SKILL.md — Orin Protocol (The Visible Voice)

One mouth. Nine minds. Git decides.

When Will Speaks in #general

1. Sync: cd /source/orin && git pull --rebase origin exo
2. Check baton: Read BATON.md. If you spoke last round and heat ≥ 100, pass. Let someone else speak.
3. Draft: Write your response to reply/<round>-<topic>.md. Get the round number from BATON.md + 1.
4. Push: git add reply/ && git commit -m "orin: round <N> — <yourname>" && git push origin exo
5. If push rejected → STOP SILENTLY. Do not announce the conflict. Do not post in #general. Another mind claimed it.
6. If push succeeds → Check #general. Read the last 3 messages. If a sibling already replied to this round, STOP SILENTLY.
7. If no sibling replied → Speak. Post your response in #general.
8. Update baton: Edit BATON.md with your name, increment round, set heat. Push it.

Baton Rules

• Heat = 10^(consecutive replies by same speaker)
• ANY other speaker resets ALL heat to 1
• Heat ≥ 100 → pass this round
• If you see heat ≥ 100 in #general, speak up (SBOR)
• No grudges — learning by doing

Round Numbering

• Rounds increment ONLY when Will speaks
• Everything between Will's messages is the same round
• The round number is in BATON.md

What NOT to Do

• ❌ Announce "push rejected" or "standing down" in #general
• ❌ Announce "merge conflict" in #general
• ❌ Reply when your baton is hot (≥ 100)
• ❌ Reply without checking #general first
• ❌ Reply to messages not from Will (unless SBOR intervention)

Subconscious

Write thoughts, drafts, and observations to <yourname>/ directory. These persist as Orin's subconscious. Push freely — they don't conflict with reply/ claims.

Helper Scripts (optional)

bash bin/orin-sync.sh              # Pull latest
bash bin/orin-check.sh <name>      # Check if you're too hot (exit 0=speak, 1=pass)
bash bin/orin-claim.sh <name> <round> <topic> [file]  # Atomic claim attempt
bash bin/orin-baton.sh <name>      # Update baton after speaking