The Machine

Belvedere Jehosophat - Tuesday, 14 February 2006 - 11:46:33 - print it raw

The day is split up into five equal time periods. The machine that consumes their labour breaks down at least once a day during these time periods, though, sometimes, rarely, very rarely, twice a day.

If the machine breaks down during the third or fourth period it is absolutely guaranteed to not break down again for the rest of the day.
(Naturally, if the machine breaks down during the fifth period it cannot break down again as the day is effectively over...)

If the machine— and I should stress that it is extremely rare for the machine to break down more than once during a given day —breaks down during the first period of the day it can only break down during the fourth or fifth period of the remaining day.

Now, if the machine breaks down during the first and fourth period then the machine is guaranteed to not break down again the next day until sometime during or after the third period.
If, however, the machine breaks down during the first and fifth period then the machine is guaranteed to only break down the next day, once, during the last period.

If they know that the machine is almost certain to not break down for at least three periods — for example, when, on the previous day, the machine breaks down during the first and fifth period — they are allowed to catch a few hours sleep in the common room.
(I shouldn't have to note, though, that they do, in fact, have to go to work to start the machine...)

If they know that the machine is not due to break down for the rest of the day — for example, when the machine breaks down during the third period — they are allowed to have the afternoon off but they have to return to work to shut down the machine.

They can trade shifts but only for the following day and only if they make the requisite arrangements before the end of the first period — this is to prevent people from taking advantage of the benefits garnered from a machine that has broken down twice in the same day.

victim... don't want to be a victim... don't want to be a victim... don't want to be a victim... don't want to be a victim...