K-Pax (38 page)
"Thes
e
holograms-d
o
yo
u
hav
e
an
y
fo
r
othe
r
planets
?
Wil
l
yo
u
b
e
takin
g
somethin
g
bac
k
from
Earth?"
"Planetar
y
trave
l
i
s
stil
l
somewha
t
ne
w
t
o
us
.
We'v
e
onl
y
bee
n
a
t
i
t
fo
r
a
fe
w
hundred
s
o
f
thousands
o
f
you
r
years
,
mostl
y
jus
t
scoutin
g
expeditions
,
an
d
ou
r
librar
y
i
s
rathe
r
incomplet
e
o
n
tha
t
subject
.
A
s
for EARTH-well
,
I
fin
d
i
t
t
o
b
e
a
ver
y
interestin
g
place
,
an
d
I
wil
l
s
o
stat
e
i
n
m
y
report
.
Bu
t
whethe
r
anyone
wil
l
wan
t
t
o
se
t
u
p
al
l
th
e
parameters
.
..
"
H
e
shrugge
d
an
d
reache
d
fo
r
a
mango
,
bi
t
int
o
i
t
withou
t
peeling
of
f
th
e
skin
.
"Bu
t
that'
s
onl
y
th
e
beginning!
"
h
e
exclaimed
,
wit
h
a
nois
y
slurp
.
"Suppos
e
yo
u
ar
e
interested
i
n
geology
.
Ta
p
i
n
th
e
instructions
,
an
d
sample
s
o
f
an
y
an
d
ever
y
rock
,
ore
,
gem
,
slag
,
o
r
meteorite,
complet
e
wit
h
name
,
origin
,
composition
,
chemistry
,
density
,
fro
m
whateve
r
sourc
e
yo
u
specify
,
wil
l
b
e
at
you
r
fingertips
.
Yo
u
ca
n
pic
k
the
m
up
,
fee
l
them
,
smel
l
them
.
Sam
e
wit
h
flor
a
an
d
faun
a
o
r
an
y
grou
p
or specie
s
thereof
.
Science
.
Medicine
.
History
.
Th
e
arts
.
Yo
u
lik
e
opera
,
nich
t
wahr
?
I
n
a
matte
r
of
second
s
yo
u
coul
d
selec
t
anythin
g
yo
u
wishe
d
t
o
se
e
an
d
hear
,
fro
m
a
lis
t
o
f
everythin
g
eve
r
writte
n
or
performe
d
o
n
K-PA
X
o
r
certai
n
othe
r
PLANETS
,
organize
d
b
y
title
,
subject
,
setting
,
type
s
o
f
voices,
composer
,
performers
,
e
t
cetera
,
e
t
cetera
,
al
l
cross-referenced
.
I
f
yo
u
ha
d
thi
s
capabilit
y
o
n
EARTH
yo
u
coul
d
tak
e
par
t
i
n
a
performanc
e
yoursel
f
alongsid
e
Ponsell
e
o
r
Caruso
!
Soun
d
good?
"
I
ha
d
to
admi
t
tha
t
i
t
did
.
"O
r
yo
u
coul
d
sai
l
wit
h
Columbus
,
sig
n
th
e
Magn
a
Carta
,
driv
e
th
e
Ind
y
Fiv
e
Hundred,
pitc
h
t
o
Bab
e
Ruth-yo
u
nam
e
it.
"Afte
r
a
tim
e
i
n
th
e
library,
"
h
e
continued
,
a
littl
e
mor
e
placidl
y
now
,
"
I
migh
t
g
o
fo
r
a
wal
k
i
n
the
wood
s
o
r
jus
t
si
t
o
r
li
e
dow
n
somewher
e
fo
r
a
while
.
That'
s
on
e
o
f
th
e
nices
t
thing
s
o
f
all.
"
H
e
pause
d
for
a
moment
,
apparentl
y
dee
p
i
n
thought
,
the
n
said
:
"
A
fe
w
month
s
ag
o
I
sa
t
besid
e
a
pon
d
i
n
alabama.
Ther
e
wa
s
n
o
win
d
a
t
al
l
an
d
i
t
wa
s
absolutel
y
quiet
,
wonderfull
y
stil
l
excep
t
fo
r
th
e
occasiona
l
jumpin
g
of
a
fis
h
o
r
croakin
g
o
f
a
fro
g
o
r
th
e
soun
d
o
f
insect
s
makin
g
tin
y
ripple
s
o
n
th
e
surface
.
Hav
e
yo
u
ever experience
d
that
?
I
t
i
s
beautiful
.
Ther
e
ar
e
n
o
pond
s
o
n
KPAX
,
bu
t
th
e
feelin
g
i
s
th
e
same."
"Whe
n
wa
s
this?"
"Las
t
october.
"
H
e
leane
d
bac
k
wit
h
tha
t
perpetua
l
smil
e
o
n
hi
s
fac
e
a
s
i
f
h
e
were
,
a
t
tha
t
moment,
actuall
y
sittin
g
besid
e
th
e
pon
d
h
e
ha
d
jus
t
described
.
The
n
h
e
sa
t
u
p
an
d
sang
,
rathe
r
loudl
y
an
d
no
t
on
key
,
"An
d
that'
s
a
typica
l
daaayyyy
"
(tap
,
tap)
,
"i
n
dogpatc
h
(tap)
,
u.s.aaayyyy.
"
A
reference
,
according
t
o
m
y
so
n
Fred
,
t
o
a
popula
r
Broadwa
y
musica
l
o
f
th
e
fiftie
s
calle
d
Li'
l
Abner.
