> > > This is so ridiculous. I start to read any and all of the threads pertaining to this and by the 6th word I have lost all train of thought - they are so confusing. Maybe you think you are explaining things in an easy way, but trust me - NONE of the explanations make any sense to me. I have absolutely NO idea how to fix this. I found M06W broken North, M01W broken South, M21E Broken North and South. Rotate WHAT conduit junction? Rotate the junction WHERE? Ya'all must think I am an idiot and that's ok. It is just so funny that I read these threads & people have a zillion more things they are carrying than I do. Makes me giggle. Anyhoo - Boosters I fixed (by dumb luck I think) but I will NOT be able to do these conduits. I hate to quit this game but it looks like I will. Frustrating at my age when someone says - Just keep trying, you'll get it. Humph! Not me- ;)
> > > I have:
> > > 1 Peryolitium Shard
> > > Passcard (CQ60537)
> > > Radio Receiver
> > > Plastic Cup
> > > Leather Briefcase
> > > Supply Room Card
> > > Fire Extinguisher
> > > Round Pot
> > > Employment Papers
> > > Crowbar
> > > ISO Officer's Cap
> > > Small Mirror
> > > I.D. Card
> > > Light Tube
> > > Washcloth
> > > Pearl Earring
> > >
> >
> > Okay, so let's take a look at how you have the conduit links pointing right now:
> >
> > M01W : north, outer
> > M01E : north, outer
> > M06W : south, outer
> > M06E : south, outer
> > M11W : south, inner
> > M11E : north, outer
> > M16W : south, outer
> > M16E : south, inner
> > M21W : south, inner
> > M21E : north, inner
> > M26W : south, outer
> > M26E : north, outer
> >
> > The broken conduits are:
> > 1. between M01W and M06W
> > 2. between M21W and M21E (across the outer parallel)
> >
> > So, first things first, you can't put either of the links at M01W pointing south (because that would be pointing to broken conduit #1), and similarly you can't have either of the links at M06W pointing north (same reason, it would be pointing to broken conduit #1). You're okay with both of these so far, and you also are avoiding having any links point to broken conduit #2.
> >
> > Where you go wrong first is that not all of the links are pointing to each other in pairs. You need to have all the links pointed so that you can visit each of the 12 junctions, once each, getting from one junction to the next be *leaving* via one of the link directions and *arriving* at the next junction via one of the next junction's links.
> >
> > Example, in case that was confusing: you have the M06W links pointing south/outer. But what happens if you go south from there? South from M06W is M11W, but you can't get *in* to M11W unless you have a link pointing north, which you don't. Everywhere you have a link pointing south, you have to have a link pointing north in the junction which is just to the south. The same goes if you replace the words north and south. For the other directions, you have to match an outer-pointing link with another outer-pointing link. (If you have trouble seeing this, try looking at the diagram in Johnson's office.)
> >
> > If that's still too confusing, let's go through a step by step approach using your current configuration. Let's start at M21W and see how far we can get:
> >
> > 1. M21W (links: south/inner) -- we'll move across the inner to M21E.
> > 2. M21E (links: north/inner) -- we arrive via the inner link, and that means we have to leave via the north link, to M16E.
> > 3. M16E (links: south/outer) -- we arrive via the south link, and that means we have to leave via the outer link, to M16W.
> > 4. M16W (links: south/outer) -- we arrive via the outer link, and that means we have to leave via the south link, to M21W.
> >
> > Now there are two problems here. First, we *can't* go back to M21W, because one of the rules for the job is that the circuit has to go through each junction exactly once. With only two links at each junction, this means that if we come back prematurely to one of the junctions we've been to before, we won't be able to reach any of the others. The second problem is that, even if we *did* want to go to M21W at this stage, M21W doesn't have a link pointing north to M16W.
> >
> > As a first step, you might want to try, then, changing M16W's links to point *north* and outer. That'll let you get one more step, to M11W, and then you have to fix one of M11E's links to match up to M11W (across the inner, this time).
> >
> > So that's the process you've got to go through, building up one step of the chain at a time. Besides matching up the links in pairs, there are a couple of other things you've got to watch out for. Firstly, Johnson says that for crossings of the parallels, you have to alternate between crossing the outer parallel and the inner parallel. Notice that in the steps above, we did that properly, at least for how far we got. We crossed the inner parallel between steps 1 and 2, and we crossed the outer parallel between steps 3 and 4. If there's any question as to whether you should make a link outer/inner, just look at how you did it in the last place in the chain, and just reverse it.
> >
> > The second thing to watch out for is already mentioned above: you have to be careful not to return to any junction you've been to before.
> >
> > Those considerations get you most of the way, but you still have to watch out for the broken conduits. What happens if you're building up the chain, and then you get to where you'd *need* to use a broken conduit to avoid breaking one of the other rules? You'd have to start the chain over again. What you can do here is to *start* the chain next to one of the broken conduits. Then you know, at least, that you won't get stuck on that broken conduit later on. You still might get stuck on the other broken conduit, but now you have a 50-50 chance instead of a 1 in 4 chance.
> >
> > Example: if you start at M01W, then since the conduit to the south is broken, you have your choices narrowed down to (north/outer) or (north/inner). One of these will get you to the solution in the end, successfully dodging the broken M21W-M21E conduit (the one that crosses the outer parallel). If you're unlucky and get stuck, just start over at M01W and try the other possibility.
> >
> > One more bit of advice: it would probably be best to just do the whole puzzle on paper first. It'll save you time, and you'll be able to visualize it easier, too.
>
> Thanks Bud - I drew so many "doughnuts" that it just makes me hungry. I am just getting way too old to try these things. I feel better just knowing there are smart "kids" out there. If they can do these puzzles, the future looks bright! Thanks again - I will give it a try. :)
Thanks Bud - I drew so many "doughnuts" that it just makes me hungry. I am just getting way too old to try these things. I feel better just knowing there are smart "kids" out there. If they can do these puzzles, the future looks bright! Thanks again - I will give it a try. :)

GREMLIN - thought I had it - control room said NO. Okay - started switching things around - now I am confused again so I give up. Thanks for your help though. It really is not so easy. But that's okay.