[ARG] The Pizza Code Mystery

Black Mesa Archive The Cafeteria
#1241

OMG why didn’t you post this earlier? That’s an excellent solution. It indeed had nothing to do with geometry and the red triangle was there only for padding since binary ASCII has to be divisible by 8.
So the binary you get from the image is

00000010 00100000 00100010 01110100 01100110 01100101 01111000 01101001
01110010 01101011 01101100 01100011 01110010 01101011 01111010 01100110
01100101 01101010 01110000 01100110 01101100 01101110 01100110 01100101
01101011 01111001 01110110 01000111 01011010 01010001 01010001 01010010
00100010 00100000 00010111 00000011

The first and the last 2 characters are actually ASCII control characters meaning “start of text”, “end of transmission block” and “end of text” respectively.

If you convert the binary to ASCII, you indeed get
tfexirklcrkzfejpflnfekyvGZQQR

The only remaining thing is to rotate the alphabet by 9 letters to the right and the text changes to
congratulationsyouwonthePIZZA

So congratulations, you (almost) won the pizza. :slight_smile:

#1242

Yay you won the PIZZA! Is that the end? I don’t see any more things to do…

#1243

I really, really doubt that’s the end of it. We still haven’t discovered all the details behind the Horn Story, and I feel like this is just the beginning of something bigger. I guess if it is the end, then finding the page was the last piece?

Nice work on the binary, btw–very nice.

I expect Storm will interfere a bit soon; either to lead us toward the next piece or congratulate us on solving it, whatever the case may be.

#1244

I hope so. I actually didn’t know about the ARG until a few hours ago. I hope I didn’t come here just to end it.

#1245

Am I the only one who finds it weird that his nick is “pointless” ???

#1246

Rest assured that there is absolutely no chance of a dangerous equipment malfunction prior to your victory candescence.

#1247

New IRC message:

[14:59] * watcher_ (webchat@host-84-9-122-177.dslgb.com) has joined #BMS-ARG
[15:01] <watcher_> UHJveHlob3N0QC04NC05LTEyMy0xNjQuZHNsZ2IuY29tLy9jbG9zZWQucHJveHkuYWNjZXB0ZWQvLz9PVFIsMSwzLD9PVFI6W0ktLS1NSS1HIFRSLS1TTUktLS1PTiAtIFVOLS0tV04gUyMjUkNFXUF
[15:01] <watcher_> jY2VzcyBkZXRlY3RlZCB0byBwZXJzb25hbCBzaXRlLiAKU2VjdXJpdHkgY29tcHJvbWlzZWQuCkhBTE9TIHByb2plY3QgdW5kZXIgdGhyZWF0LiBTaXRlIG9mZmxpbmUgYXMgcmVzcG9uc2UuIFN3aX
[15:01] <watcher_> RjaGluZyB0byBuZXcgcHJvdG9jb2xzLlsqKioqKioqKl0gfltPVFIvLzIuMF1RMEZaUlVsTVZFaEVXa1ZJVkVoQlRscEpSVlJMU1U1T1FVRlRWRk5QVQowbENTVk5QUkVsSVZFaEJUbHBKUlVSYVJVa
[15:01] <watcher_> FVTMGxPVjA5TVRFRkRTRVZGUkVsQ1JVaFVTRUZPV2tsRlEwRlpSVWxNVkVoRVdrVklSRWxDUlVoVVNFRk9Xa2xGVGtGQlUxUlRUMU5KVGs5RVFVbApJVkVoQlRscEpSVTFCUlU1QlFWTlVVMDlUU1Vk
[15:01] <watcher_> QlNGUkxTVTVPUlVGVFNFcFRUbFJJUVU1YVNVVUtSRWxDUlVoWlFWcGFTVXhKVGxOSVZWTklSRnBGU0V0TVNWcGFTVVZPUlZOSVEwaEZSVU5CV1VWSlRGUklTMHhKV2xwSlJWbEJXbHBKUjBGSVUwaFZ
[15:01] <watcher_> VMGhDUlVSSlFrClZJV1VGYVdrbFRTRlZUU0VKSlUwOUVTVWhPVDBSQlNVZz1bL11+CltUcmFuc21pc3Npb24gRW5kc10=
[15:02] * watcher_ (webchat@host-84-9-122-177.dslgb.com) Quit (Quit: Page closed)

Decoded:

Proxyhost@-84-9-123-164.dslgb.com//closed.proxy.accepted//?OTR,1,3,?OTR:[I---MI-G TR--SMI---ON - UN---WN S##RCE]Access detected to personal site. 
Security compromised.
HALOS project under threat. Site offline as response. Switching to new protocols.[********] ~[OTR//2.0]Q0FZRUlMVEhEWkVIVEhBTlpJRVRLSU5OQUFTVFNPU
0lCSVNPRElIVEhBTlpJRURaRUhUS0lOV09MTEFDSEVFRElCRUhUSEFOWklFQ0FZRUlMVEhEWkVIRElCRUhUSEFOWklFTkFBU1RTT1NJTk9EQUl
IVEhBTlpJRU1BRU5BQVNUU09TSUdBSFRLSU5ORUFTSEpTTlRIQU5aSUUKRElCRUhZQVpaSUxJTlNIVVNIRFpFSEtMSVpaSUVORVNIQ0hFRUNBWUVJTFRIS0xJWlpJRVlBWlpJR0FIU0hVU0hCRURJQk
VIWUFaWklTSFVTSEJJU09ESUhOT0RBSUg=[/]~
[Transmission Ends]

Which contains another base 64 message, but it looks like it needs another step to decrypt:

CAYEILTHDZEHTHANZIETKINNAASTSOSIBISODIHTHANZIEDZEHTKINWOLLACHEEDIBEHTHANZIECAYEILTHDZEHDIBEHTHANZIENAASTSOSINODAIHTHANZIEMAENAASTSOSIGAHTKINNEASHJSNTHANZIE
DIBEHYAZZILINSHUSHDZEHKLIZZIENESHCHEECAYEILTHKLIZZIEYAZZIGAHSHUSHBEDIBEHYAZZISHUSHBISODIHNODAIH
#1248

Hmm . . . so it seems we are definitely seeing the fruition of the web-based element of the ARG.

#1249

Frequency of letters in the new code:


		
	
A 25	
B 7	
C 5	
D 12	
E 27	
F 0
G 2	
H 33
I 33	
J 1	
K 5	
L 8	
M 1	
N 18	
O 8	
P 0
Q 0
R 0
S 20	
T 15 	
U 3	
V 0
W 1
X 0	
Y 6
Z 20
#1250

holy shit we finally got code D? and the ARG is not over? :awesome:

#1251

Also the code can be written like this:
CAYEILTH
DZEH
THANZIE
TKINNAASTSOSIBISODIH
THANZIE
DZEHTKINWOLLACHEEDIBEH
THANZIE
CAYEILTHDZEH
DIBEH
THANZIE
NAASTSOSI
NODAIH
THANZIE
MAENAASTSOSIGAHTKINNEASHJSN
THANZIE

DIBEHYA
ZZI
LINSHUSHDZEHKLI
ZZI
ENESHCHEE
CAYEILTH
KLI
ZZI
EYA
ZZI
GAHSHUSHBEDIBEHYA
ZZI
SHUSHBISODIH
NODAIH

Where I have put each “word” that gets repeated on a new line.

easier to spot the pattern like this:
CAYEILTHDZEH
THANZIE
TKINNAASTSOSIBISODIH
THANZIE
DZEHTKINWOLLACHEEDIBEH
THANZIE
CAYEILTHDZEHDIBEH
THANZIE
NAASTSOSINODAIH
THANZIE
MAENAASTSOSIGAHTKINNEASHJSN
THANZIE

DIBEHYA
ZZI
LINSHUSHDZEHKLI
ZZI
ENESHCHEECAYEILTHKLI
ZZI
EYA
ZZI
GAHSHUSHBEDIBEHYA
ZZI
SHUSHBISODIHNODAIH

I’m not good with word puzzles so hope this helps in some way

#1252

CAYEILTHDZEHTHANZIETKINNAASTSOSIBISODIHTHANZIEDZEHTKINWOLLACHEEDIBEHTHANZIECAYEILTHDZEHDIBEHTHANZIENAASTSOSINODAIHTHANZIEMAENAASTSOSIGAHTKINNEASHJSNTHANZIE
DIBEHYAZZILINSHUSHDZEHKLIZZIENESHCHEECAYEILTHKLIZZIEYAZZIGAHSHUSHBEDIBEHYAZZISHUSHBISODIHNODAIH

Not sure if this is helpful, but there are a lot of recurring patterns in this code.

For instance, the letters “THANZIE” Appears 6 times in the first part.
“SHUSH” appear 3 times in the second part.
“YAZZI” Appears 3 times in the second part
“DIBEH” Appears 3 times througout.
There may be more, I’m just eyeballing this thing here.

Edit: Fudge. Ninja’d

#1253

I also realized all of this. It’s from Navajo Code Talkers’ Dictionary. I already began translating the message.
https://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq61-4.htm

EDIT:
It seems that this dictionary was used (it’s a bit smaller and more accurate): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Code_talker#Use_of_Navajo

Partitioned message:
Q - CAYEILTH
E - DZEH
T - THANZIE
I - TKIN
M - NAASTSOSI
P - BISODIH
T - THANZIE
E - DZEH
I - TKIN
A - WOLLACHEE
S - DIBEH
T - THANZIE
Q - CAYEILTH
E - DZEH
S - DIBEH
T - THANZIE
M - NAASTSOSI
U - NODAIH
T - THANZIE
F - MAE
M - NAASTSOSI
R - GAH
I - TKIN
O - NEASHJSN
T - THANZIE

L - DIBEHYAZZI
H - LIN
B - SHUSH
E - DZEH
G - KLIZZIE
N - NESHCHEE
Q - CAYEILTH
K - KLIZZIEYAZZI
R - GAH
B - SHUSH
D - BE
L - DIBEHYAZZI
B - SHUSH
P - BISODIH
U - NODAIH

Which gives a new message
QETIMPTEIASTQESTMUTFMRIOT LHBEGNQKRBDLBPU

EDIT2: faed: check the second link

#1254

How did you come up with this part? I don’t see this word decoded anywhere on that page.

Nevermind. Didn’t see your new wikipedia link.

#1255

I was thinking that those words look familiar. I know plenty of people who speak Navajo.

Amazing work, guys! It’s awesome to see so much progress being made.

#1256

Well it’s not a rotated alphabet.

00 QETIMPTEIASTQESTMUTFMRIOTLHBEGNQKRBDLBPU
01 RFUJNQUFJBTURFTUNVUGNSJPUMICFHORLSCEMCQV
02 SGVKORVGKCUVSGUVOWVHOTKQVNJDGIPSMTDFNDRW
03 THWLPSWHLDVWTHVWPXWIPULRWOKEHJQTNUEGOESX
04 UIXMQTXIMEWXUIWXQYXJQVMSXPLFIKRUOVFHPFTY
05 VJYNRUYJNFXYVJXYRZYKRWNTYQMGJLSVPWGIQGUZ
06 WKZOSVZKOGYZWKYZSAZLSXOUZRNHKMTWQXHJRHVA
07 XLAPTWALPHZAXLZATBAMTYPVASOILNUXRYIKSIWB
08 YMBQUXBMQIABYMABUCBNUZQWBTPJMOVYSZJLTJXC
09 ZNCRVYCNRJBCZNBCVDCOVARXCUQKNPWZTAKMUKYD
10 AODSWZDOSKCDAOCDWEDPWBSYDVRLOQXAUBLNVLZE
11 BPETXAEPTLDEBPDEXFEQXCTZEWSMPRYBVCMOWMAF
12 CQFUYBFQUMEFCQEFYGFRYDUAFXTNQSZCWDNPXNBG
13 DRGVZCGRVNFGDRFGZHGSZEVBGYUORTADXEOQYOCH
14 ESHWADHSWOGHESGHAIHTAFWCHZVPSUBEYFPRZPDI
15 FTIXBEITXPHIFTHIBJIUBGXDIAWQTVCFZGQSAQEJ
16 GUJYCFJUYQIJGUIJCKJVCHYEJBXRUWDGAHRTBRFK
17 HVKZDGKVZRJKHVJKDLKWDIZFKCYSVXEHBISUCSGL
18 IWLAEHLWASKLIWKLEMLXEJAGLDZTWYFICJTVDTHM
19 JXMBFIMXBTLMJXLMFNMYFKBHMEAUXZGJDKUWEUIN
20 KYNCGJNYCUMNKYMNGONZGLCINFBVYAHKELVXFVJO
21 LZODHKOZDVNOLZNOHPOAHMDJOGCWZBILFMWYGWKP
22 MAPEILPAEWOPMAOPIQPBINEKPHDXACJMGNXZHXLQ
23 NBQFJMQBFXPQNBPQJRQCJOFLQIEYBDKNHOYAIYMR
24 OCRGKNRCGYQROCQRKSRDKPGMRJFZCELOIPZBJZNS
25 PDSHLOSDHZRSPDRSLTSELQHNSKGADFMPJQACKAOT
#1257

I put the Navajo code decoded in to a play fair decoder and got out primesitecompromisedreturnbmrfloginhalos with the keyword terminal. If you add spaces it becomes prime site compromised return bmrf login halos
Where do you think we should login?
Thank you, National Treasure for making me know what the playfair cipher is.

#1258

Nice! Seems related to my discovery from a week or two ago, bmrf.us. I just checked though, and the site still isn’t up.

Also, interestingly enough, bmrf.us has been removed from Josh’s portfolio. That seems to me like a surefire reason that the site is connected to the ARG.

#1259

https://bmrf.us is just the front end of https://gman.blackmesasource.com/ which is definately connected to the arg.

I also wonder why he removed that part of his website and didnt just add more stuff for us to find.

#1260

Another IRC clue:

[19:38] * Watcher_ (webchat@host-84-9-123-29.dslgb.com) has joined #BMS-ARG
[19:38] * silverj8 (webchat@108-247-141-52.lightspeed.rcsntx.sbcglobal.net) has joined #BMS-ARG
[19:39] <Watcher_> W1tQcm94eWhvc3RALTg0LTktMTIzLTE1NS5kc2xnYi5jb20vL2Nsb3NlZC5wcm94eS5hY2NlcHRlZC8vP09UUiwxLDMsP09UUjpbSU5DT01JTkcgVFJBTlNNSVNTSU9OIFVOS05PV04gU09VUkNFXUxFQUsgU09VUkNFIERFVEV
[19:39] <Watcher_> DVEVELiBUUklBTkdVTEFUSU5HLi4uTUlYIENBU0NBREUKSE9QIERFVEVDVEVELi4uQVRURU1QVElORyBUSU1JTkcgQVRUQUNLLi4uW1RFUk1JTkFURURdIENBTk5PVCBDT05ORUNUIFRPIEhPU1QuLi5BVFRFTVBUSU5HIENPTk
[19:39] <Watcher_> 5FQ1QgVE8gVVNFUiBILi4uIFNFTkRJTkcgREFUQS4gU0VDVVJJVFkgTEVWRUwgNyBBTFBIQS5bT1RSLy8zLjBdClFrRlJTMWdnU2s5QlNrY2dXRUZJUlVRZ1NVWkhTVm9nUmxwRVVFSWdWVk5ZVEVjZ1IxaElSa0VnVlVGVlYwM
[19:39] <Watcher_> GdTRUpSUVUwZ1YwRllWbGtnVEZGUlVsa2dWMUpWVjFZZ1JWUlJUMHNnUWtGRFFrVWdTbGRJVFZNZ1NGWlBUbG9nU1VGSVVFRWdVMDlYUTAwZ1RFZEJWRmdnVlVWWVQxRWdSRkoKUlJVb2dRbFpNUWs4Z1JFcEpTRVVnUTFwVVNF
[19:40] <Watcher_> MGdXa3RJU1VVZ1RrOU5URk1nUVZoV1ZsY0tSVlJYU1ZNZ1JWUkpSMDBnVWxoRlZrWWdVVmxCVlVJZ1ZrWkRSVUlnVUZkQ1ZVc2dSVTFPVDB3Z1Z3PT1bL11bRW5kIFRyYW5zbWlzc2lvbl18rFtUZXJtaW5hbC5dIH5+IFtUcmF uc21pc3Npb24gRW5kc11d
[19:40] * Watcher_ (webchat@host-84-9-123-29.dslgb.com) Quit (Quit: Page closed)
[[Proxyhost@-84-9-123-155.dslgb.com//closed.proxy.accepted//?OTR,1,3,?OTR:[INCOMING TRANSMISSION UNKNOWN SOURCE]LEAK SOURCE DETECTED. TRIANGULATING...MIX CASCADE
HOP DETECTED...ATTEMPTING TIMING ATTACK...[TERMINATED] CANNOT CONNECT TO HOST...ATTEMPTING CONNECT TO USER H... SENDING DATA. SECURITY LEVEL 7 ALPHA.[OTR//3.0]
QkFRS1ggSk9BSkcgWEFIRUQgSUZHSVogRlpEUEIgVVNYTEcgR1hIRkEgVUFVV00gSEJRQU0gV0FYVlkgTFFRUlkgV1JVV1YgRVRRT0sgQkFDQkUgSldITVMgSFZPTlogSUFIUEEgU09XQ00gTEdBVFggVUVYT1EgRFJ
RRUogQlZMQk8gREpJSEUgQ1pUSE0gWktISUUgTk9NTFMgQVhWVlcKRVRXSVMgRVRJR00gUlhFVkYgUVlBVUIgVkZDRUIgUFdCVUsgRU1OT0wgVw==[/][End Transmission]|¬[Terminal.] ~~ [Transmission Ends]]

Inner code:

BAQKX JOAJG XAHED IFGIZ FZDPB USXLG GXHFA UAUWM HBQAM WAXVY LQQRY WRUWV ETQOK BACBE JWHMS HVONZ IAHPA SOWCM LGATX UEXOQ DRQEJ BVLBO DJIHE CZTHM ZKHIE NOMLS AXVVW
ETWIS ETIGM RXEVF QYAUB VFCEB PWBUK EMNOL W

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