55 pages • 1-hour read
Old Man's War
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Part 1, Chapters 4-6Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of sexual content, cursing, and death.
Part 1, Chapter 4 Summary
Dr. Russell comes to John’s room and takes him for his physical examination. He is cold about Leon’s death, which annoys John, and unceremoniously removes Leon from his PDA appointments.
In the exam room, John is placed in a chair that molds itself to his body. Above him, John sees something that looks like a suction cup about the size of his head. In seconds, Dr. Russell informs him that the cup has already examined Leon’s entire body. John’s body is in great shape, other than a cancerous tumor that has begun to grow on his testicle. Again, Dr. Russell annoys John by being dismissive of the tumor and insisting that it’s not a concern. When John expresses discomfort, Dr. Russell insists that John will be getting an “overhaul” of his body in the next few days, so the cancer will be taken care of then.
After the exam, the cup moves down and suctions itself to John’s head. Dr. Russell tells him that he will now inject 20,000 “microsensors” into John’s skull that will track his brain activity. The pain shocks John and gets significantly worse when the sensors connect to each other. Again, Dr. Russell dismisses John’s concerns.
At lunch, John sits with Harry, Jesse, and the others. They all report similar experiences to John’s: They had small cancer spots or arthritis, and the doctors insisted that these weren’t anything that needed to be fixed. Jesse asks Thomas what he thinks the point of the microsensors is. He guesses that the CDU wants to see the weak parts of their brains “in action” so that it can address them later, although he admits that he really has no idea.
Throughout the day, John goes through different mental tests. One involves answering math questions, while another requires him to visually track white squares that are projected onto the wall. Initially, he tries to get answers about the tests’ goals or makes jokes about feeling like he’s in high school again; however, by the end, he starts to “just do what they told [him]” (68).
During one particular test, he sits alone in a room with a man who asks about his wife. When John tells him that she died of a stroke, the man answers rudely, commenting on the fact that John should be grateful she didn’t survive, leaving John to “feed her through a straw or something” (69). John is shocked and feels close to attacking the man, but he doesn’t answer. After a few moments, the man apologizes. He explains that the point of the test was to anger John and see how his brain reacts.
The second day consists of physical tests, although they are undemanding—like walking a short distance or playing ping pong. At dinner, Harry speculates that both days have been about getting a baseline for the recruits’ mental and physical strength. That information will give the CDU insight into how they will perform with more difficult tasks. When they look at their schedules for the next day, they see only a six-hour block in the morning and an assembly at eight o’clock at night. Harry tells them all to meet in the mess hall at three o’clock, as he has planned something for them.
Harry takes the group to an observation deck. He tells them that the ship is about to perform its “skip” into another star system. They are going to the Phoenix System, which Harry explains is the name of a planet; he knows nothing about its make-up, stars, or neighboring planets. As they wait, Alan points out the different constellations that he recognizes from Earth’s system. He comments on how sad it is to leave them behind and to venture into a space that he’s never seen before.
When the skip happens, it is quick and immediate. All that changes is their surroundings, which now consist of entirely new stars. The ship then turns, revealing a gigantic space station with hundreds of ships around it. The group stands and marvels at its size.
The next morning, John’s PDA wakes him and informs him that the recruits will be locked in their rooms for six hours, after which time they will complete their physical upgrade. At nine o’clock, he gets a notice to prepare to be taken from his room. John then returns to Dr. Russell’s room, where Dr. Russell explains that the recruits’ basic mental abilities were being measured as the sensors mapped out their brain functions. The CDU will use that data to transfer their consciousnesses. To John’s surprise, the door then opens, and a wheelchair bearing a body is brought in. John realizes that the body is his—50 years before.
Part 1, Chapter 5 Summary
It takes several moments for John to wrap his brain around the idea of another version of himself. Dr. Russell explains that when John signed up for the military 10 years ago, the CDU took his DNA sample and started replicating his body. However, there are some genetic differences, so it is not an exact clone. He points out that the new body is green—the most obvious difference.
Dr. Russell then walks John through what will happen. The sensors will transfer his consciousness to a computer and then into the new body. The procedure is nearly flawless: Dr. Russell has done this thousands of times and only had it fail once, when the woman had a stroke. John admits that he is disoriented and slightly afraid but confirms that he is ready.
After Dr. Russell pushes a button on his handheld device, John feels the cup above his head lower and then turn on. He then feels an “echo” sensation, as his consciousness is transferred to the computer. He opens his eyes and realizes that he can see out of both his old body and his new one at the same time. Confirming that his consciousness transfer was successful, Dr. Russell shuts down his old body, leaving John in the green one.
John immediately feels a difference in his movement, and Dr. Russell warns him that it will take some getting used to. Regardless, John realizes that he is happy and excited. He returns to his old body and retrieves his gold wedding band, thanking it as he does so.
Back in his room, John reads through a pamphlet about his new body that has been downloaded onto his PDA. It explains that his body is green because it uses chlorophyll, allowing him to better utilize oxygen and carbon dioxide for more energy. His new body also has upgraded blood, eyes, senses, and strength, as well as a built-in “BrainPal” that allows him to access information. The new bodies are infertile, as reproducing with modified DNA is dangerous and their bodies are proprietary technology owned by the CDF. Finally, it explains that the recruits will keep their bodies with the modified DNA as long as they are in the CDF; afterward, they will be put into an unaltered body that replicates their original DNA.
John then plays with his BrainPal. It speaks directly to his brain, which bothers John, so he turns on the text function. The BrainPal has John speak several times so that it can recognize his voice. It then asks John if he wants to rename it, so John chooses the name “Asshole.” John asks it what it can do, so BrainPal gives him a list of things, including calculations, language translation, ailment assessment, and more.
Someone knocks on John’s door. He assumes it is Harry; however, when he opens it, a young woman is standing there. At the same moment that his BrainPal identifies her as Jesse, John makes the connection. She then kisses him, pushing him back into his room.
Part 1, Chapter 6 Summary
John and Jesse have sex several times. Afterward, they agree that they did so out of joy rather than any romantic connection.
At dinner, John sits with his friends, all of whom have become extremely attractive. The group speculates on why they would make everyone good-looking, as they were not necessarily so when they were 20 years old. Maggie, Jesse’s roommate, speculates that it is so that they will bond with each other and, in turn, trust each other.
That evening, the recruits gather in the theater. A man introduces himself as Lieutenant Colonel Bryan Higgee—their commanding officer. John’s BrainPal informs him that Higgee has been in the CDF for 14 years. He tells the recruits that in a week, they will arrive at Beta Pyxis III, where they will begin their training. For now, he gives them only one order: to have fun with their new bodies.
Over the next several days, the recruits test their bodies. John plays table tennis with Harry, only to quickly learn that they are both too skilled for either of them to win. He watches one recruit jump from a height that would’ve killed her on Earth; although she is severely injured, she recovers in two days. The recruits also have a lot of sex, with John frequently sleeping with Maggie. He learns that she was a professor of philosophy and religion and is attracted to her both physically and emotionally.
John becomes true friends with the other six recruits he spends the most time with: Harry, Jesse, Maggie, Thomas, Susan, and Alan. He begins to consider them his “family,” as he gets closer to them than anyone in the latter part of his life on Earth.
On the recruits’ last day on the Henry Hudson, Higgee again speaks to them in the theater. He explains that there are 1,022 new recruits. They will all likely serve 10 years, by the end of which three-quarters of them will have died in action. He shows them a projection of the galaxy and lights up areas that are populated by alien species. The recruits are shocked by how vastly they outnumber the human points. Higgee explains that the number one goal of the CDF is to colonize, as the CU believes humans are in a “race” with other species to control land and maintain power. He explains the CDF’s three mandates: protect existing human colonies, find new planets for habitation, and colonize planets that already have a native population, either peacefully or through force.
Afterward, John and the six others gather to check their assignments. Most of them are broken up, but Alan and John will go to the same base to train. The recruits make a pact to stay in touch, either through their BrainPals or through mail to different planets.
Part 1, Chapters 4-6 Analysis
As John enters the recruiting phase of his military service, the novel emphasizes the CDF’s brutality and lack of humanity. After Leon dies, John is shocked by the lack of sympathy or compassion from the doctor, who simply remarks that it is “bad timing” and that he can now “get that off the schedule, then” (57)—remarks that frame Leon and his death purely in terms of functionality. Through each stage of testing John’s body, he is struck by the soldiers’ and staff’s coldness; they show little sympathy for the recruits and provide few answers about what is happening. Through these interactions, Scalzi further develops the CDF as a war machine that uses John and the other soldiers to facilitate its end goals.
In response to the cold, systematic nature of the CDF soldiers, John initially grows angry and questions their motives. However, after only a couple of days, he acquiesces to what they are doing, noting that he eventually just starts to “do what they told [him]” (68). This idea of following orders without question will be a motif throughout the novel. Here, it emphasizes that John is becoming a soldier like those around him. He is starting to do what he is told, deciding that he values the chance at a new life more than any reason or logic behind the orders. The novel thus links John’s pragmatism to the CDF’s, suggesting that it makes him more pliable than others might be.
Conversely, the friends that John meets serve as anchors for his humanity. Harry continues to serve as a moral compass for John, questioning the motives and actions of the CDF. As the other characters marvel at their new bodies and genetic enhancements, Harry notes how the situation “bothers” him, saying, “I guarantee you I did not look this good when I was twenty. […] [T]he new me has very little to do with the old me” (109-10). In other words, Harry is bothered by the fact that they weren’t just returned to their old selves but “enhanced.” In response, Susan speculates that “[i]t’s a matter of instilling trust and devotion. People instinctively trust and want to help people they find attractive, regardless of sexual desire” (111). Her thoughts lend further insight into the theme of The Ethics of War, again allowing the reader to see beyond John’s limited point of view and question the larger picture. The CU is creating genetically perfect soldiers and forcing them to follow orders without question—all while John and the others slowly acquiesce.
In order to further placate the recruits, Higgee gives them free rein of their new bodies, allowing them to experiment and to simply “[h]ave fun.” However, their subsequent week of enjoyment, centered on sex and physical pleasure, is juxtaposed with the realities of the war that they are entering. As Higgee stands before them a second time, the recruits are shocked by the danger of the intergalactic war. In particular, his insistence that three-quarters of them will die during their service serves as a wake-up call in direct contrast to their experiences thus far in the CDF. In this way, Higgee’s presentation and speech mark a turning point for John and the other recruits. Until now, they have joined the military and followed orders because doing so gave them a new life and they saw no harm in complying. Now, however, they will begin to understand the true motives and realities of the CU and its war.
The two sides of John’s experience—the happiness of a new life versus the dangers of the war—are encapsulated by the BrainPal device that is implanted in his head. On one level, it carries several benefits for John and the recruits. They now have access to more information, better communication, and expanded intelligence. However, it also serves as a reminder of their genetically modified bodies, creating a love-hate relationship for John that his use of the nickname “Asshole” exemplifies. While it is an upgrade, it is also a stark reminder of the dehumanization that is occurring as he becomes a better soldier. In this way, the BrainPal develops the theme of The Duality of Technological Advancement: It improves life yet also serves as a deadly weapon in the upcoming war.
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