It's what we're here for, isn't it?
And so it begins...
Tuj - I'm... I'm not sure!
Uncle Korky - I think we need an emergency philosopher...
Kim - My research (see aitch tee tee pee colon forwardslash forwardslash kevan dot org forwardslash morningtonia) suggests that you have to shout out the names of stations on the London Underground, like this -
Amersham - but I'm not at all sure how one proceeds after that, or what the rules (if any) are, or how (or indeed, whether) it is a game that can be won in the usual sense.
Tuj - [Kim] Ah, good work! I'll play
Aldwych... Oh, except that that establishes an Amersham-Aldwych Loop. Which since it has occurred immediately... there... may... be... no... way... out... of?
Tuj -
[ http://kevan.org/morningtonia.pl?Amersham-Aldwych_Loop ] - is linking totally washed out then? Emergency Philosopher - You called? Or did you? What does it actually mean to 'call' someone? Can we safely assume that you invited me to come and, compelled by your invitation, I came towards you, or is it that actually I actually pushed you away from myself, but backwards in time?
Uncle Korky - Oh, Emergency Philosopher! Thank God you're here!
Emergency Philosopher - But what does it mean to be "here". I'm not where you are, as you're occupying that region of spacetime just now that you would describe as "here". But then what do we mean by "now"? And given that the Earth is moving very fast, are there any fixed "here"s?
rab - [Tuj] No - just link away, click 'Stand' or 'Preview' and follow the instructions. As a courtesy:
Aldwych Loop. Though this gives me an idea - perhaps I could create a short-cut tag for morningtonia entries...
Uncle Korky - [EP] Erm... well, thank God you came. I've had a bit of a scare - someone's postulated a premise that says "It's what we're here for, isn't it?". Should I consider this a rhetorical statement that does not require a response, or something more deeply profound that suggests a more binding, universal truth?
Simons Mith - I think I shall play
Aldwych. [Tuj] Nah, someone just needs to win the token race. I'm putting a fiver on the bob-tailed nag. Or do I mean token? Thank goodness you're here, Emergency Philosopher-Person!
I Say, Porter! - Actually my initial post was intended as a query about the ruleset, but what the heck.
Amersham.
Tuj - [rab] I must have messed something up... I was expecting the box to appear and it never did (on my first move at least).
[SM] Taking the latest version of HP2K as standard, none of us is in a position to enter said token race, as no-one's declared a home station. And yet no-one can declare a home station due to the blockage of all flux having begun in the loop. At least that's what I thought. Can you see a way round it?
Oh, and
Aldwych.
Simons Mith - [Tuj] Well, a ten point token advantage is enough to win the race. Normally that would be +12 against +2 or something, but if no-one can pay any tokens in, -15 to -5 would also work. So a backwards token race would be one way. Another would be if either station becomes blocked. There are bound to be others.
Oh, and Aldwych, pegging Amersham.
Tuj - [SM] Good thinking. I'm pretty sure the token race can't be backwards to the ramifications on the major coefficients, so we'll have to shed some first before any decisive race can get going. As such I'll play the
pegged Amersham and
Box myself, sacrificing 5 tokens.
Inkspot - It was behind the bike sheds at in the mid seventies when still at secondary school that I was first introduced to this loop. There had been four of us there, three boys and one girl, very nice but a bit of a tease. The school dinner which everyone had sitting on long benches and for pudding we had had semolina and raisins which were put round the outside of the bowl and play, she-loves-me-she-loves-me-not. The vicars daughter was always willing. So near the end of the summer term that notes were passed during maths to meet at lunch break to gather for one last game of MC before school broke up. The game had been going well and in good spirits till Evans introduced the Aldwych Loop into play. After a couple of plays she had that glint in her eye which made us three boys shuffle and look at our shoes she was about to break the Loop and there was me thinking it was going to be Baggy, cause I was in knip and Thomo well he had not a clue. So we were all suprised when she looked straight at Baggy poker faced and said "I'll show you mine if you'll show me yours" and like two conspiritors the two walked a couple of paces, as they whipered to each other I called out
Amersham, at which she stormed off and the game was never finished.
nfras -
Aldwych. Is that right?
Simons Mith -
Amersham pegging Aldwych. That fixes the token values at both stations. Heh heh.
Tuj - [SM] Oh come now, just because I took the fall somewhat last go doesn't mean you can play saboteur!
Anyone got any ideas where we go from here? The only thing I can think of is to somehow create a flux triangle with two of its points at one station to destabilise the token fixing. But that can't be done without... gah!
In the meantime it hardly matters which to play, so I'll stay
Boxed at
Amersham.
Kim -
Aldwych I can actually see Aldwych station from my office. I'm looking at it right now.... Inkspot - [Tuj] You made a sacrifice which should really be reciprocated be another player, not naming any names, which is something Baggy said to be once or words similar he often said things like that. You see the unfinished game was starting to bother him and neither of us had spoken to Rhinanon for the last few weeks since the holidays had begun. I could tell leaving the loop like that disturbed him. With nothing better to do we took our bikes down to the wood and stopped on the small wooden bridge. It was quiet there it must have been just what he needed, he did his usual "You know, you know what ..." paused listening to the stream then added "we need to finish the game it's not right what you did". He had said it and he was right, so I asked what we should do know, and it all came out. He had plan. We needed a peacemaker to bring us together it had to be Thomo as he was a friend of Dorothy's. So for your sake Tuj I hope this works
Aldwych and giving up 5 red tokens.
nfras -
Aldwych, picking up 5 red tokens.
I Say, Porter! -
Aldwych picking up an embarrassing rash from a lady of the night.
Tuj -
Aldwych. Playing the same station repeatedly seems an interesting ploy, but could it actually be useful? In anything less than 100 moves (when
Tyrone's Law would reset the game)?
Irouléguy -
Aldwych Tuj] It depends if we're going clockwise or anti-clockwise - clockwise would rev up the LV quite nicely. Plus we can all wave to Kim.
Inkspot - I'm not sure which way we are going but it is quiet restful, but bracing myself for any sudden jolt to the system, which is probably what Dotty was hoping would happen to us four, hanging around as we were with faces like a wet weekend in Blackpool. We had told our parents we were staying over at each others houses, but we headed for the old farmhouse cottage, empty since old man Evan Evans had in the spring. Me and Thomo arrived first as the setting sun was down among the tree tops, I remember as we sat and compared the contents of our bags how deathly silent it was. Till Baggy came freewheeling down the lane to the yard yelling like a wounded banshee and the biggest grin across his face I'd ever seen. His excitement was catching so we were in the best of moods when Rhinanon appeared. It was brilliant it was back to as it should be. Dorothy had given Rhinanon the key to her uncles place which was dark inside so we lit the candles Thomo had brought along and settled down on an old rug. It was also Thomo who brought up about the game as he did a chill went up the spine to make me shiver. Baggy was all for eating he had brought along chocolate and by the looks nothing much else. But we had come there play out the game. Rhinanon and Thomo looked at me, just as she was about to speak the candles blew out and it went pitch black but I could see the night sky and all the stars in a cloudless sky I could hear the sound of scraping and in my arms a heavy weight, I was pulling a limp body across some cobbles. I dropped the body the candles came back to life and I could see from the startled expression in the eyes of the others they had seen the same. We grabbed our things and ran out the front door, Baggy was away first, as I climbed on my bike to chase after him I called to the others to see them soon. All we wanted was to continue but we all felt it, the game was after revenge.
Amersham and rattling the diagonals.
I Say, Porter! - Logically, if she weighs the same as a duck, she's made of wood. And therefore,
Aldwych.
Tuj -
Amersham,
reversing to try and stem the undeclared
cabin fever.
Gusset Login - I'm still not sure about this but is
Aldwych a valid move here? I guess I'll give it a go.
I Say, Porter! - Even this five pound book token isn't going to get me out of here. The Lion,
Aldwych and The Wardrobe for me, I'm afraid.
Software - Arriving late at the board, hence
Neasden.
nfras - Ahah,
Dollis Hill. Bugger!
I Say, Porter! - Arse!
Dollis Hill [Softers, nfras] another partial success.
Irouléguy -
Dollis Hill, claiming six red podumes for the Bellman's move.
Tuj - [Softers] Excellent. Though after the podume delta caused by Irouléguy I'm back at A... no,
Dollis Hill.
nfras -
Amersham. You know I think I'm beginning to get the hang of this game.
Software -
*Clearing Throat* That was tricky.
Snaresbrook but very gingerly - placing ginger podume on Central Line.
gil -
Bank but don't forget the crankspindle.
Tuj - I'll
*farkle*, to be on the safe side.
Inkspot - That last three moves as a sequence had quite an impact, perhaps after the events of the Loop it was wise to be cautious. In much the same way the events at the cottage made us all rush back to the safety of our own beds much to the surprise of each of our parents. I must have fallen asleep at sometime during the night even though I had tried to stay awake. The memory still bright the texture of the clothing had been so real, the coal dust swirling in the air. Several loud bangs on the front door brought my mother out of the kitchen, I hoped it was not for me. I sat silently for a few moment when the call came up the stairs saying it was Rhinanon, which was not too unexpected, she must be scared witless. I called back downstairs, put on fresh clothes, time to play it cool, last night was nothing. Only thing was waiting on the doorstep Rhinanon was not alone. As I sttod open mouthed and gawping at the short flat capped figure, well-worn suit and heavy boots, she simply broke the silence by saying “Meet Arhie Shuttleton, now get your shoes on we're off to find Baggy”. Before I could ask any questions about him Rhinanon had started walking down the front garden and was by the gate by the time I caught up, as we walked along Archie oddly familiar but out of place stayed several paces behind. That girl was up to something that was definite, she knew something about Archie that I didn't. Being decisive never one of my strong points, but piked straddle to
Euston is as daring a move as I care to make for the moment.
Software - Returning to the fray with
Heathrow Terminals 1,2,3.
Hmmm -
Barking , in fact double Barking
nfras - Completely mad,
Watford.
Robin - <kamikaze>
Balham </kamikaze>
Tuj -
Mornington Crescent!
Audience -
*shouts, screams generally goes wild for Tuj* Tuj - Why, Robin, why! Admittedly it's impressive to see a genuine kamikaze leading straight to MC, but still...
This is the end of the line. There is no more.