The Order
The Order is the silos’ extensive procedural and behavioral manual; Eren says it has changed since Donald last read it.
Story so far
Following The Pact in an enormous volume, The Order combines procedures for disasters with instructions for controlling human behavior. Its cross-references connect earthquake damage, airlock breaches and sabotaged supports; it covers air handling, asphyxiation, population growth and strategies of persuasion, fear and mind control. Its response to a failed cleaning is to prepare for war. Anna Thurman identifies Victor as its author, and it is described as the work of psychologists accounting for human behavior.
Paul Thurman gave Donald Keene the book to study and nearly memorize before the catastrophe. Donald later associated it with his descent into paranoia and said medication had enabled him to study without fearing its implications. As Troy, he had studied it for managing one silo and consulted an assessment procedure before conducting it. Its rules direct officials to presume explanations for unexplained problems are lies and prohibit intervention in a silo’s collapse. Bernard Holland required Lukas to study its treatment of insurrection, and taught that it presents ideas as contagious.
For Solo, the book offered practical survival guidance, including instructions for drawing water from the cistern, but no entry for being completely alone. His copy bears his silo’s number. Eren now warns Donald that The Order has changed since he last read it; the changes themselves are not specified.
Appearance
A thick volume with shiny gold lettering on its cover. Jimmy notices its precisely cut, unusually smooth paper; his copy has his silo’s number stamped inside.
Role
A procedural and behavioral authority for silo management, initiation and disaster response, also used for practical survival guidance.
Relationships
Earlier in this series
Also appears in books you've already read — spoiler-safe to their endings:
- WoolBook 1
Sources — 22 recorded facts, by chapter
- Troy has read the Order, but studied it for running a single silo.
- Psychologists wrote the Order to account for human behavior.
- Troy studies an assessment procedure in the Order before conducting it.
- Troy locks his copy of the Order in his desk before going to the communications room.
- The Order directs officials handling unexplained problems to start at the top and presume the explanation is a lie.
- The Order prohibits intervention in a silo’s collapse.
- Thurman gives Donald a heavy book titled The Order as required reading for the project.
- Thurman expects Donald to memorize The Order as nearly as he can.
- The book Donald brings home has the word Order in gold lettering.
- Donald says the Senator gave him the book to read.
- Anna says Erskine followed the Order when authorizing Silo Forty’s shutdown.
- Anna identifies Victor as the Order’s author.
- Donald remembers receiving the Order from Thurman as the beginning of his descent into paranoia.
- Donald says medication allowed him to study the Order without fearing its implications.
- Jimmy finds the thick book with Order embossed in shiny letters on its cover.
- The Order’s paper is precisely cut and unusually smooth to Jimmy’s touch.
- The Order describes possible disasters and ways to prevent or mitigate them.
- Jimmy finds no index entry in the Order about being completely alone.
- Reading the Order left Charlotte’s brother fearing the world might end, prompting him to use medication to forget.
- Jimmy’s copy of the Order has his silo’s number stamped inside.
- The Order provides instructions for accessing water from the cistern.
- Eren says the Order has changed since Donald last read it.