 The first time Rikud feels pain or discomfort is when
When nobody aboard ship remembers where it's going, how can they tell when it has arrived? Every day for a week now, Rikud had come to the viewport to watch the great changeless sweep of space. But ever since the engines somewhere in the rear of the world had changed their tone, from the steady whining Rikud had heard all twenty-five years of his life, to the sullen roar that came to his ears now, the feelings had grown. But it came again, and each time it left him with a feeling he could not explain. Rikud knew that something which he could not explain had entered the elder man's head for a moment, but it had departed almost before Chuls knew of its existence. But something soft had cushioned the impact—something which had come into being just for the moment and then abruptly passed into non-being again, something which was as impalpable as air. Rikud had been stopped in this action, although there was no real authority to stop him. The people had decided that they did not know where they were going, or why, and that it was unfair that the elders alone had this authority. Much of this Rikud could not understand, but he knew enough to realize that the reading machine had sided with the people against the elders, and it said the people had won. He could see the look of easy contentment on Chuls' face as the rays fanned down upon him, bathing his old body in a forgotten magic which, many generations before Rikud's time, had negated the necessity for a knowledge of medicine. Rikud often thought of his own death, still seventy-five years in the future, not without a sense of alarm. But if he wasn't reading himself, Rikud usually went to sleep. "You know," Rikud said, sitting up now, "the stars in the viewport are changing." Over on Rikud's right, Chuls began to dress. All the stars were paler now than before, and where Rikud had seen the one bright central star, he now saw a globe of light, white with a tinge of blue in it, and so bright that it hurt his eyes to look. Rikud looked and looked until his eyes teared and he had to turn away. Rikud couldn't remember, and he suddenly wished he could read Crifer's book on astronomy, which meant the same as stars. Presently Rikud became aware that his eyes were not tearing any longer, and he turned to look at the viewport.
 the light he peered into was too bright, and his eyes hurt as a result.
 the light he peered into was too bright, and his eyes hurt as a result.  he tried to hit his head intentionally.  he experienced hunger for the first time.  he hits his head and bleeds for the first time.