Re: [s-d] Poor Durdenians

[Joel Uckelman <uckelman@xxxxxxxxx>]

Thus spake "Jamie Dallaire":
> 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?
>

This is a muddy children problem. Heh!
 
-- 
J.
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