Short Fiction · Chapter
III explained
Commissioner Reinhart and Peter Sherikov discuss the crisis caused by the variable man from the past, whose presence has disrupted the S.R.B.
What happens
Commissioner Reinhart and Peter Sherikov discuss the crisis caused by the variable man from the past, whose presence has disrupted the S.R.B. machines' predictions. Sherikov captures Thomas Cole in the Albertine Mountains and brings him to his labs under the Urals, where he explains the war against Centaurus and the importance of the Icarus project. Cole is shown the control turret, which remains incomplete due to technical difficulties.
Themes in this chapter
Perception and Reality
The S.R.B. machines' predictions are disrupted by the variable man, highlighting the tension between statistical analysis and unpredictable reality.
Power and Authority
Reinhart and Sherikov represent different approaches to power: Reinhart relies on the machines, while Sherikov emphasizes human agency and the Icarus project.
Characters to notice
- Security Commissioner Reinhart
Reinhart is overseeing the S.R.B. machines and coordinating the search for the variable man, Thomas Cole.
- Peter Sherikov
Sherikov captures Cole and brings him to his labs, explaining the war effort and the Icarus project.
- Tommy Cole
Cole is the variable man from the 20th century, captured by Sherikov and brought to the labs.
- Kaplan
Kaplan assists Reinhart in feeding new data into the S.R.B. machines.
Key passages
“The machines can't reject any data that's known to be true.”
The S.R.B. machines cannot ignore valid data, even if it disrupts their predictions.
Reinhart explains why the variable man's presence causes the machines to fail.
“They don't see into the future. They only make statistical predictions—not prophecies.”
The S.R.B. machines provide statistical forecasts, not actual future knowledge.
Sherikov distinguishes between prediction and prophecy, criticizing Reinhart's reliance on the machines.