tests on it. She contemplated pointing this out but decided it would be futile.
- Now put the dome over your head and try to relax, said Bsht as Terra bowed meekly before the machine.
The crystal dome was disconcertingly warm, even though it didn’t fit as snugly over Terra’s head as it had over her classmates’. Her ears brushed against the insides. Nowhere to put my ears, of course, thought Terra. There wouldn’t be.
- I’m starting the programme now, said Bsht. There was the sound of three blips, and then . . . nothing.
- Ah, said Bsht. Just a second.
- Can I come out? asked Terra.
- Hang on, said Bsht, I’m bringing up the user manual on my slate.
- Is there anything in there about using it on Ymns? asked Terra hopefully. Or maybe NOT using it on Ymns? she added, more hopefully.
- Well, there’s a trouble-shooting section . . . Here we are. It didn’t sync with your brain because your head’s slightly too small, that’s all.
Terra heard a brief burst of titters, which ceased abruptly.
- So now what? Can I come out?
- No, it’s fine, said Bsht, I just have to compensate by increasing the sensitivity a little . . . There. Let’s try again.
Terra waited forlornly. Her neck was starting to stiffen up. She heard the three blips, and then . . .
- I think she’s coming round.
Terra opened her eyes. Her head ached appallingly and her vision swam. She could just see a ring of concerned-looking faces peering down at her.
- Take it easy, said Bsht. There’s been . . . an incident.
Terra sat up. She was at the back of the lectorium. Between her and the front desk, on which sat the Interface, a path seemed to have been cleared straight down the middle of the room, the chairs shoved out of the way.
- Have I been . . .? Terra croaked.
- It was incredible! enthused Fthfth. You got blown right out of the dome all the way back here!
Terra blinked. She was sore all over and there was the most horrid smell coming from somewhere.
- It was pretty amazing, actually, said Pktk. I wish I’d recorded it on my slate so I could show you.
- What do they call that fibrous stuff that grows out of her head? Shnst asked Bsht. Bsht was busy speaking to someone on the Lyceum’s internal communication system.
- What was that? asked Bsht distractedly.
- What do they call that fibrous stuff that grows out of her head, Lector Bsht? asked Thnst.
- Oh. Hair. It’s called hair.
- Right. Only it’s on fire, that’s all.
- I’m so sorry. I should have made them exempt you from using that thing.
Lbbp and Terra sat on the smooth bench seat in the main room of their apartment. After the regrettable Interface incident, Lbbp had been sent for and had taken Terra home immediately. Though the Lyceum’s resident physician had found no lasting damage to any of Terra’s vital systems (although by his own admission he wasn’t entirely sure what he was looking for), it had been decided to give her a day off to recover.
- It’s all right. It wasn’t your fault, said Terra, pretending not to know anything about Lbbp’s earlier misgivings with regard to the Interface.
- Well, said Lbbp, thankful that Terra didn’t know anything about his earlier misgivings with regard to the Interface, if it’s any consolation I don’t think they’re going to make you try to use the Interface again.
- What? Oh no!
Not the reaction Lbbp had been hoping for. - I thought you’d be relieved, he said.
Terra sighed. - Don’t you see? Everyone else will just be pouring information into their heads using that machine while I’ll have to read it all up the old-fashioned way. I’ll get completely left behind!
Terra got up off the bench and stomped across the room to the window. The sun was setting over the city. The towers and spires glinted pink and orange against the deep red sky. It was, by any standard, a breathtaking sight, but at that moment, it filled Terra with an aching loneliness. It was a beautiful world. But not her beautiful
- Now put the dome over your head and try to relax, said Bsht as Terra bowed meekly before the machine.
The crystal dome was disconcertingly warm, even though it didn’t fit as snugly over Terra’s head as it had over her classmates’. Her ears brushed against the insides. Nowhere to put my ears, of course, thought Terra. There wouldn’t be.
- I’m starting the programme now, said Bsht. There was the sound of three blips, and then . . . nothing.
- Ah, said Bsht. Just a second.
- Can I come out? asked Terra.
- Hang on, said Bsht, I’m bringing up the user manual on my slate.
- Is there anything in there about using it on Ymns? asked Terra hopefully. Or maybe NOT using it on Ymns? she added, more hopefully.
- Well, there’s a trouble-shooting section . . . Here we are. It didn’t sync with your brain because your head’s slightly too small, that’s all.
Terra heard a brief burst of titters, which ceased abruptly.
- So now what? Can I come out?
- No, it’s fine, said Bsht, I just have to compensate by increasing the sensitivity a little . . . There. Let’s try again.
Terra waited forlornly. Her neck was starting to stiffen up. She heard the three blips, and then . . .
- I think she’s coming round.
Terra opened her eyes. Her head ached appallingly and her vision swam. She could just see a ring of concerned-looking faces peering down at her.
- Take it easy, said Bsht. There’s been . . . an incident.
Terra sat up. She was at the back of the lectorium. Between her and the front desk, on which sat the Interface, a path seemed to have been cleared straight down the middle of the room, the chairs shoved out of the way.
- Have I been . . .? Terra croaked.
- It was incredible! enthused Fthfth. You got blown right out of the dome all the way back here!
Terra blinked. She was sore all over and there was the most horrid smell coming from somewhere.
- It was pretty amazing, actually, said Pktk. I wish I’d recorded it on my slate so I could show you.
- What do they call that fibrous stuff that grows out of her head? Shnst asked Bsht. Bsht was busy speaking to someone on the Lyceum’s internal communication system.
- What was that? asked Bsht distractedly.
- What do they call that fibrous stuff that grows out of her head, Lector Bsht? asked Thnst.
- Oh. Hair. It’s called hair.
- Right. Only it’s on fire, that’s all.
- I’m so sorry. I should have made them exempt you from using that thing.
Lbbp and Terra sat on the smooth bench seat in the main room of their apartment. After the regrettable Interface incident, Lbbp had been sent for and had taken Terra home immediately. Though the Lyceum’s resident physician had found no lasting damage to any of Terra’s vital systems (although by his own admission he wasn’t entirely sure what he was looking for), it had been decided to give her a day off to recover.
- It’s all right. It wasn’t your fault, said Terra, pretending not to know anything about Lbbp’s earlier misgivings with regard to the Interface.
- Well, said Lbbp, thankful that Terra didn’t know anything about his earlier misgivings with regard to the Interface, if it’s any consolation I don’t think they’re going to make you try to use the Interface again.
- What? Oh no!
Not the reaction Lbbp had been hoping for. - I thought you’d be relieved, he said.
Terra sighed. - Don’t you see? Everyone else will just be pouring information into their heads using that machine while I’ll have to read it all up the old-fashioned way. I’ll get completely left behind!
Terra got up off the bench and stomped across the room to the window. The sun was setting over the city. The towers and spires glinted pink and orange against the deep red sky. It was, by any standard, a breathtaking sight, but at that moment, it filled Terra with an aching loneliness. It was a beautiful world. But not her beautiful
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