Finally stopping the massaging of his fingers, Screed pipes in again, "Yes, I was wondering something like that myself.  Especially with the psycho's name appearing in the puzzle also."

He smirks and continues, "It all seems very logical and neat.  The only problem is the key doesn't fit it."

Screed nods at the open locker, "That combination was 15, 12, and 27, and with no combinations and permutations could I come up with those in there. Buuut, it does seem too neat.  I'm about ready to give it a go again if you have any ideas."

Methuselah nods, "Okay, that's a good point.  But maybe the stats give us a combination that opens the locker in another way."  And he wanders over to the open locker to see if it is possible to remove everything (clothes, junk, shelves) out of the locker.  "Seven feet high, a foot and a half across.  It'd be snug, but one could keep a body in there."

Intrigued, Screed says, "Oh, really?  I was wondering if it was some kind of power conduit or something.  Maybe it's a program conduit!"  He bounces over and into the locker.  He tries to reach out to close the door.

"I think it's a door," Jade says.  "I'm also wondering what the crossword puzzle answers mean.  Why the 3?"

Snow turns to the AI programs,

Any clue about this?

They respond, "We cannot interfere."

Methesulah, still studying the clippings, barely moves his head when he hears the answer from the programs outside.  "Oh, they're still tagging along?" he asks disdainfully.  Returning to the clippings, he wonders aloud, "Three clues filled in, with three numbers in your standard combination.  Sigmund Floyd could be one third of the combo as he's almost the answer in one clue.  Since another clue asks for a word in Spanish, and Rodriguiez is the only Spanish name in the list, his date could also be part of the combo.  But what of 'three' as a clue?  Name #3 duplicates part of the combo, as does the name that starts with 'th' for both the first and last names."  With a soft sigh, he asks quietly, probably rhetorically, "Are we sure this guy wants us to find him?"

::takes a peek at the puzzle and figured it out::

The combo is 30 right 3x, 6 left twice, 2 right once, the clue was the numbers of the clue, they clued you into the right combo without looking too deep into it....
This message was last edited by the player at 16:21, Mon 28 Feb 2005.

Jade says, "I'm thinking that one of the numbers must point us to the right locker.  How do we know we have the right one?  But go ahead and try your numbers.  Worst that can happen is you get a little buzz, right?"  She smiles at Daredevil and points toward the locker.

::carefully approaches each lock as if he is testing it depending on what he feels depends on whether he touches the lock or not::

PM

"See, perfectly sound and in retrospect a bit obvious.  Hopefully this combo will bring us closer, although we're moving beyond the scope of the original clue," Methuselah ponders as he looks back at the two virtual vagabonds.  "So, do you pepper us with confounding riddles after this point, or will they be lying around conspicuously?" he asks in their general direction.

::looks around the room::

Well there are only two number combos in the riddle that make sense, 3 clues filled in maybe locker 3, all the dates end in 2005, so the 5th locker, the months on the clues are may and june, so they don't jive, anyone else got anything to add before I probably zap myself on either lockers 3 or 5....

Jade says, "I would go with locker 3 since it is a number specifically mentioned.  Locker 5 requires a bit too much reading into it.  I just hope your numbers are right."

::nods::

If the numbers aren't right we have a problem since the clue wouldn't be a clue we can understand, it's the locker I'm worried about...

::tries the combination abouve to locker 3::

Jade says, "Wait.  A typical combination lock has three turns to it.  You turn the first number to the right, the second to the left, and the third to the right again.  Maybe that's what it means with the rounds they were drafted in.  So 30 would be your third turn to the right.  So we look at the 'day' of the draft as the numbers you turn to, their handedness, right or left, as the direction of the turn, and the round they were drafted in as what order you turn the dial.

So it should be:

Right to 2,
Left to 6,
Right to 30.

Why don't you try that on locker 3?"

::draws his hands back::

When I was in school, my combinations was 3 turns to the right, then two to the left, then back to the right. So it would be three times right to 30, two times left to 6, one time right to 2. Am I mistaken?

Methuselah looks slightly embarassed, "Hmm, yes, I completely left out the point about multiple yet decreasing passes over each number when I spoke earlier.  A critical omission, I'm afraid.  Must be my age catching up to me.  Yes, Daredevil, I believe you have the essence of legitimate combination lock use so try away."

::smiles::

Well here goes nothing...

::does the combination above to locker #3::

Demian remains quiet during the discussion of Daredevil's deduction. Instead, he keeps an eye on the two programs.

Daredevil turns three times right to thirty, but he gets jolted.  (1 HT dmg).

"I guess I'll try it my way," Jade says.  "I sure hope I don't get shocked."  She starts to turn the dial on locker 3...

::knows he has the right combination tries is on Locker #5::

Screed stands inside the locker.  He pulls the door closed, but not shut for the latch to catch and just listens.

Daredevil begins his combination on locker 5 and Jade begins on locker 3.

Daredevil once again gets himself shocked.  (1 HT dmg)

Screed steps into the open locker and listens.  It is silent.  Very silent.

Jade turns, finds no resistance, turns again...no resistance...and then hits the final number and lifts the handle.  The door to locker number 3 slides open, revealing something unbelievable within...