Urgent: Code Embedded in Published "Crime Bible" Pages

Matt Olsen

ATTN: WHITE KING'S BISHOP

SYNOPSIS:

Information purportedly collected by Gotham-based vigilante/investigator Renee Montoya indicates that recently reprinted pages of the Bible of Crime, a document sacred to an Intergang-connected cult, carry encrypted information that might be of critical importance.

INCIDENT REPORT:

Like many Checkmate agents, I was drawn from civilian law enforcement. It is well-understood policy that we are to maintain no unregistered "work-related" contacts from our previous professions, but I feel urgency in relating an incident involving a former informant of mine. It should be noted that he - not I - initiated contact. I will fully document what I know of this individual in a separate communication. While I've never found him trustworthy in a broad sense, I judge this information reliable and worthy of further exploration.

He contacted me with claims of having found a small notebook with important information. His description of how it fell into his hands was confused and most likely a fabrication, but he described it as the notes of one R. Montoya and her investigation into a crime cult. We have an open file on this organization and its connection with Intergang. Their ties to incidents around the globe is well-documented, not the least of which was the research conducted at Oolong Island and the crises that sprung from there. I deemed it vital to assess this information.

THE NOTEBOOK AS FIRST PRESENTED

Our meeting place was communicated to me just minutes in advance, but the location was no surprise after reviewing what I knew of our former dealings. When we met, he took great care to protect himself with nearby armed associates (that I was polite enough to pretend not to notice). Fortunately for us, though, he took little care in protecting the information he was trying to sell. I was able to slip in and conceal three wireless cameras around our meeting place before our appointment. As I thumbed through the notebook under the pretense of evaluating the worth of the intelligence, I was able to capture several key photos of the content.

HANDWRITTEN NOTES

The notebook itself consisted of several pages of handwritten notes. Among the pages there were other items such as tickets, official documents and even a pair of shell casings. I thumbed through as many pages as I could without drawing suspicion. It will take some time to analyze the pages I did capture, but of most immediate interest was an excerpt from the Bible of Crime that matches a recently published page. In it, Montoya evidently made an attempt at deciphering a numeric code around the edges of the page.

THE CODE

You'll recall that I recently submitted for review my personal analysis of the code and a proposed key to deciphering it. It appears that Montoya took a similar approach in decoding the numbers. While not definitive confirmation, the agreement of two investigators whose methods vary so widely is worth noting.

At the time we met, it was unclear whether my contact had shown the notebook to anyone else. However, it now appears that he has shown it to others and perhaps made additional copies in an attempt to find a buyer or buyers. I have since seen some of this material on the internet. He mentioned that he had already received a substantial bid from a news organization, but I suspect that that was another fabrication designed to create a fictitious bidding war. Having captured a substantial amount of data and knowing that Black Side was capable of obtaining this material should it prove to be legitimate, I made no offer but told him that I would need to consult with my superiors.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Given the nature of this threat, I believe that the first imperative is to evaluate current and future published excerpts for signs of impending action by the cult. In parallel, I would like to formally request your unique talents in processing the text in my image collection. Interpreting some of the writings has proven difficult given the combination of Montoya's often hasty writing and the quality of the images. Finally, if you agree with the assessment that the information is legitimate, I also request that you speak with your King about initiating an operation to retrieve the original documents for deeper analysis. Finally, given Montoya's depth of knowledge in these matters, we should review her file and determine the best way to obtain her cooperation in dealing with this cult of crime.

FROM: M OLSEN
WHITESIDE PAWN, SECTION K-4
27 NOVEMBER 2007

Jake1823

Fascinating, Agent Olsen. I'm dead tired right now and can't think, but I'll review this more in depth in the morning. But I commend you on the job well done with the code.

*Chris Hansbrough*

my brain hurts.....

Jake1823

Go check out the Checkmate forum for a bit more details...

Matt Olsen

my brain hurts.....

Chris Hansbrough

Hah! You think your head hurts after reading that...

(At least pick up Crime Bible #2 for a moment to look at the first page tomorrow. You'll get the picture.)

DABEARS

Cool, I will definitely check this out.

WKB

>>GIDEON-II OUTLAND INTERFACE >> COMM-NODE 8172818.2817.281
...message incoming...

Message received and understood.

Proceed with current efforts.

WK and WQ wish me to commend you and your associates for your diligent efforts.

\out

*Chris Hansbrough*

Hah! You think your head hurts after reading that...

(At least pick up Crime Bible #2 for a moment to look at the first page tomorrow. You'll get the picture.)

Matt Olsen

unfortunately I can't

sylpemberton

Urgh. This whole game thing is turning me off "Checkmate" like it did "Lost" when they did it. I hate having to run around finding little clues and stuff. And I hate feeling like I'm not getting the whole story. Just don't have enough time to participate.

Jeff Nowicki

Urgh. This whole game thing is turning me off "Checkmate" like it did "Lost" when they did it. I hate having to run around finding little clues and stuff. And I hate feeling like I'm not getting the whole story. Just don't have enough time to participate.

sylpemberton

Agreed.

Jake1823

Urgh. This whole game thing is turning me off "Checkmate" like it did "Lost" when they did it. I hate having to run around finding little clues and stuff. And I hate feeling like I'm not getting the whole story. Just don't have enough time to participate.

sylpemberton

I have to respectfully disagree, at least for me. This is the type of thing that gets me excited about a book. But I can understand, since you have no time. I'm unemployed and have all the time in the world right now, lol.

Jake1823

Hey, this is gaining some recognition: http://blog.newsarama.com/2007/11/28...worship-crime/

Matt Olsen

Urgh. This whole game thing is turning me off "Checkmate" like it did "Lost" when they did it. I hate having to run around finding little clues and stuff. And I hate feeling like I'm not getting the whole story. Just don't have enough time to participate.

sylpemberton

Bah humbug! This is nerd theater at its finest!

My real response, though, is that the comics stand alone just fine. That Castellan site impressed the living hades out of me, but I only found time to read a tiny portion of it and haven't gotten around to logging back in recently even though I know there's new stuff since the last issue.

I dig Lost, too, but I haven't really touched a lot of the things they did.

Dunno. As long as the work itself stands up fine, I'm good. I just see this stuff like a second DVD of bonus features that I can dive into if I'm interested or leave in the case if I'm not.

Jake1823

I think it's kinda like the Dark Knight ARG and the Heroes online graphic novels, both are fun side things to get involved with, but the main programs are able to still entertain you without their help.

sylpemberton

I have to respectfully disagree, at least for me. This is the type of thing that gets me excited about a book. But I can understand, since you have no time. I'm unemployed and have all the time in the world right now, lol.

Jake1823

Oh have at it. Glad to see you guys having fun with it. If I had the time I'm sure I'd be having a ball with it.

WKB

>>GIDEON-II OUTLAND INTERFACE >> COMM-NODE 5457.231.SIERRA-27
...message incoming...

Having captured a substantial amount of data and knowing that Black Side was capable of obtaining this material should it prove to be legitimate, I made no offer but told him that I would need to consult with my superiors.

Matt Olsen

Funds transfer authorized. Proceed.

\out

November 28th, 2007	#1
Matt Olsen Dark Lord of Daffodils joined: Sep 2003 Location: Arizona Posts: 4,945	Urgent: Code Embedded in Published "Crime Bible" Pages ATTN: WHITE KING'S BISHOP SYNOPSIS: Information purportedly collected by Gotham-based vigilante/investigator Renee Montoya indicates that recently reprinted pages of the Bible of Crime, a document sacred to an Intergang-connected cult, carry encrypted information that might be of critical importance. INCIDENT REPORT: Like many Checkmate agents, I was drawn from civilian law enforcement. It is well-understood policy that we are to maintain no unregistered "work-related" contacts from our previous professions, but I feel urgency in relating an incident involving a former informant of mine. It should be noted that he - not I - initiated contact. I will fully document what I know of this individual in a separate communication. While I've never found him trustworthy in a broad sense, I judge this information reliable and worthy of further exploration. He contacted me with claims of having found a small notebook with important information. His description of how it fell into his hands was confused and most likely a fabrication, but he described it as the notes of one R. Montoya and her investigation into a crime cult. We have an open file on this organization and its connection with Intergang. Their ties to incidents around the globe is well-documented, not the least of which was the research conducted at Oolong Island and the crises that sprung from there. I deemed it vital to assess this information. THE NOTEBOOK AS FIRST PRESENTED Our meeting place was communicated to me just minutes in advance, but the location was no surprise after reviewing what I knew of our former dealings. When we met, he took great care to protect himself with nearby armed associates (that I was polite enough to pretend not to notice). Fortunately for us, though, he took little care in protecting the information he was trying to sell. I was able to slip in and conceal three wireless cameras around our meeting place before our appointment. As I thumbed through the notebook under the pretense of evaluating the worth of the intelligence, I was able to capture several key photos of the content. HANDWRITTEN NOTES The notebook itself consisted of several pages of handwritten notes. Among the pages there were other items such as tickets, official documents and even a pair of shell casings. I thumbed through as many pages as I could without drawing suspicion. It will take some time to analyze the pages I did capture, but of most immediate interest was an excerpt from the Bible of Crime that matches a recently published page. In it, Montoya evidently made an attempt at deciphering a numeric code around the edges of the page. THE CODE You'll recall that I recently submitted for review my personal analysis of the code and a proposed key to deciphering it. It appears that Montoya took a similar approach in decoding the numbers. While not definitive confirmation, the agreement of two investigators whose methods vary so widely is worth noting. At the time we met, it was unclear whether my contact had shown the notebook to anyone else. However, it now appears that he has shown it to others and perhaps made additional copies in an attempt to find a buyer or buyers. I have since seen some of this material on the internet. He mentioned that he had already received a substantial bid from a news organization, but I suspect that that was another fabrication designed to create a fictitious bidding war. Having captured a substantial amount of data and knowing that Black Side was capable of obtaining this material should it prove to be legitimate, I made no offer but told him that I would need to consult with my superiors. RECOMMENDATIONS Given the nature of this threat, I believe that the first imperative is to evaluate current and future published excerpts for signs of impending action by the cult. In parallel, I would like to formally request your unique talents in processing the text in my image collection. Interpreting some of the writings has proven difficult given the combination of Montoya's often hasty writing and the quality of the images. Finally, if you agree with the assessment that the information is legitimate, I also request that you speak with your King about initiating an operation to retrieve the original documents for deeper analysis. Finally, given Montoya's depth of knowledge in these matters, we should review her file and determine the best way to obtain her cooperation in dealing with this cult of crime. FROM: M OLSEN WHITESIDE PAWN, SECTION K-4 27 NOVEMBER 2007
	"He's a semi-aquatic, egg-laying mammal of action..."

November 28th, 2007	#2
Jake1823 The Unbanned Horseman joined: Sep 2005 Location: Lincolnwood, IL Posts: 24,176	Fascinating, Agent Olsen. I'm dead tired right now and can't think, but I'll review this more in depth in the morning. But I commend you on the job well done with the code.
	Give back to Jack (Kirby)! Eric Q/Jake1823 - 2016: We will work hard to find your lost sense of humor.

November 28th, 2007	#3
Chris Hansbrough Scion of Mogo joined: Jan 2005 Location: Eugene, OR Posts: 7,466	my brain hurts.....
	EIC - Nerdstock Comics Webhost - Plastikitty X-Box Live : Scion of Mogo PSN : Scion_of_Mogo Steam : Scion_of_Mogo

November 28th, 2007	#4
Jake1823 The Unbanned Horseman joined: Sep 2005 Location: Lincolnwood, IL Posts: 24,176	Go check out the Checkmate forum for a bit more details...
	Give back to Jack (Kirby)! Eric Q/Jake1823 - 2016: We will work hard to find your lost sense of humor.

November 28th, 2007	#6
DABEARS KRYPTO,NOT ON THE CARPET! joined: Oct 2004 Location: Illinois Posts: 2,891	Cool, I will definitely check this out.
	"I'm all in favor of keeping dangerous weapons out of the hands of fools. Let's start with typewriters." - Frank Lloyd Wright

November 28th, 2007	#7
WKB ... joined: Aug 2007 Posts: 4	>>GIDEON-II OUTLAND INTERFACE >> COMM-NODE 8172818.2817.281 ...message incoming... Message received and understood. Proceed with current efforts. WK and WQ wish me to commend you and your associates for your diligent efforts. \out
	.-- .... .. - . / -.- .. -. --. .----. ... / -... .. ... .... --- .--. >>OUTLAND>>COMMS

November 28th, 2007	#9
sylpemberton A Ginger Horseman joined: Jun 2005 Location: Wish I could say New York but no I'm stuck twelve hours North East by car... Posts: 3,934	Urgh. This whole game thing is turning me off "Checkmate" like it did "Lost" when they did it. I hate having to run around finding little clues and stuff. And I hate feeling like I'm not getting the whole story. Just don't have enough time to participate.
	Comic Bloc LastFM Group \| My LastFM Page

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