Dug in and was able to reattach all back to original wiring, etc. I was a bit hesitant about digging into the wires under the steering column, however, it wasn't hard at all... In the end, it turned out fine.

Just strange that I was able to start/restart the vehicle time and time again with no issues (not having the chipped key). However, once I disconnected the battery then reconnected it things went nuts...? oh well, doesn't matter now.

Here's a picture of the culprit:





-biju.