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$\mathfrak{From\>}b\>\mathfrak{to\>}a,\mathfrak{and\>then\>}a\>\mathfrak{to\>}b,\mathfrak{come\>find\>me!}$ TWFyayB5b3VyIHNwb3QhIFdhbGsgZm9yd2FyZC4gCkFuZCBmb3J3YXJkLiBBbmQgZm9yd2FyZC4KQW5kIG5vdyB5b3UndmUgZm91bmQgeW91ciBzcG90IG9uIG1lLgpUcnkgYWdhaW4sIGdvaW5nIG92ZXIgdG8gbXkgb3RoZXIgc2lkZSwgYW5kIHdhbGsuCkhhdmUgeW91IGZvdW5kIHlvdXIgc3BvdD8gT2YgY291cnNlIHlvdSBoYXZlLgpXaGF0IGFtIEksIG5vdz8=

Even after this, can you find out what I am? For this is only the first step to infinity! But, after a while, you'll end up right where you started.

Hints:

The first line is the title of the post.
The title is a hint (in fact, is essential to solving the puzzle).
It has two parts, the first being decoded the seemingly random arrangement of text. The second part is a riddle.
The first part is programming-related
The little blurb after the puzzle will help.

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2 Answers 2

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I'll take a shot at the second step. This is A E's solution to the first:

Mark your spot! Walk forward.
And forward. And forward.
And now you've found your spot on me.
Try again, going over to my other side, and walk.
Have you found your spot? Of course you have.
What am I, now?

Even after this, can you find out what I am? For this is only the first step to infinity! But, after a while, you'll end up right where you started.

Möbius strip

After a while of walking, you'll end up right where you started.

But once you found the spot, if you go the other way, you'll find the spot yet again. If you start from the other side, you'll also end up at the spot again

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  • $\begingroup$ Close, but not quite... By "going over to my other side," I mean that it is a 3-d shape. $\endgroup$
    – Conor O'Brien
    Dec 16, 2014 at 17:48
  • $\begingroup$ @ConorO'Brien Okay, I'll try the other thing that came to my mind $\endgroup$
    – Justin
    Dec 16, 2014 at 17:49
  • $\begingroup$ @ConorO'Brien There, how about now? $\endgroup$
    – Justin
    Dec 16, 2014 at 17:51
  • $\begingroup$ Perfect! Just the answer. $\endgroup$
    – Conor O'Brien
    Dec 16, 2014 at 18:20
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First step:

Converting the ciphertext from

Base64

gives plaintext:

Mark your spot! Walk forward.
And forward. And forward.
And now you've found your spot on me.
Try again, going over to my other side, and walk.
Have you found your spot? Of course you have.
What am I, now?

Why I did it this way:

The '=' symbol at the end of the ciphertext is used as padding to make a base64 string the right length. So if you see an '=' at the end then it's always worth trying base64.

Perhaps the next step might be:

Maybe the riddle is talking about travelling up and down the real number line, so a real number: 1 perhaps? That would fit with "first step to infinity".

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  • 1
    $\begingroup$ Great job! I can't wait to see what you have for the second step... $\endgroup$
    – Conor O'Brien
    Dec 16, 2014 at 17:42
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    $\begingroup$ Thank you @ConorO'Brien! I'm totally stumped on the 2nd step, need one of our riddle specialists for that. ;) $\endgroup$
    – A E
    Dec 16, 2014 at 17:43

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