[s-d] Poor Durdenians

["Jamie Dallaire" <bad.leprechaun@xxxxxxxxx>]

Shortly before the planet Durden was blown to smithereens, an intrepid group
of 19 asexual, anosmic, indigo, and remarkably observant Durdenians set off
to establish a new colony on the distant planet Gloob. Gloob's atmosphere
is, unfortunately, extremely toxic for all Durdenians. Thankfully, each of
the colonists took a single wheeled robotic assistant (WRA) along on the
trip. The Durdenian Gloob colony consists of a ring of individual buildings,
each inhabited by a single Durdenian and eir WRA and equipped with one
airlock and a bay window facing the ring's centre. Each Durdenian can see
each other Durdenian's airlock and WRA (when the WRA ventures outside), but
cannot see eir own airlock. All Durdenians can see the beacon at the centre
of the colony.

The Durdenians' woes continue, as a relatively large gamma ray burst,
coinciding with a tremendous Gloobquake, has disrupted all modes of contact
between buildings. The fragile Durdenians, not fit to venture outside and
not having developed gestural language, are absolutely incapable of
communicating with each other in any direct manner. The WRAs, with their
currently limited battery life, cannot even carry a message halfway to any
other building. The beacon has automatically lit up, signaling that one or
more airlocks have developed visible external structural damage that may
eventually allow Gloob's toxic atmosphere to permeate some buildings.

All Durdenian colonists know the established protocol for this eventuality,
and know that each other colonist can be counted on to follow it to the
letter. If, at any time, a Durdenian deduces that eir own airlock is
structurally damaged, e must send eir WRA outside to execute repairs at the
start of the next Gloobhour.

No WRAs leave their buildings until 9 and 1/2 Gloobhours after the beacon
lit up, at which time a number of the wheeled machines make their exit
simultaneously.

How many WRAs have ventured into Gloob's inhospitable atmosphere?

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The first eligible Player who posts a correct answer as a reply to this
thread will receive the Great Fixit Raffle Prize of 80 mackerel! Only the
first answer submitted by any given player will be accepted during any given
nday. A "correct" answer includes an adequate explanation, which I will
solicit privately when needed. For this reason, I will not comment publicly
on the accuracy of any submitted answer until I announce that the contest
has been won. Guessing will not be tolerated.

The eligible Players are the following: Wooble, Dominov, Ivan Hope, Codae,
BobTHJ, 0x44

Please, no spoilers.

Billy Pilgrim
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