The Water's Daughter

I Robot, You Jane

I was in the library with the other helping scan books into the computer while dad complained.

"Oh, great! A book!" Buffy said sarcastically. I looked in the box she'd opened and made a face.

"It's not a very nice book," I said.

"Never judge a book by its cover," Dad reminded me and Buffy and I shared a look before she pulled out the book and blew some of the dust off.

"Oh, uh, I, uh... haven't gone through the new arrivals. Uh, put it in, uh, in, in that pile," Dad said pointing to the pile next to Willow with the book in his hand.

"Here, I'll get it," Dave told Buffy getting up from his computer.

"Oh, thanks, Dave. The Willow pile." Dave took the book and placed it in a pile that Willow was scanning.

"Uh, when I've examined it, you can, uh, uh, skim it," Dad told her.

"Scan it, Rupert. That's 'scan' it," Ms. Calendar, the computer science teacher, corrected him.

"Of course," Dad told her sarcastically and I laughed lightly. "That's enough Elizabeth."

"I didn't say anything," I defended.

"You didn't have to."

"I know, our ways are strange to you, but soon you will join us in the 20th century. With three whole years to spare!" Ms. Calendar said grinning at him and I tried holding in my laughter.

"Ms. Calendar, I'm sure your computer science class is fascinating, but I happen to believe that one can survive in modern society without being a slave to the, um, idiot box," Dad said motioning to the computer.

"That's TV," she told him annoyed. "The idiot box is TV. This is the good box!"

"I still prefer a good book."

"Can I listen to you flirt when I'm not going to sent home for hurling?" I asked them and they both gave me a look.

"The printed page is obsolete," Fritz said before standing up. "Information isn't bound up anymore. It's an entity. The only reality is virtual. If you're not jacked in, you're not alive." He grabbed a book closer to him and left.

"Thank you, Fritz, for making us all sound like crazy people," Ms. Calendar waved him off before turning back to Dad. "Fritz, Fritz comes on a little strong, but he does have a point. You know, for the last two years more e-mail was sent than regular mail."

"Oh..."

"More digitized information went across phone lines than conversation," she continued saying.

"That is a fact that I regard with genuine horror," he told her.

"Yea, he's not lying about that," I said.

"I'll bet he's not," Ms. Calendar said teasingly before turning to the other students. "Alright, guys, let's wrap it up for today."

"I've just got a few more. I'll hang for a bit," Willow told us.

"Cool! Thanks." We all grabbed our things and got ready to leave

"Xander, you wanna stay and help me?" Willow asked him.

"Are you kidding?" Xander asked her.

"Yes, it was a joke I made up," Willow said and I rolled my eyes.

"Willow, I love you, but bye!" He quickly left the library with his bag on his shoulder.

"See you tomorrow!" She called after him.

"Buffy, wait up!" I placed my hand on Will's arm and gave it a gentle, comforting squeeze.

"I'm, I'm just gonna stay and clean up a little. I'll, uh, I'll be back in the middle ages," Dad told us before starting up the stairs.