2021 Ciphers
In March 2021, a series of ciphers started appearing in various Cyan communications. Most of them are "ciphers" in the traditional sense: strings of symbols using commonly known cipher algorithms to encode secret messages. Some of the ciphers encode nested ciphers alongside other plain text.
A great deal of discussion about the early ciphers was scattered among various channels in Cyan Chat. On April 7, mods created a dedicated #cipher-discussions channel for talking about Cyan's current and past ARGs. And on May 3, Cyantist Stone posted a spoiler-tagged message in that channel strongly encouraging the fans to document the campaign on a wiki.
All Messages
- Testing One Two Three
- Hello World Alive Soon TM
- Hello. Is there anybody out there? Just nod if you can hear me. Is there anyone home?
- I mean what they and their hired psychiatrists call delusional systems. Needless to say, ‘delusions’ are always officially defined. We do not have to worry about questions of real or unreal. They only talk out of expediency. It’s the system that matters. How the data arrange themselves inside it. Some are consistent, others fall apart.
- I'll send an SOS to the world, I hope that someone gets my, message in a bottle. /// I must remain (silent | hidden | unfound) / (them | you | we | us) make contact / (yesterday | soon | now)
- Such in outline is the official theory. I shall often speak of it, with deliberate abusiveness, as “the dogma of the ghost in the machine.” I hope to prove that it is entirely false, and false not in detail but in principle. It is not merely an assemblage of particular mistakes. It is one big mistake and a mistake of a special kind. It is, namely, a category mistake. /// Please Make (Meeting | Connection | Meeting) / (Attend | Listen | Get | Hear) / Can (They | Them | All | You) Hear Me
- We all act because we’re sure of what we want, and we believe that the actions we perform will get us what we want, but we never know anything for sure, and so all our rationales are invented to justify what we were going to do anyway before we thought of any reasons.
- ~maybe soon~
Cipher 1 - March 19, 2021
Where Found:
"Translations Achieved" Patch! - News post on Cyan.com
https://cyan.com/translations-achieved-patch/
Original Cipher: Cipher 1
Step 1 - Binary Code
00101110 00101101 00101110 00101101 00101110 00101101 00100000 00101110 00101101 00101110 00101101 00101110 00101101 00100000 00101110 00101101 00101110 00101101 00101110 00101101 00100000 00101101
00100000 00101110 00100000 00101110 00101110 00101110 00100000 00101101 00100000 00101110 00101110 00100000 00101101 00101110 00100000 00101101 00101101 00101110 00100000 00101110 00101101 00101110
00101101 00101110 00101101 00100000 00101110 00101101 00101110 00101101 00101110 00101101 00100000 00101110 00101101 00101110 00101101 00101110 00101101 00100000 00101101 00101101 00101101 00100000
00101101 00101110 00100000 00101110 00100000 00101110 00101101 00101110 00101101 00101110 00101101 00100000 00101110 00101101 00101110 00101101 00101110 00101101 00100000 00101110 00101101 00101110
00101101 00101110 00101101 00100000 00101101 00100000 00101110 00101101 00101101 00100000 00101101 00101101 00101101 00100000 00101110 00101101 00101110 00101101 00101110 00101101 00100000 00101110
00101101 00101110 00101101 00101110 00101101 00100000 00101110 00101101 00101110 00101101 00101110 00101101 00100000 00101101 00100000 00101110 00101110 00101110 00101110 00100000 00101110 00101101
00101110 00100000 00101110 00100000 00101110 00100000 00101110 00101101 00101110 00101101 00101110 00101101 00100000 00101110 00101101 00101110 00101101 00101110 00101101 00100000 00101110 00101101
00101110 00101101 00101110 00101101
Step 2 - Morse Code
.-.-.- .-.-.- .-.-.- - . ... - .. -. --. .-.-.- .-.-.- .-.-.- --- -. . .-.-.- .-.-.- .-.-.- - .-- --- .-.-.- .-.-.- .-.-.- - .... .-. . . .-.-.- .-.-.- .-.-.-
Cracked Cipher:
...TESTING...ONE...TWO...THREE...
Cipher 2 - March 23, 2021
Where Found:
Cyan Newsletter - March
Original Cipher: Cipher 2
Step 1 - Binary Code
00101110 00101110 00101110
01101101 01110100 01101110
01101111 01101111 01110011
00101110 00101110 00101110
01100101 01110110 01101001
01101100 01100001 00101110
00101110 00101110 01100100
01101100 01110010 01101111
01110111 01101111 01101100
01101100 01100101 01101000
00101110 00101110 00101110
Step 2 - Reverse
...mtnoos...evila...dlrowolleh...
Cracked Cipher:
...helloworld...alive...soontm...
Cipher 3 - March 26, 2021
Where Found:
Cloud Manipulation Experiments - YouTube Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6c62KIS-CKY
Original Cipher: Cipher 3 00:55 + Cipher 3 00:03 - 00:55 Dallas Key
00:03 - 00:05 - KeyWord
dallas is the key
Step 1 - Keyword Caesar Cipher - (Shift = 0) Keyword: Dallas - Cipher 3 00:03 - 00:55 Dallas Key
00:55 -
fbjjn // gr tfbqb dmyansy nut
tfbqb // hurt mns gc ynu ldm fbdq
kb // gr tfbqb dmynmb fnkb?
Cracked Cipher: Comfortably Numb by Pink Floyd lyrics
hello // Is there anybody out
there // just nod if you can hear
me // Is there anyone home?
Cipher 4 - April 1, 2021
Where Found:
Myst Sayber Announcement Trailer (Cyan's 2021 April fools Foolishness) - YouTube Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oW4gUPvDAEA
Original Cipher: Cipher 4
Step 1 - PigPen Cipher
Cracked Cipher: Quote is from Thomas Pynchon's Gravity's Rainbow
I MEAN WHAT THEY AND THEIR HIRED PSYCHIATRISTS CALL DELUSIONAL SYSTEMS NEEDLESS TO SAY DELUSIONS ARE
ALWAYS OFFICIALLY DEFINED WE DO NOT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT QUESTIONS OF REAL OR UNREAL THEY ONLY TALK
OUT OF EXPEDIENCY ITS THE SYSTEM THAT MATTERS HOW THE DATA ARRANGE THEMSELVES INSIDE IT SOME ARE
CONSISTENT OTHERS FALL APART
Cipher 5 - April 15, 2021
Where Found:
A brief example of design iteration for Firmament - YouTube Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q39BOvBA2pg
Original Cipher: Cipher 5A 00:04, Cipher 5B 00:34, Cipher 5C 00:49
Step 1 - Masked / Reversed Morse Code ("A = .", "B = -", "C = /")
00:04 -
BAB AA ABA A C ABB AA BAAA AAB BAA AABA C A ABA BBB B C A ABA BBB B C ABAA BBB AABA BBB C
AABA AA B ABA A AAAB C BB BA AAB BA C AAA BA AABA BAB AA AB C ABA BA BAAA AA C ABAA BBB
AABA BBB C A BAAA ABB AB BBAB C AAB ABA BAA ABB AA AAA C BB AABA A AAAA AABA AA BBA C
AAA BA AABA BAB AA AB C AAB ABA BAA ABB AA AAA C BB BA AAB BA C A ABA BBB B C BAB AA ABA A
C BABBAB C AAA BA AABA BAB AA AB C ABAA BBB AABA BBB C AAB AA BAAA BA AAB C BAB AA ABA A
C A BAAA ABB AB BBAB C ABAA BBB AABA BBB C ABAA AABA BBB AAB BAA ABA C ABBAB C BAB AA
ABA A C BAAA BA B AAA BAA ABB C BB BA AAB BA C AAB ABA BAA ABB AA AAA C AAB ABA BAA ABB
AA AAA C BAB AA ABA A C AB AA B ABA BA BB
00:34 -
A BAAA ABB AB BBAB C AB AA B ABA BA BB C AAB ABA BAA ABB AA AAA C A ABA BBB B C BAB AA ABA
A C BAAA BA B AAA BAA ABB C ABA BA AAA A BA ABAB C BAB AA ABA A C A ABA BBB B C BB BA AAB
BA C ABA BA AAA A BA ABAB C A AABA AABA BA BAB C A ABA BBB B C ABAA BBB AABA BBB C BB BA
AAB BA C AAA BA AABA BAB AA AB C AB AA B ABA BA BB C BAB AA ABA A C AAA BA AABA BAB AA AB C
ABAA BBB AABA BBB C BAB AA ABA A C AB AA B ABA BA BB C ABAA BBB AABA BBB C AAB ABA BAA
ABB AA AAA C A ABA BBB B C BB BA AAB BA C A ABB AABA A AAAA C A ABA BBB B C BAB AA ABA A C
BAB AA ABA A C AB BA AAAB ABA BAA C BB AABA A AAAA AABA AA BBA C AB AA B ABA BA BB C A ABB
AABA A AAAA C AAB ABA BAA ABB AA AAA C AB BA AAAB ABA BAA C A BAAA ABB AB BBAB C A ABA
BBB B C BABBAB C ABAA BBB AABA BBB C ABBAB C BAB AA ABA A C ABA A B B A ABBA C ABAA BBB
AABA BBB C A ABB AABA A AAAA C ABA BA BAAA AA
00:49 -
ABBA AA AABA AA ABAA C AAB AA BAAA BA AAB C ABB AA BAAA AAB BAA AABA C BABBAB C ABAA
BBB AABA BBB C AAA BA AABA BAB AA AB C AAB AA BAAA BA AAB C ABA BA BAAA AA C BAB AA ABA A
C ABA BA BAAA AA C AAB AA BAAA BA AAB C AB BA AAAB ABA BAA C AB BA AAAB ABA BAA C BAB AA
ABA A C A ABB AABA A AAAA C AAA BA AABA BAB AA AB C AAB ABA BAA ABB AA AAA C AAA BA AABA
BAB AA AB C AAA BA AABA BAB AA AB C A ABA BBB B C ABBAB C AAB AA BAAA BA AAB C ABB AA
BAAA AAB BAA AABA C ABAA AABA BBB AAB BAA ABA C ABAA BBA AABA BBB C BA AABA A AAAA AABA
AA BBA C BAB AA ABA A C A ABB AABA A AAAA C A ABA BBB B C ABAA BBB AABA BBB C A ABA BBB B C
ABA BA BAAA AA C AAB ABA BAA ABB AA AAA C AAA BA AABA BAB AA AB C BB BA AAB BA C A ABA
BBB B C AB BA AAAB ABA BAA C AB AA B ABA BA BB C ABAA AABA BBB AAB BAA ABA C AB AA B ABA
BA BB C BAB AA ABA A C ABA BA BAAA AA C AAB ABA BAA ABB AA AAA C ABAA BBB AABA BBB C AAB
ABA BAA ABB AA AAA C AAA BA AABA BAB AA AB C BB BA AAB BA C AAB AA BAAA BA AAB C AAA BA
AABA BAB AA AB C BAB AA ABA A C AAB ABA BAA ABB AA AAA C ABB AA BAAA AAB BAA AABA C ABB
AA BAAA AAB BAA AABA C ABA BA BAAA AA
Step 2 - Morse Code ("Spase = Letter Delimiter", "/ = Word Delimiter")
00:04 -
-- .- .-. - .. -. / . .-. .. -.- / ... .. --. ..- .-. -.. / ... .. --. ..- .-. -.. / .- -.. .- -- / --. ..- ... - .- ...- / . .-. .. -.- / -.--. / .-. ..- -.. --- .-.. ..-. / --- .-.. --- ..-. / -.-- -. --. ...- . / . .-. .. -.- / -.. .- ...- .. -.. / --- .-.. --- ..-. / -. .. -.- .-.. .- ... / -.--.- / . .-. .. -.- / - --- .-. . / .- -.. .- -- / ... .. --. ..- .-. -.. / -. .. -.- .-.. .- ... / .-- .. .-.. .... . .-.. -- / ... .. --. ..- .-. -.. / -.-- -. --. ...- . / --- .-.. --- ..-. / .. ...- .- .-. / -. .. -.- .-.. .- ... / .- -.. .- -- / -... . .-. - .. .-.. / --- .-.. --- ..-. / - --- .-. . / - --- .-. . / .-.. ..- -.. ...- .. --. / . .-. .. -.-
00:34 -
.. ...- .- .-. / .... . .-.. --. . / --- .-.. --- ..-. / .--. . - - . .-. / . .-. .. -.- / -.--. / --- .-.. --- ..-. / -.--.- / - --- .-. . / -.-- -. --. ...- . / ..- .-. -... .- -. / ... .. --. ..- .-. -.. / .... . .-.. --. . / -- .- .-. - .. -. / .-- .. .-.. .... . .-.. -- / ..- .-. -... .- -. / . .-. .. -.- / . .-. .. -.- / - --- .-. . / .... . .-.. --. . / .- -.. .- -- / - --- .-. . / ... .. --. ..- .-. -.. / --- .-.. --- ..-. / -- .- .-. - .. -. / . .-. .. -.- / --- .-.. --- ..-. / -. .. -.- .-.. .- ... / . .-. .. -.- / -- .- .-. - .. -. / -. .. -.- .-.. .- ... / .- -.. .- -- / --- .-.. --- ..-. / - --- .-. . / -.- .- .-.. .-.. . / -.-. .- . ... .- .-. / .- -.. .- -- / - --- .-. . / . .-. .. -.- / -.-. .- . ... .- .-. / --. ..- ... - .- ...- / . .-. .. -.- / - --- .-. . / ... .. --. ..- .-. -.. / -- .- .-. - .. -. / -.-- -. --. ...- .
00:49 -
.. ...- .- .-. / .-.. ..- -.. ...- .. --. / .-.. ..- -.. ...- .. --. / ... .. --. ..- .-. -.. / . .-. .. -.- / -. .. -.- .-.. .- ... / -.. .- ...- .. -.. / .- -.. .- -- / -. .. -.- .-.. .- ... / ... .. --. ..- .-. -.. / --- .-.. --- ..-. / ... .. --. ..- .-. -.. / .. ...- .- .-. / . .-. .. -.- / -- .- .-. - .. -. / .-. ..- -.. --- .-.. ..-. / -- .- .-. - .. -. / ..- .-. -... .- -. / - --- .-. . / .- -.. .- -- / -. .. -.- .-.. .- ... / ... .. --. ..- .-. -.. / .. ...- .- .-. / - --- .-. . / --- .-.. --- ..-. / - --- .-. . / .... . .-.. --. . / . .-. .. -.- / .-- .. .-.. .... . .-.. -- / --- .-.. .-- ..-. / .-. ..- -.. --- .-.. ..-. / .-.. ..- -.. ...- .. --. / -.. .- ...- .. -.. / -.--. / - --- .-. . / -. .. -.- .-.. .- ... / -. .. -.- .-.. .- ... / ... .. --. ..- .-. -.. / -. .. -.- .-.. .- ... / .... . .-.. --. . / . .-. .. -.- / ..- .-. -... .- -. / ..- .-. -... .- -. / -.. .- ...- .. -.. / .. ...- .- .-. / . .-. .. -.- / .. ...- .- .-. / -.. .- ...- .. -.. / -. .. -.- .-.. .- ... / --- .-.. --- ..-. / -.--.- / .-.. ..- -.. ...- .. --. / -.. .- ...- .. -.. / ..-. .. .-.. .. .--.
Step 3 - Swedish Armed Forces Radio Alphabet (first letter of each name)
00:04 - MARTIN ERIK SIGURD SIGURD ADAM GUSTAV ERIK ( RUDOLF OLOF YNGVE ERIK DAVID OLOF NIKLAS ) ERIK TORE ADAM SIGURD NIKLAS WILHELM SIGURD YNGVE OLOF IVAR NIKLAS ADAM BERTIL OLOF TORE TORE LUDVIG ERIK
00:34 - IVAR HELGE OLOF PETTER ERIK ( OLOF ) TORE YNGVE URBAN SIGURD HELGE MARTIN WILHELM URBAN ERIK ERIK TORE HELGE ADAM TORE SIGURD OLOF MARTIN ERIK OLOF NIKLAS ERIK MARTIN NIKLAS ADAM OLOF TORE KALLE CAESAR ADAM TORE ERIK CAESAR GUSTAV ERIK TORE SIGURD MARTIN YNGVE
00:49 - IVAR LUDVIG LUDVIG SIGURD ERIK NIKLAS DAVID ADAM NIKLAS SIGURD OLOF SIGURD IVAR ERIK MARTIN RUDOLF MARTIN URBAN TORE ADAM NIKLAS SIGURD IVAR TORE OLOF TORE HELGE ERIK WILHELM OLOF RUDOLF LUDVIG DAVID ( TORE NIKLAS NIKLAS SIGURD NIKLAS HELGE ERIK URBAN URBAN DAVID IVAR ERIK IVAR DAVID NIKLAS OLOF ) LUDVIG DAVID FILIP
Step 4 - first letter of each name - Message In A Bottle by The Police lyrics
00:04 - MESSAGE(ROYEDON)ETASNWSYOINABOTTLE
00:34 - IHOPE(O)TYUSHMWUEETHATSOMEONEMNAOTKCATECGETSMY
00:49 - ILLSENDANSOSIEMRMUTANSITOTHEWORLD(TNNSNHEUUDIEIDNO)LDF
Cracked Cipher: Message In A Bottle by The Police lyrics + (extra text mixed with Police lyrics)
00:49 - ILL SEND AN SOS TO THE WORLD
00:34 - I HOPE THAT SOMEONE GETS MY
00:04 - MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE
Second Level Cracked: (extra text mixed with Police lyrics)
Step 5 - RailFence Cipher ("Key = 4", "Offset = 0")
00:49 - IEMRMUTANSI | (TNNSNHEUUDIEIDNO)LDF
00:34 - (O)TYUSHMWUEE | MNAOTKCATEC
00:04 - (ROYEDON)ETASNWSYO
Third Level Cracked:
00:49 - I MUST REMAIN (SILENT HIDDEN UNFOUND)
00:34 - (THEM YOU WE US) MAKE CONTACT
00:04 - (YESTERDAY SOON NOW)
Cipher 6 - April 21, 2021
Where Found:
Cyan Newsletter - April
Original Cipher: Cipher 6
Step 1 - Playfair Cipher
TQHN HO PTQOHOD KT UKC LIGKDHFQ SIDPTW. H TFCNVM PIQCP UNABI PG KR, YOYI
CAPGDBUDQA BERTHZAPCXCQ, CT "UKC ITMRD LI QKC HINTY OO SKC LBHNHOB."
POYFRYOHGY(OSYUSEIDMPFIUMTAOFKSYUSEID) G INUK YT MULYD UFCY OY OU COS-
GTAPV IFQUC, CLA IFQUC OPY OO CDUDFM AQU HO MUHODHLMD. KY OX STY
PBUBOV CL CQUCRGQFKB LI LESUHDQPBQ OGTUEFCU. (HTUCNFOISTAPCAXHDKT) FY
OT NPC DGM RHTQDPK CLE B OGTUEFD PL F UNADFDP FHOI. OY OX, SBLAPV, D DBU-
DIMTW OGTUEFA. DNM(RDODRDKFOGODPT)DGRWFK
Step 2 - Quote is from Gilbert Ryle's The Concept of Mind (Remove "X" separator for identical/paired letters, and replace some necessary "i" with "j")
SUCH IN OUTLINE IS THE OFFICIAL THEORY. I SHALXL OFTEN SPEAK OF IT, WITH
DELIBERATE ABUSIVENESXS, AS "THE DOGMA OF THE GHOST IN THE MACHINE."
MITGQTIGFT(ITXTRDKBOLKKTORDLKITXTRDKB) I HOPE TO PROVE THAT IT IS ENT-
IRELY FALSE, AND FALSE NOT IN DETAIL BUT IN PRINCIPLE. IT IS NOT
MERELY AN ASSEMBLAGE OF PARTICULAR MISTAKES. (ISSELHIDRSELBESCEIQ) IT
IS ONE BIG MISTAKE AND A MISTAKE OF A SPECIAL KIND. IT IS, NAMELY, A CAT-
EGORY MISTAKE. CML(TBIYTBIKMIIYOU)BIMRKI
Cracked Cipher: Quote is from Gilbert Ryle's The Concept of Mind + (extra text mixed with Quote Gilbert Ryle's)
SUCH IN OUTLINE IS THE OFFICIAL THEORY. I SHALL OFTEN SPEAK OF IT, WITH DELIBERATE ABUSIVENESS, AS "THE DOGMA OF THE GHOST IN THE MACHINE." I HOPE TO PROVE THAT IT IS ENTIRELY FALSE, AND FALSE NOT IN DETAIL BUT IN PRINCIPLE. IT IS NOT MERELY AN ASSEMBLAGE OF PARTICULAR MISTAKES. IT IS ONE BIG MISTAKE AND A MISTAKE OF A SPECIAL KIND. IT IS, NAMELY, A CATEGORY MISTAKE.
Second Level Cracked: (extra text mixed with Quote Gilbert Ryle's)
Step 3 - Keyword Caesar Cipher (Shift = 0) - First Line:GHOST, Second Line: INTHE, Third Line:MACHINE
MITGQTJGFT(JTTRDKBOLKKTORDLKJTTRDKB)
(ISSELHJDRSELBESCEIQ)
CML(TBIYTBIKMJJYOU)BIMRKI
Second Cipher Cracked:
PLEASE MAKE (MEETING CONNECTION MEETING)
(ATTEND LISTEN GET HEAR)
CAN (THEY THEM ALL YOU) HEAR ME
Cipher 7 - May 7, 2021
Where Found:
Twitter post - https://twitter.com/cyanworlds/status/1390748337826009091
Original Cipher:
Step 1 - Keyword Caesar Cipher (Shift = 1) - First Line:GHOST, Second Line: INTHE, Third Line:MACHINE
1) dunnr://rltvn.lau/4bqf
2) duups://smevp.mau/8sg2
3) duuqt://toivq.onu/2x3g
Step 2 - Audio files (Audio Morse Code + Spectrogram)
Step 3 - Vigener Cipher
1) XILTPVGUFPKEPWFAPZINYSIZNACEUAPEEIXBROEIWIMMPDIOLBXEPIVGUMZVWRIQICNSMQXMWTKZXVWHPEOAFALVX (Spectrograph 1 keyword BELIEVE)
2) JHOARGIYMEFRBPEQGGCMAZJRZFPVRTRGABVPYHYUZNOMBGEOMFVVRBRYMAOIQ (Spectrograph 2 keyword INVENTED)
3) KSJMGGAWCWZOGOVAEJSTGZRGLCQGRRYOOLTVJOJSJWKLOMUULFJAFMEWRWOFG (Spectrograph 3 keyword REASONS)
Cracked Cipher: Quote from Orson Scott Card's Children of the Mind
1) WE ALL ACT BECAUSE WERE SURE OF WHAT WE WANT AND WE BELIEVE THAT THE ACTIONS WE PERFORM WILL GET US WHAT WE WANT
2) BUT WE NEVER KNOW ANYTHING FOR SURE AND SO ALL OUR RATIONALES ARE INVENTED
3) TO JUSTIFY WHAT WE WERE GOING TO DO ANYWAY BEFORE WE THOUGHT OF ANY REASONS