The Mouse Watch, Volume 1

  It could be a trap, she thought. But in a way, it didn’t matter. Even though Jarvis was the one picked for his code-cracking skills, Bernie loved puzzles. She would never allow herself to pass up an opportunity to do a puzzle and would always regret it if she didn’t at least give it a try.

  SGGA RGVF

  Two words, Bernie thought. Are the letters arranged out of order? At first, she tried the substitution code, but that didn’t work. Or was it a different language altogether?

  She let her mind wander, allowing the letters to take on abstract shapes in her mind. She twisted them this way and that, freeing her subconscious mind to make associations. There was definitely something…something strange about them that was also kind of familiar. For some reason her thoughts turned to Jarvis. He was good at computers and was even better at codes than she was. Instead of feeling jealous like she had before, though, she found herself admiring him for that gift. She was sure he would have solved this code by now.

  Then it hit her.

  Occam’s razor. The simplest solution is usually the best. That’s what Jarvis had told her back at Mouse Watch HQ in LA. She thought of him typing the code on the computer, coming up with the most obvious password a mouse might think of.

  And then, she had an inspiration.

  She reached into her pocket and found a stub of a pencil. Thankfully, she’d pocketed it that morning when she thought she might have to take notes at orientation. Even though she would never forget the training she had gotten today, she had a good use for the pencil now.

  She imagined a computer keyboard and wrote out the letters as her fingers mechanically did a basic typing of the QWERTY alphabet as written there.

  QWERTYUIOPASDFGHJKLZXCVBNM

  And then she added a regular, ordered alphabet underneath.

  ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

  When she drew a line from each of the letters in the top row down to the ones on the bottom, she had something interesting.

  Now, let’s see if I’m right.

  Bernie took the letters SGGA RGVF and translated them. Sure enough, a message was revealed:

  LOOK DOWN.

  She turned her gaze to the floor and noticed a very small button, hidden so carefully that if she hadn’t been looking for it, she would have missed it.

  Should she push it?

  This was definitely where things got tricky. It could be a trap. Or, it could be her way out of there.

  But she couldn’t help herself. Bernie was a born button pusher.

  She pushed her paw against it quickly, and then jumped back, just in case.

  A thin, hairline crack appeared, forming the shape of a square. Then the square swung open downward, revealing a hidden staircase that led beneath the floor.

  “Now, I wonder what horrible things are lurking for me down there?” she whispered anxiously.

  She wished she had her new motorcycle. She imagined blasting through all the obstacles in front of her at a hundred miles per hour. It really would have come in handy right then.

  Bernie took a deep, steadying breath and then tiptoed slowly down the stairs. At first, everything was pitch-dark. But then, after about ten steps, little LED lights flickered on near the staircase, illuminating the rest of her path down.

  She tested each stair with her paw before going to the next one. But when she finally reached the bottom, a sound caused her to stop in her tracks.

  This time, it wasn’t the whir of machinery.

  It was a voice. The voice of someone she knew!

  Bernie peered around the corner and saw a row of cells. Inside the one closest to her, packed like sardines, were all the members of the Los Angeles Mouse Watch!

  Her heart leaped with relief when she saw the bright red hair of a particular agent that she’d been worried about.

  “Alph!” squeaked Bernie.

  The red-haired mouse glanced up, astonished. She rushed to the glass and pressed her paws against it. “Bernie! Is that really you?”

  Bernie put her paws on the glass on the other side of Alph’s.

  “It’s me. How long have you been in here?” she asked.

  “We’ve been here for hours, ever since we were ambushed and captured from HQ,” said Alph. “We were locked down here and haven’t seen a single guard since then.”

  “We’ve got to get you out of here,” said Bernie. “Is there a lock?”

  “Over there,” said Alph. “It’s a numerical keypad. We’ve tried all kinds of combinations but none of us have been able to work it out.”

  “Hmm. Mind if I try?” asked Bernie.

  “Be our guest,” said Alph.

  Bernie went over to the numerical switch-plate control and examined it closely. She wished she had Jarvis with her right then. He would have had the little machine he’d used before to crack the numerical lock of the Situation Room.

  Bernie sighed.

  The trouble with numerical codes is that there are thousands of possible combinations. But since she was fresh off her last puzzle, her mind was already working in overdrive. Maybe if she examined it closely, she’d find some secret to it.

  At first, she didn’t see anything out of the ordinary. But then, after studying it for a few minutes and punching a few numbers, she noticed that each number produced its own unique tone—kind of like a musical note.

  Wait a second, she thought. If the doctor created each obstacle in the maze with a possible solution, one designed to test the intelligence of the subject, then this is no accident. The notes are part of the code.

  Bernie played around with the different tones, trying to figure out what songs could be created by pressing the different notes. She hit the number four a couple of times. It reminded her of the song “Yankee Doodle.”

  After a bit of fiddling, she’d figured out the simple melody. But afterward, she was disappointed to see that nothing had happened.

  “Nice tune,” said Alph. “Can I ask why you’re making songs instead of working out the combination?”

  “I think it might be a musical lock,” said Bernie. “If we could figure out the right song to make with the keys, maybe it would open the cell door.”

  “I would have never thought of that idea,” admitted Alph. “Let’s all put our minds to it and see what we come up with.”

  Another agent, a bespectacled female wearing a red jumpsuit, suggested, “Since the range of notes is limited, there’s only so many songs that might work. Maybe we should try simple ones.”

  As the agents began to brainstorm, Bernie felt no need to resist. Earlier, she would have insisted that she didn’t need help, that she could do it herself. She would have been intent on making an identity for herself as a code breaker, competing with Jarvis. But after her humiliating encounter with the doctor, she’d learned her lesson.

  “Okay, let’s hear some ideas,” Bernie said.

  “I wonder if the song should correspond to something we need? Like, something with, I don’t know, ‘key’ in the title?” asked Alph.

  “Good idea,” said Bernie excitedly. “That makes sense!”

  But nobody could think of a single song with “key” in the title. After a few more minutes of trying, the happy mood grew somber.

  “I just want to go home,” said Stan, a thin, worried-looking mouse. “I’m tired of not being able to see a solution.”

  “Wait, what if that’s it!” said Bernie, suddenly excited. “It would be just like Dr. Thornpaw to think that we mice couldn’t see the solution right in front of our faces!”

  “What is it?” asked Alph.

  “Watch and see,” said Bernie.

  After a couple of missed notes, Bernie figured out what she wanted to play. It was a song she’d learned when she was very young. It was also a song that applied to all of their blind attempts at trying to solve the puzzle.

  Bernie’s fingers danced over the numbers, pressing them as if she were playing a piano or organ.

  684, 684, 9554, 9554

  “Three
Blind Mice…” she sang.

  There was a loud click.

  The glass door slid open.

  And the chamber echoed with cheers!

  “We did it!” said Bernie.

  “Let’s get out of here,” said Alph. Then she winked at Bernie and gave her a playful punch. “Good job, rookie!”

  And Bernie felt happier than she had in ages. It was a brand-new feeling for her to work with a team and, she had to admit, it was also a whole lot more fun.

  The group found a door at the end of the cells, and after going through it, found themselves entering a new part of the maze. This time, the walls weren’t opaque white. Instead, the walls in this part were made of shiny glass and mirrors that distorted their reflections and those of the walls around them. Looking at them made her feel dizzy. But when she looked at the floor, she felt grounded again.

  The best way to get out is to look at the floor! Bernie thought. The glass and mirrors are a confusing illusion, but the floor is solid and can show us the way out.

  Bernie shared her revelation with the group. Working together, they managed to carefully make their way through the twisting maze, and for a moment it seemed like there wouldn’t be any more obstacles. But then, just as Bernie thought that they might be getting close to an exit, they turned a corner and were met with a terrible sight.

  The maze opened up into a gigantic room. A dozen whirring saw blades emerged from slots in the floor and ceiling, swinging in deadly arcs and spinning backward and forward like pendulums. Each one was armed with sharp, ruthless teeth.

  The roar of the machinery was deafening.

  “Those blades seem to be moving in a specifically coordinated pattern,” said Alph. “Back and forth, see? Greg, can you design an algorithm that gives us the timing on them?”

  “On it,” said Greg. He was an older mouse with a very large, pink nose who spoke in a nasal tone. Seconds later, the math expert had scribbled a formula on a notepad and handed it back to Alph. Bernie took one look at the equation, noting the elegance of the solution, and thought about her father.

  Clarence loved a well-constructed math problem.

  “Okay, so if we follow this algorithm and time it just right on our watches, we should each be able to run across. The key will be to coordinate our smart watches so that everyone moves precisely. One wrong step and…well, I don’t need to say it,” cautioned Alph.

  “Um, excuse me,” said Bernie, raising her paw.

  “You don’t have to raise your paw, Bern,” said Alph.

  “I don’t have a smart watch,” she confessed. “Remember, I’m not a Level One agent yet.”

  Alph looked surprised. “Wait, you’re telling me that you didn’t get my note?”

  “What note?” asked Bernie.

  “The one I left in your room for you and Jarvis,” said Alph. “I know that technically it is against protocol, but when we were ambushed by R.A.T.S. I managed to send a message from my watch to the Candroid in your room. It was supposed to relay it to you guys.” She looked concerned. “You’re telling me you never got it? You must have been going out of your minds with worry!”

  Bernie felt a surge of disappointment. If she hadn’t been in such a big hurry to rush into action, she would have checked her room before leaving!

  “I didn’t go there,” she said with a shrug. “But now I sure wish I had.”

  Everyone was quiet for a moment while they decided what to do. Without a watch, Bernie knew that it would be impossible to time her movements so that she could make it.

  “You guys should go,” said Bernie. She tried to sound as brave as she could, but her voice shook a little when she said it. “I’ll stay here. It’s more important to save the world than to worry about me.”

  The other agents stared at her for a long moment. Then, to Bernie’s surprise, they all burst out laughing.

  “What’s so funny?” asked Bernie, puzzled.

  Alph put an arm around her shoulders. “You still don’t get it, do ya, rookie?” She turned to the group and said, “What do we say to that, gang?”

  As one, the entire group recited, smiling, “Every part of a watch is important, from the smallest gear on up. For without each part working together, keeping time is impossible. We never sleep. We never fail. We are there for all who call upon us in their time of need. We are the MOUSE WATCH!”

  Alph turned to Bernie and grinned. “We never, ever leave an agent behind, Skampersky. Don’t you forget it.”

  Bernie was so happy she felt tears spring into her eyes. She hadn’t wanted to admit how scary the prospect of being left behind had been. She couldn’t find the words to say it, but she nodded gratefully.

  Bernie looked at the formidable task ahead. Her instincts told her that this obstacle was probably the hardest part of the maze and that, if they succeeded in passing it, then the exit was on the other side.

  At least she hoped she was right about that.

  As a group, everyone was throwing out possible ideas of how to get Bernie across when suddenly, without warning, the blades slowed to a stop and powered down. Everyone gazed slack-jawed at the now receding death trap. Was this a part of the trick? Would they walk across, only to be sliced to smithereens by Dr. Thornpaw’s tricky maze?

  Then, as the largest of the spinning blades receded, Bernie saw a tall figure standing behind it. It was a rat! No, it was—

  “Jarvis!” Bernie shouted.

  The lanky rat grinned.

  He shrugged and said, “That test looked pretty hard. Thought I might as well hack it.”

  Bernie ran across the floor and fell into his arms. While hugging him she said, “I’m happy to see you!” Then, she grinned widely. “Jarvis, you broke a rule! You came to save us!”

  Jarvis blushed bright pink and said awkwardly, “I followed you. I couldn’t let you get thrown out of the Watch all by yourself. What kind of a friend would I be if I let that happen?”

  Bernie realized it was the first time he, or anyone else that she could remember, referred to her as a “friend.” And it felt really, really good to have found one at last, in the most unlikely of places, with the most unlikely of animals.

  After a hasty reunion, the Watchers followed Jarvis to the wall of the maze that he’d blasted through. There was a big, jagged hole in it that was dripping with hot, melty, smelly cheese. Bernie couldn’t help but smile.

  “Stinky cheese bomb?”

  Jarvis grinned back. “You know it. Turns out they have a huge stash of them here.” Then he turned to the group. “Before I followed Bernie, I was able to contact the director. Right now, he and the major are somewhere here, looking for Dr. Thornpaw. If we hurry, we can finish the mission,” Jarvis said.

  “But how?” said Alph. “We’re outnumbered and unarmed.”

  Reaching into his pocket, he produced a tiny vial that contained a bubbling blue chemical.

  “What’s that?” asked Bernie.

  “The antidote to the cheese spray,” said Jarvis. “While we were tracking down the sprayer, the director got ahold of Gadget. She synthesized the antidote and had it sent over. We’ve got to get it to the big tank of the doctor’s formula—he’s using it to fill the drones. If we succeed, he’ll fill them with this.”

  “Brilliant!” said Bernie.

  “Okay, let’s stick together,” said Alph. “Everyone be on the lookout for guards and if you see any weapons, grab them.”

  Bernie wished she could go and fight Dr. Thornpaw herself. She longed to have revenge! But she also didn’t have to be reminded about the importance of relying on her team. “Where’s the fueling tank?” she asked.

  “I saw it on the way in,” said Jarvis. “Follow me.”

  As they crept along the outside of the maze, Bernie noticed that if Jarvis hadn’t cut a hole in the side, she would have never escaped.

  There was no exit at all.

  I should have known better, thought Bernie. There was no way a dangerous villain like Dr. Thornpaw would h
ave ever let one of his experiments escape. Jarvis had, once again, solved the problem in the easiest way.

  Occam’s razor. Simplest solution. If there’s a maze without an exit, blast a hole in the wall.

  Bernie would remember that solution for a long time.

  Soon they reached the platform upon which the doctor and Digit had been standing earlier. Bernie pulled Alph aside.

  “What is it, Bern?” asked Alph.

  “I don’t know how to say this,” whispered Bernie. “But Digit is working with Dr. Thornpaw. He was the spy.”

  Alph nodded thoughtfully. “You know what? It makes total sense.”

  “I thought you’d be angry!” said Bernie, surprised.

  “Oh, I’m angry, that’s for sure. But there was something about him lately, something I couldn’t put my finger on.” Her expression hardened. “After all this is over, we’ll deal with him.”

  Alph reached into a hidden pocket in her uniform and removed a small silver weapon. She handed it to Bernie and said, “If you get into trouble, use this.”

  Bernie took it and stared at it curiously. “What does it do?”

  “It fires a sonic pulse at your enemy. It’s more powerful than it looks,” Alph said.

  “I thought I wasn’t allowed to use any weapons,” Bernie said.

  “It’s not a weapon,” said Alph. “It’s a really powerful gadget.”

  “But what about you?” asked Bernie. “You might need this.”

  Alph winked and said, “Don’t worry about me, rookie. I just need you to watch your back out there. Remember to use your goggles and, if you get into trouble, use the A.I. interface to call for help.” Bernie was grateful that Thornpaw hadn’t taken her goggles away. Because they’d been in sleep mode, they looked ordinary. She guessed that he’d simply thought they were an innocent part of her uniform.

  Bernie lowered them over her eyes and turned them back on.

  “Wherever you are, the GPS in those babies will tell us how to track you down. We’ve got ya,” said Alph. Bernie nodded, grateful for the advice and the weapon.