Mutual Superiority is the main theme. By October 1962, humans control the power to obliterate their species, but their leaders feel constrained not to resort to nuclear armaments by the knowledge of the magnitude of destructive power at their disposal, the suddenness and swiftness with which it can be delivered, and the fact that "victory," which is historically defined as the unconditional surrender of the enemy has become a moot point, for little or nothing of either civilization can survive the holocaust.