The Smole: 61.03-I do not have an accent

In the second episode of the Smole...

"Landon, Eris, Beatrice, Laron, the four of you were successful catfishes. As a reward, you will each be given a bug."

~~~

Harper: "Don't you remember me? Harper Umbra?"

Hyden: "I'm afraid I don't."

~~~

Beatrice: "I don't want to end up talking about politics or my country and government. I'm more than just a political conflict."

Harper: "Oh you're so silly. Nobody here thinks you caused the war."

Beatrice: "But implicitly I'll be judged."

Harper: "I won't. I promise."

~~~

Micah: "Not many Sims get to find their calling on purpose. But I think I found mine. And I'm glad you found yours too."

~~~

Ambrose: "I think we really hit it off. What do you say about forming a coalition?"

Bridget: "With me?"

Ambrose: "Of course! I think you're a lovely and genuine woman."

Bridget: "I could fool you."

Ambrose: "And I'd be honoured."

~~~

Eris: "I'll be an idiot not to use the bug. I'm sending a bug to Yvon."

~~~

Landon: "I don't want to be the first one to go, and not with an advantage in my pocket. Sorry Bridget, you're my best bet."

~~~

"Unfortunately, Beatrice Ushakova, that means you are the first to be executed."

Harper: "She was my roommate and was such a genuine woman. We got along together really quickly. I can't believe she's gone just like that."

Bridget: "I'm not shocked or upset. It is the game after all, and nobody thinks the old lady will survive. For all we know, that bug saved me! If only we knew who it was."

The British Royal Mail Service handles hundreds of thousands of letters a day. In 2022, they delivered almost 10 billion parcels and letters. Today, 5 of the contestants have volunteered to take on the challenge of sorting mail.

There are plenty of parcels and letters to sort. The contestants have to sort them into the correct bins. They can earn 50 points in total, 1 for each mail correctly sorted. They have 40 minutes.

Bridget: "That's a lot of mail."

Harper: "We don't have a lot of time. We each take some letters and sort them."

Danny: "This letter is addressed to Flat 28, 1 Bramshaw Road, London. Which bin does that go into?"

Harper: "Flat 6, Deluci House, Knee Hill, London."

Bridget: "Some of their handwriting is so bad."

Micah: "The bins are labelled in the cardinal directions."

Micah: "Here's a map of London. There are six main areas we will be focusing on, as labelled on the bins: N, NW, W, SW, SE, and E districts."

Danny: "Which district does my letter go into?"

Micah: "Bradshaw Road, right? I'm not too good with the geography of London, but I think it's somewhere on the right. So it's either E or SE."

Bridget: "Could you help an old woman out and help me decipher this?"

Harper: "Sure. I think that's an E...that's an A...the European Dis...something...oh the postcode is on the back. N9 0AB."

Bridget: "You have such a sharp eye. Could you help me with this as well?"

Harper: "This just says to DBS Ventures Limited."

Danny: "The data was so unstructured. We were in a room full of mail. Some had addresses, some had postcodes, some just had the building names. We had to search the whole room for information to map the letters to, like a map of London or Yellow Pages."

Hyden: "I found a driving map."

Hyden: "Harringay Green Lanes is in the N district. Into the N bin it goes."

Danny: "SW3 1NC. At least there's a clear system to the postcodes."

Micah: "Can we truly assume that?"

Danny: "We don't have time."

Hyden: "I need to put this letter into the SE bin."

Micah: "Wait, I think we are forgetting the parcels!"

Micah: "This parcel is to Buckingham Palace. That's in Southwest London."

Bridget: "And this one?"

Harper: "I think you should just put all the letters in the bins first."

Bridget: "You're right. My hands are full."

Bridget: "Oh no!"

Danny: "Bridget!"

Bridget: "I'm so clumsy."

Harper: "What did she do?"

Danny: "She dropped the letters! Now we have to fish them out."

Harper: "Bridget!"

Bridget: "I'll pick them up."

Danny: "I'll help you."

Bridget: "Thank you dear."

Hyden: "Flat 4, St Andrews Court, 17 Vicarage Gate, London...that's in Kensington. Now I need to refer to the map to locate Kensington."

Harper: "What are you doing over here? Ooh, what's that in your hands?"

Hyden: "It contains information about which area each address is."

Harper: "This is so useful! Why didn't you tell anyone about it?"

Hyden: "Nobody asked."

Danny: "Are those all the letters?"

Bridget: "I think there's one more. The address is to St. John's Wood. Was this my letter? I can't quite remember."

Danny: "You can pass that to me. I'll help you check where it is."

Bridget: "Thank you. I'm so sorry to trouble you."

Micah: "W3...or is that N3?"

Harper: "That's the last letter. W right?"

Hyden: "Yes."

Harper: "Thanks Hyden."

"Contestants, the British Royal Mail Service thanks you for your help today, but you have only caused more headache for them. Of the 50 items to sort, only 29 were sorted correctly."

Micah: "We should have had a more systematic approach. We let time pressure us."

Harper: "We got carried away."

"The day isn't over for one of you. One of you will dress up as Britain's beloved postman: Postman Pat. There are some important deliveries that you need to make. So who will it be?"

Micah: "We get to drive a van? That sounds fun."

Harper: "Men and their cars."

Bridget: "Clearly it has to be one of you three fine gentlemen, otherwise it'll be Postman Patricia."

Danny: "I think it's not gender-locked."

Bridget: "Gender-locked?"

Danny: "Anyone can be the postman."

Harper: "I think Hyden was very helpful earlier."

Micah: "I personally think that it should go to whoever is most familiar with the geography of London."

Danny: "You're just tooting your own horn because you studies the map earlier."

Micah: "Do you want it, Hyden?"

Hyden: "You can be the postman."

The other five contestants have chosen to be of service in another way: by joining London's finest Scotland Yard.

One of the five contestants is a wanted criminal Mr. X, and it is up to the other four to find him. His crime? Stealing an exemption and a virus from us.

They start off at random locations around the city with a shared pool of tickets: 40 taxi tickets, 32 bus tickets, and 16 metro tickets.

As long as one contestant is able to catch Mr. X before they run out of tickets, they earn 60 points for the pot, and the heroic detective gets 2 bugs to use.

However, if Mr. X evades capture, he not only gets an exemption for himself, but also a virus, which can be used to change another contestant's correct quiz answer to a wrong one. The stakes are high for London and the contestants.

The map above shows the routes they can take and the starting locations of each contestant. The contestants do not know where Mr. X is on the map, but Mr. X has hacked into the communication devices of the detectives and is thus aware of their whereabouts at all times. What the contestants do know, however, is the mode of transportation he took.

Ambrose: "I'm going to take a taxi to the bus station. I'm so glad I have an unlimited supply of tickets, and can even walk to adjacent nodes ignoring route lines twice."

Eris: "I'm going to 8888 Gray's Inn Road. From there I can take a bus to 456 Elliot Road which enables me to take the metro."

Landon: "Copy, Detective Pink."

Eris: "Someone's really into it."

Yvon: "Where the hell is Gray's Inn Road and Elliot Road? Can't you just give the node number like the rest of us?"

Yvon: "Anyway, I'm going to Node 69 by taxi. It sucks that we can only go one node at a time."

Laron: "I'm at this big park. I'm heading up to the other side of it to Node 164."

Landon: "Detective Orange here. I'm taking the metro to Node 180."

Yvon: "Why are you using the metro tickets already? They are our rarest commodity."

Landon: "It enables me to traverse the map the fastest. Agent Pink was thinking of that too, Agent Red."

Ambrose: "Oh my goodness me. Eris was thinking the same thing as me. I better hide out somewhere first."

Eris: "Choo choo motherfuckers! I'm driving this bitch now!"

Eris: "I don't know how you bastards did it, but you got us licenses to drive a frickin' BUS!"

Yvon: "I'm now at Node 70."

Landon: "Copy that, Agent Orange. Please await further instructions."

Yvon: "Instructions?"

Laron: "Do you guys think it's better for me to travel up to Oak and then to City Hall or to the postbox?"

Landon: "Agent Red, I suggest you head to City Hall. You have access to many modes of transport from there."

Eris: "I'm interested to know what's in the postbox. They must be marked for a reason. It could be a surprise and give us an advantage."

Laron: "Okay, I'll go there."

Micah is delivering important mail to help the detectives. At certain locations, the detectives may find parcels that give them an advantage to finding Mr. X. However, Mr. X may also find an advantage to evade capture. They may also find some personal advantages, such as bugs. Micah has the choice to decide which route to take and which parcels get delivered to the various locations.

Micah: "Delivered to Tower Hill."

Landon: "I'm back at the place of our last execution."

Yvon: "Oh that's the Admiralty House. At Node 188."

Landon: "You buffoon! Do not forget Mr. X has bugged our communication systems!"

Laron: "Hey hey hey. There's no need for insults."

Landon: "Capable allies are needed to catch the most dastardly criminals."

Laron: "Bro, it's just a game."

Ambrose: "I need to head eastward as it's not covered, but I need to avoid Eris first."

Eris: "I hope you still remember where I'm going."

Micah: "The best parcel to put here are those that keep them focused on the mission than bugs and viruses."

Yvon: "I'm going to take a taxi to Node 71."

Laron: "You can take a bus."

Yvon: "But buses are so cramped and smelly. Taxis are more comfortable. Besides, we have loads of taxi tickets."

Eris: "You can drive a bus, Yvon!"

Landon: "Agent Blue, you should stay in the southwest region. Each zone needs to be covered."

Yvon: "Then I'll go to Node 78."

Laron: "Landon's right, guys. We can't let Mr. X know our every move. We'll just let each other know when we made our moves."

Landon: "Where do you think he might be? I think he's downtown. It's more densely connected."

Laron: "Yvon and I are already downtown."

Landon: "Shush!"

Landon: "Mr. X must be downtown if he keeps taking the taxi."

Yvon: "Or he's in a rural area with no buses or metro stations."

Landon: "Agent Pink, you should stay in your area."

Eris: "Too late. I'm already in the train."

Yvon: "There's a postbox at Node 87. I'm heading there."

Laron: It feels like everyone is going to play for themselves. I'm glad I'm close to a post box so that I can claim any advantages before others can.

Landon: "Next stop: The bookstore. Please alight."

Laron: "You're on a bus?"

Eris: "It fucks, doesn't it?"

Landon: "It fucks hard. Party bus on the way!"

Yvon: "Focus."

Micah: "I love how I even have my own black and white cat!...what's going to happen to it after today:?"

4 rounds in and the detectives are none the wiser to the location of Mr. X.

Micah: "Each parcel has something for the detectives and Mr. X. I couldn't decide on the contents so the best way to influence the game is the locations of these parcels."

Ambrose: "Now that Eris is gone, I can finally head towards the bus."

Yvon: "There's nothing in this postbox."

Laron: "Guys, I have a package. I get to ask at any time about Mr. X's closest street, which gives him the opportunity to give me a roadblock: for the next 5 rounds, every time we take a taxi or bus we have a 50% chance of being sent to a different node than we intended. Should I use it?"

Landon: "Use it now. We need to have some sensing of where he is bro."

Ambrose: "My nearest street is Gray's Inn Road."

Laron: "He's up north!"

Eris: "I'm heading back."

Yvon: "Where are you bringing me? I wanted to go to Node 86!"

Driver: "I do not understand your accent miss."

Yvon: "I do not have an accent."

Landon: "Update: there is a package at City Hall. We can get him to take the tallest building visible from his current location but then we lose 5 taxi tickets. I think it's worth it."

Laron: "Here I was asking everyone before making a move and Landon's just off in his own world playing his own game without consulting anyone. We knew where he was at; we didn't need to hurt ourselves any more. We just needed to head there."

Ambrose: "I have an idea. I'll send them on a wild goose chase."

Ambrose: "That hospital is clearly the tallest building visible."

Laron: "That's not where I wanted to go."

Laron: "Oh, a package. Lucky me. I can get Mr. X to reveal his current location but give him a double-move, allowing him to move two nodes in one turn. I'm not letting anyone know about this yet."

Yvon: "Oh my gosh, is that the Panthere de Cartier?"

Eris: "Where?"

Yvon: "I don't know what this street is called but it's at Node 88. They have a Cartier shop here!"

Landon: "Are there any watches for sale?"

Yvon: "You like Cartier too? Good taste."

Laron: "Guys and gals, we're on a mission to catch a wanted criminal."

Landon: "A parcel!"

Landon: "I'm going to use it. I can ask if Mr. X is closer or further than my current location after I have moved one node. He must move closer to my current location. He then gets to set up a roadblock where only I have to roll a 4 or higher to use the metro."

Landon: "Update: Mr. X just took a bus. He could be in Exeter Lane."

Eris: "Or that tiny residential community northwest in the map. I'm at Elliot Road. I'll explore that area."

Eris: "Or maybe not. The GPS is bringing me back down to the bus depot."

Landon: "Fuck, I rolled a 3. I'm stuck at Tower Hill station."

Landon: "Rolled a 4. Now time to find out whether he's closer to me or not."

Landon: "Agents, I'm opposite the hospital. Mr. X is closer to me than before."

Eris: "Of course he is if you moved closer to him! We don't get more information from that."

Eris: "We're running out of taxi rides. We need to start taking the bus more often."

Yvon: "Alright, alright. I'll go to the bus stop."

Landon: "Do not let us know where it is. Mr. X may be listening in right now."

Micah: "I'll put the bug here. Nobody is going to come out of their way here...unless they're the Mole."

Eris: "Agents, I have a bad feeling he's long gone from this residential area."

Landon: "I told you he was in Exeter!"

Eris: "If he was there, he probably isn't any more. He might have headed East. It's completely open."

Laron: "I have a package. We can stop Mr. X from moving for 2 turns, but we lose 2 of each ticket."

Yvon: "We don't have taxi tickets to burn through."

Landon: "But it's our best shot."

Laron: "I'm not sure if we want to use it now."

Landon: "He's most likely eastbound. Agents, status updates."

Eris: "I'm heading back to the bus depot near Gray's Inn Road eastward."

Yvon: "I'm going East like you said. I'm at Node 75 now."

Landon: "Don't share your node, Agent Blue."

Laron: "I'm near a Stonehenge."

Landon: "I'm closing in towards 6765656 Upper Thames Street, to take the metro station."

Yvon: "We have the same plan."

Eris: "He took the metro! He's either at Westminster or Admiralty House."

Yvon: "Laron! Use the freeze!"

Laron: "On it."

Landon: "Everyone go there now!"

Laron: "Guys, I have good news. I found 8 more taxi tickets! Good thing I got here first too, because Mr. X could have gotten 2 double moves."

Yvon: "We moved in turn, which meant that when I could go to the Upper Thames Metro Station, Landon was there blocking my path, so I had to board the metro from Node 103. Only one detective could be at a node at one time. He was supposed to go up to Node 220, but then he suddenly went to Node 103!"

Laron: "I arrived at a metro station."

Yvon: "We don't have many tickets left."

Landon: "That's why I took the bus to the St. Simian-in-the-brothel."

Eris: "Which one? There are two of them."

Landon: "The one further from Mr. X."

Ambrose: "I know they ran out of taxi tickets, then Laron found 8 more and spent 2 to freeze me in my tracks. I think they don't have enough taxi rides left. If I can just take a joyride around the city I can make them squander all their tickets."

Yvon: "Sorry. I had to use the last taxi ticket to get to the bus and metro."

Landon: "Agents, I am about to board the metro."

Yvon: "That's the last ticket."

Landon: "Oh. I'll be trapped."

Yvon: "That is the dumbest move ever."

Eris: "A correction, to convert one of my wrong answers into a correct one. That will come in handy."

Laron: "I hate that we're being funnelled in by bus. I'm at Trafalgar Square and there's no sight of him."

Eris: "I think we lost the game. He's been taking the taxi ever since he alighted."

Ambrose: "The only way they could trap me now is if they somehow ended up within 15 miles of me, forcing me to only take the nodes in that area. If we ended up in the same node, they then still had to physically search for me there. But they were completely misled."

Yvon: "Sorry y'all. Used up our last ticket."

Laron: "That's probably the second or third time you said that."

After 23 rounds around London, Ambrose successfully evaded the detectives' capture, keeping 60 points at bay. He gets an exemption and a virus in exchange for the efforts.

Pot: 95/233

Here is a summary of the routes taken:

Starting:

Detectives:

40 taxi tickets
32 bus tickets
16 metro tickets

Mr. X

Unlimited transport tickets
2 walk tickets (ignore route lines)

Round 1:

Ambrose: 32 > 31 by taxi

Eris: 25 > 26 by taxi
Yvon: 65 > 69 by taxi
Laron: 165 > 164 by taxi
Landon: 179 > 180 by metro

Tickets: 37 taxi, 32 bus, 15 metro

Round 2:

Ambrose: 31 > 42 by taxi

Eris: 26 > 29 by bus
Yvon: 79 > 60 by taxi
Laron: 164 > 163 by taxi
Landon: 180 > 188 by metro

Tickets: 35 taxi, 31 bus, 14 metro

Round 3:

Ambrose: 31 > 41 by taxi

Eris: 29 > 220 by taxi
Yvon: 60 > 78 by taxi
Laron: 163 > 162 by taxi
Landon: 188 > 184 by metro

Tickets: 32 taxi, 31 bus, 13 metro

Round 4:

Ambrose: 41 > 43 by taxi

Eris: 220 > 96 by metro
Yvon: 78 > 77 by taxi
Laron: 162 > 161 by taxi
Landon: 184 > 132 by bus

Tickets: 30 taxi, 30 bus, 12 metro

Round 5:

Ambrose: 43 > 44 by taxi

Eris: 96 > 94 by metro
Yvon: 77 > 87 by taxi
Laron: 161 > 159 by taxi - Name the street of your closest node / Misguided driver (USED)
Landon: 132 > 140 by bus

Tickets: 28 taxi, 29 bus, 11 metro

Round 6:

Ambrose: 44 > 26 by taxi