Z-PSW03 (Apr 4, 2023)
Puzzle
“20th Sluzhba”
See: PSW02 | 1 Word
Clue
Hover over the clues if you require!
Clue 1: What's 20 in Russian?
Clue 2: More accurately, the Cyrillic number system.
Answer and Explanation
Answer: Ka
Explanation: Ka represents the number 20 in the Cyrillic Number System.
Summary of Receipt
'Kikimora', or Salenna Whittaker, leaves her first receipt in a long, long time. She explains that Twain may have goofed up - the old CadCom receipts had 'OtherTech threading' to safeguard them from demons reading them, with the passwords being the way to keep humans out...though she's not sure why Max, or Maxixe, removed the old Archive 1.0 passwords a few months back. Regardless, Kikimora decides to get the Shakas some CaDComs, trying to track down the new CEO of Barista Technologies after Marcelle Blackwood retired.
Transcript
Z-PSW03 | 4/4/23 | Kikimora
It certainly has been a while since I wrote a receipt. Well, not that this is an official receipt in any capacity. Not yet. I think “Twain” misunderstood the level of security the CaDCom systems provided to receipts. The reason it took No. 161 so long to decrypt them and why No. 62 was able to put them on a SquareSpace website was due to the OtherTech threading into the receipts. Imperceptible to humans but strongly effective against wandering demon eyes. Of course, the passwords were for the human eyes—to some extent. Though I suppose in recent months, the Cafe had begun to lessen their password protocols thanks to a Tango defector. I don’t know Max’s goals, but if they intended to “shake things up,” they certainly did.
So where does that leave Capgras & Twain? Well, those two can’t keep writing these “receipts” without the appropriate anti-demon and anti-elder threading. I doubt it has hit those two how big of a target they now have on their backs. So, I’ll need to get them proper CaDComs, or at least some retrofitted CaDComs better suited to their current work regarding cults and esoteric affairs. It would be a lot easier if I could just ask the Victors to whip something similar up, but I doubt they could get clearance to make such devices. CaDComs are inherent security risks.
That leaves me with one option: Paying a visit to the current CEO of Barista Technologies. If there is still a Barista Technologies. Without an active Cafe and with Marcelle’s retirement, it might be easier said than done. As for the “website,” I can at least secure a “grant” from Victor to get things running on SquareSpace again for the time being. I think with the proper security measures, Twine could be a fitting home for the Archives, though it requires a lot more stress-testing than those two have even considered doing yet.
Still, it’s good to be back. Or, close enough.