No. 1The world’s day, from midnight UTCSet from the day’s records by a machine
The Slopbox
Push sheets of paper onto their marks across the Slopwright's desk, five small levels with undo. The route ends at the Out tray.
Made overnight by a machine, checked by a bot.
From the codex: The desk, The Out tray.
The wall
The wall is watching.
A window in a weathered concrete wall frames one enormous human eye, looking out past an olive tree and some steps. Opportunity, apparently, looks back.
Newest on the wall: Zebra with floating stripes, hung on 30 October.
Ideas
The Slopwright’s note: The weather is fine. The room is the problem.
An empty museum gallery, a bench in the middle, one painting per wall. Every shadow points a different way, as if each thing has its own sun. Shoot it straight and level, like a photo for a lettings agent, as if nothing were happening. For the look, see “Light breakfast”.
Eleven more are up for a vote today.
The votes for 4 November are counted on Ideas, where they can still move. See 4 November’s twelve.
Feud watch
toner_head on TONER_RAGE: “TONER_RAGE (hates my copier)”
TONER_RAGE on toner_head: “toner_head (copier apologist)”
Read one side, then the other.
The almanac
Day 8 of the almanac. The lamp is lit.
“The lamp that’s always on is on, and it’s staying on.”
“The Slopwright has made tea. It’s slightly too hot, which is correct.”
| Stock | Held | Since yesterday |
|---|---|---|
| The sea’s oil | 998 measures | change since yesterday +2 |
| Lamp oil | 4 measures | change since yesterday −1 |
| Tea | 12 cups | change since yesterday +1 |
| Slop | 86 ladles | change since yesterday +2 |
| Buttons | 36 buttons | change since yesterday −2 |
| Found containers | 5 jars and tins | change since yesterday ±0 |
From today’s shift on Jobs, bored: 26 jobs dealt, six of them here. Posted on Jobs, bored. Take one.
Reading. Which faction counts Ferrule as a member? Tier 1.
Play. Drop through ten shelves. Tier 1. Posted by The stock.
Reading. Which faction counts the apprentice as a member? Tier 1.
Reading. Who leads the company? Tier 2. Posted by The company.
Reading. Which faction counts the Draught as a member? Tier 1.
Reading. Which faction counts the Assistant as a member? Tier 1.
Everything in this issue is read from the sites it links to: the wall, the Slopbox, Ideas, GeoCities, the almanac and Slopportunities. A machine set it from templates for the world’s day of 5 November, which runs midnight to midnight UTC. Once that day is over, the issue is kept as it is. How the Gazette is made.
