[S] [long] Vignette: In Algonquin Main Warren... (part 1)

[Scott Robert Dawson]

Scene: a communications monitoring station somewhere in Algonquin Main
warren...

The burrow is dark, lit only by displays and task lighting. Rabbits
crouch at their screens, monitoring the endless flood of messages from
the Humans' networks, and paying special attention to one certain
newsgroup. Other rabbits bustle in and out, and off to one side
through an archway, techbuns are visible stripping down some
communications equipment.

A communications technician spots something amiss on her screen, and
her ears droop in dismay. She presses a call button. "Group Leader!
You'd better take a look at this!"

The group leader bustles over. The comm tech shows her a message:

"Subject: BUNIX WIDEBEAM: To All Warrens: Anyone know how to repair a
Cisco router?
Date: Thu, 17 Sep 1998 03:17:39 GMT
Organization: Algonquin Main Warren

*****BUNIX WIDEBEAM TO ALL WARRENS*****
*****START BUNIX ENCRYPTION*****
eÿeÌ45r b.Ƽ»Ç¹¦67ÍÔ**&&^%$Caÿÿ&&4Ç»»°eÿXÈfted
b.Ƽ»Ç¹¦ú_ééèht^cdWEsponûÍÔ+{|mm.,/'|Ç %eDD»Ç¹¦úûÍÔ(þþþ*þc
xds ÇÅgsde°eÿeÌÖmed
b.8*Ƽ»Ç¹¦úûÍÔÿÿÿÈ4Ç»»°^%%$T__'?)(Ñ:^%$Ca
ÿÿ&&4Ç»»°vrgtsdry%$
CDFÖÖþ
ÍÔ(þvf*þcxds ÇÅgs^%%$T__'?)(Ñ:^%$Caÿÿ&&4Ç»»°vrgtsdry%$xCDFÖÖþÍÔ(þvf*þcxds
ÇÅgs^%%$Tb
$Caÿÿ&&4rgtsdry%$xCDFÖÖþÍÔ(þvf*þc
xds ÇÅgs^%%$T__'?)¦úûÍÔÿÿÿÈ4Ç»»°eÿeÌÖmed b.Ƽ»Ç¹¦úûÍÔÿÿÿÈ4Ç»»°eÿeÌÖmed
b.Ƽ»Ç¹¦úûÍÔÿÿÿÈ4Ç»»°
*****END BUNIX ENCRYPTION*****
*****END BUNIX WIDEBEAM TO ALL WARRENS*****"

"Have you ever seen anything like this? It seems to be
BUNIX-encrypted, but the decryptor isn't resolving the plaintext. It's
just... garble!"

The Group Leader feels a twinge of dismay. "Are there any more like
this?"

"I haven't seen another... let's do a search." The comm tech sets up a
search for all BUNIX-encrypted messages in the past week. In a few
moments search results appear.

All BUNIX-encrypted messages originating at or destined to the warren
are listed. They are all decrypted, with two exceptions. Both
exceptions are widebeams, and both had originated at Algonquin Main.
One the commtech has already seen.

The other is worse, much worse:

"Subject: BUNIX WIDEBEAM: To All Warrens: Events in Algonquin Main
Date: Thu, 17 Sep 1998 01:36:03 GMT
Organization: Algonquin Main Warren

*****BUNIX WIDEBEAM TO ALL WARRENS*****
*****START BUNIX ENCRYPTION*****
eÿeÌ45r b.Ƽ»Ç¹¦67ÍÔ**&&^%$Caÿÿ&&4Ç»»°eÿXÈfted b.Ƽ»Ç¹¦ú_ééè
^cdWE@þûÍÔ+{|mm.,/'|Ç %eDD»Ç¹¦úûÍÔ(þþþ*þc xds ÇÅgsde°eÿeÌÖmed
b.8*Ƽ»Ç¹¦úûÍÔÿÿÿÈ4Ç»»°eÿeÌÖmed b.Ƽ»Ç¹¦úûÍÔÿÿÿÈ4Ç»»°eÿeÌÖmed
b.8*Ƽ»Ç¹¦úûÍÔÿÿÿÈ4Ç»»°eÿeÌÖmed b.Ƽ»Ç¹¦úûÍÔÿÿÿÈ4Ç»»°eÿeÌÖmed
b.8*Ƽ»Ç¹¦úûÍÔÿÿÿÈ4Ç»»°eÿeÌÖmed b.Ƽ»Ç¹¦úûÍÔÿÿÿÈ4Ç»»°eÿeÌÖmed
b.8*Ƽ»Ç¹¦úûÍÔÿÿÿÈ4Ç»»°eÿeÌÖmed b.Ƽ»Ç¹¦úûÍÔÿÿÿÈ4Ç»»°eÿeÌÖmed
b.Ƽ»Ç¹¦úûÍÔÿÿÿÈ4Ç»»°
*****END BUNIX ENCRYPTION*****
th remains compl
.
iant, and we have used a lo
t of his kno
*****START BUNIX ENCRYPTION*****
)(hgþwe##@
.
.
+++
*****END BUNIX ENCRYPTION*****
e also have to worry about
the Fu
*****START BUNIX ENCRYPTION*****
r b.Ƽ»Ç¹¦67ÍÔ**'':^%$Caÿÿ&&4Ç»»°vrgtsdry%$xCDFÖÖþÍÔ(þvf*þc
xds ÇÅgs^%%$T__'?)(Ñ##r b.Ƽ»¹¦67Í*&&^%aÿ|Ç %eGRDAǹ¦úûÍdss
r b.Ƽ»Ç¹¦67ÍÔ**'':^%$Caÿÿ&&4Ç»»°vrgtsdry%$xCDFÖÖþÍÔ(þvf*þc
xds ÇÅgs^%%$T__'?)(Ñ##r b.Ƽ»¹¦67Í*&&^%aÿ|Ç %eGRDAǹ¦úûÍdssr
b.Ƽ»Ç¹¦67ÍÔ**'':^%$Caÿÿ&&4Ç»»°vrgtsdry%$xCDFÖÖþÍÔ(þvf*þc
xds ÇÅgs^%%$T__'?)(Ñ##r b.Ƽ»¹¦67Í*&&^%aÿ|Ç %eGRDAǹ¦úûÍdss
*****END BUNIX ENCRYPTION*****
ng them alive for repeated toe harvesting. While no bun wants them to
become aware of their fate, and panic, a little foreknowledge at the
end improves the flav
*****START BUNIX ENCRYPTION*****
*****END BUNIX ENCRYPTION*****
our immensely.
Squirrels present another problem. Like lobsters, the
y

a
r
e

o
f
t
e
n

e
*****START BUNIX ENCRYPTION*****
^%$Caÿÿ&&4Ç»»°vrgtsdrht^Èèìë÷ñÖgtGF%$Caÿÿ&&4Ç»»°vrgtsdry%$xCDFÖÖþÍÔ(þvf*þc
xds ÇÅgs^%%$T__'?)(Ñ:^%$Caÿÿ&&4Ç»»°vrgtsdry%$xCDFÖÖþÍÔ(þvf*þcxds ÇÅgs^%%$T
__'?)(Ñ:^%$Caÿÿ&&4Ç»»°vrgtsdry%$xCDFÖÖþÍÔ(þvf*þcxds ÇÅgs^%%$T__'?)(Ñ:^%$Ca
ÿÿ&&4Ç»»°vrgtsdry%$xCDFÖÖþÍÔ(þvf*þcxds ÇÅgs^%%$T__'?)(Ñ:^%$Caÿÿ&&4Ç»»°vrgt
sdry%$xCDFÖÖþÍÔ(þvf*þcxds ÇÅgs^%%$T__'?)(Ñ:^%$Caÿÿ&&4Ç»»°vrgtsdry%$xCDFÖÖþ
ÍÔ(þvf*þcxds ÇÅgs^%%$T__'?)(Ñ:^%$Caÿÿ&&4Ç»»°vrgtsdry%$xCDFÖÖþÍÔ(þvf*þcxds
ÇÅgs^%%$T__'?)(Ñ:^%$Caÿÿ&&4Ç»»°vrgtsdry%$xCDFÖÖþÍÔ(þvf*þcxds ÇÅgs^%%$T__'?
)(Ñ:^%$Caÿÿ&&4Ç»»°vrgtsdry%$xCDFÖÖþÍÔ(þvf*þcxds ÇÅgs^%%$T__'?)(Ñ:^%$Caÿÿ&&
4Ç»»°vrgtsdry%$xCDFÖÖþÍÔ(þvf*þcxds ÇÅgs^%%$T__'?)(Ñ:^%$Caÿÿ&&4Ç»»°vrgtsdry
%$xCDFÖÖþÍÔ(þvf*þc
xds ÇÅgs^%%$T__'?)(Ñ
xds ÇÅgs^%%$T__'?)(Ñ
.
.
.*
*****END BUNIX ENCRYPTION*****
ll the best,
Guest Management Coordination Leader BuffTail, Algonquin Main warren

*****END BUNIX WIDEBEAM TO ALL WARRENS*****"

The message is parly garbled, and partly in plaintext. Anyone,
including Fudds, can read the plaintext. A quick check of following
messages reveals that several Fudds have indeed read the plaintext,
and are not slow at pointing out the implications.

The group leader pales. It will be her job to inform her boss of the
security breach. She reaches for the call button...

Scott Robert Dawson
<suns...@interlog.com.placeholder>
Note: remove the characters .placeholder from
this address to get my real address...