Challenge 10B
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It it just me or is it a bit weird how the Charles’ featured last year as well?:
My Dear Lord Palmerston, It is with relief that I am able to report that our efforts to thwart Kaiser’s plot have been successful. Following the successful decypherment of the final page in the Janus project files, the detonators were discovered and retrieved without incident. I must admit that when the Countess and Miss Warne first outlined the plot to me, I was sceptical. My scepticism was fully shared by Wheatstone who, as an experienced engineer, remarked that the quantity of explosives contained within a single crate would have only the slightest effect on the integrity of the steel frame housing the Pavilion. As you may imagine, the ladies pressed their point, and Wheatstone turned a peculiar colour when they explained that, under the cumulative effect of thousands of charges, the steel might survive but the glass canopy most certainly would not. The vibrations across the structure would have set up shock waves that would, in turn, have led to a rain of glass shards upon the crowds beneath. I shudder to think of the casualties. It now seems clear that the terror following such an explosion was intended to lead to chaos in the hall. It would have been easy for conspirators to steal away the Koh-I-Noor diamond in the guise of bystanders rushing to aid the wounded. Things would have been dramatically worse had our Queen, or her family, been in attendance at the time of the explosion. She has already indicated that she will visit the exhibition regularly throughout the season and even the urging of King Ernest has failed to dissuade her. His letter outlining the threat seemed persuasive to me, almost prescient in his assertion that “I am astonished the ministers themselves do not insist on her at least going to Osborne during the Exhibition, as no human being can possibly answer for what may occur on the occasion.” Nonetheless we feel that this was not the intention of the plotters. The assassination of our treasured Monarch would have enraged her subjects and provoked a deep and wide investigation, increasing the risk to the conspirators and in any case, the little proof we do have of Kaiser’s intentions suggest a more mercantile approach. The efforts to implicate the Hindu community in the theft would undoubtedly have resulted in much unrest in India. The loss of the diamond would have also infuriated the Maharajah increasing the likelihood of an uprising that would have been, at best, difficult to manage. Herr Kaiser stood to gain significantly from any ensuing, drawn-out conflict, as he equipped all sides. A war would have been more vicious, but in all likelihood much shorter and he stood to gain far less from it. It is only because of the tenacity and curiosity of Kate Warne that this plot was ever uncovered, and we owe her an enormous debt. The countess has done her very best to persuade Miss Warne to remain here and to continue working with us, but I am afraid that even she could not prevent our American friend from returning to the places she knows best. We are very reluctant to see her leave, however I understand that our friend Mr. Allan Pinkerton is setting up an agency that may have use for her particular skills. I wonder if we should perhaps write to him. As for Kaiser, we have wrestled mightily to determine what would be best. The evidence against him as an individual is at best circumstantial. No court would allow us to adduce documents reproduced only from Kate’s recollection, and it is highly unlikely that we will be able to obtain the originals now. We are left, therefore, with the unpleasant conclusion that he and his co-conspirators are likely to escape punishment. He will not, however, avoid the consequences of his treachery. You have already agreed to cancel the contract of supply with his firm, and I believe that the India Company has agreed to follow your lead. Kaiser may be free to sell his weapons in his own country, but we will continue to use more traditional rifles and ammunition unsullied with the mineral oils and greases of which he is so proud. Tallow has provided a suitable lubricant for us until now, and Wheatstone assures us that there is no good reason to change that. With our best wishes to you and the government, and our loyal best wishes to Her Majesty. Your humble servants, CHARLES BABBAGE, Ada Lovelace, Kate Warne, CHARLES WHEATSTONE.Not at all weird. They appear throughout the history of the National Cipher Challenge and they and Ada Lovelace were principal characters in the very first competition. They are major players in the history of BOSS and you can probably expect to find them in future challenges as well! Harry
@Mycrofta
I couldn’t help but make a reference — one does not simply solve 10B without some struggle! Trust that the case files arrive neither early nor late, but precisely when they mean to (perhaps not 100% accurate given the recent case with Harry’s time machine but we can still have faith) And regardless of how 10B goes, you know you can look forward to LOTR extended editions re-release in Jan 2026!
Extremely good general advice, Harry
When looking for keyword/cribs, it may be worth asking why the title of the challenge is called what it is. Remember that every detail on the challenge page is there for a reason. Light too has its consequences.
Since the title is in Latin, could the text be in Latin?
I still have nightmares of last year’s first 10B Case File.
It was a bar chart saying ‘FWEKWENTHY ANALITHITH ITH YOUR FWEND?????’
Who has not worked out that there are the same number of \’s /’s and |’s?????It reminds me of Nemethith in Jeremy Strong’s short story ‘Never Trust a Parrot’.
‘I AM YOUR FWEND. I AM YOUR FWEND.’
I felt as if I would wake up the next morning and find myself transformed into a monstrous vermin!
(yes I know this is from a different book intended for older readers)So I was expecting a similar piece of discombobulating cacophonous codswallop to come out this year.
But this year the Case File was genuinely helpful!
I’m not sure if Harry wants to reward those who already have the main idea…
Or maybe we just got lucky.
But anyways THANK YOU SO MUCH for the hint!We were having so much fun until 10b :sob:
Also what is the case file for 10a meant to mean I’m so confused despite my team finishing 10a alreadyYou can think of Casefile 10A as an extra, just for fun, challenge. It is a bit like a cryptic clue where the fun is often understanding how the clue fits the solution rather than figuring out the solution from the clue! Harry
Harry please give us some kind of hint at what cipher it is pleaseeeee! 😫😫😫
The Casefiles are your friend. Do not give up hope! Harry
Ok so that case file did not help because we had already figured out the hint before it was published 😤😤😤
Don’t we all just love a good game of spot the difference(s) in the case files…
Also, since this is our first year, I’ve got a question. Does part A always have a hint for part B or only sometimes? #Grasping@Straws
Only sometimes I am afraid. Harry
Harry help!? These hints are not helpful at all. I knew the cipher text was the face values of cards from the very beginning! I need a hint as to what the first cipher is, as I don’t think it is substitution but at the same time has something to do with the parity of the suits??? I’m loosing my marbles over here…
I am lost as lost can be. Genuinely, I am just going to give up until a good hint arrises, because I am clueless
More will be revealed! Don’t forget, this cipher is supposed to take a while! Harry
does this cipher perhaps have something to do with unicode?
Take a closer look at the case files and at which letters and numbers are used in the ciphertext. Unicode is just digits or digits and letters A-F.
Harry please help!
Maybe now is the right time to quote Channing421:
‘xonk xonk ook ook ook xonk xonk ooks ooks’
Nice suggestion – let’s see what appears tomorrow. Harry
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