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The National Cipher Challenge

Challenge 6

RULE REMINDER: Rapid fire multiple submissions put an unreasonable load on the servers and make it difficult for others to submit. Anyone who makes an unreasonable number of submissions will be open to disqualification. In the first instance this will mean that anyone who submits more than 20 times in 10 minutes will be disqualified.

Re-ordered thoughts

PYDHA RFHAU LEVPL HASHA CFEPW MYVIN FERHS TDPOO OGLES IORWH EWROX BLHCA XSEGB YRURJ UEVTI NNOZT HDTYR URFUR UENWT RDVAL LSRCC XPYPO SWOFB OUUTI PEAQD WHARH ALOSO YERBG RDTEI ULWHA WYOXH AYEGL VEQYO XRTLM EWOSX PPRRT PISVW AUNEV HELSI ZILOA DPITX NCRNV HNTLO NDLAW LEDST EYTKE SWANG ARGSO IOUUU SXALF OMSAN BYOXN OGOUE TFLND KERWI RHSOP EWLTH VOMHJ UVTII ICDTI RNGLV EQTHH EFIOR WYOXH AYEHD DTREX SENGI NRRDH RTREX WRAFT HHRFU OMWHE FLUWC HHSOI OUUFR LENGS AWPOO ICHHQ LFHHR AGVEQ TUUES ZERHP UUELB REFRE DTIRN AOTHH NIZOU ODSKA RHYOX RFUUS WRAWI OQBUW SHHHA VFUOL YFONY INFED PETKA TWHEU EIVSO PETKI NJHEU EFRRU VTOLN VHSTL GAWEA QDIPO SWURJ ENWLY EEGBO UWOGL VEWHI VMAWT EUYOX RAWTE QTIRN WKILH WEGON RTHDV EWHES HOWOG UAPKI CHVIG ENFET KATPI SVWAU NEVET RUTWO OETAL NSKEH DSTKE MRSTH XTUAO UDIQA RBGII TOIBE LNGDB LHTOU ECDLL WHELM AJESV HEDTT HMPWE DWORH COUDI QTHHM OVTIQ CRHDI ELEGE TDILL WOXLD QOTKA VHBEO IEYED WHIVC LDIML FIWWE UENRT FRRTK EFDCT WHAWT HHTEA TSKED HSCUI BHDIV CLHAR OYEQC RBPTH DAQDI GONRT BHLIH VEWHA WSHHW OXLDK AVHBE HNAEL EWOIQ VEQTI WIHDV EWAKH NTKEL LBEUT YRFTU ANVCR LBIQG TKEJD NUVPR RJEFT DRCUP ENWAS GICWA THDBB MIVSW DRNHA NGWIO LTXRN PYAWT EQTIR NTRIT VDEFI PKERP ENWAS LAMVU RHTHD TYRUA UETRO BXSYW OAWTE QDTRT HDTMD TTHRW KEAWS TRNEZ ILOBE YISLT IQGTK ISDFT HRNRO NWOTH STRUR QEWWE LHGRD PHLCE TUISM EQTSR IMDYS HNDBO UWHEG ECUYP WIOQT HDTWD YIITH DTIVA GUEED BLHTO BOULN TKEMH ANWIM HIWRU LGBEP OSWGR DTEIU LLFYR UCRUL GSPDR EWHEW IMHTO FONVI DHRTK EFRLL RWIQG QXESW IOQIF WHELM PHRID LAUMS FARJO HDDNR TBHEN VTOOE NWHEQ WHHRE GIDWH EEULO ETFOM HFRRM IFANE ELLEV HTHDT AIEWE ULOET VMIJH TQOTE EMLSS HDIQS UFHAO ARJEC DRGRB UWKAW EIVMO VTSFR USULR USDND FERWA IQTHD TWDSN RTPRS SLBLH THHCR DTEVW EUEFX LLGID KERUK ALSEU NOWNO WICHO RGIDK ENRTC DREDN DLFOS ENHDW KYWHR EWHEF RAWES UESHA LHDPH TTBTH LEVHS AUEUQ LINEL BTOWA KHSUF HTUOU ELERH BXTIQ REUEA GINJT HDTPD RAJRA SHAWH OXGHW HAVOC FURUE DWOMH ITLST ROFDN TDSTL CAOTO VHAUE IQITV INIAN WSTDT EDNDL WIOLN HEDWO PRNDH RIWAL LTTOE BHFOU EIWMA WURHS IQTOV OMHTH LNGZO RWHOI FEUIN JFOUY OXRCR NSLDE UATLO NOETL TSXFF LCEWH AWITK INNTH HANVW EUISQ OTWHA WHEUR KDISH RFDIL HDTRN OWICH ORWOC DREEU TWHAW HEWOO NGRHA TSAIQ STREN VURHT HDTWH WOXLD QOTQO TLCED NDWHE UEFRR EWHAW WEZOU ODNRT CDRES ERKAP VIHDV EVAIG ENRUG KFOUY OXTOF HAQCE DCRRS SWHEV AMHTH RUGKT IZILO BEPOS WINWR IJUEG TOVEE LFYRU DRINW HEPEA QTIPE CRULG IAVKY RUTRM ANETK EFRLL RWIQG EQQUL RYRFY RURFO NWACW SIQTH HCUVT OPSAQ DEACI VEDHP AUTMH NTKOW ZERHT HHCRD TEVIN WHEVH ISMEQ TLDBE OLEGA NGHOZ WEUET KEYLN SSECW EDPAY LCOQC LXDEE YSXGG HSTLN GWHAW WEVHO XLDLN CUEAV EOXRS HCUUI TBALL TTOEI IMYVU SSICL ONVAR HCOUR EFTTK ENKER UKALS EUMAB BEWAK LNGDN IQTEU ESWIN BOUUC OPMUQ ICDTI RNSDN DLTWR ULGBE DPIWY TRALH RTKIM WOOXR CRNCH RNVSI QCEWH EYIGH NEUEC LPHHR CRNTL NUHST RREVI SWATW ACNEV HNBBY OXITV HOXLD SROYI DHALH VEOOF VECUE CBSUL TAELE IORRU RSURS OSHSI VUGJE SWTHD TWHUS HTHHC HDPTH RTLTL HSFUO MWHEF OPSER IIEOD DLSCO OSXRE VFOUK EBSTK OUJHI ZOUOD WHLCR MEBOU UTHRU GKTSR NOXRF XTUUE AURAQ GEPEN WSYRU RVEXF ITHDL BADD

Official Decrypt

Top Secret: For your eyes only

My dear Charles, Please accept my sincerest apologies for the trouble caused by our guest. I know that your current travails occupy most of your time and we are all so very grateful that you have given your time to support Miss Warne. She is, I will admit, unconventional, at least by the standards of our usual company. You no doubt find her tiresome, with some justification given the effort you have had to expend in order to extract her from the clutches of our friends at police HQ. If her adventures were purely recreational then I would share your frustration, but she has fully convinced me that there is something here for us to investigate, and I most urgently beg you to give this matter your attention. While we do not have the photographic evidence that Miss Warne set out to obtain, she has the most extraordinary gift of being able to recall the images she attempted to record in the most incredible detail. I would not have believed this claim, if it were not for the fact that the text she described is clearly encrypted and I do not believe that she would have been able to invent it. I have taken the liberty of transcribing the Janus Project document as dictated by Miss Warne and will turn my attention to its decipherment, as I am sure that you are too busy to attend to that matter. Wheatstone will be visiting this afternoon to test our new telegraphic equipment, so I may send you the decryption that way if that is agreeable to you. In the meantime I would be most grateful if you could spare the time to consider the following question: If the Imperial Arms cargo had not been stolen, then where did the bullet come from? I can believe that a few bullets might not be missed in such a large cargo, but Kate is most scrupulous and certain that was not possible - the crates were full. Did Herr Kaiser not notice, or did he not care? And if opened, why were the crates resealed? Petty thieves are unlikely to take such trouble. Oh, but in re-reading that paragraph, a thought has occurred to me! It is too fantastical to share in its infant state and I will need to ponder it a little before it matures into something worth offering for your consideration. Let it suffice that I think the answer is not that Herr Kaiser failed to notice or to care, but that he took great pains to ensure that we would not notice and therefore that WE would not care! Perhaps I have said enough for you to chance across the same thought. I will be most intrigued to see if you do. In the meantime could I ask you to make the following enquiry of your contacts in the Customs and Excise department? How were the crates in the shipment labelled, and how were they inspected? May I conclude by suggesting that we should increase our security a little? If my suspicions are correct, then Herr Kaiser may be taking an interest in your communications and it would be a pity to alert him to our concerns. Since the Vigenere cipher continues to resist attack (even by you!), it should provide a level of secrecy suitable for our purposes. I suggest that we use the chapter titles from The Copperfield Disclosures for keys, though I would welcome your thoughts on our future arrangements. Yours excitedly, Ada

Witchcraft?

EYOIM JAOEU LIDMI ZODLA MLOEB GLZKU KEESK GUZYD YUPWF ASNID LATRX QTCSG TLPFG LNZXY GRPXD GUMPQ LHLRE ZETWI GRELM FDTWT SRPCA MRGMQ OTSEF KHPLM KCLYE WFZVT WRDYE HINMA FSHLU DEELQ VIDGG KSTSZ KBPXI WEYLQ JRVEU KECEZ VTSIB JIYGQ EAJAQ DLMIU FNZGQ FTELQ XANXF ZAEEP WAWID ANLVY SMPRF KIDWB WNOMZ YSFGT SCZRE ADPVM TLPEY GUYXA XTTQQ SNOQA FEJMZ YRLXU STTRS ZIXWQ DFHMF ZDFPQ WPDMZ YHDLA MLOGA FCPVZ MSHLU DETHA FOEFQ DIPZQ LHLXF ZEXET SRLNM ZIDMZ LECIE LEOMZ KTTVD ANRGA FFWMO LIEME EYPBB WRTIZ UEELM LTSSE WWSSN WNPJU LMZWF XRZQM FIYWF SBTPU LYLVQ LHPQQ JCSEZ LSZJI WAASZ JYTXU KCPVF SIYPK FOEMZ ZECVW SIDID KFTRM FCTEX ANEID WSEWF GEYGA MRLKQ HELGQ WVPRM ZIYXA XTCSG TLPMZ LHPRA JTSID FTPVD ATZVU WSNSG DDWIM VTZTD WSDYD WOYXT WGZZQ JNXIZ LTZVQ ANQSD UEELQ WXTWF ANRIU UACQU WSLXS JELXO GSEXA MSLRP WNZVY GUDKM ANEST AMTEY GNWCS DAOXT STELQ VIDGG KSTSZ KACII ATSXT WSTOT UOXQG FIECF ZEJEF DELWF HAJPU HSPVH ACPXA ZECQM BEDXK KAFXT GRTXK SSPZU VEYGQ VBJXT WGTJF GFELQ VILQA FDTJF ZECII WRPEZ QSFKS WSEMA FTSEF ZECVW SIDID ASPRS SGPHU FDTWO MSDMA FSHMF ZTSIT ANOYX WAOID KHTTF ZEYMF ZIYOI WWZYX VBPMZ SMFGT EOCIP SNRID GUDTA KIEMA FTSIU JLZCM DTJME STMIE LPCIO SRTSG KAYHU LWZYX VNZXF SKPQG UHESF JIRKQ JAHED LHLXY AGSXN WIYXT WIYXQ JEDXE GFELQ AMAID AAWED ESXEZ MFLGF MRTRS UOXTM FYMYF ATHSG DDYSF TETRA MRDMY MSEEP EIEXA TETRS UUCMA MSLWF GTSIT ANEWK GUREH WAEXT WEYHA XYZYD DADXX WTEID UOYGQ JNTRS QOFVR SNEEE LINEX LHZYS ZTTGM FNZXO DATQF GHLZQ ZAOEZ QIYWU YHEMZ LOELQ KTCEZ YEXEF LECSR LHPWT APXIZ LBFXU VIOQM CEELQ WNBYU JIPWK GUCIC MEDXQ VOQQQ SNOWA AWTPX ULZWQ OIELF ZELRE OECWF ZECMR DENVM LEDAQ JEWEN WLWIP OIELX WTEID KWSMX WTSIN MLWIF URLXQ KWPVQ FUXFQ JEOJD GMTXA PXTMU LHPGG KTZQE GFQMO AAWWO SLWIP XOCED SNOSY KAXTX WTZFQ VEWMH WRPHF GTSIA XFTGQ XOCMZ KPPGF AOYSZ WAEEF AMPIM UHHEE GPPRQ VIYWB WCEIP SNOVQ LUCRQ VTZXT WFWSA JAYHF ZEYIJ LWLWE MMXSZ WDTRM DLELQ GFQMO WRDMZ KPPGF WDDIH WNNVM LEDRG EBPVQ VITMH AITBU PITBH PVTMU SNOBJ AIPEO ZWLWD WCZVP WDMCF ZEZJR ACTEX KADLA DDTRS LWZLG FDCIP TOIIE GFNED LRTHS WSPEO ZOQAT ACSAM KFFPX BUDXM KRPTA JTPHN QMTWE OACRQ LHPVQ OADRA LHTRS JEXED CAMPQ SBZYF LHPGM JGZEZ VTSIO MSESY KOQJU UECAM KHLTB QTZVQ DELWQ ATESF ZENSY HAYCO ZACKQ VWTXT KHTTB ANRMF GNESX GNOSZ MNWIE KOFVR JIPRP ZADWA EEXES ACLPB GWPVA XWSMO ZILQZ GTLAM JETGM FNZXE WESSI LHTWE ZIAQQ FTNEZ ZAGIO GNNIM DEOEE WCCIF UAYMF TEELM LTSME ASTRM FYHEK ZEWTR MLTXE WEXWA FLJXA UOYJU JMHLM LWPFA LHLPD WAOCW FEHXT WCCEF WSHID WFFPX GFELQ UUCMA KSSMB HEOFK ZECVW SIDID XOCLU KSEEZ VAEXT WEILU TIEMA FTSIN MLWIF KTSIY KEWZQ KACIA XLTXF DEFWQ SNOHQ KPTXQ EYDYE HINMA FSTGM FNZXR ANOEZ QTSMZ YIYXT ASLGO GUYXF GSFKS WSEXT STELQ KHTTY WNEAM KIYEZ QWLCG FUDYM DIWSA CFZVI SROXA GUCQQ WTTRS GNELG JSOEK AAXLA HIYKF ZAEEF LHPZQ JYWIM KTJSG OIWPN WAMPQ LODLM JEELQ BAYYE HRZNQ UTQMX WWTXT EETJK GUQIQ DAMPQ LODLM JEJSG JDPPU TECEF AOYWA FTSIE ZIAQQ FTESA LHPRU OIWPO GNDMP WRELQ LRTTY GRPXT SNHSD LHHLU DEJSG JIYXD AGFIP XRTIZ VBLFN SGPTE OHTPQ AARVQ WTSEF LHPTD WSPRF UIALQ JPCSH ADPWD WADSZ SBWIE WCFVU LYTHA ZAGIM FIOIM LHLXY SYPZQ FTFEX DYWIM VTZMF KDPQU KEHLQ STDXA FETWQ PPPVU EEYXU FGHMF ZAYII ADPEF ZAEQM QWPPX DELHF GIEWD WPWEO WMPRF ANDTU JEOFK LHPEZ UIPRF KIHSZ VECMR LHPTA DYMMG KCTTT WRTRU LSGED AOFWR GRXWY AGSXB JOGMP WUDAU LHLYE WFFPM DTPVZ STTZQ

Official Decrypt

Top Secret: For your eyes only

My dear Ada, It is I who should apologise to you. Our guest is certainly trouble, but not more trouble than she is worth, and I share your view that she has cause for her suspicions. While the discussions between Herr Kaiser and the Prince may well be innocent, the fact that a dealer in armaments is spending such a considerable amount of time and money ingratiating himself with Duleep Singh should concern us. While I do not believe that the Maharajah is interested in stirring conflict it is my experience that those who benefit most from an instability are the merchants of weaponry. It is certainly not in Herr Kaiser’s financial interests to encourage peace. Even a hint of trouble in the Northern territories could lead to pressure on the government to reinforce the existing EIC armies, at great cost to us and enormous gain to him. I am only glad that the discussions are with the Sikh community. They at least pay lip service to Her Majesty’s authority, as evidenced by the gift of the diamond. If there were any suggestion that Herr Kaiser is engaged in discussions with the Hindu leadership then I think we would be in a much more dangerous position. Their loyalty is at best precarious, and it would not take much to trigger a war. That might be in the interests of the Imperial Arms Manufacturing Company, but it would not be in ours! I must admit to being curious as to the hints you gave at the end of your last letter, concerning your “fantastical” thought. I cannot claim to have had any insight into the strange matter of the shipment, but I did make the enquiries you requested of me and so I will close with the answers. The rifle crates were labelled with letters, while the bullet crates were numbered from I to XXIII. The customs officials called for a random sample to be delivered to the office for inspection, one at a time. Each was opened, inspected and returned to the floor and the next was summoned. In all the officers inspected seven crates, numbered III, VIII, XI, XII, XV, XVIII and XXII. Each was recorded by the officials as holding two hundred boxes of cartridges, each of which was full, just as reported by Miss Warne. There was nothing remarkable about the cargo and the customs officer was happy to release it to the company charged with shipping it on to London. Unless our friend has some magical power of which I am not aware, I cannot see how this shipment can have concealed a secret. Can it be that this is in any way helpful? It seems only to confirm what we both already knew. The crates were full of the curios shipped by Herr Kaiser for his stand at the exhibition. The bullets themselves are of little use, and despite my suspicions, I cannot find anything in this account to suggest that the shipment was in any way unusual. I look forward to our meeting on Thursday. I am hoping that, at the very least, you will be able to share the Janus Project file with me. If you feel able to share your deliberations on the shipment too, then I will consider the trip more than worthwhile. Your intrigued friend, Babbage PS While I agree that the present cipher provides reasonable security, I do have an idea that may eventually lead to its demise. Wheatstone is experimenting with a new idea that may well lead to its replacement, inspired by the ancients. I wonder if the Polybius cipher, in its various forms, might provide us with a useful alternative.

This challenge closed on 27/11/2024. Please click the Official Decrypt button above to see the correct answers.

RULE REMINDER: Rapid fire multiple submissions put an unreasonable load on the servers and make it difficult for others to submit. Anyone who makes an unreasonable number of submissions will be open to disqualification. In the first instance this will mean that anyone who submits more than 20 times in 10 minutes will be disqualified.

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