The Computer Supplement for Valence 592 From the introduction: In the early days of the Empire, computers were an important and ubiquitous part of human life. The older species had always used computers, but not to the pervasive extent that humanity did. In the long run, this turned out to be an instinct that served the older species well. For humanity, however, cybernetic interfaces and powerful microscopic computers gave them an edge that many were reluctant to surrender.