History Literature / PreludeToFoundation

The details present in the 1020 F.E. edition of the ''[[EncyclopediaExposita Encyclopedia Galactica]]'' have an incomplete record of these events, providing a contrast to the "real story" of how Seldon attempted to avoid capture at the hands of Emperor Cleon I, and his Chief of Staff, Eto Demerzel. Seldon has recently participated in a mathematics convention, where he described "psychohistory", as a set of maths that might, under extremely limited conditions [[WeaselWords be possibly able to maybe predict probabilities in a constrained environment]]. The emperor and Demerzel realize that Seldon could very easily be used, and if he won't be used by them, they plan to prevent him from being used by anyone else.

Seldon encounters Chetter Hummin, who encourages his escape and helps provide locations of safety and forewarning of Demerzel's lackeys. He hides Seldon in Streeling University, where he meets Dors Venabili. Then they escape to the Mycogen sector, where they believe themselves to be the descendants of [[Literature/TheRobotsOfDawn Aurora]]. Seldon angers the leadership of Mycogen, and they escape again, this time to the Dahl sector, where they meet Yugo Amaryl and Raych. Eto Demerzel's forces are closing in, however, so Hari, Dors, and Raych escape to the Wye sector.

* ActionGirl: Dors Venabili, a historian, is asked to protect Hari Seldon, which initially seems like it is based on her greater experience with Trantor, until they visit the neighborhood of Billibottom. Billibottom is a high-crime area where people carry illegal knives, and Venabili shows herself to be very capable with a dual knife style, taking down one of the biggest knifers and [[CloseCallHaircut cutting off his moustache]]. [[spoiler:She's also a [[RidiculouslyHumanRobots humaniform robot]], under orders from Daneel to protect Seldon so that he can develop psychohistory and protect humanity from the fall of galactic civilization.]]
* TheArtfulDodger: Raych, a [[MagneticHero charming]] alley kid (his mother is briefly mentioned) in the Dahl sector, initially demands a knife as payment for leading Seldon and Venabili to Mother Rittah. Seldon is able to convince him that a computer that teaches him to read is more valuable, and pays him that way. They repeatedly have to haggle with Raych to ensure they get what they want from him, and eventually adopt him as their child.

* BecameTheirOwnAntithesis: The Mycogenian society claims to be descendants of Spacers (specifically the Aurorans, from ''Literature/TheRobotsOfDawn''). Aurorans pictured their planet as one with full social mobility, gender equality, and a FreeLoveFuture. The Mycogenians, however, have a strict FantasticCasteSystem, the women take the place of the LostTechnology robots, and the society is implied to be very restrictive sexually.

* CargoCult: The remnant of Spacers living in one Mycogen has built their life around a religion (which they call "history"), where the temples are filled with reconstructed photos of the Spacer Worlds. The Holy of Holies in their main temple contains the most priceless relic of all... a broken down RobotMaid.
* CityPlanet: Trantor, capital of the [[GalacticSuperpower Galactic Empire]], is divided into approximately 800 [[DomedHometown domed cities]], each with [[MulticulturalAlienPlanet their own subcultures]], with some open space in-between used for transportation, communication, cooling towers, etc. The twenty nearest inhabited planets are all agrarian economies whose primary export market is Trantor. (''Prelude'' can be considered Asimov's attempt to [[{{Reconstruction}} reconstruct]] the idea of a planet-wide MegaCity.) Hari Seldon goes on TheQuest to find a model for psychohistory by exploring multiple areas of Trantor.

* EvilChancellor: Chetter Hummin manages to convince Hari Seldon that Eto Demezrel, who is Emperor Cleon I's chief of staff, is working only to selfishly profit from Seldon's recent "psychohistory" paper. The audience sees Demerzel encouraging the emperor to believe that killing Seldon is preferable to allowing him to work for any other faction in the empire. [[spoiler:Chetter and Demerzel are [[TwoAliasesOneCharacter the same character]].]]

* HereditaryRepublic: The Mayor of Wye is somehow a hereditary title, and until he abdicated in favour of Rashelle, it was ruled by [[KingBobTheNth Mannix IV]].

* MagnificentMoustachesOfMexico: The men of the Dahl sector all wear black moustaches; it's a sign of adulthood and they're grown as thick as possible, usually with handlebar curves. When Venabili [[CloseCallHaircut cuts off part of Marron's moustache]], she also takes a bit of lip by accident, ensuring that he'll never be able to regrow that manhood. Dahl is an oppressed sector of the enormous Trantor CityPlanet, where the population is considered good only for dirty labour, much like an American stereotype of Hispanics.

* ModestyTowel: The day after their second trip to Billibottom, Seldon interrupts Venabili not long after her morning ablutions, He's only dressed from the waist down, and so is she. He's initially embarrassed by seeing her this way, while she carelessly begins to dry her hair with a towel. After the initial awkwardness, Hari simply speaks directly to her.

* TheQuest: Chetter Hummin convinces Hari Seldon to begin seeking a way to make psychohistory practical. At the same time, Seldon tries to keep away from the influence of people who wish to use him as a figurehead, pretending the problems of psychohistory have been solved so that they can gain more power. Seldon travels to the Streeling University, Mycogen, and Dahl sectors of Trantor to keep ahead of [[EvilChancellor Emperor Cleon I's chief of staff]], Eto Demezrel.

** Several stories are told about Daneel Olivaw, a robot that looks indistinguishable from a human being. Those who believe themselves descendants of the Spacers hate him, labeling him as a Renegade. Those who believe themselves to be descendants of the Settlers label him as the one good robot, and all others are the work of evil. The character and the [[AllMythsAreTrue ancient tales]] derive from ''Literature/RobotsAndEmpire''. [[spoiler:Daneel has [[TwoAliasesOneCharacter assumed multiple identities in the intervening millennia]], including Eto Demerzel and Chetter [[HughMann Hummin]].]]
** Secretly, there is also [[spoiler:Dors Venabili, a [[RidiculouslyHumanRobots female humaniform robot]], assigned to Hari Seldon's protection by Hummin. Dors eventually develops genuine love for Seldon and actually [[AIIsACrapshoot violates]] the [[ThreeLawsCompliant First Law]] to protect him.]]

** Hari Seldon infers that [[spoiler:Dors Venabili]] is actually a robot, because they have inhuman reflexes and learning, as well as the ability to communicate to [[spoiler:Chetter Hummin]] without any equipment. However, he doesn't really care if they're human or not [[spoiler:and even if she can't experience love, he [[RoboticSpouse marries her]]]].

* SelfFulfillingProphecy: Demerzel and Emperor Cleon {{Discuss|edTrope}} the idea of a prediction that comes true by telling people about it. Seldon later [[DeconstructedTrope deconstructs]] the idea by explaining to the Emperor that such a prophecy must be made too vague and remote for people to care about, or so specific that it could easily prove false. When the mayor of sector Wye captures him, it's once again a "self-serving" prophecy that is demanded of Seldon.

* SingleLineOfDescent: When Rashelle, Mayor of sector Wye, claims that she should be the Empress because her family descends from the ancient ruling house of Dacian. Venabili, a historian, remarks that said dynasty ruled 5,000 years ago, which means half of the galaxy can claim to be descendants.
* TheSmurfettePrinciple: In the {{Sequel}}, ''Literature/ForwardTheFoundation'', when Seldon [[ContinuityNod thinks back]] to this story, he believes that [[MainCharacters he only met four people]] during his [[TheQuest Flight across Trantor]]; Demerzel ([[spoiler:a male robot]]), Yugo Amaryl (a male mathematician), Raych (a [[TheArtfulDodger young boy from the alleys]]), and Dors Venabili (a female historian). He's wrong; he meets several other people, both male and female, but these people (and [[KingBobTheNth Emperor Cleon I]]) are the only ones who persist across both volumes.

* StarCrossedLovers: When she was younger, Rashelle of Wye -- [[UptownGirl the daughter of the highest-ranking aristocrat in one of Trantor's richest sectors]], whose family claims royal ancestry -- had a boyfriend from Dahl, the planet's ''poorest'' and lowest-class sector. Her father forced her to dump him, but she still clearly remembers the relationship fondly, which contributes to her taking an instant liking to Raych. Dors later cites this as one of the reasons she feels sorry for Rashelle, even as she plots to overthrow the Empire.
* ThreeLawsCompliant: Always a motivation for his [[RidiculouslyHumanRobots humaniform robots]], [[spoiler:Dors Venabili and Daneel Olivaw]] are constrained by these rules without being obvious about it. The first robot is able to create superficial harm to humans due to a highly stressed Second Law reinforcing the First Law (protect this specific human from harm). The second robot rationalizes the need to use their PsychicPowers on people to protect his existence (Third Law) as well as Seldon's (First Law).
* TornApartByTheMob: One of the attempts to get Hari Seldon to the Emperor involved tempting him to commit an act of sacrilege in an extremely religious community, and then offer him a choice between an appeal to the Emperor and this trope.

* ExactlyExtyYearsAgo: The story begins just after the Decennial Celebration, which happens every ten years on Trantor. This Decennial Celebration takes place in 12020 G.E., making Seldon thirty-two (because he was born [[ExtyYearsFromNow 10,000 years after the book's publication]], in 11988 G.E.).
* ExtyYearsFromNow: Published in 1988, this is the first story in the series to feature Hari Sheldon as TheProtagonist, and his birth year is 11988 G.E. This is actually an InvertedTrope since his birthdate was chosen by Dr. Asimov when publishing ''[[Literature/Foundation1951 Foundation (1951)]]'', and choosing to publish the {{prequel}} in 1988 is deliberately evoking the sense of taking place ten thousand years years in the future, despite Galactic Era not technically being compatible with Anno Domini ([[AlternativeCalendar Year 1 G.E. is still thousands of years in the future]]).

%%[[quoteright:350:link]]
%% [[caption-width-right:350:caption]]

* TornApartByAMob: One of the attempts to get Hari Seldon to the Emperor involved tempting him to commit an act of sacrilege in an extremely religious community, and then offer him a choice between an appeal to the Emperor and this trope.

-->''To Jennifer "GreenPencil" Brehl,\\

** In this {{Prequel}}, gravitic elevators are described as technology that might eventually be used to make gravitic spaceships, but it is assumed to take many centuries before it could work as such. Three such gravitic spaceships appear in the previously published {{Sequel}}, ''Literature/FoundationsEdge''.
** In the final chapter, as Hummin and Seldon discuss how to go about using psychohistory, Hummin recommends that he uses two foundations to his psychohistory, so that if one fails, the other can be used to carry on. Seldon would be inspired by this to create the First and Second Foundations.
** In the final chapter, Hummin admits to having another plan, on another planet, that would provide a hope for humanity in case psychohistory fails. He is referring to Gaia.

* ModestyTowel: The day after their second trip to Billibottom, Seldon interrupts Venabili not long after her morning ablutions, He's only dressed from the waist down, and so is she. He's initially embarrassed by seeing her this way, while she carelessly begins to dry her hair with a towel. After the initial awkwardness, Hari simply speaks directly to her.

* MixAndMatchWeapon: One of the two lackeys that tried to attack Seldon in the [[ArtificialOutdoorsDisplay open-air park]] had a knife with a "laser inset" (more likely an built-in gun than a LaserBlade, since those use force fields in the setting). Hummin and Seldon find this distasteful, since knives are still effective by themselves.

* LaserBlade: One of the two lackeys that tried to attack Seldon in the [[ArtificialOutdoorsDisplay open-air park]] had a knife with a laser blade. Hummin and Seldon find this distasteful, since knives are still effective without the laser blade.

* EvilChancellor: Chetter Hummin manages to convince Hari Seldon that Eto Demezrel, who is Emperor Cleon I's chief of staff, is working only to selfishly profit from Seldon's recent "psychohistory" paper. The audience sees Demerzel encouraging the emperor to believe that kill

* EvilChancellor: Chetter Hummin manages to convince Hari Seldon that Eto Demezrel, who is Emperor Cleon I's chief of staff, is working only to selfishly profit from Seldon's recent "psychohistory" paper. The audience sees Demerzel encouraging the emperor to believe that killing Seldon is preferable to allowing him to work for any other faction in the empire. [[spoiler:Chetter and Demerzel are [[TwoAliasesOneCharacter the same character]].]]
* ExactlyExtyYearsAgo: The story begins just after the Decennial Celebration, which happens every ten years on Trantor. This Decennial Celebration takes place in 12020 G.E., making Seldon thirty-two (because he was born [[ExtyYearsFromNow 10,000 years after the book's publication]], in 11988 G.E.).
* ExtyYearsFromNow: Published in 1988, this is the first story in the series to feature Hari Sheldon as TheProtagonist, and his birth year is 11988 G.E. This is actually an InvertedTrope since his birthdate was chosen by Dr. Asimov when publishing ''[[Literature/Foundation1951 Foundation (1951)]]'', and choosing to publish the {{prequel}} in 1988 is deliberately evoking the sense of taking place ten thousand years years in the future, despite Galactic Era not technically being compatible with Anno Domini ([[AlternativeCalendar Year 1 G.E. is still thousands of years in the future]]).
* FantasticFightingStyle: Hari Seldon, who is [[BadassBookworm only known as a mathematician]], is assaulted by a pair of thugs in a [[ArtificialOutdoorsDisplay park]] in chapter 2 (and again when he visits Billibottom). At which point it turns out his entire homeworld (Helicon) knows kung fu. The style he practices is called Heliconian Twisting.
* HughMann: The name "Chetter Hummin" ("Cheater Human") is a clue that Seldon notices means Hummin isn't actually human. The pun helps him avoid the psychological cost of lying to humans; [[spoiler:lying is an indirect violation of the [[ThreeLawsCompliant Three Laws of Robotics]]. From this, and other oddities, Seldon realizes that Hummin is actually [[TwoAliasesOneCharacter R. Daneel Olivaw]]]].
* {{Interquel}}: Because this book was written after [[CanonWelding this series was tied to]] the three ''[[Literature/TheEmpireNovels Galactic Empire]]'' novels, it fits between both that {{Trilogy}} and ''Literature/TheFoundationTrilogy''. However, it was primarily marketed as a {{Prequel}} to the ''Foundation'' series.
* KingBobTheNth:
** Emperor Cleon I, current ruler of the Galactic Empire. He is the namesake to Emperor Cleon II, from "Literature/TheGeneralFoundation".
** Emperor Stanel VI is Cleon's immediate predecessor, having been mentioned before in "Literature/TheGeneralFoundation".
** The Mayor of Wye is [[HereditaryRepublic somehow a hereditary title]], and until he abdicated in favour of Rashelle, it was ruled by Mannix IV.
* LaserBlade: One of the two lackeys that tried to attack Seldon in the [[ArtificialOutdoorsDisplay open-air park]] had a knife with a laser blade. Hummin and Seldon find this distasteful, since knives are still effective without the laser blade.
* MagnificentMoustachesOfMexico: The men of the Dahl sector all wear black moustaches; it's a sign of adulthood and they're grown as thick as possible, usually with handlebar curves. When Venabili [[CloseCallHaircut cuts off part of Marron's moustache]], she also takes a bit of lip by accident, ensuring that he'll never be able to regrow that manhood. Dahl is an oppressed sector of the enormous Trantor CityPlanet, where the population is considered good only for dirty labour, much like an American stereotype of Hispanics.
* ModestyTowel: The day after their second trip to Billibottom, Seldon interrupts Venabili not long after her morning ablutions, He's only dressed from the waist down, and so is she. He's initially embarrassed by seeing her this way, while she carelessly begins to dry her hair with a towel. After the initial awkwardness, Hari simply speaks directly to her.
* MagneticHero: Raych is shown to be charming and quick-witted from the beginning, with both Hari and Dors liking the [[TheArtfulDodger streetwise urchin]] even though they barely know him. His charm contributes to his ability to stop Mayor Rashelle of sector Wye from killing Hari. [[spoiler:This turns out to be an incipient form of the [[PsychicPowers mental powers]] Raych's daughter, Wanda, ends up developing.]]
->''"[H]e exudes a kind of trustworthiness so that his victim will trust him, even if he has a blaster in his hand."'' -- '''Gleb Andorin''', describing Raych in ''Literature/ForwardTheFoundation''.
* MulticulturalAlienPlanet: Hari Seldon doesn't believe his psychohistory mathematics can be very useful. He'd need a model so diverse that it's essentially as complicated as the galaxy. [[spoiler:R. Daneel Olivaw]] arranges for him to run throughout the LayeredMetropolis of the CityPlanet Trantor so that he realizes that it fits the description. It has people from the three major ethnicities (Westerners, Southerners, and Easterners) and each of the hundreds of sectors are like a world of their own.
* NamingYourColonyWorld: Helicon, homeworld of Hari Seldon, shares its name with a mountain from Greece (and [[Myth/ClassicalMythology Greek Mythology]]). In myth, the mountain is host to [[TheMuse the Muses]]. This can also be seen as symbolic, as Seldon is the "poet" inspired to create psychohistory and the Seldon Plan.
* OnlyOneName:
** Raych is too poor to have anything more than one name ([[TheArtfulDodger not that he minds]]).
** Davars is using a false identity, and only assumes the one name.
* ThePlan: ''Literature/PreludeToFoundation'': Chetter Hummin convinces Hari Seldon to run away from the EvilChancellor, causing him to hide amoung various factions of people living on Trantor. [[spoiler:Mr Hummin is actually R. Daneel Olivaw, [[TwoAliasesOneCharacter and so is the Chancellor]]. He orchestrated this to help Seldon develop psychohistory.]]
* PrequelInTheLostAge: ''Literature/PreludeToFoundation'' and ''Literature/ForwardTheFoundation'' are both {{Prequel}} stories to ''Literature/TheFoundationTrilogy'', taking place in the heart of the First Galactic Empire, before the collapse became apparent due to the independence of the Periphery worlds.
* TheQuest: Chetter Hummin convinces Hari Seldon to begin seeking a way to make psychohistory practical. At the same time, Seldon tries to keep away from the influence of people who wish to use him as a figurehead, pretending the problems of psychohistory have been solved so that they can gain more power. Seldon travels to the Streeling University, Mycogen, and Dahl sectors of Trantor to keep ahead of [[EvilChancellor Emperor Cleon I's chief of staff]], Eto Demezrel.
* RidiculouslyHumanRobots:
** Several stories are told about Daneel Olivaw, a robot that looks indistinguishable from a human being. Those who believe themselves descendants of the Spacers hate him, labeling him as a Renegade. Those who believe themselves to be descendants of the Settlers label him as the one good robot, and all others are the work of evil. The character and the [[AllMythsAreTrue ancient tales]] derive from ''Literature/RobotsAndEmpire''. [[spoiler:Daneel has [[TwoAliasesOneCharacter assumed multiple identities in the intervening millennia]], including Eto Demerzel and Chetter [[HughMann Hummin]].]]
** Secretly, there is also [[spoiler:Dors Venabili, a [[RidiculouslyHumanRobots female humaniform robot]], assigned to Hari Seldon's protection by Hummin. Dors eventually develops genuine love for Seldon and actually [[AIIsACrapshoot violates]] the [[ThreeLawsCompliant First Law]] to protect him.]]
* RoboticReveal:
** Hari Seldon infers that [[spoiler:Dors Venabili]] is actually a robot, because they have inhuman reflexes and learning, as well as the ability to communicate to [[spoiler:Chetter Hummin]] without any equipment. However, he doesn't really care if they're human or not [[spoiler:and even if she can't experience love, he [[RoboticSpouse marries her]]]].
** Hari Seldon figures out that [[spoiler:Chetter [[HughMann Hummin]], [[TwoAliasesOneCharacter also known as]] Eto Demerzel and [[RobotNames R(obot)]] Daneel Olivaw]], is actually a robot due to the way they are so unnaturally persuasive and the stories he's heard about Daneel Olivaw while running around the sectors of Trantor.
* RunningGag: The sector of Wye causes confusion on several occasions, since [[WhosOnFirst "Wye" sounds like "why"]].
* SelfFulfillingProphecy: Demerzel and Emperor Cleon {{Discuss|edTrope}} the idea of a prediction that comes true by telling people about it. Seldon later [[DeconstructedTrope deconstructs]] the idea by explaining to the Emperor that such a prophecy must be made too vague and remote for people to care about, or so specific that it could easily prove false. When the mayor of sector Wye captures him, it's once again a "self-serving" prophecy that is demanded of Seldon.
-->''"You don't need to predict the future. Just choose a future-a good future, a useful future-and make the kind of prediction that will alter human emotions and reactions in such a way that the future you predicted will be brought about. Better to make a good future than predict a bad one."'' -- '''Emperor Cleon I'''
* SillyReasonForWar: Hari Seldon mentions a youth subculture conflict on his home planet. Some youths shave their head on one side and allow the other side to grow long, but the ones who shave their right side can't stand the ones who shave their left side, and vice-versa.
* SingleLineOfDescent: When Rashelle, Mayor of sector Wye, claims that she should be the Empress because her family descends from the ancient ruling house of Dacian. Venabili, a historian, remarks that said dynasty ruled 5,000 years ago, which means half of the galaxy can claim to be descendants.
* TheSmurfettePrinciple: In the {{Sequel}}, ''Literature/ForwardTheFoundation'', when Seldon [[ContinuityNod thinks back]] to this story, he believes that [[MainCharacters he only met four people]] during his [[TheQuest Flight across Trantor]]; Demerzel ([[spoiler:a male robot]]), Yugo Amaryl (a male mathematician), Raych (a [[TheArtfulDodger young boy from the alleys]]), and Dors Venabili (a female historian). He's wrong; he meets several other people, both male and female, but these people (and [[KingBobTheNth Emperor Cleon I]]) are the only ones who persist across both volumes.
* SpaceAmish: The inhabitants of Mycogen sector on Trantor, who believe themselves to be the last descendents of Spacers from Aurora and live a rather ascetic lifestyle, while basically worshiping the memory of the lost paradise worlds of their ancestors.
* SpySpeak: When Venabili and Seldon catch a private air-jet, Hummin has set up a sign/countersign code based on Seldon's nascent mathematical theory (psychohistory).
-->Dors said, "We're psycho."\\
The pilot said, "And I'm history."
* ThreeLawsCompliant: Always a motivation for his [[RidiculouslyHumanRobots humaniform robots]], [[spoiler:Dors Venabili and Daneel Olivaw]] are constrained by these rules without being obvious about it. The first robot is able to create superficial harm to humans due to a highly stressed Second Law reinforcing the First Law (protect this specific human from harm). The second robot rationalizes the need to use their PsychicPowers on people to protect his existence (Third Law) as well as Seldon's (First Law).
* TwoAliasesOneCharacter: Cleon I's Chief of Staff, Eto Demerzel, is hiding a secret identity; [[spoiler:he's actually R. Daneel Olivaw, from ''Literature/RobotsAndEmpire'']]. Chetter Hummin is suspicious of him, and tries to help Hari Seldon avoid the man behind the throne, because Eto is hiding secrets and will want to use Seldon's work for selfish reasons. This works up until the climax, when Seldon encounters Eto Demerzel directly, and realizes that [[spoiler:Chetter Hummin is a false identity used by Demerzel to control his actions all along. The identity (Chetter Hummin) is a pun -- he's cheating at being human -- because [[RoboticReveal he's a robot]]]].
* TwoWordsAddedEmphasis: Chetter Hummin claims to know the truth of humanity's situation, and can put it into five words; "The Galactic Empire is dying." He's trying to convince Hari Seldon that his "psychohistory" is needed for the sake of humanity's future.
-->He then spoke those five words grimly.\\
He said, "The Galactic Empire is dying."
* UncoveringRelationshipStatus: Hari Seldon tries to discover if Dors Venabili is in a relationship with Hummin by asking if she knows him intimately. She takes offense at his impertinence and implication that a relationship would make her "his". She’s an independent woman and doesn't "belong" to anyone, thank-you-very-much.
* WeWillHaveEuthanasiaInTheFuture: Hummin points out that there are no legal barriers to committing suicide on Trantor, and there are several places that cater to such desires (however, psychological screening is required before euthanasia will be administered, presumably to ensure you are mentally competent to make that descision).
* WhosOnFirst: Beginning in chapter 7, there's a RunningGag that an important region on Trantor, called Wye, is pronounced the same as "why", causing miscommunication amoung the characters. One such confusion/joke strikes at the end, when Seldon, alongside Dors and Raych, are taken there. They ask where they are being held, and the one who is keeping them prisoner tells them "Wye", which sounds like they're avoiding the answer.
-->"Wait, Madam," said Dors. "May I ask where we are?"\\
"Wye, dear. And please call me Rashelle, as you come to feel more friendly. I am always at ease with informality."\\
Dors stiffened. "Are you surprised that we ask? Isn't it natural that we should want to know where we are?"\\
Rashelle laughed in a pleasant, tinkling manner. "Really, Dr. Venabili, something must be done about the name of this place. I was not asking a question but making a statement. You asked where you were and I did not ask you why. I told you, 'Wye.' You are in the Wye Sector."
* 'YouAreNumberSix: The Mycogen sector of Trantor have a "cohort" (family) name and a number for first name, like Mycelium 72, Raindrop 43, Raindrop 45, and Sunmaster 14.
----

The details present in the 1020 F.E. edition of the ''[[ExcyclopediaExposita Encyclopedia Galactica]]'' have an incomplete record of these events, providing a contrast to the "real story" of how Seldon attempted to avoid capture at the hands of Emperor Cleon I, and his Chief of Staff, Eto Demerzel. Seldon has recently participated in a mathematics convention, where he described "psychohistory", as a set of maths that might, under extremely limited conditions [[WeaselWords be possibly able to maybe predict probabilities in a constrained environment]]. The emperor and Demerzel realize that Seldon could very easily be used, and if he won't be used by them, they plan to prevent him from being used by anyone else.

[[redirect:{{Literature/Foundation}}]]