Robert Sheckley’s "Status:
Civilization," Summary

The science fiction novel "Status — Civilization" was published in 1960. The work reveals a model of a closed social dystopia, where Earth’s conformism has given birth to a planet of convicts with an institutionalized cult of crime and the erased memory of the settlers.

Arrival at Omega

In a cold prison cell, a man with complete amnesia slowly comes to. A guard blurts out, "Identify yourself as 402." On planet Omega, the ship’s loudspeaker announces the name of a newly arrived convict — Will Barrent, convicted of murdering a stranger. The local quaestor explains to the peons the rules of survival in a harsh world with a three-year lifespan.

Barrent goes into town. Three armed Hadji aristocrats hunt a lone peon for a festive amusement on the empty streets of Tetrachida. The fugitive seeks refuge in the office of the "Society for the Protection of Victims of Society." The president of the establishment drives the victim toward the shooters. A strange girl secretly hands over a revolver. With a well-aimed shot, Barrent instantly kills the attacker on the pavement, takes all the remaining property of the murdered man according to Omega law, and receives the status of Free Citizen, along with a small, half-empty shop selling medicinal antidotes on Blazer Boulevard.

The Order of the Criminal World

Selling antidotes requires a thorough knowledge of poisons. Most local poisoners insist on using cheap arsenic or fast-acting strychnine. In the evenings, the newly minted citizen spends hours practicing his marksmanship at the gunsmith Tem Rand’s shooting range. Priest Uncle Ingmar explains the tenets of the Religion of Evil: "The evil you worship is the ideal of the social being." At the nightly Black Mass, a sudden frost grips the city, forcing a late parishioner to fight for his life on the icy pavement before the locked doors of the sanctuary.

Trial by Court and the Mystery of the Earth

The Dream Shop is soliciting services. After taking a custom-made drug mixture, Barrent witnesses someone else’s crime with the death of Terkayler and decides to stop his dangerous experiments. Soon, the guards arrest the shopkeeper for refusing to use drugs: "drug addiction is a serious crime against the Omega State." The judge offers him a choice between grievous bodily harm and God’s judgment.

In the underground arena, a prisoner is attacked by Max’s armored vehicle. Moira, present in the stands, discreetly points out the enemy machine’s weak point. Barrent throws himself under the wheels, flips the machine over, rips off the junction box cover, and pulls the fuse. The winner receives the rank of Privileged Citizen. At the Lake of Clouds resort, the rescued Moira confesses to working for the underground. In the Mutant Quarter, the clairvoyant Mila sees the name of the real shooter — Illiardi. In the tavern, the convict confirms the murder, proving Barrent’s innocence.

The Great Hunt and the Arena

A street skirmish ends with the death of four attackers. Deputy Minister Nerins Jay hands over a notice: "Hunter’s marks are indelible." The fugitive hides from the hunters for 24 hours in the ministry office, on rooftops, and in mutant huts. A combat robot catches him in the mountains. Surviving until dawn, the defender receives the status of Hadji and is imprisoned in the Arena.

At the Gladiatorial Games, Barrent slays a flying saunus with his sword, pierces a creatinus’s dorsal armor, and strikes a spark with his swords to burn a carnivorous tree. The Games are over. A horned Black One suddenly emerges in a fireball, engulfing the surviving gladiator.

The Second Group and the Escape

The hero regains consciousness in a deep underground bunker. Underground leader Sven Eilan reveals the true purpose of the Second Group of Dissidents and Thinkers: "We want to return to Earth." The secret committee decides to send Barrent as the sole scout to Earth aboard the returning vessel. During a series of planned explosions in the square, the fugitive stealthily enters the cargo hold of the unmanned starship. At an intermediate checkpoint, a pest control android passes by the hidden scout. The ship enters near-Earth orbit unhindered.

Earthly conformism

The land greets you with manicured groves and deserted terminals. In the national park, the loudspeaker of the mechanical oak tree "Dubchik" dispenses a sleeping bag, a hot dinner, and plays classical symphony music. Barrent dons a pollster’s suit. Tailor Jules Wunderson sells clothes on credit: "diamonds and similar trinkets have no intrinsic value."

In a public library, the second volume of modern history is destroyed for the sake of public safety. Residents of identical suburban cottages obediently follow established behavior patterns. Local housewives judge human dignity by the folds of jackets. Writers are busy endlessly recreating old Conrad novels. Inventors are prohibited from registering useful patents. Engineer Grenten aimlessly watches over autonomous machine tools. Schoolchildren attend secret, closed classes, followed by complete memory erasure. Secret Police Chief Etienne Drevignan invites a guest into his home and openly acknowledges the planet’s complete vulnerability to the possible return of the seasoned Omegans.

The Informant in the Mirror

Barrent hides the secret report on the departing starship and heads to his hometown of Youngerstown. In the cramped confines of the robot confessor’s booth, the remote control calls out the address of the old family home. A closed-class dogma comes to mind: "For the greater good, you must accept responsibility for every crime you might commit."

In the mirror of an empty room, Barrent sees the true informant. Years ago, he had denounced himself under the influence of a hypnotic school program. The suppression of awareness of the suggestion compels him to raise a pistol to his own temple. The Omegaian fighter engages in a furious psychic battle with a programmed conformist. In the illusory images of the fight, Barrent delivers a crushing blow to his reflection in the glass. Sparkling shards of mirror litter the floor.