500 V. 0.5

It was at this moment that Derek remembered that he had forgotten to put his safety goggles back over his eyes. He reached one hand up to put them back in place. This was the latest in his list of mistakes on the day.

"No!" yelled the instructor, reaching for the knob that Derek's hand was supposed to be turning at that moment. He had gotten it only a quarter turn around when the light flashed again. The gorilla chorus that had been unified on a single note now broke in to hundreds of discordant tones. There was a new pile of dust on the dais. The instructor sighed heavily.

"Derek, I think this has been too easy on you."

"Too easy?" Derek replied, incredulous. "I have yet to succeed. How could it possibly be too easy?"

"You're letting your mind wander instead of focusing on the task at hand. Let's try it again, but this time, we'll use both platforms."

"That's impossible! Both platforms simultaneously is reserved for the most seasoned of operators. You can't honestly think that I..."

"That will be quite enough!" The instructor interrupted sharply. "You will do what you are told when you are told it, child."

Instead of being chastised, Derek straightened his back and tilted his chin in a show of defiance. "Child? Need I remind you," he said, "of our relative stations?"

The instructor showed no anger. No emotion. "In this room," he said quietly, "your station has no meaning. My word is law here. Now, you will attempt both platforms, or you will resign as my apprentice."

"We both know that isn't an option."

"Therefore, your choice is clear."

Derek stared at the instructor for a moment longer. The instructor's eyebrows rose in a pantomimed Well? Derek strode over to the collection of birds, selecting two quite energetic creatures that had spent the last half hour flapping in their jars, searching for an escape. He placed on one each raised platform and walked over to the controls. He was about to reach for the wheel that initialized the system when the instructor cleared his throat. Derek looked quickly over at him, throwing a glare at the instructor. The old man just grinned slightly and tapped his safety goggles which were already in place over his eyes. Derek grumbled wordlessly to himself and pulled the goggles over his eyes.

Derek grabbed the first set of control wheels. This time, instead of turning the knobs smoothly to their stopping points, he would turned them a quarter rotation and swiftly moved his hands to another identical set slightly to the right and copy the same motion. A quarter turn, change to the other set, another quarter turn. The chorus of gorillas began singing once again, but with an intensity that dwarfed their previous effort. Sweat formed on Derek's brow as his hands were moving from one control to another.