For several years, Ruvim Pechor lived in a cheap rented apartment on the outskirts of Springfield, scraping by on welfare and odd jobs unrelated to his field of expertise. All his applications to join research groups met with nothing but belated rejections.
Ruvim had previously earned a reputation as a difficult and eccentric colleague. He had been warned that his publications were jeopardizing the success of the entire project. His supervisor recommended that he withdraw a manuscript analyzing the statistical significance of improvements in newly developed genetically modified plants. Ruvim had pointed out a common error in which the parameter of Student's distribution was treated as an estimate of the standard deviation. For samples larger than three measurements, the discrepancy was not significant and the results remained qualitatively correct, but discussing such an obvious methodological mistake could cause doubts on the staff's competence.
Ruvim did not withdraw his work. The article was published. Shortly thereafter, he was dismissed for "failure to perform his direct duties."
Since then, Ruvim had felt like a city car with one wheel stuck in an icy ditch, just a few meters away from clear asphalt. His stagnant life was interrupted by an unexpected letter. Leslie Landow, Dean of the Faculty of Biology at the Galia National University of Tartaria (GNUT), offered him a professorship.
Ruvim did not know who Leslie Landow was. Ruvim had never contacted any institution in Tartaria and could not recall any scientific publications from there. He was not even aware of the existence of such a university.
Ruvim knew that his homeland was heavily polluted and virtually depopulated, that the semi-organized states there were commonly referred to as "Tartaria," and that international organizations had long since abandoned attempts to deal with the region as a civilized nation. Consequently, the idea that a university could be functioning there seemed dubious.
However, Landov’s offer included full reimbursement of travel expenses—regardless of whether he is ultimately hired or not. Having no other prospects. Ruvim agreed.
Ruvim informed his landlord that he most likely would not be renewing the lease and suggested disposing of any remaining belongings once the rental period ended. Ruvim packed his notebooks into his backpack, confirmed his flight and left.
By the stairs, Ruvim stepped out of the aircraft onto the concrete.
The official took the Ruvim's ID and asked about the purpose of his visit.
- Interview at the University, - Ruvim told and realized, that he does not remember the name of the University.
- OK, - the official told, returning the ID to Ruvim. - You are in our database. Welcome to Tartaria, Pechor pro!
A girl stood nearby, barefoot, in a short red dress, holding a sign: RUVIM PECHOR
She looked no more than ten. Ruvim approached.
- Hello…
- Хай. Ю ар профессор Рувим? - she asked, almost singing.
- I am Ruvim Pechor.
- Найс то сее ю, Рувим про. Ай ам Гелла Иванов. Фоллов ме.
Ruvim glanced around, expecting to see an adult responsible for her. No one reacted.
They stopped near a small flyer with a transparent dome. Gella Ivanov opened the cap.
- This… is yours? - Ruvim asked.
- Оф Босс.. Плиз энтер.
She took the pilot’s seat. Ruvim hesitated for a moment, then entered, dropped his backpack and sat. No one at the airport seemed to find this unusual. The canopy closed. The seat belt fastened by itself. The engine started. The flyer turned, accelerated, lifted.
- Хов дид ю кnов абоут оур университи? - Gella asked.
- From Lesli Landov. By the way, do you speak Russian?
- Йес. То есть да.
- Я тоже.
- О. Босс не сказал. Обычно пришельцы только спикают.
Ruvim looked down. The land below was fragmented as irregular spots, with no visible planning.
- Сколько вам лет? - he asked.
- Восемь с половиной..
The flyer descended and landed on a narrow strip between low wooden buildings. The structures looked primitive. Wooden bases, transparent walls. The roofs looked as big solar panels.
- “Юниверсити”, - said Gella Ivanov, opening the dome. - “Велкам”.
Ruvim Pechor picked up his backpack, stepped out and looked around. The place resembled neither a campus nor a laboratory — rather, a village assembled from incompatible ideas. Children moved between buildings carrying equipment: cables, glass containers, something that looked like sensors. Most of them were barefoot.
-“Это ваш дом”, - Gella said, pointing to a small cabine.
Rivim's new home looked as a cube of glass with inclined solar panel as roof. Gella touched the sensor. The door opened.
- “Я прошу вашей руки,” - she added, taking this hand. - “Нажмите здесь”.
Ruvim hesitated, then pressed his hand to the sensor.
- “Готово,” she said. “Теперь дом знает тебя.”
The door closed. He touched the panel again.
- “Велкам, професор Рувим Печор,” - the door announced in Gella’s distorted voice.
Gella laughed: “Работает.”
Ruvim did not answer. He dropped his backpack inside and followed Gella. They walked toward a larger building.
- “Правила простые,” - Gella said. - “Студенты учатся. Старшие учат младших. Ты проверяешь.”
- “And lectures?” - Ruvim asked.
- “Иногда. Если надо.”
- “And discipline?”
Gella looked at him, not understanding.
- “Если кто мешает,” - she said finally, - “ему объяснят.”
They entered an office. A gray-haired man in a white suit turned toward them.
- “Welcome, Professor”, - he said.
That was Lesli Landov. The conversation was brief. Ruvim was expected to:
Teach in English.
Supervise students of all levels.
Set qualifications.
Be available at any time and respond to requests immediately.
Then Landov hanged on Ruvim's neck a soft red device.
- “Biper,” - he said. - “Communication. Navigation. Recording. Keep it with you all the time.”
- “Recording?”
-“Yes. And transmitting. Communication.”
They entered another hall. The walls were covered with wide screens. Each screen showed rooms, corridors, people. Landov shown one frame at one of the screens:
- "This is view from your biper."
And indicates another frame:
- "This is view from my biper. Your biper has bottom. Press it if you need something; it is supposed to recognize voice commands. Here is screen."
Ruvim pressed the bottom and said:
- Where are we?
Biper shown the map of the campus and coordinates. Rubim pressed bottom again and asked:
- Where is Gella Ivanov?
Biper shown the map with arrow and coordinates; then shown the toilet with Gella inside. The toilet was totally exposed; it had neither a door nor even a cubicle.
- "Sorry" - Ruvim said.
- “Do not worry" - Gella answered.
- "This is total monitoring system,” - Landov said calmly. - “Students observe teachers. Teachers observe students. Everyone may verify everything.”
- “How about privacy?” - Ruvim asked.
- “No privacy. We are in Tartaria.” - The answer was.
The first days were disorienting.
Some students were too young. Some barely understood English.
The programs were inconsistent.
Some basic facts were misinterpreted.
Some illustration were wrong.
The textbook on statistics claimed that the probability to win in a casino is always less than half, independently on strategy.
The textbook on physics had many errors, including wrong pictures about analysis and synthesis of white light with two prisms.
The textbook on Quantum Mechanics insisted on the probabilistic interpretation of the fundamental concepts.
The textbook on botanic claimed that green plants absorb the central (green) part of the solar spectrum for photosynthesis. Ruvim had to argue citing the popular French textbook featuring chlorophyll spectra.
The textbook on zoology claimed that gradual evolution of monkeys leaded to creation of new specie, homo sapience.
Ruvim indicated the mistakes to Lesli Landov. They tried to corrected the manuals in the real time; but often, the correction required the hard discussions and heavy disputes with the colleagues from other departments.
Some students traced the modifications and asked for the explanations.
Often, the answers triggered more questions. They came at any time. Day. Night. The biper asked. Questions appeared. Students arrived any time. Answers were expected immediately.
The laboratory was not better.
Equipment was outdated.
Connections failed.
Measurements contradicted theory and themselves.
Students did not understand why each contradictions may form matter for the new research.
Most of questions were not related to biology.
Students assembled setups from fragments of incompatible devices.
Sometimes they succeeded.
Lesli did not know which equipment us better to buy. Ruvim had to suggest.
Ruvim learned to redirect questions from younger students to older ones.
Ruvim made catalogue of students in order to remember, to whom he can redirect the question.
It saved some time, but Ruvim had to check the explanations.
Ruvim gave an "A" grade for the good answers. But often he had to correct the explanations.
Ruvim worked continuously. Everyday he had to give a short lecture on some topic, following the textbook, in order to provoke the questions. The most of time were just chaotic consultations, He explained. Redirected. Corrected. Rechecked. Sometimes it was sufficient to say few keywords, and the student could find an answer by him/herself. Sometimes, the long and detailed explanations were necessary. Ruvim learned how to formulate a home assignment for a student based on his or her question(s). Ruvim lost the feeling of time.
