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elder-cabal
A dwindling group of retired faculty and staff who represent the old guard and guardians of traditional knowledge and values.
1 chapter across 1 book
Rainbows End (2007)Vernor Vinge
Chapter 16
The chapter depicts a gathering of the Elder Cabal, a group of mostly retired faculty and staff, observing a large protest supporting the Librareome movement at UCSD. The narrative reveals tensions between old and new technological paradigms, security concerns about unauthorized access to the library's restricted areas, and a sense of nostalgia and loss for the university's former glory. The chapter ends with a character named Robert exploring the library's lower levels, encountering signs of ongoing covert activity and destruction within the stacks.