Story so far
Victor worked across the hall from Donald in psychological services, holding the key to his locked office and, according to Sneed, carefully screening administrators’ psychotropic drug use. Donald remembered him as a watchful, manipulative dispenser of drugs, while recognizing that his own first-shift paranoia had shaped that impression. Anna Thurman credited Victor with planning most of the silo system and writing The Order and the original The Pact. According to Erskine, Victor successfully argued for the silos over nano countermeasures because an endless arms race threatened an uncontrollable epidemic, while public knowledge of such a threat could itself provoke catastrophic panic. Anna said he imagined himself as a steward, even comparing himself to Noah.
The silos’ failures strained that confidence. Anna said Victor blamed himself for the first lost silo and was distressed that his predictions could not specify exactly when and where events would occur. Erskine recalled his near-regret over the treatment of the men across the hall after Donald’s first shift and the trouble with Silo Twelve. He also said Victor wished people like Donald were in charge and distinguished logical decisions from the courage to do what was right. During the later crisis, Victor investigated silo eighteen, opposed terminating it, and sought Donald’s awakening because he thought an old report contained something significant. Donald later recalled that the silo’s high ranking mattered to Victor’s effort to save it. Paul Thurman said Victor favored another reset and credited him with prevailing in that decision; Donald interpreted Victor’s annotations as pointing to someone who remembered the past.
Victor killed himself before Donald’s second shift. Anna said he was found at his desk surrounded by silo notes, with Donald’s report on top, and acknowledged that she did not know why he had done it. His message, signed Vincent Wayne DiMarco, described a woman whose memory explained a facility’s unusual turmoil, said he had obtained a gun, questioned whether saving humanity had been a mistake, and left the final shift and its decision to Thurman. His body was placed in deep freeze after a ceremony attended by five people. Donald later wondered whether Victor had arranged his new position, but this remained a possibility rather than an established act. Donald also believed his own planned action differed from what Victor had hoped he would do in charge. Victor’s surviving writing includes an account of experiments in which abused prisoners became abusers after exchanging roles with their guards, adding a further example of his interest in how circumstances shape people’s conduct.
Appearance
Victor is a gray-haired psychiatrist. No further physical details are established.
Role
A deceased psychiatrist and, according to Anna, a principal designer of the silo system and its governing texts. His reports, annotations, and final message continue to influence Donald’s understanding of the system and its decisions.
Relationships
Donald — Anna and Erskine said Victor was fond of Donald. Victor sought his awakening over an important report, and Erskine recalled his belief that people like Donald should be in charge.
Anna Thurman — Anna Thurman worked with him and described his stewardship, research, and death to Donald, while saying she did not know why he killed himself.
Erskine — Erskine described Victor’s arguments for the silo plan and his doubts, calling him gifted at understanding minds but poor at communicating with people.
Paul Thurman — Victor’s final message left the final shift and its decision to Paul Thurman, who also credited him with prevailing in the choice to reset silo eighteen.
Sources — 62 recorded facts, by chapter
Chapter 5
- Victor works in the psych office across the hall from Troy.
Chapter 9
- Victor has a desk in the Office for Psychological Services across the hall from Troy.
Chapter 15
- Victor is a gray-haired psychiatrist who holds the key to Troy’s locked office.
- Victor estimates that everyone remaining in Silo Twelve will be dead within days.
- Victor promises to commend Troy in his report.
- Victor works across the hall, where he can look up at Troy.
Chapter 17
- A doctor from Victor’s office watches the serving line and tables during the meal.
Chapter 32
- Anna says Victor is not his real name.
- Anna confirms that the Victor she worked with is the man who worked across the hall from Donald.
- Anna says Victor saw himself as a steward and once compared himself to Noah.
- Anna believes Victor was fond of Donald and says he spoke about him often.
- Anna credits Victor with planning most of the system and writing the Order and original Pact.
- Anna reports that Victor died by shooting himself at his desk two days earlier.
Chapter 33
- Anna says she does not know why Victor killed himself.
- Anna says Victor became obsessed with the first lost silo and blamed himself.
- Anna says Victor claimed he could foresee certain events as probabilistic certainties.
- Anna says Victor was distressed by his inability to predict exactly when and where events would occur.
- Anna says Victor was found at his desk surrounded by silo notes with Donald’s report on top.
- Anna says Victor had been investigating Silo Eighteen and opposed terminating it.
- Anna says Victor wanted Donald awakened because he thought Donald’s report had identified something significant.
- Anna says Victor obtained the gun from a crate on her level while she was there without her hearing him.
Chapter 37
- Victor’s funeral is about to take place.
- Donald remembers fearing Victor as a watchful man who dispensed drugs and manipulated him, but recognizes that first-shift paranoia shaped this impression.
Chapter 38
- Victor took his own life.
- Victor’s body is placed into deep freeze following a ceremony attended by five people.
- Victor served on Donald’s shift.
- Erskine says Victor was fond of Donald.
- Erskine describes Victor as gifted at understanding other minds but poor at communicating with people.
Chapter 39
- According to Erskine, Victor successfully advocated the silo plan over developing nano countermeasures.
- According to Erskine, Victor argued that an endless nano arms race would eventually produce an uncontrollable epidemic.
- According to Erskine, Victor argued that awareness of a man-made epidemic would cause catastrophic panic and violence.
- According to Erskine, Victor believed terrorists could cause collapse merely by announcing their work.
- Erskine recalls Victor expressing distress at what was being done to the men across the hall.
- Erskine places Victor’s expression of near-regret after Donald’s first shift and the trouble with Silo Twelve.
- According to Erskine, Victor thought the world would be better with people like Donald in charge.
- According to Erskine, Victor contrasted doing what he considered logical with having the courage to do what was right.
Chapter 40
- Donald believes his own selfishness contradicts Victor’s favorable assumptions about him.
Chapter 44
- Victor was awakened after Thurman and Erskine under the crisis protocol.
- According to Thurman’s account, Victor believed Donald’s old report held the key to stopping Silo Eighteen’s violence.
- According to the account Donald received, Victor unsuccessfully argued for Donald to be awakened.
Chapter 45
- Donald suspects Victor took a firearm from a crate in the storeroom.
Chapter 46
- According to Sneed, Victor carefully screened psychotropic drug use among administrative personnel.
Chapter 47
- According to Thurman, Victor favored another reset of Silo Eighteen.
- Donald interprets Victor’s annotations as an attempt to draw attention to a person who remembers the past.
Chapter 51
- Thurman attributes the decision to begin the reset to Vic having won.
Chapter 52
- Victor left clues that helped Donald reach his decision to die.
Chapter 54
- While losing consciousness, Donald thinks he hears Victor’s voice but cannot distinguish a dream from a memory.
Chapter 65
- Victor’s message is signed Vincent Wayne DiMarco.
- Victor was already dead when Donald awoke for his second shift.
- Victor’s message says a woman who remembers explains the unusual turmoil at one facility.
- Victor’s message says he obtained a gun.
- Victor questions whether saving humanity was a mistake.
- Victor’s message leaves the final shift and its decision to Thurman.
Chapter 69
- Donald considers the possibility that Victor arranged his new position before dying.
Chapter 79
- Donald remembers storing Victor’s body as a funeral rather than an ordinary suspension procedure.
Chapter 80
- Donald intends to inspect Victor’s locker for possible secrets.
Chapter 86
- Donald recalls that Victor fought to save silo eighteen because it ranked near the top of the silo list.
- Donald recalls that Victor had become unsure he could make a particular decision before killing himself.
Chapter 91
- Donald remembers Victor shooting himself in the head.
Chapter 96
- Donald believes his planned action differs from what Victor hoped he would do in charge.
Chapter 98
- Donald recalls Victor’s suicide note to Thurman.
Chapter 101
- Victor wrote about experiments in which abused prisoners became abusers after exchanging roles with guards.