- :
- The Story
- :
- Oliver’s Files
- :
- Vizierate Team Findings
- :
- Argyle’s Data Blobs
Introduction
Below is a summary of the 72 data blobs Oliver found in Argyle’s computer, reproduced from the story pages. This can be modified as Oliver finds out more information.
The blobs are listed in date order as they appeared in the directory on the computer, but Oliver has figured out that Argyle’s encryption program randomises the file date, so this order is meaningless.
On the return journey last time, once he cracked the blobs, he took a quick look in each one and his summary results are in the ‘Data Blob’ column.
The blobs appear to fall into four types:
- Media files
- Software installers
- Scanned Notebook files
- IT Projects
Oliver focussed his attention on the IT projects and investigated seven of them (green text) before reaching GRRAS. Once a project has been investigated he has been able to assign an approximate date that the work was done by Argyle, this is in the Project Date column. Also in that column are dates implied by Argyle’s notebook naming standard. Oliver has not investigated any of the media files or IT installers in any depth. Where he has investigated an IT project there are entries in the Project Description and Notes columns.
Argyle Data Blob Progress
|
Data Blob |
Project Date |
Project Description |
Notes |
|
#01 Music files |
N/A |
Researched; no anomalies. |
Argyle’s music tastes are middle-of-the road. |
|
#02 IT Project File – Researched |
206.502 |
Statistical analysis tool for geological samples. |
Built as a small stand-alone tool with interactive map for geo sample analysis. Map files loaded for Pristine but package could use any maps in appropriate format |
|
#03 Software installer for a version of Chip Emulator Software |
|
Software. |
The chip emulator software installer didn’t tell him much, but it may be useful background work in helping him if he ever gets his hands on Argyle’s actual chip emulator (which Commissar Usher apparently has.) |
|
#04 IT Project File – Researched |
c~. 209.9 |
Cryptanalyis of a starship’s comms log entries. |
Ship is a Dominion Navy Patrol vessel. About 40% of the communications over a period of 127 Cy were decrypted. There is no analysis of the communications. |
|
#05 IT Project File – Researched 4-118 |
c~. 208.2 |
Spaceship traffic analysis for Zarg’s World. |
An analysis report is provided that suggests optimum windows for lone ships arriving and departing Zarg’s world with high-value cargoes and cargoes meeting two other profiles |
|
#06 Library of various Electronics and Computing Resources |
|
Document library |
Oliver has committed the full catalogue and precis of Argyle’s considerable library to his excellent memory. This will allow him up to a +4 bonus (or 4 x +1 bonuses, etc) on some relevant future task if he spends the time to go and read the relevant material carefully. |
|
#07 IT Project File – Researched |
c~. 209.4 |
Cracking open a secured and encrypted hard drive; files relate to business dealings of a Bureaucrat on Captree |
No analysis of the content is provided, just a raw data image that is in turn extractable into decrypted files. This one was problematic for Oliver and took him quite a while to figure out what he was looking at (perhaps ironically, given what he is currently working on) |
|
#08 IT Project File – Researched 4-118 |
c~. 207.9 |
Spaceship traffic analyis for Mundo Zargo |
Similar to project 5#, although this project is from data from a slightly earlier time period and the final report is less polished |
|
#09 Notebooks #DC70 206.112 to #DG141 206.532 |
206.112 |
Read |
|
|
#10 Notebooks #DC100 206.538 to #DC127 206.942 |
206.538 |
Read |
|
|
#11 Software installer for several versions of Chip Emulator Software |
|
Not yet investigated closely |
|
|
#12 IT Project File – Researched 4-118 |
c~. 211. |
Analysis of a series of images to recover hidden information. |
A series of still images have been analysed to see if information is hidden in the file structure. A brief summary report indicates that data is hidden in the file, but the author (presumably Argyle but not identified) believes that the data is probably a one-time cypher and so cannot be further decrypted in a meaningful way. |
|
#13 Movies: Repugnance, The Enclave Bird, Leader Gumm, The Big Artifice, Offset From the Pole, The Battle of Irkolz, A Tough Cycle’s Darkness, Blizzard Silver and the Geneered Experiments, Blood Drinker: A Concerto of Fear, Mearle, Crazy, Gezepremge , Humming in the Deluge, The Situation Occurred Some Evening, Contemporary Epochs, City, Wholly Concerning Ifie, The Extra Fellow, Inhabitant Gumm, The Prodigy of Us |
|
In Progress |
Watched
Unwatched
|
|
#14 Notebooks #DN101 200.527 to #DN200 201.339 |
200.527 |
Read |
|
|
#15 IT Project File – Researched |
211 |
Statistical analysis of economic data obtained from Octant 3 trade bureau. |
A large dataset of transactional trade data has been analysed. A summary report indicates that it is likely the figures have been tampered with, and gives a list of instances. The report’s author recommends seeking the advice of an economist as his skills are limited to locating the issues, not inferring their meaning |
|
#16 Porn |
|
Not yet investigated closely |
|
|
#17 IT Project File – Researched Ref: 7-056 |
206.050 |
Remote control mining sensors |
A remote control and data transmission program for automated mining sensors. Argyle wrote it c~206 kCy, before he wrote project #02, making #17 the earliest project Oliver has. |
|
#18 Notebooks #DN601 204.592 to #DG16 205.256 |
204.592 |
Read |
|
|
#19 Bundle of software installers for various small utility programs |
|
Read |
Oliver couldn’t resist having a good old dig into this. |
|
#20 IT Project File – Researched |
c~. 206.650 |
Ore transport hack |
Argyle apparently hacked into an ore transport system at the mine Oliver and the team visited while on Pristine. If the modifications worked as planned, cargoes would be able to be loaded, moved and unloaded without being logged, and Argyle (or someone else) would be able to control the system with his PDA or Laptop. |
|
#21 Library of various Cryptanalysis Research papers and Books |
|
Read |
Oliver took a deep dive into Argyle’s library of various Cryptanalysis Research and now has an extra bonus to spend on an appropriate roll. |
|
#22 Notebooks #DE10 205.257 to #DE39 205.684 |
205.257 |
Read |
|
|
#23 Notebooks #DN1 199.743 to #DN100 200.518 |
199.743 |
Read |
|
|
#24 IT Project File – Researched |
c~. 210.3 |
Unfinished threat assessment project. |
This appears to be an incomplete development project and is relatively recent, only about a kCy old. It looks as if Argyle was trying to write a threat-assessment program. It would take feeds from his security system, any news broadcasts he intercepted and other items he would input to determine a threat assessment level. Based on the notes he has left inside some of the code and the raw feel of it, Argyle was struggling with this project. There are many gaps in the version dates where he leaves it and comes back, altering things. Huge slabs of code are commented out and some of the interface looks unfinished. |
|
#25 Notebooks #DC158 207.386 to #DC188 207.820 |
207.386 |
Notebooks – Read |
|
|
#26 IT Project File – Researched |
c~. 210.2 |
Unusual data storage extraction |
Argyle was apparently trying to get data off some form of unusual data storage device. He appears to have spent quite some time experimenting with building an actual electronic interface to the device, then writing his own device drivers for it, then trying to make sense of the data he’s getting to see if he’s reading it correctly. He finally seems satisfied with the end product, but the actual data he’s extracted isn’t saved anywhere.
|
|
#27 IT Project File – Researched |
c~. 209.7 |
Encryption/decryption communication program |
Project #27 appears to be an attempt to write an encryption/decryption communication program in some sort of low-level language, suggesting it’s intended to be embedded directly into the firmware of some sort of device(s). The work dates from late 209. |
|
#28 IT Project File – Researched |
c~. 209.8 |
Hidden message payload injection |
It looks incomplete, and some embedded comments in the code suggest Argyle feels this line of research is not leading anywhere. It looks like he’s experimenting with encryption and embedding methods; ways of hiding data in other data. On further research, Oliver determines how to achieve what Argyle could not. It’s probably fair to say that Oliver couldn’t have done this on his own, but building on Argyle’s work he can see what he was trying to accomplish. It seems Argyle could never insert his hidden messages in the other messages without running afoul of some of the Dominion’s cleverer internal message check algorithms. However, perhaps because he’s a software guy with crypto skills whereas Argyle is more of a hardware guy with crypto skills at heart, Oliver has found a way to solve that problem using some clever thinking at a software abstraction level. At this point he really only has a theoretical approach that seems to work when he sends messages to himself inside a test environment on his laptop but he does seem to have potentially solved this thing Argyle was trying to do and gave up on.
|
|
#29 Bundle of software installers for various small utility programs |
|
Not yet investigated closely |
|
|
#30 IT Project File – Researched 9-025 |
|
Encrypted storage device crack |
For this project, it appears that Argyle was again trying to break into some sort of storage device. It’s noted he successfully disarmed the physical security on the object, which was apparently an EMP device, before attacking it at a software level. His summary report reads: The files on the storage device provided have been decrypted as requested. Please note that this device included physical security measures that had not been disarmed as was claimed. Analysis of the content for the requested information indicates that the Principal’s security has been breached by a mole as you feared. Analysis of communications metadata and message content indicates that the person sending the transmissions from the indicated account would have:
The entire unencrypted content is provided on the accompanying storage device. Please see Attachment 2 for a list of significant files.
|
|
#31 Notebooks #DN301 202.154 to #DN400 202.945 |
202.154 |
Read |
|
|
#32 Notebooks #DN501 203.747 to #DN600 204.584 |
203.747 |
Read |
|
|
#33 Library of various Electronics and Computing Resources |
|
Not yet investigated closely |
|
|
#34 Notebooks #DC247 208.644 to #DG384 209.051 |
208.644 |
Read |
|
|
#35 IT Project File – Researched
|
c~. 209.6 |
Large volume small file decryption from Planning Bureau in Octant 3 |
This project dates initially from circa 209.6 and appears to run concurrently for some time with other work. He seems to be trying to decrypt a large number of small files and is supplying the decrypted results to whoever has engaged him over a period of time. At one point there is a comment about how the make-shift server room is exceeding the ability of his solar collectors and he’s had to rent some extra charged power cells from Wu. The decrypted files aren’t there, but there’s a second encrypted blob that is probably them in their original form, inside which each is apparently separately encrypted. Oliver’s investigation suggests that the original source is probably the Planning Bureau in Octant 3. |
|
#36 Music files |
|
Not yet investigated closely |
|
|
#37 IT Project File – Researched 9-028 |
c~. 209.0 |
Storage device cracking, revealed blackmail material |
This project dates initially from circa 209.0 and appears to be another storage device cracking job. His summary report is brief: I have defeated the protections on the supplied device. The content is not amenable to statistical analysis. However, should the principal be in need of compromising material on this Ser, they will find plenty here. |
|
#38 Software installer for Computer Games (all board games and card games) |
|
Not yet investigated closely |
|
|
#39 Notebooks #DC40 205.687 to #DE68 206.111 |
205.687 |
Read |
|
|
#40 Notebooks #DE186 207.823 to #DG301 208.227 |
207.823 |
Read |
|
|
#41 Software installer for several versions of a programming language (STADDODEL) |
|
Not yet investigated closely |
|
|
#42 Notebooks #DG183 206.944 to #DG223 207.381 |
206.944 |
Read |
|
|
#43 Library of various Cryptanalysis Research papers and Books – researched F-204-O |
|
Investigated. |
Oliver learned a practical thing he may be able to apply at some point. |
|
#44 Bundle of software installers for various versions of the standard Dominion Computer Operating System |
|
Not yet investigated closely |
|
|
#45 Music files |
|
Not yet investigated closely |
|
|
#46 Bundle of software installers for various small utility programs |
|
Not yet investigated closely |
|
|
#47 Library of various Electronics and Computing Resources |
|
Not yet investigated closely |
|
|
#48 IT Project File – researched C-037, C-038, C-039 |
c.~ 211.2 |
Argyle’s research into finding back doors in the comms net |
This project dates from a time not long long before the team met Argyle at his lodge. It contains some of Argyle’s work with the Chip Emulator. He appears to be trying to find back doors and ways to remotely inject code into the firmware of different models of communications routers. Oliver is able to pick up some insights into the technicalities of Argyle’s work, and a few more things click into place for him about how he could implement what Argyle was trying to achieve. He believes he could not only hide a message in routine comms, he could probably bypass the low-level protections on medium and some high-level security systems. The joy of having an eidetic memory – Oliver doesn’t really need to make physical notes, and didn’t make any. |
|
#49 Library of various Mathematical and Cryptanalysis Research papers and Books |
|
Not yet investigated closely |
|
|
#50 IT Project File – Researched C-040 |
c.~ 206.2 |
Integrated monitoring dashboard for mining systems and sensors |
This is one of Argyle’s earliest projects dating to 206.2, not long after his arrival on Pristine. It looks to be an integrated monitoring dashboard for mining systems and sensors that incorporates some clever predictive mathematics. |
|
#51 Software installer for a programming language (STADDODEL) |
|
Not yet investigated closely |
|
|
#52 IT Project File – researched |
c.~206.9 |
Decrypting stolen storage devices. |
These storage devices were from what were probably stolen PDAs from several Bureaucrats and one Legion Officer on Pristine, Mundo Zargo, Zargholme and Zarg’s World. There’s enough information to identify the former owners. The Bureaucrats are from a range of Bureaus, the Legion Officer a Staff Under Commander from Mundo Zargo. Argyle has provided a list of interesting and/or restricted information. To Oliver’s eye’s there’s nothing super-secret, but plenty of low-to-mid-level restricted info. Oliver undertook extended research into this project and the results are at C-112 |
|
#53 Software installer for a statistical analysis package (STATS) |
|
Not yet investigated closely |
|
|
#54 Software installer for several versions of Chip Emulator Software |
|
Not yet investigated closely |
|
|
#55 IT Project File – researched C-081 |
c.~ 208.4 |
Early work on Hidden Network Comms |
Argyle’s project #55 seems to be some of Argyle’s initial work on his ‘hide a message inside the network’ project. It contains several separate projects that explore different ideas about how to go about doing that. Oliver may be particularly interested in Argyle’s test rig – essentially a software emulation of the Dominion’s PubNet communications framework. It doesn’t look like he wrote it all himself as there’s huge slabs of stuff he’s obviously copied from other sources, but some of the sections are revealing, with internal comments like: /* Now let’s see if I can remember how this part works */ Followed by lines of code that duplicate what Oliver knows to be security restricted functions. Some of this he’s already figured out from his own nefarious activities, but some is new to him. |
|
#56 Movie: Sundown on Starmist |
|
Watched |
Watched It looks like Argyle has decrypted and unpacked the files. All the metadata has been split out and there is an uncompressed, decrypted copy of the raw video. Oliver discovered a copy of Sundown on Starmist in Spanial’s entertainment system that contained an encrypted copy of The Argyle Notebook! |
|
#57 Notebooks #DN401 202.954 to #DN500 203.744 |
202.954 |
Read |
|
|
#58 IT Project File – researched C-082 |
c.~201.9 |
Analyse Legion Cast |
Dating from about 210.9 (relatively recently), this project is an analysis of the security system (physical and cyber) of the main Legion Cast on Captree, based on material provided (which was apparently collected according to criteria he specified.) Argyle has provided a report on strengths and possible weak points. Whoever he wrote the report for is particularly interested in the evidence and impound warehouse. |
|
#59 IT Project File – researched |
C.~209.5 |
Artificial alibi for Mikos Spikevolt |
Project #59 is Argyle helping out Patron’s ‘Associate’ Oliver observes Argyle having prepared various electronic files that, when injected into the right system, would apparently create an alibi for one Mikos Spikevolt. Spikevolt is apparently an Undercrat Grade 1 in the Pristine Administration Bureau. It’s a sophisticated piece of work and shows the development in Argyle’s skills over time.
|
|
#60 Notebooks #DE277 209.054 to #DE304 209.442 |
209.442 |
Read |
|
|
#61 Bundle of software installers for various small utility programs |
|
Not yet investigated closely |
|
|
#62 Notebooks #DN201 201.349 to #DN300 202.148 |
201.349 |
Read |
|
|
#63 IT Project File – researched C-116 |
208.512 |
Network map and analysis of the Pristine Net configuration |
This appears to be the first piece of work Argyle has done for ‘Patron’.
Like his earlier first work for ‘Contact’ Argyle is cautious, and takes a number of extra security steps.
It seems he’s been asked to provide a network map and analysis of the Pristine Net configuration.
He has mapped out Pristine’s PubNet, penetrated and mapped out BurNet and it’s Bureau-specific sub-nets, penetrating some of those that he has noted as ‘lightly secured’. He’s also penetrated the outer layers of both VizNet and MilNet, but hasn’t gone very far into them. He’s not attempted to penetrate the local OverNet. He has prepared a report identifying strong and weak spots, including a lengthy technical discussion (seemingly simplified for non-technical readers, though it remains somewhat dense) on why it’s not practical to extend this beyond the FTL-barrier of the network beyond the Pristine system. |
|
#64 IT Project File -researched C-117, C-118 |
207.285 |
Decryption of stolen storage devices |
This is another project for ‘Contact’. This is similar to Project #52 – Argyle is cracking stolen storage devices. Apparently this time there were three, with much better security than the previous batch. Argyle reports that the content of one was destroyed by very high-end security measures. He notes that ‘The technician at the Octant 7 end has failed to disarm all the security devices as you advised. Consequently the content of Device #2 was erased before it could be analysed.’ For the other two, both are from Legion devices. In the first one, Argyle has highlighted reports of long range Legion patrols. He notes (a) several reports of Yarg activity at the edge of Octant 7, and: (b) some back and forth between two Legion officers arguing whether the 7th Fleet should be conducting patrols into Separatist space with the more senior finally ordering the more junior that that is primarily the responsibility of the 3rd Fleet supported by additional elements of the 29th Fleet and the 7th is to stay out of systems not in its patrol area. On the second device Argyle has highlighted a series strategic reports into planetary defenses on Mundo Zargo as being of potential interest. Project #52 looked random, but #64 seemed to be clearly targetted at Legion members dealing with sensitive material. |
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#65 Software installer for a programming language (SMPL) |
|
Not yet investigated closely |
|
|
#66 Software Installer for a package called ‘BPSLight’ |
|
Not yet investigated closely |
|
|
#67 IT Project File – researched C-133 |
208.467 |
Hidden network messaging system |
Argyle’s second attempt at his hidden network messaging system. Oliver’s knowledge has surpassed what Argyle is researching at this time and Oliver learns nothing new from this project. |
|
#68 IT Project File – researched C-135
|
210.500 |
Data decryption, correlation, integration and projection |
Work for Patron.
Argyle has been given a multi-part task:
|
|
#69 IT Project File – researched C-136 |
|
Cracking stolen storage devices |
Another project for Contact.
There are 47 stolen storage devices for Argyle to break into, though this time it seems whoever is taking them is not discerning and ‘anyone who leaves a PDA lying around’ is a valid target. Most are from Mundo Zargo, a few from other worlds in Octant 7 and the balance from Pristine. Argyle finds plenty of porn, a few obvious nuggets here and there (such as a draft policy paper on changes in the Planning Bureau and a work schedule of Comms Bureau people and Vizants related to Net Packet scheduling) but it’s mostly low level stuff. Some of it might be useful for specific purposes but it’s difficult to tell, and for most of it he seems to have just packaged up the decrypted data and handed it over to Contact. It seems he filled out some of his vid and music collection from this project. There also seems to have been a stack of stolen money cards that he was asked to de-authorise, there’s some evidence of him working on ways to defeat the security on a Money Card reader, but no details of specific transactions. |
|
#70 Software installer for a version of Chip Emulator Software |
|
Not yet investigated closely |
|
|
#71 Notebooks #DC219 208.236 to #DG343 208.638 |
208.236 |
Read |
|
|
#72 IT Project File – researched F-141 Supplementary research F-176-Oliver |
|
Argyle investigation Patron and associates. |
This work was commenced by Argyle on his own initiative after his first job for ‘Patron’ and something he seems to have updated periodically over time. In particular after Project #59 to assist Patron’s ‘Associate’, where he seems to have leveraged knowledge gained.
The project’s content is Argyle apparently seeking to hack into Patron and Associate’s comms and seek out anything of interest, and which might be a threat to Argyle.
The project contains an inner data file which will need further work to decrypt. The exterior files and data has all been anonymised, with references to specific identities replaced with pseudonyms – like Patron, Associate, Middle-man, Mole, Head Honcho, Enforcer and Big Boss. Oliver can determine that Patron appears to be a representative of a local organised crime syndicate and that is who has been feeding him work. ‘Contact’ was apparently from a rival organisation who was trying to muscle in on the locals’ patch and was dealt with accordingly. Argyle seems somewhat at ease that he’s regarded as a useful asset and is to be protected. Argyle makes a note about all this to himself – ‘Palace Discipline – No Journals’. Within the inner encrypted file, Oliver found quite a lot of raw data. Some sound files, conversational transcripts, some video; lots of stuff that Argyle seems to have acquired from some of his targets. He’s written a summary document – see link. |