 What does Rikud's victory represent?
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. The stars—it was a meaningless concept to Rikud, but that was what everyone called the bright pinpoints of light on the black backdrop in the viewport—were not apparent in the speckled profusion Rikud had always known. Instead, there was more of the blackness, and one very bright star set apart by itself in the middle of the viewport. Often Rikud had dreamed of the time he would be thirty and a father. 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. Rikud, for his part, wanted to get back to the viewport and watch the one new bright star. Rikud had been stopped in this action, although there was no real authority to stop him. There had been a revolt—again a term without any real meaning, a term that could have no reality outside of the reading machine—and the elders were overthrown. 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. Under the tube at Rikud's left lay Crifer. But if he wasn't reading himself, Rikud usually went to sleep. This was a new thought to Rikud, and he propped his head up on one elbow. Rikud would read it tomorrow. "You know," Rikud said, sitting up now, "the stars in the viewport are changing." Over on Rikud's right, Chuls began to dress.
 Victory over fear of the unknown, and embracing of change.
 Victory over authority.  Victory over the world, and overcoming its changes.  Victory over fear of the unknown, and embracing of change.  Victory over indecision.