Codes and Code Breaking

This week is going to be nuts for me, and today is the worst of it, so today's blog post is going to be a little shorter than usual. So I'm going to make up for it by making it strange.

The book I'm currently working on is a mystery that features a lot of clues and codes. My three main characters have different strengths, and one of them, the boy Charlie, is skilled with puzzles and clues. Lately, I've been sharing the stories of female explorers (Anna's area of expertise), so I thought today I'd give you Charlie's.

Also, I'm a freaking code nerd. I love using them and making up clues with them, and I've been like this for a long time. I used to make treasure hunts a la National Treasure for my siblings, full of codes and clues. So indulge me, today.

I'm going to tell you what I have going on this week, but I'm going to do it in several different codes that I use in my book. If you want the decoded version, scroll to the bottom. But where's the fun in that?

First code: Atbash

The Atbash cipher is a simple one where you essentially flip the alphabet: A becomes Z, B becomes Y, and so on. The decoder is above. It's easy to use and easy to decode; me and my sister use it to share TV and book spoilers, since the recipient can decode whenever ready to know.

So, here's Reason #1 that my week is busy, in Atbash:

1. Gsrh dvvp, R zn tizwrmt nb hgfwvmgh' urmzo kzkvih. Gsv hvnvhgvi gvxsmrxzoob vmwvw ozhg dvvp, yfg yvxzfhv R'n gvzxsrmt lmormv R szev z hortsgob vcgvmwvw hvnvhgvi. Hrmxv hfnnvi rh hgzigrmt, R'n gibrmt gl tizwv gsvhv zh uzhg zh R xzm dsrov hgroo yvrmt gslilfts, dsrxs rh hgroo z olmt grnv: gsvhv kzkvih ziv 10 kztvh olmt. Rg zohl wlvhm'g svok gszg zoovitb hvzhlm rh fklm nv.

Second code: A1Z26

This one is a lot like the Atbash cipher. It's a simple substitution cipher that switches numbers for letters. A=1, B=2, and so on. I don't typically use this one because it's just as easy to break as the Atbash and writing it requires a lot of hyphenating. You'll see.

Reason #2:


13-25 23-18-9-20-9-14-7. 19-5-18-9-15-21-19-12-25, 23-8-1-20 5-12-19-5? 9 8-1-22-5 1 23-18-9-20-9-14-7 7-18-15-21-16 13-5-5-20-9-14-7 20-8-9-19 23-5-5-11-5-14-4 1-14-4 1-12-20-8-15-21-7-8 9 4-15-14'20 20-8-9-14-11 9'12-12 13-1-11-5 9-20 (18-5-1-19-15-14-19 6-15-18 20-8-1-20 12-1-20-5-18), 9 19-20-9-12-12 8-1-22-5 20-15 19-5-14-4 15-21-20 1 19-20-15-18-25. 20-5-14 16-1-7-5-19, 1-14-4 9'13 14-15-20 19-21-18-5 23-8-1-20 20-15 19-5-14-4? 13-25 23-9-16? 15-18 19-8-15-21-12-4 9 19-20-1-18-20 1 14-5-23 19-20-15-18-25 20-8-1-20 8-1-19 2-5-5-14 20-9-3-11-12-9-14-7 13-25 13-9-14-4? (9-20 9-14-22-15-12-22-5-4 6-18-1-3-20-21-18-5-4 6-1-9-18-25 20-1-12-5-19 19-5-20 9-14 1 22-9-3-20-15-18-9-1-14 20-9-13-5 5-18-1.) 9 1-12-19-15 16-18-15-13-9-19-5-4 13-25 7-18-15-21-16 9'4 23-18-9-20-5 5-22-5-18-25 4-1-25, 1-14-4 9-6 9 6-1-9-12, 9'22-5 2-5-5-14 1-19-19-21-18-5-4 3-15-14-19-5-17-21-5-14-3-5-19 23-9-12-12 2-5 4-9-18-5.

A1Z26 also takes up a lot of space. Not my favorite code, but handy.

Third code: Keyed Caesar:

The Caesar cipher is typically a shift cipher, meaning you switch the letters over a certain number, like this picture, which shows a left shift of 3:

This makes it a little tougher than Atbash or A1Z26. But I like the keyed Caesar, which uses a key word to create the shift. For example, if the key word was Batman, the alphabet used for the code would look like this:

BATMNCDEFGHIJKLOPQRSUVWXYZ

You see how those letters went to the front? This makes the alphabet shift over. Repeated letters are only used once. It's unique to any key word.

So, here's the third reason in keyed Caesar cipher. Key word is "Elgar" (figure out why I picked that word):

3. Ky sfstrq fs cqeauetfmc! Sdr's crttfmc drq arcqrr fm Soemfsd Tqemsjetfnm jfir e lnss (sdr's oqrtty kugd tqfjfmcuej mnw) ema jrevfmc gnjjrcr lrdfma bnq lrttrq tdfmcs! Ky oeqrmts eqr bjyfmc fmtn tnwm nm Tursaey mfcdt, ema nb gnuqsr F wemt tn sorma es kugd tfkr wftd tdrk es F gem, sn F'k tqyfmc tn gnkojrtr ky wnqi pufgijy. Ft wfjj lr cqret tn srr rvrqynmr ema tn grjrlqetr wftd ky sfstrq. Tdr wrri wfjj lr lusy, lut sn cnna!

Is this a bad time to tell you that there are lots of decoding machines online that handle all three of these codes? (But again, where's the fun in that?)

Anyway, that's it. That's my week. I hope the puzzles entertain you enough that the fact that this content isn't all that interesting this week. I have papers to grade; my brain is a little fried.

Go ahead and scroll down for the translated messages. But before we get there, here's one more for you, using all three codes. I'm not going to translate this one; it's for you to figure out. Just a piece of nonsense that may be fun to decode. Key word, when you need it, is "Hesperides."


Rm gsv svzig lu gsv dllw gsviv'h zm zkkov givv. Yb wzb rg rh tmziovw zmw tizb, yfg yb mrtsg rg kilwfxvh uifrg lu nllmorg hroevi.

2-5-25-15-14-4 20-8-5 1-16-16-12-5 20-18-5-5, 20-8-5-18-5 9-19 1 18-9-22-5-18. 2-25 4-1-25 9-20 9-19 13-21-4-4-25 1-14-4 2-18-15-23-14, 2-21-20 2-25 14-9-7-8-20 9-20 12-5-1-16-19 23-9-20-8 6-9-18-5. 

Hkp erylkp tar obvro, h shvr. Ey phy bt bq phof hkp qbgrkt, eut ey kbdat bt alwgq wbta tar wbkp taht bt qusfq bk, gbfr h aukdoy jluta. Bi ylu tllf tar jllkgbdat hmmgr, hkp olhqtrp bt lvro tar obvro'q ighjrq ql taht bt qjrggrp gbfr Lstlero, hkp morqrktrp bt ht tar jluta li tar shvr ql taht tar wbkp shoobrp tar holjh prrm wbtabk, waht jbdat rjrodr tl qrr waht ylu ahvr eoludat?




Decoded messages:

1. This week, I am grading my students' final papers. The semester technically ended last week, but because I'm teaching online I have a slightly extended semester. Since summer is starting, I'm trying to grade these as fast as I can while still being thorough, which is still a long time: these papers are 10 pages long. It also doesn't help that allergy season is upon me. 

2. My writing. Seriously, what else? I have a writing group meeting this weekend and although I don't think I'll make it (reasons for that later), I still have to send out a story. Ten pages, and I'm not sure what to send? My WIP? Or should I start a new story that has been tickling my mind? (It involved fractured fairy tales set in a Victorian time era.) I also promised my group I'd write every day, and if I fail, I've been assured consequences will be dire.

3. My sister is graduating! She's getting her degree in Spanish Translation like a boss (she's pretty much trilingual now) and leaving college behind for better things! My parents are flying into town on Tuesday night, and of course I want to spend as much time with them as I can, so I'm trying to complete my work quickly. It will be great to see everyone and to celebrate with my sister. The week will be busy, but so good!