The Three-Body Problem: Chapter 30 Summary & Analysis

Ye’s interrogation continues in transcript form. Ye explains that after the Adventists monopolized communication with the Trisolarans, she tried to build a Third Red Coast Base. But four years ago, all communication with the Trisolarans stopped. Ye, who does not identify as either a hateful Adventist or a religious Redemptionist, reflects: “I started the fire, but I couldn’t control how it burnt.”

Ye also explains that she cannot destroy Evans’s ship because it would mean losing the Trisolaran messages inside of it. This would be devastating for the Redemptionists, because those messages were a religious text. Destroying the ship would also pose a strategic problem for any forces hoping to combat the alien invaders. The interrogator notices that Ye also calls the Trisolarans “Lord.”

Before the questioning ends, Ye tells the interrogator that the Trisolarans sent two protons to earth at the speed of light. When the interrogator is confused by the purpose of these protons, Ye explains that the protons have effectively “locked” human science; no matter how much they try, humans will not be able to advance technologically in the 450 years before Trisolarans arrive. Though Ye does not understand how this could be possible, she reflects that to the Trisolarans, “we’re probably not even primitive savages. We might be mere bugs.”

Having heard the interrogation, Wang Miao and Ding Yi debate whether or not they believe what Ye has said. Wang is confused about how two protons could have any meaningful effect, but Ding explains that a giant two-dimensional structure can be contained in a very small three-dimensional structure. Beyond that, Ding explains that there are many more “micro-dimensions” that could be manipulated, so vast amounts of energy and information could indeed be stored in a single proton. As Wang begins to fret, Ding comforts him, saying, “Just do the best within your responsibility. Let’s go drinking and then go back to sleep like good bugs.”