The Cosmic Computer · Chapter
VII explained
Conn and the expedition uncover the buried Third Fleet-Army Force Command headquarters in the Badlands.
What happens
Conn and the expedition uncover the buried Third Fleet-Army Force Command headquarters in the Badlands. They find the personnel-file machine instead of Merlin, and discover the private office of General Foxx Travis in disarray. The excavation reveals a collapsium-shielded complex, and Conn deduces that the shielding prevents radio transmission from within.
Themes in this chapter
Myth vs. Reality
The expedition's hope of finding Merlin is dashed when they discover only a personnel-file machine, highlighting the gap between legend and fact.
Technology and Humanity
The collapsium shielding and advanced excavation equipment contrast with the human remnants—ash-filled ashtrays, broken glasses—in Travis's office.
Deception and Leadership
The hidden headquarters and the missing records suggest deliberate concealment by the Force Command, raising questions about their actions.
Characters to notice
- Conn Maxwell
Leads the excavation, identifies the personnel-file machine, and deduces the collapsium shielding.
- Rodney Maxwell
Files the claim for the underground installation and accompanies Conn into the tunnel.
- Kurt Fawzi
Insists Merlin must be in the complex and watches the excavation intently.
- Colonel Klem Zareff
Identifies the G-1 personnel section and coordinates air cavalry to control sightseers.
- Anse Dawes
Assists Conn and Rodney in the recon-car during the initial approach.
- Tom Brangwyn
Brings the Home Guard to reinforce the Company Police at the site.
- Jerry Rivas
Helps identify the tunnel entrance using photoprint maps.
- Professor Dolf Kellton
Visits the excavation site, playing hookey from school.
Key passages
“This is not Merlin. This is the personnel-file machine. It’s taped for the records and data of every man and woman in the Third Force for the whole War.”
Conn identifies the machine as a personnel records device, not the legendary Merlin.
Reveals the first major disappointment of the excavation.
“They had gathered here, and talked for a long time. Then they had risen, for a final toast, and when it was drunk, they had hurled their glasses against the wall and smashed them.”
The scene in Travis's office suggests a final, solemn gathering before the staff departed forever.
Evokes the emotional weight of the War's end and the abandonment of the base.
“We just can’t transmit out. ... It won’t transmit through collapsium.”
Conn explains that the collapsium lining blocks radio signals, confirming the base's advanced shielding.
Highlights the technological sophistication of the hidden headquarters.