Where In Time Is Carmen Sandiego?: Episode 2

[The Bandit King]

WHERE IN TIME IS CARMEN SANDIEGO?: Season 1, Episode 2

As the camera fades in from black, we see a picture of a rotating globe with a red outline around it.  The two halves of a red letter ‘V’ come together in the middle of the globe, before the logo sparks with electricity and shatters into pieces.  We now see a large chair behind a computer in a dark room, where a woman in a red trench coat and fedora sits.
“Curses!” she exclaims.  “Those stupid ACME Time Pilots are always on my tail!  It seems like everywhere I go, they’re always one second ahead of me!”
With this, the woman turns around in her chair, revealing all of her face except her eyes to the viewers.  “Hmm…that gives me an idea.  Soon, the history of telling time will be altered forever, and I’ll be free to reign supreme all throughout history!  Paging Dr. Belljar!”
Just then, a green hologram from in front of Carmen fades away, and a man in a white lab coat with numerous robotic parts all over his body materializes before her.
“Dr. Belljar, ready t-t-to assist you, Carmen,” Belljar stammers.
“I’m sending you through the time portal to ancient Egypt in the year 1500 BC,” Carmen instructs.  “There’s something very special I want you to steal.”
“Good…thievery happens to be my favorite thing!  Aside from a good t-t-t-tune-up,” the doctor replies.
“Good,” says Carmen.  “Bring it back to me in this Cybersphere when you have it.  Now get going!”
Carmen presses three buttons on her computer, and we then see Dr. Belljar inside the time portal, where he disappears a few seconds later.

The camera now cuts to the inside of an office with a map in the background.  An African-American lady sits behind a desk as she turns to the camera, an intense look on her face.
“Time Pilots, Dr. Belljar just stole something from the past.  You’ve got…28 minutes to get it back, or history will change forever!  Initiate Chronoskimmer launch sequence!  Boot up the ChronoComputer!”
The camera cuts to a group of men and women in a small room, surrounded by futuristic-looking equipment.  A woman seated at a large computer flips a switch, and lights light up all over the room.
“Power up the engines!”
Two men turn a large wheel, generating what looks like steam in the room.
“Now get going!”

The intro music plays, where we see a montage of clips from throughout the first season.  The title then appears onscreen, and the Chief’s voice is heard after it disappears.  “And here’s the Time Pilot Squadron Leader, Kevin Shinick!”
We see a shot of Kevin staring hypnotically at a lava lamp in his room.
“Kevin?  KEVIN!!”
Kevin is snapped out of his daze and jumps up.  “Alright, Chief, alright!” he mutters as he darts out of his room and soon enters the playing area through a round door to the viewers’ right.

“Hey, welcome aboard!” he says to the viewers.  “I want you to hang on tight, because we’ve got a very big mission, but very little time!  So let’s get started by meeting today’s Time Pilots!
Starting with: William Silverstein!” A tall boy with bushy brown hair steps through a door at stage-left and high-fives Kevin.  “Hey, William, how ya’ doin’, buddy?
“And Lena Holman!”  A short girl with long brown hair and brown eyes enters and high-fives Kevin.  “Lena, nice to have you on the mission!
“And James Foster!”  A tall boy with short black hair and glasses enters the set and high-fives Kevin.  “James, nice to see you!"

The Time Pilots all take their place behind their podium, and Kevin begins.  “Alright, Pilots, we depend on Fact Fuel to power our time machine, the Chronoskimmer, and you guys will be generating that Fuel with your answers.  To start off, we’ll equip each of you with 50 Power Points.”  The scoreboard on each Pilot’s podium lights up with a big numeral ‘50’.
“Let’s check in with the Engine Crew, shall we?”  Kevin presses a button on the computer, and we see the Engine Crew, who do ‘the wave’ before pointing to the camera and smiling.  Kevin presses the button again, and the view of the Engine Crew disappears.
“Couldn’t do a thing without ‘em.  Alright, now let’s begin our pursuit of Dr. Belljar.  Chief, what’s our mission profile?”

The camera cuts to the Chief in her office.  She is standing in front of a map of the world.
“Squadron, your time target is around 1500 BC.  Destination: Egypt.”
The Chief now walks to her desk and sits down, continuing to speak.  “During that time, people’s methods of telling time were very primitive, at best.  The only way that they could figure out how early or late it was, was by looking at the sun in the sky.”
The chief pulls out a small rectangular object and inserts it into a slot on her desk.  A few seconds later, a picture of a tall, prism-like structure pops up.
“The ancient Egyptians had been using tall structures called obelisks to tell time for about 2,000 years, measuring the length of their shadows on the ground to figure out how much daylight was left.  Then, someone had the bright idea of making smaller versions of these tall time-trackers.  Just like the tall obelisks, they would use raised rods to cast a shadow on a flat surface—only this time, they placed the rod on a circle.  By measuring how the shadow rotated around the circle, people could reliably measure the hours of daylight for the first time.”
The Chief’s look now turns to one of disdain.  “Or so history told us till now.  When Dr. Belljar went back in time and swiped the timepieces!”

“Thanks, Chief,” says Kevin after the camera cuts back to him.  “Alright, Time Pilots, for 10 Power Points, what did Dr. Belljar steal?  Was it: the first hourglasses, the first wristwatches, or the first sundials?  Remembering the clues we just heard: invented in ancient Egypt in 1500 BC, derived from tall buildings called obelisks, and used raised rods which cast shadows to tell time.  Lock in your answers as soon as you can, there.”
All three Time Pilots lock in their answers within a few seconds of one another.
“Alright, William, what did you say?”
“I said the first sundials.”
“And Lena, what did you say?”
“The first sundial.”
“And James, how about you?”
“The first sundial…”
“Well, the correct answer is the first sundials!  Ten points for everybody!  Yep, sundials were one of the very first reliable methods of telling time known to history.  They could be built in any size, and were among the first portable timepieces.  And now that we know what Dr. Belljar stole, we wanna get it back, right?  And if one of you guys can restore the loot and capture Carmen Sandiego, you’ll win a new Toshiba laptop computer, and a $250 savings bond!  So what are we waiting for?  Engine Crew!”  Kevin presses a button on the computer.  “Let’s warp to the time of the crime!”

The camera cuts to a shot of the Chronoskimmer flying through space-time, and soon, the computer displays the year “700 BC” on the screen.
“Well, Pilots, we’ve successfully landed in 1500 BC.  So far, things look like—”
Suddenly, an alarm blares, and a red gauge near the exit door blinks bright red.
“What—uh-oh.  That warp severely drained our Fact Fuel.  We need to refuel with a Data Boost!”  These words appear on the screen.

“Alright, Time Pilots, I’ll give you the name of a famous person.  Your job is to buzz in and tell me whether that person is a real person, or a fictional character.  If you’re right, you get five Power Points; if you’re wrong, you lose five.  Remember: real person, or fictional character.  Alright?  Here we go: Socrates.”
Lena rings in.  “Real person?”
“Yes, real person!  The ancient Greek philosopher was born in 469 BC.  Sherlock Holmes.”
William rings in.  “Fictional?”
“Yes, fictional is correct!  The famed detective was created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in 1887.  How about: Blackbeard?”
William rings in again.  “Real?”
“Yes, he was real.  How about: Robert E. Lee?”
James rings in.  “Real person?”
“Yes, real person!  Noted Confederate general in the Civil War.  Finally: Tarzan.”
Lena rings in.  “Fictional character.”
“Yes, fictional character.  Very nice job, guys—you’ve replenished our Fact Fuel.  And now, we’re ready for time travel again!  Now, our next clue comes from—”

Suddenly, a faint beeping can be heard.
“Wait a minute…hey, our probes are picking up some activity!  It’s Dr. Belljar reporting back to Carmen!  Let’s listen in!  Watch the screen…”
Kevin presses a button on the computer, and soon, Dr. Belljar appears on the monitor.
“C-C-Carmen, these sundials are so bulky and primitive!  Next time, I’d much prefer to steal something much more tec-technologically sound!  I’ve stashed the sundials in a Scandinavian country during the reign of King Louis XIV of France.  Around this time, gear clocks are considered unreliable, and d-d-don’t keep very good time.  Then, astronomer Christian Huygens gets the idea to fasten a pendulum to the clocks g-g-gears.  As it swings back and forth, the gears turn much more smoothly, and the clock keeps much better time.  The science of pendulums has been known for decades: Galileo had even come up with a prototype for a clock that ran on a pendulum about nineteen years ago, but this is the first t-t-t-time one has been successfully built.  Pendulum clocks will be the most accurate form of telling time until the 1930s!  Hmm…perhaps I should switch from digital time to pendulum power.  Perhaps then I wouldn’t be so g-g-g-glitchy!  Ha-ha!”  With that, Dr. Belljar disappears from the screen.

Kevin presses a button on the computer as he turns back to the Time Pilots.  “I think he needs a tune-up or something, what do you guys think?  Alright, Time Pilots, you heard the clues—tell me the country and year where Dr. Belljar took the sundials.  Is it: England, 1450, Norway, 1557, or Denmark, 1656?  Remember the clues: Christian Huygens first invents the pendulum clock, Galileo publishes work on pendulums several decades before, and during the reign of France’s King Louis XIV.  Lock in your answers as soon as you can there…alright, William, what did you say?”
“I said Norway, 1557.”
“And Lena, what did you say?”
“I said Denmark in, um…1656.”
“Alright, and James?”
“Denmark, 1656.”
“Well, the correct answer is Denmark, 1656!  Ten points for Lena and James.  You know, Pilots, since sundials were useless on cloudy days, we built clocks with gears to tell us time anywhere we went.  And by attaching a swinging pendulum to the gears, telling time became even more accurate.  But that may never happen if we don’t get those sundials back!  Bridge to Engine Crew!”  Kevin presses a button on the computer.  “Let’s warp to 1656!”

The Engine Crew begins firing up the engine, and the camera cuts to a shot of the Chronoskimmer flying through time-space.  Soon, though, several blasts of electricity hit the Chronoskimmer, and the camera shows Dr. Belljar producing the lightning out of his fingers.  He smiles as he looks at the camera.  “Catch me if you c-c-can, Time Pilots!” he stammers before disappearing.

As the camera cuts back to the game stage, a loud alarm is blaring, and a red light flashing “danger” is seen on the wall next to Kevin as he lurches and staggers around like the Chronoskimmer is veering out of control.
“Time Pilots, we made it to our destination, but Dr. Belljar just did something to the Chronoskimmer!!  It’s time for another Data Boost!!”  The words appear on the screen as the alarm stops, and things calm down on the set.

“Alright, Pilots, I’ll give you a fact about time or clocks.  Your job: buzz in and tell me whether that statement is true or false.  If you’re right, you’ll get five Power Points; if you’re wrong, you lose five.  Remember, true or false.  Here we go: the first non-sundial clocks were powered by water.”
James rings in.  “False?”
“No, believe it or not, it’s true!  Water clocks were first used around 4000 BC in China, and they told time by measuring how much water dripped from one container to another…  The first cuckoo clocks used real cuckoos.”
Lena rings in.  “False?”
“Yes, I would hope that’s false.  Nice job.  How about: Great Britain had a tax placed on clocks in 1797.”
William rings in.  “True?”
“Correct, it is true!  Clocks were considered luxuries at that time, and some clockmakers went out of business because people stopped buying clocks…interesting, huh?  How about: there are about ten million seconds in a calendar year.”
William rings in.  “True?”
“No, sorry, that’s false.  There are about 31 and a half million seconds in a year—lot more than ten million.  Finally: all the clocks in the movie Pulp Fiction are set to 4:20.”
After a few seconds, Lena rings in.  “True?”
“Correct, it is true…although we’re not really sure why.  Nice job, guys—you’ve reenergized our Chronoskimmer, and we’re ready to go again!”

[The Bandit King]

“So now, for our next clue—” Just then, the sound of an elephant trumpeting is heard. “Wait a sec—hey, you know who that is?  That’s the Elephant Guy!  Let’s see if he has any clues for us.”  Kevin presses a button on the computer, and a man in a suit carrying a briefcase is seen, being chased by an elephant in the background.  “What’s up, Elephant Guy?”

“I just ran through the decade when the first electrical telegraph was sent by Samuel Morse,” the Elephant Guy pants as he runs from the oncoming beast.  “Back in England, Queen Victoria’s in her first few years on the throne, and the leaders of Parliament are in the process of rebuilding the palace!  They’ve decided to build a huge clock tower in London, too, and they want it to be really precise!  A lot of people say it’s impossible to make a clock as precise as Parliament wants, but clockmaker Edmund Denison does it several years later, and a massive bell is made to put in the tower for when the clock strikes the hour!  The bell’s nicknamed ‘Big Ben’ because of its size, and eventually, the clock tower is also called ‘Big Ben’—even today!  Well…gotta run, Kevin!”  With that, he dashes off the screen, with the elephant in the background still running toward the camera.

Kevin presses another button on the computer.  “You’d think he’d learn not to bring peanut butter for lunch, yet day after day… Alright, Time Pilots, tell me what decade Dr. Belljar has taken the sundials to.  Is it: the 1840s, the 1860s, or the 1880s?  Remember the clues we just heard: construction of the tower of Big Ben in England begins, during the reign of Queen Victoria, and the first electrical telegraph is sent.  This one might be tough; lock in your answers as soon as you can.  Alright, William, what did you say?”
“I said the 1860s.”
“And Lena, what did you say?”
“I also said the 1860s.”
“And James?”
“I said the 1880s.”
“Well guys, the correct answer is the 1840s!  Tough one there.  You know, the tower of Big Ben would be completed in 1858, and even today, it continues to strike every hour in London square.  But we might never hear a clock chime ever again if we fail our mission today!  So let’s get going!  Engine crew—let’s warp to the 1840s!”

The camera shows the Chronoskimmer shooting through time, and soon, the computer displays the word “1840s” on the screen.
“Okay, pilots, we’ve made it to the 1840s, but Dr. Belljar must know we’re on his trail, because he’s about to do some globe-hopping.  So that means it’s time for Global Pursuit.  Hands on your buzzers, watch the view screen, and only buzz in after I finish reading the question.  If you’re right, you get five Power Points; if you’re wrong, you lose five.  Remember, we’re in the 1840s…here we go.”
A map of the world pops up, and with each new question, a new portion of the globe is shown in a yellow circle.  As the first map appears, the choices of New Zealand, Indonesia and Hawaii are shown.  “Dr. Belljar headed to the island group that just became a British colony.”
Lena rings in.  “New Zealand?”
“Yes, New Zealand it is.”
The choices of Minnesota, Texas and Florida appear for the next map.  “Next, he headed to the former republic that just became the 28th U.S. State.”
William rings in.  “Texas?”
“Yes, very good, William.”
The choices of France, England and Spain appear for the next map.  “He’s hiding out in the country where Charles Dickens publishes A Christmas Carol.”
William rings in again.  “England?”
“Yes, England, very good.”
The choices of Oregon, California and Arizona appear for the next map.  “He’s trying to strike it rich in the area where gold is first discovered at Sutter’s Mill.”
Lena rings in.  “California?”
“Yes, California.”
The choices of Iceland, Sweden and Denmark appear for the last map.  “Now he skirted the sundials to the country where safety matches are invented.”
James rings in.  “Denmark?”
“No, sorry, it’s Sweden.  Very nice round, you guys.  Unfortunately, Dr. Belljar just skipped out of Sweden right before we got there!  This always seems to happen, and I don’t—”

Just then, a blaring alarm is heard.
“Wait a minute…hey, that’s the Cluefinder!” Kevin says as he heads toward the computer.  “It’s locked onto somebody from the future!  Let’s bring ‘em on board and see if they can help us.”
Kevin presses a button, and the double doors behind him open up, letting in a copious amount of smoke, as well as a woman in glasses and a lab coat carrying a clipboard.
“Everything looks in order,” she says.  “Our clock is ready to go!”
“Clock?” Kevin asks, a bit confused.  “Oh, are you a clockmaker?”
“What?  Of course not,” the woman says.  “I’m a scientist.  I monitor the development of the NIST-F1 atomic clock in Boulder, Colorado.”
“Wait…atomic clock?” Kevin says.  “What is that?”
“Ah!” the woman says, snapping her head up and surprising Kevin, who flinches back.  “The F1 atomic clock is the most accurate way of telling time in the entire world.  We calculate that even if we keep it running for 100 million years, it’ll only be off one second!”
“Wow, that’s incredible,” Kevin says.  “So how does it work?”
“Well!” the woman snaps again.  “The clock uses a combination of lasers, microwave chambers, and fluorescent atoms to determine what time it is.  The lasers bounce off the atoms and cool them, and when the waves reach a certain speed, we calculate the time down to the exact one-trillionth of a second!”
“Whoa,” Kevin replies.  “So—so atomic clocks are the newest thing in telling the exact time?”
“Of course not!” the woman says, snapping Kevin on the chest with her pencil before she starts walking around the room.  “Atomic clocks have been around for several decades now!  As a matter of fact, the F1 is the third such atomic clock we’ve built at the Institute.  We’ve been perfecting and fine-tuning the clocks for years, and the F1 replaces a clock we built six years ago.  Why, in a few years, we may even be able to make atomic clocks small enough to fit in a person’s house!”
“Hey, that sounds really cool,” Kevin remarks.  “It sounds like atomic clocks might just be the future of timekeeping.”
“Exactly!” the woman exclaims.  “Even President Clinton is interested in their usefulness.”  She gets close to Kevin, and begins talking in his ear.  “Just between you and me, our next project is making an atomic alarm clock.”
“An atomic alarm clock?” Kevin asks.  “Wh-what makes you think people will go for something like that?”
“Because it’s perfect for getting people…up and atom!”  A rimshot is heard as the woman walks back through the now-open door, disappearing into the smoke.

Kevin shakes his head as he watches her go.  “Good thing she’s a scientist, because she’d make a lousy comedian.  Alright, Time Pilots, tell me the year where Dr. Belljar is hiding.  Is it: 1989, 1999, or 2009?  Remembering the clues we heard: the F1 atomic clock is built, atomic clocks had been developing for several decades, and President Bill Clinton.  Lock in your answers quickly there; time is of the essence.  Alright, looks like everybody’s locked in—William, what did you say?”
“I said 1999.”
“And Lena, how about you?”
“I said 1999, too.”
“And James?”
“Same thing—1999.”
“You guys are good—the correct answer is 1999!  Ten points for everybody.  You know, Time Pilots, time—uh, atomic clocks are the most accurate forms of keeping time we know of.  Nowadays, atomic clocks are very large and bulky, but scientists are continuously working on how to make them smaller and more convenient to use, so someday, atomic clocks could be seen in households worldwide.  But we may be telling time with hourglasses if we don’t get back those sundials soon!  So, Time Pilots, we’ve got to make one final leap forward in time, and that means an Ultimate Data Boost!” These words appear on the screen.

“Alright, Pilots, I’ll give you a name.  Your job: buzz in and tell me whether I’ve named a type of clock, or a type of bread.  If you’re right, you’ll get ten Power Points; if you’re wrong, you lose ten.  Looking at our scores now: William has 100 Power Points, Lena is in the lead with 110, and James has 75.  This is the last chance for you guys to rack up points, so listen carefully.  And remember: type of clock, or a type of bread.  Here we go: chronometer.”
William rings in.  “Clock?”
“Yes, it is a clock!  ‘Chronometer’ is a name given to a very precise clock or watch usually made in Sweden…Time ball.”
James rings in.  “Clock?”
“Correct, a clock.  A time ball was a form of telling time used up until the 1800s to help regulate other clocks.  How about: Matzo ball?”
William rings in.  “Bread?”
“Yes, a type of bread.  It’s a type of Jewish dumpling usually found in soups…Automaton.”
James rings in.  “Clock?”
“Yes, a type of clock!  It’s a fancy word for any clock that has a small replica of a person or animal in it, like a cuckoo clock.  How about: Melon pan?”
James rings in again.  “Cl—clock?”
“No, sorry, it’s a type of bread.  It’s a type of sweet bun from Japan that looks—no surprise—like a melon.  Zwieback.”
James rings in yet again.  “Clock?”
“No, sorry, it’s a type of bread.  Zwieback is a sweetened bread that is baked, sliced, and then toasted.  How about: Scaphe?”
William rings in. “Um…clock?”
“Yes, it is a clock!  A scaphe was a type of sundial shaped like a bowl.  Kit-Cat.”
William rings in again.  “Bread?”
“No, sorry, it’s a clock.  It’s a pendulum clock actually shaped like a cat.  How about: Turret?”
Lena rings in.  “Clock?”
“Yes, it’s a type of clock!  A turret clock uses large gears and is usually built into a church or tower.  Finally: Pita.”
Lena rings in again.  “Bread.”
“Yes, a type of bread!  Very nice, you guys!  That’s the end of the round, and looking at the scores: William has 120 Power Points, Lena has 130, and James has 75.  Which means William and Lena, you are moving on to the next round!  But James, don’t feel bad, buddy, you did a great job—you’re a great Time Pilot!  And the Chief has some words to say before we head off on the next phase of this mission.  Chief?”

“Tracking down Dr. Belljar is never easy, and sometimes, that mechanical menace has the last laugh,” the Chief says.  “But you did a great job today!  That’s why I’m equipping you with this Carmen Sandiego mission pack, which includes a Where in Time T-shirt, the Chronoskimmer cap with you-know-who’s picture in front, and this custom-made ACME Timenet watch!  I salute you, James!  Congratulations!”

[The Bandit King]

“Pilots, let’s wave goodbye to James as he heads back to TimeNet Command,” Kevin says from off-screen as we see James waving.  He “disappears” after a few seconds.

William and Lena are now standing in front of a pedestal with a big red button on top of it.  Kevin stands opposite them, next to the computer.  “Alright, nice work, you guys, you’ve made it to the second part of our mission.  Are you ready?”
“Yes, sir,” both William and Lena respond.
“Alright, great!” Kevin replies.  “Here’s the Chief to give us our next orders.  Chief!”

The Chief appears on the monitor.  “Time Pilots, the history of timekeeping is at stake!  Get to the United States in 1999 and secure those sundials!  Kevin, you’re in command!”
“Aye aye, Chief,” Kevin replies.  “Alright, Time Pilots, full speed ahead to 1999!”

A shot of the Chronoskimmer flying through time is seen.  Soon, we see Dr. Belljar holding a glowing purple sphere in his hands.
“Look, Belljar’s got the sundials in his Cybersphere!” Kevin cries off-camera.  “Quick, activate the tractor beam!”
A beam of light steals the Cybersphere from Dr. Belljar’s hands.  Belljar looks surprised for a second, then glares at the camera.  “You’ve still got one more ap-p-p-pointment with the Doctor, Time Pilots!”  The bionic doctor disappears in a cloud of green binary code.

The camera cuts to a shot of the Cybersphere floating on board the Chronoskimmer.  “Nice job, we’ve gotten back the sundials and have them safely on board,” Kevin says. “Unfortunately, Belljar got away, but before we can continue chasing him, we’ve got to return the loot to 1500 BC.  Let’s check in with the Chief to get our mission profile.  Chief?”

“Time Pilots,” the Chief begins.  “You must navigate the Chronoskimmer through nine events from the history of clocks and timepieces, starting at the most recent event and finishing at the least recent event.  The Time Pilot who does that will go on to chase Carmen Sandiego and Dr. Belljar along the Trail of Time.  Here are the events on your flight plan.”
The Chief disappears off-screen to reveal a puzzleboard with nine spaces.  The Chief reads each choice aloud:

Daylight Savings time is first observed
The NIST-F1 atomic clock is completed
Earliest known sundials in ancient Egypt
Christiaan Huygens builds the first clock with a pendulum
The first wristwatches are made
Construction begins on London’s Tower of Big Ben
Ke$ha’s ‘Tik Tok’ hits #1 on the Billboard Pop Charts
France introduces a decimal-based system of telling time
The film ‘A Clockwork Orange’ is released in theaters

That’s your briefing, Time Pilots.  Good luck on your journey!”

“Thanks, Chief,” Kevin says before turning to William and Lena.  “Alright, Lena, you were in the lead at the end of the last round.  You have the chance of going first or second.”
“I’ll go second,” Lena replies after thinking for a few seconds.
“Alright, in that case—William, I want you to navigate the Chronoskimmer back through time, starting by picking the most recent event on the board.  You may begin.”
“Um…Ke$ha’s ‘Tik Tok’ hits #1…” William begins.
“Correct, you’ve steered a course to 2010!  The song was on the top of the Billboard charts for six weeks, and was the first #1 song of this decade.  Can you pick the next most recent event?”
“F1 atomic clock first used…”
“Yes, you’ve gotten us to 1999!  Keep going, William.”
“A Clockwork Orange released in theaters…”
“Yes, you’ve gotten us to 1971!  Directed by Stanley Kubrick, the film was based on the Anthony Burgess book by the same name.  Keep going!”
“First wristwatches made…”
A buzzer sound effect is heard.

“Alright, we go to Lena now.”
“Ke$ha’s ‘Tik Tok’ hits #1…”
“Correct, 2010.”
“F1 atomic clock first used…”
“Yes, 1999.”
“A Clockwork Orange released in theaters…”
“Yes, 1971.  Keep going.”
“Construction of Big Ben begins…”
The buzzer sound is heard again.

“Alright, back to William.”
“Ke$ha’s ‘Tik Tok’ hits #1…”
“Correct, 2010.”
“F1 atomic clock first used…”
“Yes, 1999.”
“A Clockwork Orange released in theaters…”
“Correct, 1971—keep going.”
“…First wristwatches made?”
The buzzer is heard again.

“Alright, back to Lena now.”
“Ke$ha’s ‘Tik Tok’ hits #1…”
“Correct, 2010.”
“F1 atomic clock first used…”
“Correct, 1999.”
“A Clockwork Orange released in theaters…”
“Yes, 1971.”
“…Daylight Savings Time first observed?”
“Yes, you’ve plotted a course to 1916!  The system was first proposed by George Hudson in 1895, but it didn’t become common until several years later.  Can you pick the next most recent event on the board?”
“First wristwatches made?…”
“Yes, you’ve gotten us to 1868!  Keep going, Lena!”
“Construction of Big Ben begins…”
“Yes, you’ve steered us to the 1840s!”
“Um…F-France uses…introduces decimal-based time?”
“Yes, you’ve steered a course to 1793!  It was based on powers of ten, and it was eventually abandoned.  Can you pick the next most recent event on the board?”
“High—Huygens builds first pendulum clock…”
“Correct, 1656!”
“First sundials in ancient Egypt.”
“Yes, Lena, you’ve saved history!” Kevin exclaims as he heads over to congratulate Lena.  “Very nice job!  There’s one more thing I want you to do here—press that button to return the loot back to 1500 BC!”

Lena presses the red button on the pedestal that now stands in front of her.  The screen shows the glowing orb being sucked into a purple tunnel, and the words ‘Loot Restored’ appear on the screen soon afterward.
“Very nice work, Lena—you did a great job!” Kevin says.  “William, you also did a great job—you make a great Time Pilot, you know that?  And the Chief has a few words she wants to say to express our appreciation.  Chief?”

“You did an outstanding job, Time Pilot,” the Chief gushes.  “As a reward for all your hard work, I’m promoting you to Head Navigator!  Plus, I’m equipping you with a Carmen Sandiego mission pack, and…this new MP3 player.  Now you can take all your favorite music with you wherever or whenever your missions might take you.  Good work, William—I salute you!”

[The Bandit King]

Kevin is now seen standing beside Lena in front of the computer.  “Right now, William is on his way back to Central Command, but Lena, you and I aren’t finished here!  It’s time for us to head over to the Trail of Time to try and catch Carmen and Dr. Belljar.  You with me?”

“Yeah,” Lena replies.

“Alright, let’s go!” Kevin exclaims as he and Lena rush over to the circular door the Time Pilots came out of at the start of the show.  “Look out, Carmen—we’re on our way!”  Kevin pulls a lever on the side of the door, releasing smoke into the room.

After a shortened version of the theme music plays again, the camera then cuts to an area with numerous ‘gates’ all around, with a large glass platform with a long pole in the middle of the area.  Kevin, Lena and the Engine Crew soon rush onscreen.

“Hey, Lena, we’ve made it to the Trail of Time!  To complete this course, you’ve gotta track Carmen through seven Time Portals in two minutes!  When you reach a new portal, Carmen’s gonna try to stump you with a history question.  You get it right, and you can move through the Portal; but if you get it wrong, you’ll have to operate a device to manually open the gate.  Along the way, you’re gonna capture Dr. Belljar.  If you make it through all seven Portals in two minutes, you’ll win that computer!  Are you ready?”
“Yeah,” Lena says, nodding.
“Alright, on your mark, get set—GO, Lena, go!  Follow the Engine Crew to the first Portal!”

Lena rushes to the first Portal, guided by the Engine Crew.  She hits the button at the gate to trigger the first question.
“It’s around 350 BC,” Carmen’s voice says.  “Who builds the first clock with an alarm?  Plato, or Archimedes?”
“Archimedes?” Lena guesses.  A buzzer is heard.
“Alright, pump the pump!” Kevin shouts, and Lena looks around for a second or two before finding the small pump beside the gate.  “Pump the pump to power up the dragon!”  Lena pumps the pump slowly, lighting up the area around the dragon statue on the other side of the gate, and soon, a small stream of “fire” blows out of the dragon’s mouth, and the gate opens with 1:35 left.

“Alright, great work, Lena!  Keep it up!” Chris encourages as Lena runs to the second portal.  She presses the button at the second gate to activate Carmen’s next question.
“It’s the year 1029.  What is invented in China?  The hourglass, or the water clock?”
“The water clock?” Lena replies.  A ding is heard, and the gate opens with 1:22 left.

“Great work, Lena!” Kevin shouts.  “Keep it up!  Five portals to go!”
Lena rushes to the third portal, hitting the button at the gate.
“It’s the year 1577.  What does inventor Jorst Burgi add to clocks?  The minute hand, or the pendulum?”
“The pendulum,” Lena answers.  A buzzer is heard.
“Alright, pull the rope!” Kevin instructs as Lena reaches for the rope hanging nearby.  “Pull the rope to open the gate!”  Lena pulls the rope, slowly lifting up the giant fake stone wheel on the other end of it.  A few seconds later, the gate opens, with 53 seconds left.

“Alright, there it is!” Kevin shouts.  “You’ve captured Dr. Belljar!  Keep up the good work!”  A picture of Dr. Belljar inside a sphere appears at the bottom of the screen, and Lena reaches the fourth portal, hitting the button to activate the question.
“It’s the 1840s.  What is being constructed in London?  Buckingham Palace, or Big Ben?”
“Big Ben,” Lena replies.  A ding is heard, and the gate opens with 37 seconds to go.

“Alright, nice work!  Keep going, Lena; you’re doing great!” Kevin encourages as Lena rushes to the next portal, hitting the button as she pants heavily.
“It’s the year 1880.  What English city becomes the standard for measuring time zones?  Manchester, or Greenwich?”
“Greenwich,” Lena says.  A ding is heard, and the gate opens.

“Alright, great job!” Kevin shouts.  “You’ve got two more portals, with 21 seconds left!”
Lena runs to the penultimate gate, hitting the button as she pants hard.
“It’s 1949.  What are scientists working on in Boulder, Colorado?  The first digital clock, or the first atomic clock?”
“The first atomic clock,” Lena pants.  A ding is heard, and the gate opens with seven seconds left.

“Alright, nice job!” Kevin shouts.  Lena starts toward the final gate, hitting the button as she gets there.
“It’s the year 2000…”

The voice cuts off in mid-sentence as an alarm-like sound effect is heard.  An image of Carmen is seen, and the villainess looks at the camera and lets out a smug laugh before running offscreen.

“Oh, Lena, you ran out of time!” Kevin says, now standing beside a noticeably tired Lena.  “Unfortunately, Carmen has escaped!  But you did capture Dr. Belljar, and that’s not an easy thing to do!  And here’s the Chief to congratulate you on your mission…Chief?”

“Sometimes, Carmen Sandiego is just one step ahead of all of us,” the Chief says.  “But you did an outstanding job today!  That’s why I’m equipping you with this complete set of Encyclopedia Brittanica, so you’ll be ready for any future missions!  Plus, I’m giving you a $50 savings bond so you’re ready for anything the future sends into your life!  Great work, Lena!  Chief out!”

Kevin, Lena and the Engine Crew are now seen gathered around the final Time Portal.  “Alright—Lena, you did a great job today!  You captured Dr. Belljar, and you returned the loot to its proper place in time!  But right now, we have to go back to the present.  And just remember: at ACME TimeNet, history is our job—the future is yours!”

Kevin, Lena and the Engine Crew rush off the set as the theme song begins to play, and the end credits roll.