How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #4
[…] everybody else was replaceable. Not Foaly. He'd built the system up from scratch, and if anyone else even tried to boot it up, a hidden virus would bring it crashing about their pointy ears. (5.27)
Classic genius trope in books and movies—why does the system always depend on the knowledge of one person who is an outsider of some kind and a little temperamental?
Quote #5
Artemis had anticipated some technological advances, but nothing like the treasure trove of fairy hardware spread out on the four-wheel drive's dashboard. "Impressive," he murmured. "We could abort this mission right now and still make a fortune in patents" (5.73).
And yet Artemis chooses not to. His is impressed by their technology, but not wooed by it.
Quote #6
For a century or so, [Foaly's] pod designs had leaned toward the futuristic […]. Lately, however, his sensibilities had become more retrospective, replacing the gadgetry with walnut dashes and leather upholstery. (5.101)
One of the unique and completely confusing pleasures of modernization is that it allows us to make things look older. It's odd, and perhaps indicates nostalgia for days gone by.