Wonderful Mechanical: Keen Eye and the Wonderbolt Saboteur.

by Monocrome_Monogatari

Rivet's Beginner Level Locked Room

“Quiz time!”

I’ll say one thing about Twister. He’s good at making you go along with things.

Shortly after I asked my question, his eyes lit up, and he dashed around the room, grabbing chairs and props along the way.

Before I could process what was going on, he had me and Rivet sitting on two ramshackle podiums, with Twister standing opposite of us in front of a whiteboard, placed right next to Rivet’s locked screwdriver case. Three screwdrivers were missing. Twister was holding his W screwdriver like a mic.

“Iiiiiiin the Red corner, we have the Macabre Massacre Machinist, R-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-rivet!” He said, with a rolling R.

“I’m the what now?...Keen why are you writing that down?" He pointed at me, already jotting it down on a nearby notepad.

"What?" I said "It's a fitting nickname."

Twister continued to play announcer: “And in the Blue corner, black-eye, red-eye, pink-eye, brown-eye, Keeeeen Eeeeeeeeeeye!”

Rivet scooted away from me. “Keen, do you need to see a doctor?”

“In front of you are two buzzers—“

“These are whoopee-cusions.” I said.

“—IN FRONT OF YOU ARE TWO BUZZERS!” Twister said. “FIRST TO BUZZ GETS TO ANSWER”

Rivet lifted his up “Why do they have my face on them?”

“ARE YOU READY TO BET YOUR LIVES?!”

“Uhhh…no?” Rivet said.

FRRRRRRRRRT

“I was born ready to bet my life.” I said.

“Wow! That’s worrying!” Twister said, clapping and grinning at my statement.

Like you have any grounds to stand on!

“Today’s question iiiiiiiiis!” he dramatically spun the whiteboard, letting it careen for a couple of seconds before grasping it, revealing the block letters written on the other side:

"HOW DID RIVET GET HIS HOOVES ON THE W-SCREWDRIVER?!"

He posed dramatically beneath the letters, letting us soak in the question and giving me time to think.

What exactly is this Twister’s angle here?

He knew who I was, and he knew why I was here, but he’s being indirect about how he knows.

He could be the culprit, or connected to them…he’s already shown an ability to get the key item in this case…but if he WAS, he could have easily gotten rid of me. He just needed to tell the higher ups about my purposes…he even has obvious proof with the newspaper.

This setup feels like he’s trying to help me…waving information about one of the biggest locks in the case in front of my face. He COULD just be an ally..

But if so, why the roundabout presentation?

Of course, it could be that he’s helping me BECAUSE he’s the culprit. He could be trying to place me on the wrong track in order to frame some other pony. Continuing an investigation would be beneficial in that case…

But if he’s trying to frame someone else, why is he doing it by incriminating himself? Screaming “I could have sabotaged the machines” to my face? Playing to the fallacy that the most obvious culprit is never the real culprit?

Or...it makes sense if his motive is thrills. If he’s the saboteur, and sabotaging for the thrill of almost being caught, then teasing the pony on their trail makes sense.

But wait…he was knocked out when the last incident happened wasn’t he? It would work if he’s only an accomplice but…

Wait…no… I think I’m starting to get somewhere with this.

“Hmmm…I almost got it…” I said.

“Um…” Rivet said “Keen, not like this question isn’t important, but isn’t there a more pressing question at hoof?”

“Oh REALLY!” Twister slammed his hooves on Rivet’s podium, looming over him with grit teeth. “What could POSSIBLY be more important than my QUIZ?”

“Er…” Rivet flinched away, but then looked Twister in the eye. “Twister, how did you even get in here?”

“…oh is that all?” Twister said, his smile calming.

“The door’s been locked the entire time we’ve been in here, we locked it first thing when we enetered” Rivet said. “We’ve been sitting in silence ever since, for a good 15 minutes or so, and we didn’t hear the sound of the door opening and closing, nor the sound of any pony walking through the room. In fact…” Rivet stood up and rounded the corner to the entrance before running back. “Yep. I just checked and it’s still locked…” Rivet looked around "And the vent to this room is partially blocked by some parts..." his eyes widened “Wait…whatever this was, has this been how you’ve broken into my lab?!” Rivet grabbed my shoulders “Keen, please, you have to solve this!”

“Rivet…I’m disappointed in you.” I said, pushing him off me.

“Tch…Disgusting” Twister said, shaking his head.

Rivet’s ears flattened against his head “W-what?”

“You’re the smarter one between us.” I gestured to the various creations around him “You’ve done more with your life than I ever will. You’re the one who made it.” I glared at him “and yet, when you’re faced with a locked room—a BEGINNER’S LEVEL one at that—you stop thinking and just tell me to solve it. I expect better from my Wattsons.”

Behind me Rivet was doing a cheerleading routine, chanting “Think think Rivet! You can do it!” On the whiteboard, beneath the original question, something had been added in parentheses:

"(also how did Twister enter the lab?)"

...Wait...that's it!

“In fact,” I said, “figuring out this closed room is key to understanding how he got the screwdriver.”

“You have the answer?” Rivet said, a twinkle growing in his eye.

“I have some answers, but I’m still whittling them down. I want to hear your reasoning first, Rivet.”

Author's Note:

The rest of this little Q&A will be posted in a couple days. Imaginary points to whoever can solve this simple locked room puzzle.