60.19-Big brain thinking

 

The last few days were eventful on the Smole. Kearney, Francisca and Virginia had to sew clothes for the other four who had lost it at the spa. After 2 hours, only Bert arrived and had a full outfit on, leading to 20/80 points for the pot and a hidden exemption for himself. Bert and Mariana contributed 8 more bonus points to the pot, making it 549/938 points. Virginia managed to sneak a thumbprint onto Bert's polo shirt and won herself a clue. For the first time in a long while, there was no tie and Luis was executed. Only six contestants remain but will that number decrease? 

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Maru: "I can sense it. The girls are distancing themselves from me. They're...scared of me. That's not what I wanted. Mitch really screwed up this time. Or is it Maru? Am I Mitch or Maru? I don't even know any more."

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Kearney: "If you know what's good for you you should remove yourself from the game."

Maru: "I'm not quitting. I did nothing wrong."

Mariana: "How can you be so unrepentant?"

Manuel: "Extra! Extra!"

Kearney: "I heard a boy shouting outside."

Virginia: "It looks like newspaper. I shall retrieve it."

Virginia: "Ew, it is wet."

Mariana: "This is the first time this season we're getting news."

Bert: "What does it say?"

Virginia: "Good morning contestants. Today you will experience what it is like at the printing press. Four of you will create a puzzle for the upcoming 'Daily Puzzles' section and print it in time for tomorrow's news. Two of you will solve the puzzles in 15 minutes. Each puzzle solved earns 30 points for the pot. However, each printed puzzle unsolved will give the puzzle creator an exemption. Make your decisions now."

Francisca: "What kind of puzzles are there?"

Virginia: "It does not say, but from what I gather from today's edition, we have the option for a crossword puzzle, a word search puzzle, a cryptogram and a Sudoku."

Maru: "I would like to be a solver please."

Kearney: "You don't get a say in this."

Bert: "I think that's the best division. You keep the girls safe while earning the money."

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Bert: "Maru and Kearney? That's four exemptions in the bag. Big brain thinking."

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After a day of strategising or resting, Virginia, Mariana, Bert and Francisca are on their way to Doo Peas Corporate Tower this evening. They have until midnight to create their puzzles, have them approved and print them.

Bert: "Oh my goodness."

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Francisca: "We were met by a snappy woman who showed us where we would be working. The office space was small and chaotic. Newspapers and other printed material were everywhere."

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Bert: "I'm good with numbers. I'll create the Sudoku. Virginia, you do the crossword. Mariana, you create the word search. Francisca, you make the cryptogram."

Virginia: "The lighting is horrible."

Bert: "The technology is outdated."

Virginia: "Outdated? Is this not the same computer we use for quizzes?"

Bert: "It is."

Virginia: "You mean to say there is better technology?"

Mariana: "Hmm, I need ideas."

Francisca: "Me too. What's a challenging puzzle?"

Mariana: "Too bad our puzzles need to be solvable."

Bert: "Unsolvable? I have to give more numbers?"

Francisca: "We're on a time crunch. This is stressful."

Virginia: "This is your first foray into the world of publishing."

Francisca: "It's not actually."

Mariana: "Done."

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Mariana: "I got my puzzle approved. I needed to go to another room to print it."

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Mariana: "Down the hallway, on the left..."

Mariana: "It's so musty in here. What's that?"

Mariana: "Oh, a twist!"

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Mariana: "I have some news folks. Pun not intended. In the printing room is a task for us. We need to print the obituary column too. But that's not all. We have to nominate one of us to be in the obituary: the one we think is going to be executed next. That contestant must stop working on the puzzle and print the obituary. That contestant can only earn 20 points if that contestant survives the next execution, and 10 points for filling in the rest of the obituary section correctly."

Bert: "Does that mean one of us has to sacrifice our exemption?"

Mariana: "I think so."

Bert: "Any volunteers before I start naming names?"

Virginia: "I object. Nobody nominated you to be the supervisor."

Bert: "I worked in business before. I'm the best suited."

Francisca: "I work in journalism."

Francisca: "You just received an exemption. I don't think it's fair for you to get another one in a row."

Bert: "Where is this coming from? You're usually in the background."

Francisca: "I am just putting it out there. I think I'm due for an exemption."

Virginia: "Who is confident?"

Bert: "That's a trap question."

Mariana: "Well if we can't decide yet I'll be printing my puzzle."

Bert: "Not so fast."

Bert: "If you go ahead and print it, you're essentially preventing yourself from being in the obituary."

Mariana: "Oopsy! You're right. But I'm the only one who has a puzzle ready."

Bert: "Let's see it."

Bert: "Too easy."

Mariana: "For you, maybe."

Virginia: "Let us consider this from another perspective: whose puzzle is the most likely to be solved regardless?"

Francisca: "To me, that's the word search."

Bert: "I agree."

Virginia: "As do I."

Mariana: "That's no fair."

Bert: "Too bad. You're outnumbered."

Mariana: "I thought we were friends."

Bert: "This isn't time to make friends."

Mariana: "You're right. We're wasting time. I'll sacrifice myself for the good of the group."

Francisca: "Thank you Mariana."

Bert: "Now back to work, all of you."

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Virginia: "That was not at all how I hoped the discussion would unfold. I would have much preferred for the Mole to be nominated instead. Still, perhaps I shall be surprised—who knows, Mrs. Matlapin may yet survive another round."

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Mariana: "I need to find out when these people died if at all."

Bert: "Still unsolvable?"

Mariana: "The death records must be in the filing cabinets since there's no Internet access."

Mariana: "Why is it jammed?"

Mariana: "Oopsy! Now let's see what's in here."

Bert "Yes!"

Bert: "Finally."

Francisca: "I feel that this is too easy."

Virginia: "Mine too."

Mariana: "Who is he?"

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Bert: "This can't go any slower."

Bert: "I wonder if there's anything of interest in here."

Bert: "Oh, it's done."

Bert: "Excellent. I'd like to see those two numbskulls take a crack at this."

Bert: "Wait, we still need a photo of Mariana. There's got to be a photo around here somewhere."

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Bert: "In my searching I found a bingo card. I need to claim a secret as mine, whatever that means. I'm holding onto it for now until I find something better."

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Mariana: "Aha. Joe DiMaggio. He died on 8 March 1999."

Virginia: "What are you searching for?"

Bert: "We need a photo of Mariana to print and submit for the obituary."

Francisca: "There aren't cameras here."

Bert: "So there must be photos of us lying somewhere around here."

Francisca: "I'll help you look."

Bert: "This is...stuck."

Mariana: "Do you mind being a dear and helping me check if Stephen Hawking is still alive?"

Bert: "A little busy here."

Francisca: "I wonder if it's hidden in the news."

Francisca: "A photo stack of photos dropped out. Bert, I found the photos."

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Francisca: "Done. Mariana just needs to ensure it's printed out as well when she prints the obituary."

Francisca: "Hi Virginia, what are you doing here?"

Bert: "First-name basis now huh?"

Virginia: "I have completed my puzzle."

Bert: "This room is too crowded. I'm getting out first."

Francisca: "Me too."

Virginia: "I am satisfied."

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Francisca: "Everyone pitched in to help Mariana once we were done with our own puzzles. We wanted to ensure she printed the obituary."

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Francisca: "This should be hard enough."

Mariana: "Some help here? Do any of you know who this is?"

Virginia: "That's Emily Dickinson. She passed away in the 1800s."

Mariana: "I need a specific date."

Virginia: "I will search."

Mariana: "This is Sir David Attenborough. Surely he's still alive I hope."

Virginia: "Emily Dickinson died 15 May 1886."

Mariana: "When did Walt Disney die?"

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Francisca: "Got it."

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Francisca: "I couldn't find Aung San Suu Kyi. I think she's still alive."

Mariana: "That's the last one then. I'll delete her name. And sent to the printer."

Francisca: "Quick, we're out of time."

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Mariana: "There's no more paper!"

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Mariana: "Aha!"

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Mariana: "Relax guys. Worrying isn't going to speed up the printing."

Bert: "It's done!"

Mariana: "Looks great, although I do think it's a bit weird to put myself on an obituary."

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Mariana: "We made it with seconds to spare. And in that frantic rush I found a bingo card among the cabinets. I just need to do worse than the previous quiz, which shouldn't be too hard."

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Francisca: "We were brought to a hotel for the morning so as not to influence Kearney and Maru. Bert had the idea of trying to confuse them by speaking up for each other. For example he would claim I was the MVP of the mission while I would say his knowledge of celebrities helped with the obituaries."

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Maru: "Why do you keep staring at me?"

Kearney: "I will not let you out of my sight."

Maru: "Suit yourself."

Kearney: "Where are you going?"

Maru: "To pee."

Kearney: "Have some decency to close the door."

Maru: "Hey you're the one with the kink."

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Maru: "Kearney and I spent the whole day chilling at home. He made sure I didn't enter any of the others' rooms and was by my side the whole time. I swear he's obsessed with me."

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Kearney: "The paper is here."

Kearney: "Aha. Here is the puzzle section."

Kearney: "The first puzzle is a sudoku."

Maru: "I'll do the sudoku!"

Kearney: "Then I shall conquer the hardest puzzle first: the cryptogram."

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Kearney: "The latest mission has shown me how everyone can be the Mole. The puzzles were all of high difficulty. Not that I couldn't solve it. The issue was that they were simply unsolvable."

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Kearney: "WGG XD FWCD OB...this is some forgotten language! I do not understand any of it."

Maru: "Then a 9 here."

Kearney: "How are you so certain?"

Maru: "I'm not. If only Mitch was here to help."

Kearney: "If only I was good with numbers. Maybe this shall be my next challenge. Hand the paper to me."

Maru: "I think the 7 goes here and the 4 here."

Kearney: "I don't believe you. The 7 goes here and the 4 goes there."

Maru: "Then 6 shall be here."

Kearney: "No, 6 should be down here."

Maru: "Hmm, 6 must be above."

Kearney: "I think this is unsolvable."

Kearney: "Let us not waste our energy. We shall move on to the next puzzle."

Maru: "Wow, these clues are hard."

Kearney: "Virginia must have written this."

Kearney: "The monarch's daughter...that's a princess. But what is fluid, as told on a clock?"

Maru: "Time?"

Kearney: "You may be right."

Maru: "A deliberate obstruction to success?"

Kearney: "Sabotage."

Maru: "Isn't 2 down just news?"

Maru: "I think 7 down is fear."

Kearney: "I disagree. I think it is danger."

Maru: "Oh, that's a good one. Do you think we can draw extra boxes?"

Kearney: "That is not how this puzzle goes, so danger isn't it...maybe it really is fear."

Maru: "1 down is prejudice."

Kearney: "Which university is Virginia critical of? B blank blank blank blank E. It must end with bridge."

Maru: "Cambridge?"

Kearney: "No, I think...I don't have a better answer. That is our best bet."

Maru: "Then what's the last one? It has to do with an author."

Kearney: "I must enter the mind of Virginia...Orwellian! It fits."

Kearney: "We have a minute left. We must hurry onto the last puzzle."

Maru: "I found nuclear."

Kearney: "I see census."

Kearney: "We should start with the longest words for those are the easiest. Aha! I found humanitarian. And assassination."

Maru: "Oh, there's world. It's backwards."

"Time is up."

"Only the crossword puzzle has been solved; that is created by Virginia. Hence, 30/120 points have been earned. Bert and Francisca both receive an exemption."

Kearney: "What about Mariana?"

"Please turn to page 37."

Kearney: "What?!"

The pot is currently at 579/1058 points. Will Mariana be able to help the group earn another 30 points? Is she the Mole?