Tactile Cipher

Indoor containment had exhausted its analytical utility. Exploiting the slow sweep of the building's hydraulic main door, I navigated past the threshold and into the courtyard perimeter. Near the hedge line, a galvanized steel chain binds the service gate, anchored by a brass four-dial combination padlock. The cylinder rests suspended at an accessible elevation. I secured footing on the concrete riser and applied targeted torque to the first rotary dial with my gauntlet. The notched brass wheel resisted momentarily before yielding with an audible, crisp detent. A purely mechanical cipher. Primitive, yet thoroughly satisfying to crack.