Voltaic Steam Elevator Solution The steam elevator on Voltaic is the major puzzle to be solved in order to complete the settings in this Age and return back to J'nanin (The Lesson Age). To begin this puzzle, the fan in the engine room must be turned-on and the lava must also be allowed into the engine room, as well. The aftermath of this puzzle also requires that electricity has been enabled throughout the system (by aligning the circuit boards in the generator room) and that water is flowing over the turbine located next to the controls that switch the dam

gate over. The piston that interlocks at the gate must also be raised to engage prior to the turbine activation. Assuming all of this has been accomplished, we now are left with this puzzle of the steam elevator to solve. When we come to the elevator we notice that there is a large red wheel that allows steam to flow, but for some reason, we only see steam released through an escape valve, and not going anywhere else. Without the fan on, or the lava flowing, this control cannot function. But, for now, we have steam being generated with these two elements in place. We also can assume that water is being pumped into the system by means of a large conduit located on the outside. Water is mixed with the hot air that is generated in the engine room and thus, steam is collected at the tank next to the elevator. When we get into the elevator, we see four valves, each with a release cap to show that they are opened, and a steam gauge.

We shall number these controls from left to right, 1, 2, 3 and 4. The first three valves are open when we arrive here, but the fourth valve does not function while the elevator is at this level. We look at the steam gauge and notice the markings and the position of the needle and different zones. (See diagram below). We notice that when we turn any of the first three valves at this level, the needle moves counter- clockwise 10 degrees. I have drawn an outer ring in white to show that the steam gauge is divided into 60 divisions, with larger markings for every 5 degrees. There are three colored zones on the face of this gauge, blue, yellow and red. Our association with coloring on a "steam gauge" tends to lead us to believe that a red zone signifies more pressure, the yellow zone less pressure, and the blue zone to represent the least pressure. We also see a dotted line in red which may represent an "optimum" setting. We also see that there is a handle which allows us to move up or down in the elevator.

If we are to close all three valves at the first level, the needle will move counter-clockwise by 10 degrees per valve. Right now the needle is pointing to "5", relative to the top metal ball representing "0" and numbering clockwise accordingly. The Solution:

Close valves 1, 2 and 3. The needle moves CCW by 30 degrees (10 per valve closing) and the gauge now reads as follows: (9 degrees away from the red zone). Now pull the handle to move the elevator up to the next level (level 2).

All valves are now open and now the 4th valve can function, as well. Close valves 1, 2 and 3. Now, the needle moves CCW by 4 degrees per valve (12 degrees in total) and now reads as follows (3 degrees into the red zone):

We also discover that we cannot go up to the 3rd level, unless the needle is pointing inside the red zone. This confirms to us that by closing these valves that we are not "losing" pressure, but actually building-up pressure so that the elevator can make it up to the next level. Pull the lever and advance to the 3rd level. All valves are open again and the gauge still reads as it does to the left. Close the first valve and the needle moves one degree CCW. We now know that we are 4 degrees away from the border of the red and yellow zone. So, if we pull the lever to bring us down to the second level, we can open a valve to bring us right to this border (by moving the needle by 4 degrees, CW). This will allow us to advance the needle by 30 degrees (CW) on the first level, if we can open three valves there; and that will align the needle with the dotted line as indicated. So, we pull the lever and go down to level 2. Only the 4th valve is open, but the gauge reads

4 degrees into the red zone. We need to open any of the first three valves to move the needle to the exact division between the red and yellow zone (or 4 degrees CW). After the opening a valve we see this:

The needle has moved 4 degrees, clockwise, and is now pointing at the division line between the red and yellow zones, or 30 degrees counter-clockwise from the dotted line. We now pull the lever and go down to the 1st level and all valves are closed (also, remember that at this level, the 4th valve doesn't function, so we need to operate the first three valves to move the needle 30 degrees. We open the first three valves and the needle moves

to the dotted line:

Now, the steam pressure is set to the "optimum" value, not for the purpose of running the steam elevator to the third level as before, but for something else.

We now turn the large wheel outside of the steam elevator, and now, instead of steam being released through the escape valve, it is now sent up the filling tube above us to fill the balloon of the "air ship" that hangs overhead. When the balloon reaches full capacity, it lifts the ship up and forward and it breaks-away from its moorings. The filling tube is also disconnected in the process. As the ship moves forward, its path is blocked by the closed metal iris-type portal and we must now go back to the spiral elevator outside to open this portal. Once the portal is open, the ship floats out of its "hangar" and stops at our pathway to invite us for a ride. The ship also disconnects our path back to the spiral elevator, so we have no other choice but to get onto the ship and make our way from there. Thus, we get onto the ship, pull the control lever, and the air ship takes us to the final solution of Voltaic.