Fog and Mirrors

Select 2) -- File Browser -- and then open 1) -- Meeting Location.txt -- to view the contents of a peculiar text file:

C1.

Mcny ufjbu: 1472 Jyulf Mn. Nbun'm lcabn, ch Hyq Sile. Gyyn nbyly uznyl yrnluwncih. Nby zlihn xiil cm fiweyx. Jummwixy cm fun uhx fih iz nby zilvcxxyh wcns. Sio ehiq nby ihy. Ch Cnufs.

Using the Key 1 found within the phone, decrypt Meeting Location.txt.

Key 1 is as follows:

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

UVWXYZABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRST

To decrypt using the given key, take a letter in the encrypted message and map it to the alphabet key, with encrypted letters going on the bottom row. Simply find which letter in the normal alphabet they correspond to in order to find the original letter. For example, U in a C1-encrypted message would be A when decrypted.

The encrypted message is:

C1.

Mcny ufjbu: 1472 Jyulf Mn. Nbun'm lcabn, ch Hyq Sile. Gyyn nbyly uznyl yrnluwncih. Nby zlihn xiil cm fiweyx. Jummwixy cm fun uhx fih iz nby zilvcxxyh wcns. Sio ehiq nby ihy. Ch Cnufs.

Decrypted, it reads as:

C1.

Site alpha: 1472 Pearl St. That's right, in New York. Meet there after extracting. The front door is locked. Password is lat and lon of the forbidden city. You know the one. In Italy.

The location is 1472 Pearl St. in New York, where a reinforced steel door awaits (292,416). Use its Access Keypad.

As per the Mission Journal, the phone has the purple flag of the Phoenicians on its back.

The Phoenicians are currently forbidden from Venice after their fall-out with the Council of Venice and loss of their seat some years ago.

The latitude and longitude of Venice is 45.4408° N, 12.3155° E; however, the keypad only accepts 4 digits.

The password is therefore 4512.

Using the C2 key found within C2.txt, translate the message within For when you get here, as you are indeed here.

The C2 key as given in C2.txt is as follows:

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

HYUIQZXCKEJRTASWVBNMOPFGLD

To decrypt C2, much the same steps as with C1 must be followed. Instead of using the key given for C1, use the C2 key instead. For example, to decrypt an encrypted message, any H would decrypt into A as the true value of that letter in the message.

The encrypted message is:

C2. Cql Thbuon, mcq WU whnnfsbi hm mcq tqqmkax wskam kn Kbsawow33596. Mcq bqnm sz mcq ukwcqb jql kn ka mcq whnnfsbi ckam.

Decrypted, the message reads as:

C2. Hey Marcus, the PC password at the meeting point is Ironpup3356. The rest of the cipher key is in the password hint.

And just as they said, that is not the final decryption for when you are at the meeting point. Another key was given through the PC password hint:

0123456789

2345678901

Add that to the original C2 key to get the full key for the C2 cipher:

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ0123456789

HYUIQZXCKEJRTASWVBNMOPFGLD2345678901

Using the full key available to you, Ironpup335596 becomes Ironpup11374.

Ironpup11374 is the password to the PC.

Enter Ironpup11374 as the password to have free range of the PC's contents.

Select 1) -- Bay 1 --, as this is the first bay within the warehouse basement, and then go to 3) -- Maintenance Tickets -- to try and learn more about the keypad. There are only two tickets. Ticket 2) -- #001-024 -- has content concerning the keypad.

The order is therefore: 1) -- Bay 1 -- > 3) -- Maintenance Tickets -- > 2) -- #001-024.

Maintenance Ticket #001-024 contains the following:

Maintenance ticket #001-024
Status: Reopened
Assignee: T. Harolds
Description: Security gate keypad broken

Resolution: It's fine. The code was changed to 8452

Reporter Reopen: I forgot the code. What is it again?

The keypad has a new code, one left in a reopened ticket for those forgetful workers who may need it.

Input 8452 in the keypad to open the gate.

Decrypt Proposal: Cipher C2R as found in the Strike-Team Message Board its entirety using the full C2 cipher to see what changes exist between the Cipher proposal v3 draft.txt that was found in the File Browser and final proposal.

The encrypted message is:

Ground3: C2. K fsori rkjq ms wbswsnq h uchaxq ms U4: bsmhmksa. Km'n nktwrq, hzmqb qhuc uchbhumqb eonm mhjq mcq bkxcmtsnm rqmmqb sz mcq ysmmst chrz sz mcq jql, wom km sa mcq rqzm nkiq hai nckzm mcq ysmmst bkxcm yl 3. Fq uha iqasmq km U4B.

Lead: C2. Lqn. Qahum mckn hm sauq, thaihmsbl ustwrkhauq. Yom nckzm rqzm kanmqhi sz bkxcm, km'n qhnkqb ms uhruorhmq.

Whereas the decrypted message is:

Ground3: C2. I would like to propose a change to C2: rotation. It's simple, after each character just take the rightmost letter of the bottom half of the key, put it on the left side and shift the bottom right by 1. We can denote it C2R.

Lead: C2. Yes. Enact this at once, mandatory compliance. But shift left instead of right, it's easier to calculate.

With the instructions on the C2R Cipher, look to the message within Gate #2 keycode and decrypt it as well.

The encrypted portion of the message is as follows:

Soldier3: C2R. K ieibrjj 3vs a2vn 55 hdg T0d 5lk6. 1r yt FGD782

To decrypt a message encrypted with the C2R cipher, begin with the C2 key for the first character in the encrypted message. In this case, Soldier3's first letter "K" would become "I" using HYUIQZXCKEJRTASWVBNMOPFGLD2345678901 as the bottom half of the key as per usual for C2.

The next character that can be decrypted is the "i" in the next word, but instead of using the original C2 key, shift the entire bottom key to the left while keeping it in line with the top key.

Done correctly, the original key should go from this:

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ0123456789

HYUIQZXCKEJRTASWVBNMOPFGLD2345678901

To this:

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ0123456789

YUIQZXCKEJRTASWVBNMOPFGLD2345678901H

With this new key for the second character in the encrypted message, the "i" would then become "c".

Continue this pattern for the rest of the message, shifting left to get the key needed for every character within the message.

See the hint below for the full rotation of keys, including the character in the message they are used for, should you desire a visual. The unencrypted portion of the key is listed at line 39.

Successfully decrypted, the message reads:

Soldier3: C2R. I changed the code on the 2nd gate. It is 112770.

The code is 112770. Input it into the keypad to open the gate.

• Laser 1: Jump onto the nearby boxes and walk off their edge to pass the first lasers safely. Moving at any higher speed will surely result in death.
• Laser 2: Walk around the forklift to easily pass by the second lasers.
• Laser 3: Jump over the forklift to its other side and the hop over the single laser. Do not do so while walking.
• Laser 4: Hop over the next single laser in the way. Again, be sure to be running and not walking or you may wind up jumping directly on to the laser.
• Laser 5: Head up the ramp and jump over the laser on it. It is in your way.
• Laser 6: Squeeze through an opening between the boxes just after the ramp laser in order to pass.
• Laser 7: Teleport through the final set of lasers using either Flicker or a teleportation gadget.

Denise's birthday is the only birthday out of those listed within dates to remember.txt that could be for somebody in a romantic relationship with Tech1. The password to deactivate the laser grid is thus 122792.

Select 4) -- Laser Grid Control -- > Input 122792 > 1) -- Deactivate -- to deactivate the laser grid.

NOTE: If you are using the German or French clients, the password is instead 271292.

Go to 1) -- E-mail -- > 1) -- Inbox -- > 1) -- Orders -- to see what orders were given to the Phoenicians involved in Operation Seafoam.

Subject: Orders
From: fleet8@fleet8.purpleflags.sw

Commence Operation Seafoam as soon as possible. Ensure maximum distraction. It is imperative that mobilization not be detected by RGB or Venice.

Attached are briefs on objectives. After utilization or completion of all objectives, report to site alpha and maintain a closed site until further notice.