Inside the bathroom, there's a fancy, squarish toilet with several sleek buttons, and a wide, squared-off tub that takes up most of the room. There's a special, wide showerhead in the ceiling above the tub; it also has a glass door enclosure, to keep the rest of the room visible from within the tub, without letting any water spill out. The enclosure is big enough that Neera won't bump her hands against any walls, if she's standing in the middle with her hands apart.

The sink, with a few different slabs of soap, is actually inside of the shower enclosure. It's behind the transparent glass of a recessed medicine cabinet, and at the moment it has a few different colorful slabs of soap in individual packages placed on the counter. The shelves above the sink are empty at the moment; the laundry bags, consisting of white bags with Neera's room number, together with bags in all sorts of colors and with tags illustrating the cleaning instructions, are currently placed in a neat pile inside of the tub.

Neera steps into the spacious bathroom with a gasp of delight. The amenities are incredible - a techy-looking toilet with umpteen buttons, a ceiling showerhead spanning a roomy tub, and even a transparent-enclosed sink nested out of the way within the enclosure. She smiles, hugging herself briefly, filled with giddy gratitude. Back home, she shared a filthy communal bathroom with other sullen slum-dwellers. This gleaming chamber all to herself feels like unimaginable luxury.

But what catches Neera's eye are the rainbow mesh garment bags placed ready in the tub, beside neatly folded towels. More cheerfully hued mesh wraps are stacked by the linen: laundry sacks for sorting items to send off with the robot pickup. So simple and clever!

Neera fingers the bags, picturing the everyday ease they represent - all the invisible infrastructure allowing life here to feel so easy and welcoming. As she explores her new home, Thomassia delights her at every turn with small graces thoughtfully provided to smooth her way.

Trying out the shower reveals that it heats up instantly; there are also hidden nozzles that rapidly fill the tub, if an indulgent bath is preferable. And Neera would realize she's standing under a decadent and luxurious high-flow showerhead; there isn't anything like the feeling of a mist shower, as the powerful stream of water obviously puts comfort before efficiency.

The soaps all smell amazingly of all sorts of citrusy or sweet fruits, creating a soft, silky lather that feels amazing against her skin.

Neera tests the faucets, and steamy water instantly cascades into the tub. But she postpones bathing for a moment, instead marveling at the vast enclosure around her. Arms outstretched, she spins slowly, fingertips brushing the glass walls, awed by how the spacious chamber accommodates her fully extended reach.

Compared to the crowded Delhi bathroom she shared with 20 others, this private luxury feels surreal. Neera slips out of her clothes and returns to the tub-turned-swimming-pool. When she sits and splays her legs wide across the porcelain floor, her little toes still can't graze the farthest sides. Laughing, she slides further into the capacious depths until only her grinning face surfaces above the bubbles. All around her, empty space invites free and easy motion.

Giddy with the simple joy of roominess, Neera paddles around circumscribing languorous circles, relishing the freedom to carve her own lane across this aquatic expanse. For the first time ever, she has enough water, enough elbow room, enough of everything, really. Enough for her body and spirit to expand fully into the experience of bathing, unconstrained by external limits. Like her new life in friendly Thomassia, the tub's thoughtfully inclusive dimensions seem to smile and say: you belong here. You deserve this.

Just how much water, and energy, is in this steamy pool of water, all of it just for Neera? It almost makes her guilty, to use all of these resources just for herself. She wants to know how they have so much energy and water for everyone to enjoy.

As Neera languishes in the filled tub, a pang of doubt pierces her enjoyment. So much water, so much energy, all for her solo use - is it wasteful? Undeserved? She thinks back to the crowded Delhi slum, scarce dirty water rationed out per family. Here she floats in pure liquid luxury.

Climbing out, Neera towels off, troubled. But it's late now and Parin has probably gone to bed. Neera decides she will ask her tomorrow about her concerns with resource use.

For tonight, Neera tries to push away her guilty thoughts and simply feel grateful. The joy and comfort this bath brought her shouldn't induce anxiety. She climbs into the cozy bed, resolving to speak to Parin in the morning to understand how Thomassia makes such daily delights sustainably accessible for all.

The next morning, after getting dressed in the amazingly comfortable unisex school uniform, complete with the white skirt, Neera quickly asks Cynthia about how thomassia has such good access to resources, like water and energy.

"Well, we use nuclear energy, which is incredibly affordable and will last far into the future, and we're extremely deliberate about where we do water-demanding things like agriculture. The thing with water shortages is that they're extremely localized. Unless you live in one of a small number of places, there will be plenty of water for everyone's needs. Beyond that, true water shortages are incredibly rare. They happen far more often when someone chooses for people not to have enough. There was once a place experiencing a so-called water shortage while still producing vast amounts of beef. A single teaspoon of beef consumes just around as much water as 30 bottles of water. Imagine how many teaspoons of beef your luxurious and indulgent bath might have consumed. 10 teaspoons, maybe more."

Neera listens intently as Parin explains Thomassia's wise energy and water management. Nuclear plants and targeted agriculture maximize resources. And Parin reveals the surprising truth that most "shortages" arise from choices, not lack. Like water-guzzling beef production persisting where drinking water runs scarce.

"Of course, a bath seems indulgent when we imagine all the alternate uses for its water," Neera replies thoughtfully. "Yet like my lovely bath, small joys enrich life greatly too. Perhaps the solution lies in mindful moderation of both necessities and pleasures?"

She smiles at Parin in gratitude. "In any case, I understand better now how Thomassia provides amply for all while stewarding resources responsibly. My bath guilt has vanished! Thank you for reassuring me."

Hopping up, Neera hitches her pack onto her shoulder. "Shall we go? I can't wait to tell my new friends at school how wonderfully everything works here!" Her anxiety lifted, anticipation for the day swells bright within her.

Parin quietly leads Neera down the hallway into the classroom she'll be using. There's a physical book placed on the desk, about math and using it to answer science questions. The end of the book consists of tables with information about scientific facts like the amount of energy in uranium, how much heat a person produces just by being alive, and other facts relating to energy, electricity and various other subjects.

Neera follows Parin into the sunny classroom, making her way to the desk. She settles in, excited for her first day of school here. A textbook lies open, equations for deriving scientific insights spread across its pages. Her gaze travels across formulas quantifying energy reserves, waste heat from life itself. So much numerical context underpinning the physical world.

Fingering the crisp pages, Neera thinks back to Parin's earlier lesson on mindfully balancing society's needs. Perhaps these numbers, cold and inscrutable as they seem, also tell a story of ethical moderation and care. The formulas before her represent building blocks enabling both progress and restraint.

Eagerness rising within, Neera smiles down at the book. She has much yet to learn about how Thomassia wields knowledge and resources to nurture all citizens. But surrounded by attentive new friends, she knows this numerical language will soon sing clearly to her - one more small grace as Thomassia's thoughtful guidance ushers her into a brighter future.

The class consists of Parin standing in front of everyone, slowly, rythmically and carefully explaining the ideas. It takes near-total concentration, but Parin imagines a scaffold, connecting every idea to the previous, as she slowly feels connections being built between everything she learns, and a deep, beautiful truth behind it all slowly get unveiled.

Neera focuses intently as Parin lectures, elucidating each concept with care before bridging to the next. Piece by piece, Parin constructs a framework of facts and equations. In Neera's mind too, ideas link and fuse until a larger order emerges - a glimpse of elegance underlying this numerical landscape.

As Parin continues, more connections crystallize. Neera senses profoundly how each lesson nests within a greater fabric of knowledge and meaning. Like all things in dear Thomassia's embrace, she feels ideas bonding to form a beautiful, symbiotic whole - patterns reflecting the same spirit that suffuses this land's inclusive infrastructure and ethical outlook.

When Parin finally stops, Neera blinks slowly, returning to the bright classroom from realms of abstract unity. She meets Parin's eyes, a question already forming...

Thomassian schools have 4 hours of studying, 7 days a week. Parin's 4 hours go by in a flash, leaving her with time to socialize and meet some of the other boys and girls. Her eyes note a boy squirming awkwardly for a few seconds in his skirt, before his eyes meet hers. "Hi Neera! I hope you're happy about thomassia like we are."

Neera glances over at a boy tugging self-consciously at his short skirt. His eyes suddenly meet hers and he offers a cheery welcome. "Hi there! I'm absolutely loving Thomassia," Neera replies sincerely.

"It's been so welcoming since the moment I unexpectedly arrived. I can breathe freely and move unhindered now." She runs a hand fondly down her own skirt. "Even small details - like uniforms allowing complete freedom of motion - make me feel totally embraced just as I am!"

She notices the boy still fidgeting with his hem and smiles gently. "This style was unfamiliar to me too. But seeing how perfectly these skirts accommodate activity really feels symbolic of larger freedoms here, doesn't it?" She hopes her thoughts resonate and provide some reassurance. Adjusting to Thomassia's differences has been so worthwhile - she trusts the same will hold true for him.

"Ahm", the boy says. "Thomassia is fantastic, don't you think? Well, this skirt isn't accommodating my activity too well, actually. I'll want to take another trip to the tailors. So that I can get the built-in underwear tailored so it holds me more comfortably. It's considered really important for formalwear that you're comfortable and never adjust yourself, but I haven't quite got this to fit perfectly yet."

Neera gazes warmly at the boy, seeing how his skirt discomforts him. "Thank you for your honesty," she replies. "I'm still learning social customs here. Helps to hear different views."

She hitches her backpack, nodding toward their next class. "Shall we walk together? You can explain why skirts matter in Thomassia. I want to understand." She hopes including him regardless of struggles shows good faith. Outsiders like them must extend grace freely as they all adjust.

"Sure, let's have a bit of a walk. So, the deal with skirts is, they're the most comfortable kind of clothing, and they add this feeling of vulnerability. So they almost show everyone that you're in a prosperous and safe and caring society, because you don't have to worry about wearing a short skirt  that's, kinda leaving you exposed and vulnerable." He fidgets with the skirt, trying to adjust himself, a bit more.

Neera walks with the boy, listening thoughtfully as he explains the significance of Thomassian skirts. Their exposure reflects an environment so profoundly caring that vulnerability itself symbolizes confidence in societal protection.

"I see now," Neera muses. "Wearing something that lays you bare actually conveys trust and safety here. What a poetic custom!" She smiles gently at his ongoing adjustments. "Of course comfort must come first. Please do get your uniform tailored for a personalized fit."

They reach the classroom and Neera touches his arm. "Thank you for broadening my understanding. This society's nuances still surprise me daily. But revelations like yours help me appreciate Thomassia more with each new day here."

At the end of the school day, Neera gets asked by Parin if she'd want to join the other kids in climbing trees and playing outside in a park not too far from their skyscraper. Everyone else is clearly looking forward to it a great amount.

As classes end, Parin invites Neera to join the other children heading to a nearby park for outdoor play. Eyes bright with anticipation, they chatter happily about tree-climbing ahead. Delighted, Neera turns to Parin.

"I'd love to come along! Parks here feel so spacious, and it will be wonderful bonding more with my new classmates." She watches the kids comparing notes on their favorite towering trees and knows many shared adventures with these caring friends await. That all can play freely together reflects the best of Thomassia's values.

"Let's be off!" Neera cries. "Race you all to the tallest tree when we get there!" With a chorus of laughter, the children dash gleefully ahead, the afternoon sun glinting off their skirts. Joy and camaraderie fill Neera's heart as she races after them into the bright future.

Neera feels her chest tighten randomly as she plays with the others, an unmistakable sign of her condition flaring up.

Amid the sunlight and laughter, Neera feels sudden tightness in her chest. Her breath catches...then she forces herself to inhale slowly, blinking against a swell of fear. No, not here. Not in this clear air - it can't be asthma returning!

But the unwelcome squeeze around her lungs persists. Neera touches her torso lightly, anxiety rising. She glances to her friends still darting blithely around the grass. Can she call out? Admit weakness when she's supposed to be healed?

Parin looks at Neera. "You don't look like you're doing too great, Neera. Do you feel good?"

Neera turns to see Parin gazing at her with concern. Forcing a smile through the discomfort, she replies, "Just...feeling a little short of breath suddenly."

She rubs her chest, embarrassed by her body's betrayal. "I thought my asthma was gone here. The timing took me by surprise."

Looking down, Neera scuffs the grass with her shoe. She whispers, almost ashamed, "Sorry if I worried you...I'll be okay." The other children seem so vibrant and carefree - she hates disrupting their play over something so unfair as lungs that still squeeze without warning, even in Thomassia's clean air.

"We're not gonna have you going through that. Please follow me to the pharmacy; we'll get you something to ease your lungs there." Cynthia rushes towards the minivan, asking for Neera to sit in the back seats. She quickly accelerates, taking the two of them to a small pharmacy staffed by a bored-looking young man.