Starquake.pdf

"Hey! Look at the sightseers," Abdul hollered across the deck. "It's like being one of the heads on
Mount Rushmore. Why don't you come over and pretend to be Teddy Roosevelt? You've got the beard
for it." As Pierre approached the window, the number of specks outside increased dramatically.
01:30:04 GMT WEDNESDAY 22 JUNE2050
Busy-Thoughts moved around the creche-classroom critiquing the work of the students. Although most
of the youngling's education was done through holovid connections to the "Master Teacher" program in
the central computer, there were still some topics that were best handled by live teachers in central
classrooms. Plasma art was one of them, especially since the generators were massive and expensive.
"Excellent structure, Lovely-Eyes," said Busy-Thoughts. "But the colors are a little weak for such a bold
form. Perhaps you should try more current in the ion generators."
The student adjusted the controls under his tread and increased the intensity of the ion beams shooting
into the
shaped magnetic fields. The ions spiraled along the magnetic field lines, giving off a glow of synchrotron
radiation. With the increased current, the interior of the magnetic sculpture glowed brighter. Lovely-Eyes
then increased the strength of one of the magnetic field generators in the base and adjusted some
transparent superconductor guides attached to the top. The sculpture was now a floating form of brightly
glowing colors. The shape was bi-symmetric. There was an intense inner violet structure that was
basically spherical, but had large rough holes penetrating it. Two circles were set side-by-side in the
violet sphere, with a triangle and a rectangle below them. Covering the violet structure was a lumpy
blanket of softer plasma in blue-white with patches of yellow-white.
"It looks strangely familiar," said Busy-Thoughts.
"It is a portrait of one of the humans," said Lovely-Eyes. "This one is Pierre Carnot Niven, the
Commander of the Expedition."
"If you say so. The Slow Ones all look the same to me."
"Not once you know them better," said Lovely-Eyes. "Pierre has hairs on the bottom side of his
head-lump as well as the top side." Lovely-Eyes went on eagerly, "I've been learning all about the
humans in my holovid courses. The Master Teacher program says I do well in that subject and has
allowed me to take a special advanced program in humanology."
"That's very nice, Lovely-Eyes, but this is an abstract art class. As strange as humans look, they don't
qualify as abstract art. In the next class I want you to concentrate on doing your assignment."
Busy-Thoughts moved to the center of the classroom and'trummed the class to attention.
"Everyone finish his sculpture and set the control pattern in memory. When you finish I have an
announcement."
There were whispered exchanges between the students as they made last minute adjustments to their