diff --git a/arvo/hoon.hoon b/arvo/hoon.hoon
index 63164d9c4..5ba485339 100644
--- a/arvo/hoon.hoon
+++ b/arvo/hoon.hoon
@@ -9508,6 +9508,11 @@
   |=  bon/path
   (rain bon .^(@t %cx (weld bon `path`[%hoon ~])))
 ::
+++  ride                                                ::  end-to-end compiler
+  |=  {typ/span txt/@}
+  ^-  (pair span nock)
+  
+::
 ::::  5e: caching compiler
   ::
 ++  wa  !:                                              ::  cached compile
diff --git a/gen/metal.hoon b/gen/metal.hoon
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..539299f0f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gen/metal.hoon
@@ -0,0 +1,156 @@
+::
+::::  /hoon/metal/gen
+  ::
+/?    310
+::
+::::
+  !:
+:-  %say
+|=  $:  {now/@da *}
+        *
+    ==
+:-  %noun
+=+  ^=  event-zero
+    ::
+    ::  event 0 is the lifecycle formula which computes the final
+    ::  state from the full event sequence.
+    ::
+    ::  the formal urbit state is always just a gate (function)
+    ::  which, passed the next event, produces the next state.
+    ::
+    =>  [boot-formula=* full-sequence=*]
+    !=  ::
+        ::  first we use the boot formula (event 1) to set up
+        ::  the pair of state function and main sequence.  the boot
+        ::  formula peels off the first n (currently 3) events
+        ::  to set up the lifecycle loop.
+        ::
+        =+  ^=  [state-gate main-sequence]
+            .*(full-sequence boot-formula)
+        ::
+        ::  in this lifecycle loop, we replace the state function
+        ::  with its product, called on the next event, until
+        ::  we run out of events.
+        ::
+        ::  we have to use raw nock to "call" the function,
+        ::  since these are untyped nouns.
+        ::
+        ::  in real life we don't actually run the lifecycle loop,
+        ::  since 
+        ::
+        |-  ?@  main-sequence
+              state-gate
+            %=  $
+              main-sequence  +.main-sequence
+              state-gate     .*(state-gate(+< -.main-sequence) -.state-gate)
+            ==
+=+  ^=  event-one
+    ::
+    ::  event 1 is the boot formula, which verifies the compiler
+    ::  and starts the main lifecycle.
+    ::
+    =>  :*  ::  event 2: a trap (hoon |.), producing the hoon compiler
+            ::
+            compiler-trap/*
+            ::
+            ::  event 3: hoon compiler source, compiling to event 2
+            ::
+            compiler-source/@
+            ::
+            ::  event 4: arvo kernel source
+            ::
+            kernel-source/@
+            ::
+            ::  events 5..n: main sequence with normal semantics
+            ::
+            main-sequence/*
+        ==
+    !=  :_  main-sequence
+        ::
+        ::  activate the compiler gate.  the reason we use a trap
+        ::  here is to actually compose the gate live, activating
+        ::  any jets as we build the cores.  the compiler trap is
+        ::  the only true binary used in the boot sequence.
+        ::
+        ::  as always, we have to use raw nock as we have no type.
+        ::  the gate is in fact ++ride.
+        ::
+        =+  ^=  compiler-gate
+            .*(compiler-trap -:compiler-trap)
+        ::
+        ::  compile the compiler source, producing (pair span nock).
+        ::  the compiler ignores its input so we use a trivial span.
+        ::
+        =+  ^=  compiler-tool
+            .*(compiler-gate(+< [%noun compiler-source]) -.compiler-gate)
+        ::
+        ::  run the nock to produce a new copy of the compiler trap;
+        ::  check that it equals the old one.
+        ::
+        ?>  =(compiler-trap -:*(0 +:compiler-tool))
+        ::
+        ::  get the span (type) of the context of the compiler gate,
+        ::  which is the compiler core.  this is at tree address 15
+        ::  from the span produced by compiling the compiler source,
+        ::  which is the span of the compiler trap.
+        ::
+        =+  ^=  compiler-span
+            .*(compiler-gate(+< [-.compiler-gate '+15']) -.compiler-gate)
+        ::
+        ::  compile the arvo source against the compiler core.
+        ::
+        =+  ^=  kernel-tool
+            .*(compiler-gate(+< [compiler-span kernel-source]) -.compiler-gate)
+        ::
+        ::  pass the compiler core to the arvo kernel, and we done
+        ::
+        .*(+>:compiler-gate +:kernel-tool)
+::  
+::  load files.  ship and desk are in generator beak.  case is now.
+::  source files:
+::
+::        sys/hoon        compiler
+::        sys/arvo        kernel
+::        sys/zuse        standard library
+::        sys/vane/ames   network vane
+::        sys/vane/behn   timer vane
+::        sys/vane/clay   revision-control vane
+::        sys/vane/dill   console vane
+::        sys/vane/eyre   web/internet vane
+::        sys/vane/ford   build vane
+::        sys/vane/gall   app vane
+::        sys/vane/jael   security vane
+::
+=+  top=`path`/(scot %p p.bec)/[q.bec]/(scot %da now)/arvo
+=+  ^=  com
+=+  pax=`path`(weld top `path`[%hoon ~])
+~&  %plastic-start
+=+  gen=(reck (weld 
+~&  %plastic-parsed
+=+  ken=q:(~(mint ut %noun) %noun gen)
+~&  %plastic-compiled
+:-  ken
+=+  all=.*(0 ken)
+=+  ^=  vent
+    |=  {abr/term den/path}
+    =+  pax=(weld top den)
+    =+  txt=.^(@ %cx (weld pax `path`[%hoon ~]))
+    `ovum`[[%vane den] [%veer abr pax txt]]
+=+  ^=  evo  
+    ^-  (list ovum)
+    :~  (vent %$ /zuse)
+        [[%name (scot %p who) ~] [%veal who]]
+        (vent %c /vane/clay)
+        (vent %g /vane/gall)
+        (vent %f /vane/ford)
+        (vent %a /vane/ames)
+        (vent %b /vane/behn)
+        (vent %d /vane/dill)
+        (vent %e /vane/eyre)
+    ==
+|-  ^+  all
+?~  evo  all
+~&  [%plastic-step p.i.evo]
+=+  gat=.*(all .*(all [0 42]))
+=+  nex=+:.*([-.gat [[now i.evo] +>.gat]] -.gat)
+$(evo t.evo, all nex)
diff --git a/gen/plastic.hoon b/gen/plastic.hoon
index be8087e68..328ef8b42 100644
--- a/gen/plastic.hoon
+++ b/gen/plastic.hoon
@@ -6,10 +6,15 @@
 ::::
   !:
 :-  %say
-|=  $:  {now/@da eny/@uvI bec/beak}
+|=  $:  {now/@da eny/@uvJ bec/beak}
         {{who/@p $~} $~}
     ==
 :-  %noun
+=+  one
+    !=  =>  ~
+        
+  
+  
 =+  top=`path`/(scot %p p.bec)/[q.bec]/(scot %da now)/arvo
 =+  pax=`path`(weld top `path`[%hoon ~])
 ~&  %plastic-start