 What does Rikud's victory represent?
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. Instead, there was more of the blackness, and one very bright star set apart by itself in the middle of the viewport. 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. 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. Rikud often thought of his own death, still seventy-five years in the future, not without a sense of alarm. The view had changed, and the strangeness of it made Rikud's pulses leap with excitement. 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.
 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.