In Vonnegut's imagined future, machines enslave mankind. They determine the destiny and status in society of every American. The machines themselves are not artificial intelligences or robots; they're just machines that make calculations and perform functions that were once done by men. Everything is filtered through an efficient system.
Throughout the first part of the book, Paul does not make choices for himself. He does the minimum that he can do. In fact, he seems to spend more time away from his job than at his job. He carouses with Finnerty, drinks excessively, and ignores rules. Still, Paul's destiny seems determined, not by his individual performance, but by the machines that govern the society. Whatever Paul does or says, his IQ and aptitude scores say that Paul is a promising, up-and-coming engineer, and so.....
