FAQ

Yes, and yes. Shortwave numbers stations are thought to transmit codes to spies abroad, or perhaps for coordinating drug interdiction exercises. You can search for them yourself on a shortwave radio, or you can visit the CONET Archive at https://archive.org/details/ird059 to listen to recordings.

**SPOILERS AHEAD**

The main station used in the movie is named "Swedish Rhapsody" after the music-box melody used. In it, a voice sounding like a little girl's reads strings of numbers, and "achtung" - "attention" in German - is also heard. Higher-pitched, female voices are said to broadcast much more clearly, as are higher-pitched electronic tones and music. The combination of a child's voice, pretty music, staccato numbers plus all of the static and background noise of a numbers station can sound quite eerie.