Hi, Paul Quinn!
I read your message from 23.07.2018 23:16

  PQ> file to my MS-DOS system (Win98SE) and tried the same exercises
  PQ> with my trusty Total Commander's text viewer, with the same
  PQ> result.  That being, no identifiable text.

A ciphered text is such a text where the bytes had been distorted 
according to a cryptographic key. If you have not the key you cannot 
read a ciphered message.

Bye, Paul!
Alexander Koryagin
fido7.fidotest 2018
--- FIDOGATE 5.1.7ds