《疯狂世界》是英国剧作家Tim Rhys为英国文化委员会所属的LearnEnglish网站创作的一部网络科幻小说。现经英国文化委员会授权，本刊从2002年第1期开始连载此文。《疯狂世界》共十章，本期刊登的是第七章。

　　Chapter 7—Magnet Hat<注1>

　　I read Dr Constellata's reply on my information cube.<注2> Yes, she was right. Choose freedom. I've got to get Dr Webber out of my head.

　　I set off down the twisting alleyways<注3> of Greenwich Island, searching for the Market. This was made more difficult because half the buildings were moving around on their own. It was some kind of tourist attraction, but I hated it. Every time an office-block started moving, Dr Webber's voice filled my brain, telling me this could not be real. At least the Market stayed where it was. It was more than a thousand years old. I tried to imagine how much it had changed since then.

　　It was a crazy, chaotic<注4> place, full of tiny market-stalls, selling exotic food and drink, false memory implants, clothes that change colour with your mood, furniture that followed you around the house, and—of course—robots of every shape and size. If I ever find a place where there are no robots, that's where I'll live. There were people from all over the world. Voices in a thousand languages—both human and computer—filled the air.

　　I found Honest Bernard. He was running a little stall selling tea-pots that made positive, inspiring statements while you drank your tea. He offered me one at half-price, but when I have a cup of tea, I want to be left in peace with my misery.<注5> I don't need a teapot that tells me this is "the first day of the rest of your life".<注6> I told Honest Bernard to keep his teapot. I had come about a hat.

　　- I don't sell hats.

　　- No but you hire them. I need an hour-long session.

　　- An hour? Can you afford it?

　　I produced<注7> a global credit button<注8> belonging to Ivan Obelisk, from Moscow. I felt bad about robbing Ivan. He and Olga were a nice couple, but I had to survive.

　　- So you can afford it. But can you handle it? After an hour in a magnet-hat, you may never be the same again.

　　You'll go to some strange and wonderful places that you've never seen before. But if it all turns into a terrifying nightmare, that's your problem. Understood?

　　- Sure. Let's get on with it.

　　He led me behind a curtain and opened a circular door in the floor. I followed him down some steps into a dirty, shadowy basement room.

　　Dr Webber's voice echoed in my head, "Serge, don't do this!"

　　There were rows of Magnet hats lining the walls. There were two other people sitting in there—a pale, skinny woman and a man with an expressionless face and dead-looking eyes.

　　The woman looked nervous and paranoid.<注9> The man was dribbling<注10> from a corner of his mouth.

　　- I can see they're having fun.

　　- Yes, they're having a great time. They're regular customers.

　　- I can't wait.

　　Bernard ignored my sarcasm<注11> and fastened a magnet hat onto my head. I sat on a metal chair opposite the happy couple and smiled at them.

　　Bernard laughed.

　　- Forget it. They don't even know you exist. They're a million miles away. And you will be soon.

　　A scary<注12> thought flashed through my mind that this was a terrible mistake. These Shock-dealers know exactly what kind of shocks to send into your brain to create total addiction.

　　So here I am—ready to go. And I've just had another scary thought...

　　Maybe I'm an addict already, after all the shocks I've had in the Research Lab. And my sub-conscious<注13> mind has led me here to satisfy my addiction.

　　I want to turn and run. But I can't. I have to drive that voice out of my brain. I've got to take this risk.

　　- Okay, Bernard! Switch it on!