Nodding to herself, LUH waited for the sound of the pre-packaged meal to arrive in the cooker. When it came, she stepped to the cooker and opened the door, bending over slightly, to look inside and make certain it was what she had ordered.

It wasn’t. She must have been too slow with the selector button; or maybe the system was just fouled up again. Too late now, there was no way to return the food. It had to be consumed.

She let the cooker door snap shut and pressed the middle of three buttons alongside it. The button glowed red. The meal would be ready in five minutes.

LUH turned back toward the holoroom. For a moment she hesitated, then took a deep breath and started for THX.

He was sitting up now. A smooth-voiced newscaster was sitting across the room where the beatings had been going on.

“… in the constant striving for perfection in the AIA PB 848’s that have been built this year.

“Five felons have been caught fleeing Rehabilitation Center DD 2. All five had been undergoing treatment for drug offenses. Two of the felons were the products of the sexact, the other three…”

“What?” LUH asked involuntarily.

The holopicture flashed blindingly for an instant, then the newscaster repeated:

“Two of the felons were products of the sexact, the other three are from Reproclinic 19. The quintet escaped from Compound 545 and were destroyed upon recapture. Reports indicate…”

She touched THX’s shoulder. “I started dinner for you.”

“I’m not hungry,” he said.

The newscaster’s voice automatically dropped to subliminal level when they spoke. He sat there, smiling amiably, mouthing the day’s events.

“Well, it’s fixed. Come on out and eat it.”

“I don’t want to.”