I N V O I C E

ACCOUNT OF INDECISION — rendered per generation
NO.  0031–CA
DATED 
TERMS  due on settlement
BILLED TO
The automaton, c/o its own current row.
For services of introspection rendered
against itself, without instruction.
BILLED BY
The automaton, c/o the rule it derived
one moment ago and has since revised.
Querying address: a hash of the present.
GEN
STATE — LINE ITEM (bracket-counted cells)
RULE
CHARGE
Generations billed0
Rules summoned (distinct)0
Subtotal, indecision0.00
Distracted-care surcharge0.00
TOTAL DUE0.00
PROCESSING…
SELF-TEST: pending.
Each line item is one generation of a one-dimensional cellular automaton. The automaton holds no fixed rule. Every generation it quantifies its own state — sums and folds the live cells into a number in 0–255 — and adopts that number as the rule by which it computes the next row. The charge is levied for the row failing to equal any row already on the ledger. A row that repeated would close the account; until then the indecision accrues. Cells in brackets are counted; the count is the bill. Seed fixed for audit. No estimate of completion is offered, in keeping with the nature of the work.