Smart Wallets
Securing the Mega Files
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Scientists attempting to enter the facility are presented with with a request to enter a password along with an encoded string
Each scientist was determined to recieve 1 of 10 unique strings from the system. These strings were identified to begin with the numbers 0-9 indicating and order to collect them in.
| Unique Strings |
|---|
Every odd position after this was given as only the numbers 0 or 1, leading to a binary encoding of those columns.
These columns could be broken up into two sets of 5 digits each, with each set of 5 being 5-bit encodings of the letters A-Z. (00001 = 1 = A, 11010 = 26 = Z). This leads to the message UNUSED NUMBERS IN EVEN COLUMNS MOD TWENTY SIX
These instructions lead to focus on the remaining even columns. Looking at each reveals a set of hex letters that contain just the number 0 sandwiched by a set of numbers.
Focusing on the strings of letters first reveals words where the number 0 has replaced a single letter in the word (ex: 0eace > Peace). Completing this reveals the message PINKY AND THE BLANK FIVE, a crossword clue of Pinky and the ______ (5) or BRAIN.
With the letters removed, this just leaves a set of numbers in each column. Using the earlier hint of UNUSED NUMBERS IN EVEN COLUMNS MOD TWENTY SIX, each remaining number can have a mod 26 calculation completed on it to leave a number 0-25. A mod operation divides the number by 26 and returns the remainder. ie. 28 mod 26 = 2 as 28 can be divided by 26 once, with 2 left over (28-26x1 = 2). Completing this operation for all the numbers and converting the numbers to letters using A1Z26 gives the phrase ITS UNIT IS THE WATT FIVE, a crossword clue of It's unit is the Watt (5) or POWER.
The final password of BRAIN POWER was first enter by the Lab, where they secured 6 of the files about the Megas, leaving The Path to secure 2.