Part 38: Episode 38: Mind Against Mind

This update covers:

Naomi Kimishima 6 - Seeking Atonement (part 2 of 2)



Lieberman: Still, since you came all this way, I have to at least entertain you. You should see four bombs before you. They will all explode in ten minutes. Calling the cell phone attached to each bomb will deactivate it. The numbers are eight digits each. Of course, those numbers are a secret! There are hints in the room you're in. Now, crawl on your knees in a desperate search. I'm on my way to give a most wonderful present to the world's most famous lady. Now... Let's begin the game. The first bomb's hint is those letters nearby. Can you turn KQJQ into an eight-digit number? Don't get it? Close the curtains and think slowly. I'll be looking forward to the results.

Welp. That was a dumb move. Luckily, you don't actually have to worry about a ten-minute timer here; you can take all the time you need. Although, what kind of phone number is eight digits?

Naomi: I can't believe I fell for that. The door's locked. Of course, if I try to force it open, it's obvious what will happen. ...There isn't much time left. Even if I called for backup, they wouldn't make it.

LG: Dr. Kimishima, are you all right?

Naomi: I'm fine. I've determined the bomber's identity. It's Sandra Lieberman.

LG: I'll send for backup immediately!

Naomi: Hey, calm down, Little Guy. Put out an APB for her across the entire state. Set checkpoints on the major highways. Check all stores she might use and monitor her ID and credit cards.

LG: Right! What about you, Doctor? What are you doing?

Naomi: Little Guy! A woman has to keep a little mystery! Don't worry. I'll head over there soon.

LG: Understood. Just try not to do anything reckless, please.

Naomi: Right. Well then... now I'm alone with you. Which one of us will be the winner?



Alright. One way to turn KQJQ into a number would be to use their place in the alphabet, yielding 11171017, but that's not right. We were told to "close the curtains," indicating their importance. If you look at the, Naomi points out they use card suits, which makes this fairly obvious. If we take a Jack card as 11, Queen as 12, and King as 13, the final answer is...





Lieberman: Let's get to the second bomb. Here's a hint for you: I tried to deactivate it from a phone in this room once. I've left an essential question on the mirror. I hope you come to see it too.

Again, we need to use the room itself to get our clues for this. To find the clues, you need to use the fingerprint powder on the mirror and phone.



Naomi: "The sum of the first four is five. They are led by the largest. "The sum of the last four is eleven. The smallest leads. What are they?" Those clues alone aren't enough to help me come up with a single answer.

There are a number of possibilities, but we can narrow them down with the phone.



The rest can be figured out with a little guesswork and addition. Four digits 1-3 that add up to five can only be three ones and a two. The largest of those is the 2, and since the other digits are the same, there's only one permutation. Similarly, the only way to get eleven is to take a two and three threes. The smallest number is the two.



Lieberman: Good, good! You've deactivated the second one! The next hint is scattered about the room, like the stars themselves. Could you find all of them? Think about how they're arranged, as well.

This time, we don't get much of a clue as to where we should look. Still, there's a poster in the back that seems to fit the "star" motif.



The planets could easily correspond to digits, but we need more clues than that. To find them, you need to spray luminol around the room. There are hints written in blood all over it.



The answer is probably obvious to you just from looking at the clues: the symbols match with the planets. All you need to do is put the digits in the order of the planets from Mercury to Neptune. The problem is actually in finding the clues. The luminol will only stick to one of them at a time, so you can't just coat the entire room in spray and wave the light around. I got tired of looking after a while and resorted to the numbers I already had written down, but for the record, the remaining two are hidden under the mirror and on the carpet next to the bed.



This is the final answer.

Lieberman: Amazing. I went through all this trouble, and only one bomb remains. But how about the last problem? I'll test your calculation skills. Imagine two rows of numbers, similar yet different. 7 on one side is 1 on the other. 3 on one is 9 on the other, but 5 remains 5. What would 89476231 be? I've left a calculator for you near the fourth bomb. Use it as you wish.



This is a very Professor Layton-esque puzzle. There isn't anything to calculate. Think about it for a little bit.







Got it yet? All you need to do is move to the opposite row of the calculator. The 7 in the top left corresponds to the 1 in the bottom left. 5, being in the middle, stays the same, as will 4 and 6. Substituting the rows of the other digits gives the final answer.



Lieberman: Bravo! Looks like I lose. In the end, all my bombs were deactivated. All right, I'll open the door. Do as you please from here. Bon voyage, Corpse Whisperer!

Naomi: The Raging Bomber admitted defeat? Really? The door does seem to be unlocked, but... This is too simple. I don't trust this. I should look around.

You know... I saw a very familiar bear on the right side of the room!





Naomi: If I'd opened the door just now, I'm sure this bomb would have exploded. On the left is the transmitter, and on the right is the bomb. It goes off when it receives a specific signal. If I can separate the explosive from the explosive, the bomb will be deactivated. The question is: which do I cut? Only one cable reaches the bomb, which means the rest are decoys. If I make a mistake, it's all over. This note underneath looks like a pattern regarding the cables. This is the last battle of wits between us, Raging Bomber.



There are a lot of decoy wires and cross-overs meant to confuse you here, but if you follow the line backwards, starting at the explosive, you'll wind up at the middle wire, so that's the answer. If you get this wrong, you have to start this entire section again and re-enter the bomb codes.

Naomi: It... didn't go off. I win. Raging Bomber, or should I say "Sandra Lieberman:"



And of course this means she can finally answer her phone! Ten minutes without a call from the Little Guy must have felt like an eternity for her!

Naomi: Kimishima. What's the matter, Little Guy?

LG: Doctor, it's her! She's made a move! She's in southern New Hampshire and is headed west! We've confirmed that her credit card was used at a gas station! HQ's sending helicopters in pursuit right now!

Once again, a sign that the game is in Maine, given that it borders New Hampshire.

Naomi: No, Little Guy. Recall those helicopters. The bomber knew I was coming for her, she's obviously aware that we know her identity. What's in the direct opposite direction of the station that card was used at?

LG: Nothing that I can see, but if you follow the road the other way, it'll lead to Portland Airport.

Naomi: That's it! Wasn't the First Lady scheduled to visit Portland soon? When is she arriving!?

LG: About an hour from now.

Naomi: I knew it! Tell the local police immediately! The Bomber is targeting the First Lady. The airport needs to be locked down, right now.


LG: Got it! I'll send bomb squads as well.

Naomi: I'll need a helicopter here, too. I'm going to that airport.

Seeking Atonement: Ending


Medal Challenge:

Let's pretend that Naomi decided to go snooping through the shelves while waiting for that chopper.



This is the last set of questions regarding a specialty. Here they are: