Bread Mystery Cache
WeBeDnD: Time to retire this one, the final location is no longer in theme, and I suspect the cache has been compromised.
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size:  (micro)
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This is my first shot at a cryptarithm puzzle. The cache is
not at the posted coordinates. Solve the puzzle to determine
the real coordinates. It is a 35mm film canister with requisite
paperwork. Bring your own pen.
Detective Brad Dough had been gathering info on the elusive
'Sunnyvale Doughboys' for months. The Doughboys were suspected of
laundering cash because their intercepted communications often made
reference to moving various types of 'bread' products or processing
large quantities of 'dough.' One day the detective intercepted an
especially tasty communique. It seemed that the boss, known only as
'Le Boulanger,' was planning to retire. As was typical in the
business, the boss expected to receive final 'honorarium' payments
from his gang of underlings (collectively known as the 'Rotten 18')
to fund that retirement. The gang members had received
instructions, with an embedded cryptarithm, stating that the
payment was due and how much payment was expected. This was the
communique:
Listen upa youse guys, and keepya muffins shut:
I'ma 59 now. I beena raisin bread long enough. For a while da
bizness was ona roll, but I'ma leavening. I'ma gonna baguette, cuz
I'ma tired of seein youse nutcakes sittin onya buns and loafing
around all day. To me dis business hasa dried up - likea desert -
cuz of all the sandwhichis here. Now it'sa time for youse to show
me respect cuza youse know it wasa me dat kept youse bread buttered
alla dis time. Here's hows it'sa gonna work. It'sa simple: yu +
(pays * me) = bread. Remember, me > yu cuz I'ma da
boss. And bread * 4 * me > 18,000,000, a nice even number
for youse guys to work out between allaya. If youse guys don't
cough upa da dough I'll have youse all floured, kneaded, and baked
at 350 degrees in da oven. Den I'sa gonna giva youse necks a dutch
crunch. So youse can either rise up to dis occasion, or yousa gonna
be toast - all rotten 18 of youse. And donut try to double
croissant me, youse croutons. Gather upa youse shares odda bread
today. I tellya more tomorrow.
The cryptarithm was easy enough to solve, but the detective still
did not know where the payments would take place ...until the final
communique was intercepted the next day. It read:
Vwe, ijwcbli jzmil. Cacittg itti gwcam jmmvi
jzqvoqvumqa epqbm xiabzqma. Cvviabivl, cvtmaai gwcam xzwdqlma
mvwcop, ibaqbnwz gwc.
Detective Dough went to the coordinates only to discover that the
'Rotten 18' had already risen to the occasion and made their
escape. But he did apprehend the boss not far away, with the
biggest bag of bread he'd ever seen.
Note 5/11/04: I was politely informed that I have commited a
convention faux-pas in the cryptarithm. I can't fix it now without
totally fouling up the puzzle, but the cryptarithm IS solvable with
about zero (see hint 3 if you choose) extra effort. As a penance, I
have added another clue which should help you overcome this
situation. Won't happen again, I swear. :-)
Note 6/13/05: Added puzzle hint 3.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
[PUZZLE 1] Rkcrevrapr jvgu fbzr bs zl cerivbhf chmmyrf znl uryc jvgu gur ynfg cneg, naq vg zvtug uryc gb fgneg gurer gbb.
[PUZZLE 2] zr = svir avar
[PUZZLE 3] l = mreb
[LOCATION] oernq, bs pbhefr