Smart Wallets

Securing the Mega Files

Scientists attempting to enter the facility are presented with with a request to enter a password along with an encoded string

The system is locked out

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
0x0517130f09050c120816030e1204090710011603
0x1009010e12160a091d01181b081f150b0a151114
0x2e171d1e1b121d081e151d101d10161e1c190e03
0x3a060e0d1a0d0e1c1f161e1e0e1d0a0e1a15000e
0x4c1c1f1b0b1e101e0e0b0c1d1b0e1d0f1d0c1a1f
0x5e001e0a100f1c000a0e0A010A1d0D1C0e1a1d1f
0x631c000c0f000e1e00000d131c091e0a050d0e1a
0x751a0d101a0c080d111e001810011010171d0d0c
0x891d16040c1e1203050a15030e161d0e05001300
0x950a15071e050611171d160713171a02120e1207

Every odd position after this was given as only the numbers 0 or 1, leading to a binary encoding of those columns.

Odd Columns Highlighted

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

First 5	Letter	Second 5	Letter
10101	U	01110	N
10101	U	10011	S
00101	E	00100	D
01110	N	10101	U
01101	M	00010	B
00101	E	10010	R
10011	S	01001	I
01110	N	00101	E
10110	V	00101	E
01110	N	00011	C
01111	O	01100	L
10101	U	01101	M
01110	N	10011	S
01101	M	01111	O
00100	D	10100	T
10111	W	00101	E
01110	N	10100	T
11001	Y	10011	S
01001	I	11000	X

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.

The odd columns

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.

Peace
cIcada
defeNd
feedbacK
babYface
defAce
cadeNce
ceDed
defeaT
beHead
decadE
ebBed
debacLe
fAded
addeNda
beefcaKe
Facade
caddIe
eVaded
effacE

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.

Original	Output	Letter
53595 % 26	9	I
7976 % 26	20	T
3165 % 26	19	S
47 % 26	21	U
92 % 26	14	N
5625 % 26	9	I
826 % 26	20	T
29831 % 26	9	I
8157 % 26	19	S
6156 % 26	20	T
3856 % 26	8	H
13837 % 26	5	E
283 % 26	23	W
49167 % 26	1	A
956 % 26	20	T
72 % 26	20	T
5752 % 26	6	F
1595 % 26	9	I
6132 % 26	22	V
3437 % 26	5	E

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.