Boredom

Titus complains of boredom as the novel opens. He thinks the moon is boring and Mars is boring. Like a typical teenager, everything is boring. Even the feed constantly running through his head is boring. Then he meets Violet and she is the opposite of boredom. The way she can push juice out of her mouth and make it float in front of her is not boring. The way she dresses, in an old-fashioned, gray wool outfit is interesting. Titus is instantly attracted to Violet because she is not the norm. He is struck by her traditionalist ways, and Violet starts to consume him instead of the feed. He becomes less bored.

When they are in the hospital, they must keep from being bored at all costs, especially since the feed is shut off. They play with hypodermic needs, make a mess out of the hospital ward and...