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. 这两个人是版求军队的军官。所有的军界领导都住在空中，住在机器人战区。地上的人们心中充满怎样的奇想与困惑，那些领导都看不见。 “嗯，长官，我想可能是因为咱们要使用那颗超新星炸弹了吧。毕竟我们的封皮已经打开了，动用它们的机会越来越少。” “说重点。” “机器人不太高兴，长官。” “什么？” “似乎……长官，它们打仗打得失去士气了。它们产生了厌世情绪，或者可以说厌宇宙情绪吧。” “啊，那没什么。它们本来就该摧毁宇宙的。” “是的，嗯……但它们觉得有点困难，长官。它们似乎进入了疲乏状态。它们就是打不起精神来。它们没气儿了。” “你到底想说什么？” “嗯，我想它们有点绝望。长官。” “看在版求的份上，你在说什么啊？” “嗯，它们身上似乎有这种情况：投入战斗的时候，拿起武器正要开火，却突然想：何必呢？宏观地看，有什么意思呢？然后它们就感到疲惫，觉得不高兴了。” “然后呢？” “呃，他们多半会去解一些一元二次方程，长官。做一些超难的方程。然后他们就郁闷了。” “郁闷？” “是的，长官。” “谁听过机器人会郁闷？” “我不知道，长官。” “什么声音？” 那是赞福德一头雾水地离开的声音。
