Human Movements in World War III Summary and Analysis

Human Movements in World War III Summary

The second story, "Human Movements in World War III" concerns two astronauts circling Earth on an information-gathering mission during the first weeks of World War III. The unnamed narrator, who commands the flight, is on his third mission. His 23 year-old companion, Vollmer, is an engineering whiz on his first space flight. Nuclear weapons have been banned, which has had the effect of encouraging war. At an altitude of only about 1500 miles (CK), the two can see many features of the planet and its weather. The narrator tries to take a simple and practical view of their duties and of the awe-inspiring view of Earth, but Vollmer is given to large abstractions and intelligent, philosophical observations. The narrator finds these comments to be precise and...