Princeton in 60//19 thrives in the new Age of Science, with airfields, radio masts, and expanding universities. Hrunkner Unnerby arrives at Sherkaner Underhill’s grand hillhouse, which doubles as a tightly secured Accord Intelligence research hub. Underhill introduces two babies riding his back and ushers Unnerby through lab-like rooms staffed by guards and researchers.

Unnerby presses Underhill about atomic power: labs are drifting toward bombs and deadly byproducts, and “forcing the learning curve” cannot solve fundamental safety and engineering limits. He demands Underhill’s direct insight. Underhill admits atomic work no longer interests him, claiming it will prove comparatively easy over time, and instead showcases broader research and cross-disciplinary collaboration funded through industry partnerships.

Touring classrooms, Underhill highlights a short-wavelength wireless effort: Jaybert’s cavity oscillator drives highly directional links, already relayed to Lands Command for secure, high-volume communication. He expounds a philosophy of playful creativity and invention-led necessity. He also shows progress on vacuum-tube and magnet-core computing machinery to accelerate physics calculations that Unnerby needs.

On the atrium playground, Unnerby meets the children: two babies (Rhapsa and a boy named Hrunkner), two five-year-olds (Victory Junior and Gokna), and two twelve-year-olds (Brent and Jirlib). The older pair study and appear on a national science radio show; Viki demonstrates her dollhouse and attercop maze “experiments.” Charmed yet disturbed, Unnerby recoils at their out-of-phase births and the social hostility they will face.

In private, Unnerby condemns the “perversion.” Underhill counters that technology makes rigid birthing cycles obsolete and describes using the radio program to weave lessons on biology and evolution toward public acceptance. He promises to moderate General Victory Smith’s pressure on Unnerby and invites collaboration on Unnerby’s terms. Unnerby, still uneasy, admits he likes the children and agrees to work with the institute’s theorists and computing experts.