This is now the halfway point of the book. The plot is still as foggy and uncertain as ever. I don’t know where this is really going except trouble for D-503. We will get to the summary and analysis soon enough. Like all science fiction, this one is getting a little abstract for me. I will say that it is a good thing that have a science and math background. At least I can understand a little bit about what is going on.

For instance, there is a lot to do about the square root of negative one. This concept seems to bother D-503 quite significantly. In mathematics, the result of that expression is i or an imaginary number. Imaginary numbers are not real or possible. Maybe Zamyatin wasn’t as educated in math as he likes to let on through his writing because there is a mathematical proof to support this. If D-503 were really a mathematician, then he would know of such proof to accept the results.

It seems like both D-503 and O-90 are losing there minds. Upon a visit to the doctor, it is stated that D-503 is developing a soul and O-90 is not able to cope with his drifting away from her and into the arms of I-330. As a result, O-90 wants to leave him but first have an illegal conception and likely death.

As for the rest of the plot in this section, I find it a lot like Alice in Wonderland on LSD. There are dreams about sinking ships, trips into the closet tunnels, doctors with scissor lips and so on and so forth. It’s hard to tell if the translation is getting caught up in idioms or this is really some kind of psychedelic trip.

There is something that happens in passing that I think is kind of significant at least from the standpoint of mindset in the 1920s versus the mindset of today. There is a mention that 12 people were behind the thrusters of the Integral and were incinerated while testing the booster. Everyone pretty much went about their day as if nothing happened.

Maybe, just maybe this event is painting the picture of the society in We. These are nameless drones that work for the cause of the United State. There is no (legal) love, or procreation and very shallow relationships underlined by the mistrust of possible ill doings. In theory, there is no one to really miss you if you get incinerated. With the belief of not having a soul and no emotional connection, such an event has no consequence.

I do however think that the reason this short passage stands out is that there has been a shift in philosophy now versus when this was written. I think that the level of acceptable risk has gone way down over the years. Don’t get me wrong, I am not advocating for increasing risk but somehow life was grittier and more real. People took chances and made mistakes that had ultimate consequences.

After some quick research, it looks like the numbers per 100,000 have declined five-fold. Combined with the advancements in trauma medicine, we have a much lower tolerance and expectation that we will see this sort of thing. The shock of such a sight has come at a new generation of people.

End Your Programming Routine: In a lot of ways, being safer is a much better way to live. I can’t help to think that the tough, fatalist attitude was a better way to go. I guess when you are mission oriented, then it certainly is. Meanwhile, enjoy the acid trip of the story. We’ll see where this ultimately goes.