The Cryptographic Probe
Characters: Robert Langdon, Caroline Fletcher, Harry Shelton & James Moore
Robert Langdon now the chief cryptographer of the FBI, was headed to Moore Mansion, 14 Middleton Street, Washington DC. He had been called by none other than James Moore . The deputy Director of NSA.
Langdon in the past few years had gone through many ups and downs in his life and learnt a great deal from it. His slow change from a reputed Harvard professor and symbologist to a cryptographer of the FBI has been both dramatic and inspirational.
It was a fine Sunday afternoon. Langdon was staring at the big mansion which looked like a giant silhouette against the Western sky.
Why in the world did Moore call me? thought Langdon.
In Spite of having a brilliant reputation in the FBI, he was not so renowned outside the close knit circle of the highly secretive FBI. The FBI was currently not on good terms with the NSA ever since the Delloid fiasco the previous year. It so happened that the US government had asked the NSA, who are reputed to have the best range of cryptographers in the world, to make an unbreakable algorithm which could be used as a tracer to the various terrorist activities in Iraq. However, this very algorithm was made by them and fortunately or unfortunately it was cracked by the FBI cryptos.
Since then there had been this sort of a...cold war.
Langdon was standing right in front of a 20 ft entrance, his eyes scanning the nameplate reading 'Moore Mansion'. The house itself was the one of the biggest in the town with an inbuilt gymnasium, sports field, library, Seminar halls and royalty spas located inside and around the house.
Is this real or is it that I am dreaming?
As he crossed the door he heard a voice saying, 'Visitor no.0001'.He turned back and saw some gadget with a visitor scanner situated there. The mansion was a perfect blend of cultural and monumental excellence. He went up the door and rang the bell attached near it. A few minutes later a lean athletic looking man opened the door and ushered him in and there he was-Mr. Moore.
"Welcome Mr. Langdon, please take your seat" Moore greeted pleasantly and pointed towards a cozy-looking chair. He spoke with a British accent.
Hmmm. English.
He was a healthy man with sun kissed skin blonde hair, inquisitive eyes and a big smile on his face.
"Thank you sir" replied Langdon.
"Now now, Mr. Langdon, I am fed up with the formality, do call me Mr. Moore, I'm alright with it" said Moore in a friendly tone."So let's come to the point Mr. Langdon" he continued."I have heard about your brilliance in cryptography and am in need of your help to encrypt a rather nasty code."
"Please don't take it in any other way but aren't you more experienced and better than me Si-I mean Mr. Moore?" prompted Langdon."Just because I am the deputy director of the NSA it does not mean that I am better than you, I would request you to help me crack these algorithms which even the NSA cryptos haven't been able to break"
"My pleasure" replied Langdon
Another man came carrying his laptop. This one more muscular than the other. He placed the laptop gently on the table and went away quietly.
"So here it is" Moore said and turned the laptop towards Langdon. The screen read
"Enter pass-key"
"Pass key? What the heck is that?" asked Langdon
"A kill-code" replied Moore and continued "This virus has affected the NSA databank and are eating away the security shields, we have got about 48 hours before all of the security shields are destroyed by this bloody virus and havoc is cause by the red-cross hackers.
"Oh my gosh" regretted Langdon
One part of his mind thought about the code and another part thought that such a big digital crisis had occurred and the FBI had known nothing about this all this while, STRANGE.
"It is matter of national security and I think there is no better person than you who could crack this baffling code"
"I will try my best sir, it is my pleasure to work with you in this case" relied Langdon courteously.
"You can get some more help from my nephew downstairs, he has just arrived today morning" .All this while Langdon had noticed that he had worn a gloves all over his hand. There was scorching heat outside and wearing of gloves in this weather made Langdon think about it. However, after bidding farewell to and urging him to give his best Moore left the room and almost immediately came a much younger boy.
"Hi I am Harry Shelton, nephew of James Moore" said he and put his hands forward for a handshake
"Langdon. Robert Langdon" he replied and shaked his hand with him. He noticed that there was a terrible burning mark in his hand.
"So I think you already know about the pass-key thing, isn't it?" he asked
"Yes .Mr. Shelton." Langdon replied.
"Well let me tell you about some of the details of this code. First of all it is a numeric one and of two or three digits."
"Hmm, please go on" replied Langdon.
"We have 3 chances to enter and if we are not able to crack this we are doomed. So Mr. Langdon, you see all is up to you." he motivated.
"Oh I see" Langdon replied.
"So any clue or anything or maybe some more details you know about"
"Yes a good one, it might be of great help." he replied and continued "The NSA cryptographer in charge with this matter had died rather been killed last month. We found this from his cabin" saying this he presented a page to him. It read
P T
"PT?What in the world can that be?"enquired Langdon
"No idea but I am sure that it is something related to the pass-key" replied Shelton.
"Interesting yet baffling" Langdon replied
"Exactly" he replied
"Aaaa….can you please tell me from where did you get this page?"
"Umm….from his cabin as I told you, from his work diary, we were just searching for clues and found it." he panicked. Langdon nodded his head.
"It seems that it is extremely twisted"
"Yes I suppose Mr. Langdon, now all is up to you, you have to try to your fullest. The whole fate of USA"s security lies in your hand.
"I'll try my best."
2 hours later Langdon was lying down in his king-size bed. His room was an extremely luxurious one which one could get only in seven star British hotels. Langdon usually unkempt of such a squeaky clean and impeccable British way of lifestyle in spite of being in the heart of , now his mind was not in the surroundings but on the pass-key. He at once set to work. He could clearly understand the gravity of the situation. He had tried several combinations and code styles to make out what "p-t" had a feeling that the code was hidden somewhere inside this two letters. After several cancelled deductions his notepad looked like:
PT-Pointed Thesis
P-16 & T-20
CODE-16+2O=32
20-16=4
PT-Photo Taking
PT-Phosphorus Tetroxide
PT-Potassium Triphosphate
He had come to various conclusions but had found strong reason to cancel it out.
What the hell is this PT? thought Langdon.
Nothing other than these silly deductions was coming in his mind. He was extremely tired and thoroughly disgusted with himself. The past few years he had encrypted several complex codes but this seems to be most baffling one. He needed someone to motivate him and who other than Caroline Fletcher.
Caroline Fletcher was Langdon's ladylove. Caroline Fletcher was excellent both in her looks and profession. She as top-class chemical engineer, hailing from Texas. Four years ago she had gone to the FBI headquarters for some work and they two had seen each other there and since then this love story. Caroline had helped Langdon in several of his cases and stayed beside him forever.
Langdon picked up the receiver of his phone and dialed her number. Unfortunately she did not pick up the phone. Could this get any worse? Suddenly a thought came to his mind .All viruses are designed by someone or the other .Using a backward-door process the person can be traced. Thinking this he went downstairs to Moore's room. Seeing the door open he knocked the door and asked to be let in.
"Oh yes, please come in." a voice replied which presumably belonged to Moore. Langdon he quickly shut his laptop.
"So any good news about the code "he asked.
"I'm afraid not, but I'm giving my best Mr. Moore."Langdon replied.
"I have just come here to ask you something."
"Of course any time Mr. Langdon; after all you are doing me a favour, isn't it?"
"I think I am just doing my duty towards my country"
"Anyway what is it you need to ask?"
"Ah…. I was just thinking if it's a virus then it must have a creator or programmer, have you traced him?"
"… No I mean yes. The creator you say. Do u need it urgently?"
"Knowing about some of his details can help us cracking code so can you please help me with it?"
"Yes it is aaaa…..Ummmm….. Ivan Fugoslove. He is the creator. He is the most-wanted cyber criminal in the whole of USA."
"I see" Langdon replied.
"Thanks for the information, Mr. Moore" he added and then returned to his room.
Returning to his room he once again returned to his creating-deductions-and –cancelling-it process. He could not figure out anything. He was feeling drowsy and needed a good amount of sleep. He checked his watch. Little more than 24 hours was left. He could not afford to sleep. With that thought in mind he continued his work, but in few minutes his drowsiness caused him to drift sleep. It was eight in the morning when he regained his posture from his subconscious mind and regretted for having been asleep for so long. Suddenly a noise caught attention. Growing extremely curious he went out of his room to see what was going on.
As he went out he clearly understood that it was a quarrel between Moore and Harry.
"You bloody rascal, being my nephew you have done such a thing, shame on you." said one voice
"I can do whatever I like, you cannot change my decision. I am old enough to make my own decisions. Who are you to tell me what to do and what not to" said another.
Though Langdon had not eye witnessed it, he was quite sure that the two voices belonged to Moore and Harry. But now there was no time to think about such petty family quarrels, lot more things were at stake. He could not afford to lose more time. He quickly returned to his room and set to work. Just as he was doing his work his Apple iPhone buzzed. Message from Caroline I guess he thought. He ought to have it checked. The message read
Sorry dear,
Couldn't pick up d phone last night. Was teaching my brother the periodic table
Don't mind
It was Caroline.
All of Langdon, stress and anger last night was swept out once. A knock in the door broke his connection from the oh-so-romantic world. "Yes, please come in." he said
The muscular servant, who had opened the door when Langdon had first come to the More Mansion, came in with a cup of tea and a whole lot of snacks. He kept the cup and the snacks on the table and went away. Just as he was leaving he turned back and said in his pure Chinese accent.
"Sir asked whether you need the laptop anymore." The man said pointing towards the laptop kept at the table.
"Yes, if your sir doesn't mind" he replied
"I think he will not" he said and then left. Langdon went to the table and taking the cup of tea he went to sit in the rocking chair placed beside the bed. He once again began to think about Caroline. The thought of Caroline teaching the Periodic table to someone made him laugh. Just as he took a sip of the exotic and refreshing tea and exclaimed: "Caroline you are a genius" and wrote down in his diary
PT-Periodic Table
However he did not tell Moore anything. He said to himself Now is the time for some detective work. An hour later he shouted
"Mr. Moore, Mr. Shelton please come I think I have cracked the code. Hurry. We have very little time left in our hand."
In a few seconds, Mr Moore came running up. "Have you really cracked it?" Moore asked.
"But where is Mr. Shelton, I would have also like to explain this to him too. Without him I would not have succeeded in this baffling case.
"How can he co.. I mean he has gone somewhere, he will be back soon, you just tell me about the pass.. I mean the pass-key code" he replied
"Yes, let me explain. The PT stands for periodic table and the code is supposedly the atomic no.s of any two metals required in making a nuclear bomb"
"Why a bomb?" Moore asked,
"Because ummm…. because of Ivan Fugoslove. Google says that he interested in manufacturing bombs."
"Okayyyy" Moore said excitedly.
"So this is probably the isotope value of the two constituent metals of a bomb that is plutonium and uranium."
"So we just need to add them or subtract them" Moore added enthusiastically.
"We might have to add it up."Langdon suggested and later added "Let's risk it"
He went up to the Moore's laptop and typed the sum which was 473.
'Let's hope for the best" he said and typed the code. After he typed the code ,the computer read
Processing….
Please wait
Both of them were tensed .Langdon thought that his was going to come out. Just then the screen flashed with the message.
Pass-key is correct
You can proceed further….
"EXCELLENT, Mr. Langdon. Good job!" exclaimed Moore.
A few hours later they two were at the door.
"It was nice to meet you, please come over to my place one day. Your work is extremely appreciable. I will forever remember of this great help of yours. Thanks once again for your time and hard work." Moore said
"My pleasure, without your help I wouldn't have succeeded .Ok. Got to leave. Bye." Langdon replied
"Have a nice day" Moore added
"You too, Mr. Moore" Langdon replied and boarded the taxi parked right in front of the gate. As the taxi left from the premises of the Moore Mansion, he instantly ordered to the driver "Police station, fast"
Half an hour later the grand edifice of the Moore Mansion was surrounded by the FBI policeman and Moore was told to surrender himself
"What the hell is going on?" Moore shouted
Then Langdon approached towards him and said
'"You are under arrest Mr. Moore"
"Langdon it' you, what do you think you are doing"
"Just shut your mouth, you fool. What did you think I am a fool and you will use me to get access to the nuclear bomb blueprints?"
"W-W-What bomb, th-th-that was a virus created by Fugoslove.' He stammered
"There is no Fugoslove and there is no virus, you are allied with the Iraqi terrorists and to get the blueprints of the bomb u needed this password, so you made up this virus thing." Langdon objected
"B-B-BUT IT WAS NOT ME! It was my nephew, Harry.'
"OH Harry another of your dirty tricks. You and he are the same person. You used him so that if I doubted anything it would all be on him, that's why you sent one of your bony sidekicks to remind me about the laptop, so that I would check his mailbox cuz I saw mailing when I went to your room last day" Langdon said.
"D-D-Do you have any proof of this" Moore objected
"Of course I have. First of all never saw you at the same time. Secondly, I found this on the floor of the toilet" he said and showed some false beard and moustaches "And the most interesting of all you both had a terrible burning mark on your hand.
The commander of the police troops came forward pulled Moore's hands and pulled off his glove. It had the same mark that Langdon saw on the hand of the so called 'Harry Shelton' .The commander laughed and then locked his hand with a handcuff.
Later Langdon explained the whole thing to Caroline.
"As brilliant as usual, hmm?" She murmured, winking at him.
"I think this needs a special reward, darling." he snarked.
"Maybe...Good detective work, my dear, seems that FBI has taught you a lot more than cryptography." She said, rising up on her toes to peck her lover's cheek and added huskily "I simply can't wait to find out what else."
Robert Langdon snaked an arm around her waist and both laughed heartily.