Question: What is the plot of the story involving a man who awakens in an unfamiliar place and grapples with the implications of his surroundings and a mysterious figure, while exploring themes of ambition and the future?

Answer: Maitland, a militant engineer specialized in atomic rocket motors, awakes one night to a strange sound in his room. He blacks out and awakes again, this time in a room that isn't his. He takes in his surroundings and notices a prairie and a river outside his window, and within his room a door to exit which he cannot open. As Maitland wonders helplessly, a man by the name of Swarts enters his room. Swarts tells Maitland that he is here to participate in a series of psychological tests, assuring him that he is not interested in any secret intelligence related to his career. Swarts leads Maitland to his laboratory, where a cot stands in the center of the room under a ceiling of electric cables. Maitland resists initially, wary of the extent Swarts would go to in order for him to comply; however, Swarts manages to get Maitland onto the cot by force. He then reveals his main objective, which is figuring out why Maitland has a passion and longing to go to the Moon. Later that evening, Maitland meets a girl, later referred to as Ingrid Ching, who silently brings him a meal. He stares outside his window, trying to piece together where he could be, when he notices the presence of Venus in the sky as an evening star and comes to the realization that he has traveled to the future. Bewildered, Maitland is eager to learn more about the advancements of society, namely the status of man's trip to space. He asks Ching, who refuses to answer, and is then brought back to Swarts' lab. Maitland, determined to have his questions answered, rebels against Swarts' following tests through mental resistance. Becoming frustrated, Swarts tells Maitland that they are in the year A.D 2634, and that Ching would answer remaining questions if he complied with the tests. Agreeing, Ching visits Maitland that evening, and indulges him in the history of the human race up to this point, including stories of the Afrikanders, who dominated technological advancements and ruled the global empire, and how the world eventually transformed into one race. Maitland asks Ching whether humans have been able to go to space yet, and she is perplexed. She tells him that though she doesn't think it would be impossible, it has not been done, and she wonders why such a thing would be desired. Ching explains that the world is no longer in an age of technology, but an age of understanding humans and cultures within their world. Maitland is defeated; he cannot comprehend how there is no interest in traveling to space, realizing that his lifelong goal has become unattainable.

Answer:
The story starts with Maitland waking up from a loud thump but quickly goes back to sleep. Later he realizes that he is not in his room. This is not the Reservation. Then he remembers that something has happened during the night. He believes that whoever captures him must want information about the rocket motor. He gets up to inspect the room but only find a door leading to the bathroom. The other door cannot be opened and the view from the window is unfamiliar. About half an hour later, the other door opens and a man named Swarts explains that he will perform some psychological tests on Maitland for about a week and does not want any information regarding the rocket motor. Even though Swarts made it clear that he can obtain the results he want with or without Maitland’s cooperation, Maitland still protests. He puts up a fight but ends up on the cot that will record his body changes. Swarts notes that the question regarding traveling to the moon seems to have created involuntary responses, and he wants to know why.

Back at the cell, dinner is brought by an Oriental looking girl. Maitland watches the sunset and suddenly realizes that Venus was a morning star, but now he sees it after sunset. He becomes excited after learning that he has time travelled and is determined to ask Swarts which year he is in. He assumes that there are spaceports in the space to reach the starts. The next day Maitland asks the girl what year they’re in, but she refuses to tell him. Swarts also refuses to tell him anything, thus he does not cooperate in the labs. Finally, Swarts yields and tells him that they are in A.D. 2634. He assures Maitland that the girl, Ingrid Ching, will answer his questions. Then Maitland cooperates. Later Maitland learns about the ‘history’ that has happened since his time. And he learns that they have no interest in going to outer space. Instead of the age of technology, they are in the age of man.

Answer: Maitland wakes up in his room in the residential section of the Reservation. He thinks he sees a man in the corner of his room, and just then, he is knocked unconscious. He awakens again the next morning, soon realising that he is not in his room anymore, and he is not in the Reservation either. He must have been abducted in the night and taken to this strange place that is steeped in beautiful nature. Through the window of his room he sees a man and a woman coming up a hill towards the building he is in. Half an hour later, the man he had seen earlier arrives in his room. He tells Maitland his name is Swarts. He isn't going to tell him where he is, and that even though Maitland works in the engineering of rocket motors, he has no interest in extracting secrets from his job. He will be performing a series of tests on Maitland. He takes him to his lab, where Maitland refuses to participate in Swarts' test, so Swarts beats him up and pins him down. He asks Maitland if he wants to go to the moon, then telling him that he wants to understand why. In the evening, a girl enters Maitland's room, bringing him dinner. He notices how beautiful she is. He wonders what this is all about. He watches the sun set, and the stars come out. He notices Venus in the sky, his favourite planet. He then realises that Venus was just a morning star, and it is now an evening star. He must've traveled into the future. Maitland is determined to get the truth about what year it is from Swarts. After great resistance to the tests that Swarts puts him through the next day, the man finally gives into Maitlands question, telling him it is the year 2634. He tells him that the girl who had brought him food, named Ingrid Ching, would answer any questions he might have. Maitland is overcome with excitement at the idea that he might find a place in this society, and be able to use their technology to travel in space. He is quickly brought down though when Ching tells him that there is no such thing as space travel, as the population of Earth, which is now only 300 million, have no interest in such a thing. She tells him a bit about the history of Earth since the 20th century and Maitland is devastated to learn that he will never realise his dream of traveling to space.

Answer:
Maitland wakes up in a strange room in an unexpected location. He thinks to himself where he might be and starts to feel scared and helpless because he is unsure. Suddenly, a man, Swarts, appears at the now opened entrance to his room. Swarts tells Maitland that he will be there for a week and be fed 3 meals a day. Swarts continues to say that he will not tell Maitland where he is and that the purpose of his stay is to undergo psychological tests.

Swarts leads Maitland into the laboratory room tells Maitland to lie down on the surgical cot at the center of the room. The first test will be similar to a lie detector test. He warns Maitland that he should cooperate, but Maitland becomes purposefully defiant. Swarts then forces Maitland onto the cot and straps him into it. Maitland begins to think about what the tests might be as Swarts sets up the different instruments. Swarts then begins the experiment and asks Maitland to explain why he wants to go to the moon. Maitland is intrigued by the question as it was unexpected.

After returning to his cell and eating the meal that Ching brought him, Maitland begins to think about the situation. After making some observations about the sky, Maitland realizes where he is. He notices that Venus is suddenly an evening star. He becomes full of excitement and thinks about all the possible implications. Energized by his new knowledge, he thinks of a plan to get Swarts to be more open with him and then goes to sleep. After conversing with Ching during his breakfast, Maitland waits in his room until Swarts walks in and then promptly asks Swarts the year. Swarts avoid answering the question and takes Maitland to the laboratory for more testing.

Maitland tries to fight against the new machine hoping Swarts will answer his question and his efforts are successful. Swarts tells him that it is the year 2634, and Maitland responds with a grin. He agrees to cooperate with Swarts as long as Ching answers his questions after the experiments. Back in his cell, Ching tells Maitland a quick history of the world of the last 500 years. She explains the deadly war that occurred and the response to it. Maitland then excitedly asks about space innovation but Ching seems confused by the question. Ching asks Maitland why he or anyone else during his time wants to travel in space. Maitland finds it incredulous that with all of the technology at hand people have not traveled to space. Ching explains that her time is the Age of Man and as long as machines work, humans don’t want to think about them, while Maitland’s time is the Age of Technology. Maitland is very discouraged upon learning that in the present time there is not a familiar interest in space travel and asks to be alone in his room in reaction to the upsetting news.


Question: Describe the setting of the story, which involves a character waking up in an unfamiliar place and grappling with the implications of time and technological advancements in a world vastly different from his own.

Answer: The majority of the story takes place in the cell that Maitland is kept in by Swarts. The room is unconventional, according to Maitland, with no sharp edges, lines, or corners. Instead, the room is rounded, mostly made of smooth metal and plastic. There is no knob or latch on his door, and his window is made of a plastic so transparent it looks invisible. Because Maitland cannot leave his room, his observation of the outside is limited to what is through his window; the land outside is lush, with a rich prairie, an ocean, and a river. He has a view of the vast sky, and at night is able to see the stars. The other location that Maitland experiences in the story is Swarts' lab, which looks similar to an ordinary lab, with familiar electronics and machinery.

Answer: The story first takes place in Maitland’s room which has an open window at the side of his bed. Later when Maitland wakes up, he is not in his room anymore. This room is no straight lines or sharp corners; there are blue and featureless walls made from plastic, smooth doors made from metals, chair and table from aluminum alloy. Interestingly, the doors does not have any knob, but there is a button on the wall that controls one of the two doors. The door opens to the bathroom. The other one cannot be controlled from the inside. The window is made of strong transparent plastics. Outside the window, there are deep prairie grass and the ocean stretches to the horizon. Instead of the oxygen plant in the California desert, there is a river down the hill covered by huge ancient trees. Outside the other door is a laboratory which has a surgical cot and a bench at the side of the room. It supports a few electronics cabinets. There are cables from the ceiling, going to a focus above the cot.

Answer: The story takes place in two time periods. The first setting of the story is in Maitland's room in the residential section of the reservation in 1950. He is then taken to the year 2634. In the room that he wakes up in, there is a palpable sense of uneasiness. There are no straight lines anywhere, and every surface is smooth. There are two doors in the room, one of which has a button beside it, when pressed leading to a bathroom. The other door has no way to open it from the inside. In Swarts' lab in the same building is a surgical cot, a bench, some screens, cables, pilot lights and switches. The outside of the building presents a beautiful, open landscape. There is a lawn directly outside the building which leads to a green ocean. Down a hill is a benign river, underneath a patch of huge trees.

Answer:
The story begins with Maitland waking up believing that he’s in the residential section of the Reservation and then realizing that he’s not. Where he is, he’s not sure but he can see dark green pastoral grass and ocean stretching to the horizon. The room that he is in appears strange to him. He notes that it gives him access to a bathroom but not the ability to leave the room of his own volition.

When a man enters Maitland’s room, the man leads Maitland from his strange cell into a laboratory. The laboratory has a surgical cot at the center of the room with a bench on the wall that holds different electronics. Maitland is put on the cot and the experiment begins.

Once the experiment, is over, Maitland returns to his cell where he is given food and falls asleep for the night.

According to Maitland he is from the 20th century but believes that he was brought into the future. His hypothesis is based upon that Venus is now an evening star when it was a morning star before he was brought to the facility. After asking Swarts to confirm his theory and being ignored, Maitland is brought back to the laboratory for more testing. After another finished day of testing, Maitland is brought to his cell where he talks with Ching and asks her questions about the current period of time.


Question: What is the significance of space in the context of a story that explores themes of time travel and the evolution of human priorities?

Answer: Throughout the story, Maitland shows his passion and knowledge for space; it defines him as a character and helps him in figuring out certain aspects of his situation. Maitland's passion for space is first introduced when Swarts asks him about going to the Moon. Maitland is taken aback by this question, and Swarts knows that the idea is extremely important to him; in fact, Maitland's dream of going to the Moon is the whole reason why he is experiencing these tests. Later on, space is significant in helping Maitland come to a realization. As he stares out the window trying to gauge where in the world he is located, he notices that Venus, his favorite planet, is in the sky during the evening, when back at the Reservation, it was a morning star. Maitland's knowledge of constellations and planets leads him to realize that he must have traveled into the future. Once Maitland realizes this, his main question is about space travel, and whether humans have achieved it. Once he learns that it has not been attempted or achieved, Maitland's motivation is lost; space was the driving force in his life and career, and space travel not being possible left him hopeless.

Answer: Firstly, Swarts asks Maitland a question regarding Moon and he wants to know why Maitland wants to travel to the Moon. Moreover, space and the stars in space helped Maitland realize that they are not in his time anymore. The morning star Venus has become an evening star. Understanding that the people in the future are capable of time travel, Maitland was sure that they are also space travelling. However, when he asks Ching about their interstellar flights, she gets confused. Apparently, there has not been any desire to go to other planets. Even when they have the technology, there is no interest in exploring the space. But they do like to go to the past, they consider this an adventure while space travel is not.

Answer: Space is very significant in the story. Maitland is a man who wishes to one day travel to mars. Swarts asks him if he wants to go to the moon. The reasoning behind Swarts testing Maitland is in an effort to discover why someone from the 20th century would want to go to the moon at all. In the year 2634, they have no interest or need for space travel. Ching doesn't even know what Mars is. They have the capability to travel to space, but don't care to. Their population is only 300 million, meaning that they're not going to run out of resources or space on Earth. They also see no need to travel to space in the name of adventure, as they have time travel, which according to Ching, is the greatest adventure of all. Maitland is devastated to discover that he will not travel to space. He wants to see the sun as a smaller star on mars, he wants to walk on Venus, he wants to see the rings of Saturn from only 200,000 miles away.

Answer:
Maitland works in the speciality of heat transfer in relation to its application to rocket motors. He has a great and undeniable interest in space. He is able to discern his real location in time using his knowledge of space and the solar system to understand that he is not in the same time as he was before being at the facility.

Space seems to be of relevance to Swarts and his psychological tests as during the first experiment Swarts tells Maitland that he was brought because of his interest in the moon. One of the first questions Swarts asks Maitland is for his reasoning of why he wants to go to the moon. So, it is clear that Swarts is interested in studying Maitland’s passion and desire for space travel.

When discussing with Ching the history and advances that the human race has made since his generation, he excitedly asks about what other planets have been visited and other general information on space travel. His question confuses Ching because she does not understand why he is interested in traveling to space. Maitland finds it incredulously that they have so much technology but have not traveled to space. It shows the dichotomy of their viewpoints because Maitland sees space travel as a solution to population control and as an interesting prospect because space invites and feeds an adventurous spirit. On the other hand, Ching and the rest of the world have no desire for space innovation or travel because it is unnecessary to further interaction with technology.


Question: What is the relationship between Maitland and Ching throughout the narrative that explores themes of time travel and societal evolution?

Answer: Maitland and Ching hold no significant reservations about each other upon meeting; they had no more interaction than Ching bringing him meals and leaving. As the story progresses, and Ching is able to answer Maitland's questions about the world they are in, she shares a bit about herself. Trust is built between the two as Ching shares her knowledge of global history, and Maitland learns that like his passion for space travel, Ching has a passion for time travel, specifically back to the 20th century, where Maitland is from. Though Ching has to break the news to Maitland that space travel has not been done, she attempts to comfort him through explanations and consolation. While by the end of the story, Ching and Maitland are not exactly friends, they have both confided in each other and have learned a lot about the other.

Answer: Ching is the girl who was ordered to bring Maitland his meals every day. Once he realizes that he is in the ‘future’ he asks her what year they are in. But Ching says she cannot tell him. Only until Swarts gives her the order to answer Maitland’s questions, did she start answering him. Swarts waits excitedly for her to come. When she gets to the room, she smiled at Maitland and comments that he is wonderful. She admires him for being able to get what he wants from Swarts. Ching tells Maitland about the ‘history’ that has happened since the time that Maitland is from, the 20th century. Later Maitland acknowledges that the people in this era do not desire space travel. He is sad, but Ching soothes him. As they argue about the reasons for space travel, Maitland becomes confused, which turns into anger. Not capable of processing everything that he has just learned, Maitland tells Ching that he would like to be alone for a while.

Answer: Maitland is obviously very attracted to Ching throughout the story. When Ching first arrives in his room, he notices how beautiful she is. He gets embarrassed when the gorgeous woman, who is so well dressed, sees him in his crumpled up pyjamas. She brings him his food, but when Swarts tells Maitland the truth about what year it is, he is able to ask Ching questions about their time period. Ching tells him how special she thinks he is, smiling at him. She tells him how she wishes to travel back to the 20th century, because she is a romantic. Ching explains to Maitland the history of Earth since the 20th century, and how most of the population were wiped out, and the rise and fall of empires with robot armies. She tells him that people now have no interest in space travel, to which Maitland becomes visibly enraged, scaring her into thinking he might strike her. She tries to comfort him after a while.

Answer: Ching brings Maitland his food for his meal times throughout the day. The first time they meet, she shows curiosity towards him and appears to be friendly. Ching has a caretaker role for Maitland as she brings him his food and wakes him up in the morning. On their second meeting, Ching laughs when Maitland asks her what year it is and explains that she cannot tell them. It shows that they are interacting in a friendly manner and it is not a hostile or tense situation even though Maitland is being held at the facility without his permission. Ching admires Maitland because is successful in persuading Swarts into telling him the information he wants to know. Ching becomes concerned with Maitland after he is incredulous that the current generation of humans has no desire for space travel and exploration.


Question: What kinds of gadgets and machinery are utilized by Swarts in the narrative centered around an unexpected journey into a future world?

Answer: Swarts uses different technology for his various tests. In the first, he uses electrodes and cables placed in various spots on Maitland's body, meant to record how Maitland responds and reacts to various stimuli. These include heart monitors, blood pressure recorders, and measurements of brain activity. Swarts uses similar technology in the next test to record Maitland's reactions, with a few additions. Firstly, he introduces gadgets attached to Maitland's eyelashes that keep him from closing his eyes. He also attaches lenses and a projector to Maitland's eyes to display different scenes to him.

Answer: Firstly, Swarts or his men probably used some kinds of gadgets and brought Maitland from the heavily guarded Reservation. At the lab, Swarts tells Maitland to lay on the surgical cot, where cables run from the ceiling to the focus above the cot in the center of the room. When Maitland refuses to corporate, Swarts uses his fist to hit Maitland’s solar plexus and put him onto the cot, where he is forced to remain still. The tiny electrodes are placed at his temples and other parts of his body, minute microphone placed on the skin over his heart, and a sphygmomanometer on his arm. Those gadgets are used to record his involuntary responses. When Maitland realizes that he is in the future, he refuses to corporate. Then, Swarts places two cylindrical tubes over Maitland’s head, there are lenses at the end of the tubes. The tiny clamps on Maitland’s eyelashes prevent his eyelids from closing for a long time. Earphones are placed in his ears. A video is played through the lenses.

Answer: Swarts uses many different gadgets throughout the story. Along the wall of Swarts' laboratory are several electronic cabinets holding cathode ray tube screens. He uses a lie detector on Maitland made up of a multitude of tiny electrodes and a sphygmomanometer sleeve. He then uses an apparatus which he lowers over Maitland's head, with two cylindrical tubes with lenses at the end, and clamps to keep his eyelids open. It has a screen inside that projects videos.

Answer:
The first machine used by Swarts on Maitland when conducting the psychological tests is similar to a lie detector. The machine is meant to record Maitland’s reactions to the different tests that he is given. It operates by attaching electrodes to Maitland’s temples and other parts of his body and then putting a tiny microphone on his skin near his heart. In addition, a sphygmomanometer sleeve is wrapped around one of his arms. The different instruments on this machine are used to record the changes in Maitland’s skin potential, blood pressure, and heartbeat. Thus, it measures his natural reaction to the stimuli he will be exposed to during the tests.

The next time he is tested, it is a new machine that has two cylindrical tubes similar to a binocular microscope that is placed over his head. Tiny clamps are attached to his eyelashes to keep his eyes from shutting. Earphones are also used to further the immersive experience of the new test. The new machine shows Maitland different clips, some disturbing, to gauge his various reactions.


Question: What is the plot of the story involving a man on a final journey through space, dealing with the aftermath of war and the weight of his duties?

Answer:
Sam Burnett hears the familiar sounds that indicate another dead body has been retrieved and collected onto the Morgue ship where he works. Burnett is a coroner that works to retrieve dead bodies from space lost in war and bring them back to Earth. He thinks of how his job has emotionally drained him. Rice interrupts his thoughts and yells for Sam to meet with him. Sam climbs up to the control room of the rocket. When he meets Rice, he realizes that the recovered body is an enemy official. Sam is suspicious of the condition of the body when Rice excitedly exclaims that it is the body of Lethla, Kriere’s majordomo. Burnett is indifferent to the revelation. Yet, Rice is excited for the possibility of a high enemy official being dead and the possibility of the war coming to an end; Sam is still jaded.

Lethla moves and they realize that he is not dead.  Lethla was able to survive in the void of space with the usage of a well-hidden face mask made of glassite. Lethla threatens the two to not make any moves and communicates his intent to control the ship. Rice tells Lethla to leave because it is against Interplanetary law to mess with a morgue ship. Lethla rebuffs that defense. All the while, Sam is observing the two interact. Lethla lets the two know that Kriere is still alive and is also wearing the same mask that Lethla had worn. He explains that they were attacked near Mars while they were on their way to Venus. They were running out of supplies and decided to trick the morgue ship to continue their trip to Venus. After Lethla explains why and how he got to the morgue ship, he commands them to go pick up Kriere. Sam smiles and complies with Lethla’s orders.

Sam thinks over his options and considers getting Lethla and Kriere to Venus so that he can peacefully return to Earth. They spot Kriere in space floating as if he is dead. Sam continues thinking about his options to overpower both Kriere and Lethla and experiences some fear over the possible success of his plan. He begins to sweat nervously but becomes more confident as he puts the plan into action. Sam activates the ship’s claw mechanism to pick up Kriere’s body. As Lethla watches him he mentions a saying about how the ship is meant for dead men and then unexpectedly begins to crush Kriere’s body with the claw, killing Kriere. Lethla is caught off guard but manages to fire his gun at Sam before Rice attacks him. Lethla screams in horror for a time while Burnett uncontrollably laughs. Rice expresses how he doesn’t believe Sam should have killed Kriere. Sam argues that it didn’t matter as long as it was his last trip somehow. Sam dies and becomes the 100 body on the ship, filling it and allowing the ship to return back to Earth fulfilling Sam’s last desire.

Answer: Sam Burnett works on the morgue ship called the Constellation. His job involves collecting bodies floating in the void, and he desperately wants to quit after ten long years. He works alongside Rice on the morgue ship. Burnett declares that this mission will be his last, or he will find a reason for it. He is wary about the nature of his job since it is so involved with death. Rice calls him over and explains that the body they just brought in is Lethla, Kriere’s majordomo. Burnett is not very interested, but Rice takes this as a sign that Kriere must be somewhere near too. Rice talks about radioing for help if there is a warship, but Burnett does not care because he is tired of seeing all these bodies. Just before they can continue arguing, it turns out that Lethla is actually alive and reveals that he survived through the use of a face-moulded mask of glassite. Lethla knows they are weaponless and finds the radio, which upsets Rice because only dead men are supposed to be on their ship. Lethla reveals that Kriere is out there too, and he plans to use the morgue ship to rescue him. Rice does not move, but Burnett agrees to the request and goes up to drive the ship. He ponders his plan, thinking how cooperating with Venusians will help him and Rice survive. He also thinks about capturing Kriere and ending the war. They find Kriere floating in space, and Burnett drives the ship up to him. However, he knows that with both Lethla and Kriere on board, they have no chance of overpowering them. Burnett tells Rice to take the controls as he moves to the star-port, and he begins to feel the spot on his back where a bullet will hit him. Kriere is outside, reaching towards the Constellation and smiling. The claw lever is extended and retrieves Kriere, while Burnett tells Lethla that only dead men come aboard the ship. The claw crushes Kriere, leaving only his head preserved for identification. Lethla fires the gun that hits Burnett, but he and Rice retaliate. Soon, Lethla is dead too. Rice tells him that he shouldn’t have done it, but Burnett tells him that he is determined to make this his last trip. He asks Rice if he is one hell of a patriot and dies shortly after. Rice softly declares that Burnett’s body is one-hundred.

Answer: Sam Burnett and his partner, Rice, are aboard the morgue ship Constellation with the goal of retrieving one hundred bodies from space before returning to Earth. They have been working for ten years, and Burnett has become frustrated with the job. He is sick of the repetition and dealing with dead bodies every day, and it has caused him to lose motivation in the war and returning home. The two are at their ninety-seventh body, only needing three more before being able to go home. One day, Burnett and Rice collect a soldier from the void, who they identify as Lethla, the right hand man of Kriere, the head enemy. Rice is excited, noting that Lethla's death indicates an end to the war, but Burnett remains unfazed, when Lethla's body suddenly jumps to life. Lethla had faked his death after an accident in order to board the morgue ship, and he takes Burnett and Rice hostage in an effort to rescue Kriere and go to Venus. Burnett agrees while Rice hesitates; he sees this as an opportunity to catch up with the war and end the trip once and for all. The Constellation reaches Kriere, and Burnett catches Lethla off guard by crushing Kriere with the claw, killing him. Burnett and Rice then fight off Lethla, eventually killing him too. Rice reprimands Burnett, noting that their cargo is not full and is still missing a body. Burnett, still lying down, watches Rice without protest, and Rice kills him for the final body.

Answer: Three new dead bodies lie before Sam Burnett aboard the Constellation. They add up to a hundred dead warriors aboard,  part of a much greater amount the crew picked up in ten years. Now, the spaceship is going back to Earth to bury them properly, with only two living people making up its crew - Rice and Sam. Sam suddenly starts feeling bad about his job, about all the similar dead bodies, tired of his job. Soon, a new body appears which looks different - "too dead". Turns out the dead is Lethla, Kriere's majordomo, signifying the war is somewhere near to the ship with more bodies. Sam and Rice have a short argument then: Rice wants to take advantage of Kriere, the enemy's leader, being on their territory. Sam argues that they should stay away as they are not a battle-cruiser, he is tired of his job, sentimental about the young warriors and willing to go back to Earth. The dispute stops when it turns out that Lethla is alive and aims his gun. Rice is shocked - no one can live in the void, but Lethla did with the help of glassite. The intruder breaks the radio and announces the purpose of his visit: to rescue Kriere. Turns out their ship was attacked and the two escaped in the same life- boat, wearing chrysali-helmets, and headed towards the morgue ship, the only thing nearby, knowing they would be taken in and considered dead. The morgue rocket was the best cover possible to get safely to Venus, but Kriere was still in the void, while Lethla was picked up. "Constellation" starts searching for Kriere as Lethla orders with Sam feeling finally alive and happily agreeing. He has a plan for the two to fill the empty shelves in his morgue. Various plans on how to kill the two enemies and end the war keep appearing in Sam's head while he picks up the body. As in slow-motion, the claw picking up the bodies crushes Kriere and Sam is shot by Lethla. Rice beats the least and rushes to Sam, who is happy to stop the war and save many more young warriors at any price. Sam's last though is that he is number one-hundred in this morgue filling an empty shelf.


Question: Describe what Sam Burnett does for his job in a story where he deals with the aftermath of conflict in space, managing the remains of warriors while grappling with the emotional toll of his work.

Answer: Sam Burnett is a coroner on the morgue ship Constellation. His job is to go to space and pick up 100 dead warriors and then return to Earth for them to be given a proper burial. When the ship has filled its capacity it returns specifically to New York. Sam has been working at this job for the past ten years. He uses a machine with metal claws to pick the dead bodies from space and then bring them in through the star-port grind. After the bodies are brought onto the ship, if they are not enemy warriors, the bodies are prepared for return to Earth. The bodies are prepared by Sam in a drainage-preservative lab.

Answer: Sam Burnett works on a morgue ship, collecting and preparing bodies of spacemen to bring back to Earth for burials. His duties involve driving the ship, opening the star-port to extend the retriever claw, and plucking dead bodies from the void. The morgue ship is always filled with dead men on the way back to Earth and returns empty to find more soldiers. Burnett is also responsible for the drainage-preservative lab, where the bodies are drained and pumped with preservatives for burial. The bodies are then stored on the shelves, where they are lined up and returned to Earth once there is a full cargo.

Answer: Sam Burnett works on the Constellation, which is a morgue ship designed to collect one hundred space soldiers. Sam Burnett works in the laboratory and is responsible for preparing the bodies after they have died, which consists of any necessary surgeries, pumping out blood, and injecting preservatives. Burnett and his partner, Rice, must meet a certain body count for the Constellation before returning to Earth. The job is a long term one; Burnett is on his tenth year of working on the Constellation.

Answer: Sam Burnett is one of the two crew members aboard Constellation. For the last ten years he has been traveling in this morgue ship, picking up dead bodies in between Venus and Earth. He moves the ship, stops it at the sight of bodies, picks them up with the ship's extending claw, puts them on the table and inspects, then stocks them on the shelves to take back to Earth when the space is filled and give them a proper burial. The two planets are at war at the moment, so there are plenty of bodies in the void, coming from the crashed ships. Sam also does surgery and helps the bodies preserve.


Question: How does Sam Burnett feel about his work on a space vessel dealing with the aftermath of conflict?

Answer: Sam Burnett is very jaded by his job. He has spent years returning dead bodies to Earth, lost in a seemingly endless war. He suggests that he began the job with less of a sullen view, but that opinion is forever lost. He no longer has the emotional capacity to acknowledge the individual lives of each lost warrior. Sam feels as if his job is rotting him from the inside and starving him from real life and action. He has no energy or excitement in his actions anymore because of his job causing him to complete it in an almost mechanical way. He becomes numb to the bodies; seeing them and preparing them to be stored is just a regular part of his routine. All Sam wants to do is return back to Earth, dead or alive.

Answer: Sam Burnett is tired of his job and plans to quit. He thinks that ten years is too long to go from Earth to nowhere and that each hour ate him up like maggots inside. Burnett is starved for action, as his only company are the dead soldiers who can no longer speak and Rice. Although he has built up a mental defense by doing his job with mechanical hands, he still has emotions that haunt him. When Rice asks him about Lethla, he has no interest and grows instantly tired. However, Burnett is determined to get out of this job one way or another. This is what motivates him to act out against Lethla and Kriere, even though they are two highly dangerous and important Venusian figures.

Answer: Sam Burnett despises his job, noting several times throughout the story that he is eager to end his last trip. Working in a morgue is morbid enough, but being stuck in a ship for ten years has added to it. Burnett no longer sees motivation for much anymore, becoming desensitized to seeing dead body after dead body. He no longer holds excitement about the war because he can only witness its aftermath. Burnett's feelings towards his job are expressed when he blows up at Rice, claiming that he wouldn't care if he returned to Earth as one of the dead bodies on their shelves.

Answer: Sam Burnett is tired of his job - it's monotonous and all the bodies seem the same to him. He is also sympathetic to the young warriors being dead. Every new corpse makes him more upset and he can't handle it any longer, he is tired of the war and doesn't want anyone else dead. He wants to return to Earth. He used to be a 'machine' and do his job automatically, but he broke, now he can't handle those corpses. He doesn't feel alive as well, Lethra's arrival, the possibility to end the war, spark life in Sam, they bring some action in. He wants to save all the rest warriors by ending the war not to see more corpses. He is willing to retire no matter which way, even death is a way.


Question: What is the setting of the story involving a weary character engaged in a grim and repetitive task amidst the backdrop of war and loss?

Answer: The story begins on the morgue ship named Constellation. Sam Burnett is mentally exhausted standing in his white gown in the laboratory room of the ship. In the laboratory there are many shelves stacked upon each other, each numbered with a scarlet color. The shelves are meant to hold the 100 dead bodies that the ship is capable of storing. Once the shelves are filled, the ship is able to return back to New York. The lab is meant for performing the work of draining and preserving the dead bodies for them to then be stored. Sam leaves the laboratory at the request of Rice’s calls. After they realize that Lethla is alive, Lethla orders the two to go find Kriere. They head to the control room full of levers and audio and visual plates where Sam begins to maneuver the ship. It is in the control room that Sam dies on the ship.

Answer: The story is set in space, onboard the Constellation. There are controls to drive the ship, a star-port, and claws that extend out from the ship. There is also a radio for communication and no weapons. There is also a drainage-preservative lab, transparent tables, glass retorts, and refrigerator shelves. The control-room sector of the room has an air-lock and a ladder that goes up to the area where Rice first examines Lethla. The ship also has metal walls and numbered shelves for the dead body. Outside, there is just the void where dead bodies float. However, Kriere and Lethla were able to survive using their masks of glasslite after destroying their life-boat.

Answer: The story takes place aboard the Constellation, a morgue ship following the path of the war between Earth and Venus. The bottom of the ship is a laboratory with a wall full of shelves, one hundred to be exact, each for a body collected from space. The laboratory has a ladder that leads up to the air lock control room, where the rest of space is visible. The ship has a large claw attached on its exterior that is used to retrieve bodies from the void.

Answer: The story takes places on a space ship which is a morgue called Constellation. It travels back and forth in space between Venus and Earth where war takes place. On the ship there are only two men alive making up its crew and ninety-seven dead bodies filling the designated shelves. The ship has a star-port which opens to let a metal claw pick up bodies in the void and take them inside. There is a table to put the dead on for inspection and surgery. Sam calls the ship 'cozy', it's small. The rungs lead to control-room. There is a radio to maintain connection with Earth. There are no weapons aboard. The enemy corpse is alive and Sam follows him to the visual-screen in. search of Kriere. The ship stops at detecting the body. It's crushed before being taken in, a fight takes place, and the empty shelves are filled, making Rice the only one live aboard.


Question: What is the significance of the phrase “You can never catch up with war” in the context of a story about a weary protagonist navigating the aftermath of conflict in a space morgue?

Answer:
At the beginning of the story, Sam Burnett makes note of the phrase to dictate the endless feeling that he associates with the conflict. He suggests that there is always going to be more bodies no matter how long or how many he retrieves. Even as victory may seem near, there is always another obstacle to face and the war never truly ends.

During the middle of the story, Burnett questions whether it is possible for war to catch up on someone. He and Rice work on a non-combative ship and yet have found themselves thrust into a pivotal moment in the conflict that should theoretically not have ever involved them. Sam sticks to his conviction that one can still not catch up with war.

While Sam is taking the ship towards Kriere, he thinks about whether he should fully comply with Lethla and Kriere or not to comply with their orders. He realizes that the situation as convoluted as it was, meant that he had unintentionally caught up with the war. That it was a rare and singular opportunity. While one may not be able to purposefully catch up with war, because war is unable to be controlled or predicted, it is possible for one’s path to cross with war. That presents an opportunity to greatly influence the war.

Answer: The phrase “you can never catch up with war” means that for Burnett’s job, the war will always leave more casualties for him to clean up. Although he and the Constellation can retrieve as many bodies as they find, there will always be more bodies for them to collect. Even though many ships wave the flags of glory are ahead, Burnett’s job will only ever let him go on the dark, quiet trail of death to examine the wreckage. This wreckage is almost always dead bodies that need to be brought back to Earth. As long as there is war, then the job will never end, and Burnett will never catch up to the growing pile of bodies.

Answer: Burnett repeats the phrase "you can never catch up with the war" in his mind as a reminder of the mundaneness and somberness of his job. His collection of bodies seems infinite, and the morgue ship follows the path of the war, but never close enough to witness it, only close enough to see the aftermath and pick up after it. Burnett is not able to experience the victories, thrills, or challenges of war. Instead, he sees its destruction and is forced to clean the mess. This phrase holds significance when Burnett decides to seize the opportunity to capture Lethla and Kriere, viewing this as a chance to finally catch up with the war.

Answer: This phrase is repeated several times which makes it important and emphasized. The phrase reflects Sam's feelings and attitude towards war and his job. He is overwhelmed with constant arrival of dead young bodies and feels bad about the war, he dream about its ending and return home. The phrase reflects on the amount of bodies - there are so many, that it's impossible to catch up. The horrors of war are so intense and they have such a strong impression on Sam that he can't catch up anymore. Later, the phrase gets a different meaning - the morgue ship stayed away from real war dealing with the dead only. Lethra's arrival changes it and brings war to the ship, making it caught up by war without intention.


Question: What is the plot of the story that explores the relationship between a man's work and an innovative, automated system he encounters during a pivotal job interview?

Answer: Peter Manners is awaiting his job interview at Lex Industries. He is very nervous but also has to worry about still being unemployed with barely any money saved. Since he is fifteen minutes early, he decides to look around the manufacturing plant. Peter then goes to his interview, and a voice from a loudspeaker directs him down to the hall where Mr. Lexington is waiting. He goes in through the multiple doors, where Mr. Lexington greets him roughly and looks over his qualifications. The other man begins asking Peter questions, to which Peter responds but is confused about how they have any relation to his job application. Mr. Lexington tells Peter that he has been stockpiled at his last company, given skills that will only ever help that specific company and nowhere else. Mr. Lexington then tells Peter that he had just proven that he has fewer skills than when he was in school, but he is pleased by Peter’s performance in the interview so far nonetheless. He tells Peter that he is the only person in the building and makes Peter follow him. They go through the machinery, and they reach the inside of a loading truck. Mr. Lexington explains that this area is where raw materials are delivered and that he has small machines, part of a bigger machine, all working together to operate the factory. They go to the office section of the building, where there is a small typewriter working. A central control mechanism operates everything, and Mr. Lexington does not even have to deal with much mail at all each week. Mr. Lexington explains his own history working as an engineer and how he spent most of his time developing his machinery. Peter is amazed by all of the machinery, and he continues to discuss machine parts such as the kicker button with Mr. Lexington. Just as they keep talking, the door opens, and a self-propelled cart asks if he would like cream and sugar with his coffee. Mr. Lexington is angry about the cup, and he insults them as being impractical. He also further clarifies that Lex Industries is named after his wife Alexis’ nickname. The company continues to earn a lot of money, and he also does not need to monitor progress constantly. Mr. Lexington also mentions that when he was extremely pleased with progress one day, he went to the kicker button and found it removed. He asked the machine what was going on, and the machine sent him a long message detailing how it was aware of when he was pleased with the progress made and had relieved him of the burden of having to press it every time.

Answer:
Peter Manners is nervous about an interview that is about to begin. He tries to waste time so as not to appear too eager for the interview so he walks around the building to entertain himself. When he looks around the building he finds the building construction strange. He keeps going around the building growing more curious about its construction. He then frantically returns to the entrance after he realizes the time. Peter walks through the entrance and eventually makes it to Mr. Lexington’s office where he is commanded to enter and sit down. The interview begins and Peter starts off the interview well to Mr. Lexington’s acknowledgement. Peter tries to avoid being intimidated by Mr. Lexington’s quick and blunt questioning to prove himself worthy of receiving the job offer. As the interview continues, Peter begins to get frustrated and angry with Mr. Lexington’s line of questioning. During the interview, Mr. Lexington lets Peter know that he is the only worker in the building much to Peter’s amazement.

Mr. Lexington begins to lead Peter out of the office and they walk to the manufacturing area as the interview continues. He explains to Peter that he uses machines to unload the trucks. He continues to lead Peter to a large bay area where different materials are stored. While Mr. Lexington is enthusiastic about the machines, Peter seems to be very wary about them. He stops to ask what Mr. Lexington does if the machines take care of the job duties. Peter is shocked to learn that he does basically nothing.

Mr. Lexington then sits down and explains to Peter how the machines were created. He tells Peter that he created a new company with the single unit machinery that was more successful than his original company that focused on specialized machines. His new company was able to buy out his old company. He goes on to say that to help the single unit machine learn he created an incentive for it. The incentive was based on whether Mr. Lexington was happy with the performance of the machine or not. The machine eventually learned by watching what Mr. Lexington did and focuses on taking over more responsibilities to continue to give Mr. Lexington pleasure. The machine continued to increase its abilities and made risky decisions that proved to be very beneficial to the company. The story ends with Mr. Lexington relaying a story to Peter about how the machine eventually grew so savvy that it removed Mr. Lexington’s indicator for the machine that he was happy with its performance because the machine stated that it was able to discern his happiness without the button and thus no longer needed it.

Answer: Peter Manners is an engineer in search of a job. He arrives at Lex Industries for an interview set up for him by the Association of Professional Engineers. Peter arrives early, so to kill time, he walks around the exterior of the building. He is perplexed by the building, namely due to the lack of windows, abundance of electricity, and no side entrance. As he enters through automatic doors for his interview, he is led to a large office where Mr. Lexington is waiting for him. Mr. Lexington first interrogates Peter with questions that all seem to have hidden traps, including questions about his previous job, where he suggests that Peter had been stockpiled. Mr. Lexington then reveals to Peter the true operations of Lex Industries; he is the only person in the factory, and the rest are machines. Mr. Lexington takes Peter on a tour of the factory, where he sees robots, called "manipulators", perform manufacturing, loading, and other business tasks. Mr. Lexington explains his journey with the machinery, telling Peter about his origins in engineering, including his late wife Alexis and his devotion to his work. Mr. Lexington had opened the current factory to be run by machinery, eventually overtaking his original company. A key piece of his success had been the use of a kicker button, which signaled pleasure to the robots and eventually got them to develop a sort of conscious. The robots had chosen the name "Lex" for themselves. Mr. Lexington then tells Peter that one day, he found the kicker button to be removed, and received a message from Lex that said they had learned to tell whether or not they were doing a good job without the button, and declared their faith and loyalty to him.

Answer: Peter Manners nervously awaits his job interview in front of the office's weird building. Finally, he enters a place with everything being automated and approaches Mr. Lexington, a huge man at a huge desk, the interviewer. The dialogue is hard, Mr. Lexington is straightforward and harsh in his questions, Peter thinks well and answers with caution but gets angry in the end. Eventually, he is accepted as he is found "teachable". Lexington gives Peter a tour around the manufacturing area, where everything is automated and done by machines. The building is filled with robots doing every kind of job, their abundance scares Peter and reminds of the articles about the future. Lexington tells the story of his business - without education in this field, he created the business and was expanding it, replacing people by robots. Eventually, he created a system without specialization controlling the whole process, with him being the only employee and doing almost nothing. The system called itself Lex in honor of Lexington's late wife Alexis, removed the kicker button and take charge of some things, making Lexington scared to lose control.


Question: Who is Mr. Lexington, and what traits does he demonstrate in the context of a man's challenging job interview at a unique manufacturing plant?

Answer: Mr. Lexington is the owner of Lex Industries. He is the only person in the manufacturing plant. He is an eccentric but genius man who is surrounded by his machinery. Lexington started his business twenty years ago, and he never went through university despite having many interests. He gave up arts and biology, later re-entering through engineering. He also went through many stages, including commerce, accounting, and even working for a competitor. Lexington is especially interested in machine parts, which led him to begin firing employees and replacing them with automatic machines. His wife died in a car accident earlier, so he focused all of his attention on the machinery. By creating the central control system, he could give up his old company and build this new one. Although he is very rough towards Peter, he is also somewhat sympathetic to Peter’s past experiences and skills. He is very proud of his machinery and does not hesitate to show all of it to Peter.

Answer: Mr. Lexington is the founder of Lex Industries. Peter describes him as having a large frame accompanied with large muscles. The first time that Peter meets Mr. Lexington, Mr. Lexington angrily yells for him to enter the office. It shows that Mr. Lexington can be very commanding. During the interview, Mr. Lexington asks questions trying in an attempt to be intimidating and trick Peter. He is quick to be angered and embarrassed, quickly showing his displeasure at any slightly upsetting situation. Besides his emotions, Mr. Lexington appears to tire easily after the walk through the building and his face shows his elderly age.

Answer: Mr. Lexington is the owner of Lex Industries, an electrical company. He is the overseer of all operations in the plant, and because of his success, incredibly wealthy. He is described as a large man, initially seeming to be unbreakable but then noted to have a somber, fragile expression. Mr. Lexington is confident and intimidating, evident in his interview with Peter Manners. He is knowledgable, not just about electrical engineering, but about biology, specifically cell structure and the foundations of living. Though Mr. Lexington approves of Peter, his temper is short, demonstrated when one of the robots adjusts his handkerchief as well as when he is brought coffee.

Answer: Mr. Lexington is a huge man of around 65 years. He is rich - his office is extremely modern and automated. He is very straightforward and harsh, he is also clever and strict, he makes others afraid of him. He loves machines and made everything automated in his office and manufacturing area. He is very demanding from employees. He criticizes the world system around. - the specialization, the stockpiling of graduates. He created the multi-purpose control circuit in his business as he wanted to replace all the workers with robots easily controlled, and he built the whole business by himself without education in the field. He has always been very concentrated on his job, paying it even more attention than to his late wife. He is very rational and practical, and he wants everything to be logical and perfect, even the coffee cups. He hates losing time so he started living at his work - very practical.


Question: Describe the setting of the story, which revolves around a man's experience with a unique workplace that challenges his perceptions and expectations.

Answer: The story is set at Lex Industries. The manufacturing plant has no employee doors, and there are no windows on the side and rear of the building. Peter goes through the many doors to reach the office. The office has a huge desk, a chair behind the desk, and a chair in front of it. The office also is also carpeted by a sound-deadening rug, massive leather chairs, framed paintings, expensive drapes, and even a glass-brick mantel fireplace. The plant is filled with machinery of all kinds, and there are factory lights that constantly shine on the machines that do work. There are many types of machines too, such as ones that look like a pair of hands and even a typewriter.

Answer:
The story begins with Peter Manners standing in front of Lex Industries plant building. He inquisitively looks over the building and notices that it has a strange build. The building is a plain concrete wall with windows only on the front and not the sides or rear.

When Peter returns to the entrance of the building he goes through a side door that automatically opens for him. He walks through many doors that open and close automatically for him until he reaches Mr. Lexington’s office. Mr. Lexington’s office was heavily decorated with carpet throughout and oversized furniture decorating it. During the interview, they leave Mr. Lexington’s office and go to explore the building. Mr. Lexington leads Peter through different areas of the plant and eventually to a maze of machines. Once they are done with the tour, they head towards the office section of the building to continue their discussion.

Answer: The story takes place inside the Lex Industries factory plant. The exterior, as noted by Peter, is strange; there are no windows around the sides of the buildings, the electrical sources were abnormally large, and there was no side entrance for employees to use. The doors to the entrance are automatic, and they lead him to Mr. Lexington's office. His office is large and luxurious with lush decor, indicating his wealth. Mr. Lexington then shows Peter around the factory, where he sees the manufacturing area, the loading area, and the business area, all filled with countless robots performing duties.

Answer: The story begins outside the Lex Industries plant. The building is extremely plain from the outside with no windows on the sides, inside it's automated, with all the doors opening, lights turning on and off and a voice greeting the visitors. The building is empty inside, with only Mr. Lexington sitting at his huge table. There is a manufacturing area and truck doors inside, where everything is done by robots. In the office area there are rooms for sorting mail, other designated for bookkeeping and another one for purchase orders, all done by machines as well.


Question: Describe the significance of the machinery in the context of a man's journey through an unusual job interview and the unexpected revelations about an advanced, automated factory.

Answer: The machinery is what keeps Lex Industries running and for Mr. Lexington to earn astronomical amounts of money continuously. It replaces the need for human workers and saves much of the costs that would have had to be distributed to workers. It is also the lifeline of Mr. Lexington’s work and the breakthrough of his research career. Peter considers the machinery to be ideas that are planned for ten to twenty years into the future. This makes the machinery even more impressive. The fact that an entire business can be operated with the central control system makes it even more significant in helping Mr. Lexington get ahead of his competitors.

Answer: The machinery is very important to Mr. Lexington’s company. He uses them for all of the tasks necessary to run the company, such as unloading the trucks and the supply chain department. The machines helped Mr. Lexington grow his business and make more money. He didn’t like the specialization that many people focused on when creating machines to replace humans which is why he created a single unit taking inspiration from biology. They are modelled by the behavior of biology as Mr. Lexington is very fascinated by the subject. The machinery was able to increase its intelligence by learning from watching what Mr. Lexington did and taking over those responsibilities. The machine proved to become increasingly self-aware and intelligent to Mr. Lexington’s surprise.

Answer: The machinery used at Lex Industries is the product of years of trial and error by Mr. Lexington to create the most profitable business model. He has designed the machinery to operate on one multi-purpose control circuit, and gradually taught the machines to remember, detect patters, and define success. The latter was accomplished using a "kicker button", which Mr. Lexington would press when he was pleased with the factory's operations. The machinery and its efficiency is what has made Lex Industries so successful; the short production time, fast shipping, and little labor.

Answer: Machines are doing everything in Lex Industries, they replace every human job. Doors are opening by themselves, the lights turn on and off on their own as people go by. An automatic voice meets the visitors instead of a secretary. Bookkeeping, mail sorting, unloading trucks, checking the cargo, sorting it, and all other parts of production are made by robots. They are controlled by one main system of the plant, making it one automatic system. The machines fill the building and make it lonely, they scare Peter, while Lexington loves them. Such structure reminds Peter of the plans for the future, as other such offices do not exist. Machines deprive Lexington of any job at all for months and even take control sometimes, they even threaten his authority.


Question: What is the relationship between Mr. Lexington and Peter, considering the context of an unusual job interview in a highly automated environment?

Answer: Peter first meets Mr. Lexington at his interview. He finds the other man strange from the seemingly random questions that he asks. Mr. Lexington, however, becomes more interested in Peter when he is satisfied with the responses given. While the two of them are not close, Mr. Lexington does not dismiss him on the spot and instead takes him to tour the entire factory. He also elaborates on his life story to Peter, and he does have a certain degree of trust for the other man. On the other hand, Peter is very impressed by Mr. Lexington’s work and becomes more interested in how he has accomplished all of this in the time since he first began working on his business.

Answer: Mr. Lexington is the owner of Lex Industries and is interviewing Peter who is seeking a job. Mr. Lexington has the power of being in control of the situation because his decision is what will give Peter a job or not. Peter is initially intimidated by Mr. Lexington but as the interview continues, Peter begins to no longer be intimidated by Mr. Lexington and is able to match his challenging gaze. As the interview continues, the two settle into a friendly conversation with Mr. Lexington relaying stories about the growth of the machine’s intelligence.

Answer: Peter is intimidated by Mr. Lexington throughout the story; he views him as a powerful, wealthy, angry man, though he warms up to him gradually. Peter makes several remarks throughout the interview to win Mr. Lexington's approval. First, he doesn't answer when Mr. Lexington asks him what he can do. He additionally notes his observations of the outside of the building. Peter presents himself as a man capable of learning the ways of Lex Industries, which Mr. Lexington likes. However, despite this approval, Mr. Lexington still challenges Peter's thinking and statements, assuring himself as the superior.

Answer: Peter is willing to work for Mr. Lexington's company. Getting the job is vital for him, he will be evicted if he doesn't get it. After what he has heard, Peter is scared of the man, he is cautious in his words, though sometimes he can't control his anger and confusion. Lexington sees Peter as a teachable young man and prefers him to previous ones, though he doesn't like people that much overall. Nevertheless, Lexington tells Peter the story of his business and shows around, putting a start to their co-work.


Question: What is the plot of the story that revolves around a man's experiences and challenges on a robot-staffed planet, as he navigates his way through personal turmoil and unexpected developments?

Answer:
Harper Breen is exhausted. His business worries are keeping him up at night, and he hasn't had a proper night's sleep in too long. His brother in law, Scribney , suggests paying a visit to a hotel on mars, where they have equatorial wells which cure people's ailments.  There is also a fungus that grows there that breaks down crude oil, a financial gold mine!
Harper decides to go to this hotel, both for rest and the opportunity of getting into this new fungi business. After what seems like a mere number of hours, the rocket comes into land, and Harper goes directly to the lobby of the Emerald Star Hotel.
Harper notices the beauty of his surroundings, and how the entire hotel is staffed by very efficient, silent robots. He goes over to the desk, where a woman is complaining to the clerk about the treatment she is receiving from these robots. Harper decides to go over and interrupt the conversation, asking for his room key.
A large man walks over, also asking for service. In a panic, the clerk hastily gives a room key to Harper, and hands him off to a robot to show him to his room.
Harper arrives in his room where he gets settled, and then makes his way to the restaurant. Suddenly, Harper wakes up to see two robots bending over him. They take him by force and wheel him away into surgery.
Harper wakes up to find the same man from the clerk desk knocking at his door. The man introduces himself as Jake Ellis, of Hagerty's Enzymes. He works on the tundra in the fungus
plants. Two more robots enter and take Harper away again. Hey put him through a rigorous amount of detoxing procedures that wipe him out.
He speaks with Ellis again, who complains that he hasn't received any treatments yet. Harper proposes that the clerk probably mixed up their room keys. They decide to switch rooms and clothes to see what happens.
Harper goes to Ellis' room, puts on his clothes, and walks down to the lobby, where he meets the clerk once again. He demands to see the manager, and after an altercation, the clerk shows him to his office.
Harper states to the manager that he is Harper S. Breen, of Breen and Helgart Inc. He complains to him about the treatment he had received because the clerk mixed up his room key.
The manager tells him to sue if he wants, the business is already failing. He knows the robots are turning people away. Breen tells the manager that he could take the robots off his hands, for a reasonable price, that way the hotel would be able to afford real nurses again.
Harper arrives back on Earth to tell his sister and brother in law that he has bought out Hagerty's Enzymes, and staffed it with the robots from the hotel.

Answer: Harper Breen is nervous, he has troubles sleeping and eating, his business and employees drive him crazy. His sister is urging him to follow Dr. Franz's instructions to go on vacation. Harp's brother-in-law, Scribney, intervenes and shows a picture of the most luxurious hotel on Mars with curative springs. Scribney also hints Harper about a business opportunity in the hotel. It convinces Harper and he decides to combine rest with business after all. He soon boards on the rocket that is filled with soporific gas, so Harper arrives at the hotel lobby relaxed. The hotel is gorgeous indeed and the robots are offering all kinds of services throughout the place. The least impresses Harp as his human employees are the source of his irritation, so his new goal is to introduce the robots to his office later. Then he hears a woman at the front desk demanding a human nurse as the robots are too good and she wants to be heard. Harper proceeds to his room with a beautiful view and enjoys the silent robots' company. Then he dines in the rooftop restaurant and returns to his room in a good mood, willing to relax. Suddenly, he is bundled onto the stretcher and wheeled out by two robots, though he asked for no nursing. Harper is outraged with the robots pumping out all of his meal and at his own helplessness, he is disappointed in the machines. He tells all of this to his unexpected visitor, Jake Ellis, who, on the contrary, desperately wants treatment. Turns out the man works in severe conditions in tundra with fungus plants. His owner is soon going to be broke, as the workers quit the hard job which better fits robots. For the next couple days Harper is forced to go through various procedures which make him look and feel better, but also make him angry with being helpless. He believes there is a mistake and offers to switch rooms with Jake, who still desperately wants his treatment. Harper puts on Jake's huge clothes and goes to the lobby looking ridiculous. When a clerk orders the robot guards to take the patient away, Harper starts fighting back, and the clerk, scared the system would break, calls them off. Harper is led to the manager and after a brief outburst of his rage the manager tells that the hotel is going broke anyway, because people can't mix with robots, so he doesn't care what Harper can do to him. Now the hotel can't hire humans as it has spent all the money on robots and Harper offers to buy them. When he returns to Earth, he is met by Bella, his sister, and Scribney. Harper says he bought both the robots and the enzymes and switched the workers, saving both firms from bankruptcy. He also mentions never wanting even one robot around and starts appreciating his employees.

Answer: Harper Breen is constantly stressed out and tries to relax in his new Relaxo-Lounge. However, he quickly hurries out of the chair, making his sister Bella despair. He angrily calls out Dr. Franz for another useless method. Bella insists on a vacation, but Harper vehemently denies the idea because he is busy. His brother-in-law brings up his involvement in the sinking of Martian equatorial wells twenty years ago, making him even angrier. Scribney shows Harper a hotel completely staffed by robots. Bella mentions that the Durants came back from that place in much better shape after resting in the Martian springs. Scribney also brings up the possibility for great fortune because of the discovery breakthrough involving enzymes and Martian fungi. Harper agrees to the vacation because he can rest and do business. Once he arrives at the Emerald Star hotel, he observes how the robots work at perfect efficiency and silently. He then sees a woman arguing with the human desk clerk about seeing a real human nurse. Harper concludes that she wants somebody to boss around and strides confidently to check himself in. She is offended by his intrusion, but he reminds her that civility is not a normal human trait. As the clerk checks him in, another newcomer comes to complain. Harper goes to his beautiful room and begins to enjoy his vacation. After lunch and smoking a cigar, two robots come to his room for treatment. Later, the newcomer returns and asks Harper about the service he received from the robots earlier. The man introduces himself as Jake Ellis of Hagerty’s Enzymes. Harper becomes interested in the company he works at, but three robots come inside to take him away on a wheelchair before he can say more. They also ignore Jake Ellis, who continuously pleads for treatment. The robots put him through similar ordeals for the next five days, and he is sick of it the next time he sees Jake Ellis. They theorize that the clerk initially mixed the keys up and plans to find the manager. Wearing Ellis’ clothes, he goes down to the lobby and shocks the other guests. The clerk is shocked and tries to get the robots to treat him. Harper furiously denies it and threatens to destroy the switchboard. The manager greets him, and he voices all of his complaints. Hayes, the manager, gives up with a sigh and tells Harper that they are about to go bankrupt from the robots. Harper calms down, and he asks to speak to the owners about a potential business deal forming in his head. Afterwards, he returns to Bella and Scribney, looking much fitter and younger. He tells them he has bought Hagerty’s Enzymes and staffed it with robots. When Scribney asks about using them in the office capacity, Harper says he wants nothing to do with them. He then goes off with his secretary Smythe while Scibney and Bella are happy about their rise to a position in the syndicate.

Answer: Harper Breen, a business man is about to make a trip. At the beginning of the story, Harper Breen did not sleep and eat well for weeks, and was irritable. Since he does not listen to the healer, Franz’s advices, his sister and brother-in-law suggest that he has to make a trip to receive a rest-cure at the Emerald Star Hotel on Mars. Attracts by robot servants and potential value of Martian fungus, Harper goes on the trip immediately. However, the life in the hotel is not completely as Harper expected. Harper thinks that the robots are efficient, so he considers about having the robots worker in his office. However, living in the hotel and coming into direct contact with the robots makes him change his mind. The robots simply cannot communicate with humans. They are determined to follow what they are programmed to do. Though his sleep problem is largely improved, and his appetite is much better than before, he is forced by robots to stay in stinking mud-baths, and consume weird concoctions. These robots even take away his cloths. His yelling and protests does not work with the robots. Harper’s neighbor, Jake Ellis, who works in Hagerty’s Enzymes, desires Harper’s treatment. As a result, Harper and Jake agree to exchanged their rooms. Then, Harper finally gets the chance to wear Jake’s clothes and go down to the lobby of the hotel. After talking with the manager of the hotel, and combining Jake’s description of his job, Harper thinks that it is a good idea for business. The hotel wishes to get rid of these robots because humans and robots simply cannot get along with each other. The hotel is going bankrupt because of the robot workers. At the same time, The Hagerty’s Enzymes’ human workers are leaving because the job did not have satisfying working conditions. Thus, both companies are in the danger of bankruptcy, so Harper buys both companies and switches the workers with the robots. When he comes back to the earth, he looks much happier than before.


Question: What is the main setting of the story that involves a man dealing with personal challenges and the unexpected consequences of advanced technology in a distant location?

Answer: The main setting of the story in the Emerald Star Hotel. The half acre wide floor is covered with grey carpeting. There are glass walls which tint the light from the sun green. Outside are stunning domed gardens in a dozen acre lot. The lobby which holds the clerks desk is huge. Harper's room inside the hotel is stunning. The walls are made from the same green glass, which are accentuated with windows which look out onto the Martian hinterland. On the top of the skyscraper hotel is a domed roof restaurant, which is furnished with cushioned chairs. In another area of the hotel is a hospital, where it treats patients. Near the lobby is the manager's office.

Answer: The story starts in the house of Harper's sister. Harper, his sister, and her husband are all in the same room with a massaging armchair and a sofa. The husband, Scribney, is reading a magazine, he is bored with Harp's anger and lack of harmony in the house due to the least. The magazine shows a luxurious extraterrestrial hotel in the shape of a circular skyscraper surrounded with lovely pools and gardens. Soon, Harper leaves the house and heads towards the hotel via a rocket with soporific gas on board, which relaxes the passengers. From the rocket, Harper gets to the lobby of the Emerald Star Hotel by a tube. Everything is green there, the walls are made from glass, the gardens are framed with arches, and perfectly developed robots are offering various services all around. A robot escorts Harper to his room from the lobby. The room is beautiful and with stunning views. Harper goes up to the restaurant on the roof with the view of the dark blue sky. When he returns to the room, he is taken away by the robots in a wheelchair. This happens every day:  Harper deliberately goes through baths, massages, eating weird food, etc. Then he switches rooms with Jake, puts on his huge clothes, and watches Jack being taken to the procedures.  From there Harper is able to call the elevator and go to the lobby. The lobby is full of guests surprised at Harper's appearance. He is then led to the manager's office through an inconspicuous door. The manager is sitting at his metal desk. Then Harper returns to his room and soon back to Earth and to work.

Answer: The story is initially set in an undisclosed location. There is a Relaxo-Lounge chair set up for Harper to relax in. Later, the Emerald Star Hotel is described as a star-shaped structure made out of bottle-green glass. The structure also rests jewel-like on the rough surface of Mars. The main portion consists of a circular skyscraper with a glass-domed roof. Between its star-shaped annexes, other domes cover the pools and landscaped gardens. The lobby of the hotel is filled with a half-acre of moss-gray carpeting, walls of Martian copper glass, and beautiful gardens at the vistas framed by a dozen arches. Most of the staff present are robot staff, carrying trails or pushing wheelchairs. There is also a desk for the clerk to work behind and give keys to guests who have checked in. There are also inkwells, typewriters, card indexes, and a switchboard to control the robots on the desk. Harper’s room has clear windows set in the green glass wall that shows the Martian hinterland and other amenities such as a bed. There is also a domed roof restaurant that Harper visits after he leaves his bags in the room. The hotel also has mud-baths, irradiated waters, and massage areas. When he meets the manager, the room they meet in has a chair and gun metal desk.

Answer: People are able to travel to Mars from Earth by rockets. On the way to Mars, the rocket will be filled with soporific gas to relax people so that the trip happens smoothly. On the Mars, there is an Emerald Star Hotel built by a syndicate. There is also a company named Hagerty’s Enzymes, focusing on the fungus plants. Interestingly, the hotel’s servant are all robots while Hagerty’s Enzymes employs men. Both of these companies have not enough sense to swap their workers. But instead they are suffering from possible bankruptcy.


Question: Why do the robotic staff members in a futuristic hotel fail to meet the expectations of the guests?

Answer: The robots do not make good hotel staff because they are so efficient, they lack any comprehension that humans inherently possess. When Harper first arrives in the hotel, he notices that a woman named Mrs. Jacobsen is giving out about her treatment by the robots. She thinks that the service they provide is too good. She isn't able to change her mind because the robots won't listen, they will just follow orders. They don't listen to Harper when he tries to tell them that he did not book into the hotel for treatment, as they are simply following orders. They don't reason with him when he tries to get out of the treatment, and force him to undergo the procedures. The manager knows that the robots aren't working, and he tells Harper that guest reservations have already declined because of it.

Answer: The robots are logical and people are not, so the two do not mix. People can't coexist with robots for that reason. Some people want human stuff while in a hotel to shout at, to argue with, to be able to change minds and to hear them out. Moreover, robots are impossible to convince or fight back, so they make the visitors feel like helpless prisoners. If a mistake happens, it's impossible to explain it to the robots. They are even more annoying with their indifference than people are.

Answer: The robots do not make good hotel staff because they cannot connect to humans emotionally. They do all of the tasks perfectly and quickly, but it is too logical for the current feelings of humans. Many guests are dissatisfied with the service, not from a technical standpoint, but because they cannot change their minds once the initial order has been issued. The robots can also not listen to what any human says, only following what is programmed into them. This is evident in Harper’s experience later, when he insists that the robots do not give him any treatment because he does not need it. However, the robots have taken all of his items and left him with no choice but to comply. On the other hand, Ellis has been requesting treatment since he arrived at the hotel and has received none because the robots were not issued any commands to give him treatment.

Answer: Robots simply cannot communicate with humans. In the story, Mrs. Jacobsen is angry and asks for a real woman as a nurse instead of a robot. The reason is not because robots did works not good enough, instead, it was because she wanted someone to hear what she says. Also, when robots come into Harper’s room to bring him to the mud-bath. Harper did not have the chance and the ability to talk to robots. They are determined to follow what they are programmed to do. He is forced by robots to stay in stinking mud-baths, and consume weird concoctions. These robots even take away his cloths. His yelling and protests does not work with the robots. Though Harper’s sleep problem is largely improved, and his appetite is much better than before, he feels angry about it because he never wanted it in the first place.


Question: What are the treatments that a character named Harper experienced during a journey that involved a futuristic hotel, and what were the outcomes of those treatments?

Answer: Against his will, Harper is subject to a number of treatments at the hotel. He is dunked into mud baths for extensive periods of time. He is held in rancid smelling irradiated hot water. He is made to eat and drink strange concoctions. His stomach is pumped with food. They massage and exercise him. Harper hates all of this. It does do him good though. He notices that his skin which was once yellow, is now returning to a flesh colour. He can finally sleep well again also. When he returns to Earth, he is happy and energised for the first time in years. He looks fitter, and younger than he did before he left.

Answer: Harper was planning to simply relax, the hotel was beautiful and his appetite even returned. Due to a mistake he was put on a diet, being forced to eat some weird food and pumped out sometimes. He also goes through various mud baths, exercises, massages, and other tiresome procedures which make him sleep a lot. This resulted in his healthy skin color and appetite returning, but he was tired and angry at his helplessness. Those treatments made him so desperate that Harper switched rooms with another guest, took his huge clothes and went to the lobby to talk to the manager. That also results in his genius business idea and realization that he doesn't want robots around after all.

Answer: Harper first goes through a surgery that pumps all of the food he eats out. Then, as the days go by, they take him to a stinking mud-bath and hold him there until he thinks that he is well-done to the bone. After, they soak him in foul, steaming irradiated water until he gags. He is also made to eat and drink weird concoctions under the watch of the robots. Harper also goes through rounds of purging, massaging, and exercise. The robots even take his phone, announcing that he would have no service for two weeks and give him a busy signal. The treatments leave him looking younger, but he is noticeably angrier. His anger and frustration mainly stems from the fact that he did not request any treatment in the first place. Many of these treatments have been done against his own will, and he desperately wants it to stop even though the robots do not listen.

Answer: Robots first brought Harper to mud-baths by a wheel chair and held him there until he was well-done. Next, the robots soak him in foul, steaming irradiated water until he gags. Then, they brings concoctions for Harper to eat and drink, and they stands over him until he finishes consuming these concoctions. Lastly, they purge and massage and exercise him. Harper indeed begins to look flesh-colored. He starts to sleep for hours and get a better appetite than before.


Question: Why has Ellis booked into the hotel, and what has his overall experience been like during his stay?

Answer: Jake Ellis is a man who works on the tundra, as one of the superintendents of the fungus plants. He booked into the hotel as his health has been on a decline because of his working conditions. The temperature in the factories are usually below freezing, he has to wear a pressure suit, the air quality is terrible and he has to live on processed food. He hoped to get treatment at the hotel, but since his arrival, he has been practically ignored by the staff, and left in his room. This is because the clerk switched his room key with Ellis'. When he meets Ellis and they decide to switch rooms, he finally gets his first treatment.

Answer: Ellis has been working in tundra with fungus plants. The job is extremely hard, the food is awful, the temperature is very low, impossible for a human to work at, but pays well. He booked the hotel to get treatment and he wants it badly, but he is stuck.  He feels bad after his work and needs treatment, his health in the tundra became weak, as he ate the bad food and was freezing and working bad. He needs a diet and warm baths now. The robots are unable to hear people and see the mistake, and the phone operator is a robot, so Ellis has no chance to get his treatment. Eventually, he is extremely happy as he switches rooms with Harper and gets what he wants.

Answer: Ellis books the hotel to receive treatment for himself. He lives on a constant diet of steak and turnips at the factory, which leads him to book the hotel in hopes of receiving treatment for his stomach. He also says that the air in the factory area is bad, the temperature is always freezing, pressure suits, huts, and processed food. He wants to relax after working in these harsh conditions for so long. However, his experience at the hotel has not been good so far. Ellis is constantly asking for treatment, but all of the robots ignore him. He even brings it down to the clerk to complain, but it is possible that they mixed his treatment information up with Harper. He is desperate, but none of the robots can change their programming to accommodate him

Answer: Ellis booked into the hotel because he feels uncomfortable with his stomach. He thinks that was because of the steak and onions he ate after all that tundra dope he has been living on. While he does not feel well at all, he does not receive any treatments, and he is simply ignored by robots no matter what he does. When he is in the same room as Harper, the robot does not even acknowledge his existence. Every time he lifts the receiver of the room phone, only a robot voice answering, meaninglessly. He finally receives a treatment only because he switched room with Harper.