What other rules?

"What are these other rules? How much can you tell me?"

A feeling of danger and dread as if standing on and peering over the edge of a cliff spread through John. "As long as asking that won't get me killed", he thought plaintively.

"It's not that I can't tell you, so much as I don't have access to that information currently", said Aidea in his thoughts. "The rule you wrote required protecting you from asking any questions which would endanger you or your control of The Rulebook, but even setting up an interface to ask questions through The Rulebook would have triggered something. I am a compromise of sorts - I have all the information The Rulebook could safely allow you to access, and know what questions cannot be asked. Essentially, I serve as a combination firewall and proxy between you and The Rulebook, only giving you the information that is safe, and only asking it the questions that are safe. You may find ways around some blocks through your future rules and actions, and I can work with you to find ways around the dangers, but as of now there are a few things I know you've considered which you cannot do. We can call them Blocked Actions. There are also a few Prime Rules, which are made known to any who survive their first day as an author."

Prime Rule Alpha: You may not write a rule attempting to destroy the universe or any stellar objects, although you may alter them. The consequences of attempting to violate this rule are memory erasure from the moment the violating author first saw The Rulebook, and all changes made by them as an author reverting to their original state. The Rulebook will then transport itself no less that 500 kilometers away from it's location at the time of the violation, placing itself within the reach of a sentient creature who has not been an author before. _"You can still do things _like divert an asteroid which is about to hit Earth, for example, or even prevent the Sun from turning into a red giant...if you live that long" - Aidea's mental chuckle was even more arousing than her voice - "This Prime Rule was part of The Rulebook from when it came to be, and has not been circumvented by any author."

Prime Rule Beta: This book (designated by current author "The Rulebook") may not be destroyed. The consequences of attempting to violate this rule are memory erasure from the moment the violating author first saw The Rulebook, and all changes made by them as an author reverting to their original state. The Rulebook will then transport itself no less that 500 kilometers away from it's location at the time of the violation, placing itself within the reach of a sentient creature who has not been an author before. "Self protection, fairly self-explanatory."

Prime Rule 1: You may not write a rule attempting to destroy a sentient entity, even yourself. The consequences of attempting to violate this rule are memory erasure from the moment the violating author first saw The Rulebook, and all changes made by them as an author reverting to their original state. The Rulebook will then transport itself no less that 500 kilometers away from it's location at the time of the violation, placing itself within the reach of a sentient creature who has not been an author before."This Prime Rule was written by the first author. Prime Rules may be suggested in writing by an author, but only with the agreement of The Rulebook do they become Prime Rules. A Prime Rule has not been written since this one, for reasons which appear to be blocked. I surmise that authors after the first did not meet The Rulebook's standards."

Blocked Action: You may not directly alter your stepfamily in any way."
"What?", blurted John. "But they're..." He broke off, a disturbing thought coming to him. "Was one of them an author? Or were they altered by an author and protected from being changed further?"

"That information is not accessible", Aidea thought back, "I seems probable that whatever the source, they not only put restrictions on altering them directly, but also on finding out information that could lead to getting around the rules they wrote."

"Can we...probe around the edges?"

"You can try."