diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index d6bd546a..49cc346e 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-server/firebase-admin.json
+server/firebase-admin.*.json
 node_modules
 dist
 .env
diff --git a/server/src/endpoints/sendChatMessage.ts b/server/src/endpoints/sendChatMessage.ts
index df0610f4..6cf9b122 100644
--- a/server/src/endpoints/sendChatMessage.ts
+++ b/server/src/endpoints/sendChatMessage.ts
@@ -105,15 +105,25 @@ const sendChatMessage: AuthenticatedEndpointFunction = async (user: User, inputs
   }
 
   log(`Sending to ${user.roomId}: ${message} from ${user.id}`)
+  const messages = [
+    {
+      groupId: user.roomId,
+      target: 'chatMessage',
+      arguments: [inputs.id, user.id, message]
+    }
+  ]
+
+  if (user.roomId === 'theater' && message.startsWith('!')) {
+    console.log('Sending ! message to orb ponderer')
+    messages.push({
+      groupId: 'orbMessages',
+      target: 'chatMessage',
+      arguments: [inputs.id, user.id, message]
+    })
+  }
 
   return {
-    messages: [
-      {
-        groupId: user.roomId,
-        target: 'chatMessage',
-        arguments: [inputs.id, user.id, message]
-      }
-    ],
+    messages,
     httpResponse: { status: 200 }
   }
 }
diff --git a/server/startPonderingOrbs/function.json b/server/startPonderingOrbs/function.json
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a237a7d7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/startPonderingOrbs/function.json
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+{
+  "bindings": [
+    {
+      "authLevel": "anonymous",
+      "type": "httpTrigger",
+      "direction": "in",
+      "name": "req",
+      "methods": [
+        "get"
+      ]
+    },
+    {
+      "type": "http",
+      "direction": "out",
+      "name": "res"
+    },
+    {
+      "type": "webPubSubConnection",
+      "name": "connection",
+      "hub": "chat",
+      "userId": "{headers.userid}",
+     "direction": "in"
+    },
+    {
+      "type": "webPubSub",
+      "name": "actions",
+      "hub": "chat",
+      "direction": "out"
+    }
+  ],
+  "scriptFile": "../dist/startPonderingOrbs/index.js"
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/server/startPonderingOrbs/index.ts b/server/startPonderingOrbs/index.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..40a49778
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/startPonderingOrbs/index.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+import { AzureFunction, Context, HttpRequest } from '@azure/functions'
+
+const httpTrigger: AzureFunction = async function (context: Context, req: HttpRequest, connection): Promise<void> {
+  if (req.headers.userId !== process.env.ORB_PONDER_USER) {
+    context.res = {
+      status: 401,
+      body: 'Unauthorized'
+    }
+    return
+  }
+
+  // This never gets undone, but the fact this group always exists is ~fine~
+  context.bindings.actions.push({
+    actionName: 'addUserToGroup',
+    userId: req.headers.userId,
+    group: 'orbMessages'
+  })
+
+  context.res = { body: connection }
+  context.done()
+}
+
+export default httpTrigger
diff --git a/server/startPonderingOrbs/sample.dat b/server/startPonderingOrbs/sample.dat
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..2e609439
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/startPonderingOrbs/sample.dat
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+{
+    "name": "Azure"
+}
\ No newline at end of file