Cipher of Europa

I could feel the frozen wind on my skin. it was time to witness the sunrise after a long time. I was standing on the edge of a hill. the sun was going dead, but we all knew the war was coming. life was different on Europa. We were people who could live in that bitter cold. but we had to. Our home was destroyed, Earth population scattered around the solar system. we made it to Europa.

“Human brings war,” I muttered.

There was an army, coming from Io to use the Europa minerals and water, to stay alive. something which could be done peacefully, instead there was war.

I got back to shelter and turned the screen on to check up on the news.

I was making coffee out of the bag and the man on the news was talking: “The enemy ships are reaching closer from Jupiter to our borders. Our forces are ready to defend our planet and people .”

" they are going to smash us,” I said and turned the screen off.

There was a pile of books about breaking codes and cyphers I needed to read to join the team. They have a system of codes, exactly like wars on Earth. Sending messages in forms of cyphers.

" This is not in my blood " I whispered.

For hours I was reading and trying to crack codes using different methods. suddenly I heard the alarm coming from the main door. I put on my suit and reached the door. turned the alarm off and open the door.

There was my roommate trying to get in. he was gone for months and I had to change the password.

" Hey, get in,” I said loudly and moved my arm.

he came out of his ship and took off his helmet while I was closing all the doors.

" You changed all the entry passwords,” He said. He was out of breath.

" We are in war Richard, and you were gone fro months” I replied and walked into the main room.

" Ah, still working on entering the house of security. How is your code-cracking going?” He asked and grabbed my coffee.

" It is not going well. I am nervous, and not progressing” I said.

He looked into the mirror, checked his face, and looked at me through the mirror and put down the mug and said “You know, they don’t know they are sending codes, It’s a shame. we don’t know what is coming. but sure something catastrophic. ”

" I know,” I said, shaking my head.

I was devasted and there was only one picture in my head. Thinking what is the use of my existence if I can’t use my brain. I swallowed the pain and said with shrinking voice,” I’m a fool”. I could see the moment I was failed to break the code when they were destroying the Earth. If I was faster or sharper, I could still have my family.

" Don’t say that. You’ve been trying for a long time. if you are not talented that does not mean you can’t do it. it is a new life and maybe a new chance for you. here is not Earth,” he said, sat next to me and hugged me.

“My father used to say, there is no such thing as genius. you are good at what you are trying every day. what you are doing every day in the life. You failures are your teacher. like my mom, she was good at cooking because she burnt many pies and casserole. I am good at flying with aircraft cause I’m doing it since I was 17 and I have made many mistakes. But if I am good at it does not mean I was lucky or gifted, cause I gave myself a second chance after each mistake I made. You will crack that bloody code if you give yourself a second chance. Life is not all about failure. No one cares who failed Earth, cause what happened could not be stopped.”

" I don’t know what to do " I replied and burst into tears.

" Don’t give up, look at all those books. Europa is a big moon. the only people who know there is a message is you and I” he looked me into eyes and said it.

" I know what you mean but maybe it is not me, it is something which is missing. I’m blind and I can’t even apply any other systems to it" I said, wipe out my tears and continued, “as I have never failed! I have never fight like this for something”.

He sat relaxed, unzipped his jacket and looked up to the ceiling. there was a beautiful view. “Sky is the same” he whispered, “Only the stars are different and no more Earth.”

I put my head on his shoulder and looked up. I was trying to think to find a way to forget the giving up the situation. It was the moment I felt my head was burning and my brain was exploding. I was looking up but I could see days I did not sleep, I did not eat to be a code breaker.

I could see the history of world wars, and a failure I was blamed for.

Only thing I could see in the sky is that I had to find a solution. there is no giving up. I could hear a voice in my head saying on and on " If there is no way, you have to find one”

I could see my self in the first days. I could not understand anything in those books. using dictionaries, hacking other systems to get books and data. I did not know how to hack. Even the day I got rejected from the office because I was not smart enough for a codebreaker because I made a mistake. So there was something I was fighting for it. if I was going to let it go, all that effort were lost.

I opened my eyes and I was in my bed.

I knew I was not done with all code-cracking systems, and I was not that smart to learn them fast. but I should not stop trying. It was early in the morning, I could see Richard sleeping. I made a big glass of coffee and sat down. Looking at my books like I was going to cut them in half with a sword. There were anger and excitement in my cells.

Turned on all the computers and screens, closed my eyes for seconds.

" I know I can do it " I whispered.

Days passed and I was living in front of books and screens. I missed the days on Earth When we used to order thin crust cheese pizza when we were studying for exams. We didn’t waste any time.

My eyes were sore, and my body needed some sun. there not much solar energy on the Europa. whatever was there, was artificial. I was wondering and wondering. This is not the earth, this is no world war, this is the war of our solar system. But human brains are the same, only grew wiser, smarter.

What I was learning was helping me to think out of the box. The technology is not Enigma, it is something more, or maybe not much complicated. So I started using every system I knew on breaking the code. By looking at it, it was work for days, and I was alone. I was working hard and focused and I just heard someone was talking.

“Any news on your code-breaking?” Richard Asked.

“Not yet!” I shouted.

" Come and check this out,” He said.

He was standing in front of the screen and watching a ship attacking Ganymede survivors. It gave me goosebumps and butterflies in the stomach, I went yellow and cold feet. the feeling was like losing your family member.

“It’s going to be any days from now we are going to have the same destiny,” he said and walked away.

I was thinking about one thing at that moment “Are they going to wipe out every other man? ”

only thing I knew was the codes. I knew there was something about Ganymede. I ran to my computers and checked them out, locate every shot and then the codes made sense. But did not know what was the system they were using. the system they used on Ganymede was different they were using on Europa.

“There is always a pattern,” I said. “Maybe it is not! what if they are using old systems randomly ” Richard said.

" NO!” I said silently.

" Yes, it is a pattern! look they are using a different system based on a pattern. if the pattern is correct, it should be Caeser Cipher” I said and grabbed a pen. I sat down and minutes later the code was broken.

Richard looked at me and said, “You did it, you saved Europa”.