“Second Foundation” (other Second Foundation ; other translation options: “Second Academy”, “Second Foundation”) is a novel by Isaac Asimov , first published in 1953 by Gnome Press . The novel became the third part of the cycle " Foundation " and the fifth in this fantastic chronology.
| Second Foundation | |
|---|---|
| Second foundation | |
 First edition dust jacket | |
| Other names | Second Foundation, Second Academy |
| Author | Isaac Asimov |
| Genre | science fiction |
| Original language | English |
| Original published | 1953 |
| Publisher | Gnome press |
| Pages | 210 |
| Cycle | and |
| Previous | Foundation and Empire |
| Next | Ground Crisis |
The novel consists of two parts, originally published as separate stories. Part One, “ Search by the Mule, ” was first published in 1948 in the January issue of Astounding Sience Fiction , entitled “ Now You See It ” ( Eng. Now You See It ... ). Part Two, “ Search by the Foundation, ” was first published in 1949–1950 in the December and January issues of Astounding Sience Fiction , titled “But Not To The End” ( Eng. ... And Now You Don't ) . The original titles of the stories are a quotation from the First Orator from chapter 6 of the first part .
Content
- 1 plot
- 1.1 Part One. The search is conducted by Mule
- 1.2 Part two. The search is conducted by the Foundation
- 2 notes
- 3 References
Story
Part one. Searches by Mule
For several years, Mule has been managing his Empire, which includes the former worlds of the First Foundation, from its capital on the planet Kalgan. Mule understands that the Second Foundation is covertly disruptive and trying to find its location, but its General Han Pritcher, a former First Foundation agent emotionally subordinate to Mulu, comes back every time with no result. At the disposal of Mule, there is only the words of Hary Seldon that the Second Fund should be "on the other side of the Galaxy, where the stars end." The First Orator (Speaker) of the Second Fund decides to give Mule the opportunity, in a certain sense, to find the Second Fund.
This time, Mule gives Pritcher the help of a young and energetic aristocrat Bale Chennis, who is not “processed” by Mule. This, according to Mule, will enable Chennis to find the Second Fund. Chennis quickly discovers a nebula visible only from the surface of Trantor, and concludes that the planet Conzvezdiya (Nitsa) (translation of the word game "End of Stars, Star's End", Eng. Tazenda ) is the location of the Second Foundation. Together, Pritcher and Chennis are sent to Rossem, an agricultural planet under the control of Constars.
Pritcher exposes Chennis, claiming that he is an agent of the Second Fund. Mule arrives at Rossem, who enters the minds duel with Chennis. Mule, says his fleet is already bombarding Convezdia, shocking and defeating Chennis. Chennis, against his will, reveals that the location of the Second Foundation is not Constars, but Ross.
The mule is about to call for ships, but then the First Orator appears, explaining that this fact was suggested to Chennis and that the location of the Second Foundation is still a mystery. Although not even the First Orator can compare with the mental abilities of Mule, he manages to depress him, explaining that on the way to Kalgan there is a ship with agents of the Second Foundation. When the Mule returns, he will find complete rebellion. During the confusion of Mula, the First Orator breaks through his defense and inspires Mula to return to Kalgan and rule there rightly until his death. Chennis is returned his identity.
Part two. Search is conducted by the Foundation
60 years have passed. The Union of Mule Worlds collapsed after his death, and the First Fund regained its former power. A group of conspirators are trying to find the Second Fund and destroy it, considering it unbearable the idea that they are just puppets. The conspirators are led by Dr. Toran Darell, the son of Byta Darell and one of the foremost researchers in the field of electroencephalography . Using this technology, they learned that a person under the influence of the Second Foundation can be detected by the so-called “Processing Plateau” (puppets), a characteristic indicator of brain activity.
To find the location of the Second Foundation, the conspirators send the nervous Homir Munn, the largest collector of the Muliana, to Kalgan to search the palace of Mula. Toran’s daughter Arcadia overhears the conversation and sneaks into Munn’s personal ship to take part in the adventure. On Kalgan, the local ruler Lord Stettin, who considers himself the heir to Mule, gives Munn access to the palace, believing that the search for Munn will prove that he should establish the Second Empire, and not the First Fund. When Munn does not find this, he is arrested. Arcadia escapes to Trantor with the help of her favorite Stettin, Lady Callia, and the four Palver farmers from Trantor.
Meanwhile, Stettin begins fighting against the Foundation. Kalgan’s strategic location allows his fleet to win many battles. Upon learning of this, Arkady convinces farmer Prim Pever to fly to Terminus to sign a contract for the supply of food and at the same time transmit a message to Arkady's father. In the decisive battle, the fleet of the Foundation inflicts a crushing defeat on the Kalgan fleet, the remnants of which return home. The last great conflict of the Foundation is over.
Toran Darrell receives a message from her daughter and asks her to return home. Stettin releases Moon. Toran Darrell once again gathers all the conspirators to find out exactly what Munn discovered. He claims that there is no Second Fund and never has been. The young scientist Pelleas Antor doubts this and remarks that the character of Munn has undergone significant changes since he flew to Kalgan, including the fact that the nervous Munn suddenly became self-confident and no longer stutters. After checking it, the conspirators find in the electroencephalogram of Munn "Processing Plateau." Antor announces that he discovered the location of the Second Foundation - on Kalgan. Darrell doubts this and claims that the Second Fund is on another planet. Darrell shows everyone a device that generates mental interference that does not allow agents of the Second Foundation to act on others in the field of action of the device. Then he turns on the device at full power, forcing Antor to clutch his head and writhe in pain, betraying an agent of the Second Fund in it.
Darrell says that the location of the Second Foundation was discovered by Arkady and handed it to his father through a message - "The ring has no end." It follows that the Second Academy Foundation, allegedly founded “on the other edge of the Galaxy”, is located on the Terminus - the same place as the First, because the Galaxy is a lenticular object, the edge of the longitudinal section of which is closed. Interrogated Antor confirms this conjecture and gives out the names of all 50 members of the Second Fund. After neutralizing all members of the Second Fund, Toran Darrell begins to doubt how Arkady guessed the location of the Second Fund, suspecting interference with her consciousness. After checking her electroencephalogram, he does not detect the "puppet plateau" and calms down.
In fact, all this was rigged by the Second Fund many years before the birth of Arcadia, whose psyche was artificially formed by the Second Fund, so that she “guessed” about its location at the right time. The First Fund was to gain confidence in the destruction of the Second Fund. Only then could Seldon's plan work. For that, he had to sacrifice fifty agents. Primary Second Foundation Speaker Prim Palver tells his student that the First Foundation will not be able to discover the true location of the Second because of the mindset of its inhabitants. The first Fund of representatives of the natural sciences, not psychologists who are not used to seeing everything from a social point of view. The Second Fund is indeed located at the other end of the spiral of the Galaxy - on the Transformer, because there was the top of power and the social elite.
Notes
Links
- "Second Fund" on the site " Science Fiction Laboratory "