jwillyg Posted January 13, 2011 Share Posted January 13, 2011 I'm working on a geocache and it's kicking my ass! Please help solve it. Here is all the info from the cache page... Space the Final Frontier… “These are the voyages of the Starship Enterprise. Its five year mission: To explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations; to boldly go where no man has gone before." On a mission to the Geocache Nebula, Captain Kirk and the crew of the USS Enterprise find out the ship’s supply of Dilithium Crystals is depleted. A safe flight home is in great jeopardy. After repeated distress calls to star base for more crystals, a location is sent. However, it is intercepted by a Romulan Star Empire “Bird of Prey” equipped with a cloaking device encrypting the message. Now grab your phaser, dodge the plasma torpedoes, and begin your mission. Find the coordinates and the supply of Dilithium Crystals. dmxnskujnkuhsupmtamfbaguhnif dmcizfytdzytcxguhndzmgcxjnkbjs gucofjbuifjgynsbplrizplooeasogsu goupgeuabkejaspnpuifkbbehjifdm msiuxgjhagmfgairnwurxruspltyfp gvhjzrvismmgmjuxfmdofmmpgzvf pnvismfehiupjgsuhjfpgvivfmridzkl dzkwezfjsunguaosmpmhsw any help is appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Defiler Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 Looks like a transposition code to me. You sure the message is in english? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwillyg Posted January 15, 2011 Author Share Posted January 15, 2011 yep. It is in english Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michel123456 Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 (edited) It's a tricky one. Is it supposed to contain words and numbers? Or numbers only? (I mean, if you get coordinates only, without further message, is that satisfying?) Edited January 17, 2011 by michel123456 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwillyg Posted January 17, 2011 Author Share Posted January 17, 2011 I know it will contain coordinates. As far as anything else, I'm not sure. I'll take what I can get. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michel123456 Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 You are expecting coordinates like N 32 06 51 74 W 81 09 14 40 (for example) , that means 2 series of 8 numbers. The message is made up from 8 sets of characters (8 "words"). Each set is divisible by 2 (there is an even number of characters in each set). So that each set could represent 2 numbers. Just a supposition. It is supposed that the Star Trek story should contain some indication, but I don't know how. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ydoaPs Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 (edited) I went to see the Oracle. She told me it was at N 32° 06.360 W 081° 12.425 Edited January 17, 2011 by ydoaPs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwillyg Posted January 17, 2011 Author Share Posted January 17, 2011 ydoaps, how did you get to that answer? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ydoaPs Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 ydoaps, how did you get to that answer? I asked the Oracle and she pointed me to that site. All I had to do was create an account and log in. Then it showed me the answer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwillyg Posted January 17, 2011 Author Share Posted January 17, 2011 so, you didn't solve the cipher? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ydoaPs Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 so, you didn't solve the cipher? No. However, with the answer, you may be able to work backwards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwillyg Posted January 17, 2011 Author Share Posted January 17, 2011 the coordinates on the page listing are not the final coords. Just some close by. I need coords from the cipher Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michel123456 Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 Hmm. The question was "Find the coordinates and the supply of Dilithium Crystals." If the coordinates were so obvious, then maybe the cipher do not involve numbers but written indications. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwillyg Posted January 18, 2011 Author Share Posted January 18, 2011 for this type of geocache, which is labeled as an unknown, you are allowed to post coords away from the final location. In this case, the cipher should contain coords to the final location. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imatfaal Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 I don't think it is substitution - no pattern matches dilithium, which I would guess would be included; nor congratulations. there is only one possible way coordinates can go in and it makes nonsense elsewhere. if there is any longish word or phrase that you think is likely to be there let us know Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ydoaPs Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 I don't think it is substitution - no pattern matches dilithium, which I would guess would be included; nor congratulations. there is only one possible way coordinates can go in and it makes nonsense elsewhere. if there is any longish word or phrase that you think is likely to be there let us know Did you try the Klingon word for Dilithium? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michel123456 Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 I don't think it is substitution Agree. It does not look like basic substitution. It could be substitution on the basis of some phrase like "To explore strange new worlds". It has 25 letters, the english alphabet contains 26 letters , and letter Q is missing from the riddle, so it could fit. but I cannot find any solution right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imatfaal Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 Using YdoaPs method I found the original source - well I assume it is the original. The layout is a bit suspect (ie it's not in fives and why are linebreaks where they are) dmxnskujnkuhsupmtamfbaguhnif dmcizfytdzytcxguhndzmgcxjnkbjs gucofjbuifjgynsbplrizplooeasogsu goupgeuabkejaspnpuifkbbehjifdm msiuxgjhagmfgairnwurxruspltyfp gvhjzrvismmgmjuxfmdofmmpgzvf pnvismfehiupjgsuhjfpgvivfmridzkl dzkwezfjsunguaosmpmhsw There is also a line missing in the OPs message - the first half is (I believe) geocache argot for non-geocachers, whether the second half is a joke or a hint to the solution I don't know Klingon muggles have been seen in the area, beware! The use of the Vulcan nerve pinch might be needed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michel123456 Posted January 19, 2011 Share Posted January 19, 2011 yep. It is in english Maybe it is Clingon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imatfaal Posted January 19, 2011 Share Posted January 19, 2011 Maybe it is Clingon. That's a good call. I have no intention of trying it out - but it would be a nice code to set. I think it has to be fairly simple; once you get beyond substitution things get very hard, very quickly. I once cracked a playfair cipher for a competition run by NOVA - it took me a couple of weeks AND I had knowledge of a three word phrase that was included (actually a choice of two phrases). If the cipher isn't simple, then I would guess, both the cipher used and a hint must be in the text given and for the life of me I cannot spot it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michel123456 Posted January 19, 2011 Share Posted January 19, 2011 I found a solution. The question was: can you break the code? My answer is: "no". 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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