Puzzle: Yet Another Spy Caper

The Game Room
21

After that nightmarelast night, you wander around the refuge listlessly, still thinking that you’re missing something significant. It takes seeing someone eating a Royal Red pear before it clicks into place - why would zombies and the alien share the same language?

Luckily, you had made an effort to write down that experience, knowing that it was important…Greetings earthling! You may have transcribed the alien equivalent down wrong, but looking at it gives you a shiver. Rushing to your desk, you grab a piece of paper.

Good News! Finally we have figured out how to use the alien mind control machine…

Excitedly, you barge into Special Agent Jones’ office. “I have some interesting information for you…”

22

Wooooooooooo Hoooooooooo!

Congratulations Bouncing Gazelle! After an entire year…

You may have just saved the world!!

Jones looks up at You. The gleam in your eye immediately tells him that You have finally cracked this awful code.

“I know what the messages say!” You joyfully yell. “I know how words can be encoded into words. I know how asterisks can mean nothing and something. And I think I know where to find the alien mind-control machine.”

By now others in the Resistance Movement have come into the office. Brown is here, as is Ban Ki-moon.

“We have to gather together a group to make an assault on a very unlikely place tonight. We’ll need guns and probably grenades. If our raid is successful, I think we can destroy that machine that has so enslaved the world!”

There are no words to describe the excitement in the room. High fives are given all around.

“But where will we find that alien technology?” asks Brown. “Where will we attack tonight?”

And in answer You hold up six fingers.

23

In the dead of night insurgents lead by Agent Jones approach the Motel Six in South Baltimore. All appears quiet…but to the trained eye it is obvious there is more going on at this location than inexpensive sleeping. One wing of the motel is surrounded by army vehicles and two guards stand at attention outside Room 147.

You and Brown are also part of the rebel team.

“I hope we have the element of surprise on our side,” whispers Jones. “Once we take out those two guards, I don’t know what we’ll face inside.”

“They should be asleep soon,” You say quietly. “We slipped a lot of drugs into the motel coffee.”

So far, all good. The guards have toppled over…obviously unconscious.

Now your group is outside the door. The lock is picked.

Inside your team finds the room empty…except for a strange blinking machine humming away in the corner.

Now You pick up an ax.

“Let me at it first,” You say, brandishing the weapon.

Movement in the corner of your eye.

“Hey what are you all doing here?” Someone emerges from the side bathroom. But it is just the cleaning lady.

“Stand aside, Ma’am,” Jones orders. “We have some work to do.” In fright the woman seems to faint. They lay the prone housekeeper in a corner and once again our heroes surround the machine.

With determination on your face You raise the ax and…

Bang! Bang!

The diabolical maid’s shots barely miss You. Agent Brown goes down, wounded in the leg.

That is no cleaning woman. It is Andy Wilson in disguise!

Now Wilson is subdued and a medic attends to Brown.

“Don’t worry about me, I’m fine. Just a flesh wound,” Brown bravely says. “Just destroy that dreadful machine!”

“This ends now!” You yell. The ax slams savagely into the machine. Then again. Then again. The lights on the insidious device blink once more. Then they go dark.

And around the world thousands of people awake as if from a dream.

24

For the first time in nearly a year You return to your apartment.

You begin the slow process of cleaning the place. Seems as if your abode was at some point ransacked by the spies. They were probably looking for clues about the insurgency. Mess or not…your heart is overjoyed to be home.

Knock! Knock! Knock!.

You go to the door. Agents Jones and Brown enter. Brown is on crutches, but otherwise fine.

“We have a gift for You,” says Jones with a smile. It is a brand new coffeemaker and a box of expensive gourmet coffee.

Handshakes all around. Soon the stale air is enlivened with the smell of freshly brewing coffee.

Jones tells You that Klaus and all the rest of the spies have been captured and sent back to jail. World leaders have met and decided to put the planet back to its old pre-takeover self.

“It will be as this never happened.” says Jones with a smile. “The world owes You once again.”

You wave your hand. “I should have solved it sooner. There were clues. We heard that the words were ‘red herrings’, obviously created to distract attention. I simply needed to ignore that the code letters created words. Also, the “pears” word heard by Warden Heinz was indeed “pairs” with an ‘ai’ (good job ** Oakminster!**). And there were two kinds pairs depending on the number of letters in the coded word.”

“Whew, this was very tough!” Brown smiles. “It took a real expert codebreaker to crack this monster.”

“Well, you may not believe me Brown, but I had some helpful dreams. In one, I actually heard an alien speak in this code and then translate the code for me directly. But because the code wasn’t in ‘red herring words’, I didn’t recognize it. But it was right there. Right. There.”

“Heh, heh.” Jones smiles. “I’m not much of a believer in supernatural dreams, but it’s mighty impressive You solved this riddle."

Beep! Beep! Your new coffeemaker lets everyone know the pot is ready. You and your friends share and celebrate.

You secretly hope You never have to deal with any of these treacherous spy codes ever again.

Time will tell.