diff --git a/bad-apple/.gitignore b/bad-apple/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1100c44
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bad-apple/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+data/*
+!data/manifest.json
+preview/
+player/build/
+__pycache__/
+.pytest_cache/
diff --git a/bad-apple/README.md b/bad-apple/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a96420f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bad-apple/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+# Bad Apple on VT1200 — 30 s vector prototype
+
+This is the standalone, polygon-styled 30-second Bad Apple demo described in
+[`docs/superpowers/specs/2026-10-31-bad-apple-vector-design.md`](../docs/superpowers/specs/2026-10-31-bad-apple-vector-design.md).
+
+The host pipeline turns the first 30 s of `hd60.mp4` into a 640×512 black-and-white
+vector picture, packs only changed 32×32 tiles as rectangles, and a TMS34010
+payload paints them with `FILL L`. The payload takes over the terminal, so a hang
+ends at a power cycle.
+
+Status: under construction. See the implementation plan at
+[`docs/superpowers/plans/2026-11-01-bad-apple-vector.md`](../docs/superpowers/plans/2026-11-01-bad-apple-vector.md).
diff --git a/bad-apple/conftest.py b/bad-apple/conftest.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5334305
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bad-apple/conftest.py
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+import sys
+from pathlib import Path
+
+ROOT = Path(__file__).resolve().parent
+if str(ROOT) not in sys.path:
+    sys.path.insert(0, str(ROOT))
diff --git a/bad-apple/pipeline/__init__.py b/bad-apple/pipeline/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e69de29
diff --git a/bad-apple/pipeline/frames.py b/bad-apple/pipeline/frames.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4ba37b1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bad-apple/pipeline/frames.py
@@ -0,0 +1,96 @@
+"""Video extraction and the small image primitives the pipeline shares."""
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import subprocess
+from typing import Iterator, Sequence
+
+import numpy as np
+
+
+def temporal_median3(frames: Sequence[np.ndarray]) -> np.ndarray:
+    """Median of three same-shaped frames, as uint8."""
+    if len(frames) != 3:
+        raise ValueError("temporal_median3 wants exactly three frames")
+    return np.median(np.stack(frames), axis=0).astype(np.uint8)
+
+
+def box_blur3(gray: np.ndarray) -> np.ndarray:
+    """3x3 box blur with edge clamping (no wraparound)."""
+    if gray.ndim != 2:
+        raise ValueError("box_blur3 wants a 2-D gray image")
+    p = np.pad(gray.astype(np.float32), 1, mode="edge")
+    total = (
+        p[0:-2, 0:-2] + p[0:-2, 1:-1] + p[0:-2, 2:]
+        + p[1:-1, 0:-2] + p[1:-1, 1:-1] + p[1:-1, 2:]
+        + p[2:, 0:-2] + p[2:, 1:-1] + p[2:, 2:]
+    )
+    return np.rint(total / 9.0).astype(np.uint8)
+
+
+def binarize(gray: np.ndarray, threshold: int = 127) -> np.ndarray:
+    """True means black ink (the source is dark-on-light)."""
+    return gray < threshold
+
+
+def pack_lsb(mask: np.ndarray) -> bytes:
+    """Pack rows LSB-first: bit 0 of a byte is the leftmost pixel."""
+    if mask.ndim != 2 or mask.shape[1] % 8:
+        raise ValueError("pack_lsb wants 2-D rows whose width is a multiple of 8")
+    return np.packbits(mask.astype(bool), axis=1, bitorder="little").tobytes()
+
+
+def extract_gray(video: str, start: float, duration: float, fps: int,
+                 width: int, height: int) -> Iterator[np.ndarray]:
+    """Yield (height, width) uint8 gray frames from ffmpeg."""
+    vf = "fps=%s,scale=%d:%d:flags=lanczos,format=gray" % (
+        fps, width, height)
+    cmd = [
+        "ffmpeg", "-v", "error",
+        "-ss", str(start),
+        "-i", video,
+        "-t", str(duration),
+        "-vf", vf,
+        "-f", "rawvideo", "-",
+    ]
+    size = width * height
+    proc = subprocess.Popen(cmd, stdout=subprocess.PIPE, bufsize=size * 4)
+    try:
+        while True:
+            buf = proc.stdout.read(size)
+            if len(buf) < size:
+                break
+            yield np.frombuffer(buf, dtype=np.uint8).reshape(height, width)
+    finally:
+        proc.stdout.close()
+        proc.wait()
+        if proc.returncode != 0:
+            raise RuntimeError("ffmpeg failed with status %d" % proc.returncode)
+
+
+def extract_binary(video: str, start: float, duration: float, fps: int,
+                   width: int, height: int,
+                   params: dict) -> Iterator[np.ndarray]:
+    """Yield stylised binary frames: temporal median, blur, threshold.
+
+    Exactly ``duration * fps`` frames are produced.  The first output is the
+    first frame against itself; each later output is the median of the
+    previous, current and next frame.
+    """
+    threshold = int(params.get("threshold", 127))
+    want_blur = int(params.get("blur", 3))
+    it = extract_gray(video, start, duration, fps, width, height)
+    try:
+        first = next(it)
+    except StopIteration:
+        return
+
+    def render(median_frame: np.ndarray) -> np.ndarray:
+        gray = box_blur3(median_frame) if want_blur >= 3 else median_frame
+        return binarize(gray, threshold)
+
+    a = first
+    b = first
+    yield render(temporal_median3([a, b, first]))
+    for current in it:
+        yield render(temporal_median3([a, b, current]))
+        a, b = b, current
diff --git a/bad-apple/pipeline/params.json b/bad-apple/pipeline/params.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..25c7bc4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bad-apple/pipeline/params.json
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+{
+  "start": 0.0,
+  "duration": 30.0,
+  "fps": 60,
+  "width": 640,
+  "height": 512,
+  "threshold": 127,
+  "temporal_median": 3,
+  "blur": 3,
+  "tile": 32,
+  "scale": 2,
+  "rdp_epsilon": 1.5,
+  "min_segment": 2,
+  "min_component": 8
+}
diff --git a/bad-apple/pytest.ini b/bad-apple/pytest.ini
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5ee6477
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bad-apple/pytest.ini
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+[pytest]
+testpaths = tests
diff --git a/bad-apple/tests/test_frames.py b/bad-apple/tests/test_frames.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d072b31
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bad-apple/tests/test_frames.py
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+import numpy as np
+from pipeline.frames import temporal_median3, box_blur3, binarize, pack_lsb
+
+
+def test_temporal_median_removes_single_frame_flash():
+    a = np.zeros((4, 4), dtype=np.uint8)
+    b = np.zeros((4, 4), dtype=np.uint8)
+    b[1, 1] = 255
+    c = np.zeros((4, 4), dtype=np.uint8)
+    out = temporal_median3([a, b, c])
+    assert out[1, 1] == 0
+
+
+def test_pack_lsb_is_leftmost_pixel_bit_zero():
+    mask = np.zeros((1, 8), dtype=bool)
+    mask[0, 0] = True
+    assert pack_lsb(mask) == b"\x01"
+    mask[0, 7] = True
+    assert pack_lsb(mask) == b"\x81"
+
+
+def test_binarize_black_is_true():
+    gray = np.array([[0, 255]], dtype=np.uint8)
+    assert binarize(gray).tolist() == [[True, False]]
+
+
+def test_box_blur_softens_a_single_pixel():
+    gray = np.zeros((3, 3), dtype=np.uint8)
+    gray[1, 1] = 9
+    out = box_blur3(gray)
+    assert out[1, 1] == 1