[PUZZLE][SOLVED] Language Lessons Part 2: BB

[diastres]

PASSWORD: L-I-V-I-N

File: TBO1.txt

Buddy,

Imagine my surprise when I saw the email address from your last assignment turn up in a few of the emails I’ve decrypted so far! And here I had been under the impression that there was more than one girl named Gemma in all of England!

I honestly think that reading all of them will bring you more pain than closure on the subject. But needless to say, you were right in your original assumption that you were set up by Gemma. In fact, the truth is just as bad as you'd feared it would be: Op sent Gemma in to sniff out “Sebastian.” And despite your initial resistance, you ultimately let her get close enough to you that it compromised the security of the mission.

It’s no coincidence either that she disappeared after spending time in your flat, right before those months of hard work establishing your cover as "Sebastian" started to come undone.

And you can also thank her for leading War Pylol to the front door of our safe house in the area. Until I hear otherwise, I will assume that you were followed there, and that you didn’t foolishly try to make contact with Gemma after your cover was blown.

In hindsight, it’s a miracle we spotted that "location verified, D in APHID" video in time to arrange for your safe passage to a secure location. Even though there were no casualties when the bomb detonated (sans the corpse we planted to fake your demise), it still doesn’t change the fact that it was meant to DESTROY you.

As we’ve both now learned, life as a suppressive person of sorts isn’t all that much fun when you’re on The Order's radar. I assume that your self-imposed house arrest, growing the beard, and living like a shut-in have all been attempts to keep them from making the connection that "Sebastian" is still alive (in some form)? I agree it's far better for them to merely think they are keeping an eye on my "clueless partner."

If you escaped your babysitter the same way I escaped mine, I’m pretty sure you’re smart enough to know what you have to do next.

But first, perhaps we should make a little time to see to it that Ms. Pouty Lips does not escape the reward of her action?

xoxox,

Terry

PS. Be aware, this might mean we have to cross paths with Greg Tolan (and I wish I were only referring to William Zabka).

I just got an email with BB attached around 3am PST:

http://www.filelodge.com/files/room54/1 ... OpAphid/BB

Again, it is a rar file, so add .rar to the end of it. It's password protected. It should be noted that it was sent to [email protected] and CCed to us.

Inside the email Tachy had a message:
"I trust my Brother (and his friends) can adapt as necessary"

Tach's profile was updated around the same time:

Step BB: A small victory?
(see below)

NDkyZjQ5NDkyMDViNDIyZDMxNWQyMD MwMmYzMDBkMGEwZDBhNTgzYTIwMzYz ODQzNDM0NTM2MzEzMzMyMzYzMzMzMz gzNTMyNDU0MzM5MGQwYTU5M2EyMDQ5 NjYyMDQ5Mjc2ZDIwNjY2Yzc1NmU2Yj Y5NmU2NzIwNDU2ZTY3NmM2OTczNjgy YzIwNzc2NTZjNmMyMDc0Njg2NTZlMj A2MzZjNjU2MTcyNmM3OTJjMjA0OTI3 NmQyMDY0NzI2Zjc3NmU2OTZlNjcyZT BkMGEwZDBh

base64 to hex

I/II [B-1] 0/0

X: 68CCE6132633852EC9
Y: If I'm flunking English, well then clearly, I'm drowning.

I believe Y is referring to the movie "The Sure Thing."

I apologize for passing out and not thinking to post why I think so. See here: http://www.cswap.com/1985/The_Sure_Thin ... ps/a/00_11

[hagbard celine]

i tried A and F for B-1

and y = 1985 but didn't end up getting valid hex pairs...

also tried with converting the sure thing to hex...nothing so far

i'll try the UPC coes next:

D: 027616865748 Sure Thing (Special Edition) (1985)

edit: just dropping the 0 on the upc doesn't work..

More on The Sure Thing:

D. The Sure Thing
r: Shortly after the final shotgun.
[Tachyon confimation]

Well, the reference is r: Shortly after the final shotgun. Kids doing beer shotguns, not the weapon. There should be some mention of time, and it's supposed to be 40 minutes past the hour.

I didn't pay much attention to the first shotgun scene, only the second...I'll go rewatch the first shotgun again.

Alright, the only times I could find is bit after the first shotgun scene when he finds out it's 9 minutes to 8am and he's late to class. In the final shotgun scene the girl says "it's almost midnight".

[Scalare]

Okay, let me say first that I have no idea how Y refers to "The Sure Thing".. It might be wise to explain those things before you go to sleep

What I tried : http://www.macmillandictionary.com/med- ... lure.htm#5

Neither SINK nor SWIM were helping me in decoding

[surrealisticpill]

It does seem to be related to "The Sure Thing"

I found this sequence from the script:

http://72.14.209.104/search?q=cache:K3s ... ng/cap/en/
25fps/a/00_11+%22flunking+english%22+drowning&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=5

[alysaface]

oo wow, one you guys actually haven't gotten yet?

*gets to crackin*

[surrealisticpill]

Since AA was "a small taste" and the key was PIE, i'm thinking (based on the scene in the movie) that the key for BB might be FRIDAY (or Friday or friday)

BB is "a small victory" in the scene to which Y is referring (see my above post for link), the guy is trying to get the girl to help him with English.

She eventually agrees (victory!) and sets the date for Friday.

Someone should give it a try...

Also keep in mind what Tach said in the email:

"I trust my Brother (and his friends) can adapt as necessary.

xoxox,

T"

I think this means that we're going to have to do something slightly different this time. How are we interpretting [B-1]?

EDIT: link to entire script of "the sure thing". the referenced scene occurs around 11 minutes. look for other words that might relate to "victory"

http://www.cswap.com/1985/The_Sure_Thing

[windsong]

I tried friday, FRIDAY, and Friday, but it didnt seem to work. I may be doing this wrong, especially with the B-1 thing though. I set the outer ring to B, F, and 2, and then using the online decoder i also tried to alternate between B and 1 by setting it as B1. But i couldnt get friday to work.

[bethy]

Well, I'm still lost on the decoder ring stuff...not fully sure how it works. BUT...since the first key was PIE...could the next one be something food related as well?

In the clip from the Sure Thing above (see http://www.cswap.com/1985/The_Sure_Thin ... ps/a/00_11) they mention food several times:

drive-up window
shakes
burgers
French fry



Other words that stick out (non-food related):

black Lincoln Continental
Mexico
$300
36 years old
flophouse
very few teeth
gutter
paint thinner
drowning

[tiltingwindward]

I haven't looked at the script for "The Sure Thing" yet, but I've been looking at the first line of the clue: I/II [B-1] 0/0

Clearly, [B-1] is a value we haven't had before, and requires some adaptation from our normal method with the decoder ring. I've been thinking that it's a very simple math problem; a command to subtract 1 from B every time you use the ring to find a character.

So, for the first time you use it, the value for [B-1]=F. The second time, [B-1]-1=4. The third time, [B-1-1]-1=6, and so on. You end up moving counter-clockwise around the outer ring of the decoder.

I have no idea if this is correct, and we'll need Y: before we can test it, but there it is.

[shifty]

Here's the outer key rings I've been trying:

Code: Select all

BF46CE19A7D5382BF4
B2835D7A91
B1
B
F
1

[quizzoc]

i teach the international language.

xoxox,

T


On 12/17/06, I wrote:
You've got a way with words, Tachy. I'd take your language
lessons, even if they were in english.

[bethy]

You know, I'd love to help out more, but without a much better understanding (and much better step-by-step instructions) of the decoder ring process, I'm doing nothing but getting a headache. (yes, I've read the resources...many...MANY times)

It makes me mad because I'm an intelligent person, but I feel like I did back in high school and college in math class. My brain and math just don't work...that's why I have a Master's Degree in English, and yet I've never passed anything more than college algebra. And even then, it took me 3 tries. The third time the professor pity passed me so I could graduate--gave me a B simply for effort. I went to every tutoring session, did everything asked of me....it just doesn't make sense to me.

So, here I am again....the beginning of the puzzle...the solution to the puzzle and very little inbetween to explain the process in a way that makes any sense. I know it may seem perfectly evident to most of you, but it just makes me want to cry.

[diastres]

I said:

A friend of mine recommended "The Sure Thing" to me recently. Do you think it's worth a look?

<3dia<3

She said:

Any friend of my Brother's would know enough to watch such a thing for the close details.

xoxox,

T




[Sorry for the lack of screenshots, but it's my email...so...]

[shifty]

Since there's been some confusion, I decided to write up a little walkthrough explaining how to use: Sparky's Decoder Ring and what to put in the boxes!

Code: Select all

Outer Ring = C64FB2835D7A91E
Inner Ring = C2D61A5EF4793B8
Outer Key = [B-1]
Inner Key = Y
Cipher Text = X (68CCE6132633852EC9)

Since X=68CCE6132633852EC9, that will go in the "Cipher Text" box.

For the "Outer Key", I've been trying the following:

Code: Select all

BF46CE19A7D5382BF4 
B2835D7A91 
B1 
B 
F 
1

So, pick one to place in the "Outer Key" box. (I'm gonna go with B1 here)

Now we need an "Inner Key." The inner key will be whatever "Y" is and can only contain 1-9 a-f. For this example, let's try "FRIDAY."

Translate FRIDAY to hex and you get:

Code: Select all

FRIDAY = 46 52 49 44 41 59

Put 465249444159 into the "Inner Key" box, and hit decode. If you did it correctly, you should get:

Code: Select all

YÖf~J›í§

Obviously this isn't correct, so apply the other "Outer Keys" (listed above) and try each one out.

As you'll see, none are correct. But I thought this may help some of you who are confused by the decoder ring and to which boxes you should apply things.

[covedweller]

of course if we can get some password guesses from the movie, those with rings can try applying them!

TEAMWORK.