Piero wheels his project cart across the computer lab floor. Every screen flickers to life. A glowing forest appears. A dancing robot waves. His projector hums warmly against his palm.
The screens ripple with light — a forest, a robot, a painting that moves like water. Piero leans back. He thinks about what happens when everything runs together. His finger hovers over the big green START button.
The button clicks. A holographic paper airplane zips out of the nearest monitor, loops three times around the room, and drops straight into his open palm. He laughs out loud. The screens ripple with excitement.
The door swings open. Shoes squeak on the linoleum. Students and a teacher file in, blinking at the glowing screens. Piero points toward the interactive painting.
A digital bird bursts from the canvas and circles overhead. A paper dragon unrolls from the robot screen. Everyone gasps. Then they cheer. The room fills with bright colors and happy noise.
Piero's screen goes dark for one scary second. His hand drops to the keyboard. But then — every project flares back on, brighter than before.
Stars burst across the ceiling — hundreds of them, twinkling and drifting like fireflies. The room fills with gasps and giggles. Piero grins so wide his cheeks hurt.
The stars drift lazily overhead, blinking in and out. The young students press their faces close to the screens, watching the digital garden bloom and the paper dragon fold itself back into origami.
The fair bell rings. The crowd files out, pointing at the screens and talking in hushed amazed voices. Piero powers down his machines one by one, the warm glow fading from his fingertips.
The room goes quiet. The hum of the computers settles into a soft steady rhythm. Piero sits back in his chair, looking at the empty screens. He smiles.