Button in the Fabric of Time by William Wayne Dicksion

panoramic view of an
under-water garden of Eden.”
    We entered the dining area. I looked around
and commented, “I don’t see any servers.”
    “There are no servers for the workers,” she
answered. “In the daytime, this restaurant operates on the
efficiency principle.”
    “How do we get our food? I don’t see a buffet
line.”
    “We order electronically. The food is
prepared in the kitchen, and then delivered mechanically.” Jan-3
pointed to a button on my right. “Push that button and a menu will
appear. Order by touching the listings of the foods you want. This
is not a specialty restaurant, however, so you can’t order steak
here,” she grinned.
    I looked at the listings but didn’t recognize
the names of the dishes. Also, I couldn’t understand the
pricing.
    “The menu is listed in food groupings,” Jan-3
explained. “There’s a symbol for each group. The symbol that looks
like a star represents protein; the triangle represents
carbohydrates. You’ll eventually learn how to order, but for now,
I’ll order for you. I know you like protein, so I’ll order a meal
high in protein. I know that you like fruit and vegetables, so I’ll
order some of each.”
    “Thank you, but would you explain the
pricing?”
    “The values of our money are in accordance
with the metric system. The prices are in dolls, and tenths
of dolls that we call dots. We have no taxes, so
everything is priced in solid numbers. Nobody carries dolls. Dolls are used only when people buy or exchange things that are not
part of the charge system.”
    Pointing to the center of the table, Jan-3
said, “That little green light has already scanned your pupils, and
the operator of the restaurant will charge the food to your
account.”
    I watched as Jan-3 touched the menu, ordering
the meal. The sights, the sounds, and the fragrances were all new
and exotic. Now I understood how a baby feels seeing the world for
the first time. I was dining with the most beautiful woman I had
ever seen, but even her beauty wasn’t enough to completely hold my
attention, with so many unusual things to distract me. Before I
even had time to wonder when our food would be coming, a mechanical
apparatus lowered our plates onto the table. The plates were
garnished with flowers and pleasant- smelling herbs. The food was
delicious, my companion was delightful, and the ambiance was
exciting. How could a man want more than this?
    The persons or robots that prepared the food
were never seen but the restaurant was crowded with workers, some
of whom came to our table, wanting to talk. A few spoke broken
English, but most spoke a language I couldn’t understand, so Jan-3
translated.
    After they left, I asked her, “What language
were they speaking?”
    The language is called “Terresta.” It’s the
language common to people all around the world. Like our music, the
language is mathematically based. It isn’t as expressive as
English, but the words are easier to form into sentences, and there
are no synonyms or antonyms; therefore, the sentences state more
clearly what the speaker intends to say.”
    “How long will it take me to learn to speak
Terresta?”
    “Once you understand the mathematics of the
language, it’s easy. English requires the use of twenty-six
letters, while there are only ten numbers in our numerical system.
You only need to learn ten sounds and symbols to speak or write
Terresta. Each symbol has its own sound and can be combined with
other symbols to create other sounds, similar to using letters in
the English alphabet. We combine symbols, and then add numbers to
make it possible to write or speak millions of words. At times, we
incorporate words from other languages to make Terresta more
colorful and descriptive. It’s surprisingly simple. I’ll instruct
you.”
    “Thank you. I’ll try to be a good pupil, but
first, I’d like to see where these workers live. I know that not
everybody can have an apartment with an ocean