Lonelygirl15

The next cycle of steps has begun. To understand this recap, you will need to have followed Steps 1-6, in which we built a decoder ring that we are currently using to solve these puzzles. For a recap of Steps 1-6, go here: http://lonelygirl15.com/forum/viewtopic ... sc&start=0

Step AA: A Small Taste
On Dec.16, Tach posted a notice on her profile to let us know that the second wave of the Step by Step puzzle was about to commence:

Step AA: A small taste.
(see below)

NDkyZjQ5NDkyMDViMzQ1ZDIwMmEyZj MwMGQwYTU4M2EyMDQ1MzE0NjM2NDYz
ODM5NDU0NDMxNDQ0NjBkMGE1OTNhMj A1NzY4NjE3NDIwNjU3NjY1NzI3OTZm
NmU2NTIwNzM2ODZmNzU2YzY0MjA2NT
YxNzQyMDZmNmUyMDc0Njg2NTY5NzIy MDYyNjk3Mjc0Njg2NDYxNzkyZTBkMG E=

This decoded (via Base 64 and hex) to:

I/II [4] */0
X: E1F6F89ED1DF
Y: What everyone should eat on their birthday.

At the same time, people who had emailed the language.lessons@gmail.com account (from Step 5: A Tiny Project) received an email with an encrypted .rar file, which can be found here:

http://www.filelodge.com/files/room32/875912/AA

It quickly became clear that we needed to use the decoder ring to find the .rar password. Despite trying many of the obvious things that people should eat on their birthday (and some of the not-so-obvious, such as candles and family), we were unable to progress farther. Tach updated her profile again:

[ A small hint: To find the answer, all you need is 'love.' Hopefully that will 'convert' you. ]

This turned out to be a clue that we should go back and listen to Loveline episodes for references to birthdays. After Tach pointed us toward Loveline, we found the answer. The answer is 504945, or PIE, which is what Adam Corolla says all real men should eat on their birthdays.

The password for the .rar was decoded from X: E1F6F89ED1DF and is "aww..." The file was called GS01 and contains an email from Gemma to someone named Sebastian:

from Gemma <gemmers19@gmail.com>
to Sebastian <sebastianv7@gmail.com>
date February 15, 2006 10:16 PM
subject Sincerest apologies

Dear Sebastian,

I want to apologize for my inappropriate remark after class today. It’s just that after spending so much time together, I am finding it quite difficult to suppress these feelings I seem to be developing for you. Based on your reaction, however, it appears you do not feel the same way towards me (please do let me know if I am mistaken).

I feel more than a tad embarrassed for putting my foot in it and creating such an awkward tension between us. I’ll understand if you do not wish to continue our professional relationship as a result, but I hope that won’t be the case.

Regardless, your friendship has meant so much to me these past few weeks and I am truly sorry for doing anything to jeopardize that. I am more than willing to do anything within my power to put this uncomfortable moment behind us.

Your friend,

Gemma

- - -

Step BB: A Small Victory
The next morning (Dec. 17), Tach updated her profile again and a new email was sent out from language.lessons@gmail.com. The email contained another encrypted .rar file, and contained the message “I trust my Brother (and his friends) can adapt as necessary." The update read:

Step BB: A small victory?
(see below)
NDkyZjQ5NDkyMDViNDIyZDMxNWQyMD MwMmYzMDBkMGEwZDBhNTgzYTIwMzYz ODQzNDM0NTM2MzEzMzMyMzYzMzMzMz gzNTMyNDU0MzM5MGQwYTU5M2EyMDQ5 NjYyMDQ5Mjc2ZDIwNjY2Yzc1NmU2Yj Y5NmU2NzIwNDU2ZTY3NmM2OTczNjgy YzIwNzc2NTZjNmMyMDc0Njg2NTZlMj
A2MzZjNjU2MTcyNmM3OTJjMjA0OTI3 NmQyMD
Y0NzI2Zjc3NmU2OTZlNjcyZT BkMGEwZDBh

This decoded (again, via Base 64 and hex) to:

I/II [B-1] 0/0
X: 68CCE6132633852EC9
Y: If I'm flunking English, well then clearly, I'm drowning.

We interpreted [B-1] in a variety of ways, but the correct use of the clue was to move one place farther away from B on the outer ring of the decoder (in a counter-clockwise direction) for every letter we decoded. It ended up looking like this:

BF46CE19A7D5382

We determined that Y: was a reference to the movie “The Sure Thing” (1985), which had been part of the Step 2: Movie Puzzle, but were unable to determine the keyword from looking at the script. Communications via email with Tachyon told us that we actually needed to watch the movie for the clue. We were still lost. Another round of emails directed us toward the depth of the pool in the relevant scene, and we were able to find the password: 3ft. (with period at the end). This led us to the .rar password L-I-V-I-N, and a file called TB01 containing the following email:

Buddy,

Imagine my surprise when I saw the email address from your last assignment turn up in a few of the emails I’ve decrypted so far! And here I had been under the impression that there was more than one girl named Gemma in all of England!

I honestly think that reading all of them will bring you more pain than closure on the subject. But needless to say, you were right in your original assumption that you were set up by Gemma. In fact, the truth is just as bad as you'd feared it would be: Op sent Gemma in to sniff out “Sebastian.” And despite your initial resistance, you ultimately let her get close enough to you that it compromised the security of the mission.

It’s no coincidence either that she disappeared after spending time in your flat, right before those months of hard work establishing your cover as "Sebastian" started to come undone.

And you can also thank her for leading War Pylol to the front door of our safe house in the area. Until I hear otherwise, I will assume that you were followed there, and that you didn’t foolishly try to make contact with Gemma after your cover was blown.

In hindsight, it’s a miracle we spotted that "location verified, D in APHID" video in time to arrange for your safe passage to a secure location. Even though there were no casualties when the bomb detonated (sans the corpse we planted to fake your demise), it still doesn’t change the fact that it was meant to DESTROY you.

As we’ve both now learned, life as a suppressive person of sorts isn’t all that much fun when you’re on The Order's radar. I assume that your self-imposed house arrest, growing the beard, and living like a shut-in have all been attempts to keep them from making the connection that "Sebastian" is still alive (in some form)? I agree it's far better for them to merely think they are keeping an eye on my "clueless partner."

If you escaped your babysitter the same way I escaped mine, I’m pretty sure you’re smart enough to know what you have to do next.

But first, perhaps we should make a little time to see to it that Ms. Pouty Lips does not escape the reward of her action?

xoxox,

Terry

PS. Be aware, this might mean we have to cross paths with Greg Tolan (and I wish I were only referring to William Zabka).

Note: The names used in this email (Terry, Buddy, Greg Tolan, William Zabka) are a reference to the movie “Just One of the Guys.”

This is where we are now. I’ll update as we complete steps.

[B-1] referred to an outer key that started as B and shifted 1 character to the left for each character to be decoded. This resulted in the following outer key:

BF46CE19A7D5382

Thank you sooo much now I get it!!!

I have to say, you guys rock.... Not only are you twenty times smarter than I am, but you are willing to share your knowledge with us! I'm thinking you are Plato's Philosopher Kings and that you should rule the world! ( i mean you, not me!)

Thanks to everyone that helped crack that last password.

Especially poor Shifty (loves on....)!
Congrats Blue for the find though... teamwork hozah!


And Shifty next time I will come 2 hours early, and say something stupid like add a period.

Goodplan right?

Imagine my surprise when I saw the email address from your last assignment turn up in a few of the emails I’ve decrypted so far!

Doesn't this mean Tachyon is going through all of Gemma's emails?

EliCash wrote:

Imagine my surprise when I saw the email address from your last assignment turn up in a few of the emails I’ve decrypted so far!

Doesn't this mean Tachyon is going through all of Gemma's emails?

I'm not sure if she gets all of them. Remember how we were introduced to Tachyon? She was a member of The Order that went a-wall on them, and stole some info. Maybe she was in a recording department or something, because she had access to information freely enough.

EliCash wrote:

Imagine my surprise when I saw the email address from your last assignment turn up in a few of the emails I’ve decrypted so far!

Doesn't this mean Tachyon is going through all of Gemma's emails?

I think she has some from Gemma and some from other ops as well.

The second e-mail sounds a lot like "brother". He told Luv2LuvEm that he was on house arrest. He also looked sort of unshaven I think she said. I just thought that was interesting.

Great work to all the masterminds who solve these things.

Huh.

So, Gemma set brother up? If "Buddy" is "Brother".

And the Order tried to Destroy him (Guess we know the D in Aphid is Destroy, now.)

Insteresting.....

I still can't pick a freaking side. Gah.

JuJu Bean wrote:The second e-mail sounds a lot like "brother". He told Luv2LuvEm that he was on house arrest. He also looked sort of unshaven I think she said. I just thought that was interesting.

The second email was definately to "Brother" he did tell me he has been on "house arrest." But he also said that he had not been able to shave.

Great job all!! Wish I had been able to be around and help!!

Luv2Luvem wrote:

JuJu Bean wrote:The second e-mail sounds a lot like "brother". He told Luv2LuvEm that he was on house arrest. He also looked sort of unshaven I think she said. I just thought that was interesting.

The second email was definately to "Brother" he did tell me he has been on "house arrest." But he also said that he had not been able to shave.

This might have come up already...if so, just start calling me Captain Obvious or something....

When Luv and her brother were on the latest drop, we all started thinking that the drop had been gamejacked, and to get everything up and running, Brother had to show up as a diversion while a duplicate clue was hiden.

However, after seeing that last email to "Buddy", it seemed obvious that the "chance" meeting between Luv, her bro, and Brother was planned. That would explain why Brother started complaining to Luv about being on house arrest, unable to shave, etc...things we wouldn't have known had he not run into Luv.

aprilawz wrote:

Luv2Luvem wrote:

JuJu Bean wrote:The second e-mail sounds a lot like "brother". He told Luv2LuvEm that he was on house arrest. He also looked sort of unshaven I think she said. I just thought that was interesting.

The second email was definately to "Brother" he did tell me he has been on "house arrest." But he also said that he had not been able to shave.

This might have come up already...if so, just start calling me Captain Obvious or something....

When Luv and her brother were on the latest drop, we all started thinking that the drop had been gamejacked, and to get everything up and running, Brother had to show up as a diversion while a duplicate clue was hiden.

However, after seeing that last email to "Buddy", it seemed obvious that the "chance" meeting between Luv, her bro, and Brother was planned. That would explain why Brother started complaining to Luv about being on house arrest, unable to shave, etc...things we wouldn't have known had he not run into Luv.

I think it's just that, since the PMs write the story, they knew in advance what to say to weave it in. Whatev

I'm surprised no one has mentioned it yet... maybe it's been mentioned elsewhere...?

But from this e-mail it sounds like Brother might be Jonas.

He's growing a bit of a beard, and that house is mighty suspicious. Thoughts on this...?

Edit: Sorry, should've put this in the speculation thread...