Solving Section I

The first section was solved using Vigenere with the keywords PALIMPSEST and KRYPTOS. K 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 P A L I M P S E S T R T B M J N T A F A O Y O C N L Q O B G B S P S D T A E O B F V Q W B E J E C S C G W U X C F L F D A D H X V Z D G M G E B E I Z W K E H N H F C D F J K X R F I I L R Z Y J J E M Y K P L V L I F I N P R T I M W M J G J Q T Y O J N X N L H L U O P S L Q Z Q M I M V S T A M U K U N J N W A O B N V R V Q L Q X B S C Q W Y W U M U Z C A D U X P X V N V K D B E V Z T Z W Q W R E C F W K O K X U V X Z Y P F G D E G H X Z R R Y Y S A Z K W K T H F I K P B P R X R O I G J R T C T Y Z Y S J H L Y O D O P

G H

Q U M N U S H A V A I B

G H

C D C D

Q U G H

Encrypted Text EMUFPHZLRFAXYUSDJKZLDKRNSHGNFIVJ YQTQUXQBQVYUVLLTREVJYQTMKYRDMFD Decrypted Text Between subtle shading and the absence of light lies the nuance of iqlusion.

Solving Section II
The second section was solved using Vigenere with the keywords ABSCISSA and KRYPTOS. K R 1 2 3 4 5 6 A B S I S B C A J A Y C D B E L B P D E C F M C T E F D G N D O F G E H Q E S H F I U F A I G J V G B I J H L W H C J L I M X I D L M J N Z J E M N L Q K L F N Q M U R M G Q U N V Y N H U V Q W P Q I V W U X T U J W X V Z O V L X Z W K S W M Z K X R A X N K R Z Y B Z Q R Y K P C K U Y P R T D R V P T Y O E Y W T O P S F P X O S T A G T Z S A O B H O

G H

C D

7 8

S A

A B

B C

C D

D E

E F

H I

I J

J L

L M

M N

N Q

Q U

U V

V W

W X

X Z

Z K

K R

R Y

Y P

P T

T O

O S

G H

Encrypted Text VFPJUDEEHZWETZYVGWHKKQETGFQJNCE GGWHKK?DQMCPFQZDQMMIAGPFXHQRLG TIMVMZJANQLVKQEDAGDVFRPJUNGEUNA QZGZLECGYUXUEENJTBJLBQCRTBJDFHRR YIZETKZEMVDUFKSJHKFWHKUWQLSZFTI HHDDDUVH?DWKBFUFPWNTDFIYCUQZERE EVLDKFEZMOQQJLTTUGSYQPFEUNLAVIDX FLGGTEZ?FKZBSFDQVGOGIPUFXHHDRKF FHQNTGPUAECNUVPDJMQCLQUMUNEDFQ ELZZVRRGKFFVOEEXBDMVPNFQXEZLGRE DNQFMPNZGLFLPMRJQYALMGNUVPDXVKP DQUMEBEDMHDAFMJGZNUPLGEWJLLAETG Decrypted Text It was totally invisible Hows that possible? They used the Earths magnetic field X The information was gathered and transmitted undergruund to an unknown location X Does Langley know about this? They should Its buried out there somewhere X Who knows the exact location? Only WW This was his last message X Thirty eight degrees fifty seven minutes six point five seconds north Seventy seven degrees eight minutes forty four seconds west ID by rows

Solving Section III

The following is 100% stolen from this site. The key is 0362514 (KRYPTOS). And the encryption process is Route Transposition followed by a Keyed Columnar Transposition. Step 1, Route Transposition: First we pad the message fitting it into a 86xN box. Why padding it? To make the text in all the columns line up leaving columns of only two different lengths for the person

decrypting to deal with, who is expected to know exactly how many of them there are and which ones they are. We are just being considerate of the guy with the key on the other end. How many letters to add? The message length is 336 and we are fitting it into a box of width 86. 86 mod 7 = 2. It means that every line except for the last one will have 2 extra columns. 336 mod 86 = 78. The last line will be 78 letters long and 78 mod 7 = 1. And since the number of the last line's "extra" columns has to be the same as the first lines to make the columns line up, we only need one extra Q to make it 2 for all the lines. Clear enough? Now to the transposition itself: In by Rows backwards into 86x4, Out by Columns in groups of 7 which is the length of the key:

SLOWLYDESPARATLYSLOWLYTHEREMAINSOFPASSAGEDEBRISTHATENCUM BEREDTHELOWERPARTOFTHEDOORWAYWASREMOVEDWITHTREMBLINGHAND SIMADEATINYBREACHINTHEUPPERLEFTHANDCORNERANDTHENWIDENING THEHOLEALITTLEIINSERTEDTHECANDLEANDPEEREDINTHEHOTAIRESCA PINGFROMTHECHAMBERCAUSEDTHEFLAMETOFLICKERBUTPRESENTLYDET AILSOFTHEROOMWITHINEMERGEDFROMTHEMISTXCANYOUSEEANYTHINGQ?

->

?QGNIHTYNAEESUOYNACXTSIMEHTMORFDEGREMENIHTIWMOOREHTFOSLIATEDYLTNESERPTUBREKCILFOTEMALF EHTDESUACREBMAHCEHTMORFGNIPACSERIATOHEHTNIDEREEPDNAELDNACEHTDETRESNIIELTTILAELOHEHTGNI NEDIWNEHTDNARENROCDNAHTFELREPPUEHTNIHCAERBYNITAEDAMISDNAHGNILBMERTHTIWDEVOMERSAWYAWROO DEHTFOTRAPREWOLEHTDEREBMUCNETAHTSIRBEDEGASSAPFOSNIAMEREHTYLWOLSYLTARAPSEDYLWOLS

What makes me think it was written backwards? Because the extra space is not at the end of the message but before the first letter. Who would bother calculating the position of the first letter and start writing the message beginning with the 7th column just to make it fill up the rectangle perfectly at the end? I think it is easier to simply fill out the rectangle backwards if you are doing it with pen and paper. Either way, it is 86x4 with 7 spaces in front of the first letter.

?QGNIHT YNAEESU OYNACXT SIMEHTM ORFDEGR EMENIHT IWMOORE HTFOSLI ATEDYLT NESERPT UBREKCI LFOTEMA LF EHTDESU ACREBMA HCEHTMO RFGNIPA CSERIAT OHEHTNI DEREEPD NAELDNA CEHTDET RESNIIE LTTILAE LOHEHTG NI NEDIWNE HTDNARE NROCDNA HTFELRE PPUEHTN IHCAERB YNITAED AMISDNA HGNILBM ERTHTIW DEVOMER SAWYAWR OO DEHTFOT RAPREWO LEHTDER EBMUCNE TAHTSIR BEDEGAS SAPFOSN IAMEREH TYLWOLS YLTARAP SEDYLWO LS
Whichever way the text was written initially, after we restack it into 7 columns, it will result in:

?QGNIHT EHTDESU NEDIWNE DEHTFOT

YNAEESU ACREBMA HTDNARE RAPREWO OYNACXT HCEHTMO NROCDNA LEHTDER SIMEHTM RFGNIPA HTFELRE EBMUCNE ORFDEGR CSERIAT PPUEHTN TAHTSIR EMENIHT OHEHTNI IHCAERB BEDEGAS IWMOORE DEREEPD YNITAED SAPFOSN HTFOSLI NAELDNA AMISDNA IAMEREH ATEDYLT CEHTDET HGNILBM TYLWOLS NESERPT

RESNIIE ERTHTIW YLTARAP UBREKCI LTTILAE DEVOMER SEDYLWO LFOTEMA LOHEHTG SAWYAWR LS LF NI OO
Now write the key on top and proceed with... Step 2, The Keyed Columnar Transposition:

KRYPTOS

KOPRSTY

0362514 -> 0123456 ?QGNIHT EHTDESU NEDIWNE DEHTFOT YNAEESU ACREBMA HTDNARE RAPREWO OYNACXT HCEHTMO NROCDNA LEHTDER SIMEHTM RFGNIPA HTFELRE EBMUCNE ORFDEGR ?HNQTIG ESDHUET NNIEEWD DOTETFH YSENUEA AMECABR HRNTEAD RWRAOEP OXAYTCN HMHCOTE NNCRADO LETERDH STEIMHM RPNFAIG HRETELF ENUBECM OGDRREF

CSERIAT PPUEHTN TAHTSIR EMENIHT OHEHTNI IHCAERB BEDEGAS IWMOORE DEREEPD YNITAED SAPFOSN HTFOSLI NAELDNA AMISDNA IAMEREH ATEDYLT CEHTDET HGNILBM TYLWOLS NESERPT RESNIIE ERTHTIW YLTARAP UBREKCI LTTILAE DEVOMER SEDYLWO LFOTEMA LOHEHTG SAWYAWR LS LF NI OO

CARSTIE PTEPNHU TITARSH EHNMTIE ONHHITE IRAHBEC BAEESGD IROWEOM DPEEDER YETNDAI SSFANOP HLOTISF NNLAADE ANSMADI IEEAHRM ALDTTYE CETETDH HBIGMLN TLWYSOL NPEETRS RINEEIS EIHRWTT YAALPRT UCEBIKR LAITELT DEOERMV SWYEOLD LMTFAEO LTEOGHH SWYARAW L L N O S F I O

Now to the last... Step 3, Out by columns downwards, left to right resulting in:

?ENDYAHROHNLSRHEOCPTEOIBIDYSHNAIACHTNREYULDSLLSLLNO HSNOSMRWXMNETPRNGATIHNRARPESLNNELEBLPIIACAEWMTW NDITEENRAHCTENEUDRETNHAEOETFOLSEDTIWENHAEIOYTEY

QHEENCTAYCREIFTBRSPAMHHEWENATAMATEGYEERLBTEEFOASFIO TUETUAEOTOARMAEERTNRTIBSEDDNIAAHTTMSTEWPIEROAGR IEWFEBAECTDDHILCEIHSITEGOEAOSDDRYDLORITRKLMLEHA GTDHARDPNEOHMGFMFEUHEECDMRIPFEIMEHNLSSTTRTVDOHW

Reminds you of anything? ;) The decryption process requires knowing the key and the rectangle size for the route transposition: KRYPTOS and 86. First we determine the line lengths to split the message: 86 mod 7 = 2. It means that two of the columns are going to be longer. Which two and by how much? The first two in our system (they are 0 and 3 for the person decrypting the message), with lengths 51 and 47. The difference between those lengths will be the same (4) for 86 mod 7 regardless of the message length. You may want to find out why as an excercise. So we... Step 1, Split the input as follows:

0 ?ENDYAHROHNLSRHEOCPTEOIBIDYSHNAIACHTNREYULDSLLSLLNO 1 HSNOSMRWXMNETPRNGATIHNRARPESLNNELEBLPIIACAEWMTW 2 NDITEENRAHCTENEUDRETNHAEOETFOLSEDTIWENHAEIOYTEY 3 QHEENCTAYCREIFTBRSPAMHHEWENATAMATEGYEERLBTEEFOASFIO 4 TUETUAEOTOARMAEERTNRTIBSEDDNIAAHTTMSTEWPIEROAGR 5 IEWFEBAECTDDHILCEIHSITEGOEAOSDDRYDLORITRKLMLEHA 6 GTDHARDPNEOHMGFMFEUHEECDMRIPFEIMEHNLSSTTRTVDOHW

Step 2, Write it in columns... (i omitted it to make Step 3 clearer, hence the following text is on its side) Step 3, Reorder the columns according to the key:

0 ?ENDYAHROHNLSRHEOCPTEOIBIDYSHNAIACHTNREYULDSLLSLLNO 3 QHEENCTAYCREIFTBRSPAMHHEWENATAMATEGYEERLBTEEFOASFIO 6 GTDHARDPNEOHMGFMFEUHEECDMRIPFEIMEHNLSSTTRTVDOHW 2 NDITEENRAHCTENEUDRETNHAEOETFOLSEDTIWENHAEIOYTEY 5 IEWFEBAECTDDHILCEIHSITEGOEAOSDDRYDLORITRKLMLEHA 1 HSNOSMRWXMNETPRNGATIHNRARPESLNNELEBLPIIACAEWMTW 4 TUETUAEOTOARMAEERTNRTIBSEDDNIAAHTTMSTEWPIEROAGR

Step 4, Chop them into 86-letter long lines (in groups of 4 of course, since 337/86 is > 3 but is <= 4)

0 ?END YAHR OHNL SRHE OCPT EOIB IDYS HNAI ACHT NREY ULDS LLSL LNO 3 QHEE NCTA YCRE IFTB RSPA MHHE WENA TAMA TEGY EERL BTEE FOAS FIO 6 GTDH ARDP NEOH MGFM FEUH EECD MRIP FEIM EHNL SSTT RTVD OHW 2 NDIT EENR AHCT ENEU DRET NHAE OETF OLSE DTIW ENHA EIOY TEY 5 IEWF EBAE CTDD HILC EIHS ITEG OEAO SDDR YDLO RITR KLML EHA 1 HSNO SMRW XMNE TPRN GATI HNRA RPES LNNE LEBL PIIA CAEW MTW 4 TUET UAEO TOAR MAEE RTNR TIBS EDDN IAAH TTMS TEWP IERO AGR
Step 5, Read the resulting 4 lines of the message backwards (reverse of the Step 1 of encryption). Done. If the same key KRYPTOS=0362514 was used to encrypt the 4th part, the decryption process would be as follows: Let's say the number of columns for the route transposition was 49 or 21... Step 1:

?OBKRUOXOGHULBSOLIFBBWFLRVQQPRNGKSSOTWTQSJQSSEKZZWATJKLUDIAWINFBNYPVTTMZFPKWGDKZXTJCDIGKUHUAUEKCAR
->

?OBKRUOXOGHULB SOLIFBBWFLRVQQ PRNGKSSOTWTQSJ QSSEKZZWATJKLU DIAWINFBNYPVTT MZFPKWGDKZXTJC DIGKUHUAUEKCAR

Step 2:

?SPQDMD OORSIZI BLNSAFG KIGEWPK RFKKIKU UBSZNWH OBSZFGU XWOWBDA OFTANKU

GLWTYZE HRTJPXK UVQKVTC LQSLTJA BQJUTCR

Step 3:

KOPRSTY

KRYPTOS

0123456 -> 0362514 ?SPQDMD OORSIZI BLNSAFG KIGEWPK RFKKIKU UBSZNWH OBSZFGU XWOWBDA OFTANKU GLWTYZE HRTJPXK UVQKVTC LQSLTJA BQJUTCR
Step 4: For 49 columns:

?QDPMSD OSIRZOI BSGNFLA KEKGPIW RKUKKFI UZHSWBN OZUSGBF XWAODWB OAUTKFN GTEWZLY HJKTXRP UKCQTVV LLASJQT BURJCQT

?QDPMSD BSGNFLA RKUKKFI OZUSGBF OAUTKFN HJKTXRP LLASJQT OSIRZOI KEKGPIW UZHSWBN XWAODWB GTEWZLY UKCQTVV BURJCQT
For 21 columns:

?QDPMSD UZHSWBN HJKTXRP OSIRZOI OZUSGBF UKCQTVV BSGNFLA XWAODWB LLASJQT KEKGPIW OAUTKFN BURJCQT RKUKKFI GTEWZLY
Step 5:

For 49:

TQCJRUBVVTQCKUYLZWETGBWDOAWXNBWSHZUWIPGKEKIOZRISOTQJSALLPRXTKJHNFKTUAOFBGSUZOIFKKUKRALFNGSBDSMPDQ?
For 21:

YLZWETGIFKKUKRTQCJRUBNFKTUAOWIPGKEKTQJSALLBWDOAWXALFNGSBVVTQCKUFBGSUZOIOZRISOPRXTKJHNBWSHZUDSMPDQ?
Step 6: Breaking the cipher (most probably the same double-key Vigenere) and reading the message.

The final decrypted message

SLOWLYDESPARATLYSLOWLYTHEREMAINSOFPASSAGEDEBRIST HATENCUMBEREDTHELOWERPARTOFTHEDOORWAYWASREMOVEDW ITHTREMBLINGHANDSIMADEATINYBREACHINTHEUPPERLEFTH ANDCORNERANDTHENWIDENINGTHEHOLEALITTLEIINSERTEDT HECANDLEANDPEEREDINTHEHOTAIRESCAPINGFROMTHECHAMB ERCAUSEDTHEFLAMETOFLICKERBUTPRESENTLYDETAILSOFTH EROOMWITHINEMERGEDFROMTHEMISTXCANYOUSEEANYTHINGQ

Add in a sprinkling of punctuation, and it comes out to be Slowly, desparatly slowly, the remains of passage debris that encumbered the lower Part of the doorway was removed. With trembling hands i made a tiny breach in the upper Lefthand corner and then widening the hole a little i inserted the candle and peered in. The hot air escaping from the chamber caused the flame to flicker but presently Details of the room within emerged from the mist x can you see anything q?

Solving Section IV
Solve it and you win $1 million. Not really, but wouldn't that be neat?