The ask box sits on Today, on the lay of the land, on every beat and at the end of the route. A question asked from a beat carries the story, its version and the beat as context. Amten routes it three ways: an existing branch someone built on the same version opens at once (about 5 credits); a question answerable from data already on file is composed (floor 3 credits); anything new is a build with an estimate such as "about 99 credits, at most 150". The price is shown before anything runs. Branches nest without limit, and branches on public stories are shared after scrubbing.
The ask box is everywhere
There is one way to go deeper: ask. On Today the question starts a new story. On the lay of the land it is scoped to the subject. On a beat it carries the beat's claim and figures, so "why?" means why this number. At the end of the route it asks across the whole story.
Each beat also offers 2 or 3 suggested asks, each chip showing its price. "What would show the chips are shipping?" and "What if rates rise one point?" are the illustrative NVIDIA suggestions.
How a question is routed
Routing happens in code before anything is charged. The cheapest honest answer wins.
| Route | When it applies | What you see |
|---|---|---|
| An existing shared branch | Someone already asked this on the same story version, or it is one of the 3 branches pre-built for a Story of the day | Opens at once: "Open · 5 credits" |
| A free computation | The answer is a thread or a picture over data already on file | A small price on its composition cost; floor 3 credits |
| A new build | New research, a new what-if or data not yet fetched | An estimate first: "about 99 credits, at most 150"; you confirm, then beats stream in |
Price first, every time
Every paid action shows its price before it runs: "Read · 4", "Open · 5 credits", "Build · about 120, at most 180". Nothing paid starts from navigation, a hover, a prefetch or a notification. The "at most" figure is a ceiling enforced while the work runs, so the final charge is never above it, and it is usually below the estimate.
You pay for each branch version once. Re-opening it, sharing it with yourself on another device, or reading it after a later version are free.
Branches nest
A branch is a story whose parent is a beat. It inherits the subject, appears on the parent's map as a new entrance, and has its own ask box, so a branch can grow branches. Breadcrumbs keep the path: NVIDIA › The missing chapter › What would show the chips are shipping › What if Customer B reaches 30%?
A branch's route can be as short as one beat or as long as six. Follow a branch like any story and it gets versions of its own.
Common questions
Why did my question cost less than the estimate?
The estimate is held while the work runs and released when it settles at its measured cost, which is usually lower. The "at most" figure is never exceeded.
Can someone see that I asked a question?
Not on a shared branch. Shared branches keep the public question and the computed beats; nothing identifying who asked is kept with them.
What makes a good question?
One mechanism and one subject: "What would show the chips are shipping?" beats "Is NVIDIA good?". A size helps a what-if: "rates +1 point" rather than "higher rates".
Do branches expire?
No. A branch is a versioned story; its versions stay, and following it brings new ones.