At the University of Future...

Journal Entry
Date: April 5, 1711

I always knew that the robo-students at this University of Future were particularly strange, but now I've figured it out: it's the source of their energy. Every student has access to electronic panels and they charge their energy through their hands, feverishly tapping their fingertips on keys or resting their right palm on a sliding piece attached to this panel. Most students have a personal panel and do this in the privacy of their rooms, but other bring them portable screens to class and other locations with them. Even the local library holds many books, exactly of the type that I am familiar with, but many students can't even make it to the lower or upper levels of the library to rooms with those books unless they first stop at a screen to soak up energy. These students must not have a interior generator to recharge their energy on their own. And around campus, many have cords going into their ears, so this must be another way of charging when they cannot be at their primary energy panel.

Their lifestyle must be particularly tiring for the need for all this recharging, and I think I have also identified the main source of their fatigue: the dream-state. You see, every robo-student is recommended to get about 7 hours of dream-state every night, but it must be a rather dreadful experience for them, considering how they avoid it. Some stay attached to their panels for hours before pulling themselves away to face the work of dream-state, others put powerful liquids into themselves to avoid it as long as possible. I can only imagine what this dream-state must be like to cause them to go to such extremes.

Yet not all robo-students are like this. I have seen some, though rare, students go for one day or several without attachment to electronic panels. This happens more often when they are not attending classes, but not always. Some even claim that this experience is good for them, and indeed at times they seem more refreshed from their dream-state work than their energy transfer at the electronic panels.
Either way, what a strange life.

As for me, I think it's time to sleep.
--Ellen