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[cantgetanyworse]

[Jane, who is not that good at puzzles, is picking casually at the cipher while people far more adept than her work on its solution. What she does wonder, after she sees Mollymauk's concerns, is something entirely different.]

This mystery is all terribly exciting. [She muses. She's sitting in her living room, a paintbrush in her hand and a smudge of grey on her cheek. The side of her hand is shiny with silvery graphite.]

But I don't suppose-- and, I'm not terribly aware of how all the technology works in this time period yet-- is there no way at all to find out just who these messages came from?

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[redcosmedic]

Whoever sent the messages seems to have covered their tracks rather admirably.

[ He's been running some attempted traces on the source and come up quite empty-handed. ]

[cantgetanyworse]

[It's that moment again, when she has to do a double-take and an abrupt reality adjustment.

A metal person is talking to her. It takes her a second to register the idea.]

Yes, that... that does seem to be the case. I must admit to being quite ignorant of the methods involved.

[redcosmedic]

Take it from someone who's not: whoever did this either has infiltration skills of an unheard of level in this world, or it was an inside job. There was no breach in the network because the messages came from someone already inside the network. The latter makes more sense.

[cantgetanyworse]

[Oh, she'd really love to understand all of this more than she does... but she has a feeling it would take more time than she has to even begin to come to grips with it all.]

When you say 'inside' the network... could it have been one of us? An imPort?

[redcosmedic]

Perhaps, or its administrators. We imPorts didn't create the network we're all using, after all.

[ Honestly, communications is Soundwave's forte, but Knock Out's at least serviceable in the area. ]

[cantgetanyworse]

Oh, of course...

[A soft sigh. There's still so much here that she has to learn to even understand the basics.]

And I don't imagine we know who did?

[redcosmedic]

Presumably the government, since they also have access to it. Honestly, does no one read the extended guide when they arrive?

[cantgetanyworse]

I've certainly read it, but isn't assuming it's the government too obvious? What would they have to gain from this?

[redcosmedic]

There could be any number of reasons, not the least of which being they'll see how an opposing force assembles itself in a time of conflict. Who gets put in charge, who controls resources, who breaks ranks. That's not a small amount of insight they stand to gain.

[bookshopped]

It is a bit thrilling, isn't it?

[Aziraphale is intrigued at the very least. But he loves puzzles and can, when the urge takes him, be fairly clever.

However.]

I'm entirely rubbish at technology of this sort myself, so I certainly can't answer that. But it is a very good question.

[cantgetanyworse]

Oh, very much, though the more I think about it the more disconcerting it is.

[Jane has been tripping over words like 'encryption' and 'hacker' and is currently despairing of the way language will evolve only in the next sixty or seventy years as far as her time frame is concerned.

She's already in over her head, but she's trying very hard to understand.]

Almost like arriving home to find someone has got into your house and gone through your things.

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[perfectlyhuman]

Like a hacker?

[ This is all very exciting. It's not like this place has a shortage of weird things happening, but a creepy mystery with codes and anonymous messages is pretty cool. ]

[cantgetanyworse]

A... hacker?

[Bear with her, she has no idea of how to use that word in this context.]

[perfectlyhuman]

Oh, hum-- someone who breaks into computers and networks and stuff. They can get secret information that someone else hid away, and use it for something else.

Maybe someone broke into the network and is trying to tell us something, without letting anyone know who they are.

[cantgetanyworse]

Oh, I see. [How clandestine.]

But surely there are easier ways than scattering clues between dozens of people. Doesn't that seem a bit much?

[perfectlyhuman]

[ It is! It’s terrifying. Unless they have good intentions, which then makes it amazing.

He thinks about the second part.]

Probably quicker this way. Or it’s something the government doesn’t know yet.

[ Those darn, mysterious governments.]

[cantgetanyworse]

[Jane has her doubts about 'good intentions'. It's all far too cryptic and mysterious to be 'good intentions'. She frowns while she thinks about it. Ah, it's all very beyond her, but she knows she doesn't have a good feeling about it.]

That's not a terribly comforting thought, now is it...

[perfectlyhuman]

Yeah. Not really.

[ But it’s interesting, at least. ]

There was someone saying something about treasure, maybe. I bet someone just wants us to find something secret, because they can’t solve it alone. And then, when we get to the bottom of it, they’ll try to take it for themselves.

[ That’s his theory, at least. ]

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[obediences]

Normally there should be a way, yeah. But nobody's had any luck so far. Makes you wonder.

[cantgetanyworse]

It certainly does. How many people might have access to this 'network' to do something like this?

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[cognitivism]

Typically, yes there is a way to trace a message back to the source, however, if my friend was unable to trace the message I'm afraid they succeeded in being anonymous.

A very rare occurance.

[cantgetanyworse]

Fascinating.

How might someone achieve something like that?

[cognitivism]

Being anonymous?

Or tracing the message?

[cantgetanyworse]

Both, I suppose.

[desmodusdraculae]

Typically, but whoever encrypted these messages did a phenomenal job.

[And a certain bat sounds super bitter about this.]

[cantgetanyworse]

[She's already in over her head, but she's so curious.]

Would you normally be able to see through something like that, Mr. Langstrom?

[desmodusdraculae]

I can usually trace an encrypted message, yes. But sometimes people really don't want to be found.

[It usually makes him dig harder.... but he just doesn't have the equipment here.]

[cantgetanyworse]

[Jane makes a thoughtful sound.]

But it can't be terribly easy to hide yourself so well. I don't know very much about computers, but I'm quite certain of that.

[desmodusdraculae]

No, you're right there. It's not easy.

But if you're savvy enough there are a variety of ways.

[cantgetanyworse]

But what I don't understand is why... Are they trying to give us information without revealing who they are to protect themselves? Or is it some kind of a trick?

[desmodusdraculae]

It could be a few things.

First, whoever released the information did so at great potential expense to themselves, and did it that way to protect their identity not from us, but from the people they're probably working for.

Second, whoever it was just wanted us to work together, and keep who they are out of the equation because we'd get sidetracked.

Third, they just wanted to screw with us without repercussion.

[cantgetanyworse]

I see...

[She looks so thoughtful, it's clear she's working hard to get her head around all of this. Not easy for someone from a time period where computers hadn't even been invented yet.]

Which do you think the most likely?

[desmodusdraculae]

I'd like to be optimistic and think it's someone trying to help us... but I've seen enough to know that altruism probably isn't the answer.

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[bifroster]

I've tried, but haven't had any luck. Has anyone else responded with anything?

[cantgetanyworse]

I suppose some people must have. It's very mysterious, isn't it.

[bifroster]

A lot of us turned out to have it, all sorts of different pieces.

I'd like to know what the purpose of it is, more than the meaning.