He tried a few more commands. Most phenomenoscopes had a transparent mode, 
or at least translucent, that allowed the wearer to view what was really there. 
But these ones were doggedly opaque and would only show him a mediatronic 
rendering of the scene. The strolling and chatting theatregoers were 
represented by preposterously oversimplified wire-frames, a display technology 
unused these eighty years or so, clearly intended to irritate Hackworth. Each 
figure had a large placard strapped to its chest: