The City: PuzzleLocked Book 1

Congratulations! You have pet a cat!

You have met Scribbles. {Cat 017, named Scribbles, is an 8-year-old York Chocolate. Sister of Scrabbles, she’s larger by about half a kilo and uses her additional weight to push him around and bully him of his kibbles. She likes scritches under her chin.}

Congratulations! You have pet a cat!

You have met Scrabbles. {Cat 018, named Scrabbles, is an 8-year-old York Chocolate. Brother of Scribbles, he was born about three minutes later and constantly tells anyone who listens that he is the prettier and younger of the two, which infuriates Scribbles to no end. He likes long gentle pats that run the length of his spine.}

Flor and Alastair felt broke, although they had sixteen coins left. But they had met and pet two cats, which provided no additional benefit, had two new blueprints, ten ‘spring(s)’ and ten ‘gears(s) - copper - scrap.’

“Do you think it’s going to be a nonogram like when you made food, or something different?”

Alastair thought. “No idea. You’re better at these types of puzzles. Do you want to attempt to make the items?”

“This one should be simple, right? So either way? Let’s flip a coin…that we don’t have.”

“Fine, I’ll do it. Assuming it’s not a cryptogram, I’ll figure it out. And hopefully, we’ll be able to produce enough to sell these to a shop for a profit. Assume I’ll be out for a few minutes, do you want to see if you can find some more scrap items, just in case this works out?”

“Yeah, I’ll do that. I’ll keep you in view, though.”

Alistair called up the interface and selected items. He cautiously selected the blueprint for Chrono, Fast, 1 hour.

Create Common Fast Chrono 1? Estimated cost 15 minutes and 1 energy. Use one gear and one spring? Yes/No?

Mentally selecting yes, Alastair prepared himself for some strange puzzle. Instead, a five-by-five nonogram showed up in his interface. Animations of a gear and a spring floated on the periphery. Alastair solved the nonogram in less than a minute. The floating gear and spring moved together in his view and the spring wrapped itself around the gear, then placed itself into an unidentified solution. I guess that truly is a crude chrono. Anyone who would use it frightens me out of the gate.

Puzzle complete. +1 to Nonograms.

Attempt puzzle again? Yes/No?

I wonder if that means the previous puzzle or another of the same. I might as well try…YES.

The same puzzle came up. Alastair solved it again. And again. And again. But on the fifth attempt, a notification popped up,

Puzzle complete. Attempt failed.

Attempt puzzle again? Yes/No?

He selected yes.

You don’t have enough materials.

Alastair exited the interface. Flor was working out some soreness in a muscle. He watched her for another moment before he made a noise.

“Flor. Flor!” She looked at him. “I have four chronos. The fifth one fizzed, but the interface didn’t indicate why. Let’s try to sell these to get enough money for a meal before we return to the prison tavern.”

She blanked into her interface for a moment then came out again. “I have three more attempts for you. The blueprint is gone, but if you can create them, maybe we’ll earn enough to stay at the Onion?”

“Sure, I’ll try.” Success. Fail. Success. “I’ve got two more. So, let’s see what six Common chronos sell for.”

“I know it’s getting late, and dependent on the sell price, but if it works out, should we repeat the process to buy more unique blueprints?”

“How about we stay with this one for tonight? I’m not confident that this will remain with us in the morning,” he said.

“Yeah, I worry about the same thing.”

Alastair and Flor wandered into the Crusty Cricket. It was mostly silent. They walked to the bar, and Alastair waved down the server. “How much for a double room, with sheets, meals, and a beer each?”

The Barkeep 2 considered for a moment, “Normally twenty-five, but it’s quiet, so I’ll skip the negotiations and say eighteen. But you’ve got to slip me twenty and I’ll give you the cask wine instead of the beer.”

Alastair pulled out twenty-four coins and slid them across the bar. “For a bit of extra quiet, keep the change.”