Flatland

You ready for your first

Sight Recognition lesson?

I guess so.

- What do you see when you look at me?

- A square.

Is that what you really see?

Uhm...

- Go on.

- A line?

- Is that all?

- Uhm...

What do you see at the edges of the line?

Look closer.

I see, like, shadings?

That's the ether. The Fog. It dims

the light the further away you are.

It's everywhere, so to children and

the uneducated it's nowhere, invisible.

That's why they have

to feel their way around,

touching people in order to

figure out who or what they are.

- Feelers are sticksville.

- That's right, that's right.

Now,

suppose two individuals are approaching.

A triangle... and a pentagon.

Which is which?

Ah ah ah! No touching!

If that were a real triangle you could

hurt yourself on his sharp angles!

Why can't I just walk around it?

That way I could see the shading easier.

Now, that's not done in polite company.

Sometimes when there are a lot of people

you can wiggle back and forth to triangulate,

but you don't want to go

all the way around someone.

- So you figure it out by

standing right where you are.

- Urgh!

- But how do I do it?

- Infer the shape through the shading.

- See?

- B Square! How are you?

Not bad, not bad. Is my brother in?

I can't do it!

Am I stupid?

- I must be a feeler!

- Sight recognition isn't easy,

I know, but it'll come to you...

Your brother is here!

- We'll continue the lesson in a moment.

- Do we have to?

- Wee! I got you!

- No you didn't!

- Yes I did!

- B Square!

- A Square!

What's this about representing A Line?

I haven't taken her case yet.

I'm meeting her this afternoon.

- But she's a Chromatist!

- Accused.

- Like five percent of the population.

- Of the male population.

- She's the first woman who's joined the...

- Just because you work at the ministry,

you can't go around accusing

people without evidence.

Oh, there's plenty of evidence, big brother.

Ah! So, another show trial.

Can't you talk any sense into your husband?

I might puncture some into him.

- Don't forget your Peace-cry!

You could be arrested!

- Right.

That's not funny.

Don't encourage her, B...

A Hexagon! How's my favorite nephew?

O.K.

What are you talking about?

Is it about Chromatism? Is it?

Chromatism is cool...

Where did he hear that?

- Go to your room!

- But my lesson!

- In your room!

- Oh, all right.

Can I get you anything B?

Well, I can't stay.Big doings this afternoon.

The President is going to

meet with Chromatistes.

- A concession?

- Just... don't go out for a while.

- That's why I came by, to warn you.

- But...

my client... I'm meeting her this afternoon.

- I never miss an appointment.

- Listen to your brother for once!

Sometimes even lines give

good advice, big brother.

- Attend to your Configuration.

- Attend to your Configuration.

President Circle! Sir! Where are you going?

Follow me,

we'll talk as we head for the Hospital.

The... Hospital of Reconfiguration?

Yes, yes,

the First Line had a child last night.

Something went wrong. An irregular side.

- I'm... so sorry sir...

- These things happen.

The Hospital has good doctors.

In fact I'm heading over now

to see my son for the very first time,

completely reconfigured by now!

- And your wife? Is she all right?

- Yes, of course,

in the recovery room.

But she picked a terrible time for a pregnancy.

The Chromatists... Senator Chromatistes...

The constant threat of war on the border...

- So, did you review my plan?

- Yes, sir...

- Problems?

- No, sir.

Good. And the speech?

- Brilliant, sir. Absolutely brilliant..

- Good.

What's wrong with Hex?

He doesn't seem interested in his lessons.

One of his older brothers told

him that he was reconfigured.

What?

Hex was making fun of them, taunting them...

Low class! Low Sided!

I think E Pentagon just wanted

to make him shut up.

- Now why did E go and do that?

- Hex was being pretty nasty.

There's no shame in reconfiguration.

It was a small genetic defect.

We should make Hex proud

that he's A Hexagon.

- The first in the family.

- Some humility would help

to temper that pride.

- Go talk to him.

- I will.

- Find the physician.

- Yes sir, Mister President, right away.

- So, B Square. Is everything in place?

- Yes, sir.

No doubt it's just year 3000 madness.

Color can't make us all equal.

It's morally repugnant.

- Mr. President.

- One moment, Doctor.

- Sir. I...

One moment. Affairs of State.

The evil of it is

so perfectly straightforward...

There is good and evil, B.

Why can't they see it?

- I can't explain such blindness, sir.

- Mr. President.

Sorry, to interrupt, but I must inform you.

Your son. He...

Oh no...

- I'm sorry, he didn't survive the procedure.

- Where's my son?

Son?! Where is he? Where's my son!

Son! Son!

- We did everything we could!

- Son! Where is he?

His body just couldn't take the procedure.

The deformity was too great!

Son! Son!

- How could you do this to him?

- We did try.

No, of course - you're all good men...

- Is there anything we can do for you sir?

- He didn't even have a name yet!

- A sad day!

- A terrible loss, sir

- The loss of a child...

- You have my sympathies, sir

- We should kill the

physicians for incompetence!

Please. Gentlemen.

One moment...

We all have to be brave.

Make sacrifices for the greater good.

Please, accept my apologies for my...

emotional outburst.

Of course, no problem sir,

totally understandable, how admirable!

- Perhaps we should postpone our plans...

- No. This country needs me,

especially now.

Grief is a luxury that a leader

cannot afford in these times.

We all must attend to our configurations.

Attend to your configuration.

Let's roll.

Okay, sorry about the delay. Your mother and I

had something to talk about and...

Son?

That is you, isn't it?

My son Hex with a.. a... purple side?

- I just figured out how to do it!

- Remove that coloration at once!

- But Dad!

- Son, society makes laws for a reason.

- You're old enough to know

that's against the law.

- If I was a circle I could change the law!

- But you're not a circle!

- Why can't I be more of a polygon?

I could have been a heptagon

if you'd been a pentagon!

- Why couldn't I have skipped

a side when I was born?

- Few are as many-sided as you, son.

Fewer still are certified Prist Circles.

And I wouldn't be so

impressed by them either.

- They aren't true circles.

- They aren't?

No, of course not.

Circles simply have lots and lots of sides.

Some have 36, some have 72, 360.

Now, those are the ones

that are the closest to the...

divine circularity that we all aspire to,

but none of us will

ever be able to achieve it.

Why do we have the ability

to colorize if we can't use it?

Hex, what am I to do with you?

Be satisfied with your configuration!

It's crazy to want more.

- You are what you are!

- Just leave me alone!

Noon News with Peter Pentagon.

- Noon! I'm late!

- We never finished my lesson.

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