Jerrodd felt uplifted, as he always did when he thought that his own personal Microvac was many times more complicated than the ancient and primitive Multivac that had first tamed the Sun, and almost as complicated as Earth's Planetary AC (the largest) that had first solved the problem of hyperspatial travel and had made trips to the stars possible.

As Jerrodd travels to planet X-23 with his family, he feels empowered by his generation's achievements in the technological field since Multivac's original invention. His reflection pertains to the theme of technology's endless progress. Technology constantly dates itself and outshines its former accomplishments. Adell or Lupov would never have characterized Multivac as "ancient" or "primitive," but here, Jerrodd assesses that Multivac pales in comparison to its newer model, Microvac.

"The Galactic AC has solved many problems for us, but in solving the problem of preventing old age and death, it has undone all its other solutions."

MQ-17J contemplates the downside of technological progress as he converses with VJ-23X. The Galactic AC is incredibly complex and has simplified many issues plaguing humanity but in doing so has triggered new problems. This conundrum prompts readers to consider whether technological advancements represent a net positive or if they sabotage humanity's long-term survival.