Recon Encryption Puzzle

From Perplex City Wiki
Jump to navigationJump to search

PERPLEX CITY, SEASON ONE
The search for the Receda Cube on Earth


On June 13, Violet posted a link to a file that she and Kurt found in a Key stolen from the mysterious Reconstructionists compound link (blog), direct link (file).


In a post on Unfiction, BriEnigma suggested that the file is a Befunge stack. Following this method, one would start at the upper left corner of the file and "walk" in the direction of an arrow until reaching another arrow, then following the indicated direction. Eventually, one arrives at the @ at the end. In doing so, one ends up with a sequence of numbers separated by "+" and "*".


Hawk completed the solve. After looking at Brian's stack, he graphed the frequencies, got confused, then realized space was much more common than "e". After removing that, he did a frequency analysis, which matched letters perfectly. He then divided the space one by space's ascii code, got 27, divided the rest by 27 and turned ascii into text.


The text read:

To: Brother Andrius, Sister Simla

18 March 2005

The following guests will be attending The Builder's
Celebration and are anxious that their identities be kept secret.
Although I agree with Brother Andrius that it is preferable to speak
openly of one's love of the faith, in these cases I fear we may do
more harm than good by not bowing to this request. I have communed
with the Cube and am convinced of my decision. Thus, the following
individuals will arrive through the West entrance early in the day,
and will be allotted a concealed position during the Ceremony of the
First Stone. Nadia Anek, Aiko Entrescore, Demetri Fallon, Ryan Klein,
Keenan Thoreau, Gill Yewley


See: Nadia Anek Aiko Entrescore Demetri Fallon Ryan Klein Keenan Thoreau Gill Yewley