"No it ain't," Jason said laughing. "Got that fallin' off a horse
yesterday."
"But why do you have to have one at all? Ah thought you could project
without it."
"Well Ah can, but this makes it better. This picks up all the tiny waves
from mah brain that wouldn't otherwise get recorded. Like the difference
between super high-fi an' ordinary high-fi. It makes the feelie more
real."
"When are you goin' to be in somethin' else besides westerns? Ain't you
ever goin' to get to do some romancin'?"
"Now don't you go lookin' at the wrong end of the hog, Robee. They been
keepin' our bellies filled. Besides this one Ah'm doin' now ain't no
western."
"Then what's all them horses over there for?"
"Confederate cavalry, you melon head. What you think this uniform is
Ah'm wearin'? Fine southern daughter you are!"
"Oh, a civil war feelie! What's it called?"
"... uh ... A Stillness in the Land." Jason smiled, "An' it sure would
make Mr. Lemson happy to know Ah remembered the title. They say it was a
big best seller book. Goin' to cost ten million dollars. Ah play the
lead; Jed Carter, young southern fella. Lots of love an' battles an' the
best thing is Ah don't have to fret about mah accent." Jason took his
sister's arm. "C'mon now if you want to see the set. Ah'll be havin' to
go to work in a few minutes."
* * * * *
They passed by one of the receptors and Jason stopped. "Now here's the
machine that picks up an' records what Ah'm thinkin' an' feelin'. The
receptorman wears this gizmo on his head an' cuts in to what Ah'm
feelin' an' he fiddles them dials an' switches an' amplifies weak
signals an' cuts down overpowerin' ones an'--well, Ah don't want to
frazzle you with the technical details; he jus' controls the quality of
the recordin'. He cuts out stuff that don't belong like if Ah should be
kissin' the gal an' somewhere under those passionate thoughts Ah might
wonder when we're goin' to knock off for lunch. Here, slip this headset
on an' Ah'll get Zack to run it so you can feel how it works."
"Don't do anythin' strong," Robina advised.
"Don't worry. Jus' a peaceful bit."
Zack came over at Jason's call and ran the receptor while Jason went
through a few quiet lines with an extra.
"Why it's funny, somehow," Robina said after they removed the headset.
"It jus' didn't seem very good. Ah've felt you better without it,
Jason."
"You didn't get the full projection," Zack explain
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