Shooting
Do you have any idea of how many things you can whomp up from just one yeti hide? (You can see them if you go to those mall stores that sell llama fur and ask in back.)
The Big Science thing reminds me of the classic scene in the movie "Contact," where it is revealed that there is a spare of the gigantic space-bending machine. "First rule in government spending: why build one when you can have two at twice the price?"
A dramatic reveal on the order of "The Ramans do everything in threes," which I classify as one of the greatest SF novel endings ever.