Return to the dock and the set of valves. You'll notice that the valves are now venting air (except for one, sabotaged by Saavedro). Check out the gauge, which are just as important as the valves themselves. You'll notice the black pointer indicating "10" (zero is the point between the red and blue colored areas). There's another red line marking a value of "19" (once again, counting from the point between the red and blue colored areas). To solve the valve puzzle, you must move the pointer to the red line of "19."
There are three floors, all containing four valves. Only one valve can't be moved; it's on the lowest floor and causes 10 units of air pressure to appear on the gauge. Thus, each of the lowest floor valves can add 10 units of air pressure to the valve.
There's another element of the puzzle. You must have a certain amount of air pressure to reach the other floors. The elevator won't operate without sufficient air pressure!
 There are three floors; each floor contains four valves! |
For the elevator to move to the middle floor, the pressure gauge must read in the yellow or red area; for the elevator to move to the highest floor, the gauge must read in the red area.
Experimentation will reveal that each of the lowest floor valves increases the pressure by 10, each of the middle floor valves increases the pressure by 4, and each of the upper floor valves increases the pressure by 1.
Here are the steps to complete the valve puzzle and to successfully fill the ship with hot air:
1. Lower level (value: 10): Close all valves, increasing the pressure to 40.
2. Ascend to the middle floor.
3. Middle level (value: 4): Close three valves, increasing the pressure to 52.
4. Ascend to the upper floor.
5. Upper level (value: 1): Close one valve, increasing the pressure to 53.
6. Descend to the middle floor.
7. Middle level (value: 4): Open one valve, decreasing the pressure to 49.
8. Descend to the lowest floor.
9. Lower level (value: 10): Open three valves, decreasing the pressure to 19.
Walk left of the valves and turn the wheel valve to fill the ship with hot air. You must have exactly 19 units of air pressure to fill the ship successfully. If there's not enough, the air pressure remains, and you must find a way to increase it to 19. If there's too much air, the puzzle resets, and you start over.
The ship exits the dock but then bumps into the large dock door.