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?

[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...

[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?

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!

Actually my initial post was intended as a query about the ruleset, but what the heck. Amersham.

[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.

[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.

I can't go... Twist.

[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.

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.

Aldwych. Is that right?

Amersham pegging Aldwych. That fixes the token values at both stations. Heh heh.

[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.

Aldwych I can actually see Aldwych station from my office. I'm looking at it right now....

[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.

Aldwych, picking up 5 red tokens.