The Girl Who Was Plugged In

P. Burke refuses to break it off with Paul. Mr. Cantle attempts to persuade her, but seeing the intensity of her feelings, he allows her extra time with Paul.

While Delphi sleeps beside Paul (i.e. while P. Burke is out of the capsule) she shows faint signs of independent life. We also learn that Paul has no idea of what Delphi really is. Paul repeatedly keeps Delphi from her schedule. The “the sharp-faced lad” at GTX attempts to bring P. Burke into line by disrupting the field linking Delphi and her in a way that causes great pain for P. Burke. Delphi screams in agony. Paul is horrified and tries to help. He feels the electrodes behind her hair and exclaims, “you’re a doll, one of those, PP implants” (70). He thinks she’s hooked up to by GTX to pain sensors that control her but doesn’t guess at the actual truth. From his words, P. Burke think he’s realized the truth: “He knows—and he still loves!” (71).

Paul promises to set her free. He knows that the GTX neuro lab is in Carbondale and plans to go there. But to execute this plan, he lies low for two week and lets Delphi return to her schedule.