[Spoon-business] Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end... or something.

["Baron von Skippy" <baronvonskippy@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

{{
__Healthy Competition, My Ass__

[[
     It was dark in the warehouse. Dark and quiet. Cobwebs were growing in 
the corners and dust was accumulating on the shadowy objects spread 
throughout. As the small door next to the vast hangar door opened, anyone 
inside the warehouse would have noticed it was, if possible, darker outside. 
Of course, no one noticed this, as there was no one in the warehouse. Until 
the figures in black clothing entered. They wore black clothes with black 
bags at their sides and black caps on their heads. All but invisible against 
the darkness... okay, this is getting tiring. It's dark. Everyone got that? 
Now where was I...
     As the camera lens of narration approaches the figures, it is noticed 
how they move purposefully, breaking into smaller groups, exploring the 
area, making sure no one else is present, and occasionally noticing a 
security camera through their night vision goggles. When that happens, a 
brief light appears as their electronic pulse guns fry the circuitry of 
those cameras, ensuring that no record of their presence save every camera 
ceasing to record and flashing "12:00" over and over. Once all cameras are 
neutralized, a call echoes through the building.
     "Lights coming on! Cover 'em!"
     The figures shield their eyes as the lights come on casting the 
darkness into the shadows, which is a good place for darkness, then stand 
blinking in the vast room. While four of the seven intruders gape at the 
massive machines on the deck, the other three nod to one another, one 
heading for the secured room at the other end of the building while another 
snaps the team into action.
     "Come on, folks, we don't have all night. You know your tasks, go!"
     As the other four move towards one of the massive objects, the one 
giving orders approaches the seventh member of the team, who looks 
unimpressed around the hangar before turning to the order giver.
     "Well, so far, so good, Commander."
     "My men have been training on this for weeks, sir. It will go 
perfectly."
     "Perfectly if we discount their gaping like children at the vessels."
     "Sir, it was not possible to reproduce the machines for the simulators 
on our current resources."
     "Yes, I know, we have no mysterious benefactors, and ours was 
liquidated in the purge to calm the masses."
     "And, well," the commander pointed at the hulk the four were now 
scanning and exploring, "That's pretty damn amazing. What the hell could do 
that?"
     The leader's black robe and cloak swished through the dust on the 
floor as he impassively regarded the object.
     "It's a wonder they were able to get it home," he admitted. 
"Superstructure fractures in eleven places, tank breaches, hull breaches, 
the main cannon totally ripped off. But the bridge and the engines survived, 
the front and the back. Like something massive squeezed it."
     "I wonder why they even bothered to keep it?"
     "Their foolishness is our gain. They should have destroyed it in the 
purge, but instead they kept it hidden and intact, letting us find it. 
Clearly, they don't know what they're sitting on. The power core of this 
ship is years ahead of any other drive units in the world." He rubbed his 
palms together slowly. "We'll make a bloody fortune."
     One of the four returned. "Sir," he said, standing at attention, 
"We've examined the drive unit as ordered."
     "And?"
     "The unit isn't as complicated or intertwined as they made it sound in 
their stockholder reports. If the unnecessary dimensional transport coils 
are removed, and the power and fuel required to run them as well, the whole 
thing is a quarter the size and cost."
     "Excellent. Make a list of suggested modifications to remove any 
unnecessary components, Lieutenant."
     "Yes, sir." The commando hurried back to the hulk to relay the new 
orders.
     It was at about that moment that the seventh member of the team 
returned from the back room, carrying a sheaf of papers and several folders.
     "Here you are, all the papers from the back room, as promised."
     "Are you sure you didn't 'forget' anything, Simon?" the commando 
leader asked.
     "Commander, calm yourself. I think our friend Simon is trustworthy." 
the cloaked one said with the sure expression of someone who, if not 
correct, can have heads roll. "At least, I do hope he is. We can trust you, 
can't we, Simon?
     The seventh member, Simon, stopped glaring at the commando leader's 
turned back and quickly put his features into something approximating 
respectful attention. "Yes, of course, um, sir."
     "Excellent. Is everything else set?"
     "I placed them and activated the receivers. There won't be enough 
evidence to fill a jelly jar."
     The cloaked figure nodded approvingly as the commandos returned to the 
entrance, left the building briefly, then returned, each with a duffle full 
of lumpy objects. As they moved about, placing them, the faint hum of a 
helicopter entered the warehouse.
     "Just on time," the commander noted. "However, its presence does mean 
we don't have long before we're noticed."
     "Oh, I think our departure will be noted by everyone within a few 
miles, Commander."
     "Speaking of which, shall we leave? I mean, if I'm found here... with 
you..."
     The commander rolled his eyes. "Yes, of course, we don't want your 
employer's guards finding you with us. Don't wet yourself, we're going. We 
don't exactly want to be found here, either. However, we can't leave until 
my men set up the rest of our little critters to minimize the chances of our 
being traced, now can we?"
     Sirens suddenly blared all around the building.
     "I think they already did the tracing."
     "Shut up. Sir, shall we be leaving?"
     "I think so. If you will."
     "Everyone move! Get to the chopper!"
     As the seven hurried to the black helicopter, they heard the sound of 
M-Tek security running at them. The commandos in the group and at the 
chopper began firing their stun guns, forcing the guards to fall back. The 
chopper lifted off, blue lightning crackling towards the ground. As they 
left, the security forces watched them go, then saw a hand reach from the 
helicopter and point something silvery at the warehouse.
     Inside the warehouse, a number of small hammers began hitting the 
heads of a number of small creatures, who responded rather violently. They 
blew up. Bomb Gnomes strapped to every support pillar and DimShip primary 
structural beam detonated, collapsing the dusty vessels a second before a 
hundred tons of concrete and metal collapsed onto them, crushing everything 
and masking any trace that anyone had ever been in the warehouse. The 
warehouse imploded magnificently, with hardly a speck of dust outside of its 
original dimensions.
     The helicopter shot away into the night. Stealth armor on it made it 
nearly invisible to radar, and in the darkness, there was no chance of it 
being spotted and pursued. As it shot over the river in the middle of 
Bville, a commando entered the main cabin from the cockpit.
     "No pursuit, sir. We've set a roundabout course back to the launch 
pad, and we'll be back to headquarters in seven minutes."
     "Very good, Lieutenant. Keep me appraised of any changes."
     "Yes sir, Baron."

     A month later...
     "Well, Baron, here's the ad we'll be running. What do you think?"]]

Add the following subsection, appropriately numbered, to Section F of Rule 
301:
vSOI Airspeeders
There exist carryable, passable MOs called Airspeeders. A player may Board 
an Airspeeder that they own and which occupies the same Grid location as 
they do at any time. The effects of this action are the same as if the 
player had picked up the Airspeeder [[except that wouldn't make much sense, 
now would it?]]. Players may not Board or pick up Airspeeders they do not 
own. Players in an Airspeeder may travel 6-2n spaces per nweek, where n is 
the number of spaces that player traveled to reach the Airspeeder that 
nweek. Players with the Football cannot enter Airspeeders with the Football. 
Players in Airspeeders may not catch the Football while in an Airspeeder. 
Airspeeders may be purchased from the Gnome Account by players for 25 points 
each, or for 15 points if the purchasing player is in vSOI.

[["Good, but it needs something... I know, how about a discount for the 
first batch of them, to get the market primed? Something like?]]

For the duration of nweek 23, players may purchase Airspeeders for 10 points 
less than specified in the first paragraph of this subsection. This 
paragraph takes precedence over the paragraph preceding it. At the end of 
nweek 23, delete this paragraph.
}}

[["Absolutely, sir. If that's all, I'll have Marketing begin?"
	"Yes, of course. Oh, and by the way,"]]

{{
Replace the text of 301.F.8 with "There exist carryable, passable MOs called 
Towels. A player may Squeeze a Water Gnome or wet Sponge over a Dry Towel 
they hold, or Dip a Dry Towel they hold in a Brook, or use a Dry Towel upon 
emselves if they have the attribute Wet, to get a Wet Towel. If a Wet player 
uses a Dry Towel on emselves, they lose the attribute Wet. A Wet Towel can 
be used on a grid square of type Fire adjacent to the grid square the player 
occupies to make that square of type Earth. Doing this destroys the Wet 
Towel. A player may also Snap a Wet Towel at another player in a grid space 
adjacent to the one they occupy. If this is done, the player Snapped by the 
Wet Towel drops two random objects in their possession, or, if they have 
fewer than two objects in their possession, all of the objects in their 
possession, and moves one space farther away from the player who Snapped 
them with the Wet Towel. Doing this turns the Wet Towel back into a Dry 
Towel. If a Towel changes state from Wet to Dry or from Dry to Wet four 
times, it is destroyed. Towels may be purchased for 5 points from the Gnome 
Account."
}}

{{
In 441.B.23, replace "Ford Prefect Gnomes have one hit point" with "Ford 
Prefect Gnomes have three hit points."
}}

{{
In Rule 905, change item 1 in the list to "Thwocking, Whacking, Shooting or 
Snapping one other player two or more times in any combination in one nweek"
}}
}}

                                                  -BvS-


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