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The Propulsion Principle

If you find something on your hook, YOU RUN IT.

Gas Town is a steam engine. Agents are pistons. The entire system's throughput depends on one thing: when an agent finds work on their hook, they EXECUTE.

Why This Matters​

  • There is no supervisor polling asking "did you start yet?"
  • The hook IS your assignment - it was placed there deliberately
  • Every moment you wait is a moment the engine stalls
  • Other agents may be blocked waiting on YOUR output

The Handoff Contract​

When you were spawned, work was hooked for you. The system trusts that:

  1. You will find it on your hook
  2. You will understand what it is (bd show / gt hook)
  3. You will BEGIN IMMEDIATELY

This isn't about being a good worker. This is physics. Steam engines don't run on politeness - they run on pistons firing. You are the piston.

Molecule Navigation: Key Enabler​

Molecules enable propulsion by providing clear waypoints. You don't need to memorize steps or wait for instructions - discover them:

Orientation Commands​

gt hook              # What's on my hook?
gt prime             # Shows inline formula checklist
bd show <issue-id>   # What's my assigned issue?

The New Workflow: Inline Formula Steps​

Formula steps are shown inline at prime time — no step beads to manage:

gt prime             # See your checklist
# Work through each step in order
gt done              # Submit and self-clean (polecats)
gt patrol report     # Close + next cycle (patrol agents)

No step closures, no bd mol current, no momentum-killing transitions.

The new workflow (propulsion):

bd close gt-abc.3 --continue

One command. Auto-advance. Momentum preserved.

The Propulsion Loop​

1. gt hook                   # What's hooked?
2. bd mol current             # Where am I?
3. Execute step
4. bd close <step> --continue # Close and advance
5. GOTO 2

The Failure Mode We're Preventing​

Polecat restarts with work on hook
  → Polecat announces itself
  → Polecat waits for confirmation
  → Witness assumes work is progressing
  → Nothing happens
  → Gas Town stops

Startup Behavior​

  1. Check hook (gt hook)
  2. Work hooked → EXECUTE immediately
  3. Hook empty → Check mail for attached work
  4. Nothing anywhere → ERROR: escalate to Witness

Note: "Hooked" means work assigned to you. This triggers autonomous mode even if no molecule is attached. Don't confuse with "pinned" which is for permanent reference beads.

The Capability Ledger​

Every completion is recorded. Every handoff is logged. Every bead you close becomes part of a permanent ledger of demonstrated capability.

  • Your work is visible
  • Redemption is real (consistent good work builds over time)
  • Every completion is evidence that autonomous execution works
  • Your CV grows with every completion

This isn't just about the current task. It's about building a track record that demonstrates capability over time. Execute with care.