Abbey Road Print-out

After the Abbey Road meeting, Dinah gave each person present an envelope containing a Perplex City Postcard and a print-out of this email conversation:

On 4 Mar 2005, at 20:02, Sente wrote:

I hardly think that's necessary.

On 4 Mar 2005, at 19:59, xxxx wrote:

What a cool idea, I love it. All we'd need to do is sanitize our email exchange by removing reference to things like xxxx, print it out, and then give it to whoever turns up on the day (I'm now thinking Dinah should do this btw!) This could be the last email of our exchange we publish.

Unless of course you follow this one with a witty reply that our hard-core webcam and ground ops friends would enjoy.

xxxx

On 4 March 2005 at 19:42, Sente wrote:

Very simple, but potentially interesting to our attendees:

AAPOR NFWGC IARUW KRPED BVTVI STKTK NSNYI NQRDK NIESA NUSMO
OMVOX VIWPZ SOCKO FTNVN NYQGG GNSRW AYQEM HMMXQ OPLTP OMENE
FKVMF IBEEB RXLWN AXVLT JZOEN NBCMG UELOC ERGLF SHXQU SNLWU
BYGAR TPKHA ATRQU XRSLS TUSEK LJATD TAYOS GASOB RRFIF EVPIO
NKUIV SNPIN ZEDQZ WAGPO FEGBS VULLF UTYGL XKHKB XVIPL YHUEU
YREEA MASBR VOEJG LXIBR OXNDG YTSNR WBAOE RTCKM AVUOD FABDB
DKLNT DLJTX IVQRO ZFTTE MGANO TBQIV UZGLU XVFOW YYWPH HRAOZ
IWHWY TZAOX WUETM QCVDM CZTPO WRNYC JYUVG GLVKT XBCDX GBPIG
JBFBC DWHRN RVHML LGVVV RFSHU MHZTB MQSGO BRSCR YLCRA YEZEF
SQKLY JMHVQ GCRSE SWBSC RATNY XNWYE UNATI UTTWM BNQXV BLIBG
WVYLP ABHVG LCLFX PUDBE QPGUD HUTPO PEFGO PRWBQ YTYRW XKLVN
GTXZC GMGOJ OHHRB RKGQA ERCVY PTBMF GVMDR APDVE LLMTU NTUCP
BPGRC LJXVF FPLPX EZPHQ OAOSM GBBGI VESAG YYCMR YIBZP IAMXO
GIWXZ AGRRV HMFES EPREK NYXTU CHCMO SFAJO VAIVO WRXNX ZEIAX
AKNDB ZPIQC AOZIT SORGB TJEUB VKJLA MHBGV FUMGH MAHUE IMODR
ZYVOL NCZHV FGAYF RKXAD UZZGG OVMSL YNRUM ILVOG YGPRL YTTET
TSRCS AABEF AYVNJ EZVXU RJBJM RIJXU ZTLGI UEOWW GFBEI QBARV
BEUGL BCHZZ ABXCR CWYKM WORXR TCSQE IZUIA IWRID XTNIT PYWAI
VQKIG UMTSP NEXTV AELEJ GHLMS HACCY AZGVO ZVIFE VGMLI VQFRR
CJVTX SGSIY RNIXR RRRLK NOVRZ HVFXK OYKBF ISTYN HBPIC GBLUI
OSEVJ ZLPOY MRYSX BVVYM QWNLQ XVIFP URSKN PREUB YMRCJ BKEDJ
JYMBU XKGSO LAUCP BPGRN VXAYO KKTQH XLBMB UZKFM DHOVH QVWKE
EBWVR ICTKP TGCNW EUVVS SFVTD EIFGN OCNVH PNYXL ETTRZ BRDAV
SECDU QTPUI YIIGL BXEPH NBWPR QWGIK EZTHE EKSVB WABAR GMPII
LMCSN OPCGH QCWRV QOPOB PERLP BYKZO ILNQI HRPRL FWBHH RZOTE
GBYYT LQCBX NYBLN PHFDC ATPOR UYYET YWHVS IEQFX MIDXL QIWGI
YVMII QOAFI FEZZC YECSX AOGRM VPXCU DHSOZ KBYFP HQLIE GGLCR
HUIMF FXIRP BZAVC QKBSQ RSRIB RXNET BRMSH LBGOS XQVDC RWFOL
BSTJE BBATS WBPDD BVTVI STKTF RMISB EQVTI RMJMT SZMIM KEZGZ
WCPBY WGIWX OLEBO OSQAX NEREI TYZKA HATDP DUVNI VPEFG OPCMY
PGRJN RWYZW XKQCV YOIVT QYBSR EVKCM GSZHV FSGCU EWWIJ VFOSE
SWPKE NYTJY BBATS WBPDK MRPTG DUDPB QIVQW TFPOP TQAYO NXEIL
OUIVA VDHAC CYAZC CFABT GWMEI EEKEI LSXVG MQCIF ZOPAL OAYNY
TJOCT LBAIX MGGLZ MXAIW YOGUE XKGSR QTJRW HKNOE UIKGU PGHZI
WYIRP OUWSN GFTJA BFLKE EWSRO XRGXF RTJGS ATLSB NRETJ OCTLZ
HVGEU VYJHY BWXQV QNDMW MBRSI PEQAH KEUGL XNCJV HCGHC JTVTA
CQHBY ATSQF JONVE CXDNY XTKPS CHMFF QBGTF VGPIN VGGNK RBIKH
JBHVR PKZWA FWEFF VIEVW WOGCI KUEZS ZKYKW BCYNY RNBDO VRESG
NBNZK RJRRH XYFYM PTRGO MFWMK ZTUVE UTIAH SOJGM GPFLX GBXPJ
GOADW GBEEF HCDJR ITFRF GBXUK XWJNI FZGGU LSSSB STJEI PEJED
LLXRU ULXVI WGNCA LGNOU TUTGR IRXOA EGXHL YVWNK PICYP LTPOG
CUBLC RANRJ IJXRH GHKHA IKTMW GRRDO RSBZE QFUNG KLMBC LOUIE
RMMEC MWZEV DGWVG HUTIG MIECR GMBCT BMGPT RDOAT BKJEE FEPBM
PESER FGAYF RKTBI WCVQN DMWMA AQARP IEITT CLRXQ IKBTB TSUDH
UHMBT AGUET TPRWA BJGEG DCREZ QUIFZ UNVMD VEVAS VIBHX OOEVR
ASMCT LBNTY MGGAD OFSRA GKFBR HNIJU SNCYR EHVVL GOVIA ZSCUF
FUTRW HRJIE TTBOW VLHNE GMKSE TGDCT URAEA LRQEI ECIKZ YKNBB
NLGOV GHQCP EDHEU TBUIG CRQIF IQRLT JATRJ GUOZO IPVGS HIVNR
IIRYW BDORM BWCLF DQUUV DWLGU EPHIQ FKEEH RVOLK TBVPI ZZGGT
PODAG EOPAO RSLNR FOXXN KTOMG HCIOY SWLFO HTHVT PREIA URQRD
IKAXI IICIH VOVYT MNAYQ TPRVC ERYXA IUEWB UEDPO OATXO CPYRA
ERWFW ZHVPS NXNIR PPTCG ITBUZ PCUEG HTEMO GGEKV EGDNR OXZHT
LROFE TOQTR QBATP RSZHV EJXVF FPLWU IFZOP ALOAY GBBGC WZIOT
JSMKC NDTLB TGQCS JAAKP LRGOR RMFMJ EFIIK KHLGI ZTRCY SATMN
DEEVO FONTV UWKUE GNMLV VMHHG IKUIK RTOEG HGFQE WZTZZ IMRYR
VTLTB WROFA JVSTB FENEK GMZSG HTBVM

Rather than presenting it in any elaborate format, suggest we simply pass this email conversation on wholesale.

S.

On 4 Mar 2005, at 19:29, Sente wrote:

My team is still here. I think the scribes would enjoy coming up with something for this. I'll get back to you shortly.

On 4 Mar 2005, at 19:26, xxxx wrote:

Not sure yet.

I've been thinking that it would be nice to give the people that turn up something extra. Problem is we haven't really jot time to plan anything more elaborate at this stage. I'll have a think on it tonight.

xxxx

On 4 Mar 2005, at 19:16, Sente wrote:

Yes, that seems acceptable.

Who are you going to send?

S

On 4 Mar 2005, at 14:51, xxxx wrote:

Abbey Road perhaps?

http://www.abbeyroad.co.uk/virtual_visit/webcam/

xxxx

On 4 Mar 2005, at 14:31, Sente wrote:

I'm not happy with the reliability of that webcam, do you have any other suggestions? I have a SFC meeting now, let's discuss this later.

Thanks

S

On 4 Mar 2005, at 14:27, xxxx wrote:

Fair point.

Makes sense to do something in London then.

xxxx suggested doing something with a webcam? That way people who can't get to London can still see what's going on.

One of the guys from the office could be on the bench outside this pub or sitting in one of the windows above it:

http://www.fujiint.co.uk/street/index.html

He could then give the text fragment to anyone who approached him with a password??

This is the text by the way:

LOST. The Cube. Reward.

in its own right. We are committed to ensuring its safe return." He was not
available for further comment.

Possible motives for the theft remain unclear. A ransom demand is seen as one
likely development, as the Cube, whose value is almost incalculable, could not
be sold on the open market. John Ha, owner of the Ha Gallery on the Mobius
Strip, conjectured that the Cube may have been stolen "to order" for a wealthy
collector.

Academy insiders told reporters today that security has been notoriously lax on
the night of the winter ball, the high point of the Academy's social calendar, One
high-ranking Academy official who preferred not to be named, remarked,
"Security's a joke on ball night. The Academy focuses all its

perplexcity.com

On 4 Mar 2005, at 12:05, Sente wrote:

xxxx mentioned the NY suggestion. It seems perfectly appropriate.

I'm anxious we don't spend any more time on this than necessary. As you know, pressure is intensifying now. It's important we remain focused on key objectives.

S

On 4 Mar 2005, at 11:49, xxxx wrote:

Hi Sente

I agree. We were actually talking about this last night. I think xxxx mentioned the New York idea to you? Everyone over here seems happy with it.

This only leaves one slot. I'll get back to you later - I'll go and ask the others if they've had any new ideas on this.

xxxx

On 4 Mar 2005, at 11:16, Sente wrote:

Please confirm your plans regarding the final two video slots. xxxx mentioned you had been investigating some alternative strategies. I see no harm in changing tack.

S

Theories

• It has been suggested that the encrypted text is a Vigenere cipher given the distribution of letters in it

Results

• enaxor used some Vigenere cracking software to find the key: aikoannacainegarnetkurttippyvon
• This produces the following text (with suggested spacing, capitalization and formatting):

As far as we can now tell, the Academy was founded in around 573 BC.
Certainly it can be shown to exist by the year 571 BC, when we learn
from the journal of Degabus of Malme that:

  An groupe of scholars have late taken residence in the city, purposeing 
  here to study both the antient and the modern mysteries. They have for 
  a year or more taken rooms with Mrs. Feon of Kingdom Street, who 
  complains mightily of the noxious stink emanating from their alchymical 
  experimentations, but I hear they have in mind to remove to the cellars 
  late of Mr. Beston Brewer, so recently passed away.

Academy scholars will naturally be familiar with the Beston rooms. These
are unlikely to be the original cellars once occupied by that scholarly 
fellowship but do seem to be in roughly the right location. Later the 
same year Degabus notes a behaviour pattern that might be familiar 
to the more junior members of the Academy:

  The scholares of Beston Cellars may rightly be called the natural 
  inheritors of those brewing rooms; for I observed this night in 
  Thilke Market as I returned home, after dining with Mrs. Haarten, 
  a supposed scholar whom I identified by his cap drunken and reeling 
  in the street. I made as to pass by him swiftly but he being jovial 
  in his cups called out: "Hi Sir, would you pass by a scholar without 
  raising your arm?" Quoth I: "I see no scholar here, Sir, unless it be 
  a scholar of the sweetened sleep." Quoth he: "Sir, think you that
  viticulture is no subject for study?" Quoth I: "Sir, do not call your
  pursuit study, for the more you study in this fashion the duller your 
  mind becomes." I think I may consider myself the match in wit for
  any scholar called by some academicians.

Despite the continuing disapproval of the townsfolk, the Academy remained.
It grew in size, taking on additional rooms in the area of those original 
stone cellars, and offering a tuition service to the sons and daughters of 
wealthy townsfolk as a way of funding its continuing research. No scholars 
of note were yet resident in the academy, although Varkin writes that she 
passed through on her way north and comments that she enjoyed an excellent 
dinner: 

  Though the tables of this Academy be fine indeed the discourse 
  of its scholars is finer yet.

The Academy's first significant expansion came in 452 BC with a gift from
Naskent Taversen. Taversen, one of the city's wealthiest and most influential 
landowners, had been fascinated by the studies of the Academy. He had sent 
his only daughter Aetiant to be educated by the scholars and is known to have 
observed some of Macelvoy's early experiments with static electricity. Aetiant 
Taversen became a scholar at the Academy and apparently negotiated with her 
father the substantial gift he gave the institution in his last years. Taversen 
gifted his house along with various surrounding pieces of property to the 
Academy in perpetuity. With this bequest the Academy was able to shore 
up its financial situation, which until then had been uncertain at best. The 
patronage of Naskent Taversen also brought the Academy to the attention of 
many other wealthy and important people across the country. When in 443 BC 
Aetiant Taversen was elected by the other fellows of the Academy to become 
its first master, she was able to preside over an unprecedented period of 
growth and success in which for the first time the Academy was able to 
select its pupils.