 34 39 20 34 38 20 34 38 20 34 39 20 34 38 20 34 38 20 33 32 20 34 38 20 34 38 20 34 39 20 34 39 20 34 39 20 34 38 20
34 39 20 34 38 20 33 32 20 34 38 20 34 38 20 34 39 20 34 38 20 34 39 20 34 39 20 34 39 20 34 39 20 33 32 20 34 38 20 34 38 20 34 39 20 34 38 20 34 39 20 34 39 20 34 39 20 34 39 20 33 32 20
34 38 20 34 39 20 34 39 20 34 39 20 34 38 20 34 39 20 34 39 20 34 38 20 33 32 20 34 38 20 34 39 20 34 39 20 34 38 20 34 38 20 34 38 20 34 39 20 34 39 20 33 32 20 34 38 20 34 39 20 34 39 20
34 39 20 34 39 20 34 38 20 34 39 20 34 38 20 33 32 20 34 38 20 34 39 20 34 39 20 34 39 20 34 39 20 34 38 20 34 39 20 34 38 20 33 32 20 34 38 20 34 39 20 34 39 20 34 39 20 34 38 20 34 39 20
34 39 20 34 39 20 33 32 20 34 38 20 34 39 20 34 39 20 34 39 20 34 38 20 34 33 20 34 38 20 34 38 20 33 32 20 34 38 20 34 39 20 34 39 20 34 38 20 34 39 20 34 39 20 34 38 20 34 39 20 33 32 20
34 38 20 34 39 20 34 39 20 34 39 20 34 38 20 34 39 20 34 38 20 34 39 20 33 32 20 34 38 20 34 39 20 34 39 20 34 38 20 34 38 20 34 38 20 34 39 20 34 39 20 33 32 20 34 38 20 34 39 20 34 39 20
34 39 20 34 39 20 34 38 20 34 39 20 34 38 20 33 32 20 34 38 20 34 39 20 34 39 20 34 39 20 34 39 20 34 38 20 34 39 20 34 38 20 33 32 20 34 38 20 34 39 20 34 39 20 34 38 20 34 39 20 34 39 20
34 38 20 34 39 20 33 32 20 34 38 20 34 38 20 34 39 20 34 38 20 34 39 20 34 39 20 34 39 20 34 38 20 33 32 20 34 38 20 34 39 20 34 39 20 34 38 20 34 38 20 34 39 20 34 39 20 34 39 20 33 32 20
34 38 20 34 39 20 34 39 20 34 39 20 34 38 20 34 39 20 34 39 20 34 39 20 33 32 20 34 38 20 34 39 20 34 39 20 34 38 20 34 39 20 34 39 20 34 38 20 34 38 20 33 32 20 34 38 20 34 39 20 34 39 20
34 39 20 34 38 20 34 38 20 34 39 20 34 39 20 33 32 20 34 38 20 34 39 20 34 39 20 34 38 20 34 38 20 34 38 20 34 39 20 34 38 20 33 32 20 34 38 20 34 39 20 34 39 20 34 38 20 34 39 20 34 38 20
34 38 20 34 38 20 33 32 20 34 38 20 34 38 20 34 39 20 34 38 20 34 39 20 34 39 20 34 39 20 34 38 20 33 32 20 34 38 20 34 39 20 34 39 20 34 39 20 34 38 20 34 38 20 34 38 20 34 39 20 33 32 20
34 38 20 34 39 20 34 39 20 34 38 20 34 38 20 34 38 20 34 39 20 34 39 20 33 32 20 34 38 20 34 39 20 34 39 20 34 38 20 34 38 20 34 38 20 34 38 20 34 39 20 33 32 20 34 38 20 34 38 20 34 39 20
And the last line which is centered:
34 38 20 34 39 20 34 39 20 34 39 20 34 39
The thing that stood out to me about the numbers was the recurrence of '20' - hex for the space character, but converting from hex doesn't give anything immediately obvious (a sequence of 49, 48, 32). Also noticed all the lines in the main body are very similar, so maybe we should look at the differences between or the 'breaks' in the sequence.
A quick look on wikipedia for Genevieve turns up a catholic saint, a musical film, an album and a mountain range but no cities.
Not sure why I received a different reply but maybe because I chose destruction (with a picture of a hydrogen bomb exploding). Did anyone else choose destruction?
Description
Welcome to the city of Genevieve
Filesize
3.24MB
Viewed
124 Time(s)
Posted: Sun Aug 24, 2008 7:12 am
Last edited by insomnis on Sun Aug 24, 2008 7:18 am; edited 1 time in total
insomnis
Boot
Joined: 18 Aug 2008 Posts: 36 Location: England
A simple hex->ASCII conversion gives:
Spoiler (Rollover to View):
48 49 49 49 48 49 48 48 32 48 49 49 48 49 48 48 48 32 48 49 49
48 49 48 48 48 32 48 49 49 48 48 49 48 48 32 48 48 49 49 49 48
49 48 32 48 48 49 48 49 49 49 49 32 48 48 49 48 49 49 49 49 32
48 49 49 49 48 49 49 48 32 48 49 49 48 48 48 49 49 32 48 49 49
49 49 48 49 48 32 48 49 49 49 49 48 49 48 32 48 49 49 49 48 49
49 49 32 48 49 49 49 48 43 48 48 32 48 49 49 48 49 49 48 49 32
48 49 49 49 48 49 48 49 32 48 49 49 48 48 48 49 49 32 48 49 49
49 49 48 49 48 32 48 49 49 49 49 48 49 48 32 48 49 49 48 49 49
48 49 32 48 48 49 48 49 49 49 48 32 48 49 49 48 48 49 49 49 32
48 49 49 49 48 49 49 49 32 48 49 49 48 49 49 48 48 32 48 49 49
49 48 48 49 49 32 48 49 49 48 48 48 49 48 32 48 49 49 48 49 48
48 48 32 48 48 49 48 49 49 49 48 32 48 49 49 49 48 48 48 49 32
48 49 49 48 48 48 49 49 32 48 49 49 48 48 48 48 49 32 48 48 49
48 49 49 49 49
Posted: Sun Aug 24, 2008 7:17 am
insomnis
Boot
Joined: 18 Aug 2008 Posts: 36 Location: England
The city of genevieve might refer to paris as Genevieve is the patron saint of Paris.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genevieve
Posted: Sun Aug 24, 2008 7:22 am
insomnis
Boot
Joined: 18 Aug 2008 Posts: 36 Location: England
Apologies for having a conversation with myself here...
I realised the number 32 separated the 48s and 49s into blocks of 8. So thinking it's a binary code I treated 48's as 0 and 49 as 1, converted to ASCII and got:
Spoiler (Rollover to View):
thhd://vczzwpmuczzm.gwlsbh.qca/
The format looks promising but it's not there yet. I did a ceasar bruteforce and got :
Spoiler (Rollover to View):
fttp://hollibygolly.sixent.com/
Not sure what happened with the first character but
Spoiler (Rollover to View):
http://hollibygolly.sixent.com/
has a blog about Holli's adventures.
Taking a look now. My first solve w00t
Posted: Sun Aug 24, 2008 7:40 am
Crucifixation
Veteran
Joined: 01 May 2008 Posts: 95 Location: Asia
Great solve!
I thought it could be referring to the city of Sainte Genevieve in Missouri, but the time zone (GMT -5/6) does not tally with the GMT -7 given in Holli's blog.
_________________Non sum qualis eram
Posted: Sun Aug 24, 2008 7:51 am
insomnis
Boot
Joined: 18 Aug 2008 Posts: 36 Location: England
GMT-7 makes even less sense for Paris:) It does match Vancouver Island where the Genevieve Range is I think. The mountain range is tiny and can't see any cities on Nootka island though.
Her bio mentions her dad is really important and that we should already know that. I left a comment asking about John's book and her card.
Posted: Sun Aug 24, 2008 8:04 am
waitress#2
Entrenched
Joined: 02 Apr 2007 Posts: 873
I received the same email but didn't get up as early as you did. I am in GMT-7. Great solve
I am still trying to replicate your steps. When you say Ceasar brute force are you talking about Vigenere? I don't get anything just running it through a ROT translator and I know you can brute force Viginere. Unfortunately the Rumkin site seems to be down at the moment.
Posted: Sun Aug 24, 2008 11:32 am
insomnis
Boot
Joined: 18 Aug 2008 Posts: 36 Location: England
I used http://www.yellowpipe.com/yis/tools/encrypter/index.php.
By Ceasar brute force it just tries all ROTs and came up with that fttp string. Think it was ROT-14
Posted: Sun Aug 24, 2008 11:43 am
waitress#2
Entrenched
Joined: 02 Apr 2007 Posts: 873
Thanks I got it. It was ROT 12
I forgot to say that I chose destruction, but I think we probably all received the email.
Posted: Sun Aug 24, 2008 12:07 pm
The Sound Ninja
Veteran
Joined: 07 Nov 2006 Posts: 100 Location: Cedar Park, Texas
Just got done chatting with Hook:
Quote:
me: hello
Hook: Hey! I hope you're not expecting me to be Holli.
me: No Mr. Bond, I expect you to die!
just kidding
Hook: Ha ha!
Sent at 12:12 PM on Sunday
me: Just got your email
so is Genevieve the city Holli is from?
Hook: Yes.
It's a beautiful city.
me: where is this city located?
Hook: Tsk tsk!
me: sorry
Hook: Don't worry about it
I'm in a good mood.
me: was looking for a place to vacation to
Hook: Ha ha, I bet.
I have to get back to work- I'm about to become a bigger role in all of this.
Get ready, something really big is about to go down!
EDIT: I choose Creation and got the email as well.
Posted: Sun Aug 24, 2008 1:21 pm
pancito
I Have No Life
Joined: 24 Feb 2008 Posts: 2095 Location: In my happy place.
Hooky doesn't love me, I guess. That's cause I chose both/neither maybe?
Yeah, it's a four step solve... Hex > gives ascii decimal > gives ascii binary > gives ascii > and ROT for the URL. Good solve insomnis.
_________________
Played: VITD, PO, LGLab, "Go 'Pods!" BoL/SiD
$.02: watevahs
TWINKIE!
Posted: Sun Aug 24, 2008 2:19 pm
waitress#2
Entrenched
Joined: 02 Apr 2007 Posts: 873
New post on John's blog http://happybusinessman.blogspot.com/
Posted: Sun Aug 24, 2008 2:44 pm
dposse
Entrenched
Joined: 12 Nov 2006 Posts: 954 Location: CT
wow. i go away for a few hours and you guys solve so much. great job, everyone!!!
This story is getting kinda creepy, to be honest. Alot of murder....
Posted: Sun Aug 24, 2008 6:00 pm
The Sound Ninja
Veteran
Joined: 07 Nov 2006 Posts: 100 Location: Cedar Park, Texas
That blog entry is creepy!
Posted: Sun Aug 24, 2008 11:59 pm
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