Newly Declassified Dossier: The Entity Occupying “Wondercade”
1. TRANSFORMATION CODE
To protect their secrets, the opposition uses a set of transformations to encode words as different words. We have obtained a list of 10 transformations and clues to 10 target words both before and after applying one of those transformations – all 10 transformations will be used once. Our information about the transformations is a little spotty – we are missing a number (1, 3, etc.) or a letter (E, P, etc.) from each transformation to make it complete. We know that the target words are clued in alphabetical order in each column. By solving the clues and comparing the words in the first column to those in the second column (in some order – they won’t necessarily match up going straight across), you should be able to determine what numbers and letters are missing from the list of transformations. Once you have done this, you’ll see there is one unused word in the column on the left (which contains 11 words, but only 10 match the column on the right). Our intelligence indicates that if you take the leftover word and apply all 10 transformations, in the order given, you will determine a key word that the opposition was trying to communicate. Find that word and save it – you’ll need it later.
2. INTERNATIONAL INTRIGUE
With the government moving in to contain this strange occurrence, they’ve alerted operatives from all over the world. You’ve discovered the list of operatives, but they are referred to by their codenames, all of which are single-word names of countries of the world (like FRANCE or CUBA).
Fill each line of the grid below with a country. It is up to you to figure out which countries will be used. If a country shares a letter with the one immediately above it or below it, the box will be taller to accommodate that letter in all those words. For example: Below, the word APPLE shares the A, P and E with RASPBERRY and the P and L with PLUM.
When you are done, the indicated boxes (which are always different from the letters immediately above and below them) will spell an important word, which you should keep in mind for later.
3. TERRAIN MAP
The map below shows intelligence we have gathered about the opposition’s territory. It is a 15×15 parcel covered in traps. Every 1×1 square either has a trap or is clear – we have marked the squares we know about with T for Trap or C for Clear. We have also learned (don’t ask how) that no four consecutive squares in a line – horizontally, vertically, or diagonally – are either all Traps or all Clear: that is, the full map will not have four consecutive T’s or C’s in any direction. Using this information, you should be able to complete the map by filing in the missing T’s and C’s. After you have completed the map, find the squares on the map that are completely surrounded by opposite squares – that is, single T’s that are surrounded by 8 C’s, and single C’s that are surrounded by 8 T’s. We understand (again, don’t ask how) that those surrounded squares are key to interpreting the message – not-so-coincidentally contained in a 15×15 grid of letters – and determining the 1- word message the opposition was using the communication to try to send. Find that message, and save it for later – you’ll need it!
4. THE MESSAGE AT THE END
(solve after cracking puzzles 1-3)
These puzzles were created by Dave Shukan and David Kwong.
