The Professor's Telescope

Excerpts - Chapter 9 (page three)

SID's green light continued to flash on and off, but nothing seemed to be happening. Eric moved in for a closer inspection to see if he could determine where the thing's voice was coming from, at least.

"What are you looking at, little boy?" asked SID.

Startled, Eric jerked away violently, knocking to the floor several of the little spheres from the Professor's demonstration the previous week. They spun away into the darkness and disappeared.

"So much for planet Earth," muttered the Professor dryly.

"Sorry," said Eric. "But I'm not a little boy. I'm in the eighth grade!"

"I rest my case!" said SID.

"Mind your manners, SID," cautioned the Professor. "Would you open the dome please, and rotate to 214 degrees? Eric would like to look at Saturn. Oh, and SID, get the lights, will you?"

"Yes, Professor." SID's sigh was so loud that it could have been heard from across the observatory. Then, in a stage whisper that was meant to be heard also, he added, "but we looked at Saturn last week."

Eric was still examining the database closely, so that the sudden movement of the platform caught him completely off guard. He lost his footing and felt the side of his face come into painful contact with the metal railing.

"Are you all right?" asked the Professor with concern, "Do you need some ice?"

"No. It's just a bump," Eric responded, rubbing his cheek. "Graceful, huh?"

After a second look to confirm that Eric was not seriously hurt, the Professor waved his young student to the eyepiece.

Suddenly, Eric was reluctant to step into position. His mind had been so distracted by meeting SID he'd completely forgotten his intention to confront the Professor directly about last week's adventure. Now that he was faced with the prospect of repeating that escapade, his questions became like jelly, seeping through the cracks of his overtaxed brain. He didn't want to ask anything anyway in the presence of his mentor's super-critical silver companion.

"Is something the matter?" asked the Professor.

Before Eric could answer, SID spoke up, again whispering. "Yes. The boy is suffering from brain freeze."

"ENOUGH!" The Professor's threatening hand hovered over SID's receptacle.

"All right! I promise I'll behave, Professor. Besides, if you disconnect me, our scheduled research for this evening will remain incomplete." SID's voice had the same wheedling tone that Eric occasionally used when he wanted a favor from his mother that she was unwilling to grant.

Scheduled research? That sounded interesting, if he could get past this SID's towering attitude problem.

"Here we go, Eric." said the Professor. "Step up. The telescope is all set." Again he found himself ushered toward the eyepiece. There was Saturn, just as he had seen it the last time.

"Fantastic!" said Eric.

"Why don't we give our young friend a closer view?" suggested the Professor.

"If you insist," answered SID.

Sucked down into a sliding, whirling vortex, Eric had no chance to object before the blackness of deepest space enveloped him.