Ciphertext

CQUO, SA IWZA EP QL KRAN PDA NKKB HWOP JECDP! DWNZAOP UAP; CAPPEJC LWOP PDA JECDP SWPYD SWO JKP AWOU, XQP EP XAWPO ARANUPDEJC SA’RA ARAN YHEIXAZ. YWJ’P XAHEARA SA’RA ZKJA XHAPYDHAU! XQP PDWP’O JKP PDA IKOP WIWVEJC PDEJC. OKIAKJA AHOA DWZ XAAJ QL PDANA XABKNA QO, WJZ E ZKJ’P IAWJ NAYAJPHU. SDAJ E SWO YNKOOEJC PDA NEZCAO E LQHHAZ KJ W XNEYG EJ KJA KB PDA YDEIJAUO WJZ EP YWIA KQP EJ IU DWJZ. PDKQCDP E SWO OPQBBAZ BKN W IEJQPA, XQP Y CNWXXAZ IA WJZ SA CKP OWBA WCWEJ. WJUSWU XADEJZ PDA XNEYG PDANA SWO W LWYGAP SNWLLAZ EJ OKIA KHZ YHKPD WJZ OPAJYEHAZ SEPD KJA SKNZ. E DWZ W MQEYG HKKG EJOEZA WJZ BKQJZ SDWP HKKGO HEGA WJ KHZ JKPAXKKG WJZ W XQJYD KB LWLANO. IKOP KB EP EO EJ W YKZA OK E ZKJ’P GJKS SDWP EPO WXKQP, XQP EP HKKGO EJPANAOPEJC. DANA EO PDA BENOP LWCA KB PDA JKPAXKKG, SKJZANAZ EB WJU KB UKQ YKQHZ YNWYG EP. WJUSWU, EP CWRA IA WJ EZAW. SA ODKQHZ DWRA W JAS JWIA BKN PDA JECDP YHEIXEJC YHQX. SA YKQHZ JWIA EP WBPAN PDA SKNZ KJ PDA LWYGAP, SDWP ZK UKQ PDEJG? EP FQOP OWUO, PAILAOP.

Plaintext

Guys, we made it up over the roof last night! Hardest yet; getting past the night watch was not easy, but it beats everything we’ve ever climbed. Can’t believe we’ve done Bletchley! But that’s not the most amazing thing. Someone else had been up there before us, and I don’t mean recently. When I was crossing the ridges I pulled on a brick in one of the chimneys and it came out in my hand. Thought I was stuffed for a minute, but C grabbed me and we got safe again. Anyway behind the brick there was a packet wrapped in some old cloth and stenciled with one word. I had a quick look inside and found what looks like an old notebook and a bunch of papers. Most of it is in a code so I don’t know what its about, but it looks interesting. Here is the first page of the notebook, wondered if any of you could crack it. Anyway, it gave me an idea. We should have a new name for the Night Climbing Club. We could name it after the word on the packet, what do you think? It just says, Tempest.

Ciphertext

VH MRBLXENARNB LXWLNAWRWP CQN CNVYNBC LXWBYRAJLH QJEN UNM VN CX J CNAAROHRWP LXWLUDBRXW. CQRB RB WX QRBCXARL LDARXBRCH. CQN LXWBYRAJLH RB JUREN JWM FNUU RW CQN VXMNAW FXAUM JWM VJH, RW YJAC, KN ANBYXWBRKUN OXA CQRB CNAARKUN FJA. CQNH BNNV CX QJEN QJM J QJWM RW NENAH VJSXA LXWOURLC RW CQN YJBC 140 HNJAB, ORWMRWP FJHB CX YAXORC OAXV CQN VRBNAH CQNH QJEN RWOURLCNM. R FRUU CAH CX BNC XDC RW CQRB WXCNKXXT JUU CQJC R QJEN DWLXENANM RW CQN QXYN CQJC BXVNXWN FRUU ORWM J FJH CX KARWP CQN LXWBYRAJLH CX JLLXDWC OXA RCB JLCRXWB. VH RWRCRJU NWZDRARNB FNAN CARPPNANM KH CQN MRBLXENAH XO J LRYQNA QRMMNW RW CQN VJWDBLARYC XO VJUPXRAN’B “UNB YJUJMRWB”. CQN LRYQNA RCBNUO FJB CADUH NUNVNWCJAH, KDC CQN VJWWNA XO RCB LXWLNJUVNWC RW VDBRLJU WXCJCRXW FJB DWDBDJU JWM RWPNWRXDB JWM YRZDNM VH LDARXBRCH. XW MNLRYQNARWP RC R MRBLXENANM FQJC JYYNJANM CX KN YUJWB OXA CQN JBBJBBRWJCRXW XO KXWJYJACN, MJCRWP OAXV JAXDWM 1799, JWM ANONAARWP CX CQN “VJLQRWN RWONAWJUN”. CQN YJYNAB MRBLDBBNM CQN YAXORCB CQJC VRPQC OXUUXF OAXV CQN MNVXWBCAJCRXW XO CQN CNAAROHRWP NOONLCRENWNBB XO CQN FNJYXW. BCJACURWP CQXDPQ CQRB ORWM FJB, CQN LXVYJARBXW FRCQ CQN CNAAXAB XO CQRB LDAANWC FJA VJMN RC BNNV XO VNANUH YJBBRWP RWCNANBC. QXFNENA J ODACQNA JLLRMNWCJU MRBLXENAH UNM VN CX JWXCQNA VJWDBLARYC OAXV CQN BJVN YNARXM, FQRLQ JUBX LXWCJRWNM MNCJRUNM YUJWB XO JWXCQNA JBBJBBRWJCRXW JCCNVYC. CQRB CRVN CQN XKSNLC XO CQN YUXC FJB XDA XFW YARVN VRWRBCNA, CQN ARPQC QXWXDAJKUN BYNWLNA YNALNEJU. QRB XYYXBRCRXW CX KXWJYJACN VJMN QRV JW DWURTNUH CJAPNC XO CQN BJVN LXWBYRAJCXAB, JWM HNC CQN BRVRUJARCH RW CQN VNCQXM XO NWLAHYCRXW JWM LXWLNJUVNWC XO CQN LRYQNA BNNVNM CXX VDLQ XO J LXRWLRMNWLN. R KNPJW CX BDBYNLC CQJC XDA LXWBYRAJCXAB VJH QJEN QJM VXAN BRWRBCNA, VXAN VNALNWJAH, XKSNLCRENB JWM JW RWCNAWJCRXWJU XAPJWRBJCRXW. JWM RW CQRB FJH KNPJW VH XKBNBBRXW FRCQ CQN CNVYNBC LXWBYRAJLH. JVC

Plaintext

My discoveries concerning the Tempest Conspiracy have led me to a terrifying conclusion. This is no historic curiosity. The conspiracy is alive and well in the modern world and may, in part, be responsible for this terrible war. They seem to have had a hand in every major conflict in the past 140 years, finding ways to profit from the misery they have inflicted.

I will try to set out in this notebook all that I have uncovered in the hope that someone will find a way to bring the conspiracy to account for its actions. My initial enquiries were triggered by the discovery of a cipher hidden in the manuscript of Malgoire’s “Les Paladins”. The cipher itself was truly elementary, but the manner of its concealment in musical notation was unusual and ingenious and piqued my curiosity. On deciphering it I discovered what appeared to be plans for the assassination of Bonaparte, dating from around 1799, and referring to the “Machine Infernale”. The papers discussed the profits that might follow from the demonstration of the terrifying effectiveness of the weapon.

Startling though this find was, the comparison with the terrors of this current war made it seem of merely passing interest. However a further accidental discovery led me to another manuscript from the same period, which also contained detailed plans of another assassination attempt. This time the object of the plot was our own Prime Minister, the Right Honourable Spencer Perceval. His opposition to Bonaparte made him an unlikely target of the same conspirators, and yet the similarity in the method of encryption and concealment of the cipher seemed too much of a coincidence.

I began to suspect that our conspirators may have had more sinister, more mercenary, objectives and an international organisation. And in this way began my obsession with the Tempest Conspiracy. AMT

Ciphertext

EA, Y jeea q beea qj jxqj dejureea oek iudj eluh. Y sqd iuu mxo yj mqi ie mubb xyttud. Mxeuluh mheju yj xqtd’j rejxuhut udshofjydw yj iuskhubo qj qbb, ie Y ted’j jxyda yj sqd ehywydqbbo xqlu ruud evvysyqb meha. Ed jxu ejxuh xqdt wylud jxu jqba qrekj jxu mqh, qdt wylud jxu besqjyed Y xqlu q vuubydw Y adem mxe QCJ cywxj xqlu ruud. Jxuhu mqi q dywxj sbycrydw sbkr qj Sqcrhytwu rqsa yd jxu 30’i, ie cqoru jxqj mqi xem QCJ wej jxu ytuq ev xytydw jxydwi kf ed jxu heev qj Rbujsxbuo. Sbuqhbo xu mqi mehhyut qrekj Jucfuij qdt, yv QCJ mqi mxe Y jxyda yj mqi, jxud yj mybb tuvydyjubo ru mehjx jhoydw je vydt ekj cehu.

Y beeaut qj jxu dunj ryj yd jxu reea, qdt yj yi sbuqh jxqj xu mqi yd q xkhho; jxu udshofjyed yid’j q bej xqhtuh je shqsa yd jxqj uyjxuh. Y wkuii, myjx iuskhyjo ie jywxj rqsa jxud, xu mqid’j mehhyut qrekj qdoedu huqtydw jxu dejureea. Jxuo mekbt xqlu qiikcut yj mqi meha hubqjut qdt mekbt adem rujjuh jxqd je fho. Ed jxu ejxuh xqdt xu sbuqhbo tytd’j mqdj qdoedu ijkcrbydw ed yj ro qssytudj ie xu mheju jxyi fqhj kf yd qd qvvydu ixyvj syfxuh. Yj mekbt ru q bej xqhtuh je shqsa myjxekj jxu meht ijhksjkhu.

Qdomqo, yj yi sbuqh jxqj QCJ rubyulut jxqj Jucfuij muhu ijybb qsjylu yd jxu vehjyui qdt jxqj jxuo muhu ydleblut yd qiiqiiydqjyed qjjucfji veh q mxybu ruvehu jxqj. Y qc dej ikhu xem jxuo muhu ikffeiut je fhevyj vhec jxqj, rkj cqoru yv mu huqt ed mu mybb vydt ekj. Vkddo xem jxuo iuuc je xqlu kiut ckiys dejqjyed yd jxuyh syfxuhi. Y medtuh xem. Cqoru jxuhu yi iecujxydw qrekj yj bqjuh yd jxu reea. Mqi jxuhu qdojxydw ubiu yd jxu fqsauj oek vekdt?

Sxqhbyu.

Plaintext

OK, I took a look at that notebook you sent over. I can see why it was so well hidden. Whoever wrote it hadn’t bothered encrypting it securely at all, so I don’t think it can originally have been official work. On the other hand given the talk about the war, and given the location I have a feeling I know who AMT might have been. There was a night climbing club at Cambridge back in the 30’s, so maybe that was how AMT got the idea of hiding things up on the roof at Bletchley. Clearly he was worried about Tempest and, if AMT was who I think it was, then it will definitely be worth trying to find out more.

I looked at the next bit in the book, and it is clear that he was in a hurry; the encryption isn’t a lot harder to crack in that either. I guess, with security so tight back then, he wasn’t worried about anyone reading the notebook. They would have assumed it was work related and would know better than to pry. On the other hand he clearly didn’t want anyone stumbling on it by accident so he wrote this part up in an affine shift cipher. It would be a lot harder to crack without the word structure.

Anyway, it is clear that AMT believed that Tempest were still active in the forties and that they were involved in assassination attempts for a while before that. I am not sure how they were supposed to profit from that, but maybe if we read on we will find out. Funny how they seem to have used music notation in their ciphers. I wonder how. Maybe there is something about it later in the book. Was there anything else in the packet you found?

Charlie.

Ciphertext

Q hwdg ujosdgtgx osjdqjoqjy wjx orgwt gdqxgjog lhwl Lgabgcl mgtg qjdsrdgx qj cgdgtwr astg wccwccqjwlqsj wllgablc sdgt lhg egwtc psrrsmqjy Bgtogdwr’c xgwlh. W ptqgjx qj lhg Pstgqyj wjx Osaasjmgwrlh Sppqog ujgwtlhgx cgdgtwr fsvgc sp xsouagjlc ptsa lhg gwtre bgtqsx sp Dqolstqw’c tgqyj lhwl cgga ls fg tgostxc sp w lsb cgotgl qjlgrrqygjog gjkuqte cgl ub fe Bwragtclsj ls qjdgclqywlg Gxmwtx Svpstx’c wllgabl sj hgt rqpg. Svpstx pqtgx lmqog wjx aqccgx fslh lqagc, ful ql qc bgthwbc cutbtqcqjy lhwl hwdqjy fggj ohwtygx mqlh hqyh ltgwcsj hg mwc ltgwlgx twlhgt rgjqgjlre fe lhg osutlc. Hg mwc wokuqllgx fe tgwcsj sp qjcwjqle wjx wplgt csag lqag qj Ftswxasst mwc wrrsmgx ls rgwdg pst Wucltwrqw.

Lhg awlgtqwr cgjl ls ag cggac ls fg gdqxgjog ptsa lhg Bwragtclsj gjkuqte wjx ql qc rwfgrrgx “Lhujxgtclsta”, mhqoh owjjsl fg w osqjoqxgjog. Ql wrcs xqcouccgc Rwmtgjog’c wllgabl sj Wjxtgm Zwoicsj’c rqpg pqdg egwtc fgpstg wjx lhwl bunnrgx ag cqjog ql mwc jsl wbbwtgjl wl pqtcl lhwl lhgtg mwc wje osjjgolqsj mqlh Svpstx. Ful Rwmtgjog lss mwc psujx jsl yuqrle fe tgwcsj sp qjcwjqle (lhsuyh hg cbgjl lhg tgcl sp hqc rqpg qj qjclqlulqsjc) wjx lhg orgwt bwtwrrgrc fglmggj lhg lms qjoqxgjlc (lms chslc, fslh aqccgx) wtg cuyygclqdg. Q cucbgol lhwl qp lhg awlgtqwr fggj awxg bufrqo lhgtg msurx hwdg fggj wj sulote. Pgwt sp wj qjlgtjwlqsjwr osjcbqtwoe, wfrg ls lwig sj lhg ascl btslgolgx qj sut csoqglqgc, osurx hwdg rgx ls osjcqxgtwfrg ujtgcl, wjx Q cucbgol lhwl qc lhg tgwcsj pst lhg cgotgoe cuttsujxqjy lhg gjkuqte qlcgrp.

Q hwx hsbgx ls pqjx slhgt xsouagjlc xqtgolre rqjigx mqlh Lgabgcl osaaujqowlqsjc, ful ogtlwqj pqrgc ptsa lhg gjkuqte hwdg fggj tgxwolgx st tgasdgx wjx ql qc ujrqigre lhwl mg mqrr pqjx lhga jsm. Q ltqgx ls osjlwol Hwtte ls cgg qp hg osurx chgx astg rqyhl sj lhg Zwoicsj qjoqxgjl, ful ae osjlwolc lgrr ag hg qc qjdsrdgx qj lhg Xqg Wrohgaqclgj btszgol cs Q owj’l tgwoh hqa. Qj lhg agwjlqag Q osjlqjug ae tgcgwtoh qjls clgywjsytwbhe ls cgg qp Q owj awig cgjcg sp lhg Lgabgcl Osjcbqtwoe’c ucg sp aucqowr jslwlqsj. WAL

Plaintext

I have uncovered convincing and clear evidence that Tempest were involved in several more assassination attempts over the years following Perceval’s death. A friend in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office unearthed several boxes of documents from the early period of Victoria’s reign that seem to be records of a top secret intelligence enquiry set up by Palmerston to investigate Edward Oxford’s attempt on her life. Oxford fired twice and missed both times, but it is perhaps surprising that having been charged with high treason he was treated rather leniently by the courts. He was acquitted by reason of insanity and after some time in Broadmoor was allowed to leave for Australia.

The material sent to me seems to be evidence from the Palmerston enquiry and it is labelled “Thunderstorm”, which cannot be a coincidence. It also discusses Lawrence’s attempt on Andrew Jackson’s life five years before and that puzzled me since it was not apparent at first that there was any connection with Oxford. But Lawrence too was found not guilty by reason of insanity (though he spent the rest of his life in institutions) and the clear parallels between the two incidents (two shots, both missed) are suggestive. I suspect that if the material been made public there would have been an outcry. Fear of an international conspiracy, able to take on the most protected in our societies, could have led to considerable unrest, and I suspect that is the reason for the secrecy surrounding the enquiry itself.

I had hoped to find other documents directly linked with Tempest communications, but certain files from the enquiry have been redacted or removed and it is unlikely that we will find them now. I tried to contact Harry to see if he could shed more light on the Jackson incident, but my contacts tell me he is involved in the Die Alchemisten project so I can’t reach him. In the meantime I continue my research into steganography to see if I can make sense of the Tempest Conspiracy’s use of musical notation. AMT

Ciphertext

MRKBV SODRS CSCNI XKWSD ODEBS XQGKC YXOYP DRODY ZMYNO LBOKU OBCSX DROGK BKXNR OCOOW CDYRK FOEXM YFOBO NCYWO REQOM YXCZS BKMIQ YSXQL KMUIO KBCSB OKNYX SXRSC XYDOL YYUKX NNSCM YFOBO NDROP YVVYG SXQZY BDKCM SZROB GKCBK DROBY LFSYE CVINO DOMDO NCSXM ODROW ECSMK VXYDK DSYXO WZVYI ONBOC EVDON SXWEC SMDRK DDYKX IYXOG SDRKX IUXYG VONQO GKCYL FSYEC VIKBD SPSMS KVDRS MUXOC COCFK BSKDS YXVON DYWEC SMDRK DGKCC YWOGR KDWYB OZVKE CSLVO DYDRO EXDBK SXONO IOKXN GYEVN RKFOZ KCCON WECDO BKDDR OCYBD YPSXC ZOMDS YXCVS UOVID YLOQS FOXKD LYBNO BCRSC DYBSM KVVID OWZOC DCOOW DYRKF OECON KFKBS KXDYX DROCO CMROW OCGRS MRRKC QKSXO NSXCY ZRSCD SMKDS YXYFO BDSWO KXNCO OWCDY RKFOK VVYGO NDROW DYMYW WEXSM KDOGS DRSWZ EXSDI PYBYF OBYXO REXNB ONIOK BCSDS CZBOD DIMVO KBDRK DROGK CYXDY CYWOD RSXQG SDRDO WZOCD LEDSD SCXYD MVOKB GRIRS CBOCO KBMRG KCRSN NOXEZ YXDRO BYYPW KILOR OGKCC MKBON DRKDD ROIGO BOYXD YRSWS GYEVN XDGKX DCYWO KXMSO XDKCC KCCSX KDSYX MEVDM RKCSX QWOTE CDLOM KECOD ROIRO KBNGO GOBOY XDYDR OWOSD ROBQE OCCGO CRYEV NUOOZ YEBOI OCYZO XTECD USNNS XQWKB U

Plaintext

Charlie, this is dynamite. Turing was one of the top codebreakers in the war and he seems to have uncovered some huge conspiracy going back years. I read on in his notebook and discovered the following:

“Porta's cipher was rather obviously detected since the musical notation employed resulted in music that, to anyone with any knowledge, was obviously artificial. Thicknesse’s variation led to music that was somewhat more plausible to the untrained eye and would have passed muster at the sort of inspections likely to be given at borders. Historically Tempest seem to have used a variant on these schemes, which has gained in sophistication over time and seems to have allowed them to communicate with impunity for over one hundred years.”

It is pretty clear that he was on to something with Tempest, but it is not clear why his research was hidden up on the roof. Maybe he was scared that they were on to him. I wouldn’t want some ancient assassination cult chasing me just because they heard we were on to them, either! Guess we should keep our eyes open! (Just kidding).

Mark

Ciphertext

TWNAK TWWKN BQNFK TXNGK FBLGH KLAHG XFKTK HLGFC TUNQH DRNIP QDCTK KNAHG KNEKF TGINB THWKA TSSHD HGZCH DCKCN SLWWL ZHGXR NJZLA IFTAN ANQNT KNITG ITIMT DNGKK PAHGX KNBQN FKTFF TFFHG TKHLG TWWFK TKHLG FHGKC NFLPK CTANK LHGDA NTFNA NFLWP KHLGL GKATD NFTGI KAHTG XPWTK NLGFL PADNF PFHGX KCNFN KAHXX NAFFP AUNHW WTGDN TGICL PFNRN NQHGX KNTBF HGFLP KCNAG ANXHL GKLFK TGIYJ SLAHB BNIHT KNTDK HLGTW WWNTU NDTGD NWWNI HGKCN WNTIH GKLKC NKPAH GXDNG KNGTA JHKHF FKHWW QLFFH YWNKC TKKCN KNEKT IMTDN GDHNF TANDL HGDHI NGKTW CLZNU NAKCN KPAHG XHGDH INGKZ TFKCN WTFKK HBNLP ALAXT GHFTK HLGST DNIFN AHLPF KCANT KZNCT UNLQN ATKNI SLAKC NWTFK FNUNG KJJNT AFZHK CLPKI HFDLU NAJTG IHKHF NFFNG KHTWK CTKZN KNABH GTKNT GJGTF DNGKH GUNFK HXTKH LGFHB BNIHT KNWJT GIZHK CKCNC HXCNF KIHFD ANKHL GGLDL GKTDK KLYNB TINZH KCLPK IHAND KDWNT ATGDN SALBB JLSSH DNTWW ANQLA KFNJN FLGWJ IHAND KKLBN PFHGX WNUNW NGDAJ QKHLG RNJZL AIFPY FKHKP KHLGL AKATG FQLFH KHLGL GWJYW LDRFL SRNJZ LAIFK LYNKT RNGSA LBKCN BPFHD IHDKH LGTAJ TFPFP TWBTN FKAL

Plaintext

Alert all Tempest agents:

Monitoring stations have picked up chatter in texts and email traffic in which the following keywords are repeated and adjacent: Turing, Tempest, assassination. All stations in the south are to increase resolution on traces and triangulate on sources using these triggers.

Surveillance and housekeeping teams in Southern Region to standby for immediate action. All leave cancelled.

In the lead in to the Turing centenary it is still possible that the text adjacencies are coincidental, however the Turing incident was the last time our organisation faced serious threat. We have operated for the last seventy years without discovery and it is essential that we terminate any nascent investigations immediately, and with the highest discretion.

No contact to be made without direct clearance from my office. All reports Eyes Only, direct to me using Level 2 encryption (keyword substitution or transposition only, blocks of 5, keywords to be taken from the music dictionary as usual.)

Maestro

Ciphertext

DPYF, RBV PYLAYBOPOER TBCMLYHCJTIR WIHX HX PIPCMTYHWWLC ELWWLY.HW’X PEYHJIW HIPULC’W WVYCLM DROPNF BC WIL MHJHWPEPJL, OVW RBV FCBTRBV XPHM TL XIBVEMFLLA BVY LRLX BALC?H IPUL P CPXWRKLLEHCJ RBV DHJIWIPUL OLLC YHJIW. HWXLLDX EHFL XBDLBCLIPX OLLC YLPMHCJ DRDPHE. RBV FCBT IBTTL XLW VA WIPW TLOOVJ XRXWLD WBAYBWLNW CHJIWNEHDOHCJ DLLWX?TLEE, XBDLBCL HCKYPCNL IPXWYHJJLYLM HW. HTBVEMC’W IPULCBWHNLM OLNPVXLWILR IPM THALM HW,OVW H EBXW P OVCNIBK DVXHN TILC WILMHXN MHLM PCM TPXHC WIL AYBNLXX BKYLXWBYHCJ KYBD PIHMMLC OPNFVAAPYWHWHBC TILC HCBWHNLM WIL MHXN BCWIL XLYULY TPXXEBT. XBDLBCL TPXNYPTEHCJ WIYBVJIWIL KHELX XLCMHCJWILD WB XBDLTILYLHC MBWKY. WILR TLYLTHAHCJ WILHY WYPNLPX WILR TLCW OVW HNPVJIW APYW BK WILWYPKKHN PCM KHJVYLMBVW TILYL WILR IPMOLLC. WILYL TPX PXDPEE JPA HC WILPNNLXX YLNBYM WIPWWBEM DL TILYL WBEBBF. CBYDPEER HTBVEM AVW HW MBTCWB P IVCJPYHPCIPNFLY, OVW WIHXTPX WBB XEHNF PCBALYPWHBC PCM WILRXLLDLM WB OLIVCWHCJ KBY XWVKK.WILR BCER EBBFLM PWKHELX THWI TBYMXXWPYWHCJ W. XBVCMKPDHEHPY?H PDYLPEER XABBFLM. HFLLA WIHCFHCJ H PDOLHCJ KBEEBTLM PCMH ILPY KVCCR CBHXLXBC DR AIBCL. H DVXWOL HDPJHCHCJ HW.IBT NPC P XWBYRKYBD CHCLWLLC KBYWRXBDLWIHCJ OL BK PCRHCWLYLXW CBT?PCRTPR H IPUL XLWVA XBDL WYPAX WBTPWNI PEE BVYNBDDVCHNPWHBCX KBYELPFX. H WIHCF TLIPM OLWWLY MBLULYRWIHCJ OR IPCMKYBD CBT BC. CBXAYLPMXILLWX, CBAIBCLX, CBWIHCJLELNWYBCHN. GVXWMYBA ELWWLYXWIYBVJI WIL MBBY.YLPE BEMXWREL. HFCBT WIHX DPFLXLCNYRAWHBC IPYM,OVW H WIHCF HW HXDBYL HDABYWPCW WIPCLULY. TL XIBVEMWHJIWLC VA. DPROLVXL BCL BK WIBXLBEM FLRTBYM NHAILYXCLSW WHDL. TIPW MBRBV WIHCF? NIPYEHL

Plaintext

Mark, you are probably wondering why this is a handwritten letter. It’s alright I haven’t turned my back on the digital age, but you know you said we should keep our eyes open? I have a nasty feeling you might have been right. It seems like someone has been reading my mail. You know how we set up that web bug system to protect Night Climbing meets? Well, someone in France has triggered it. I wouldn’t have noticed because they had wiped it, but I lost a bunch of music when the disc died and was in the process of restoring from a hidden backup partition when I noticed the disc on the server was slow. Someone was crawling through the files sending them to somewhere in dotfr. They were wiping their trace as they went but I caught part of the traffic and figured out where they had been. There was a small gap in the access record that told me where to look. Normally I would put it down to a Hungarian hacker, but this was too slick an operation and they seemed to be hunting for stuff. They only looked at files with words starting T. Sound familiar?

I am really spooked. I keep thinking I am being followed and I hear funny noises on my phone. I must be imagining it. How can a story from nineteen forty something be of any interest now?

Anyway I have set up some traps to watch all our communications for leaks. I think we had better do everything by hand from now on. No spreadsheets, no phones, nothing electronic. Just drop letters through the door. Real oldstyle. I know this makes encryption hard, but I think it is more important than ever. We should tighten up. Maybe use one of those old keyword ciphers next time. What do you think?

Charlie

Ciphertext

MEPET ATGES STACN OINAT NOCET RUTHF TRRAE IKNGC TFEXO ASNDT AMILE NISOS HTERU ECNTN LARER OINCG FNIRO ASCTM EVINI SETIV TAIOG NITON MEPET TTHES RUINT APPEG HSAVR EBENE UONDF DNTHA POERE ITVEA PAPES TROBA TSUDE TNSAE LAOCT ITONA TNHEI CIINV YTOFI ELTCB ELYPH KRTEA EPSTM ANLYA SIOFS OTRES NITED ENTTR FAFIR RFOMC EHSAT SEOUM ECSSR GGESU TSHAT HTEYT TCEDA ERVIP SULYO DNERU EHNAT TEHEM GIHTN ILMBC GNCLI SBURU IELLV CNEAA HDOUN KEEES NIGTP MASIE OSUTN RENCH TNRAE OTMOL TNDEU IALET ETMPD TSTRE KCINA NADTG RTIAO UGLAN OENTT FAFIR OSURC SELOC ODNRN IGONE MOOUT FTULN ETMPL TSTRE KCINA FOSEG RUITC NADPY ILCEO EGNCA SEANI OTRED ROTAP AYPPN ERNTA NOTAC WTITC HTENH HGTCI MIBIL CGLUN EMMBB SRSTE DNINA RODEG RSEMR NITHA NTOCA TNACO SITOT MEADB IWTHE TUDIO CETCR AERAL ECFRN MMYOO IFCEF ERPAP TAIOR SSHON DLBEU DAETM LEIMO ANTEI EHTHT AETBR NTOAU ITONC OHULS EBTAD NEWIK OHUTT NETRC ALUTA ROISH ITONA ATPPI RASTE TATHH POERE OTRSA ERYOA GNAMU ETURA NADGS EVNTI LEACH FOSOK IHSTP ACTII INNTO IERSH UCRIE IYTMT BYEDA FFICI TLTOU SICED HNOWR RATHF ETMPE TSPAE RESHP EVLEA EKDPA VEENR NIGAT IUTAS YLQUB TETEI IMNAR OINOT HTETF ERATH XXXXM

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Tempest agents: Action at once

Further tracking of texts and emails in Southern Central region confirms active investigation into Tempest. The Turing papers have been found and the operatives appear to be students at a location in the vicinity of Bletchley Park. Tempest analysis of stored internet traffic from the same sources suggests that they acted previously under the name: The Night Climbing Club.

Surveillance and housekeeping teams in Southern Central to mount detailed Tempest tracking and to triangulate on traffic sources. London Region to mount full Tempest tracking of security and police agencies and to report any apparent contact with the Night Climbing Club members.

Standing orders remain that no contact is to be made without direct clearance from my office. Preparations should be made to eliminate the threat, but no action should be taken without central authorisation. It appears that the operators are young amateurs and, given the lack of sophistication in their security, it may be difficult to discern how far the Tempest papers have leaked, preventing a suitably quiet termination of the threat.

M

Ciphertext

ABCQJDL D AQCAGLR CMNTBLQ SLATDNM NI TUQDMES OCOLQS DT WCS QLCJJY TQDAGY SDMAL BL USLR C GLYWNQR SUHSTDTUTDNM ADOBLQ HUT TBLM BL QLVLQSLR TBL NQRLQ NI TBL JLTTLQS DM LCAB IDVLHJNAG D BCR TN QLVLQSL TBLK CJJ KYSLJI HLINQL D ANUJR LVLM STCQT TN AQCAG DT DI D BCRMT EULSSLR DT WCS RNUHJL LMAQYOTLR D WNUJR MLVLQ BCVL ENT DT CMR DT WCS QLCJJY JNME MLXT NML YNU ELT TN RN CMYWCY D TBDMG YNU CQL QDEBT TLKOLST WCS TBL IDQST BCAGDME AQLW DM BDSTNQY CMR DI TUQDME MLVLQ AJNSLR TBLK RNWM TBLY ANUJR STDJJ HL CATDVL CMR TBLY ANUJR HL WCTABDME US D RNMT GMNW WBCT WL SBNUJR RN WBN RN YNU ANMTCAT CHNUT SNKLTBDME JDGL TBDS ACM WL FUST QDME UO EABP CMR QLONQT DT CMR WBCT RN WL QLONQT TBCT WL STNJL C HUMAB NI OCOLQS WBDJL TQLSOCSSDME NM OQDVCTL OQNOLQTY CMR TBCT TBLY LXONSL C TWN BUMRQLR YLCQ NJR ANMSODQCAY DT RNLSMT SNUMR ANMVDMADME RNLS DT HUT WBCT DI TBLY CQL STDJJ CATDVL KCYHL TBLY CQL HLBDMR CJJ TBLSL QLALMT ANMIJDATS NQ TBL HCMGDME AQDSDS NQ TBL OQNHJLKS DM EQLLAL TBDS ANUJR HL KCSSDVL D FUST BCR C TBNUEBT RDR YNU KLLT CMYNML CT TBCT UMDVLQSDTY SUKKLQ SABNNJ YNU WLMT TN WBN KDEBT HL CHJL TN BLJO WCSMT TBLQL C OQNILSSNQ HLM SNKLTBDMENQCMNTBLQ WBN WCS ANMMLATLR WDTB ANRLS ANUJR YNU CSG BDK WBCT WL SBNUJR RN KCQG

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Charlie, I cracked another section of Turing’s papers - it was really tricky since he used a keyword substitution cipher, but then he reversed the order of the letters in each five-block. I had to reverse them all myself before I could even start to crack it. If I hadn’t guessed it was double encrypted I would never have got it! And it was really long. Next one you get to do! Anyway, I think you are right, Tempest was the first hacking crew in history. And if Turing never closed them down, they could still be active and they could be watching us. I don’t know what we should do, who do you contact about something like this? Can we just ring up GCHQ and report it? And what do we report? That we stole a bunch of papers while trespassing on private property? And that they expose a two hundred year old conspiracy? It doesn’t sound convincing does it? But what if they are still active? Maybe they are behind all these recent conflicts? Or the banking crisis? Or the problems in Greece? This could be massive. I just had a thought. Did you meet anyone at that University summer school you went to who might be able to help? Wasn’t there a Professor Ben something-or-another who was connected with codes? Could you ask him what we should do? Mark

Ciphertext

MTMCT TSMPK PSLOI YIERD EMPPE COTSR LOMVE JEOBM WTGLE TSLDO LMKUR MCTST EOBRD OTSDJ DAORP KORAT KMVOK DSTLM PMCTL OMIDR KKOIA DTDGO MCTSM RTSLD TLMKU YMCTS GJMDW GROLD EOTRM VMDCI SDCTM EJEOB TLDMR BDJJM EMILM RMTGL CTROR ESSEM ELDSS ELODT PKMTT ECTST VECDT OILUM GMRMV MCTSE OHROW IMCTA DPSLO WYIER MLMRM LDRMV MGLMT USOTG GMMII MMGLD SKEDG CTMRU MCTTE PSLOI OTERD MLHSR TECTW MCTAD SGDGY MMIIU RMCTG TJUSM GJUOW BDCMN LUYJC DGMRP JNETI DGLEM JUOWT ECMNG NOTGR DAMLM KORAT CIMCT CTSOE SLMTE CTGMU MHDJM AAMYJ AOTIM JDEAE SSEGM LDSSE LODTE OKSEW MKEMR MJNEL ELEOT SDSYJ TSMCT GYGEM LDJIM OILDM MGDAL LDMIL MYMCT OASRE DWOJJ MCTBL KMTTE EGMTP SSESS DTELD VLOLO ROTID GMJED MGEOT MLDJI MCTLD ODTEL RPJEL TIUGO OREAO OAGLU MMTRU IRMPL LDTLM YRUOA ASREM DAKOR LUCMV EGMRG BDMGL WTYTC JJDKO OTLOD CMVDA MRGLU JJDKG OPLOD SSGLU EJDKD CTYJR MTTEM LOTPK MRGLE HIEFW JSLOS EWMAD JJOAS NGMWO LDLEY SEMRI CTLDM ROCSM KRMTT RMTLD ERTSM TLDMT DLUMC TSGMT ASMTE MSKOR MPLMV TLMIR MVOOT CBDMR PLMMT LMIRM SDTDT REMJI TTECT WMSOC OACTD OLHMR BGMJW CTAOM DSMSM DADLB MTLEI STLMV GJUOW NMVEC MWLMM EJPJJ OTGMI TLEJP MLMNO RATDA MCTKO RTOTK ETYJU VGEMH BETLE CTAOM WOCKM TRMVM LOIMC ERDPS VMGYI MPOJM IMSEG LDGLO KURTS MTTLM TSMPK DLESD JJMTL ILMBD WTMLM EIHRO MJNEP VEMAO ORGSM BLDPP MCTLO MRIMS KKOIT EIDLU SLODT VOBAO MKLRM GLETL MKKOI CWMIR XMCID TDOJP MCTGM ORTLD DTIUG WAOLO STEMC SMLOT TIMJM MTIDR ERBMJ EWECP TAOMR SDRMC TECTH RDMCT OILWO DLUKK ODTEI BDKSL DMNTC IRMTL GMTPM DYMCT TLMVL MCTGM LWORD RTSDG DTUND TMLLO SHROW JBBUK MSBLD STMRI SORIE WMCTS DGJRO DSUKL ULEKI PDRIS DSUST MTSBL BOLEB YCPER GDCOT DMCTM LLUIR YJBLD YRILM TGMTP NSTXM MLDLY ALMMT MTRUO MCTLM TJMAY DAAUS TLMDI LOIYJ LMGDA CTLDT NERDM YTDJD ORPOT RATDA ECIKO ECTSO YMCTT BBDRT TGMRM MRBMC REWTE SLOPS BLDRO SEMCT DSSES ODTEL REAOL HUGCI GRMAM GLELD RESLD OVMFE SYMCT QMSNU JTLMU MGEKY PMBUC TDAOR KORAS SCTON DSMGD IMCTL DJALO TLDTI SOPMC YREWT TSREM RTYMC RMBBD PYCGM ALDRM ODTEJ CTLDL KDMWM PMRRE IDJNU DGEMJ TJUBL MTEKD TOTYJ RUIMC ITLMR DJALO MCTTI MPPEY COTRE MPMVE ERTML UOGMT BLWOR LRMVO ETLMK MCTGL DTSLD ODTUT TAOSL TDIMC DGLEY SLUKE CWMRU LEIDO TSURT TCTDW LDSDC EKROA DLODT CXMKE MTSUE CTYNG HROWM DUQMR OTGMR HEMRN OIMCT DLUKK ODTEI TSYSL LDSKM YNMSU XEMCT ROASD LESMI GLDAG JMSYK NELUA DOTMJ TSMVL DTMCT GLEMK BRMLM GMMLY IOTGM MJPKO DYKMT TSMVL DTEBD LDSLO KMTOT DTSMP UJJDW MTEGP MSMCT SMTOL MCTLO PSLOI YIERD KDTSE OJJEM TUNSW OLROA SUKDW LRUTT JUAYK MTTEJ LODTL MCTOT MNKON

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The Tempest Conspiracy appears to have one goal and two instruments. Their goal is to profit from movements in the price of commodities. The instruments they wield in order to achieve this goal are intelligence and terror. The assassination attempts that I have uncovered as the work of the conspiracy were never intended to succeed. Indeed, I am sure that the conspirators knew that if they did succeed the result would be highly unpredictable and it would be hard to benefit from the chaos that ensued. The likely effect of a failed assassination was more amenable to analysis. The steady decline in confidence in the years following the attempted assassination on Victoria led to a decline in the national product of around fourteen percent in four years, from five hundred and eighty two million to five hundred million pounds. Similarly the attempt on Andrew Jackson’s life was followed by an increase in the short term interest rate in the United States from seven percent to over eighteen percent. It is clear that those with foreknowledge of these significant events would have been well placed to plan to benefit from them. To truly take advantage of them however the conspiracy developed a second instrument: Tempest is an intelligence network capable of eavesdropping on the secret communications of government and commerce which exploited the introduction of Wheatstone’s electric telegraph. Aware of the risk that their own communications might be intercepted they invented their own distribution network, smuggling secrets across the world in music manuscripts using steganography to hide their cunningly encrypted texts. By nineteen fourteen they felt sufficiently confident in their ability to profit from chaos that they triggered the Great War. Sponsoring the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand in Sarajevo, they subsequently made huge profits from both sides in the conflict. In the post war years they triggered hyper-inflation in the Weimar Republic leading ultimately to the current conflict. They appear to have penetrated our own government and the institutions of the City and I am unsure who I can trust with this information. I am exhausted by the work required to break the communication systems in use by the Axis forces and find myself unable to invest the time and energy needed to complete my investigations into Tempest. I will update these notes on the conspiracy as time allows but for now I must turn my full attention to the Bombe.

Ciphertext

GSMDA OJFUG XTMSH UGSSF FSEJP OOYRO RGKRN OCJHN KAMSC XUAUX JPDHJ VNYRP NRUOJ VJMDA HOYRN RCPMA OXNRM QACRN NYRNS AUNYR YSUHR QRMYR SMUJI AOEPO NYRYS NSIMA RHUNY RCSFF RUYSM MXKMJ ESEFX HJOYA NMRSF HSGRV YJANN OAFFJ HOYRR UTRNJ IOYSO CJGGP HAOXS HUNYR MRCDJ HRUYR GATYO ERSEF ROJYR FKNYR SFNJS NDRUN JGRKR JKFRS OYRMJ FUKFS CROJD RRKSH RXRJP OIJMP NSHUV SOCYI JMSHX OYAHT PHPNP SFOYR XOJJD GXCJG KPORM AHIJM SHSFX NANOJ NRRAI OYRXC JPFUI AHUSH XGJMR AHIJS EJPOO YRYSC DRMAH OYRGR SHOAG RAYSQ RERRH VJMDA HTGJM RJHOY ROPMA HTKSK RMNSH UMRSU AHTNJ GRJFU HRVNK SKRMN OMXAH TOJKA CDPKS HXOMS AFFRI OEXOR GKRNO AIATP MRUAN YJPFU FJJDI JMEAT NYAIO NAHNO JCDKM ACRNG JQRUE XYANO JMACR QRHON EPOOY RMRSM RLPAO RSIRV JIOYJ NRSNX JPGAT YORWK RCOEP OOYRH AOYJP TYONJ GRGJM RSEJP OOPMA HTNMR GSMDN CJHCR MHAHT OYRAM PNRJI AHORF FATRH CRSHU ERTSH OJVJH URMVY SOYRG RSHOV YRHYR NSAUO YRXAH QRHOR UOYRA MJVHU ANOMA EPOAJ HHROV JMDNG PTTFA HTNRC MRONS CMJNN OYRVJ MFUAH GPNAC GSHPN CMAKO NPNAH TNORT SHJTM SKYXN ORTSH JTMSK YXANO YRSMO JIYAU AHTSG RNNST RNJAI ATPMR OYRRH CMXKO AJHVS NUANT PANRU EPOAO VSNOY RVJMU NGPTT FRUOY SOTJO GRVYS OVJPF UEROY RERNO VSXOJ YAURO YRGPN ACGSH PNCMA KONRR GNMAN DXOJG RTMSH UGSCY SMFAR MRGRG ERMRU SCSNR AHHRV XJMDA HOYRI AIOAR NVYRH STSGE FAHTN XHUAC SOROM ARUOJ UANTP ANRSK JMOSC AKYRM AHGPN ACSFH JOSOA JHEPO TJOCS PTYOV YRHSC JKVYJ KFSXR UKASH JHJOA CRUYJ VJUUO YRGPN ACFJJ DRUAI ATPMR UOYSO ORGKR NOSMR OJJCF RQRMO JMAND OYSOE POTMS HUGSM RGAHU RUGRS EJPOO YRNOJ MXOYR KPMFJ AHRUF ROORM MRGRG ERMVY SOUPK AHNSA UKRMY SKNOY RGXNO RMXAN SFAOO FROJJ KFSAH AOYAH DAGSX DHJVY JVOYR XUAUA OGJMR FSORM CYSMF AR

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Mark, I told my Grandma all about the Tempest Conspiracy. Did you know she used to work in the security services? She said she had never heard of it, but she has a friend she called Harry (probably not his real name!) who is still on the edges of that community, and she reckoned he might be able to help. She also asked some people at her old place to keep an eye out for us and watch for anything unusual. They took my computer in for analysis to see if they could find any more info about the hacker. In the meantime I have been working more on the Turing papers and reading some old newspapers, trying to pick up any trail left by Tempest. I figured I should look for big shifts in stock prices moved by historic events, but there are quite a few of those as you might expect. But then I thought some more about Turing’s remarks concerning their use of intelligence and began to wonder what he meant when he said: “they invented their own distribution network, smuggling secrets across the world in music manuscripts using steganography”. Steganography is the art of hiding a message, so I figure the encryption was disguised, but it was the word “smuggled” that got me. What would be the best way to hide the music manuscript? Seems risky to me: Grandma Charlie remembered a case in New York in the Fifties when a gambling syndicate tried to disguise a Porta Cipher in musical notation, but got caught when a cop who played piano noticed how odd the music looked. I figured that Tempest are too clever to risk that, but Grandma reminded me about the story “The Purloined Letter”. Remember what Dupin said? “Perhaps the mystery is a little too plain”. I think I may know how they did it.

More later,

Charlie

Ciphertext

CXTCVJMN XXGGBJMB ASCNAEPA XRYNOJZE KSSBJZHA ZHMRPUPT VHWRYHLH XZYFCKON CUKVCRLU XIBGCIUP OOGTKOMR QJYFCWNR JALNJZWB QSAAZYUG ZIGFYWLO VXGFCNIC VWACZEMU VDUXVFZB DLLBDKOR AHUPCRBV COYFZKPF RWBVBWVY VAHEVZAP VTSYVYHZ QMMBRVPA ZSAZREXG KUKVJPPA TBKEVEMY HTWGZMYC VLLBJEYY CNYFCWMR KYIYRCUC LXUEBKHO VTLSKUSB FMMJKCHH JZIRKGSR JTTRUYON ARPRREXZ RLRURMYF CBTOPNXN TLHFBKAE ZHNFLWIR AMPAFQPP YNYBDKSV JXXGYNOV BAHEHFZG VSIRBKMU VFONENVR VHMERYRR UXSRTKKB JOWNPUEN JWCRYWBR UXWVLQYE VWMUVRKR QTPYBWGQ KAORAYHZ QBGVTWMV KHLGYNEN LJYNAKHU RCYPAWWX VWMHARGT BXGPACIG ZIGNJZON EXUTKFXT ATLCKOMU VNPFCFKV TTSEKUYB WIAEKINN JOLNCRHA RHXNPWKZ ZHNYHQUI VSUQVWSV JQCVCQHH ASHEVIYP VHMSZEUA TOUYRYMV EOMVVJMU VFXBJFMN LJYNAKHU RCYHJZYE BAHBUQHJ TNUAXNLV JOGGVIGN COHARUZV JTGPVQUI VTSGVIYQ KBKNLGKB RVOGYFAT YAORHQUI VJYEBRLG VWPAFFKX ZHNGYIHH XNMHARGT BHHGVJUA UAORANPF VCPQVEWR CNUGCQYL YTBRSNYA BAAQHRGT KAORAJHH AVYFCFME HAHGAWWX KBKNTKPI ZAPRBKOR QMYYENLG YXEFVNTG KNUIVZYG VVMRUFAE ZHMEDJPB JOGGKKOR ZLHJJEYG FIKXREXN AXUJRIYG YTMJVVUL SXMERYRV JZMUVVCR YTBRANUF KHMBSNSV VCYGYWMP YTKYZNON BTZNQRSL TIGAVYMV KHCVCQMU VMYPDIPG HMYEERWR BUAGJFZV ASYIZZYA TXMURKHH AVAEANGG KJYERKPB JMONENVR VHWBQGKB QOLRUEYI VLMUVUYF BOMVBNLF VHMVRUMU RACRZEWE VTLRKLKV JAYEJWSN JWYKCNKA RRLGRKYB WLYNURGR BMPATWLR ZAPFJNWR BMUEHKHE VTWGXRBR JAORZVIB AAUATNHS UXMRAVPA ZHNGYNZH PRXRXIYR CICUZYOB DLHCVIUG ZIGFRIYP DLKRJKSL TITCAFTV BXXBSJYE ETMVKELF YIAYUXYZ ROGGRRGR UUAGCQYF VMOBDUXB JREVJMHY EXHHAZYR LXLGUNYC TIBRAWNR JALUKFRR FOSYSNMN OOGTTFGG AISBWJHH CNYEJIYT ZIGBLNKN COHABWGQ TXGGAWSO DLLNACCV PRIEKMPQ VTSYJNWR BMUEHIYF KBKPVJGB RVMVKELU KBSQSNMN OXGHJKPY CNYSDUSY VCYYKONB EXKAQNGG ZHMRANLG ZMRAKAG

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Tempest agents: Storm Warning

Leaks from London Intelligence HQ suggest that British Govt. tracking of Tempest agents and communications has been stepped up in the wake of our Southern activities. It is advisable to reduce all e-comms to a minimum and to bring in currently active personnel.

The state of play appears to be as follows. Two young people named Charlie and Mark have stumbled across Turing’s papers in which he outlined the history of Tempest. They have been tracked electronically and we have deciphered their emails and other communications. They appear to have cracked Turing’s encryption, and have a good grasp of the historical role of our organisation, and, alarmingly, have made a link with our more recent financial activities. They do not appear to have understood how changes in international finance have altered our approach, though they have persisted in working through Turing’s notes and there is evidence that they have been studying other sources to try to track our activities themselves. They seem to have detected our intrusion into their own network, and are aware that we may be tracking them. We have reason to believe that Charlie has a family connection with the security services, but no firm evidence that our current operations have been compromised. Nevertheless, it is essential that we increase our internal and external state of readiness in case it is necessary to react.

Given the importance of determining the full degree to which our operations are currently compromised, observations should be maintained, but these should only involve our deepest deep cover agents. Hooke will be taking control of Southern region operations and Central Bursary will provide all necessary resources. No action should be taken until the full level of government interest is known.

Ciphertext

akaGM rrdar snfme drHia nyrpo rpddy rfeob cabta ahuTp eomts Aapep tettl rynew fohot hmrwt oeete okgdh rtitn eeiix htssn mseoo pocje ersne dthaa ctohn scsBi antii asrht dmien rAaIe nctnl gceln iHhha edead Toefr mebse tpton tuinh sncto ietpH texit meodn tappe aornm Teeoe tcspe srtry upitc soolo hcohw yicna rueaa hptdt t/w.w :w/lc .acm. cu~ka /.j1P 4r/ap rnsa/ et-mt aeoet d.pps Ayywf anhia dteee mosst eeoop brtet eetlc tocnc iromi ucnma isocn trmve faosr poepd rehie tsrsg ienuo trwsa fohda errae iswhr liAne gdprt epnay fuylo irnco aterf puale oliee wphhi etrth sncga tesnc narik tuppc eetyh skoer srfkm okuor yyoda erbut pbjys ciuni gkolk epann eclie grmna tgotc vweai snete hooei rplwe Tnhne smnfg aoihs uetce iyopr rtoou ltscg sttgs eatmh hetlt yairi nwoak betee mupTt wlhsi aaoda enght ettha epteT smrto opcow ssdle ageod itnep etkhe otoom fufcl ifaio miucn maiso cntht gmTia teywh hbept eTsme tolwo nigrf koneo opnpw tniir tusnt deiao fmicr nwaet swhup tescs dbtoe uahTp etmes csoen tiaic pyrsd tenri aiinr gdbgs bsuin sisiw ehcia tpaaB lwtel topcl awtlI BisaT mspfe ehvee tbana icekh gasnn kbntd raadr lkoeo snfoo irgpr ntpuo teosi tihrh tstom rtkee atodu ilwet nacir yxapl lenhe eirte tsicn naitl tibeA wniys yayra rHemt esdet itnok heegm hirte mshob tiine ghtin snahs ieddw aihet mbgni rgitb ulaeo cbiac lpBtp tTaal inwre apdbb nloya etioe ddapr esapo aiwfh reayr lrHek sornc htwit fagqe ueiof rhatw olTpe imesm hiegt lsnet ioeea sttrd eisna htaet dhhol adccu lnmsl oifvr oeuai waesf fcapg nayer aWyha dytot uoiki Whhne eswla heecw herak terdc eapsh tlgou faTei gosrn newrh teshs mueme rswea diahn ehktw btoeu aepte Tsmnr tyepc oIoti snnse purdt ientg yiuus nbops iitto eycav rlacr Thuin woais gvolu bsiai otymb eeinr ssieo atbvt ercuu stbhy itytt eaags ninsi iheta ivgsi nhats ouecd easlm rnoau rnost paiiw osntt aitiw htefe sisoc faynu grtei iuuxx xoxt

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Mark,

Grandma’s friend Harry dropped by for a chat about Tempest. Apparently the two of them worked together in the sixties on some projects and he has contacts in British and American Intelligence. He had heard of Tempest but not in this context. He pointed me to a paper on Tempest security protocols which you can read at http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/~rja14/Papers/nato-tempest.pdf.

Anyway, the idea seems to be to protect electronic communications from eavesdroppers either using software or hardware shielding. Apparently, if you are not careful, people with the right scanners can pick up the keystrokes from your keyboard just by picking up on leaking electromagnetic waves on the powerlines.

The naming of the security protocol suggests that the military knew about Tempest a while ago and that the Tempest protocol was designed to keep them out of official communications. That might be why Tempest went looking for new opportunities and it confirms what we suspected about the Tempest conspiracy; insider trading is big business with a capital B (well, two capital Bs). If Tempest have been hacking banks and traders looking for opportunities to short the market it would certainly explain the recent instabilities. Anyway, Harry seemed to think there might be something in this and said we might be in big trouble (capital B, capital T) and we probably need to disappear for a while.
Harry reckons that if we go quiet for a while Tempest might lose interest and he said that he could call in some favours if we fancy a gap year. What do you think? While he was here we cracked the last page of Turing’s notes, where he summarised what he knew about Tempest encryption. It sounds pretty ingenious, but positively archaic! Turing was obviously a bit more sensitive about security by that stage in his investigation as he used a columnar transposition with a twist - see if you can figure it out!

Ciphertext

Tsorm ynhem uitlT hesyn pddmr dtcry efcls eanpi nptbs slene dnulf teoma tesde paees tvsny sdsnm esiru tnitg apsar mdxcd usrVe rlrni testi xpurh epoba kmsia rieiy rettF Gcpga litdw idedd ihdei vpotr eesrt CFDdt haaht hVapt etftd dthrt hapng teyci tfehp lceCr aebin atekt adryt iooso rngox ihIec fgest noeeI espha aetor eeiec aaabe tvdro tlius iiWcr gmran hrnmu itiin ongrv heeni tiecr sicmI hcohe nhoti iTtry stdXc uyate hyfht bosea tonei etict ysiev enher aoomu nnasc tXsby fafsp elaeS xtiag sGwen epnef aanre dsfwa sleit enhot ocoip scWis eemon cblss tetin iccse vrnst ldtfw momuo isTec inmwc Ttirv rrhee rnese rrntc hemof hooni ngite oevec enaln owncg sdrai eddan esany snaln trnas oymen nhisp iaADi sssIl tworh ylsqn rsstn nhcai Tgsae ptels srnds otnda hrena irlae linyo ahcam hfouo dhdXa tnbes ioery aesey soybh tufth eoits dtpes yeete essbg loian emach duima ertsr nonmo csyha ecoae tatim odein sasea efori eiton tenha vntie iatci norlt ttemc yevcg mgudp amuft hypnt garwt getet nndFp uofcl horbe sybud aiteg femlo huicd rineA treii theal Veptm epatc yednf memle alalt isVDc tdXre nfdes ltoco tgrui hrihe lurhi ehesp henom secad smmls iatre erier isstd ditpm atsin mpnci moeru usnnt asIlu yhuet exafe elcis erslo ntioc snkuh allse haius toiet gesor eetde raehe leene gaaGh alaaw ekdos ixiat nsipt roudn edshb esgtD hesnc essre anreo rsnrt aptoo plufn rptde grFTt hecen loina ittuf egatn ester fostm viTti avadi tarne aneli nfiow vensx

Plaintext

Time is short so I must record my findings on the Tempest communication system while I can.

The Tempest conspiracy have in part moderated their more murderous tendencies in recent years, as far as I can tell, because they have found more profit in the exploitation of business intelligence. With increased government surveillance of the international communications networks, including the postal and telegram services, they have devised a cunning system to disguise and encrypt messages in musical form.

In truth the encryption and the steganography are somewhat intermingled. The text is encrypted using a standard ADFGVX cipher, usually, so far as I can tell, with the keywords for both the six by six polybius square and the transposition step being taken from the musical dictionary. The disguise is achieved by representing the letters A,D,F,G as the corresponding musical notes in the standard scale, with V and X represented by a modifier (sharp and flat respectively) applied to any note. So for example the musical fragment C sharp, F, G flat, D would denote the digraphs VF and XD. The fact that the V and X can be represented in lots of different ways adds a little to the security of the steganography but nothing to the security of the cipher itself of course.

With this simple device the Tempest Conspiracy have been able to disseminate state secrets, banking details and commercially sensitive information across the world, even during times of war.

Ciphertext

DFESJ MFYRE KESIM BKWPP VZWSV FEWCF FCRDY YHFXV NMOYP MRLJQ XSMYC JIUFI UCQQC WUASO QTJPE DWMTY RFQXB ZPJQL FBGSG QJLEM RISPS SGWUY KFLGZ YREKM YGRHU MUFXI CQJQE MUEZQ FBBRF UWJLX FJPJE IOAIB EIOAM FQEDP STQXI CAPPP EFEWC FFCRU PCJLK UMRBG PUFIN DSSLI BPPZR APFYO BVFBC FYVTU MUFSV REOWW VAGFQ WUSVJ LKDYQ FAPPQ IXFIO FICPS LCXIC MSAMQ FISQM ORLFU ESZYU UIEGH ORLBT IUFIS CWPSV DCWUM XBIIU FINMR UFIOU MUFXI CSOQI UMJUF IDMPE UESRI NNITR AFPIB DEJPP ZJSXN VJMVJ RCCSX UFISC GFLXD MPMYT TCMOU SSJHN YVLCX TASJL GJBMO EAJRL ZMYSB MTASW CVZMJ USVJL KTNEQ CVTFE TCRBZ PFBQF RSHCX TCGVP MUWEH CRDGI TMRCM XIQME CWPDX ICEUJ EORMD RSUYO FRLFK WFPMP SWMWE HYMOG XJQPV AOZGH JBAJR LHALR FIMNA FFEWC FFCRB ZPFRS NMRJR SSRIN NITRG PKQVL MDYXJ MRTYR EUILL SXRLB RXICC BPIUP EDIMO ECPSM BKEGP EJBCP SVFYP MWAJJ PIYZF RSEGW BNTFY VGMVB ULJJI XCLBT IBPVB LKFBJ PPCPS XPFEW CAPLE GSPMW JVLHF BKBNC FYVXG XIYGI YVJRC JLGFL XSYPB KISGG BPYOZ CUFIV LMUCH OYXJM RTMTF PEUGZ FQMOR LFSRX GPMPY OASWC VBLHD FEOLI MASNK YOGGB RMPLW CCXXC IOWSV YREWS VPJBK MMGIT ULJJI XCXSW XPDMH SVFMY UULBR XPBSO CBUZY UEMWC RUFIS CEDFS GRINN ITRMU USVJH CCYOQ EGCXP JSEEI ZMYUF ISCVF YPMWM OQXFY HXCTM YRUMK JTIZM YOCAJ BIORM UGITM RSMYU CGIYR OCPJL KZMYU MEOYP UCVOY XJTIE CWUGR BRMPL XIPSV ELOCA BPOJR MTYFV QCQJE DCEOB MGUIL CIQWS VYMSQ MECCP SAJJP KSWUB MTYTQ CESDV PKXIC WZQXF KLPNI GSPMW AFAEO IIFNE TCGVP MUWWD PIFLX PZVFY OZMYS RVBGP UFISC MDYRU RIMJC PSAIC VFWSV YVFES JLKBR PFYWU LSUGR BJIUR ISZYU GTMYR UMFFM RUFIG JMHFX UMXIC YTYRE UIDYR UYPLM RDCAF YVFMY UMJVI EJPWQ YGFGX JQGSS GJYPU FEUWS VBSOM XCPMO EEOWX IGRHR LBRGB LFFRV BAOFB RPNLP LITLS UYFMC XTLSU FMOES GRLBR WPPXX CAJJP TCXZM YVNAJ RLFTI SWXIG RHWSV LIFBA ICRZM YHCXU FISCA FGRUC VDCTU CHUFI BRXBA LFBXF KTFQX FVIDS XJTIS CTPPX GPSNR LFBMS CGUMV MYWUL MHFXB LHJDM HSVFU IDYRT NIOBX ICJMG KIRGS YGLGR HGXJK MHFXB QAFJP HCXTR ESRIE MRZMY SRVBG RJLKB QEQGE MPIBB CUPEO QGSGF FBMUG RUMXI CEEDK WVRPR EUGSO ZYUFE WCPFD XUFIG GVTRJ FUPJL ITGRN SWJAE MLSUY XJMRG MVZMY TMCPS GBLWF CLPUX ICWUC KBLSH PEQFC MMSLQ MOAET CCPSG PKIBA VPQWJ RMORL FUMMB MIMTF UIDYR NYOFR LJQHJ QEQNI BPMOE XSGGL USSIF VRMIY ZFRSC CLPLI TRMUU SORFF CETWF FAESC JVJOF CTZMY SCCFQ SQCRB LHEMR PRFFR INNXF BXPRI MJEOW SOCIM QIBZS VRMUE SPBPV AOIYV SW

Plaintext

Charlie and Mark,
I am sorry you have been caught up in all this trouble. The Tempest Conspiracy is an established criminal/terrorist agency and mixing with them is always bad news. Intelligence agencies across the world have been trying to nail them for nearly two hundred years without any success. Turing came close when he broke their ciphers in the war, but we didn’t have the resources to take them on then. With the onset of the Cold War Tempest were a fairly low priority, but the recent collapse in world markets coinciding with your discovery of Turing’s papers has enabled me to get security agencies on both sides of the Atlantic to take them seriously again. It is lucky I did. With GCHQ help we have been able to monitor Tempest communications and we know that they are tracking you. I am afraid you really will have to disappear for a while. We have arranged for you to have won a fully funded “gap year” with a charity in Central America run by the United Nations. Operatives in the UN will run cover and channel communications between you and your families while we try to figure out what to do next, but given the reach of Tempest it would be unsafe to lodge you there really. Instead we plan to give you new identities on route, channeling you to an alternative destination through Newark. It is a busy place and if we keep you airside you will just disappear from the system. Hopefully we can keep a security screen to break your trail there. I can’t tell you where you are going, at least not in a letter, but I plan to be on the flight to the US and we can talk once we are out of UK airspace. It is crucial that you do not bring anything that can be tracked. No phones, no tablets, nothing of that sort. We will set you up with everything you need when you get there.
We intercepted the attached Tempest Executive Report from The Director last night and I figure we can spend the flight cracking it (I might as well get started on your training asap). I already transcribed it into the ADFGVX notation but have left the first few lines in musical notation for you so you can see how the steganography looks in case you come across it in the wild
I hope we can make this disappearing trick work, but I have to be honest, it won’t be easy. Be careful, keep your eyes open, and do not be tempted to tell anyone else about it.

Good luck, Harry

Ciphertext

DAFAA ADGDA AGDAX AAGDD FADGA AGAFG ADDAG AVGAA AGXAF ADGAA AGGFX DVDAF VDXAG AVAAG FFVVG FDDAF AGGAD XADAG DGXFA ADFGF GDVAF GAAVG VFAFV FVDAF VAAFF AGDGA FFVAD FDADV DFDAF DVGGD DVDDA GAAXA ADAXA AAADX ADADA AAGFA DAXFG DVVGD AGADV AGFDF VAAFA ADAFG AGVAG ADADA ADAAV AFFAV XDADA DVAVA VFVGF DVXDA DAAVD FAGXD XDDAG AAGFF XDVAA FFFXD AAFAA GFADX ADAVA XDAGA DDXGD DFDFA DGDGF FADVA GAAFX DGAAG GDVAF AFVVF DAVVV FAFGG ADFFX VADDA VDGDA VAXVX DAVFF GFDVG ADAGD VVFAG AXFAG FVVGA FDAAF GFDAX GAVVA FXXAD DFDDA DFDAA ADADA AGDAF VGAFA VXAAD VAFGA GXVAD DDVVF AAFVA VFFDD AVFGA AVDFG AVDAD AGVFD DFAAV VGVAF AXGFA DVVDA FDAXA GDGXD AGADA DDAAA VVFFF ADAGA GDFAG DAFDA ADAVV XAGAD AXADD GXGAF FAXAA FGAAX AGAGG ADDFV DVDAF XAXAD AFAXA DADAA AAFAA DAFGA GFFFF GDAAF VXAXA DAAAX AADXD VAADV DAAFA VDAGG FGGAF FDGDA AAGDV DADAD DDGGA AFXDA DVAFG AGXVA DDDDX FADFX DXDDA VVDFF ADGXF GAAAX AADXD AAAFG AVGAA AADGA GAVVA AAVDD AFGAF DGGAA GVAGA DGAAA GVFVA AFAAV FAAAA VGFFV VDDGA XXGDA GXDDA ADAAG AFGAX DAAAX FADAF DAAGG FDFDD AGDGD FAADG AAAGV XDADA AVDFA GAXVA AFVDX AGAFA XGFAF VDFDF FGADF ADXDD AGAAF FAGAX AAAFV VAAFF DVFFA GVAGG AAXDV AAFXF AAAGD FAFAA ADDGF GDGXF AAAGV GFFVV FDAGG AVGFA FVVFD AXVVF AFGFA DDGVX FAFFF GADGG VAGAA AADXA GAAAV AFADV GFGGA DAAGV AGAFF AGADA FAVAV GAAGF VADAG AAGAG GVAAD FAAXA AAAFV FFFVV ADGFX AVADA AFGGA DAFAG GADXA DAGDF DDAGX AAAAD GAAFF FADVG FFAVX DADDD FAAGV AVGAA AFVGG GGXGA FFADA GAGDD AAAAG VDAAA XAAGA AVAVF AFDDD GDAAV AFAGA DDAFG GAXFD AAVAF VAAXV DFFAV VDAAD VFAGG DDDDD ADDGG GDGFG GFFGD DAGAX AVGAD VAVFF DXADA DAADA GFAXF AGAAV AVFAF XAAAD GFVVA GDDXD DGADG AGAGG XXAFD VAXFD DAGVF VDXDA AAGFD AADFG VDFGA ADFGA AVDAA FAADV GFFDX FDADD VGDAD VFFGF DXDVG AFDFA DDGFD AADFF ADADA XGFDA GAGDF AGXVG GAAAD XGADA DAAGF FDXGF DADDA GADAA FGAXX ADAAD VVGAG GAGFF FVGAD AGDDA DAADX DDADV GDFAG AFDGG AGVXA DAVVA FAADX ADAGX FDAAF AVAAG FDVAF GAAAF FAGAA VAFAG VAFFF DFGFA FXDFA DAVXA AFDVA AGAAD XADAG FDAGD GVXAA GFVVF FDGVV XFGAA VDFAA XFADA ADAVA AFAAV AFAAV VFAAF VAAGG VGDAA GAAAF AFVVA AFFVA AAGFG GAFFD VDDAF ADDDD AGXDA GAGAA VVAAV DVDAF FFDDG DXAVA AFAVF AGDAD GAGFF AAVDF FDXGA AAVGF AFVAV FFDGV VADAA FDGGA AFVGG ADGXA AAGVV FAAAD AGFAV AVFAF VAGAA ADAGG AGVDA AFAFD AAADA XAAGG DXDAG GVAVF FDFGA AGDAG DFFDA AAFAV FAGFA AAVAA GAVXA AFAVD DDAGD AXAGA AGVGF FDVVD GGGAG FFFDA XDAAX DADDF GDDAG AAFAD DVADF GFAGF AGFAV XDAFA FVDAG GAGDF VGXDG DAFVA VFFDX ADDAD DFDFG AFDAD GGAAA FAVVX FAFDV AAFFA GDGAF FVADF DADVD FDAGV DAAAX AAGAA VAVFA FADVG FFFDA AGGGV DAAAX ADADA DDDGA GGXAA GFVVD FDGAV GGFFA GDFDA VAGFF GDDAA GAFDA ADFDV VFDAV FAGFA ADAAG FAVDF AAGGA FFFDV VDAFD DVDAA DGAAA GAXAA AFVVD AFGAX FAFAF DXADA FADAD AADXG AAAAG DFFDA AFGFV VAFDA DXVDA AVVVF DAVAV FFDVA GFFGD DAAGA VAXFD AAAVA FAVVG FADFV AAGGG VDAAA XAAGA AVAVF AFADA GDVFD AAGGG VDAAA VXXAF AFVXF DADFA AAGDA XFDAA VVFFF DAGAA FAGVF FDVDD AFDXD VAADV DDAFD DADFA GDAFA AADGD AAGXA XADAX DXGAD AXAAD FVAGA ADFDA GGGAG GGFGV AVFFD GAVFD FAVAA AAAXA DGFAG VGFFA VVDFF AFGDF DAGDD FDGFA GFAAD AGFAX FAGAA VAVFA FXDVG AFVFA DGFXA VADAA FGGGD DGXFA GAAGF DFXDG AAAAG VAGAD XXADD VADAA AXAAA DFDDX DGAFV AFDFG VDFGA ADFGA AVDAA FADVX GAADA GGAAA DXAGD GXDAA GXADA DAAVV AGDVX AAFFX DAGAA VAVFA FDADD AGGAG AAFDX DADAA FVDAA AGDAG AXGAG AFAGV FFFXA DADAF DADGG DAVGA FDAGA DFFAX FAADA AAAAD XFDAD AADFG AADVD AAZAZ GZZ

Plaintext

Tempest Executive Report: Hurricane Warning

Further leaks from London Intelligence suggest that the British Government is protecting the young agents Charlie and Mark. They are scheduled to leave London on flight CO19 bound for Newark on Friday 16th December, but no through booking is on record. New York agents have been instructed to watch all air traffic on that date. It is likely that the agents will be processed through back channels at the airport so to ensure proper monitoring we have activated airside sleeper agents at Newark and JFK.

The situation in European markets is leaving our London and Frankfurt operations very little room for profit taking without further destabilising the Euro. Our Wall Street Operations Centre is, if anything, too successful, leveraging the situation through several highly geared investments in hedge funds and credit default swaps. The risk here is that we will force the closure of another major institution like Lehman Brothers, drawing unwanted attention to our position. It will be necessary to conduct an orderly dismantling of our European position to prevent embarrassing publicity.

Important cost savings will be achieved by simultaneously scaling back security and intelligence operations in Europe. These savings will be invested in counter intelligence operations aimed at destabilising the ongoing investigation of our operations by European and American intelligence agencies.

Tempest has a habit of surviving, if not thriving, in difficult situations. and, with our flexible approach to ethics and investment we are perhaps the organisation best placed to prevail in the current climate.

The Director