These were the voices of two War Command Krikkiters. All the War Commanders lived up in the sky in the Robot War Zones, and were largely immune to the whimsical doubts and uncertainties which were afflicting their fellows down on the surface of the planet. Well, sir I think it’s just as well that they are being phased out of the war effort, and that we are now going to detonate the supernova bomb. In the very short time since we were released from the envelope. Get to the point. The robots aren’t enjoying it, sir. What? The war, sir, it seems to be getting them down. There’s a certain world-weariness about them, or perhaps I should say Universe-weariness. Well, that’s all right, they’re meant to be helping to destroy it. Yes, well they’re finding it difficult, sir. They are afflicted with a certain lassitude. They’re just finding it hard to get behind the job. They lack oomph. What are you trying to say? Well, I think they’re very depressed about something, sir. What on Krikkit are you talking about? Well, in the few skirmishes they’ve had recently, it seems that they go into battle, raise their weapons to fire and suddenly think, why bother? What, cosmically speaking, is it all about? And they just seem to get a little tired and a little grim. And then what do they do? Er, quadratic equations mostly, sir. Fiendishly difficult ones by all accounts. And then they sulk. Sulk? Yes, sir. Whoever heard of a robot sulking? I don’t know, sir. What was that noise? It was the noise of Zaphod leaving with his head spinning. 這兩個人是版求軍隊的軍官。所有的軍界領導都住在空中，住在機器人戰區。地上的人們心中充滿怎樣的奇想與困惑，那些領導都看不見。 “嗯，長官，我想可能是因爲咱們要使用那顆超新星炸彈了吧。畢竟我們的封皮已經打開了，動用它們的機會越來越少。” “說重點。” “機器人不太高興，長官。” “什麼？” “似乎……長官，它們打仗打得失去士氣了。它們產生了厭世情緒，或者可以說厭宇宙情緒吧。” “啊，那沒什麼。它們本來就該摧毀宇宙的。” “是的，嗯……但它們覺得有點困難，長官。它們似乎進入了疲乏狀態。它們就是打不起精神來。它們沒氣兒了。” “你到底想說什麼？” “嗯，我想它們有點絕望。長官。” “看在版求的份上，你在說什麼啊？” “嗯，它們身上似乎有這種情況：投入戰鬥的時候，拿起武器正要開火，卻突然想：何必呢？宏觀地看，有什麼意思呢？然後它們就感到疲憊，覺得不高興了。” “然後呢？” “呃，他們多半會去解一些一元二次方程，長官。做一些超難的方程。然後他們就鬱悶了。” “鬱悶？” “是的，長官。” “誰聽過機器人會鬱悶？” “我不知道，長官。” “什麼聲音？” 那是贊福德一頭霧水地離開的聲音。
